June 2008

BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO DUELING - by Crzydrvr

Crzydrvr

Hi! I'm Crzydrvr. Just to give you some info about myself, I'm from Calgary, Alberta,Canada, love sports (& Yugioh), don't have my own email yet (having to use my school email) and my dream is to become a writer on Pojo.com (mehhehe). For now though I'm cool with just writing to the TIPS & RANTS section. A couple of months ago while reading the FEATURED WRITERS section I thought to myself, why not write an article to help newbies along their way? So I came up with the idea of putting a bunch of tips together in 1 whole article. I wrote this to help beginners, but anyone who wants is allowed to read this. Now let's begin with....

 

1. How to start your deck.

 

First of all, never choose booster packs to start off a deck. They rarely have cards that actually work together in a duel. Your best bet is starting off with a Structure Deck. Why, you may ask, not Starter Decks? The simple answer is, they suck, all three of them (the rest are all discontinued). Structure Decks are filled with cards that compliment each other nicely. While some featured writers (former or current) don't like Structure Decks (like Pook *cough cough*. Come to think of it, I e-mailed him a few days ago asking him to write another article), I think they can provide you with some valuable knowledge.

 

2. How to get cards.

 

There are easy and hard ways. As usual the hard way gets you the better and/or wanted/needed cards. Buying boosters/cards is easy, just go to a website that sells cards or go to the store (up here in Calgary Toys'R'Us just completely revamped the Yugioh Card section.

It rocks!) The problem with this way is you don't often get the cards you want (unless you go to some hobby store or online). It's also more expensive ($4.99 for 9 cards?). The other way is by trading. The old saying \"One man's trash is another's treasure\" is made for this. There is a section later on trading tips.

 

3. How to duel/get the latest info on new cards and/or Forbidden/Limited cards.

 

I put these all together 'cuz you can see them all on www.yugioh-card.com. It has info on new releases, game rules, FAQs, and the latest Forbidden/Limited lists.

 

4. Boosters to buy.

 

Simplest rule is to buy the latest packs. The hype around them entices people to buy the cards. Good packs to buy include Cybernetic Revolution (Cyber and its fusions), and combo packages (packages that come with packs and foils, like Collector's Tins). Try to buy the most possible with as little money as possible, so you can save up money to buy more packs later.

 

5. Where to buy.

 

The best places to buy cards are the hobby stores around town. They sell cards a little cheaper and sell cards individually. The Internet is okay if you count out the hassle of waiting a day or 2 for the cards. Those would be your best bets, but if you have to go to some megastore, try Toys'R'Us. Up here in Calgary the stores I know have sections devoted to Yugioh with the latest video games, card protectors and binder pages, special in-store packages of cards with special promo cards like White Horn Dragon and Dark Necrofear, and the latest in boosters packs, tins, and decks. If you can't randomly buy packs whenever like the rest of us, ask for a bunch of them on special occasions like your birthday, Christmas, or when you blow the grading curve at school.

 

6. Deck Building.

 

It's important to build a deck style that you like. It's boring to duel with a deck that you copied off someone. That's why it's important to customize your deck. I personally prefer a high-risk high-gain deck that is quick on the aggressive, but that doesn't mean you have to copy my style. Choose one that fits you, or make a deck with cards that work well together. Watch for staple cards, they can help fill out the deck with some strong effects.

 

7. Staples and Junk Cards.

 

Staples are the cream of the crop. It's good to have a deck based on something, but it's unlikely you'll get all the cards you need and even if you do, it might not work. That's why staples help you, by filling out the deck while adding some powerful effects to the mix.

The following are some examples of good ones (not all of them of course). Most staples are found on the Forbidden/Limited lists:

Monster Reborn

Premature Burial

Heavy Storm

Negate Attack

Sakuretsu Armor

Dust Tornado

If staples are the cream of the crop, then junk cards are the exact opposite. They are normally useless even in their own decks. For most of them, the game has long passed them by or were never good to begin

with:

Law of the Normal

Exhausting Spell

Flashbang

Reverse Trap

The League of Uniform Nomenclature

The Inexperienced Spy

 

8. Trade Tips.

Buying

How do you know what to get? Simple. Go online and check out the cards or ask another duel pro (or duel lover). They often have the most updated cards and info on most of the old ones (especially duel lovers). For human contact, once you've found a guy, show him your deck and ask him how to improve it while keeping the deck basis the same. Most duelists are helpful and willing to offer advice on new & old cards that would be good for the deck as well as updated info on good staples. Keep a list of what you want, which makes shopping around easier. Be prepared to offer the lion's share of cards though, getting good cards is a pricey job. Never say \"I really need this card\" 'cuz it gives the other person the advantage of being able to raise the price for it. Above all, be fair and occasionally generous to get cards that you need.

Selling

Got a bunch of cards that are rare but you don't need? Then put them to good use by saving them for your trade binder. Rare cards generate more of a gain because, well, they're rare. Keep your binder stocked with useful cards because you never know when someone might need some card that's useless to you. Remember, one man's trash is another's treasure. Keep a bunch of staple cards that you don't need anymore in there. A duelist looking to build a deck will be on the lookout for staple cards to fill out the deck, sometimes as many as 10 at a time.

These cards will all fetch a good price. In addition to these cards, keep some junk cards or cards that no one wants,. You can use them as throw-ins that can help even out a deal. By keeping trades fair, the duelist will spread the rumor about you and more people will want to trade, giving you a wider variety of cards to trade for.

 

Bonus! 6 Underrated cards to look out for.

 

DRAINING SHIELD-TRAP: This card negates your opponent's attack while giving you life points equal to the monster's ATK! Imagine getting \"hit\" by Cyber End Dragon! Definitely watch 'cause this baby is starting to get more and more attention....

 

DUMMY GOLEM-MONSTER-EFFECT: Flip summon this card to switch it with an opponent's monster. A good way to rid of someone's Cyber(s) and dealing some damage in the process.

 

4-STARRED LADYBUG OF DOOM-MONSTER-EFFECT: Talk about destructive! Most monsters in the game are Level 4, including most of the best effect monsters. But with this card, all your opponent's Level 4s on the field are gone instantly. Try running three for extra damage.

 

ULTIMATE OFFERING-TRAP: This card makes you pay a measly 500 points to summon another monster! Decks that rely on getting their best monsters out quickly can do as soon as they draw the card! Sadly, you're only allowed one altogether in both your deck and side-deck.

 

BLAST WITH CHAIN-TRAP: It's an equip card that boosts ATK by 500 points. But its real damage is when it gets destroyed. Once it does, it takes a piece of your opponent's lifepoints. Nice side-effect, don'tcha think?

 

OBNOXIOUS CELTIC GUARD-MONSTER-EFFECT: This card can't be destroyed by monsters with 1900+ ATK. So increase it's ATK past that, even a little, and it can't be beat in battle! Or put it in defense mode, boost its DEF, and watch the nearly invincible wall to form! Extremely versatile.

 

How to start a club:

Starting a Yu-Gi-Oh! Club is easy! Just get the following items and plan everything in step! Clubs are useful because members can post new info, play mini tournaments for small prizes, and trade with you! All you need is:

You

A place for the clubhouse with a lot of space or storage A power outlet for computers.

Some friends to join

Tables & Chairs for the clubhouse

Your cards

Any writing utensils (tape, paper, pencils, erasers, scissors etc.) Members at any time should be allowed to:

Post news on a board of some sort

Trade Cards with each other

Duel each other

Use the computer for gaming purposes

If you run low on members or are looking to expand, try:

Advertising your club around school.

Go to tournaments, meet new people, and let them know of the club.

 

Well, that's all for now! If you have any questions about the Yugioh card game just email me at my school account, evanl11@cbemail.ca. (I can't wait to get my own account!). As Pook would say, Happy Dueling everyone!

 

-Crzydrvr