Last year I wrote an article about Why You Should Play Goat Format and I argued that Goat Format had something for everyone. It was fun, cheap, simple, popular, skillful, and most importantly, it was the most logical starting point for a new custom format because it wouldn't take much effort for players to acclimate to its card pool. NEWGIOH is that custom format.

What is NEWGIOH?

NEWGIOH is a custom format based on the popular Goat Format and the NEWGIOH Forbidden & Limited List are changes with respect to that format. Cards released in limited quantities at the time, such as Cyber-Stein, are excluded from the card pool whereas both Exarion Universe and Cybernetic Revolution are included in the card pool. The format changes every six months to give players enough time to adapt to the format without letting it get stale, at which point cards will be rotated in and out of the card pool.

Meanwhile NEWGIOH won't ever host ads, sell cards, or host tournaments to prevent any conflict of interest. We don't care about making money. We only want to make a fun format. That's why we're an independent organization designed to be open to everybody ARG, your local shop, you and your friends and we encourage everyone to use our list in unsanctioned tournaments, side events, and individual matches as they see fit.

As far as individual rulings and things like priority: if it was legal in Goat Format then play it as it was in Goat Format. Otherwise, play it as it is today. Rely on Google if necessary but understand that priority exists, your extra deck is limited to 15 cards, and all modern rules regarding XYZ summoning are in effect. For reference purposes, the Format Library has a nice list of relevant rulings from this time period.

For more information about the cards on our list, please see this post explaining Our First Format.

The Need for a NEW YUGIOH Format

YUGIOH is a great game. It's been around for a long time but it's still fun to play because Konami has always managed to keep things fresh and interesting. However, power creep and the focus on pre-built archetypes has made a whole host of older cards irrelevant in the context of modern YUGIOH and that has two major consequences:

A lot of new and returning players often feel overwhelmed by the vast card pool and some of the newer game mechanics. It's frustrating that a lot of us have cards in our binders that aren't likely to ever get used again without a second format.

Here's where NEWGIOH comes in.

It's designed to be easy to get into. Modern YUGIOH is comprised of 50 sets whereas Goat Format was comprised of just 16 sets so it's really easy to study the card pool. Moreover, the Format Library hosts a small, readable list of cards generally considered playable to make it even easier to sort through your options. It's also affordable. Modern decks can cost upwards of several hundred dollars but competitive NEWGIOH decks can be bought for as low as $21.76 there's also a good chance you already have a lot of these cards lying around. Either way, the great thing about playing a format where all your cards have been reprinted a dozen times is that you can get started for the price of a tournament entry.

Note that NEWGIOH isn't meant to replace the current Advanced Format. Modern YUGIOH is just as fun, interesting, and skillful as it's ever been. NEWGIOH is all that too butin a different way and it exists so players aren't forced to choose between a format that isn't right for them and quitting. That's what?NEWGIOH is the choice to play in a competitive environment with a focus on the fundamentals, fair cards, and without the fear of scary turn one plays that can outright win the game.

Make No Mistake: This Is NOT Goat Format

Goat Format is the beloved basis for NEWGIOH but they're hardly the same thing.

They may have a lot in common but the biggest change is that you're no longer tied to running Goat Control because decks like Monarchs, Beasts, Spellcasters, Zombies, Gravekeepers, and many more are just as competitive. That's why players of all kinds will find it easy to pick a NEWGIOH deck that suites their style of play. That's also why the best players will find plenty of room to flex their creativity, so be careful: it's a mistake to load up your old Goat list, make a few changes, and think you've solved the format.

That's actually my favorite thing about NEWGIOH: it's completely unsolved. It's got familiar cards but we're all in unfamiliar territory. Our decade of hindsight can't help us.

This is something new.

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