Subject: Look downs are sky high-Dracula First things first I am not dracula. I am just using that name like I do any other time I send something. I have been playing this game for about 2.5 years now and I think that I've done a great job. But it was my truly GENIUS thinking that got me so far. this article is about some of the strategies I've come up with over the years. I hope you enjoy them and sorry about the part direct damage and part other most of the time. -Did you know the Mushroom Man The Mushroom Man is a common in Metal Raiders that probally isn't even thought of by experts and used only by desprits. Not for much longer. This is a combo I've come up with recintly. Play Mushroom Man and attack who you like IF IT'S FACE UP, don't risk Man-Eater Bug or other cards that destroy monsters. On Main Phase Two activate Mask of the Accursed on the Mushroom Man and set Mask of Restrict so it isn't tributed. Then activate Legendary Ocean or Umi and set Tornado Wall and activate the Dark Snake Syndrome and pay the 500 life points for the effect. then activate the two traps once your opponent draws or when you need them. The first round of that will give your opponent 1000 damage just to start. This is a direct damage combo for those kinds of decks out there, and there's more than just direct damage from me. This is a strategy that hasn't failed me yet and it won't for you. Mushroom Man is also replacable by Lava Golem and Nightmare Wheel can be added. -Mucus Yolk should have been harder to get. This stratigy is ment for either direct damage or beatdown and will slowly frusterate your opponent, if he survives that long. Mucus Yolk has the ability to do direct damage but has zero attack. this is were equipments come in. I give mine United We Stand and/or Black Pendant. Some of those are switchable though. For example you could use Mage Power and Axe of Despair instead. For each time you do direct damage you get 1000 extra attack. that could be 1800 with United We Stand or 3500 for Mage Power. This slowly will tear your opponent apart piece by piece. This is my perhaps oldest strategy that I still use to this moment. - The Eye of Truth Showed the Bad Reaction Lame title, I know but lets not get sidetracked. These three trap cards are all easy to gets in stores and serve both direct damage and hand destruction. On your turn set Robbin Goblin, Eye of Truth and Bad Reaction to Simochi and then activate them DURING YOUR OPPONENTS DRAW PHASE otherwise it won't work until next turn. Then on your turn, you can just sit back and watch the pain. This is my favorite strategy of all time. This is my second newest but I think that it is absolute genius. And if you want you can use Dark Designater to get rid of a pest that your worried about you can. -That cute little helpless Cat's Ear Tribe isn't so helpless any more. The Cat's Ear Tribe is a new card from Magicians Force. The stats are 200/100 Lv:1 Beast-Warrior Rare Effect: All monsters attack when attacking this card while it is face-up has 200 attack for the damage step. This is an obvious solution, an equipment card. Any equipment card will make this beast absolutly unstopable. This is a strategy for ALL DECKS. This is my newest masterpiece. This combo can be used to save your life pionts or stall for a certain card which can be used to defeat your opponent. In a way I would guess that this is just a more effective Swords of Reaviling Light. But never the less it is a masterpiece thought up to save your life points. -The Magicians are back. This is an easy to figure out combo so I'll just spit it out. This is a strategy for Black Magician and Beatdown Decks. it uses Dark Magician Girl, Dark Magician, Skilled White and Dark Magician, Magician of Black Chaos ( Not out yet in english but should be in the next set, although I don't want you to hold me to it), Buster Blader, Palidin, and Polymerization or Fusion Gate. Obviously fuse the Dark Magician and Buster Blader using the Skilled Magicians if neccasary, summon Dark Magician Girl and Magician of Black Choas and see your opponent wither. Some other Magics that might be coming out can be a useful part in making this strategy your deck. -The Dark Room of Nightmare and Secret Barrel strategy Dark Room of Nightmare is a primarily direct damage card that can be used in monster destruction decks to because direct damage is not battle damage. But with the new card Secret Barrel this is a direct damage strategy. Secret Barrel lets you do 200 damage to your opponent for every card on the field(not including gravyard and deck) and hand. So lets say that your opponent has 8 cards in total and you use this strategy, thats 1900 damage right, wrong. The Dark Room of Nightmare does 300 damage for every card like Secret Barrel because it is in intervils of 200 and not all at once. -Graverobber actually rocks Simply use Barrel Behind the Door to give the 2000 damage from Graverobber to your opponent and use his Magic against him too. He will hate you for it. And once again this card strategy is usable for direct damage. And you can use The Immortal of Thunder instead of Graverobber to do 5000 damage if done correctly. I think that this is a good combo that will help any direct damage deck And that's it for me and I hope you have better duels from now on.