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“A View from the Top” with Justin Carter
By: Bryan Camareno, 4.12.05

Hey everyone! I’m back again with another interview for you all in the “A View from the Top” series. Last week has been a tough week for me; college work, finals, traveling for Regionals, etc.... I’ve interviewed 3 of the top players in the country and the world last week and I will be posting those interviews up all this week.  Now without further ado I present Justin Carter from London, Kentucky; ranked #3 in KY.

Bryan: Where are you from originally? 

Justin: London, KY.

Bryan: How old are you?

Justin: Age? I am 19 years old.

Bryan: Do you go to school? Where?

Justin:  I currently attend Eastern Kentucky University.

Bryan: What’s your home store in Kentucky?

Justin: J & B Collectibles is where I attend the tourneys here.  It is a great place to go if you want to just relax and have fun.  The owner sets up all kinds of stuff to do outside of just playing in the tournament like playing Halo 2 on 4 different systems.  We have live access and everything.  It rocks.

Bryan: That’s awesome; I should definitely tell my store owner to set that up over here. :-)

Bryan: What’s your ranking in Kentucky?

Justin: Others may not think much of it, but I am currently ranked #3 in the state.  The two ahead (both from J & B w00t w00t) attend traditional tourneys as well as advanced.  I choose not to attend.  I also have work and all, but I always attend advanced tourneys and end up doing better than them most of the time, but they are really great players.  I don't think I am better than they are because they both help me to become a much better player in the long run.

Bryan: Wow…people still play Traditional eh? That’s a dead format lol.

Bryan: Tell a bit about your credentials...Top 8 Finishes, Qualifications, etc…

Justin: Ugh, this brings back horrible experiences for me (shivers).  I went to the SJC on Feb. 13th in Columbus Ohio.  Second round of the tourney, I was sitting at the end table playing a good duelist who had built a very original Chaos deck.  I had just played my TP4 Morphing Jar and no sooner did it hit the graveyard, someone stole it right out of it while I wasn't paying attention.  It destroyed my side deck strategy because I had to forfeit a card from the side deck and could no longer use it.

Bryan: How long have you been playing YuGiOh?

Justin: Since the dawn of Magic Ruler.

Bryan: So what’s your favorite card?

Justin: Tough question. I would have to say Scapegoat. We have a team of the top 10 players of our store. We call ourselves Team Monger (for those who don't know what a monger is, look it up). Scapegoat is our mascot. We call the sheep tokens Goat Mongers. 

Bryan: Goodness gracious…another goat abuser lol. What’s with everyone and Scapegoat; despite the fact that it’s a 4 for 1?

Justin: This card is the most surefire way to make your opponents all irritated at you on a finishing move.  Plus, there are so many uses for these little Goat Mongers.

Bryan: Favorite deck archetype?

Justin: My favorite deck archetype has got to be Zombies. They're power is not dependent on one card alone, but an intricate strategy of combinations of cards.  It becomes too difficult, in my opinion, to isolate the weaknesses of a well built Zombie deck. I have played this deck type since the release of DCR and it has not failed me yet.

Bryan: I would have to agree with you on this one Justin. I’ve found Zombies to be one of the most resilient deck archetypes in the game rivaling Earth and Chaos. In my experience with Zombies I can tell you that those monsters really live up to their hype, especially Vampire Lord.

Bryan: What sets you apart from all the other top players in the world?

Justin: I am not all that different from others who play this game well. As with the skill it takes to obtain your rank in the state as well as the world, I have learned that luck always plays a factor in every game you play. What kind of luck you have though will depend on the effort you put into the build of your deck and the effort you put into every game. How one plays the game is what makes us all different. 

Bryan: Give us a peek at your insight on the game…for example; your strategies, are you conservative or aggressive, mindset, attitude towards the game.  

Justin: I'd say that the way I play the game is to make each and every move count. I realize when it is the right time to play a card and when it isn't. This is the most important aspect of any game. I am a very conservative duelist, but by the end of the game the opponent never thinks so.

Bryan: How often do you practice? How do you practice? With whom? 

Justin: I usually practice with a friend of mine who has an awesome beast deck.  His name is Joshua Daigle he is the toughest challenge I have because he knows me inside and out and can exploit my every weakness. Just playing against him gives me practice I need. We usually play about 4 to 5 times a week.

Bryan: How do you prepare for major events? Mentally? Strategically?

Justin: I never worry about the competition because it throws off your game. It is much easier to come in a huge event with respect to others and be humble in your duels. Congratulate your opponents on good moves they make and don't get cocky if you make good moves yourself. Just play it cool.

Bryan: I agree. There’s nothing more refreshing than an opponent who’s courteous and a good sport.

Bryan: Do you get nervous or anxious at serious tournaments?

Justin: Naw, it's only a game. If I win, then I have something to be proud of. If I don't, then I leave the same I came, proud of myself for doing a good enough job to make it as far as I did.

Bryan: That’s a nice positive attitude. I try to be a positive as possible, especially at major events like an SJC or a Regional tournament.

Bryan: What deck will you be using at Nationals?

Justin: I'll pretend I didn't hear that. >P

Bryan: Not gonna budge eh? I see how it is…I’ll get you at Nationals for that one :-)

Justin: LOL, I like to keep my secrets.

Bryan: What are your predictions for Nationals? What will dominate?

Justin: This year, there will be an extreme amount of diversity (and by diversity, I mean different types of Chaos decks). We will see a lot of Warrior decks, some experienced Zombie decks will be there, not as much burn as there used to be, some fiend/control decks, and a splash of beast/trample decks.

Bryan: What direction do you see this game going in? Good or Bad?

Justin: The future looks bright as far as I can see. I like the moves Konami has made on our part. The game is becoming totally independent from the Anime. I see this game going for a very long time. Konami is going to milk that cash cow for everything she's worth.

Bryan: Would you like to have cash prizes offered at Regional events and Nationals as well as at future Shonen Jump Championships?

Justin: Like, duh! Who wouldn’t love to make money out of a game they love to play? Konami is too greedy to do anything but print pretty pictures on cardboard and sell it for lots of money to do anything nice like that for us.

Bryan: LOL, I think you might be a little to rash against Konami. I mean…we all have our beef against Konami because they don’t let UDE release the amazing promos Japan has, but I think Konami is starting to wise up a bit and will begin to offer cash prizes very soon. We already see this happening at the SJCs with the $5,000 Cyber-Steins they give out :-)

Bryan: Now for the last question…Do you have any advice for newcomers and beginners looking to bring their game to the next level?

Justin: A duelist can only be as good as he will allow himself to be. One cannot learn everything there is to learn about the game all at once. It takes time. Some of us have played the game for years and still need to learn more about it. The point is to not be in a rush to become the best because you will burn out on the game in the long run. It helps to have fun with it also. Learn the rules and do your best. Don't be too hung up on winning. You learn more from losing than you do for winning. You will become better with time. Don't give up and someday you will be the best in the world. 

Bryan: Thank you very much for your time and your insight Justin. This was a very informative interview and I learned a great deal from you. Good luck to you at Nationals.

Justin: No, thank you Bryan for the interview.

As you can see, Justin’s a good player with a good head on his shoulders. He’s got the positive attitude every duelist is looking for and enjoys the game as much as we do. Don’t be fooled by his positive attitude though…he’s a sharp player with a keen sense of how to win turn the game around. You can expect his team and their “Goat Mongers” to make an appearance at Nationals this year.

In my next interview you’ll read my interview with one of the top players from the “Down Under,” Kane Provis. That’s right everyone…he’s from Australia! Keep checking Pojo.com for my next interview in a day or two. Until next time remember to stay focused, practice, and most importantly…have fun!

You can email me at deathjester86@gmail.com with any comments you may have and any requests for an interview. I’m always adding new players to the interview schedule so hurry and get your spot. Remember the criteria:

• Top 20 in your State or Country
• Qualified for U.S. Nationals
• Qualified for any other Nationals in other countries.

You must fulfill at least one of these criteria to be eligible for an interview with me.