K9 Vanquish Soul Dominates WCQ Regional Season as Yu-Gi-Oh Meta Crystallizes
WCQ regionals across three continents confirm the K9 Vanquish Soul mirror as the format's defining matchup. Lunalight and Mitsurugi round out the top tier.
The World Championship Qualifier regional season has produced a clear meta hierarchy, with K9 Vanquish Soul emerging as the deck to beat heading into the final stretch of qualifiers. The archetype posted multiple top finishes across events in Greenville, Rosemont, and Martignacco last weekend.
K9 Vanquish Soul combines the resilient grind game of the Vanquish Soul engine with the explosive combo potential of the K9 package, creating a strategy that excels in both short and long games. Ethan Green piloted the deck to a Top 8 finish at the 246-player Greenville regional, while the archetype also took the runner-up spot at the Weekday RAM Cup.
Mitsurugi and Lunalight round out the top tier, with Kewl Tune and Branded Dracotail serving as viable counter-meta options. The Lunalight archetype in particular has been a breakout story, with Tilen Zugan taking first place at the Martignacco regional in Italy.
Yu-Gi-Oh! The Chronicles 2026, set for release later this quarter, is expected to introduce support for several rogue strategies. Structure deck reprints, including the Spirit Charmers deck, are providing accessible entry points for newer players.
