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Article 39: Fixing the Game Part Two: Saviors of Yu-Gi-Oh! 
September 23, 2005

            The previous column started quite a brouhaha, leading to threads being created where dignitaries no less than Evan “SANDTRAP” Vargas and Kevin “Game Designer” Tewart interjected with valued opinions! After the hubbub died down, I decided to cover the team battle at Indy (it was a more relevant, close topic) before moving on to this article, which will help the individual player deal with these “calamities” found in the current game. Before we do this, let me clarify the point of this series of articles. 

            I would imagine when Konami created this game, they had an idea of the “right way” the game should be played. The right way involves using themed subtypes to promote the game; I feel this is apparent in the design because all of the characters on the show use different themes like Insects, Dinosaurs, or Dragons. Currently though, the game is dominated by cookie cutter decks that don’t attempt to use themes at all. The very few people who have even found success doing something original all deserve even more weight and voice to their opinions, to help beginners and intermediates create original decks of their own. 

            My intent of the article was not to change the game. Clearly, as someone who’s devoted over a hundred hours (or more) to extracurricular, nonpaid analysis of this game, I love it far more than the average individual. At surface level, there’s nothing “wrong” with the game outside of what the designers intended; it’s their game and no amount of petitions or sense should hold sway. However, it is my job as trusted feature writer of this site to help readers cope with some of the more “broken” aspects of the game, functioning within Yu-Gi-Oh’s structure to find success.           

            Hopefully the problems will all be address by the higher-ups one day, but up until that point here is part two of my article, this one designed to help mitigate the horrors brought up in the first article. 

Prelude to our Problems: The New Forbidden List! 

            The new Forbidden List has been released, resulting in rejoicing and general joy by the Yu-Gi-Oh! community. Almost all of the automatic two for one trades have been removed from the game, with the return of Dark Hole (which I feel was necessary). This actually helps balance the game immensely, and any affects to our problems will be listed under their own separate sections. 

Solving Problem 1: All-Too-Easy Access to Disruption 

            This is an inherent problem in the game, but there’s a relatively painless way to counteract it to some extent. All of the good players learn to hold on to their resources; take a look at the team battles between USA and Canada, and you’ll see that there are almost no instances of more than two monsters on the field at the same time, or more than two spell or traps set. You see, most advantage is generated by the sweeping destruction cards like Lightning Vortex or Heavy Storm that take down multiple resources in one fell swoop. By limiting your commitment to the field, you can help out the situation immensely. 

            Field commitment is a concept that should be fleshed out. Let me use a few examples. I call Premature Burial and Snatch Steal “field-committed cards” and thus rate them a bit lower than my peers because they require an extra placement of a resource to the field. Let’s say your ordinary defense would be Sakuretsu Armor. This results in a commitment of one spell or trap to the zone. If you then play Premature Burial on a monster other than Sangan, or Snatch Steal your opponent’s monster, this gives you an extra monster but also requires you to commit a second spell/trap to the board. Now a Heavy Storm will result in an immediate two for one trade. 

            You’ll notice that many of my recent decks have included a copy of Time Seal. Time Seal is the absolute antithesis of field commitment because it makes your opponent assume that your facedown spell/trap is fixed in location. This type of deception will lead to more Heavy Storm combos, and a general hesitancy on the part of your opponent. The golden rule is to avoid being field-committed. 

            Of course, this format was more broken because it had two draw engines leading into the monster of disruption, Delinquent Duo. With Delinquent Duo’s imminent ban, there won’t be as big of a problem. Rejoice! 

Solving Problem 2: Resource Costs 

            The fact that Yu-Gi-Oh has only two resources, life points and cards in hand/play, has lead to a gradual focus away from life points as the game has progressed. At this point on the timeline, cards in hand is the most accurate assessment of who’s “in the lead.” Clear. Boom. Bingo. All the experts agree this is the truth.

            Or is it? The player who presses the attack, putting the life point part of the equation into play has a far bigger advantage than the ordinary masses. You can make life points matter by running cards that change the equilibrium between hand advantage and life points. A good example of this, as shown in the Team Battle for North America, is the continuous spell card Wave Motion Cannon, which forces your opponent to act. But it’s not the only example.

            Other cards like Ceasefire and Cannon Soldier can end the game for you where nothing else can. Players like Rhymus Lizo have experimented with such great cards, leading to sudden bursts of offense that culminate with immediate life point cuts. Why simply fall prey to the notion that cards are the only resource in this game? Bring your opponent’s life points down through effects, and you’ll solve a few of the problems. 

Solving Problem 3: Consistency of Deck Themes 

            Unfortunately, this is one of the biggest problems in the game and mere band-aids like creating entirely broken new sets based on a forced theme like Dark Realm won’t help much. Go ahead and crack open a pack of VS System and see how draftable it is, right out of the box. Clearly, the makers of Yu-Gi-Oh! have no concept of a draft, which is fine and dandy, but the disturbing lack of quality play at the Sneak Preview events indicates something fundamentally wrong with the structure of new sets. There is only one way to allay this lack of themed play, and it’s rather depressing given the lack of alternatives.

            Instead of basing your deck on subtypes, which is nearly suicidal given the dearth of subtype-boosting support, you’ll have to base your deck’s theme on a few combo mechanics that give it an advantage over the cookie cutter field. A good example of this is Sandtrap’s Soul Control at Pomona Shonen Jump, but more examples abound. For example, my Strike Ninja deck combined Machines and Warriors; it had no true theme but was more based on the mechanic of Strike Ninja generating infinite tribute monster possibilities. Or you can run a theme based on Wave Motion Cannon, like my good friend Cas Stomphorst did at Gencon Indy. All of these are examples of situations in which deck themes are created, albeit without any rhyme or reason to the monster subtype.

            This problem hasn’t really been addressed by the ban list; sure BLS is banned, so what? Decks will simply splash the monsters that are currently the best in the format, with no regard for themes because of a lack of incentive. Expect to see decks with three D.D Assailant, 3 Cyber Dragon, and other such non-themed drivel. 

Solving Problem 4: Unlike other card games, there are zero advantages to going second. Every advantage goes to the player who wins the coin flip. 

            Well maybe I lied. There are a few advantages to going second, advantages that are conferred upon a few select cards that deal with face-down monsters. I’m talking about Blade Knight, Drillroid, and Mystic Swordsman LV 2. By sidedecking these monsters, you can capitalize on the first turn play of set D.D monster and set Scapegoat.

            Unfortunately, outside of this the problem remains yet to be addressed. There are currently no advantages to going second. 

            I must stress that the game is brightening, thanks to the new Forbidden list. Skill will be rewarded a bit more in deck construction and tech against the metagame. Now all we need is better prize support to get people from all over the country to fly to each Shonen Jump tournament, and there we go! The game brightens for all. 

            JAELOVE@gmail.com is still answering every e-mail! SavageTM.com looks to be launched at the end of the month, so if I’ve helped you, please take a look at its initial release.