Welcoming myself back.

My sincerest apologies everyone. I've been out in the field conducting military training, which is why I haven't been able to update in these past few weeks. However, while I was out I was able to get some writing done, I've just got to finish my editing, and polish it up a little bit, then I'll have them typed up. It will more than likely be up in the next couple of days.

Thanks for bearing with me!,
~*Bryan*~

First Step of the Journey 17JUN11

          For you veteran Yu-gi-oh! players out there, think back for just a  moment. Do you remember a time when you were putting together your first deck? I most certainly remember mine. Harpy Ladies. Watching the show, I always wanted to do whatever cool combination I saw, anyone else ever do that? Anywho, this article is going to hopefully give some insight to players joining the already strong base layer of people who play the game. Let us cover the bare-bone basics of choosing your first deck (with a little of my opinion, of course), a hint of strategy, and the always important aspect of the game, individuality. Let's begin, shall we?

          When considering decks to choose from, all new players naturally want to get their grubby little paws on the newest, coolest, deck thats available in the game. Let's first delve into what separates a good deck and a good player.

          Now, what is a good deck? Six samurai? Gladiator Beasts? Chaos Plants? Truth is guys and gals, it doesn't make a bit of difference! Sure, Six Samurai is probably the best "themed" deck available right now, but they still are losing, why? The main reason it hasn't done so hot in the past few tournaments is because everyone suspected them, and side decked against them. My point being, don't always go with the flow just because it's popular. All decks will lose, some more so than others. That's the way the game is designed. Picture this, you've just built an awesome new deck completely on an engine of your own design. You proudly walk into your local card establishment, and get completely swept. What now? Would you scrap the deck entirely? Go back to the drawing board, look at what you've got. What cards helped you? What cards didn't? Play the deck you want to play, and have fun in the process. When you finally get that win that you've been trying so very hard to obtain, it's going to make victory that much sweeter, trust me on this one. That, my friends, is a good deck. Win your own way, and the way you love. Tier 1 decks topple all the time to rogue decks that no one will ever see coming, remember that.

         Now that we've defined what it takes to make a good deck. lets look at some of the traits of a good player. All the years that I have been playing this game, has brought me to one single conclusive trait, that every great player should have in his or her toolbox. I'm not talking about owning the most powerful pieces of cardboard to ever hit a playmat either. I'm talking about the ability to read body language. How do you know when your opponent has a dangerous trap card on the field, or just a scare tactic? Watch his eyes, his hands, and facial expressions. After your fair share of games, you will start to pick up on it. I can't tell you how to do it, its just instinctual. Another important trait to any good player, is sportsmanship. It's true what they say, no one likes a sore loser. This game is about making friends, not rivals. Not to say they can't be both! During the summers, when I would stay with my cousin and  his family, we used to duel like there would be no tomorrow. Absolutely ruthless on each other, but at the end of the day, we were still like best friends, helping each other out with deck building techniques, and trading cards to help one another's decks. To this day we still talk about those summers, even though he doesn't play the game anymore, we built memories that both of us can share, and that we will always remember. Being a good player doesn't mean being the best, just like your deck. Being a good player is someone who can set aside their lust for power, and strategize to precisely plan their next move and strike at the perfect time. Which brings us to our next topic, strategy!

          What kind of deck does your opponent play? Is he or she an agressive attacker? Passive defender? or the always vicious counter attacker? Getting to know your opponent is the one main point that strategy entitles. This is where reading your opponents body language can come into play. Say your opponent sends out a weak monster in attack mode, while you have a much larger creature on the field. So what? You can run over that little runt on your next turn! Ah, but wait. He's now setting two trap cards on the field. This guy is very obviously waiting for you to attack so that he can throw it back in your face. Generally speaking, determining what type of deck your opponent is playing is easy. Where the challenge lies, is knowing how to counter your opponent.

          Learning to play your deck in various ways is a challenge within itself. Can you play aggressive Gravekeepers in a defensive manner? Sure you can. Can a counter-attacker deck be applied during an offensive maneuver? Without a doubt. You simply have to study your cards and how they flow with each other. Take X-Sabres for example, they are highly aggressive, and attempt to swarm the field. What happens when your opponent pulls out a huge attacker that will run over each and every single monster you control? A well-timed Magic Cylinder can make or break the game for you or your opponent. It's as simple as that. Strategy, strategy, strategy, I could say it a million times, but firstly, I don't really want to type all that out, and second, I'm sure you get the point. Just be smart and play what you feel is right.

          My last hitting point for this article is, as you've already seen, individuality. When you are mulling over the many choices as to what deck you will use, always remember to make the deck you want, but still maintain your own personality. A deck without personality will be scrutinized to the last card. Anyone can use what is called in the trading card business, a "cookie-cutter" build. Which is more than likely a deck someone found online, and recreated it, card for card. Add some of your own personal flair. Every single one of my decks  run two Magic Cylinder, as it is my personal favorite card. It's so versatile, and just a straight-forward, great card.

          So, here we are, the end of my first article, one that came from both personal experience, and second-hand advice. I hope you've enjoyed the read, just as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I will be keeping up with articles, at least weekly, so please check out my blog page, for which I will provide the link to below. If you take with you, anything from this writing, let it be this. Don't get caught up in what everyone else is doing, retain your personality, and show it in you own deck making skills. It may not make you a top tier player, but it will most certainly put the spotlight on you when you pull out a tech or combo that they haven't seen before. Thank you guys so much for taking the time to read this, and if you've enjoyed it, or even if you have some constructive criticism for me, please stop by my blog page and leave a comment. Hope to hear from you soon, and happy gaming!

~*Bryan*~ (AKA: Scribe)

         

Welcome, welcome, one and all, to quite possibly the most intense journalism/blogging experience you've ever even attempted to comprehend. I kid, of course.  I'm an amateur journalist, making an attempt to get a few reviews and articles under my belt. So, as quickly as I've created this website, I'm sure there are some bugs in the system, feel free to message me and tell me if there is perhaps anything that I cannot see, or have missed that you, the viewer, feels to be wrong.

So, as a young freelance writer, I must say, If anyone, website, individual, or other group is interested in giving me an article to write, please do not hesitate to ask. I am looking for some challenges, to help jumpstart my journalism career.

Thanks much!

~*Bryan*~