As much of an effort a player may make to combat the efforts of their opponents, it is often the sidedeck that actually beats the opponent.  What composes the sidedeck can mean the difference between a winning deck and a losing deck.  Sure, you may not be able to integrate it into your first duel, but the sidedeck is usually the deciding factor of the match, and the player better able to use his or her sidedeck will be the one that wins.  Today’s aim is to give an insight of what a sidedeck should be composed.

 

As most know, a sidedeck is limited to fifteen cards.  The purpose of the sidedeck is to combat an opponent’s strategy or deck as well as better synchronize agreement between the deck and the opponent’s intent, while serving as a combative force against it.  The sidedeck must remain fifteen cards at all times, so whenever you remove a card from it or add a card to it from your main deck, you must add a card to it from your main deck or remove a card from it, respectively.  You can use your sidedeck as soon as the first duel is completed and after every duel following that.  However, many duelists are dumbfounded as to what should be in the sidedeck.

 

The sidedeck itself should always be considered an extension of the deck itself rather than something obscure unrelated to it.  This is where many people make their first flaw in sidedeck creation: they seem to think that any good cards to sidedeck can work with any deck.  Not only is this untrue, but it actually results in the detraction of effectiveness from the sidedeck.  Cards need to have synergy with each other to work, including cards in the sidedeck.  More specifically, what to and what not to include is vital information everyone needs.

 

What to Sidedeck

 

Figure out what decks the current metagame runs and exploit their weaknesses by adding as many cards as possible to counter their onslaught.  Do not go as far as to disassemble your own theme in an attempt to counter your opponent’s deck.  Another excellent method to creating a sidedeck is finding the deck(s) your deck is particularly weak against, and including as much counter-material as possible.  Keep an open mind about unique decks, and understand that technical Monster and Spell/Trap removal is just as important as conventional removal.

 

Understand that there are no real necessities or “staples” that a sidedeck requires, but that there are some cards that can technically counter mainstream decks, such as Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer, King Tiger Wanghu, Kinetic Soldier, Enemy Controller, and Bottomless Trap Hole.  (There are many, many more, but I’ve not the time to type them all.)  Be creative.  Find some cards that have good overall statistics and are stable enough for competitive play and use them.

 

What Not to Sidedeck

 

I can remember back to when Magician’s Force was first coming out, people used to run the Scientist First Turn Kill deck all the time, and I could never pull the cards I had in my sidedeck to win against them, or even if I did, they would win on the first and third duels, so it was useless.  So is the idea I am about to present to you.  While we still have cards able to theoretically win on the first turn, make no plans to sidedeck any cards against them.  These decks are virtually never played in a competitive environment, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about them winning the match if they get two first turn kills.

 

Another item I strongly discourage against sidedecking is thematic changes.  Your deck theme should remain as is for the duration of the match, regardless of what you sidedeck.  I am not referring to aggressive sidedecking (which will be covered later), but to slight changes that alter the entire deck scheme.  Let’s say your deck is based upon the Warrior theme.  It would be illogical to decide to utilize your sidedeck in creation of a Chaos deck, as it would require too many cards to successfully change and disrupt your entire sidedeck.  Avoid making thematic changes due to their extreme necessity for cards.

 

Strategies

 

Here is where sidedeck building becomes fun.  In another class of sidedecks exists those who use their sidedeck for the altercation of their entire theme into something unconventional.  It is not for the normal deck, at any rate, but when successfully utilized, aggressive sidedecking can take the opponent off-guard and send them into a fit of confusion.  For example, if I were to run a Hybrid Chaos deck, I could make a sidedeck based upon Stall/Burn, which would undoubtedly catch my opponent completely off-guard.  This clandestine tactic was and can be used effectively, but you need to watch out for those who know it is coming; otherwise, your sidedecking efforts can be sideswiped. 

 

The more conventional sidedeck employs a rather blatant but effective tactic: seek and destroy.  For whatever offensive the opponent may have designed, a conventional sidedeck should have an answer.  There are ways to deceive the opponent into thinking that you are planning to sidedeck more or less cards than you actually sidedeck, as one is not obligated to tell the opponent exactly how many cards he or she sidedecked.  By manipulating a sidedeck effectively, a player can thwart the efforts of the opponent.  Mastery is just the first step.

 

In essence, the sidedeck is required to embody the theme of the deck itself; otherwise, a rift in the synergies between the cards could cause a colossal miscalculation on the part of the user.  By being able to master the use of the sidedeck in conjunction with the main deck, a player can easily throw the scales in his or her favor.  After all, it is often not the main deck that actually wins the game, but the sidedeck.

 

Got any suggestions for future articles or a neat deck idea (but please, no deck fixes)?  If so, feel free to contact me at siphon_x@yahoo.com.  Until next time, Big Brother is watching…

 

~SiphonX~