I stopped playing yugioh for a while. Once legendary collection 5D's came out and I found out MY MAIN MAN QUASAR GOT A REPRINT I was stoked beyond belief.

So I start playing again and what do you know, I remember why I left: Pendulums.

I'll go into detail if this thread gets attention, but I'd just like to point out that to me pendulums, are literally, the WORST idea konami has had, since introducing Dragon Rulers.

They're not bad, it's really just Qil. You must side deck to face them.

They're not bad, it's really just Qil. You must side deck to face them.

The pendulum concept in itself is bad. Qli's are beyond stupid and side decking doesn't help when they can side too.

I know some of the contra-pendulums will banish me for this, but I don't think the Pendulum idea is bad at all because:

1. Pendulum Summoning is an inherent minus in itself.
Unless you know what to do after the summon, you're literally trashing out your hand to the field. It's not a good idea to vomit your hidden advantage out. Even setting up the Scales are inherent -2 in and of itself... I'm not a fan of the Card Advantage Theory, but I just gotta say it.

2. Pendulum Summon is easy to side against.
Pendulums are vulnerable to oh so many things introduced before them. They're vulnerable to Spell disruptions, they're vulnerable to banishment, they're vulnerable to Special Summon floodgates...

3. Pendulum Summon Archetypes are conservative.
Archetypes that use Pendulum Summon mechanics usually use the "I work alone" clause while creating their decks, limiting the amount of techs allowed. Qlis limit yourself to spamming Qliphorts; Yosenju has worse Scales unless you increase them with the expense of... Only being able to Pendulum summon their brethren; Performapals' cards are scattered everywhere, and cannot be hybridized well unless as techs in certain decks.

4. Pendulum Summon as Techs cut away the deck.
Teching the Pendulum engine into old decks usually result in inconsistencies or over-40-decks, unless done very carefully and considerably. Usually old decks need their own new Pendulums to function well with the engine. Gambling 5-6 cards in a consistent deck just for hand spam engine is usually not worth it.

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Just like what Emiliavance said, it's not a good idea to summon everything you have in your hand. This is true but even if the opponent manages to clear your monsters, they'll return to the extra and next turn you'll be able to summon them once again. This is what makes Pendulum broken, imo. Not the special summoning from the hand, but from the Extra Deck.

However, this mechanic isn't strong if the deck itself doesn't contain many pendulums. Qli is strong because EVERY monster the deck contains is Pendulum. This means that you can be able to set up your scales a lot more often than usual. Think about this: why aren't DDD and Yosenju meta decks in OCG? Because they aren't pendulum-based decks. They usually work better without their themed pendulums.

Another powerful aspect of Pendulums is how the opponent should face the pendulum user. Years ago powerful cards got released: Fiendish Chain and Effect Veiler. They completely changed how monster effects could be countered, I think Divine Wrath was the only monster-negation card. You can't negate the effects of Pendulum monsters while they are in the Pendulum Zone; this shouldn't be relevant because they act like continous spells, so you just can use MST on the pendulum and "negate" the effect, in the same way you can "negate" cards like Tenki. The problem is that when you use your MST to negate the pendulum in the pendulum zone, the opponent's backrow remain untouched. With powerful Trap cards like Vanity's Emptiness, Skill Drain, Bottomless, Solemn Warning, ecc. , this is an HUGE advantage. And I think that maining cards like Spell Shattering Arrow and Fairy Wind just for pendulums completely slow you down in the same fashion MST slows you down when facing Lightsworns.

I know we aren't talking only of Qli, but what if Konami releases Pendulums like Helix and Carrier, which effects activate in the Extra Deck? How can you negate them? With Divine Wrath. And everyone knows why it's a bad card. Just think about the "when this card leaves the field"cards, such as Quasar, Absolute Zero and Reborn Tengu. Their effects, not counting the 101 and missing timing rules, activate whenever the opponent manages to get rid of them, but the strongest fact is that you just cannot negate their effects with staples like Breakthrough Skill, Effect Veiler or Fiendish Chain. The same happens with Carrier and Helix. I hope similiar effects won't come in Yugioh.

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I know some of the contra-pendulums will banish me for this, but I don't think the Pendulum idea is bad at all because:

1. Pendulum Summoning is an inherent minus in itself.
Unless you know what to do after the summon, you're literally trashing out your hand to the field. It's not a good idea to vomit your hidden advantage out. Even setting up the Scales are inherent -2 in and of itself... I'm not a fan of the Card Advantage Theory, but I just gotta say it.

2. Pendulum Summon is easy to side against.
Pendulums are vulnerable to oh so many things introduced before them. They're vulnerable to Spell disruptions, they're vulnerable to banishment, they're vulnerable to Special Summon floodgates...

3. Pendulum Summon Archetypes are conservative.
Archetypes that use Pendulum Summon mechanics usually use the "I work alone" clause while creating their decks, limiting the amount of techs allowed. Qlis limit yourself to spamming Qliphorts; Yosenju has worse Scales unless you increase them with the expense of... Only being able to Pendulum summon their brethren; Performapals' cards are scattered everywhere, and cannot be hybridized well unless as techs in certain decks.

4. Pendulum Summon as Techs cut away the deck.
Teching the Pendulum engine into old decks usually result in inconsistencies or over-40-decks, unless done very carefully and considerably. Usually old decks need their own new Pendulums to function well with the engine. Gambling 5-6 cards in a consistent deck just for hand spam engine is usually not worth it.

1. Going minus doesn't matter if you know you're winning, which is a good amount of the times you go all in.
2. Most non-meta decks have zero means of running cards like Dimensional Prison, Spell Shattering Arrow, etc because they don't get that privilege of infinite hand advantage to thin the deck, and if they do have searchability, they're too slow to actually finish quickly before a set-up by the opponent screws you over.
3. If that was a fact then the mechanic wouldn't be just another over-glorified way of special summoning.
4. You're making it sound like you would use those cards any other time other than to go for game or attempt to save yourself from utter destruction. Refer to #1.

Just like what Emiliavance said, it's not a good idea to summon everything you have in your hand. This is true but even if the opponent manages to clear your monsters, they'll return to the extra and next turn you'll be able to summon them once again. This is what makes Pendulum broken, imo. Not the special summoning from the hand, but from the Extra Deck.

However, this mechanic isn't strong if the deck itself doesn't contain many pendulums. Qli is strong because EVERY monster the deck contains is Pendulum. This means that you can be able to set up your scales a lot more often than usual. Think about this: why aren't DDD and Yosenju meta decks in OCG? Because they aren't pendulum-based decks. They usually work better without their themed pendulums.

Another powerful aspect of Pendulums is how the opponent should face the pendulum user. Years ago powerful cards got released: Fiendish Chain and Effect Veiler. They completely changed how monster effects could be countered, I think Divine Wrath was the only monster-negation card. You can't negate the effects of Pendulum monsters while they are in the Pendulum Zone; this shouldn't be relevant because they act like continous spells, so you just can use MST on the pendulum and "negate" the effect, in the same way you can "negate" cards like Tenki. The problem is that when you use your MST to negate the pendulum in the pendulum zone, the opponent's backrow remain untouched. With powerful Trap cards like Vanity's Emptiness, Skill Drain, Bottomless, Solemn Warning, ecc. , this is an HUGE advantage. And I think that maining cards like Spell Shattering Arrow and Fairy Wind just for pendulums completely slow you down in the same fashion MST slows you down when facing Lightsworns.

I know we aren't talking only of Qli, but what if Konami releases Pendulums like Helix and Carrier, which effects activate in the Extra Deck? How can you negate them? With Divine Wrath. And everyone knows why it's a bad card. Just think about the "when this card leaves the field"cards, such as Quasar, Absolute Zero and Reborn Tengu. Their effects, not counting the 101 and missing timing rules, activate whenever the opponent manages to get rid of them, but the strongest fact is that you just cannot negate their effects with staples like Breakthrough Skill, Effect Veiler or Fiendish Chain. The same happens with Carrier and Helix. I hope similiar effects won't come in Yugioh.

If Pendulums aren't broken, they're pointless.
"Konami, come up with a new mechanic. So tired of all these XYZ spamming decks and shit. Something groundbreaking."
*Creates pendulums, where you special summon from your hand and extra deck monsters with two effects.*
"DUDE THIS IS SO UNIQUE AND NEW AND REFRESHING."
You're lying to me and yourself if you think Pendulums are groundbreaking at all. It's another way of doing the same thing the meta has been doing, literally, forever, and at a "minus 2." with NO other costs.

Dude, if you don't like Pendulum, just don't play them.

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Dude, if you don't like Pendulum, just don't play them.

No one sensible should be playing degenerate Pendulums.

No one sensible should be playing degenerate Pendulums.

Honestly the only truly degenerate Pendulum-based deck is Qliphort, at least until Scout gets Qliphlattened by the Qliphorbidden List.

For non-pendulum decks, Pendulums add an element of lucksack and inconsistency. 2 things decks are better without. Such decks rarely open well. Duel against them enough and you'll notice it after a while.

It it's a problem, just add 2 or 3 copies of Fairy Wind or Spell-Shattering Arrow to your side deck to easily win the later duels of a match with these decks.

If you only play Single duels, try maining triple Mystical Space Typhoon in your decks.

No one sensible should be playing degenerate Pendulums.

Honestly the only truly degenerate Pendulum-based deck is Qliphort, at least until Scout gets Qliphlattened by the Qliphorbidden List.

For non-pendulum decks, Pendulums add an element of lucksack and inconsistency. 2 things decks are better without. Such decks rarely open well. Duel against them enough and you'll notice it after a while.

It it's a problem, just add 2 or 3 copies of Fairy Wind or Spell-Shattering Arrow to your side deck to easily win the later duels of a match with these decks.

If you only play Single duels, try maining triple Mystical Space Typhoon in your decks.

Heavy storm would be nice to have, but you know. Having 2 legal dark holes and zero forms of heavy storm that are even worth playing (let's face it, malevolent catastrophe is poop on a stick), makes perfect sense.

Just like what Emiliavance said, it's not a good idea to summon everything you have in your hand. This is true but even if the opponent manages to clear your monsters, they'll return to the extra and next turn you'll be able to summon them once again. This is what makes Pendulum broken, imo. Not the special summoning from the hand, but from the Extra Deck.

However, this mechanic isn't strong if the deck itself doesn't contain many pendulums. Qli is strong because EVERY monster the deck contains is Pendulum. This means that you can be able to set up your scales a lot more often than usual. Think about this: why aren't DDD and Yosenju meta decks in OCG? Because they aren't pendulum-based decks. They usually work better without their themed pendulums.

Another powerful aspect of Pendulums is how the opponent should face the pendulum user. Years ago powerful cards got released: Fiendish Chain and Effect Veiler. They completely changed how monster effects could be countered, I think Divine Wrath was the only monster-negation card. You can't negate the effects of Pendulum monsters while they are in the Pendulum Zone; this shouldn't be relevant because they act like continous spells, so you just can use MST on the pendulum and "negate" the effect, in the same way you can "negate" cards like Tenki. The problem is that when you use your MST to negate the pendulum in the pendulum zone, the opponent's backrow remain untouched. With powerful Trap cards like Vanity's Emptiness, Skill Drain, Bottomless, Solemn Warning, ecc. , this is an HUGE advantage. And I think that maining cards like Spell Shattering Arrow and Fairy Wind just for pendulums completely slow you down in the same fashion MST slows you down when facing Lightsworns.

I know we aren't talking only of Qli, but what if Konami releases Pendulums like Helix and Carrier, which effects activate in the Extra Deck? How can you negate them? With Divine Wrath. And everyone knows why it's a bad card. Just think about the "when this card leaves the field"cards, such as Quasar, Absolute Zero and Reborn Tengu. Their effects, not counting the 101 and missing timing rules, activate whenever the opponent manages to get rid of them, but the strongest fact is that you just cannot negate their effects with staples like Breakthrough Skill, Effect Veiler or Fiendish Chain. The same happens with Carrier and Helix. I hope similiar effects won't come in Yugioh.

If Pendulums aren't broken, they're pointless.
"Konami, come up with a new mechanic. So tired of all these XYZ spamming decks and shit. Something groundbreaking."
*Creates pendulums, where you special summon from your hand and extra deck monsters with two effects.*
"DUDE THIS IS SO UNIQUE AND NEW AND REFRESHING."
You're lying to me and yourself if you think Pendulums are groundbreaking at all. It's another way of doing the same thing the meta has been doing, literally, forever, and at a "minus 2." with NO other costs.

Basically... Either that or they just start making archetypes where all the monsters are pendulums and they get to do things that other cards don't...