5 Ingredients of a Competitive Yu-Gi-Oh! Deck

Welcome to the awesome world of Yu-Gi-Oh!

 

            You just opened random packs from a number of booster boxes. Congratulations! You are now one step ahead on becoming the greatest duelist after the main protagonist of the series. Actually, you are now one sweat away on getting that elusive money card. (And one tip-toe ahead on becoming broke lol)

On Becoming a Duelist

         

              It’s a little bit early but it looks like you’re so much ready. You have your deck, dice, calculator, mat, binder and of course, yourself. In other words, you are all set. Calm and collected, you arrived at the local tournament area filled with compassion and confidence that you will dominate the event. Nothing will stop you in paying the registration fees! (4 Tournaments in a row!)

 Your First Tournament

Your very first tournament re-imagined

       

     It seems like the first round of your very first tournament experience will begin. You decided to leave your comrades and went to the designated table. You finally meet your very first opponent. It’s time to prepare your mat and deck and get your precious dice. For some reason, you need to borrow from the neighboring player because you can’t find yours. 

            The 40 minute time allotment per match has started. You have waited so long for this moment. Now is the perfect time to crush everybody’s dream using your deck that has been built freshly from the box. (The one mentioned awhile ago)

            You rolled the die but the opponent succeeds. He smirked a little and he let you do the honor of doing the first move. You set a card. (Your hand bricks so you decided to set a random MST for FEAR Factor.)

 

This is what we call "Girl Fight"

            The opponent destroys your MST with his own MST. Proceeded to swarm the field and control the game leaving you with nothing but an open mouth ready for a honey bee to explore. You left the play area with head up high- so high that it will reach the ceiling.

Rethink, Rebuild, Retry!

           At last you arrived at your home. In a blink of an eye you are now in your room, arranging your awesome deck and asking yourself “What was wrong?” You are dead hungry but instead you grabbed your Smartphone to browse for ideas on how to make your deck more competitive. Now that you are reading this line, I guess it is time to enrich your knowledge with our very own secret recipe in making your deck extra nourishing!

Please do take some notes down or at least bookmark and share this forbidden information:

1 Cup of Consistency

1 CUP of Consistency is all you need

            Before you make a deck, make sure you know how that particular deck operates. You should have full knowledge on the different combos and plays that will occur the time you make your first move. In short, you should know the GOAL of your deck. It can have strategies like beat down, lockdown, control, or swarm. It can also depend on summoning your ace monster to control the tides of the game or gain advantage (the 4^th ingredient). That is where consistency comes from. If you have these goals, you should have the cards that can help you achieve those goals.

Pantheism of the Monarchs now Limited

            For example, in “Monarchs” a card such as “Pantheism of the Monarchs” (Draw Power) makes them more consistent unlike way back seven formats ago. Aside from the draw power that it gives, it can also grant you an opportunity to search for 1 more “Monarch” spell and trap card that can power-up your opening hand. In “ElementalHERO”, there are cards like “A Hero Lives” and “E-Emergency Call” to ensure that you will get your choice of “HERO” as fast as possible. In “Burning Abyss”, they have “Dante, Traveler of theBurning Abyss”, “Tour Guide from theUnderworld” and “Scarm, Melabrancheof the Burning Abyss”. All of these cards, although some of them are now limited in OCG scene, make these decks more consistent.

            Even though “Raigeki” and “Dark Hole” are very strong cards, most top-tier decks often leave them in sides and binders for cards that can search combo pieces in place. Do you think your deck is consistent enough to combat the Meta?

2 Tablespoons of Speed

Two Tablespoons of Speed

            After having so much consistency, the next thing you should consider is the speed. Looking back, we have “Dragon Rulers” who was claimed to be one of the fastest decks way back when the four elemental “Dragon Rulers” and their off springs are all unlimited. Few more formats ago we also experienced the wrath of “Spellbook” and their very own “Spellbookof Judgment”.

        Digging your power cards can be a pain to deal with especially if the deck of your choice does not have the cards to support your plays. That is why some of the deck invests on generic draw power like “Upstart Goblin”, “RecklessGreed” and “Chicken Game” to get their combo cards as early as possible. Is your deck fast enough to jive with your opponent’s plays?

3 Slices of Power Plays

Does your deck still need more slices of Power Plays?

            As I have mentioned above, every deck should have power plays that you should capitalize on. Way back in 2012, we witnessed how a “Six Samurai” deck ruled the Meta by summoning a number of “Legendary Six Samurai-Shi En” backed up with “The Gateway of the Six”. We also discovered how “Wind-up” devastates your hand advantage using “Wind-UpHunter”. After the banning of “Wind-UpHunter”, players unleashed the “Herald of Crest/Shock Master” lock which shattered the dreams of every opponent unable to counter without “EffectVeiler”. One of the most popular is summoning “Tellarknight Ptolemaeus” that can lead to the colossal “Cyber Dragon Infinity” which can provide players a major field control.

That format when Shien was Unlimited

            Consistency and Speed is nothing when there is nothing to profit from. Although “Gem-knights” is arguably one of the most hyped fusion-centric decks that has received a themed “Reinforcement of the Army”(Absorb Fusion) and “Future Fusion”(Brilliant Fusion sort of), still it does not topped majority of big or even local tournaments due to their themed fusion monsters who is lacking power.  Is your deck ready capable of doing power plays?

            

 4 Packs of Card Advantage

            Yes, your deck is consistent and fast because of the support cards they have received but will they survive after a successful “Evilswarm ExcitonKnight” and “Black Rose Dragon”?

            In this fast-paced Meta, your cards should have the ability to provide consistency, speed and power without losing too many cards for it to work. In “Infernoid”, they have “Reasoning” which can excavate almost their entire deck for an instant set-up. “Performapal Dracoslayers” have “Draco Face-off” and “PerformapalPendulum Sorecerer” that can plow their power plays. Lastly, “Meta Beat” has “Card of Demise” which increases the likelihood of getting more floodgates. Does your deck have the cards that can high-five the sky?

 5 Kilos of Competitive Mindset

Be like him

            All of those four factors above are useless if you don’t have a competitive outlook. If we want to win, we should always have a positive state of mind that we can make it. No matter how consistent, fast, and empowered your deck is, major misplays will still occur if you are not calm and collected. Have you ever wondered why some of the well-known duelists in the world (which I will no longer mention) who plays a random tier 2 or 60 cards deck still top despite of the obvious inconsistency of their decks? Simple, they believe in themselves. Like Yami Yugi, we must “Believe in the heart of cards”. 

Wrap-up:

"It's Time to Duel!!!" -Yuma

        

    That’s it! We hope you gathered something worth remembering from our recipe. Always remember, quitters never win and winners never quit. With proper attitude and right amount of vitamin C, nothing is impossible. “D-Gazers set, duel disk on…..It’s time to D-D-D-Duel!!” 

Written by: Arcknight

Image Source:

ravegrl.wordpress.com

 tcg.konami-europe.com

www.howwhywhere.com

 yugioh.wikia.com