I have now
posted a few articles with regards to decks that
I feel deserve play or could be possible
meta-changing decks, although I felt like doing
something a little different for this article.
This article will be based on the idea of
playing to get better and playing for fun.
Fun. I am
hoping that this is the whole reason anyone
plays this game because if you are in it just to
win, then you are missing the whole point of a
GAME. I will agree that winning is more fun then
losing, but you cannot win without having the
chance of losing. Although winning is fun,
sometimes winning even just once with a deck at
a big even t can be fun. The first regional that
I competed in, I ran an Ameba and Final
Countdown deck. I went 4-4 with the deck,
catching almost everyone by surprise and winning
game one. The problem I had was winning game two
and game three because I had never competed at a
higher level event and had a horrible side deck.
When I got done I was very upset that I only
went 4-4 when I normally topped my local all the
time. Looking back on it now, I am glad that I
did not have instant success because it allowed
me to sit back and take a big look at the game
and realize that sometimes it is better to just
play for fun.
The most
recent regional in Madison is my most current
“big” event attendance and I went 6-2, placing
me 12th. I ran a Cosmic Odyssey Burn
style deck and it won almost every game one that
I had. To be perfectly honest, I did not think
the deck would work as well as it did with the
speed of the meta, but the deck slowed the meta
down which caused a lot of players to have
problems in their style of play. I was not there
really to win, but was just testing the deck for
a later purpose (possibly something like
Nationals?). I proved to myself that the deck is
good, but needs a certain card to push it over
the top and with Crush Card Virus coming out
soon, that may very well be the card. So
sometimes it is better to just play for fun,
rather then trying to play just to win. Although
I will argue why playing to win is good as well.
Playing to
win and winning makes a game more competitive,
but sometimes takes the fun out of the game. If
you are a player that is playing just for fun,
stick to local tournaments and if you do go to a
regional or bigger event, do not expect to have
the same success that you have at the local
level. Big events can be very challenging and
stressful if you are not prepared for them.
Being prepared is up to each individual, but the
basics are all the same.
1)
Know your
deck and every strength and weakness that it
has.
2)
Know what and
when to side deck.
3)
Take your
time and think. Use your knowledge and skills to
evaluate every situation and make the best
possible choice.
4)
You will make
mistakes, but try to learn from them for a later
use.
5)
DO NOT BE
AFRAID OF A BIG NAME COMPETITOR!!! Just because
their name is Shane Scurry or Adam Corn, does
not mean you cannot or will not beat them, so
just stay relaxed.
6)
HAVE FUN!!!
This is the most important thing for me. I just
remember it is just a game and someone has to
win and someone has to lose and sometimes I will
lose.
Competition
is the nature of this game and you must be good
to win, but there is always the luck factor
involved. When you look at the Shonen Jump deck
lists and a lot of them are almost card for card
the same, basically those come down to who got
the best hand and can play it correctly. When
you are that far in a tournament, everyone plays
their hand correctly, so it is all down to who
got the best hand.
What I want
people to get from this article is that if you
are just a casual player, do not get upset if
you go to a regional and just get pawned by your
opponents, especially in later rounds. I have
been there and done that, but now after playing
more competitively I am near the top almost
every time. If you are a competitive player,
realize you will lose and will have to struggle
sometimes, but learn from your mistakes and fix
your deck accordingly and you will ultimately
become a better player.
I wish the
best of luck to all competitors, whether for fun
or competition, but remember this is just a game
and have a good time.
Till next
time.
captainkirk
kirkrulesall@hotmail.com
