November 2007
ThatGuy's Shot: In the
Zone - That Guy
Hey guys. I'm finally back with
another Shot at dueling tactics. Been busy with
school and what not, football season, too.
WARNING:
Before you read this article...get into the zone.
Now that I have your full undivided attention, we
can get down to business. I cannot tell you how many
times I have missed a game-ending opportunity
because I was sidetracked by a great draw, or
concerned with my opponent's field, or just lost my
focus. It happens to everyone, yeah, but we can
limit it to a minimum by cutting down on absurd
mistakes. I'll explain it carefully, and this is
divided into online play, and game play as a whole.
Online
If you must
listen to music on the computer while on
Gameking or whatever it is you use to duel on, lower
the volume to where you can hear your mom calling
you from the kitchen, and you're on the other side
of the house. It would be wise to just cut it off,
but hey, some people focus better with some music in
the back, especially soft music.
Do not work on your homework while dueling. I tried
it, don't want to do it again. I do not care if you
think you
can, the fact is, people are better off focusing
when there is only
one matter at hand as opposed to multiple
matters. This also goes for dueling in multiple
games, chatting with friends, and anything else that
is possible on the internet...you know...The point
is, DO NOT
MULTI-TASK.
Stay in your seat,
do not leave your opponent hanging. No one wants to
wait 5 minutes in between your moves because you
decided to go make waffles and eat them during the
course of your duel. If you need to go to the
bathroom, ask your opponent to be excused. That way,
he/she will not get mad at you. If you need to leave
for an errand or something of that matter, ask them
to call it a draw. If they say no, finish 'em off
quickly or just forfeit. It is not the end of the
world.
That does it for the differences in online and real
life game play focus tactics.
Rules That Apply No Matter Where You Are
Be friendly
with your opponent. Talk with them to make
sure you both understand each other, and what is
going on in the duel. The worst scenario to pop up
during a duel is a fight between you and your
opponent in a misconception. If you have a question
because you were sidetracked 'cause a hot lady (or
guy for the girls) walked by, just ask them what
happened. More than likely, they will tell you. But
even more likely than that, they were staring, too.
Do not get
sidetracked by a beautiful draw. Just because
you drew Raiza and have Zaborg in hand, does not
mean you have to play Raiza just to send Fairy Lily
to the top, only to come back and knock you back
down (happened in play test - I had Lily).
Discover your
options. This concept ties in with the above,
and I can't stress it enough. Figure out all the
moves you can make before you make one. It might not
be the smartest, and it might just be darn right
dumb. "Hey, I'm going to play Zaborg before I wipe
out his backfield with Heavy Storm!" Of course this
will never happen, but just to give you a situation.
A more "you have to think about it" kind of
situation is playing Lightning Vortex on a weak line
of defense to get some damage in, as opposed to
playing it when they burst out next turn with
Zombies. They may or they may not, but it is always
best to think about these things.
Do not stress.
Try not to think too hard to where you find yourself
sitting quiet for 10 minutes when you were down 100
life points and lost due to time. You want to make
good decisions, but at the same time, make quick
decisions. Sounds paradoxish, but when you practice
with a self-made deck, it will become much more
easier.
Get into it.
A very obvious thing to do. Have a great time during
the duel. If it is fun, you will probably pay closer
attention.
Analyze. Do
not be rash and make a move that seems good against
an open field as opposed to a 2 set back row and 1
face down monster on your opponent's side.
With this in your head, because I'm sure you focused
really hard while reading this article, you should
find that you are playing smarter/wiser.
Got any questions, comments, or if you do not agree
with my methods to madness, hit me at bamoon518@yahoo.com
or AIM: Thatguytotheleft
Thank you for reading and...
Until Next Time
