How to Read your Opponent's Plays

Reading your opponent's plays can be difficult at best, however it is possible. If you are able to fully master being able to predict your opponent's plays, it puts you at a significant advantage over your competition. Some of the tips below may seem like common sense, but so often I see players fall into these common traps, which can often lose them the game. As long as you strictly abide by your common sense, and use the resources available to you, you will see yourself winning a far greater number of matches.


Check your opponent's graveyard

This allows you to examine exactly what cards you opponent has in their deck, as well as showing you what cards they have used up. You know that if your opponent has a Heavy Storm in their graveyard, you should be more confident in setting several spells and traps, piling pressure on your opponent. If you see your opponent mains Dimensional Prison, you should not be so thrift in Synchro Summoning a Stardust Dragon, as you know its effect will do nothing against Dimensional Prison. If your opponent still has Mirror Force and Torrential Tribute looming in their deck, you know it would not be a good idea to over extend too heavily to try and gain control, because your offensive play could easily be countered.

Many good players switch the position of their deck and graveyard from the orthodox way, so their deck essentially blocks off their graveyard making it harder to see or reach. This makes it more difficult for their opponent to make reads - but remember that the graveyard is common knowledge, and your opponent has the right to see your graveyard and vice versa.

Looking Forward: Divine Warning

Divine Warning (Solemn Warning) DREV-JP077
Counter Trap

Activate by paying 2000 Life Points. Negate the Summon of a monster, the activation of a Spell or Trap Card with an effect that Special Summons, or the activation of an Effect Monster's effect that Special Summons, and destroy that Spell / Trap / monster.

Divine Warning is a card just out in the OCG set Duelist Revolution, and has been relatively under-hyped. In case you didn't understand its effect, it is able to stop EVERY summon in the game - this includes Gorz the Emissary of Darkness, Battle Fader, Blackwing - Shura the Blue Flame, Flamvell Firedog as well as recruiters like Mystic Tomato and Giant Rat. As well as this, it has the ability to negate normal summons, rendering cards like Gadgets and Monarchs useless.

However this effect comes at a hefty price, eliminating a quarter of your total life points. This makes the Divine Warning slightly situational - it will be difficult to pay the cost during the later stages of a game, which is when the card is the most game swinging. What made Solemn Judgment so widely played was no matter how many life points you had left, you could still activate its effect - making it a great card for late game scenarios. Divine Warning may see less play due to this.

Looking Forward: Pot of Greed and Modesty

Pot of Greed and Modesty (Pot of Greederosity) DREV-JP062
Normal Spell

Reveal the top 3 cards of your deck. Choose 1 of them, and add it to your hand. Shuffle the remaining cards back into the deck. Only 1 "Pot of Greed and Modesty" can be activated per turn, and you cannot special summon during the turn this card is activated.

Pot of Greed and Modesty is a card recently released in the Duelist Revolution OCG set, and is one of the most splashable cards released in Yugioh so far. It provides draw power for almost every deck available, and provides a great boost for both top tier as well as less commonly played decks. The ability to dig three cards out of your deck taps into what made the long since banned Graceful Charity such a good card. Statistically, you are three times more likely to draw a card that is useful in your situation than if you played a card like Upstart Goblin. Pot of Greed and Modesty provides the closest effect available in the game to drawing three cards from your deck, which is what makes it so powerful.

However with every great card there are a few drawbacks. The inability to special summon during the turn you activate it, and the fact you can only use one per turn may limit its use in OTK variants, which in my opinion is a good thing. As well as this, you need to reveal the three cards you picked up to your opponent. This may give your opponent a good idea of what cards to look out for in your deck, and assist them when making reads later in the game.

Looking Forward: Ally Genex Birdman

Ally Genex Birdman DT08-JP018
Dark
***
Machine/ Tuner
1400/400

Activate by returning 1 face-up monster you control to the hand; Special Summon this card from your hand. If the returned monster was a WIND monster, this card gains 500 ATK. When this card is Special Summoned by this effect, it is removed from play when it is removed from the field.

Ally Genex Birdman is another cool 'Ally Genex' card just out in the OCG's Duel Terminal. Just like the previously reviewed card Ally Genex Crusher, Birdman is highly searchable using Sangan and Mystic Tomato, however what really makes Birdman shine is its effect. It is essentially a reset button for many monsters, take Machina Gearframe for example. You can return Gearframe to special summon Birdman, then normal summon Gearframe again, search a card from your deck then synchro summon into a Stardust Dragon! This same principle applies to monarchs, allowing you to re-summon them using Birdman's effect so you can use their effects multiple times in the same duel.

However this is just the tip of the iceburg, Birdman can also be used to reset flip effects like Gravekeeper's Spy and Super-Nimble Mega Hamster. Imagine this scenario; you set Spy, your opponent attacks netting you another, then next turn you special summon Birdman, synchro summon X-Saber Urbellum, then set spy all over again - essentially netting you a free level 7 synchro monster.

+ Can easily abuse cards like Elemental Hero Stratos, Machina Gearframe, Gravekeeper's Spy, Super-Nimble Mega Hamster and Monarchs.

+ Highly searchable with Sangan and Mystic Tomato.

+ Dark Type, so it can be used with Allure of Darkness.

+ A level 3 tuner, which means easy access to cards like X-Saber Urbellum and Black Rose Dragon.

The Format so Far: Machinas

First off, sorry for the delay in articles recently. I've been coursework swamped, as well as having a throat infection which isn't helpful. At the moment the site's a one-man-band, which means things had to slow down for a while. I'm feeling alot better now, so I'll try to keep the site as updated as possible. Thanks for your patience, much love!


Machinas are a really solid archtype that were released in the Machina Mayhem structure deck a few weeks ago. As you can see from the previous metagame analysis post, Machinas have made a surprising impact in major tournaments so far, being the fourth most successful deck. The deck's success is mainly due to its two power cards, Machina Gearframe and Machina Fortress. Gearframe essentially gives the deck three Elemental Hero Stratos-esque cards which help thin the deck, provide instant advantage as well as reinforce your field position with its high attack. Used in conjunction with the gadget cards available in Machina Mayhem, it is clear how the deck can pile up massive advantage over a few turns.

The deck gets an even bigger boost with Machina Fortress, which is essentially the deck's boss monster. With an easy summoning condition from the grave or the hand, Fortress makes up for the deck's inability to synchro summon, and provides extra attack power as well as a great effect.


However, a problem with machina decks, is the ease at which they are countered. For example, System Down can cripple any field advantage you had built up, as well as removing from play those crucial Fortresses from your graveyard. Pulling the Rug also stop the gadgets in the deck, as well as the Gearframes. If you decide to run Machina's, make sure you play to avoid these cards. To avoid getting hit badly by System Downs, don't overextend too much and conserve your Fortresses until you really need to drop them (eg. going for game, or removing an opponent's monster).

For more information on the deck, and how to build it while on a budget, Robbie Kohl and Dale Bellido gave some really useful tips on their Youtube channels.

The Format so Far: Which Decks Have Made an Impact?

We are almost a month into this brand new format, so I thought it would be interesting to compile a list of the decks that have made a splash at the largest tournaments of the format so far. Below is what I found, enjoy!

Top Decklists (84 in total) from 10 Tournaments

22 Cat Synchro Variants (of which 18 Flamvell Cat) (26%)
14 Blackwing (17%)
14 Gladiator Beasts (17%)
11 Gadget Variants (of which 9 Machina Gadgets) (13%)
6 Lightsworn Variant (7%)
5 Stun (of which 1 Gemini Stun) (6%)
2 Dark Variant (2%)
2 Burn (2%)
1 Flamvell Variant (1%)
1 Ben Kei (1%)
1 Six Samurai (1%)
1 Light and Darkness Dragon (1%)
1 Gravekeeper’s (1%)
1 Dragons (1%)
1 Lightsworn-Zombie-Blackwings (1%)
1 Elemental Heroes (1%)

Generally it seems to be a fairly healthy, diverse format. Synchro cat seems to be the most successful deck, yet it still only accounts for a quarter of the playing field. I hope for a good, competitive meta in the next few months!

You can find all the decklists from above at Duelistgroundz.com* (see links below)

March 27th/ 28th
Las Vegas Regional

March 20th/ 21st
The Hague Regional (Netherlands)
Tampa Regional
Maplewood Regional

March 13th/ 14th
Greenville Regional
Mobile Regional
Paris, Dark Leeroy Tournament (France)

March 6th/ 7th
Greensboro Regional
Jacksonville Regional
Fargo Regional

* Registration is required

Looking forward: Ally Genex Crusher

Ally Genex Crusher DT08-JP019
Dark
****
Machine
1000/2000

Trigger Effect: Once during either player's turn, when a monster of the same Attribute as this face-up card you control is Normal Summoned to your side of the field, you can select and destroy 1 card your opponent controls.

Ally Genex Crusher is an interesting card that has recently been released in the OCG. The ability to destroy ANY card on the field is extremely versatile, and the card has great synergy with cards like black salvo and mystic tomato. As well as this, Crusher has a hefty 2000 defense, which means it will often be able to stall out your opponent for a few turns until you manage to pull off its effect.

In summary:

+ Has an effect with the potential to net you huge advantage, and eliminate the majority of common threats in the game.

+ Highly accessible from your deck using mystic tomato and Sangan

+ Dark type, so it can be used in conjunction with Allure of Darkness and contributes to the summoning condition of Dark Armed Dragon

+ Machine type, so it can be special summoned using Black Salvo

+ Has great synergy with cards like Ultimate Offering

Adapting to the New Format: Blackwings

3 Blackwing - Sirocco the Dawn
3 Blackwing - Shura the Blue Flame
3 Blackwing - Bora the Spear
3 Blackwing - Kalut the Moon Shadow
2 Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North
2 Blackwing - Vayu the Emblem of Honor
1 Blackwing - Gale the Whirlwind
1 Dark Grepher
1 Dark Armed Dragon
1 Morphing Jar

2 Black Whirlwind
2 Book of Moon
1 Allure of Darkness
1 Heavy Storm
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 My Body as a Shield
1 Brain Control
1 Gold Sarcophagus

2 Icarus Attack
2 Royal Oppression
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Mirror Force
1 Torrential Tribute
1 Solemn Judgment
1 Trap Dustshoot

Of all the top decks of the previous format, Blackwings were arguably the least hit - only losing a single black whirlwind and a single allure of darkness (which will be compensated by the release of Black Feather Treasure in a few months). Naturally, this has led to a buzz of hype surrounding the decktype in the upcoming weeks.

Above is a build of Blackwings I have been testing recently, and after removing the newly limited cards, I considered how to strengthen the deck to keep it on par with how it ran throughout the previous format.

The first card I opted to add to the deck was Dark Grepher, coupled with a second copy of Blackwing - Vayu. This switch aimed to add more raw attack power to the deck, which was cut slightly with Black Whirlwind limited.

I opted to keep Royal Oppression at two in the deck, as it has a plethora of uses in the new format. I forecast a large amount of Cat variants and Gladiator Beast decks in the upcoming weeks, and Royal Oppression is a perfect counter to those decks. As well as this, Royal Oppression is able to completely negate Starlight Road (which helps Icarus Attacks go off), as well as Battle Fader (a popular card in monarchs and stall decks).

Due to the problem of Starlight Road, I chose to cut Icarus Attack down to two copies until the meta becomes more defined. As is the case when any new card is released, everyone is jumping on the bandwagon to run Starlight Road. As a result Icarus Attack has become a risky card at times. Although the chances of running into a Starlight Road are relatively low, the consequences of when it does happen can be devastating.

Morphing Jar is a great card in the deck, not only compensating for the lost draw power in Allure of Darkness, but also allowing you to dump excess Vayus and Siroccos, enabling you to Grave-synchro. As well as this, Morphing Jar has great synergy with Trap Dustshoot, a combo which can heavily swing a game in your favour instantly. Morphing Jar is even a one-card-out to Consecrated Light (Morphing Jar is an earth monster), which even makes Jar slightly more versatile than before.

Finally, I decided to add a lone copy of Gold Sarcophagus. Gold sarcophagus fits perfectly with the new, slower format. In a deck like Blackwings the card can be game changing, allowing you to reach you Heavy Storm, Dark Armed Dragon and Black Whirlwinds much earlier in the game. Once again, Gold Sarc helps compensate for the draw power lost in Allure of Darkness, and the reduced availability of Black Whirlwind. Gold Sarc has proved to be an excellent addition to the deck, and has ended many games.

Changing Trends: March 1st

Cyber Valley
A card I feel will grow in popularity throughout the format. Draw power has been severely cut with Destiny Draw and Allure of Darkness limited, and many decks will search for alternative means of speed. Valley is a great balanced card, providing far more consistency than alternatives such as Reckless Greed. Cyber Valley's battle phase-ender effect allows it to slide under gladiator beasts, which will no doubt be heavily played, as well as allowing you to stall until you have the right cards to make a game changing play. Finally, Valley has great synergy with Brain and Mind control, further increasing draw power and taking out a plethora of common threats such as Synchros.


Legendary Jujitsu Master
A card which is already seeing a lot of play, due to its ability to dramatically stall your opponent's strategies by setting them back a turn. Jujitsu master is a great counter to gladiator beasts and Blackwings, which have both been heavily hyped to be popular decks this format. Slowing down your opponent is a great strategy for winning, and Jujitsu Master offers just that, as well as being the best counter available to Gladiator Beasts.


Nobleman of Crossout
A slower format and new support will inevitably lead to a rise in slower paced decks such as Monarchs and Gravekeepers and even Cat Synchro. Nobleman of Crossout is a great answer to these decks, and removes vital monsters from their decks such as Gravekeeper's Spy, Super-Nimble Mega Hamster and Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter. Nobleman is a great card, and is able to cripple many slower paced decks this format.

An Underused Resource: 9 Yugitubers You Should Know About

Many of you probably know that watching people play the game is a valuable resource in itself. Being able to compare and contrast the plays that people make with those that you would make is very useful in questioning your play style. Even criticizing who you're watching can be useful, as it helps you identify common misplays which in turn prevents you from playing poorly. Youtube is a great place to find duel videos, as well as useful strategy tips from excellent players. Here are just a few channels I found that helped me the most at improving in the game.

1. Aznpersuasion2008
Duel videos, pack openings, trading.

2. Dale Bellido
Strategy information, deck discussion, duel videos, trading.

3. Dubkdad1
Creative/ budget deck ideas, duel videos, pack openings, trading.

4. Cesar Gonzalez
Strategy information, deck discussion, duel videos, trading.

5. iKibblez
Duel videos, pack openings, player interviews, deck profiles, trading.

6. Audrey Tan
Loads of duel videos, trading.

7. Robbie Kohl
Duel videos, news, deck profiles, player interviews, trading.

8. NuggetsHoopster
Duel videos, deck profiles, pack openings, trading.

9. Yugiohgirl2009
Loads of duel videos, deck profiles, trading.

Getting the Most out of Tournaments

Tournaments give you the opportunity to meet with friends, trade, test out decks and qualify for larger events such as Nationals and even Worlds. However people often forget there are plenty of ways to give yourself and edge over your opponents. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your tournaments.

1) Bring Money
Don't just bring the entry fee along, bring a little extra cash. Most tournaments sell packs, sleeves, binders and snacks. Bringing along some extra money is always useful.

2) Keep all of your stuff in bags
Don't bring your cards loose in your pockets. Make sure you keep them organized in a rucksack, with the zip done up. The last thing you want is to lose track of where your cards are and even lose your deck (I've seen this happen so many times).

3) Bring trades
Most people at the tournament will want to trade, and you never know who may want something from you. Most people prefer it if you keep your trades in a binder. This not only keeps the cards safe but also improves presentation.

4) Test beforehand
Especially for major events like regionals and above. Don't forget to test out your deck against top tier decks. This can provide you with useful ideas and tips to improve your deck and playstyle. Testing against bad players or decks does nothing, you need to test against good players who will push you to improve.

5) Bring food and snacks
You don't know if you'll get hungry at any time during the day. Bring some extra snacks just in case, and most importantly water. It's vital you stay hydrated so you can focus throughout the day, especially in longer 7-10 round tournaments. Keeping hydrated will dramatically reduce the amount of misplays you'll make and improve your chances of success.

6) Respect your opponent
Going to tournaments is great for making friends to talk to and to test out decks with. Try to be as friendly as possible while playing, and it will make the tournament much more enjoyable for everyone. If you get in a bad mood, or 'tilt' it will result in far more misplays. Try to stay as pleasant as possible and your play will improve.

7) Game analysis
Whenever you lose a game, don't blame it on bad luck or being 'sacked', it happens to everyone. Analyse where you went wrong. Think what you could have done that may have changed the outcome of the game, no matter how unorthodox that play may have been to your play style. This will help you build up experience much faster which will lead to better reads and an overall better play style.

8) Keep your eye on your stuff
Don't be too paranoid about thieves, as the point of a tournament is to have fun. Be wary, and make sure you're conscious about where your cards are at certain times. Don't just leave your deck lying around on tables (you'll be surprised how often people do this). You occasionally get thieves at some tournaments, so remember to keep an eye out. Most people will be honest, and if they see a deck lying around, they'll hand it in to the head judge. If you lose anything, the first thing to do is to go to the head judge to see if anything had been handed in.

9) Write out your decklist the night before
I can't emphasize this enough. This gives you more time to trade the next day, and also gives you time to look round the tournament before it starts to see what decks are most common. Look at what people are writing on their decklists, and think about how you can prepare for each of these matchups. Try and remember who is playing which deck. You can gain great information before the tournament has even started, and this can give you an edge during Game 1 throughout the day. Don't be afraid of lurking!