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Are you a good M.I.M.E.? Part 2
Bryan Camareno a.k.a. DeathJester
02.24.05

Hello again everyone! I’m back with my next installment in the MIME series. I’ve been gone for a bit because of my college work but I’m back and ready to answer all of your emails quicker. This time I’ll be covering the Intermediate levels of players. A good amount of players in Yu-gi-oh are somewhere in these levels. (40% of players might be a bit more accurate. 50% are in the Beginner Levels and the other 10% is the Advanced and Mastery levels.) If you’re anxious to find out if you are an Intermediate level player; or if you’re anxious to see what level you’ve progressed to, I encourage you to read on and find out.

As a little reminder…Here’s the acronym for MIME:

Mentality: General attitude towards the game, situations, and opponents.

Impulse: The likelihood of a player reacting to certain situations with “pre-programmed” responses.

Mindset: Pattern of thinking in relevance to how you deal with in-game situations (Your evolving stratagem).

Efficiency: The overall effectiveness of a player’s moves and management of resources.

MIME type: Intermediate

Level 1

Since a Beginner will have progressed to this level, it’s obvious that they have gained a substantial amount of skill compared to the Beginner levels. Most Intermediate players will be performing well in their local tournaments. Level 1s will almost go as far as Top 8 but not quite there yet. This is because there are still a couple of skill-sets that a Level 1 Intermediate player must learn such as:

-        Deck Building

-        In-Game Skill & Decision Making

-        Mind Games

Mentality: Most Intermediate players are not fully aware of their transcendence from the Beginner levels. However, each subtype of Mentality shows certain characteristics in their development.

Cocky and Arrogant: Players with this Mentality will begin to develop a large, over-inflated, ego and will often make misplaced claims of how skilled they think they are. Granted that trash talking is a social element of Yu-gi-oh, these players take it to the extreme and will often offend other players they encounter. Often, these are the players at your local store that you don’t necessarily enjoy playing…but love to beat.

Confident and Humble: Players with this Mentality are almost always a pleasure to be around. Nearly everyone in their environment would love to play them since they don’t take winning or losing too seriously. Confident players are most aware of their growing skills and will continue to practice to gain more skill. These players do not tend to dwell on their mistakes; rather they try to learn from as much as possible form their defeats.

Fearful and Doubtful: Players with this Mentality are often the ones that will openly doubt themselves (We refer to these players as whiners). Comments like: “I can’t win,” “This game sucks,” “That’s not fair,” and “I can never beat him/her” are the most common. These self-defeating duelists don’t realize their potential as players until they get over their absurd fears.

Impulse: Level 1 Intermediate players are best known for being accustomed to the plays they have developed rather than the otherwise correct ones. This can lead to overwhelmingly idiotic plays that aren’t logical according to their skill level (This happens). Their impulse comes from their own success with their own strategies be they correct or incorrect. The method to eliminating impulse from your game is to make your plays as diverse as possible. Changing up your game is essential in keeping your opponent from figuring out your strategy.

Mindset: Since Level 1 players don’t mirror the plays of experienced players anymore, they will realize the value of making your own decisions. When this occurs they will resort to the good habit of using their own mind to make their in-game decisions. This is essential in developing an acute strategic sense. Initially, however, this realization leads to self-centered strategic thinking and these players will not cater too well to the ideas of others. I do advise that players at this level try to reach out to other players of your skill level or above to get tips on certain strategies and how to break them.

Efficiency: At Level 1, Intermediate players will have discovered how to use strategy and they will make plays based on what they have taught themselves or tested. This will often lead to frequent losses small frustration. Developing your own strategies and plays is essential to the learning process. Remember; failure is a part of your progression to Mastery of your craft.

Level 2

Level 2s are far more advanced in skill than Level 1s. Players of this level make frequent Top 8 finishes at local and are almost Regional caliber players but are still missing minute amount of experience to reach Level 3.

Mentality: Victory almost always brings arrogance. Though the experience a Level 2 has gained will promote a more positive mentality, these players will believe they can take on nearly everyone; both a good and bad thought.

Cocky and Arrogant: These players are very aware of their skill level and will often belittle others of lesser skill. When it comes to defeat, cocky players are always the ones who are most affected by it and will begin using the age-old excuse of “luck.” The real truth, which they fail to realize quickly, is that they will lose based on their mistakes and misjudgments.

Confident and Humble: The confident players are the ones who approach the game with the most positive mindset you can find. They don’t blame “luck” on their losses, at least not ALL the time, or make numerous excuses as to why they lost when confronted by their peers. A humble smile and a confident handshake are trademarks of this subtype of player. Be on the look out for these players since they will teach you the most!

Fearful and Doubtful: The doubtful players will be at about the same skill level as the other two subtypes of players. Top 8 performances are less frequent for these individuals because they are often struck by worry and uncertainty when presented with a difficult game situation. If these players would pay closer attention to the confident types then their confidence will “rub off” on them. A positive Mentality is crucial for a doubtful player’s success. That, in turn, will reduce the amount of fear instilled into him/her when he/she faces a difficult or unknown situation.

Impulse: Impulsiveness at this level is a bit lower than in the previous level. As a Level 2’s plays grow more efficient, their strategy will begin to develop in conjunction with that. Most of the time, Level 2s don’t feel compelled to make the same plays they have made in similar situations. Diversity is important to strategic victory; this is a statement that is becoming clearer to them with experience.

Mindset: Strategy is most important to Level 2s. Mastery of basic strategies and game-plans has been reached. These players are well-versed in the basic mannerisms of their opponents and the flow of the game. These players are also well aware of how each deck types’ basic functions. Level 2s will begin a path of learning, which will lead them into perfecting their Mind Games, Deck Building, and Decision Making in the Advanced levels.

Efficiency: Since their basic strategies and basic game-plans are on-point, Level 2s will make plays based on their level of experience. The strategies they have developed are near flawless against their common local opponent. Regional events will be the greatest challenge for these players, as they do not know who their opponents are most of the time.

Level 3

This level is the slim borderline between the higher Intermediate levels and the lower Advanced levels. Players at this level will begin to show exemplary qualities that are often recognized at the early-advanced stages of player development. Top 8 performances at local tournaments are almost a certainty with these players and they are growing accustomed to the pressure to large scale Regional events. Regional events are the supreme challenge for these individuals. The only quality separating this level from the advanced levels is the implementation of Mind Games.

Mentality: At Level 3, the Fearful and Doubtful Mentality will no longer apply. This is because a positive mentality obtained with their successful experiences will allow Level 2s to progress to Level 3.

Cocky and Arrogant: Again, as their skill grows, so do their blatant comments and mannerisms. These are the most unpleasant players to play against in any tournament and are often the targets of concern for most judges. Their trash-talking “no fear” attitude will be effective in throwing most players off of their game but at the same time it promotes poor sportsmanship. The most effective way to intimidate your opponent is through your strategic prowess; not with belittling words coming out of your mouth. Do not be fooled though, these players do know their “stuff” and will punish you if they catch you off guard in a match.

Confident and Humble: These are the players that many of their local opponents will cheer on for success. These players are the most level-headed decision makers out there. This is achieved through many losses and careful study of their game-plans, deck structure, and small knowledge of Mind Games. Good sportsmanship, a handshake, and a pleasant amount of small talk are the most recognizable traits of these players.  There is a great amount of respect for these individuals and are often looked at for advice with any problems. Most of their peers do not care if they do not have the best answers but they are pleased to know that these humble players are happy to help.

Impulse: Impulse at this level is minimal at best. Impulse will only occur with the frustration of defeat. When a player is emotional, as the poker players say “on the tilt”, their judgment and awareness are clouded. Level 3s must be careful not to be caught “on the tilt” during an important match; their emotions will always be the reason for their demise.

Mindset: As stated before, strategy is the #1 asset to Intermediate players. Level 3 players are beginning to devise Advanced level strategies and the only flaw will be implementation and timing. It is very rare that you see a Level 3 match an Advanced-level player in terms of implementation and timing of a strategy. However, a Level 3’s strategies are most certainly Regional caliber and will dominate the lesser competition.

A Level 3’s Mind Games will be minimal but will be attempted in order to gain advantage. Most of the time these players win based on pure strategy. Usually at Round 5 of a Regional event you will observe which Level 3 Intermediate players can compete with the “big boys” as they say.  Top 8 at a Regional event is reached mainly by Advanced-level players, but a Level 3 Intermediate player can progress to the Advanced level quickly with enough Regional experience.

Efficiency: There is a high amount of efficiency of strategic implementation at this level. It rivals that of Level 1 Advanced players after all. They can crush an opponent in mere seconds if their opponent isn’t careful. Level 3s will soon begin to realize that strategy alone cannot always determine victory for them. Mind Games will then become essential to their analytical thinking as well as deck structure. At this level, Deck-Building and Mind Games becomes closely tied with this area of a player’s development.

Now that all of you know about the Intermediate Levels of player development, I think the majority of you are beginning to realize how important Mind Games are to your progression to the Advanced levels. Deck-Building will also make a large impact on your game and will secure your success in this game. My next article will feature the intricacies of the Advanced levels and I will introduce the concept of Deterioration. Remember to practice, think about your moves, and most importantly have fun!

Until next time you can drop me an email with any questions, comments, or suggestions at deathjester86@yahoo.com

(Don’t worry, I will answer your emails so be patient)

If you want to read my opinions, comments, and suggestions about a variety of cards and deck types…Visit josemagicnews.com and you’ll see my other work. My real name is Bryan Camareno so check it out and let me know what you think!