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Momentum
February 08, 2006

Hey guys its been a while, what with storm vortex and all. This article was inspired by a readers letter that i got a while ago, i hope you like it.

Momentum is seen as a fairly new concept in yugioh, but really it’s been with us since the beginning. My take on it is that essentially the idea is simply to keep control of the tempo of the game with various cards, so that you have dominion over what’s going on. Now most people consider this to be all to do with advantage, i.e. that if you have enough advantage you have all the momentum. That’s not strictly the case, and Gadgets are living (living?) proof of this.

Ok, you summon a Gadget, get another. Summon that one, get another. You’re screwed if they’ve got a Cyber Dragon on aren’t you? But you can still keep summoning every turn, gain all the cards that you want, but as long as that Cyber Dragon’s there, or the field, doing his thing, then you’re screwed. Nothing you can do, the Cyber Dragon’s whacking you with momentum.

That’s not to say that advantage isn’t important. It’s almost the foundation of which momentum is built on, so without advantage you can’t do much, at least momentum-wise. The common misconception that advantage = victory is just a myth, momentum is where it’s at.

Ok, back to my e.g. , Cyber Vs gadgets , like I said, Gadgets are screwed. Cyber’s stronger, there’s no way around that. He’ll just have to go, so lets just get rid of him. Smashing Ground? Fissure? Sakuretsu? Anything will do. Once he’s gone he’s gone, and you can start smacking them with your Gadget army. Keep up that tempo, and you’ve won. Whenever they summon a monster, get rid of it, whack em with your Gadgets.

Not only is that the basis of the CC Gadget build, it’s also the concept of momentum in it’s simplest form. As long as you keep in control with what you have on the field, and do your best to keep control of what the opponent has on the field, YOU are in the driving seat for the entire match. So how can you do this on a regular basis? What are the cards that’ll keep you in control , and more importantly, what can we call them so they sound cool? Well, let’s keep it simple shall we?


Sustainers:

Or one-for-one’s as they’re known. Thing is, I don’t like that name. Little bit mathematical for my tastes. Sustainer’s is a much better way of describing what they’re really like in terms of Momentum. They “sustain” the momentum in your favour by forcing an equal trade off. They support the weight of your momentum and stop it collapsing on you. A Quick -fire Sakurestsu is enough to blow off the steam you’ll accumilate whilst beating down on other’s. They sort of keep the lid ontop of the momentum - pot so to speak, be restricting your card expenditure to within the limits of the cards in your hand, without letting you just empty out you’re hand in one shot. Typically they are used more defensively than offensively, but it all come’s down to situation. Anyway, they “Sustain” you really, that’s all that need be said. They keep you in the game, and in control, so that’s what matters.

Some great sustainers are cards like Exiled Force, Sakuretsu Armour and Bottomless trap holes. A little bit regressive I’d say, but needed in moderation. Especially make use of Exiled Force, and excellent card all round.

Recoverers :

This is a bit of a broader way of thinking, in terms of cards that fit into the category. Essentially they are the cards that make up for a loss. ALMOST like +1’s, but not exactly. For instance, searcher’s are recoverers. They make up for losing a monster in battle by providing another one for you. Not technically a +1 because the monster they just whacked you with is still there generally. They just level off the resources there. Essential for keeping control over the momentum. If every time they attack a monster you lose nothing, then you have the momentum that round.

The Elemental Recruiters are fabulous examples of a good Recoverer , as is Sangan, , and other cards like Last Will or Call of the Haunted. Decent recoverers are few and far between , so use them when you get chance. They’ll help you keep control more than you’ll ever realise.

Regainers :

Magically essential, you’ll never have the advantage the whole duel, even if you follow this to the T and once you’ve lost it you’ll need to get it back ASAP. These sorts of cards come in all shapes and sizes,from the huge temp shifts like a Torrential Tribute, or a miniscule one like an Enemy Controller activating. Each have a huge impact on the game if used correctly, at the right time, and the mark of a great duelists is knowing when and how to use these cards. You can tell if a Regainer has been used correctly by the atmosphere of the game afterwards, for example if you use an Enemy Controller to stop one attack , and then afterward you pretty much pick up from where you left off, then that’s a poor use of a Regainer. However, if you use an Enemy Controller to sacrifice a Treeborn Frog and steal their Jinzo and hit them with an onslaught of high attack monstrosities then you’ve done your job properly.

Good examples of these cards are Enemy Controller, Book of moon, Mirror Force, Torential Tribute, Ring of Destruction and even Lightning Vortex. By looking at that list you get the gist of what I’m getting at.

Engines :

Finally, a phrase I didn’t make up myself ! Engines are important in this game, and are few and far between as well, at least typically. Basically, they are continuous sources of an effect, be it card advantage or otherwise. They are good because they are reliable, and easy to reap benefit from, and for that reason good for Momentum.

Gadgets are good engines, reliable and advantage gaining. Des lacooda is another, as is Freed the wanderer in a return deck, or Strike ninja. Momentum is oozed from engines. It goes hand in hand.

Returners :

Treeborn Frog, Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, need I say more? VERY rare, but worth it in terms of momentum. They completely keep pressure on the opponent and are a re-appearing menace. These cards make things difficult for any player facing them, and can act as a variety of the mentioned different types of cards mentioned in this article.

Bombarders ;

I’m sure by now you’re all sick to the back teeth of these new crazy names and catergories, but if just one person reads this and takes something usefull from it…..well I guess it’s been a HUGE waste of time for the rest of you…

Anyway, bombardiers are cool. Generally high attack mo0nsters that make it their business to stay on the field and hit things, and stay there doing it. Cyber Dragon springs to mind, as does Gigantes and anything else that has decent attack and almost forces its way onto the field. These things reap up and maintain momentum for their hobby. Essential in the inclusion for a good deck. Other cards like Heavy Storm and Breaker can also be considered Bombarders as that is what they’re there for. Coincidently Heavy Storm can also be considered a Regainer depending on circumstance.

Defenders ;

Obvious really, but they ARE essential for maintaining momentum , just keeping your bombardiers safe really.

Waboku shines here, as does Spirit Reaper and Swords of Revealing light. Scapegoat is a must as well. Momentum kept is momentum won. Without these card’s in your deck the momentum shift would instantly switch every turn.

Well that’s enough about Momentum for today I think, and I’ve invented enough new phrases for today as well. I hope you enjoyed it anyway. I’ll be back soon with a follow - up to my Gadget deck, and my hopes for the March list within the next few weeks, so keep an eye out. In the meantime, you can catch me at Storm~Vortex. . In case you want the url I’ll leave it for you.

Have a good one guys.

Dark__Maltos@msn.com

http://www.forumsvibe.com/stormvortex/