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Mofox’s journey from Newbie to the UK National Tournament.
Getting Schooled - Part 2
August 15, 2006 

So here is the final part of my duel with DimSum. Just to remind everyone, DimSum is a 2005 US National Qualifier; going 6-0 in that tournament and duelling on table 1 before scrubbing out of the tournament.  He has also beaten the very well known players Dale Bellido and Paul Levitin.  I was very nervous going into this matchup as I had read his reputation in his signature on the Pojo message boards.  He was good and I was only having my 14^th ever duel.  So here it is…

The day Mofox got schooled!!

M0F0X9 (11:12:18): I drw 6, set 1 mon fd and set 1 s/t and end turn

DimSum286 (11:13:11): draw set 2 m/t and 1 monster end

First turns over with no incidents.  I wasn’t sure what DimSum was playing but I thought that if I concentrate on limiting his options with my stall and Ojama Tokens then it wouldn’t matter as much what he was playing.  He must have some good s/t’s set, as he was willing to half his hand on the first turn.  Most likely they would be chainable as well as he knew that I had yet to play any kind of s/t removal.

M0F0X9 (11:13:40): I drw activate SORL, r?

DimSum286 (11:14:14): from hand?

M0F0X9 (11:14:21): yeah

DimSum286 (11:14:25): no response fd is mother grizzly

M0F0X9 (11:14:45): ok activate fd trap Ojama trio r?

DimSum286 (11:14:50): no

M0F0X9 (11:15:55): set 1 s/t and end

I purposefully left DimSum’s cards on the field, as I wanted to maximise the LP damage from my next card.

DimSum286 (11:16:04): draw

M0F0X9 (11:16:13): activate secret barrel, r?

DimSum286 (11:16:17): no how much is it

M0F0X9 (11:16:40): 200 x all cards in hand and on field, it include monster tokens

DimSum286 (11:16:56): for both players or just me

M0F0X9 (11:17:02): just you

DimSum286 (11:17:06): ok 10 cards/tokens so 2k

M0F0X9 (11:17:19): agree

DimSum286 (11:17:21): 80-60

M0F0X9 (11:17:23): 80-60

A quarter of DimSum’s LP’s, it was a good start but I needed to continue hitting his lifepoints.  However DimSum revealed his deck over the next few turns and I realised my deck would have no chance against his.

DimSum286 (11:17:51): hmmm tribute mother grizzly for

DimSum286 (11:17:57): zaborg kill fd monster

M0F0X9 (11:18:39): balloon lizard

DimSum286 (11:18:51): set a fd m/t end

M0F0X9 (11:19:07): I drw set 1 mon and end turn

DimSum286 (11:20:55): draw tribute zaborg for

DimSum286 (11:21:06): thestalos

M0F0X9 (11:21:42): 3 in hand take your pick

DimSum286 (11:21:48): #3

M0F0X9 (11:22:04): good guess giant germ

DimSum286 (11:22:18): I end

It now became apparent that DimSum was running some sort of Monarch Control deck.  My deck was centred on stalling my opponent and had very little monster removal.  My deck was already up against it now so I had to burn as quick as possible before I fell foul of all the monarch’s effects.

M0F0X9 (11:22:28): I lose 200 lp

M0F0X9 (11:22:33): 78-60

M0F0X9 (11:22:57): I drw you have 3 s/t set?

DimSum286 (11:24:27): yea

M0F0X9 (11:24:32): ok I end turn

There was not much I could do with that many s/t set.  SORL was still out for another turn and should protect my LP’s.  I was still thinking 2 of them were chainable.

DimSum286 (11:24:37): draw

M0F0X9 (11:24:42): SORL on last turn

DimSum286 (11:24:47): u got any monsters?

M0F0X9 (11:24:51): 1 fd

DimSum286 (11:24:54): tribute thesty for

DimSum286 (11:24:56): zaborg

M0F0X9 (11:25:19): you got reaper

DimSum286 (11:25:26): ure turn

M0F0X9 (11:25:33): SORL gone

DimSum was making the most of his monarch’s effects by just tributing one monarch for another and clearing my field.  I needed to get burning quickly.

M0F0X9 (11:25:38): I drw set 1 mon and set 1 s/t and end turn

DimSum286 (11:26:36): at the end of ure turn play mst on fd m/t

M0F0X9 (11:26:54): magic cylinder

DimSum286 (11:26:58): draw, activate both fds

DimSum286 (11:27:14): time seal and jar of greed

M0F0X9 (11:27:37): ok

There we have it 2 chainable traps.  Part of me was pleased when he revealed these 2 cards as it meant I was getting better at reading the field and understanding the potential plays my opponent could have made.  Trouble was I now was losing out on my draw phase next turn, but I had set a card that would help me.

DimSum286 (11:27:41): tribute zaborg for thesty

M0F0X9 (11:27:51): 2 in hand

DimSum286 (11:27:54): 1

M0F0X9 (11:27:59): gravity bind

DimSum286 (11:28:05): attack fd monster

M0F0X9 (11:28:09): cyber jar

DimSum286 (11:28:14): ugh

DimSum286 (11:29:08): noc, drop off, drop off, d hole, and granmarg

M0F0X9 (11:29:16): my 5 cards are: Gravity Bind, Ceasefire, Giant Germ, Wave Motion Cannon, Nightmare's steelcage.  I put giant germ in fd def pos.

Cyber Jar had just filled my hand right before I had to stop drawing.  As long as I conserved my resources I should be ok.  Only problem was that DimSum had drew into 2 drop off cards.  This meant that potentially I was looking at not drawing for another 2 turns after this one.

DimSum286 (11:29:24): ok

M0F0X9 (11:29:45): you lose 900 from Ojama trio burn effect

DimSum286 (11:29:49): yea

M0F0X9 (11:29:56): 78-51

DimSum286 (11:30:08): set 2 fd m/t ure turn

DimSum286 (11:30:19): no draw

M0F0X9 (11:31:48): activate WMC, r?

DimSum286 (11:31:53): no

M0F0X9 (11:32:26): activate nightmare steelcage, r?

DimSum286 (11:32:31): ok

M0F0X9 (11:33:00): and end turn

MST was now gone and I felt a little more comfortable putting out some more s/t’s I knew I needed to burn more aggressively before I ran out of options and felt that WMC could do that for me.

DimSum286 (11:33:07): draw set a monster go

DimSum286 (11:33:47): draw phase drop off

M0F0X9 (11:33:56): figured that would happen

M0F0X9 (11:34:20): end turn

DimSum286 (11:35:41): what did I get with d off

M0F0X9 (11:36:08): you got scapegoat

The obvious occurred and I started to get hit with drop off.

DimSum286 (11:36:11): ok draw flip merchant

DimSum286 (11:36:13): Treeborn to the gy

DimSum286 (11:36:21): I got pot of avarice

DimSum286 (11:38:31): summon breaker break wmc

M0F0X9 (11:39:14): ok

Damn, WMC was gone to breaker.

DimSum286 (11:39:32): nobleman of crossout on ure fd

M0F0X9 (11:40:02): giant germ

DimSum286 (11:40:16): set a fd m/t go

M0F0X9 (11:40:28): nightmare has finished

DimSum286 (11:40:28): on ure draw phase drop off

M0F0X9 (11:40:40): you got lava golem

DimSum286 (11:40:43): ok good haha

M0F0X9 (11:40:50): lol

DimSum’s final drop off from the cyber jar draw took away my lava golem.  I had a Gravity Bind in hand as well and Lava Golem could have turned the duel in my favour.

M0F0X9 (11:41:10): I set 1 mon fd and set 2 s/t r?

DimSum286 (11:42:59): no response

M0F0X9 (11:43:21): end turn

DimSum286 (11:43:24): ok at ure end phase

DimSum286 (11:43:30): play time seal

Another time seal.  I was struggling now to stay in the duel.  In 4 turns I had not been able to draw a single card.  If it weren’t for cyber jar filling my hand I would probably have lost the duel by now.  However I had set the 1 monster that could possibly help me get my hand back.

DimSum286 (11:43:39): draw tree born comes back

DimSum286 (11:43:46): tribute merchant for granmarg targeting fd monster

M0F0X9 (11:44:37): morph jar

Yet again DimSum had an answer for my moves.  He was fully utilising the effects of his monarchs to ensure he maintained control of the field.

DimSum286 (11:44:47): breaker attack

M0F0X9 (11:45:05): activate gravity bind

DimSum286 (11:45:08): ok end turn no draw

M0F0X9 (11:45:46): how many mon on your field?

DimSum286 (11:46:00): 3, granmarg breaker and treeborn frog

M0F0X9 (11:46:50): ok I end

I could only end.  At this point the card advantage for DimSum was as follows:

Mofox Cards in hand = 0                      DimSum Cards in hand = 5

Mofox Cards on field = 2                     DimSum Cards on field = 3

Mofox Total Cards = 2             DimSum Total Cards = 8

Advantage to DimSum = +6

An insurmountable deficit to turn around.  With my only 2 cards on the field being 2 s/t a certain monarch now would certainly end the duel….

DimSum286 (11:46:59): draw tribute Treeborn frog for

DimSum286 (11:47:06): mobius

And there he is!!

M0F0X9 (11:47:29): gravity gone, and I chain ceasefire to Mobius effect

DimSum286 (11:47:33): ok so I take 15oo

M0F0X9 (11:47:45): yeah

DimSum286 (11:47:45): what’s LPs now?

M0F0X9 (11:48:00): 78-36

DimSum286 (11:48:12): pot of avarice

M0F0X9 (11:48:34): ok

DimSum286 (11:48:34): 2 zaborg mother grizzly merchant and thesty back to deck

DimSum286 (11:49:08): all attack (mobius, granmarg & breaker) -64 I think

M0F0X9 (11:49:36): cards in hand now?

DimSum286 (11:49:51): 6, ure turn

M0F0X9 (11:50:06): 14-36

M0F0X9 (11:50:29): drw set 1 mon and end turn

There was no hope now, I top decked a monster and did the only thing I could, try and protect my lifepoints.

DimSum286 (11:50:38): draw get back tree born

DimSum286 (11:50:43): tribute for mobius, mobius attack fd

M0F0X9 (11:51:21): stealth bird

DimSum286 (11:51:29): other mobius attack

M0F0X9 (11:51:49): game over

So there we have it a break down of one of my duels.  Now before I get a load of emails claiming how I made this stupid mistake and that stupid mistake.  Please take into context where I am coming from.  This was my 14^th ever duel, and at the present I only have 40+ duels worth of experience to be able to analyse this duel.  I will no doubt have made some mistakes which is fine, and I do want to know what they are so that I can improve my only request is no bashing and no flaming.  I want your help but I won’t tolerate abuse.

So hopefully now, you newbies can see more of my thought processes and hopefully they will help you in your own duelling decisions.  I got OWNED again in this duel.  In my defence a little, the decks were a little outmatched, but that definitely isn’t taking away any credit from DimSum who is an extremely good duellist.  His deck had a total of 10 tributes!! 2 of each Monarch and some others.  It was the first time I had seen treeborn frog in use and it worked extremely well in this deck.  The time seals and drop offs added another dimension to his deck and really crippled me in the mid game, leaving DimSum open to finish me when my options had ran out.

Newbies you should take note from the way DimSum plays.  He plays conservatively ensuring that each card is played maximising its potential resource.  He never over extends unnecessarily and gradually wears down your resources until it is time to attack.  He considers the 3 part of a duel:

Early Game = try and draw out your opponents key cards and find out what deck they are running

Mid Game = remove your opponent’s resources and major cards until they are left with none or near to none

Late Game = build up your attack strength and field and attack to finish the game.

I’d just like to make one point losing to such an expert player should not be something that puts you off from playing this game.  Even the greatest duellists lose at some point and no doubt on there way to the top they lost a significant number of times.  I was lucky again in that DimSum was a nice guy.  He didn’t gloat or put me down after winning and I thank him for that.  Up until this point I felt like I was doing really well, even getting a little cocky about my duelling abilities.  These 2 duels put my feet firmly back on the ground and reminded me that I am far from a good duellist yet and still have lots of skills and traits to learn.

It was a very enlightening day for me as a duellist and I certainly learnt a lot from DimSum.  He was kind enough to give me some tips and advice after we had duelled.  I took some of the things he had taught me into my next duel that same day against Ilya.  You can read about it in my next turn-by-turn duel review.

IMPORTANT NOTICE!

I would like to apologise to those readers who might think they have not had a response to their emails.  You have, but unfortunately for some unknown reason many of the replies I sent have been rejected.  Now I think this may be to with some of the obscure email addresses that you guys have, but I have also noticed that my emails have not been going to @aol.com addresses either.  Picture my face as I log in to my email to see over 150 emails on one day.  Needless to say I thought I was popular, however my joy turned to horror as I opened my inbox and saw approx 75 email rejections.  If you still have copies of your original emails in a sent box or something similar resend and I will find a way to reply to you.

My email address is mofox9@hotmail.co.uk email me for any help or advice or even your opinions on my articles.  I would love to hear your opinions and if you have any suggestions to improve them then let me know.  I will reply to all emails that are sent to me.  Remember newbies no question is a stupid question.

Until next time fellow duellists!