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Tom Rogers on Duel Masters
The Answer
March 2, 2010

"The Answer"

Preface

I have been asked to write you an article about the inner workings of a control deck. Most of the deck’s “synergy” is basic, so I will just footnote you to articles which are devote to that topic. Instead, I am going to write about actually playing the deck with the goal that you may learn how to use your tools wisely.  That being said, please refer to the footnotes and bring yourself up to speed; I will be assuming you have a basic grasp on the standard control deck throughout this text.

Be forewarned that the information I am providing you with is [i]long[/i]. You will probably be sitting at the screen for hours if you chose to read it all in one sitting. Make preparations or move things to your desk if you’re devoting your free time to finishing as soon as possible.

It’s also important that you know I will be dispelling several myths about the archetype as we go along. Please be as open-minded as possible while I do my best to explain those various instances. I am not shoving information down your throat, rather providing reliable information rich in content in the hopes to develop a new wave of considerably skilled players.

Try to keep a level head and stay stimulated while reading, so that you are able to take everything in to the best of your ability. This is hear so that you may improve. I wish you luck on your quest to becoming stronger. Without further adieu, I present to you the first portion of my new article series.



The Clear Choice

Through the compilation of this text, I have heard many comments. Many people have responded with something along the lines of: “You’re doing an entire article on playing control? That’s great! I hope you do one on [rush, aggro, or combination strategy of choice] next!”

I’m not going to. Why? Control is the best archetype. It always has been, it always will be. In every card game ever. This is not a disputable claim. Reference the footnotes for an article on decktypes and the progression of the player’s minds as they delve into them.  Although the writer misinterprets anti-meta aggression strategies a nonexistent archetype referred to as “assault,” the general premises does a fairly decent job at explaining the progression.

The reason all good players end up playing control is that it consistently and reliably delivers exceptional results, greater than it’s opposing archetypes which it has been superior since conception. It requires the most thought, stability, play instinct, and so forth. 

Whenever the top players have the opportunity to create a control deck for the event they are participating in, they do so. Even as Bombazar came into the game and changed the meta, it continually progresses into control forms. At first we had Fire and Nature beatdown strategies similar to primitive rush, and they developed into aggressive ones which took longer to claim victory but were more stable. Soon the good players realized they should deprive the opponents of the advantages they could have while simultaneously increasing his or her own, and thus control was incorporated once again. Bombazar Black emerged, and four-color variants were formed before the card was ultimately banned in Japan. In the TCG the more threatening variants are four color controls, or three civilization strategies created in a control fashion.

Control decks the most versatile because, when built properly, they do not have a fixed attack pattern. Since the game is based on attacking, this immediately establishes such decks as the most versatile. Being the most versatile and also the most consistent, control decks are the best in the game. Thus, if you want to be the best, you’re playing control.



Natural Strings

Since synergy is the basis of a control deck, there are several built-in progressions of cards which result in accomplishing the overall tasks, which contribute a unique and potentially useful resource as well as progressing towards the overall achievement.  These “strings” of cards normally have a steady, increasing cost to meet the demands of continuing the game. Let’s take a look at a few examples.

DWF Control: Aqua Hulcus, Locomotiver, Corile, Illusionary Merfolk, Lost Soul, Bolmeteus Steel Dragon.

Notice how we start with a small buildup and transfer into our win condition, turn by turn. Aqua Hulcus provides our potentially useful resource in the form of a two-thousand power creature, while grabbing the other cards with its card-drawing effect. This provides advantage, which you should know by now is an important tool in control. Locomotiver provides another body while depleting a resource. At this point you have generated two creatures, gained one resource, and removed one resource from your opponent. Notice the steady transition into the more powerful threats through these plays.

Corile is next, establishing a field control and restriction on what the opponent will have to stop you in the future. It’s also a cyber lord which you need for the following Merfolk, which grants you a heap of cards most probably containing that Lost Soul you want to play next. Now you have the option of attacking to rack up advantage points with the Soul if you see fit, as you have controlled the field and established a field of creatures in the process.  After casting the Lost Soul and thereby depleting the opponent’s hand resources, Bolmeteus creates a threatening tone which is very hard to deal with if you don’t have cards to play.

From here you can make substantial plays on the side as the opponent is forced to deal with the Bolmeteus or directly win the game by some other condition (very difficult in most cases). This allows you to build up multiple standby threats (field of creatures, other win condition, recursion for the Bolmeteus) while simultaneously maintaining control of the game. Eventually the opponent is overloaded with problems he or she have to deal with and cannot continue to defend themselves, much less promote his or her own position. He or she are overwhelmed; the textbook example of control’s desired effect.

DWFN Control: Bronze-Arm Tribe, Rumbling Terrahorn, Magmadragon Jagelzor, Lost Soul.

This string is more aggressive than the prior, and as such it is more liable to faults via triggers. However, it also provides more advantage in the long run.  We begin with the Tribe providing us with a body as well as generating an additional resource, the purpose of which is twofold. The generation of an additional mana resource allows us an advantage in terms of potential and tempo (I will get to Lost Soul first in the mirror match, and more readily access my widespread removal against aggressive opponents), as well as increasing the likelihood of uniting all four of the used civilizations in the mana zone.

The momentum provided by the additional mana resource is the carrier of this specific string – we flow into Terahorn due to the extra mana linking us into five-drop grounds and pull Magmadragon Jagelzor for its effect. If we already have the Dragon, we can take a card which adds a color to our mana zone or stops forseeable threats.  Not only have we established ourselves as the aggressor, but we have provided significant turbulence in our strategy which is invaluable. We can now play offensively or defensively depending on what comes of the opponent’s play.

The most important part of this piece of the string is Terahorn’s three-thousand power. This ensures we will not be thwarted by widespread trigger removal in the TCG as well as increase the likelihood to avoid kamikaze creatures on the opponent’s side. The turn immediately following we have Magmadragon Jagezor – racking up shields to maximize the use of Lost Soul is rewarded through the opponent having to remove your creatures to exist. This also gives us priority to Soul even if the opponent has seven mana first, because he or she will have to remove our threatening field or risk losing the game. Though a powerful shield trigger can cut off the power of this string, its benefits allow an easy overflow in the late game through any of our advantage-generating creatures (Merfolk, Corile, Locomotiver, Hulcus, et cetera).

DWL Control:  Sarius [Vizier of Suppression], Pala Olesis [Morning Guardian], Magris [Vizier of Magnetism], Marinomancer, Craze Valkyrie [The Drastic], Lost Soul.

This chain is slightly more complex and has a offshoot variant, but only because of the turn two play. Alternatively you can use turn three for a Hulcus and replace Marinomancer with Petrova to power the Magris, which is altogether more effective in different scenarios. The overall explanation for the chain is the same albeit the switch between positions of applied plays.

Sarius stops oncoming attacks due to the deck’s slight lack of speed in comparison to the other controls. It’s also another evolution bait in case we lose our Magris. Pala Olesis shields from most fire removal, keeping the Sarius and Magris out of range from popular removal spells which most opponents who are a threat should be running. The slight cycling of draw between Hulcus/Magris or cluster draw of Marinomancer (the deck should contain a lower amount of water than what can be considered “normal” for a control deck) propels us towards the goal and Valkyrie establishes field dominance. After the opponent has lost his or her hand and is facing down powered-up creatures and an evolution, we achieve overflow.

There are other strings which provide enough advantage to be mentioned, (such as Bronze-Arm Tribe, Corile, Merfolk, Soul ) but the general ones I have outlined should give you an idea of what they accomplish. Start noting the various natural strings within popular decks; a control player’s moves are significantly enhanced by prediction.



Prediction

Knowing what your opponent is going to do allows you have greater insight on the direction in which the game is heading.  “You can’t pound a nail where you can’t swing a hammer.” It’s difficult to pin down an opponent when you have no idea what they are trying to accomplish. Getting inside your opponent’s head or making certain plays to dictate his or her moves (and then play around htem) is invaluable to the control player.

This is easiest to do against people you know personally, as you will have grown to know their style and thinking processes over time. There are also certain preconcepted responses to moves in the deck itself which you may use to your own benefit. For example, you could swing wildly at old-school DWFN because they would be forced to respond with triggering or casting Natural Snare at some point to remove a creature, forfeiting their priority to Soul. This is less effective now due to the fact that Soulswap is more primarily used, though the occasional build carrying Snares still sees play.
That being said, incorporating abilities to look at the opponent’s cards have proved valuable over time. Cards like Scheming Hands and Gigandura serve as disruption while viewing the hand, and cards like Slash Charger help stop combinations or high-level threats while allowing you to see the majority of the opponent’s deck. These card choices allow you to figure out what you are dealing with, and the best way to go about doing so.

Conversely, varying unpredictability on your own accord will advance your position against a skilled opponent. That is, if you do so properly. Unorthodox moves can shake-up the game and provide an unexpected turn of events in your favor. The most common changes in game state are provided by cards not usually played in the deck you are running, creating an unpredictable and powerful effect. We call these cleverly-inserted cards “tech.” The goal of a tech card is to create an advantage that you would not normally have in a specified matchup. Photocide, Lord of the Wastes would be a tech against Light Civlization decks using blocker walls. Stained Glass would be a tech choice to disturb aggressive decks based on Fire and Nature.

This brings us to the common misaffilation between “tech” and “personal choice.” Using a card outside the norm because it grants you an advantage against a strategy you expect to play against is tech. Using a card because you enjoy it or it has meaning to you is personal choice. Cards you add out of personal choice are [i]not[/i] “your own personal tech,” because they are not tech. In the words of Tyler Durden in [u]Fight Club[/u], “You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake.”

I’ve often seen players mislabel a commonly used or considered card as “tech” as an attempt to feel as if they are proactive in the progression of an archetype. There’s nothing wrong with declining tech options and competing with a solid build, and if you want to use personal choices do so sparingly and within reason. Most of them can be done without, and you will perform just as efficiently. If not, better.

In addition to tech choices, the other option is employing different play mannerisms. This would be using your cards to attain a effect different from usual. Summoning Thrash Crawlers on turn four or conserving cards you would normally play immediately (Soul, Vise, Pit) are testiments to this process. When Chargers were iffy, a different play mannerism would be to violently attack with Aqua Hulcus after destroying your opponent’s with Volcano Charger in a DWF mirror match. That allowed you priority to Soul, which your opponents could not deprive you of if they were not using Chargers themselves. 

Although tech is the more common solution, the road less traveled can be ultimately more satisfying. This is the case with varied play mannerisms, as they do not require a change in your deck which may create new holes or risk damage to elements you are not willing to compromise. Varied play mannerisms are hard to aquire, but may be done so through extensive playtesting.



Playtesting

Before I speak of playtesting, it has to be established that the common notion of it is horribly misconstrued. Simply playing out multiple games with your opponent is not playtesting. You have to think about what you are doing, examine the different possibilities of your moves, and most importantly make mistakes. If you are trying something new, most of the time you should be losing. Your concept is new, and thus is not as matured as the time-tested methods. It requires practice, development, modification. You will not simply conjure up a new deck or play mannerism at will and instantly be winning against already proven strategies, provided that your opponents are decent competitors.

So yes, one of the common and most beneficial methos of true playesting is losing. Go out there and lose. Instead of making the conventional play, consider other options labeled as “risky” or “stupid.” You may find out that they weren’t so bad after all, or if you played a certain way up until that point the play could have been more beneficial than doing things by-the-book. Try passing turn three and note the various effects. Try drawing a large stream of cards before your opponent casts Lost Soul. Use Terahorn to take cards completely unrelated to the situation at hand.

Let people defeat you. Not blatantly, as refusing to block when you are going to die obviously doesn’t grant you any insight. We’re speaking of things such as attacking at moments you feel you shouldn’t, pausing when it’ s a good idea to press, playing cards other than when they are regularly played. This will give you a feel for why certain plays are acceptable and what would beat them, improving your knowledge and application in the game.

Some of you are probably saying “but Tom, I already know why this play is optimal and there’s nothing better. I’m so aware of what I am doing.” Learning never stops in a strategy game, so you should definitely challenge everything you know as frequently as possible. Doing something one way might not be powerful in one expansion release, one tournament, one week, one hour. Once others understand what you are doing, they find ways around it. It’s inevitable. My advice to you is to playtest with these principles in mind and gain a deeper understanding of the purposes your cards accomplish. This stems into the next area, which actually leaves room for your tech.

Conventional choices are not always the best. Obviously they are strong, but there can be something undiscovered that leads you to victory in a more swift and efficient manner. Through true playtesting you may realize certain things are not as powerful as you originally percieved them to be. Maybe you don’t need four of that guy, maybe you don’t need any. Maybe a completely different card long buried in your trunk fits your goals more while providing a greater overall stability. Perhaps a random card played at the local tournament that didn’t fit the deck it was used in may fit in your own.
The bottom line is you should be considering everything. When you are playtesting, analyze constantly. Be aware of what you are doing, what your opponent is doing, and how they coincide to affect the overall state of the game.

Through playtesting you should also be examining the potential threats to your strategy, and playtesting with them as well. Find out what would make your opponents stronger, what plays they can make to hit you where it hurts, and the tech choices that would practically guarantee the match is in their favor. If you don’t, you may still find yourself woefully unprepared against an opponent who as been developing at an equal or greater speed than you.

Knowing what your opponent thinks and how they are going to improve their strategy and play is going to allow you to further your own growth. You’ll learn to work “counter-counters,” or how to avoid situations they are hoping you fall into.  Making new play strings can increase your potential as well as allow you to keep the same cards. This means you won’t have to change your deck so you lose at a higher rate to other players just to have a shot at that one guy you have a hard time with.

You probably noticed that changing your play is incredibly effective, moreso than changing your cards up. Playtesting properly before taking any action with your deck’s content should be a regular routine. That being said, there is a common myth among players that the deck is more important than the player. This is not the case, as you can change your play to accommodate to copious situations without switfching a single card. Only when you cannot find any way to experiment and feel your current strategy has reached a peak should you look into a small amount of tech cards. Making sure you are playing to the best of your ability should be first and foremost on your “to-do” list.



Attack Formations

While playtesting, you should be taking time out to formulate and experiment with intervals of attacking the opponent. There will be times you notice a single trigger ruins you, or that you are nearly unstoppable. It’s important to be able to idenfity these situations, which prediction helps present an idea of, before you get into them.
Through Prediction, there is an understanding of what the opponent is playing. From this information and the way he or she thinks, we can determine how many copies of a given card they are using.

If we’re dealing with a player who runs four Emeral, Locomotiver, Bronze-Arm Tribe, and Rikabu’s Screwdriver, it’s a fair assumption he or she does not run Burst Shot. If the opponent cares more about field positioning and adaptable removal than small discard, but we see Locomotiver, it’s generally accepted there are a total of two in the deck. These numbers are flexible depending on the situation and how your opponent builds his or her deck, but the principle remains the same; once we get in the opponent’s head and understand how they play, we can begin to understand how he or she intends on accompishing their goals. This includes the way in which the opponent constructs their deck, attacks, or even charges mana.

You’re going to want to use this knowledge of the opponent’s deck to attack properly. Attacking ruthelessly with your weenies against the guy playing four Burst Shot is not a good idea. Swiping a random shield when you have a low hand and the opponent is using Locomotiver may not bode well for your future.

There’s no specific way to attack at all times, as this is an abstract concept which fluctuates depending on the game state. However, the most accurate way to describe proper attack formation would be “without risk, or with minimal risk.” That being said, you do not attack if a trigger the opponent is likely to have will compromise your current position beyond recovery. If you can wiggle out of it, good luck. If there’s little to nothing that can negatively impact your overall goal for the next few turns, strike freely.



Optimal Play

There are several important techinques or occurences in game state that are present at the highest level of play. These are important to master and transfer between seamlessly. Some players don’t like to admit it, but information is incredibly important in Duel Masters. It is in any game. Assessing and dealing with the information properly is necessary to become a great player, and toning of these skills to become the best.

Telegraphing

We’ve discussed Natural Strings and Prediction, and odds are some of the best cards and combinations fall under these categories. They can be recognized and prepared against. Precautions can be made.

It’s often noted that when certain plays are made, you are effectively “telling” the opponent about your play.  If you play Bronze-Arm Tribe two turns in a row and start smacking shields with Darkness mana, your opponent is likely to assume you’re focused on playing an advantageous Lost Soul. If you use Crystal Memory when you have little no no shields left, it’s reasonable to assume you have taken Miraculous Meltdown. Such are telegraphed plays we make every game regardless, because they are good and we want to make good plays to win.

It’s important to be aware of the information you are giving away, as well as the information your opponent is revealing to you through his or her own moves. Acting on these is a large factor in determining the outcome of the match.

The Bluff

Modification of the flow of information in an information-based game can obviously prove to be an invaluable tool. Making certain plays which telegraph cards you don’t have creates a different atmosphere for the opponent and may give you the edge.

Though being called on a bluff can have a potentially huge backfire, most succesfull players will not want to take the risk of hoping you don’t have it; especially after you made it seemingly obvious that you do.

Through bluffing, situations can be created which result in an overall modification of the game state you wouldn’t have been able to acquire otherwise. Convincing your opponent that you have a certain card can sometimes be just as powerful as actually holding the card in your hand. There will be times when bluffing is useless or unreliable, which is why knowing when to bluff and when to make appropriate, telegraphed plays is an important characteristic of a good player.

Baiting

Baiting is drawing out conditioned responses from the opponent. This kind of play relies on your ability to accurately predict what the opponent is thinking, as well as picking up on telegraphed plays. A great example of baiting is Gino Honkanen vs. Benjamin Rowe in Pr0 Tourney 2, where Gino drew several dead cards and passed without playing them, tricking Rowe into believing he had a valuable card with a high mana cost.

For multiple turns Rowe discarded Honkanen’s useless cards as planned, until he finally drew Bombazar and there was no options left to remove it from his hand.

Gino understood his opponent’s play and natural strings, and used them in his favor by prompting a waste of resources. By the time Rowe had caught on, it was too late and the match was already over in Honkanen’s favor.

As you can see, baiting allows you to set up situations inside of the game using the mindset of the opponent. This characteristic is important throughout the various techniques we will be discussing, so take note of it. Getting in your opponent’s head and dictating their train of thought, then countering, is one of the most potent strategies in Duel Masters.

Concealment

Concealment plays hide information from the opponent and bank on capitolizing on a game state through that particular information. For example, if I have three Dava Torey [Seeker of Clouds] in my hand and start breaking shields with Pyrofighter Magnus, I may chose to conceal my hand protection by refusing to charge Light mana.

Without knowing I am playing Light, it is very common that my opponent will attempt to discard the Pyrofighters with a mass removal such as Cranium Clamp or Lost Soul. At that point I would summon multiple copies of Dava Torey, then resummon the Pyrofighters to win the game. The hidden information is what gave me the edge, and I am relying on it to come into play in my favor.
Concealing information can be a difficult balancing act, since you have to be able to play at an effective level while making sure you don’t commit particular resources. This is definitely a skill mastered over time through extensive practice before unleashed in the competitive scene.

Making The Bad Play

We’ve spoken about how prediction and getting inside your opponent’s head is something every good player needs to be able to do. Stemming from this, you will often find yourself making sure you can counter the best possible play the opponent can make. You’re aware of what will destroy you, and because of this prepare against it. However, you can easily be giving a certain opponent too much credit, or they can turn it against you. The way either of these things occur is through making a play other than the optimal one – a “bad” play.

In all of the preparation against the optimal play, many players fail to realize they have no adequate response to an inferior play. “Noob mistakes” can become game-winning tactics at this level. It’s important to make sure you have a response to the B-list move while also countering the worst-case scenairo. Noticing when the opponent has failed to do so improves your chances of seizing unprecidented victories.

The Mindfuck

Speaking of unprecidented victories, I’m sure many of you have heard of The Mindfuck. If you have not already, allow me to explain. The Mindfuck is a special technique delivered by forcing the opponent to play mind games in his or her own head while you continue to play normally, shifting the mental as well as technical aspect of the game heavily in your favor. These plays combine all of the above traits into one concise action of surreal potential.

A particularly useful card for these kinds of plays would be Emeral. You can, let’s say, flash Holy Awe as if you were choosing to send it to mana and decided not to at the last moment. By following this play with Emeral, your opponent might assume that the shield is the Awe you just revealed. Due to the card’s nature, most players would decide it is most beneficial to break that shield immediately – and that’s when they run into your shield trigger Aqua Surfer.

I’ve done this play multiple times and it hardly fails to deliver a shock. The two cards used conflict to some extent, surprising the opponent and leaving them stymied for the rest of the game. They second-guess themselves and allow room for false motivations to your plays. These also come in handy, given you can pick up on and play off of them to your advantage.

Optimal play is knowing when to apply the proper techniques as well as specific card moves or combinations, netting you the highest win rate. That being said, it is time to dispel another long-guarded secret: there is only one real play style. The “One True Style” is flawless play, properly assessing the situation and consistently delivering with the best possible game plan. Other variants on control are characterized by misplays or decent assessments of the situations that miss the bigger picture. “Countless, unseen details are often the only difference between mediocre and magnificent.” There is only one proper move per situation and what is often excused as a “quirk” or move of a “unique individual play-style” is a cleverly-disguised misplay the duelist needs to cease. There are situations where you ‘fork,’ meaning you have two distinct, good plays – but there is still the optimal play, within the frame of the bigger picture, the one that will drastically shift the odds in your favor.

Despite playing well being a prerogative over building the deck itself, you should have a firm grasp on what you are doing. You should also, as mentioned, have an equally good grasp on what your opponents are doing. Though, because this is a card game, we have to explore another scenario which stems from the building and playing of decks at an optimal level – good and bad matchups.



Matchups

Duel Masters is, after all, a card game. There are various factors involved in it which are inescapable no matter how good you are. One of these factors is the concept of the matchup, which can be in your favor or against you.

Let’s take a simple example: Mono Darkness against Light and Nature. The Darkness deck is based heavily on discarding the opponent’s hand before it’s set up. The Light and Nature deck is playing many creatures that come into play when they would be discarded. Clearly the latter has a greater chance of winning which has nothing to do with the players; there is an edge in the creation of the deck increasing that player’s’ chances.

Being that there is a significant card pool and players of high stature are trying new things, you may come across something you are not prepared to deal with. Other times, you might simply not be able to combat the opponent’s strategy with what you are currently using. There is no perfect, unbeatable deck. Some strategies provide counters to others which harm them, and others directly oppose a certain threat they feel will be played en masse. There are “Antimeta” decks; there are “Rogue” decks. There are one-turn kills, combinations. It’s possible you will find yourself paired against something your deck simply cannot face, and it’s important to know what to do in that scenario.

In other games, the answer to such strategies is the use of a sideboard – a separate selected pile of cards you are allowed to rotate into your deck between matches. These cards are chosen the way your deck is and cannot be changed during the tournament. Decks revert to their original state after the match in which you use a sideboard. The beauty of such things is that you can remove several cards that don’t help against what you’re going up against, and provide you with something helpful that might not be generic enough to play against every opponent you come up against.
In Duel Masters, there is no such entity. We are forced to create extremely flexible strategies and extremely flexible tech to combat any and all threats. We have to accurately predict the meta we are playing in or else failure is inevitable. However, it’s pretty much impossible to create something that stops everything else consistently (including decks devoted to defeating it). There are three main courses of action when we encounter a bad matchup.

Employing Tech

Sometimes your strategy will be durable enough to sustain using a card that doesn’t normally “fit” to combat whatever is posing a threat to you. This will allow you to gain more footing in a match you would otherwise lose, so a tech card may be great if chosen and used properly.

Changing Decks

Sometimes, the reality is that your strategy is past it’s time. Games evolve, players evolve, and decks evolve. The optimal strategy will not always be the same.  It’s important to be an introspective player and realize that you may not be using the best choice for the event or point in the game, and have to change accordingly. There’s always time to come back to your strategy with playesting, and throwbacks do occur with the support of new cards.

Forgetting It

Hey, sometimes you just lose. That all anti-discard deck isn’t going to go far against an aggressive deck that doesn’t touch the hand. It won’t get far in tournaments without being paired against what it needs to be on a consistent basis. Your strategy can be the optimal strategy and still lose to the unexpected. If your cards are still beating everything else and the ones that are difficult to deal with need some luck to get where they need to be (being paired against the right opponents), you should just continue winning and hope they aren’t lucky enough to soar through the ranks and get across the table from you. It can be aggravating to lose in this manner, but it isn’t always that big of a deal.



Metagame Manipulation

In any given event, there will be a “deck to beat.” There may be several things to watch out for, and others that won’t even be considered a decent idea to play. The tournament scene is the metagame, which you should really have a good concept of by now. There are metagames in every card game, so don’t fool yourself --  we have them in Duel Masters all the time, and it’s important to be aware of what you will be up against. Not only does this give you a better idea of what to playtest against, but it also allows you to make the best possible choice of what to play for that particular event. This is where knowing what each strategy has good and bad matchups against comes into play.

Teching a particular card, or playing a strategy a particular way, can easily get you through the top tables. However, this probably won’t work as well the next tournament. It’s important to know through your prediction skills and playtesting that you understand what your opponents will be thinking, and how they will prepare to counter it. This keeps you one foot ahead, and you can redevelop according to the anticipated changes in the metagame. Continually staying ahead of the curve results in massive amounts of victories, and unpredictability.



Bad Players and Psychology in Card Games

Now that you are briefed on matchups and manipulating the metagame, we can finally look at the actual construction of a strategy. However, we first must discuss improper play. I would say all sorts of cute things like “each player has their own unique playstyle and you should only build what works for you,” but that’s another rumor circulating that holds no weight whatsoever. As we discussed earlier, optimal play results in the One True Style. Any variations of play are categorized by misplays, and we don’t want to misplay because then we are more likely to lose.

“I only lost because I misplayed. I should have…”

I would like to take this time to explain exactly what a misplay is, since it is such an inappropriately used term. A misplay is a play with improper timing or execution. This seems simple, but the slight variance in definition from the common “not making the optimal play” is crucial. Making the bad play is one of our tools to outwit the opponent who has not adequately prepared for it, and you can’t intentionally misplay to get a good reaction – that makes it the optimal play, and thus has no improper timing or execution.  Performing a given action too early or too late would be a misplay because you either did not prepare enough, or passed up a game-breaking move.

You may or may not have realized that when you truly define a misplay, you are saying you should have done something else. When identifying a true misplay, it can seem a bit outlandish to say “I should have known you had that” or “I should have understood that was where the game was heading.” However, these are actually the purest acknowledgments. Within them there is a faint recognition of a higher level of play, at which the players will be good enough to properly apply skills in the same scenarios and achieve a different, more beneficial result. These honest declarations are testaments to the existence of the One True Style, and recognition that any other used is flawed.

“You don’t see me on the tournament scene much, but I’m good because of how well I can build decks.”

A mental trap I see a lot of players falling into is the irrational emphasis on deck design in Duel Masters, as it if is the core concept of the game itself. Granted deckbuilding is always important and a necessary tool, actual play has been shown to be more important in determining outcomes of games. These players will immediately jump to “I need to fix my deck,” upon losing. These are also the players who are always “innovating” new decks, trying new things to obscene levels; a constant fervor of validation.

For one reason or another, I have noticed many players who are not successful in terms of actually playing the game turn to deckbuilding to prove their worth. They come up with all sorts of pretty strategies with dancing fairies and magical combinations and cute little theme decks.

Notice that these “innovators” still aren’t winning after they ‘fix’ decks multiple times, and create entire inventories of new ones. That’s because they still aren’t improving their play. They only see something wrong with the deck itself, holding themselves infallible. Obviously you cannot improve without understanding there is a need for or path to improvement.  Introspective analysis of your own play, deck construction, and general attitude towards the game are incredibly helpful to increasing your level of play. It’s important to understand there are more to card games than just cards.

Inadequate Analysis

There are obviously bad players who don’t fall into the Faux Pas that is “the innovator.”  The main characteristics of bad players can be found in the referenced article and additional article based on an excerpt from a video blog. It’s important to realize that these bad players focus much more on being right than actually being good at the game. As such, you will recognize that most ‘bad players’ don’t win often.

Keeping A Level Head

It may sound ridiculous, but the mental state of the individual heavily impacts their success in games. Being too open gives away your bluffs and important plays, but being too close-minded cuts you off from all ways to improve. It’s important to maintain a healthy balance of giving and receiving information, and understanding how that exchange of information affects the game. Keeping a posotive outlook always helps in-game, and being critical when necessary is a tool very few have mastered.



Deck Construction

Due to the variants of control and possible internal conflicts, it’s important to stick to a solid build with a fluid-like structure. It has to be powerful, yet flexible; like water. You shouldn’t try to fit too much into the deck. Something that looks simple, yet has a small aura of complexity in the form of adaptability, is ideal.

Generally speaking, there are two methods to go about constructing a proper control deck: a generic build to accomplish the goal against various threats, or a variant which counters the metagame you are predicting.

The internal conflicts I am speaking of come up when two variants clash or particular card choices damage each other’s effectiveness. For example, you may not want to play a large amount of Illusionary Merfolk and Velyrika Dragon in the same deck, else you may end up drawing the Armored Dragons. You wouldn’t want to play Magmarex in a deck that contains many creatures with one thousand power. 

The best way to go about building is to make sure you include all of your “staple” cards as the core and chose your variant or preceding stable choices wisely depending on what you expect to see. Staple cards are cards that work well in just about any given situation, and yes, they do exist in Duel Masters. A lot of players don’t want to believe this, but there are uniform decisions made in decks and it’s because they work most of the time for most of the players using them. There’s obviously room for improvement and the possibility that a different way might be better, but you’re only going to find those methods through playtesting with your staples. If you’re not playing to beat a particular meta, you should still have some idea of what you have trouble against or need to accomplish for your strategy to be successful. 

This is, of course, hinging on the concept that you are in the upper tier of play and have a deep understanding of the game. Under no circumstances is conducting yourself in this way without such a grasp on the information available going to salvage anything but frustration.



Awareness

The primary tool for strategy games is obviously the human mind. Due to this fact, heightening the perception of the mind exponentially increases performance. The most powerful quality the player should seek to enhance is that of awareness. Awareness is the fundamental tool in which all others stem. Only through being aware of our strengths and flaws will we be able to improve upon them.

Maintaining honesty with yourself is integral to success. You will not evolve your play or other gaming qualities if you falsely perceive them as “perfect” or in no need of improvement. Just as you strive to know yourself in everyday life, make sure you know the reality of yourself within the game – what needs to be focused, what needs to be learned, what can be diluted, and so forth. If you’re not good at something, don’t grudgingly insist there’s no way to improve. Instead, find multiple ways to go about solving the problem and chose one that you feel comfortable with. If you’re still having problems, consult a player strong in that area for advice. There’s nothing wrong with speaking with other players about improving your game. You need another person to play the game, so it shouldn’t be hard to accept that another person may also improve the way you play the game.

Constantly be aware of the true state of the game during play. Hone your prediction skills, tailor them according to the mindset of whoever you are playing. Learn their mindset, and how they will seek to improve – then surpass it. If you know you played something badly, act as if it was your genius decision all along. The enigmatic approach may confuse your opponent, ultimately misleading them and resulting in a favorable occurrence.



Dedication

In closing, I would like to remind you that the path to greatness is grueling and upon it you will encounter many who oppose what you stand for. Over the course of your journey, you must be dedicated to yourself and what you desire to achieve. You will develop an ego, but do not let it consume you or falter your awareness. You will develop challengers, but do not let them stir you waste your time. If you encounter somebody worth clashing against, do so continually so that you may learn everything you can from that person.

The most dedicated in any field are among the elites. Keep true to your ideals and keep in mind that the sky is only the limit if you perceive it as so; you can soar higher than you can possibly imagine as long as you refuse to take “no” as an answer. Pierce through the iridescent skies and paint murals on the heavens of your conquest.  The first step of any journey is the most difficult; the rest follow through.

 


 


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