Taking it one part at a time.
@Ammokkx
The change isn't going to be as big as people first expected it to be, that's for sure. Firewall Dragon is busted as fuck, and I feel like we'll get some classic Konami dick giving to the current meta cards once Link Format actually arrives; They had no reason to hit Zoo right now,
Then why did the OCG pre-emptively ban freaking Gofu? It sure as heck wasn't a problem card pre-link format, so they could've just waited until after Links hit to do so. The argument for Zoo not getting hit majorly is kind of silly too: Zoos are like, 90% of the current decks and will remain 90% of the decks because the core engine is in tact. They had all the reason to hit it even before links were a thing, so this argument makes no sense to me.
Also, they're kind of releasing an entire summon mechanic deck after links hit. If that doesn't scream backwards thinking, I don't know what does.
You know what needs to actually happen? We need That Grass Looks Greener to be limited.
...Actually, I agree with this. card's busted af.
Yosenjus are going to be extremely popular at the start, I feel. But they'll be getting the dick too. The one thing I expect to not see get hit is Metalfoes and Lightsworns. Mer Mails will get hit, just waitin' for it.
Yosenju weren't meta when they were released and won't ever be meta, sorry to say. Deck's too old and outdated at this point, which says something about how fast the game advances. Their effects just aren't good enough.
Mermail had its glory, and is in the same boat now. Don't get me wrong, they're really freakin' good, but they needed the paleo engine to function in the big boy leagues nowadays. Unless some more WATER support is released that gives them some impact, I doubt we'll be seeing more of them without the paleo engine.
For the moment, Rat going to 2 is actually pretty good. I'm current;y satisfied with the banlist. Except for Imperial Order, but we're getting a Trap version of Twin Twisters so I no longer will give a single fuck.
Rat going to 2 only made the decks that run the zoo engine switch into the Fusion Subsitute combo, which gave them an extra +2 while slightly hampering their consistency. Not quite the desired result.