Hey guys! It's me Silver Suicune with another article. The votes came very close with a 10 vote difference between this and Underused Deck: Dragon. This time, the last two will be rooted out of the poll and used in the future. I am sure, however that you didn't come here to hear me babble. Here it goes. Power comes in many forms, and not just in the card game. The main principle of Judo and Ju-Jitsu thought of by Professor Kano states that a smaller person can overcome a larger person through kuzushi, or off balancing. This is sort of how it works in Yu-Gi-Oh.
     The effect is just as important as the attack power of the card, negative or positive. It takes a certain degree of skill to choose a team of monsters that balance between attack and effect. This is mainly because some decks will run cards that negate effects such as Dark Ruler Hades or Skill Drain, so you do need some power to overcome them. Some decks rely on power to win, which is hard to beat if you don't have any effect monsters backed up by Spell and Trap cards. So now you see how one depends on the other, forming a mutual relationship. If you are an experienced player (or think you are) please skip down, as this is for newer players. There are 4 effect types: Flip, Continuous, Cost, and Multi-trigger. A numerous amount of players do not know how to determine which is which and you'll need to know this to completely understand my article (and a dictionary, if need be). These are some words in the card text that can be used to find out which is which.

Okay. Now that you all are well informed, it's time to get to the real article. Here's my view on monster cards... If a monster card has a game-breaking effect and an average attack power, it's worth using depending on the deck. Average attack power for level 4 and under is 1400. Don Zaloog, Mystic Tomato, etc. Jinzo in my opinion out ranks every other 1 tribute monster currently in the American Game (right now, it's Pre-IOC for those of you who are not reading this in the present-tense). I feel this way because it not only has the trap negation ability, but it is also searchable and it has a power house attack of 2400. Some may argue that Vampire Lord is the best, but that card is clearly overrated and is over-powered by numerous Level 4 monsters. That's not the point I'm trying to make though. When constructing a "worthy" deck, look for monsters that can be played right away with no immediate drawbacks. Also look for versatile monster cards that can be used against multiple widely-played cards and/or monsters. That sounds pretty hard, but all you need is a little spare time.
     There are many problems I see in the current environment. Being a serious gamer, I travel to different locations to learn and see how other players use their cards. There is no wrong and right, there is what works and what doesn't. Players claiming to be original by powering up weaker creatures with Spell or Trap cards will soon realize that doesn't work. Why? Because that encourages bad hand management. You are using 2 or more cards in order to destroy one monster on the field in an attack that might not even succeed. Players throw in Vampire Lord in their deck because they see other people using it without first thinking. The worst thing you can do is throw in a card that doesn't fit your theme, or won't help your theme shine. I'm getting off track though.
     As you search through your vast library of cards, you should stop for a moment and take a look at a cards strength and weaknesses. You should also look at how situational the card is and how versatile the card is. It is quite rare to find something that is "perfect," so don't kill yourself looking. The unskilled player throws together random "good" cards and expects them to work, but they don't. There is no balance, so the deck does not work. Combos and strategies build upon each other, which is why you need a theme. A theme is anything that is set towards one goal or using one type of monster. Yes, Beatdown is a theme and a popular one at that. It doesn't matter how you do it, but if you get your opponent's life points to zero, you win. Besides Exodia/FINAL/Final Countdown Decks, all decks fit the definition of Beatdown. You should think about that while bashing one.
     Anyway, Monsters are the main part of any deck. You need them to win, so you have to choose them wisely. If you have too many you will top deck them instead of the Raigeki or the Harpie's Feather Duster you so desperately need. If you have too little you'll find that you will get his a lot with direct attacks. A good number is about 16 in my opinion.
     A cards true power lies within its holder. Only you can use the card the way you do, which will ultimately lead you to victory. There is no right and wrong, there is just different.
     There are so variables in choosing monsters that I am afraid I cannot help you. This is to serve as a simple guide, remember that. The choice is yours. I admit, this article could have been better. Yare, yare (oh well) I'll do better, you guys deserve it. Vote for the next article below!