May 2007
The 40-card deck
- combobreaker
Why do the majority of decks you see only have 40
cards. When I first started playing Yu-Gi-Oh!, I
thought playing 40 card decks were stupid and more
cards meant more fun. Then I realized the advantage
of the 40 card deck - and it was an obvious reason,
too. 40-card decks give you a better chance of
drawing the card you want. I don't understand having
more than 40-cards anymore - especially if you play
drawing power cards like Dekoichi (because summoning
Dekoichi wastes 1 turn and uses a summon, whereas
you could have just drawn the card you needed
anyways). Unless you utilize cards that ensure you
know the next card you are going to draw is going to
break the game for you, having more than 40 cards is
unreasonable. I also think that the only time you
should play drawing cards like Dekoichi or Jar of
Greed is when you run out of useful cards to use or
are playing some sort of Exodia deck.
When you run 40 cards in your deck, you give
yourself 1 out of 40 chance of drawing a specific
card. If you run multiples, you increase your chance
of drawing it to 2/40 or 3/40. However, when you run
41+ card decks, you decrease the chance of drawing
the specific cards you need, even if you run
multiples. In that case, your combo is either too
big or you are trying to run too many combos at one
time. When people lose, they fail to realize that
the combo was too hard to pull off and/or not strong
enough to sway the duel into their favor. It may be
fun, especially when you do pull it off, but if you
are tournament serious, be forewarned that a 40-card
deck is the optimum strategy.
I often get disgusted when I notice someone who
doesn't know how to build a deck (just people that
play Yu-Gi-Oh! though). All of the cards in their
don't go together (i.e. they are running earth with
dark and light and zombies and monarchs and
gadgets). They fused all the deck-types into one -
which doesn't work. Sure Meta-type cards can go in a
lot of deck-types - but when non-Meta is confused
with Meta, that's what ticks me off. And I'm not
saying that you shouldn't play your combos, in fact
I encourage it. I just wish people took more
consideration in building their decks and deciding
on combos that worked together.
Yes, I love to win. But winning is no fun when you
win ALL the time. I enjoy it when people can defeat
me with their decks. WHY? Because it makes me have
to re-strategize my deck so that I can go back and
beat theirs. It's like watching a drama. You don't
watch the drama to see things the way they should
be, you watch it because of the conflict that goes
on back and forth. When an exciting drama you love
ends, you are disappointed because an exciting show
or movie ended and the drama ceases to exist.
Yes, I know you know this. This is just to the
players that don't know this. Please be advised. I
like dueing - but against good duelists. And I do
hate the Meta - but it's unavoidable.
Just think how much different the meta would be if
they enforced a 50 or even 60 card minimum rule.
Would the meta disappear or would more Jar of
Greed's, Dekoichi's and Dark Mimic's see play.
So unless you plan on decking your opponent out by
raising your life points so high that they run out
of cards to draw, please make a 40-card deck for my
sake. It just makes more sense. You don't need EVERY
card in your deck and most cards are expendable. If
a deck doesn't work with one card, swap it out with
another. If you win, keep it the same; if you lose,
change it. Simple.
So realize that 40-card decks give you an advantage.
If you like drawing every single card you own, good
for you. And if you don't like 40-card decks and
think they are stupid; one day you might realize how
inciteful this strategy tip is. It's common sense
and I know most people know it. I'm just trying to
help out the slow people.
Good luck with your decks.
chakong aka combobreaker
Questions and comments should be addressed to
cls31s@yahoo.com
