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From: hiram taylor <hig112003@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 12:49:44 -0700 (PDT)


The Sinister World of Yugioh - King Hiram Taylor

A chronicle of the development of team play in the metagame and its’ effects

By

King Hiram Taylor



I recently posted a topic in the Pojo Forum that garnered a lot of response. The topic is about teams and Yugioh. First I would like to apologize for falling into an insult match with one of our fellow members. Please excuse my unprofessional behavior.



This discussion was one that elicited many feelings. And I felt that it must be approached. Team play has roots in simple comradery. People of like minds gather together in mutual aid. They build each other up, help one another, and further each member’s goals. In most competitions, a team is often essential to sport. However in Yugioh, team play has no place. The meta is an individual sport where each man is vying to be the king of games.



A sinister development has occurred. It started in the West and has slowly infected the East and that is team play. Team play involves a practice called scooping done in a strategic manner. Further it is the dropping of key players from Yugioh tournaments in an attempt to affect the strength of schedule or tie beak component of the Mantis system. I know what your saying, “What the f***?” Now you’re saying, “How, who, where, and when?” The how is it possible - a flaw in the Mantis system and a discretionary oversight in UDE rules. The when - from at least early 2004. Where- it was mainly a west coast issue but now its national. The who- you know who, they don’t hide it, they defend it.



Team play finds its roots in a practice called scooping or simply forfeiting a match to a friend. If this act isn’t in direct conflict with UDE rules its definitely against the spirit of Yugioh. Wait a minute before you say scooping isn’t illegal because its not bribery. Unless you’re involved with it, you’re probably being naïve. Check this out:



Article 20: 12-06-04 Shogen Jump Championships



Four friends go to tourney: Brodie H, Sandtrap, Jae Kim, and Miguel Folres



The next day, Miguel brought an Earth-themed beast deck, and we looked over his deck list and worked on the deck together while playtesting. This stud went 6-1 as I did, and eventually I had to face the man.

Well folks, there’s more to dueling than prizes, glory, or even a Cyber Stein. We’d played so many times before in casual environments, and here we were again dueling for a chance at top eight in the SHONEN JUMP CHAMPIONSHIPS. He asked me to bow out for him as a favor, and so I said let’s play it out and see what happens.

We were knotted at the third duel and eventually it came to a crucial juncture where he had no hand, no options, and misplayed his only hope for survival. It came down to friendship or glory, and I signed the slip in his favor. Losing would have knocked him out of the tournament and any shot at Nationals, and even as I handed over the slip there was a chance for me to claim the match victory. But I will never regret giving up the win, and Miguel began one of the most remarkable streaks in the history of Yu-Gi-Oh!.

Taking his earth-themed Beatdown deck! Complete with a tech Axe of Despair and Dark Driceratops, he proceeded to thrash his 7-1 opponent to make it to the final top 8. I gave him my Vampire Lord for good luck; it was straight out of Yugi and Joey in the anime. He then defeated a great Dark Magician/Chaos deck and a great FTK Scientist deck to play in the finals, where he lost a close heartbreaker. As we left, he gave me a Needle Worm(!) in gratitude for my scoop, and I was touched by the sincerity. Miguel still has his Gencon pass, it still has my lucky 1st edition Vampire Lord and Legendary Jujitsu Master (don’t ask) safely tucked inside. The Needle Worm gift is wrapped in notebook paper (that I jotted life points with). What a fabulous day!



What a fabulous day in deed. This was the first documented case of scooping or as you read forfeiting for consideration.





Article 27 02/07/04 Shogen Jump Championship



More friends go to the tourney: Jae Kim, Sandtrap, Miguel Flores, Patrick Holmes, and Hugo Adams



Sunday, February 7th, saw the second Shonen Jump Championship, held at Las Vegas with over 200 players attending. This article will attempt to assess the caliber of competition present at the event and offer key insight into the second biggest Yu-Gi-Oh! Tournament of the year held thus far (second only to the first SJC).



Most of them were from California, including some of the best duelists in the nation including the Nationals Champion (who top eighted the event), and many of the previous qualifiers at the first Shonen tournament, including Miguel Flores, Patrick Holmes, and Hugo Adams. The champion of the entire process turned out to be another member of Team Comic Odyssey, proving once again that the Southern California metagame is the best in the nation.



I finished 8-0, but signed away a match slip (again, a match I had won before signing), so that a lucky player could top 8.



Team Odyssey? Savage? Signing away a match slip, a lucky player… what?!! I don’t understand any of this. Do you?







This championship changed the game, scooping was real and others were now joining the party. From here, a small group of teams attempted to apply their new trade to all SJC events. Those who believe that there is no bribery, the following show the atmosphere that has been created:



July 1, 2005 Shogen Jump Championship



No more friends only Teams: All Top Players are in Teams



After losing the main event, I took part in a few side events to pass my time, meeting many great people from Pojo.com. I had the chance to have a few friendly duels with some of them, and then entered a side event where I was once again matched up against Anthony Alvarado. The lack of coverage on the event has obscured the sheer significance, but Anthony now had a chance to become the first person in the history of Yu-Gi-Oh! to win two Cyber Steins in the same day. He needed just one more side event tournament win to take the Cyber Stein; losing would ensure that the winner of the Sunday regional would take the prize instead. In yet another duel between the two of us that decided a Cyber Stein, I managed to prevail through more appallingly bad luck. While other members of different teams pleaded for me to forfeit the match for cash bribes, I respectfully declined and, more impressively, so did Anthony. This person who had the courage and skill to win the main event, speak with me after and apologize about it, also had the power to refuse a shady bribe.

Clearly Team Overdose has proven themselves to be one of the best teams in the nation, and definitely has the right to hold themselves up to the pantheon of any team in the world. Congratulations to every team that took place in the event and every player as well; this was a great tune-up before Nationals. And while Team Savage did manage to defeat Team Odyssey in a team battle at Pomona to "determine the crown", it might be conducive to see the results of more matches between all of the teams.



No, the winner of the main event apologizing for another of his team members trying to bribe… another team’s member to forfeit a match for cash. It can’t be. No way! Wait the winner of the main event covering up for a possible violation by another team now that’s more like it. Hey, this is just how it is in the wild west, right.





Although I’m not sure where this next report was going it, further illustrates the existence of team play and the evils of it. More so, one group had arisen and perfected a method which netted top 8 finishes in every event. Wow!





Article 37: Shogen Jump Championship



Too many teams and not enough friends: I’ve created a monster

At the Anaheim Shonen Jump, I took a loss in the early rounds, then played with full intensity to play to a 7-1 record before being paired with my friend Miguel Flores. At that point, he made a complete play mistake that cost him the match. After telling him I wouldn’t sign the slip as winner, I chose to honor my friendship with the man over greed and success, thus choosing to give him the match wins needed to place him into the top 8, where he subsequently became the runner up. Clearly I am practicing what I preach here.

The team I am in, Team Savage, will continue to attend the major events, hoping to score a major coup this Shonen Jump Season. In every event we attended, we have placed at least one member in the top 4. This 100% success rate is staggering; yet being tantalizingly close to the grand prize simply does not cut it for our team.

Yes, yes, yes, we know teams and their members throw contest for honor and friendship never for greed or notoriety. Hold on, what has happened, teams are every where now. Even worse, those other teams are scooping too. They’re even dropping! Can you believe this?



If you’re saying what’s wrong, I challenge you to rethink your position. Scooping is illegal because it involves compensation. Further team play or dropping is real and can make the difference between being eighth and ninth place. It presents an unfair advantage and an unevenness within the sport. No longer is the meta honorable, it is tainted. Its rigged. I must applaud the writer of this articles for his brashness. He tells it like it is and for that I can say thanks. Other than that, I’m here to expose a harmful situation in the game.

Lastly, I must say that I have no video proof. I have no signed confessions. I am simply reporting observations gained at events and through reading. I am only highlighting a situation through what has already been reported.

My next installment if I’m able will be an interview from a well known player who was snubbed by team play.