(Pojo Note ... this one involves several emails back & forth ... need to start from the bottom.  ;-)

Wrom: BARHDMNNSKVFVWRK Subject: What do I play? I reveal my stash...

There are two main types of gamers that play DBZ; the tournament player, like myself, and the casual gamer, who I assume is like you (but not sure).

The tournament player spends eons of cash to buy box after box, grabbing every card he needs to work his deck to perfection. Ultra Rares and Uber rares are not impossible (though I still haven't picked up Champion Drill). He works on his decks and strategy with a ton of other people to put it in tip top shape. He flies all over to a large handful of the big tournaments (Regionals, Nats, Worlds, Big 4) to attempt to place high and win it all. They are very competitive, aiming high to win it all.

The casual player buys packs at a time, making fun decks to have fun against other fellow friends. They attempt to make their deck good, but won't spend their life savings on making their deck better (like go buy $1000 worth of Namekian cards to make a good Namekian). They go to some tournaments, but won't go way out of the way and fly half way across the country to go to a tournament. To them, the game is a lot of fun, and winning does not have to come.

I am a hybrid of the two, but mostly the competitive type. My main deck is called Roshi's Gathering of Z Warriors, or Low Roshi Ally Backlash. That deck is my tournament deck, but it is my no means the best deck in the world. If I wanted to do that, I would be playing Piccolo Namekian Energy Chaining. I don't want to. I like to play with a fun deck that wins, and do what it takes to make it great. Most of my other decks fall into the casual gaming section. Who takes their Chi-Chi Red physical beatdown to the Tuff Enuff tournament of Regionals? Me. I got slaughtered in the first turn and overkilled, but I still played with it.

Now... what's my point... well, my point is when you asked me what decks I play, be prepared. Here's what I have:

Main Deck:
Low Roshi Ally Backlash - Master Roshi, No Tokui-Waza, North Kai (probably changing to Roshi Sensei when I find one)

Supporting Decks:
The Red Ribbon Army - Android 20, Red TS, South Kai (my sister's deck, if she isn't using it, I would chose it as my next best deck, especially for TE) Chi-Chi's Physical Smackdown - Chi-Chi, Red CS, South Kai (my fun Tuff Enuff deck, annoys people... you lost to Chi-Chi?!?!?!) Gohan's Ascension to SS2 - Gohan, Red TS, West Kai (generally my first deck, normal anger deck) Tien's Named Energy/Flight - Tien, Blue CS, West Kai (might go back to North, or even Roshi) (another really fun deck, also a really good candidate for TE with Flight to OK)

My Junk Decks:
Blue Krillin Energy Anger - Krillin, Blue WGS, North Kai (this deck is so outdated and bad, I should just take it apart... or switch to TE with CS or something) Goku's Blinding Strike Recursion - Goku, Blue CS, North Kai (I have no clue...) (this deck worked with the Ultra Rare Goku's Blinding Strike and run a million cards that drew it back up... it picked decks apart so that they couldn't function... unfortunately I only have 3 GBS... for some reason after one game I stopped working on it... maybe I'll go back someday)

I have never played Namekian or Saiyan, but I know how all styles work, just not to the efficiency of ally. I am attempting to put together a Goku Saiyan Anger deck with the new Buu Levels; it sounds like fun.

Thus I play some random decks don't I?

********

Allies are a lot of fun, and personally I believe that a couple allies should be in almost every deck (DB, CB, DV, Infinite Goku being decks that probably won't need some). Allies provide a backbone to lie on when Saiyan beats you to a pulp, and also creates some additional attacks to scare your opponent from knocking you down there. They help a lot in my opinion. Sucking up stages is often a life saver.

Got your girlfriend in eh? Lucky you... finding a girl who would play DBZ and respect your other interests. You are a very lucky man. I have my sister but she obviously doesn't count (she's my best friend though!).

Orange Majin Buu and Broly already... wow you are fast. They've only been out for what, two days and you have decks on them already... I don't even have all of Broly's levels yet. Orange is not the best style... but it might become one of them with the new release. Namekian is the best (check out the other article on Pojo outlining one of the best starts to a Namekian energy deck), but it costs a lot.

Red is my favorite style to play. It is just unfortunate the lastest Masteries don't stand out. I love anger; my Gohan deck seems to fly fast. Red CS Chi-Chi adds up in a hurry, and A20 has the quick way to level 3 while anger as a backup.

Black, Blue, or Saiyan... hmm...

Black is one of the most diverse styles in the game. It can play beatdown, hand disruption, anger, DV, and I've even heard of some DB ones... don't ask... You can go with a lot of characters here. Android 18, Buu, King Cold, and Goku are good choices; you can't go too wrong with this style.

Blue has the best Mastery (Blue CS) that helps with DB, and works nicely with beatdown as well. It allows you to run more non-combats with the utility of the Mastery. It is one of the best to go if you want to just splash good blue cards and run the rest freestyle. Roshi for DB, Krillin for Energy Beats (WGS level 3), lots of options here.

Saiyan is the weakest, but with the intro of the new mastery, it can be a threat. I would attempt to use this with a character with a killer high level like Trunks 4 CS or SS3 Goku Level 5 or something like that. Saiyan also plays lockdown with the TS Mastery and characters like Cell who prevent any attacks being preformed (Cell's Arena). Card advantage is Saiyan's main theme. Goku, Majin Vegeta, and Cell are thoughts here.

I could go into more depth but then I'd take more than a couple hours to type this.

Good luck with your choice, I hope I helped a bit. This is how I play and how I look at things... and everyone looks at things differently.

---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: "Ahmed"
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 15:53:38 -0400

That's actually great to hear, I've been to a couple of sites and
looked at other players decks and no one seems to use allies?? I love
them as well, and think they add allot more "umf" to the game. I
actually started playing this game a few years back and recently got
back into it. (majin vegeta, could'n resist. I even got his level 5
lol) Got my girlfirend into it as well, and she is now using an orange
tokiwaza deck with majin buu as her MP, she's loving it! It also seems
that orange is one of the best (if not the
best) style to go. Everyone seems to like it. I perfer red, it's pretty
evened out and your anger flies up very quickly. My brother wants to play
but the only stlyes that are left (because my other brother grabbed sayain
style) are black, blue and namekian. Which, in your opinion is the best out
of those three and which MP are good to use with them? My brother (with the
sayain style) is using broly, my grilfirend has majin buu and I have majin
vegeta. There's allways goku but his cards from the buu saga are very sayain
orientated and we don't have many cards left of that style, so I'm not sure
which MP to choose to work around with. I hear you can make a killer
Namkeian deck, but who can I use that can keep up the MP's the rest of us
are using? cell? (his level 5 is sick, 12 life cards of damage no power
stages, just sick!) I'm not sure. What kind of decks do you have and what
styles do you perfer? Thanks again for all the help, I hope this is'nt too
many questions, get back to me when you can.
Ahmed
----- Original Message -----
From: "Matthew Low"
Subject: Re: FW: Just a few questions please.


 I'm glad I'm of some help. If there is anything I know, it is
 allies... I
love allies; my main deck is an ally deck while I have various other
ones that are ally as well (Hero Ally is main, A20 Android ally is my
sister's, Chi-Chi physical with ally backup is TE, etc). If you've seen
my little avatar card thing on my answering page on Pojo, my card deals
with allies...

 I'll be here if anything comes up. Have fun!

 ---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
 From: "Ahmed"
 Date: Sun, 1 Jun 2003 04:00:44 -0400

 Thanks allot. Sorry for all the emails, but no one would answer my
 questions. Not even the DBZ offical CCG site. So you've been a great
help!
 The book is very vague about allies and if you can use there powers
 in combat or not, so I just needed to make sure. Again thanks for
 the help!
If
 my brothers or I come up with anything else were not sure of I know
 where
to
 go now : )
 Ahmed
 ----- Original Message -----
 From: "Matthew Low"
 Subject: Re: FW: Just a few questions please.
 
 
  Allies may only use their powers when in control of combat, unless
  on the  ally's power it says "(insert ally's name here) can use his power
 when not  in control of combat." This goes for any power, constant combat
 power or just power. Your MP must be at one stage above zero or at
 zero to use let an  ally take control of combat and use their power.
  For example:
  Krillin the Friend Level 1 Cell Saga - His power is an energy
  attack  costing 0 power stages. I use his power when I'm at 1 above or at
 zero, as  an attack during combat.
  Bardock Level 1 Capsule Corp Power Pack II - His power is a
  Constant  Combat Power that allows you to look at your opponent's hand. If he
 is in control of combat, you may choose to have your opponent have
 his hand face  up on the table as long he is in control of combat.
 
  The only powers allies cannot use are When Entering Combat powers.
These  are like Supreme Kai Level 1 (unless you use Supreme Kai's Help or
 What Was  I Thinking?) and Android 18 Level 1 Cell Saga.
 
  When you Sensei cards out and put them into your Sensei Deck, they
become  part of your Sensei deck, NOT your removed from the game pile. This
 is because there are a few cards like Goku's Relentless Spirit and
 Android Tag  Team that get cards from there, and cards like Tapkar on the Move
 the benefit from cards removed from the game.
  Oh, and you are wondering what the cards in your Sensei Deck are
  for when  not using them... well... that's what Buu Saga is all about my
 friend... cards like Saiyan Pressure Technique and Orange
 Destruction Ball work
with  this...
  Oh, and you do know that you put cards from your Sensei deck into
  your  deck as well, and thus keeping your deck the same size, right?
 
  If you have any other questions, let me know. Feel free to email
  me directly instead of Pojo if you have any, ok?

  -----Original Message-----
  From: Ahmed
  Hey,
 
  Can allies use any powers when there in control? For example,
  Krillins destructo disk, can I use that when he's in control of
  combat? Or can  allies
  only use constant combat powers?
 
  Last question, about sensie's, if we put cards under them, and
  then swap  some from our life deck, what's the good in this? You lose cards
  to add   more, and can never use any of the cards under your sensie for
  the rest  of   the game? What's the use of this in the game exactly?
 
  Thanks for everything!
  Ahmed