Q; Why learn?
A: IMO, Yu-Gi-Oh is 20% card collecting 30% deck building, 50% winning and the rest for little things like tourneys that happen rarely and perhaps story. If you miss out on deck building, you are potentially missing out on half or more of the game. (cause you will lose as well.) Netdecking, or stealing posted decks is a bad idea because not only is it not fun, you generally never get better at the game. That is why.
Tip 0: Know the rules.
If you are new please be aware of these small details. (I mean really new.)
Destroying card does not negate activation. If said opponent uses fissure, using Mystical Space typhoon will NOT save your monster. (also remember that from now on mystical space typhoon will be abbreviated to MST.)
Destroying=/= sending. Dark end dragon sends monsters to the graveyard; hence it is not destroying and cannot be negated by Stardust dragon and any other destruction jamming cards.
When a card states that it can be special summoned after ~~conditions are met, it means from the hand unless stated otherwise. Ex) Dark armed dragon (will be abbreviated to DAD) cannot be special summoned from the graveyard by call of the haunted even if there are 3 dark monsters in said grave.
Tip 1: Use 40 f***ing cards dammit.
I often see noobs on wifi who use 60 card decks; the more the merrier right? Wrong. Most decks (good decks) will initialize 3 to 4 main plays and therefore, to increase the chances, it uses card combos that overlap needed cards and keeps card count to a minimum. Can’t fit it in? how about using less copies? Edit: I admit that its okay to have 40 to 42 cards, but usually the extra few can be mended with less fodder. It has been mentioned to fill extra deck, but you may not fill it or partially fill itas a form of mind game.
Tip 2: Know card advantage. This link might help. Skim through it.
Card advantage is generally counting how many cards you can make the opponent lose and how many you can gain. Above helping you choose a better choice of cards going into said deck, it can help you make better decsisions. For instance, lightning vortex should be used when your opponent has 2 or more face up monsters since using it when you opponent has 1 nets you a -1. Now this is a crude example, since there are times when your opponent's monster has to be destroyed no matter the cost. This is when its 90% evident that the opposing monster is vital to the player's winning strat.
Tip 3: Build decks centralized on archetypes. An archetype is a set of cards usually with simillar names. ex)Jain Lightsworn Paladin & Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter
These cards usually have supporting cards and that is why you should try to put in only one or two to maximize each archetype's potential.
Some special cards that go side by side in any deck are:
Monsters:
Gorz, The emissary of darkness
Morphing Jar(fodder mostly)
Dandylion (If you need to tribute summon)
The gravekeeper's spy (add 2 cards not three if you are going to tribute summon)
Tuners:
Plaguespreader zombie
Blackwing- Gale
Trap:
Solemn Judgement
Torrential Tribute
Mirror Force
Bottomless Trap Hole
Dark Bribe (some say nay, but its not that bad)
Starlight road (Have stardust equal or 1 more than the number of roads)
Call of the Haunted
Magic:
Heavy Storm
Giant Trunade(not that good if you already have storm)
Book of Moon (can be used to stop a variety of effects, such as an attack, designated destruction and others! An all around card! But generates a -1 so not used that widely.)
Mystical Space Typhoon
lightning vortex (careful with this one, may)
Cold wave
Synchros:
Stardust Dragon
Goyo Gaurdian
Brionac Dragon of the ice barrier
Tip 4: Use a draw engine.
A draw engine is essential to all good decks because they provide speed to your decks. Yes press B from your trunk go to the far right and search for increase draw. Find a draw engine that supports your archetype.
If you can't find one, then fill your deck up with any card that blocks opponent attacks and negates effects because today's decks are fast and they will mill you down.
Tip 5: Try different types of deck.
Just because the deck isn't toptier and 99% of players aren't using it doesn't mean that it's bad. When you play different types of decks, you start to recognise different cards. I have beated many lightsworn and blackwing decks using frog beatdown deck. Most likely because it seemed like my opponents had never seen the cards I had used before. If you play different types of deck, then when you go against one of them, you can think that 'Oh yeah, I had a deck like that once. I'm pretty sure that he has XXX in his deck or in his hand so I should play YYY to...'
If you are new to deck building, Please try making these types of decks to begin with.
Level 1: Basic Beatdown. Just a deck with high attack monsters with some monarchs on top with maybe a few tuners or so. Won't scare anyone, but good for beginners.
Level 2: Themed Beatdown. Try non 30-card-filler Crystal beasts or maybe some glads
Level 3: Some OTKs, Control Oriented decks. Harder to plan and to use. Know to conserve. (maybe)
Then go try building a deck of choice.
Feel free to add to topic. Comments and questions are accepted. Fixes made in response to mipe's post. Fixes made again, but not complete cause I have to go. And try not to flame(not saying anyone did) pulling out teh guns may further turn people away.
A: IMO, Yu-Gi-Oh is 20% card collecting 30% deck building, 50% winning and the rest for little things like tourneys that happen rarely and perhaps story. If you miss out on deck building, you are potentially missing out on half or more of the game. (cause you will lose as well.) Netdecking, or stealing posted decks is a bad idea because not only is it not fun, you generally never get better at the game. That is why.
Tip 0: Know the rules.
If you are new please be aware of these small details. (I mean really new.)
Destroying card does not negate activation. If said opponent uses fissure, using Mystical Space typhoon will NOT save your monster. (also remember that from now on mystical space typhoon will be abbreviated to MST.)
Destroying=/= sending. Dark end dragon sends monsters to the graveyard; hence it is not destroying and cannot be negated by Stardust dragon and any other destruction jamming cards.
When a card states that it can be special summoned after ~~conditions are met, it means from the hand unless stated otherwise. Ex) Dark armed dragon (will be abbreviated to DAD) cannot be special summoned from the graveyard by call of the haunted even if there are 3 dark monsters in said grave.
Tip 1: Use 40 f***ing cards dammit.
I often see noobs on wifi who use 60 card decks; the more the merrier right? Wrong. Most decks (good decks) will initialize 3 to 4 main plays and therefore, to increase the chances, it uses card combos that overlap needed cards and keeps card count to a minimum. Can’t fit it in? how about using less copies? Edit: I admit that its okay to have 40 to 42 cards, but usually the extra few can be mended with less fodder. It has been mentioned to fill extra deck, but you may not fill it or partially fill itas a form of mind game.
Tip 2: Know card advantage. This link might help. Skim through it.
Card advantage is generally counting how many cards you can make the opponent lose and how many you can gain. Above helping you choose a better choice of cards going into said deck, it can help you make better decsisions. For instance, lightning vortex should be used when your opponent has 2 or more face up monsters since using it when you opponent has 1 nets you a -1. Now this is a crude example, since there are times when your opponent's monster has to be destroyed no matter the cost. This is when its 90% evident that the opposing monster is vital to the player's winning strat.
Tip 3: Build decks centralized on archetypes. An archetype is a set of cards usually with simillar names. ex)Jain Lightsworn Paladin & Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter
These cards usually have supporting cards and that is why you should try to put in only one or two to maximize each archetype's potential.
Some special cards that go side by side in any deck are:
Monsters:
Gorz, The emissary of darkness
Morphing Jar(fodder mostly)
Dandylion (If you need to tribute summon)
The gravekeeper's spy (add 2 cards not three if you are going to tribute summon)
Tuners:
Plaguespreader zombie
Blackwing- Gale
Trap:
Solemn Judgement
Torrential Tribute
Mirror Force
Bottomless Trap Hole
Dark Bribe (some say nay, but its not that bad)
Starlight road (Have stardust equal or 1 more than the number of roads)
Call of the Haunted
Magic:
Heavy Storm
Giant Trunade(not that good if you already have storm)
Book of Moon (can be used to stop a variety of effects, such as an attack, designated destruction and others! An all around card! But generates a -1 so not used that widely.)
Mystical Space Typhoon
lightning vortex (careful with this one, may)
Cold wave
Synchros:
Stardust Dragon
Goyo Gaurdian
Brionac Dragon of the ice barrier
Tip 4: Use a draw engine.
A draw engine is essential to all good decks because they provide speed to your decks. Yes press B from your trunk go to the far right and search for increase draw. Find a draw engine that supports your archetype.
If you can't find one, then fill your deck up with any card that blocks opponent attacks and negates effects because today's decks are fast and they will mill you down.
Tip 5: Try different types of deck.
Just because the deck isn't toptier and 99% of players aren't using it doesn't mean that it's bad. When you play different types of decks, you start to recognise different cards. I have beated many lightsworn and blackwing decks using frog beatdown deck. Most likely because it seemed like my opponents had never seen the cards I had used before. If you play different types of deck, then when you go against one of them, you can think that 'Oh yeah, I had a deck like that once. I'm pretty sure that he has XXX in his deck or in his hand so I should play YYY to...'
If you are new to deck building, Please try making these types of decks to begin with.
Level 1: Basic Beatdown. Just a deck with high attack monsters with some monarchs on top with maybe a few tuners or so. Won't scare anyone, but good for beginners.
Level 2: Themed Beatdown. Try non 30-card-filler Crystal beasts or maybe some glads
Get to know some mid to average card combos such as Hamon+beasts or crystal release. Prove that you know card advantage by not using all the cards of an archetype.
Then go try building a deck of choice.
Feel free to add to topic. Comments and questions are accepted. Fixes made in response to mipe's post. Fixes made again, but not complete cause I have to go. And try not to flame(not saying anyone did) pulling out teh guns may further turn people away.