Subject: Last Will Deck, In-Game Strategy - Last Will So far, I've spent a lot of column space writing about deck strategy, mostly abstract stuff about how to build a deck and some concepts to live by. In this space, I'm going to talk about what to do when you're in the game. First of all the beauty of the Last Will deck is that you can choose your monsters pretty easily. This strategy lets you go through your deck like you wouldn't believe. 2 Sangans, 2 Witches and 3 Last Wills means that if you run a 42 card deck, you will draw 1 of these cards on average in your starting 6 cards. The obvious upside to this is you eliminate the need to have to draw a particular monster. The key question then becomes, which monster to choose? My particular deck(this is a personal preference) has exactly 1 of many different types of monsters that normally wouldn't make my deck(Mask of Darkness, Masked Sorcerer, White Magical Hat, Wall of Illusions). This makes it so that my chance of drawing them is low, but when I need to pull them out(say, I start with a Mirror Force and a Magic Jammer in my opening hand), I can get the one that will help me the most with ease. I'm going to run down a list of suggested monsters(and the suggested number to use), and the situation you would want it, and the best ways to get it out. Summoned Skull(1): Toughest to get, only a Witch can get it, so if you think you might need one, best to take it with the Witch while you can. Of course, you can use the Last Will to get the Witch out....Situations for this card are numerous. It's two main uses are getting a monster to deal with his La Jinns, and to tribute a monster to activate Last Will. Also, if you have a Change of Heart or Snatch Steal in your hand, then you definitely want this one. Be VERY careful when you use this card. Nothing worse than tributing a monster only to watch your SS get Trap Holed. A lost monster and a lost summon. Make sure you have either a clear trap zone to attack, or a Last Will in hand to special summon a monster to the field in case something goes wrong. Shadow Ghoul(1): This card is shunned by nearly all, even by me, until now. With the sheer number of monsters this deck goes through, it won't take too long before the Shadow Ghoul surpasses the Summoned Skull in power. Then the Shadow Ghoul becomes what it is intended to be. The Summoned Skull killer. Plain and simple, that's why it is here. I'd be hard-pressed to find a serious duel in which I didn't go through at least 9 monsters, so there's really no reason not to play this card in place of 1 Summoned Skull. Other than that, everything I said about SS applies here. La Jinn/7 Colored Fish(1 or 2 total): Rare is the instance that I find myself needing this card. Maybe to destroy an opponent's Witch or Invader of the Throne, but aside from that, most monsters played can be destroyed by Witch/Sangan/White Magical Hat/Masked Sorcerer/Wall of Illusions. If you want this card just for it's damage quotient, I'd suggest taking an effect card instead. Sacrifice that 800 attack power for an invaluable effect. It's well worth it. More than likely they will try to summon their own La Jinn to go after your effect monster, which is when you Trap Hole them. So, I would take this card when you don't have a trap card set, or when you need the extra power for one of those monsters whose attack is somewhere between 1100 and 1800. If you run Messenger of Peace(very feasible with this deck), I would consider dropping these cards altogether. Witch of the Black Forest(2): This card can get anything in the deck except for a Wall of Illusions. Use Last Will to special summon this to the field, and you get your choice of monster when it dies. Until that time, it can do 1100 damage. Also, an opponent is hesitant to trap hole this card, and those 1100 damages can add up after awhile. Sangan(2): This card can get anything from this deck except SS/Shadow Ghoul and Jinn/Fish. Suffice it to say, that makes this card every bit as useful as the Witch. Everything said about the Witch can also apply here, except this card does 1000 damage. Wall of Illusions(1): EXCELLENT card if you have a Robbin' Goblin set. Make sure the opponent doesn't see it coming. They attack with La Jinn. Not only does it return to their hand, but they lose 50 LP and a card from their hand. Then they have to worry about how to remove the wall without losing any more monsters from the field to their hand. This can be an invaluable stall card late in the game when you get your opponent drawing and playing off the top of his deck. Hell, this monster isn't too bad in attack mode...1000 damage, plus when they eventually kill it, they lose their monster back to their hand. White Magical Hat(1): I've discarded 6 cards from the opponent's hand second turn with the help of this card and robbin' goblin. Even conservatively, this card can help win you the game early. Say you go first. Set a Sangan/Witch(doesn't have to be, but it helps) and a Robbin' Goblin and another magic or trap(key is to make them think twice about summoning a monster in attack mode for fear of a Trap Hole. After they invariably set a card in defense mode, Share the Pain with Last Will to special summon this little doozy out. Take a Masked Sorcerer(see below) to hand and summon it(can't be trap holed, the real beauty of this card). Masked Sorcerer, along with your special summoned White Magical Hat, an activated robbin' goblin can attack their clear field(share the pain!) for 1900 damage. They discard 3, you draw 1, you managed to completely navigate around their trap hole, and you've basically already won with the 4 extra cards in your hand. This, and variatons of this, happen more often than you think. Try to use Last Will to get WMH out, because it can and will be Trap Holed. Masked Sorcerer(1): Any card drawing mechanism is great. If you can keep this thing alive for 2 turns, it becomes a Pot of Greed that dishes 1800 damage. With that said, wait to summon this thing until you have either a Trap Hole, Swords or Mirror Force to protect it(side note: this makes me want to run Labyrinth Wall and Ring of Magnetism. The wall can be special summoned with Last Will despite its 5 stars. Throw a RoM on it and you've given your White Magical Hat/Masked Sorcerer all the protection it needs to deal it's effect turn after turn. Problem is, if you draw the Wall to your hand, or if you fail to draw RoM, you have dead weight in your deck...this needs some experimentation). Masked Sorcerer cannot be Trap Holed! There's an added benefit. When you summon this monster, the opponent will often tip off that they have a Trap Hole, by starting to activate it, and realizing you only have 900 ATK :) Share the Pain on your set Sangan, take this card to your hand, and attack their clear field and draw a card. Very simple and easy to pull off combo. Only thing that can stop it is Mirror Force...or if they want to waste a Magic Jammer on a Share the Pain :) Finally, set this monster in defense mode when they are beating you down with a Witch. Do 300 damage and draw a card. Most people assume that you have set a MoF or a MeB, so this usually takes them by surprise. Mask of Darkness(1): Pretty obvious when to take this. You've used your Mirror Force and/or Magic Jammer and you want them back. Of course, pretty easy to bluff your opponent when you take this card for no apparent reason, but have 1 m/t card set. They will suspect Mirror Force, and you just watch as they switch all monsters to defense mode but 1, sparing you any life point damage. Making them think you have a Mirror Force can be ten times more useful than actually having one :) Cyber Jar(1): Normally the bane of this deck, because this card can help to deck you, don't use this card unless the following occurs. They get 2 or 3 monsters to the field and you are out of options, or you have a Raigeki, or you are able to flip it on your own main phase 1. This gives you many more options, and can help you to prepare for the cards they draw. If you can get some combination of these situations, then you might want to pull the Cyber Jar into your hand. Otherwise, I'd avoid looking for it. Man-Eater Bug(2 or 3): Why 2 or 3 of these? They are insanely useful, and will win you very many games. 2 reasons. Flip effect negation, and they clear the field for direct damage(which is VERY key with this deck...Masked Sorcerer, WMH and robbin' goblin). Nothing upsets an opponent more than when they have 2 cards set, you flip this up, destroy one of them, then share the pain and destroy the other. 2 flip effects negated, at a very minimal cost. Plus, you still haven't summoned a monster this turn :) Also, since this deck doesn't have a lot of intrinsic power, you may need this card to take out some Walls(both Illusion and Labyrinth), Summoned Skulls and La Jinns. Currently running 3, find it tough to take that down to 2. Magician of Faith(3): Absolutely run 3. Amazing that this card was a rare and not restricted. Just beware that you don't tip off that you are setting this card by checking your graveyard. Check your graveyard, and then set a Sangan. They play Tribute to the Doomed or Change of Heart and flip up your...Sangan, since you just checked your graveyard, and they will hate you forever. Take a MoF to your hand early, and they will be expecting you to play it next turn...don't. They have a way to stop you from flipping it. Let them waste that on something else, and you're free to play it after. Just make sure to keep them guessing. Hopefully, I've given you some helpful tips, and something to think about. My next article will look into the future...Pharaoh's Servant and beyond! fastat3m@hotmail.com _________________________________________________________________ Get a speedy connection with MSN Broadband.  Join now! http://resourcecenter.msn.com/access/plans/freeactivation.asp