Combating the Format: Burning Abyss

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Burning Abyss

So far, all Main Deck Burning Abyss monsters, with the exception of the Level 6 Ritual Monster Malacoda, are Level 3 DARK Fiend-Type monsters, and share three effects: they are destroyed if the player controls a monster other than a Burning Abyss monster, can be Special Summoned from the hand if the player controls no Spell/Trap Cards, and have an effect that is activated when it is sent to the Graveyard (Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss is an exception as it lacks the third effect). Using Tour Guide From the Underworld to search out any Burning Abyss monster or use Crane Crane to Summon them from the Graveyard. Their effects will be negated so they won't be destroyed by their own effect. This ensures that you can overlay into Rank 3 monsters like "Dante". The archetype's swarming abilities make it a potent Rank 3 Xyz Deck. They can perform Rank 3 Xyz Summons quickly while maintaining the player's hand advantage.

Weaknesses:

Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror: Probably the most obvious hard counter to any DARK-based decks. The only possible downside to this card is that it can negate your own cards but if you're running a deck that doesn't run DARK monsters, then you're in the clear with this card against Burning Abyss.

Soul Drain/Macro Cosmos/D-Fissure: Macro and D-Fissure function a lot alike, the only difference being that D-Fissure is a continuous spell and only affects monsters while Macro Cosmos is a continuous trap that affects every card. Lastly, Soul Drain. To put it bluntly, this card is Skill Drain for the graveyard and banish zone. This is a good hard counter against Burning Abyss as well since the Burning Abyss monsters need to go to the graveyard for their effects to activate. Although, if a monster was detached from Dante, Keeper of the Burning Abyss while D-Fissure is active, the monster will go to the graveyard since it's considered a material, not a monster. Macro Cosmos on the other hand banishes everything, including the materials.

Masked HERO Dark Law: Bluntly put, Macro Cosmos in the form of a monster that only affects your opponent's grave. Along with picking cards from your opponent's hand when they attempt to search. Very good hard counter if it can be made.

Abyss Dweller: Much like Soul Drain, it doesn't allow any monster effects to be activated that hit the graveyard. Although, how this card is worded it states that they cannot be activated. So if you activate this card in response to a graveyard effect that's has been already activated, it will not work. You have to activate this effect before the graveyard effect happens. None the less, Soul Drain in the for of an Xyz monster.

Stygian Dirge: This card can disrupt the extra deck against a Burning Abyss player. Which means no Dante since all the monsters would be level 2 instead of level 3. Virgil is still possible to make but now requires 3 monsters instead of 2. This doesn't stop the engine of Burning Abyss, but it does limit their options.

Flying "C": This card is much like Stygian Dirge, although in the form of a monster. It doesn't decrease their levels, this monster takes an opponent's monster space and as long as Flying "C" sits their, your opponent cannot Xyz summon. The only option they have is to purposely put Flying "C" in attack mode and suicide kill this monster just to Xyz summon. Although, this card must be used with some tact, if you rush an attack against Flying "C" and don't OTK your opponent that turn, your opponent will be able to Xyz summon when your turn ends.

Karma Cut: Burning Abyss decks tend to use this card but it actually works well using it against Burning Abyss if you're willing to give up a discard as cost. It banishes a monster and gets rid of all monster with that name from the graveyard. Very useful for disrupting recycling and removing Burning Abyss without letting them get their effects.

Debunk: It can stop Burning Abyss monsters in the graveyard from activating their effects and banishing them in the process. And the best part is that this card can indeed be activated in the Damage Step.

Majesty's Fiend: If protected by a Royal Decree or Jinzo, this card is an extremely hard counter to Burning Abyss since Burning Abyss rely on the effect of their monsters that are sent to the graveyard. Again this card is best suited in slower decks or Monarchs. By this point, your opponent is going to have to rely on Spells and Traps. But if Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss is negated via Jinzo or Royal Decree, you most likely can wrap of the victory. This card almost on its own shuts down so many options against Burning Abyss.

Vanity's Fiend: Basically Vanity's Emptiness in the form of a monster. It's more suited to slower decks that can afford a tribute summon for a monster or Monarchs. This shut down important key cards in the Burning Abyss engine which are Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss which special summon monsters from the graveyard and deck respectively. Although they still have Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss as a removal option.

Soul Release: Banishes potentially up to 5 cards in both graveyards (although in this situation you want to banish your opponent's) and getting rid of key cards from your opponent. Although the effect would have to be activated after the Burning Abyss monsters have activated their effects. This card is probably more useful in a Lightsworn variant of Burning Abyss, and even then Macro Cosmos and D-Fissure are still better options. It can disrupt recycling when a lot of targets have been banished.

Sadly Mind Crush cannot be recommended to use against this deck, in fact it's highly recommended that you don't use Mind Crush against Burning Abyss since they will gain their effects if sent through the grave, regardless if it's from the hand. The only instance it would be fine to use Mind Crush is if you have Macro Cosmos or D-Fissure already active when you activate Mind Crush. And by that point you'd need 2 cards to get rid of 1 from your opponent.