This would be my first attempt at a Duel Masters strategy guide. I wanna make this half decent, because I looked at all the guides that are only a paragraph or two in length and knew I could do better. This particular article is'nt on a deck, or an archtype. Its on basic strategies for makign any deck you might construct in the future. I'll do the best i can considering the card pool we have in English is very limited right now. I'll get started.

"Hey no fair, I never got to cast Deathliger!"

What can be said for what tempo means to the game. First off, what can be said is  what tempo means. Tempo is how fast and smooth your deck runs. For example, bad tempo is puting cards in your manazone until turn 6 when you can finaly cast your big spells. In between casting such powerful spells like perhaps King Depthicon or Terror Pit. Even if the spells are considered low power to some, they play a vital role in just getting you the time you need to cast your spells.

Playing things like Marine Flower and Senatine Jade Tree can buy time via staving off early small assaults, like those given by popular mono red decks. Those are defensive ways to maintain control of the game until your big guns come out. The Water/Light Toel deck floating around right now uses this strategy to stay in the game until Urth or King Depthicon can sweep up the mess.

The other choice is offensive pressure. Playing things like Braid Claw early get pressure on your oppnent to dispose of the threat, which often costs them cards they could have better spent on whats to come from your side of the table. I've seen opponents throw Death Smokes at simple Mighty Shouters because they can't take the shield breaking anymore. This doesnt work so well against the defensive strategy, because blockers often have higher power than non-blockers. if your going this route, make sure your packing heat taht can win fast.

These are just simple steps to making sure you can stay in the game long enough for your impressive but costly spells.

"Friggen Teleportation! Argh...Teror Pit now? STORM SHELL TOO?"

The other side of tempo is degree of control. We could all build decks mad eof nothing but creatures, as to imposse the idea that yours will always be beefier than your opponent's, but that ideal just isn't true. Utility spells and removal spells belong in any deck that can get them in, which I hope your deck can. Basicaly ever color has an answer to creature assaults. Light can block, Fire can use specific removal (Crimson Hammer), Nature has the send to mana zone effect, Water has bounce removal, and Dark is the best with flatout creature kill. These spells are vital to whatever civ you migth be playing.

Playing a mono-red deck? Put in Tornado Flames, please. Nature-Dark excelleration? Throw in Terror Pits and Natural Snares. These are economicaly advantageous. Paying 4 to nuke off an Urth is just peachy. Having control over what stays in play and what bites the dust is a power you want to have.The balance between this and tempo is the conflict of making your deck. How many 1-3 cost spells should you have? How mnay 6 and above? Well, in Magic the Gatering, a very similar card game, the suggested and proven sucessful amna curve is somethign along the lines of 8-12 one cost spells,8-12 2 cost spells,6-10 3 cost spells,6-10 4 cost spells, 4-6 5 cost spells, and anything over 5 is advised to stick to 4 or less unless you pack some kind of hook that allows for mana boosting.this is fairly hard to follow in DM right now, seeing as each Civ only has about 1 single mana cost spell. The advantage is that theres no lands involved. The mana curve its called, is just something unique to alot of decks. Finding the balance takes time and practice, so just try the best you can.

I might write another one of these if I get good feedback. I hope I helped someone. Peace

-Addison