To Attack or Not to Attack? - Dark Lightner

To Attack or Not to Attack?

The following essay is a collection of ways that I
found that worked best with my Black/Green and
Light/Blue decks, but in general, these ideas work for
pretty much any deck. This isnt really a how to
guide for attacking, it just makes you more aware of
the mind set you should be in when you are attacking.

I. How do I know when to attack Shields?
Well, simply put, the best time to attack is anytime
you can attack your opponents Shields. Knowing when
you attack is not the problem though. Knowing how to
attack is a much bigger problem.

II. How do I go about attacking my opponent?
Well, during the first 4 turns, it is actually
beneficial for your opponent to a couple of Shields
gone. When you attack Shields, in a way, it is an
advantage, due to the fact that your opponent will
have more cards in his hand than you might.

1. Hand Advantage > Shield Advantage
Why is that? Well, in this game, Hand Advantage is in
many ways more important than having many Shields.
Sure, you could have all 5 of your Shields, while your
opponent has one, but your opponent could have gotten
cards from his Shields that give him a advantage over
you. From those Shields you knocked out, he could have
gotten the cards he needed to win the game.

2. Micromanaging Creatures
When attacking consider what Creatures your opponent
has. He may have enough creatures to kill you, and you
might not notice because of the way he might arrange
his cards. At first glance during mid to late game, he
may have many Blockers, so you may think he has only a
few to attack with. This mistake can cost you the
game. Always carefully survey the game, even if your
opponent has a lot less Creatures on the field than
you. There might be a better way to go about attacking
with your creatures if you look hard enough.


III. How do I attack my opponent when he has many
Blockers?

1. How to use Spells properly against Blockers?
When facing a deck that uses many Blockers, it is
important to note that for every Blocker he destroys,
hell probably have another to replace it. Due to
this, it is useless to use cards like Death Smoke and
Terror Pit against them. If he runs a Blocker stall
deck, its best to think why he does. He may be
stalling for time to bring out big hitters to attack
your Shields. It may be best to save your destruction
cards for those Creatures instead of wasting them on
Blockers. Always keep that mind set.

2. What do I use against Blockers?
When against a deck with many Blockers, it is best to
use Creatures against it. What I mean is, summon
strong, sturdy Creatures to attack. The best Creatures
to get rid of Blockers especially are Double Breakers,
since your opponent will definitely wanna Block them
if they have 4 or less Shields. Fatties (5000 Power
and up) are definitely the most useful against this
type of deck are always useful, since most of the time
if they are tapped, they will stay on the field after
used.

3. When do I use my Spells on Blockers?
Spells in general should be used when:
One, killing a Blocker with a Spell will give you an
extreme advantage.
Or Two, When your opponent has a Fattie Blocker on the
field.

What does number one mean? Well, lets just say that if
your opponent has only a couple of Blockers on the
field and you have more creatures on the field. If you
have enough Creatures to win the game, but you need to
get rid of one of his Blockers to do it, then by all
means do it. If killing a Blocker with a Spell gives
you a definate advantage over the opponent, then use
it.
Two means that if youre opponent has a Fattie Blocker
(i.e. 5000 Power and up), then you should definitely
use that Spell against it. If your opponent has a
Creature like Gran Gure on the field, then it would be
to your benefit to destroy it.

IV. When do I allow my opponent to attack me?

In the first few turns of the game, allowing your
opponent to attack your Shields at least once is a
pretty good advantage. When your opponents Creature
attacks, not only does it give you a free card, it
also is tapped, giving you the ability to take it out.
Mid to late game however, you should try to maintain 2
or 3 Shields as best as you can, since at this point
mana is abundant, and you and your opponent can summon
pretty much anything you and him desire to. Having
less than 3 Shields at this point is definitely a
problem, since your opponent can make Grand Stand
plays much more easily.

V. How do I counter Water Bounce decks?

Water Bounce decks are Water or Water Hybrid decks
that use cards like Spiral Gate, Teleportation and
Aqua Sniper to return cards back to their opponents
hands.

Well, to efficiently counter this sort of deck, it's
better to use a bunch of smaller, easily summoned
monsters instead of Fatties. Things that cost less
than 3 mana are especially good at this. When you face
a Bounce deck, it is better to summon as many monsters
as you can instead of summon one huge fatty. I suggest
that you stick an even number of Fatties (5000 and up)
and Weenies (3000 or less) to counter act both Blocker
and Bounce decks.

1. How do I attack a Bounce decks Shields?

It is best to take extreme caution when attacking a
Bounce decks Shields. You don't wanna take a large
amount of them out, since they will almost always have
a Shield Trigger Bounce card to screw you over. It is
best to attack one at a time. NEVER take out more than
2 shields at a time when facing this deck. You will be
screwed over.

Conclusion

And on that note, I finish my essay on how to go about 
attacking your opponent. Many of the things I said can 
be used well, but only in certain situations. When it 
all boils down, it is best to do what you think is 
right when it comes to attack. This is simply a guide 
to be more aware of when to attack. Most important of 
all though, this is just a game. Have fun, be a good 
sport when you lose. Be kind to new players, and teach 
them the best you can. ^_^

Fin



Note: I've used this essay on another site, just so
you know. ^_^"