Envoy of the Beggining

It's Summer, and that means that many people will have extra time on their hands to select a new past time to partake in. However, most that choose dueling as their new favorite activity will find themselves quickly overwhelmed. Without guidance, these people will have a difficult time learning how to duel and allow their skills to grow as their knowledge of the game expands. Sure, knowing the rules of the game is crucial, but it takes more than just knowing how each turn moves along to become a great duelist. A skilled duelist requires lots of experience, which is also important for any upcoming duelists that desire the ability to compete against others. Today I provide my advice to anyone seeking to learn more about this popular game or to anyone seeking to teach others how to get started as a duelist. Half of entire game is dependent on your deck building, so I will focus on that first.

What most new duelists have in common is that they are unsure about what kind of deck to use. It hardly makes a difference whether the newcomers to the game are people that used to collect cards a few years ago or people whom have never owned a single Yugioh trading card in their life. So much has changed in dueling since Yugi and his friends were the only stars on the show that fought with Duel Monsters, and so many new cards have been introduced that it is easy for anyone to become overwhelmed with the sheer number of possible selections. Nevertheless, the most important thing to remember is: Have fun, and enjoy the game with your friends. I cannot stress this enough, but the most important thing to remember is that dueling is all about having fun and enjoying the leisure time you share with your companions. So, with that in mind, lets help a new duelist build a their own deck.

[It is possible to Play Yugioh without needing to buy a single card, thanks to Dueling Network. However, for the sake of simplicity, let's also assume that the theoretical duelist in question has a decent amount of money to buy a few sets of cards and accessories.]

To get started, a player should seek what type of deck they would like to use. They can browse on the internet for popular cards or watch other players. (I highly recommend watching other people play first to see if it is something you would enjoy.) But, if a newcomer should start buying cards, the best place to start off with a deck: either a Starter Deck or a Structure Deck. Starter Decks contain a wide range cards but only provide a general taste of what dueling is really like; they are very basic and are meant for beginners. Structure Decks are more "structured", focusing on a group of Monster Cards with similar Types, Attributes, or play styles; Structure Decks are effective teaching tools for new comers because they can immediately show players how one card relates to another which can lead to powerful combos. 

[This was pretty much the "Choose Your Starter" of the 5D's Era; except, these weren't 

Starter Decks. These are Structure Decks]

Alright, so once you've decided on what kind of deck you'd like to make (Be it, Spellcasters, Warriors, Machines, Fairies, or a deck of a certain Archetype) the next important part is researching the cards! That's right, great duelists actually take their time to study the cards that they will use and beyond! My advice to anyone who wants to play or just understand how the cards work is: "Read your cards at least four times before you use them." Sometimes the amount of ignorance some duelists display confounds me, but as G.I. Joe says, "Knowing is half the battle", and this is most certainly true (especially in dueling). Besides, reading a small trading card is nothing compared to reading long novels assigned as by school teachers. Understanding exactly what the card says is crucial to running your deck, and as long as you are able to explain to others precisely how it works, you are fine; but there is more! After learning how the cards work from the Starter/Structure Deck you bought function (For those of you who will use Dueling Network, instead of buying the Decks you can easily search online for the complete deck list) Look up other cards that might work well with your Deck. If some cards work better than others that you already use, you can always replace them. (Remember what the SIDE DECK is for! It is a pile of 15 cards that you can swap with your Main Deck in between duels, during a match.)

Now that a duelist has chosen their preferred deck type, they must also understand the premise or the goal that their deck should achieve and how it should be achieved. A player's deck may consist of one type or attribute, but the play style and mechanics of the deck may differ from an other player with a similar deck. Although there are other ways to win a duel besides reducing the opponent's Life Points down to zero, the most common method is indeed reduction of life points, mostly through battle. With that said, decks may achieve their goal by summoning Powerful monsters quickly, summoning many monsters to withstand a barrage of attacks, utilizing powerful attacks, holding high reserves in resources by having plenty of "draw power", negating attacks, effects, or cards and summons altogether, destroying opponents cards, etc.. You'll have to ask yourself what you want your deck to be capable of doing. Would you want powerful monsters to over power your enemies with physical force? (Beatdown: having high ATK) Or, would you like to use explosive cards that deconstruct the battle plans of your opponents? (Utilizing card effects that Destroy other Cards.)  There are so many possibilities, but that is what overwhelms new players early on. The best thing to do is to narrow down the focus of your deck. A novice mistake that lots of people make is packing their deck with as many cards as possible: 60. The smaller the deck, a minimum of 40 Cards, increases the chances of drawing much needed cards. So, focus on what you want out of your deck, and build upon that premise. If you play more constructively, you will use cards that support your Monsters, but make sure they are efficient. If you play more destructively, you will use cards that ruin your opponent's deck, but makes sure that your own monster will still be able to support and protect you if something goes wrong.

After you've got a built deck, the next important step is to use it! But before you rush into any duel, it is crucial that you completely understand how the game works. A rule book and an interactive demo can only teach you so much, although it is a great start, but I highly recommend dueling against a friend whom already understands dueling quite well. Should such a friend not be available, you can always learn more about dueling online, through forums, or through my favorite source, The Yu-Gi-Oh! Wikia. There, you can read the official rulings for cards, read more about the mechanics of a duel with greater detail, and find out more about the different decks, booster packs, and archetypes that are available. Extensive studying and practice rounds earn you the experience you need to become a great duelist. The better guidance you have, the better your first impressions and experiences of dueling will be.

But always remember the most important part about dueling: Having fun. If the game isn't fun then it won't be engaging and it will just make everything worse. Having good friends to play with and teach you will certainly make things better, and if dueling is fun, you will find yourself "studying" cards without realizing that you are actually researching something. Remember the simple steps: Pick a deck you'd like to make/use, work on it, test it out with a friend who can teach you more rules on dueling, and always review your cards, your deck, and keep an eye out for other possible cards to add to your deck.

For the official rulebook, click here: http://www.yugioh-card.com/en/rulebook/
For an tutorial on the rules, click here: http://www.yugioh-card.com/en/gameplay/demo.html

Card Combo: OVER-TUNE!

Good evening everyone! I hope you guys are all having a great Valentine's Day, or at least a decent day and night. Today, as a special treat I will share one of my favorite card combos. I call it the "Over-Tune!". The goal of "Over-Tuning" is to Special Summon an Xyz Monster from the Extra Deck by utilizing at least 1 Tuner Monster; in this case, my "Iconic 'Over-Tune'" uses Debris Dragon, a Tuner Monster I reviewed before. This combo will allow you to summon any Rank 4 Xyz monster as a direct result of using only your Normal Summon. The name "Over-Tune" is derived from a popular phrase out of two of the Yu-Gi-Oh! shows, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's and Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal; "Over", from "Overlay", how the character's describe the stacking of Xyz Material when Summoning an Xyz Monster, and "Tune" from "Tuning", what the characters claim happens when they are Summoning a Synchro Monster. (Tuner Monsters will transform into Tuning rings that represent their own Levels, depending on what Level they are, to resonate with the other Monsters to change into a Synchro. If I ever mention that Synchro Monsters are sounds, or that they are made of noise, this is where that idea comes from.)

So let's pull off an incredible strategy. To pull off this combo, you will need 1 Debris Dragon in your hand, 1  Level 4 Monster with less than 500ATK, and any Rank 4 Xyz Monster in your Extra Deck. For convenience, I will use Destiny Hero - Defender as the Level 4 Monster and Number 39: Utopia as the Xyz Monster. Not only are these cards that I reviewed already, but this is how I generally make my play when I duel.

First off, the other Level 4 Monster (Destiny Hero - Defender) must be in your Graveyard and you need your Debris Dragon in your hand. On your turn, you can Normal Summon the Debris Dragon and Special Summon Defender with the Effect. Defender will be Summoned in Attack Position, which is risky but worth the next monster to come. Normally Debris Dragon would be used to Synchro Summon a Monster, but it can never use another Level 4 Monster as a Synchro Material, however, it has no restriction against using another Level 4 Monster as an Xyz Material. Upon the dragon's Normal Summon, you would have already brought out 2 Monster Cards, just the Requirements for your Xyz Monster. At this point, simply Xyz Summon the Monster using Debris Dragon and the Monster he summoned (while shouting dramatically "I Over-Tune my Level 4 Debris Dragon and my Level 4 [2nd Monster] to Xyz Summon my [Rank 4 Xyz]!")

The advantages to this combo are abundant. Although there are are 3 cards that are technically needed to pull off this tactic, it may even feel like you only need one! In fact, this strategy can even work if you have not a single card on the field! (Debris is in your hand, Defender's in the Graveyard, and Utopia isn't even part of the Main Deck! All you need is 2 unoccupied Monster Zones.) The strategy I just explained is simple because you can use it to summon an Xyz Monster that only requires just 2 Monsters, but you can expand it to an Xyz that requires 3 Monsters if you already have a third Level 4 Monster on the field! This tactic also provides an alternative exchange your weaker monsters for a stronger one. Even if these monsters are not directly used to Xyz Summon, some duelists will be resourceful and crafty enough to use the monsters for other kinds of summons.

As great of a combo as this is, it is still not perfect. It is still vulnerable to many of the cards that can destroy or send Monsters out of the field. Ultimately, if your opponent is stocked with Spells and Traps, your Debris Dragon or the Xyz Monster you are attempting to Summon is still in danger. Using cards like Heavy Storm or Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Spells and Traps is advised for good measure. This card also heavily relies on the second Level 4 Monster existing in the Graveyard.

You may use this combo freely without having to credit me (The_Duelist); I only ask that if you do, refer to it as "OVER-TUNE" when you use this combo.

Card Review: Quillbolt Hedgehog

A loyal pet to all Tuners! Quillbolt Hedgehog is a weak monster, but when added to the right decks he can aid other monsters to unlock their full potential.

So let's examine this rodent. Quillbolt Hedgehog is an, EARTH Attributed, Level 2 Machine/Effect-Type Monster with 800ATK and 800 DEF. While you control a Tuner Monster, you can revive this little guy with his own effect from your Graveyard. Because of this, he is practically the most useful Synchro Material Monster available. His drawback, if he is special summoned by his own effect, the next time he leaves the field he would be "Removed From Play", or as they would now say "Banished". This drawback effect is meant to prevent abuse of Quillbolt to Summon a very large amount of Synchro Monsters. There are ways to get around this though.

If Quillbolt Hedgehog is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, he is not restricted to only being used as a Synchro Material. Since this card was released long before the "Zexal" era, it has no restrictions to be used as an Xyz Material for cards like Gachi Gachi Gantetsu.

There isn't much to be said for a very common card like Quillbolt Hedgehog, but he is a great asset to lots of Synchro and Rank 2 Xyz Decks. Quillbolt Hedgehog is also available in the (Red) 2010 Duelist Pack Collection Tins, as a Super Rare Card. This Monster is used by Yusei Fudo from Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's.

Card Review: Debris Dragon

Time to take a look at a card that I personally favor using in decks. (Myself, along with thousands of other duelists.) Debris Dragon: a Tuner Monster used by Yusei Fudo in Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. Compared to many monsters he may not be strong in terms of attack strength, but his abilities are what dueling dreams are made of.

So let's examine this little dragon that can evolve into a legend. Debris Dragon is a, WIND Attributed, Level 4 Dragon/Tuner Effect Monster with 1000ATK and 2000DEF. 1000ATK is very low for many monsters including Level 4 Monsters, but 2000DEF makes him an adequate defender. Like many cards nowadays, however, Debris Dragon was not made to stay on the field for long or battle all by himself. He is supposed to arrive and Synchronize with other Monster Cards on your Side of the field to grow into an even bigger dragon!

When Debris Dragon is Normal Summoned, he can revive any monster in your graveyard with lower than 500ATK Points; it doesn't matter what Level the monster is (This information can actually affect the game play). The monster Summoned by this effect will have its own effects negated, so it is assumed that the revived monster will be used as Synchro Material, as a Tribute, or even as Xyz Material. To compensate having a potent effect, Debris has 2 main drawback effects. First, he is not able to use a Level 4 Monster as Synchro Material, ever. Second, He must always be used as a Synchro Material Monster for the Summoning of Dragon-Type Synchro. By the card's very nature and artwork, it is implied that Debris Dragon is meant to grow into one of the Legendary "Signer Dragons", more specifically Stardust Dragon. His drawbacks add a greater challenge to actually summoning cards like Stardust Dragon and Red Dragon Archfiend, however, despite his cons he tends to shift the tides of battle.

Debris Dragon is most useful towards the middle or end of a duel, after many weak monsters have been sent to the Graveyard. In rare cases where a user of this card has a bad hand, he can still be used as a shield to ward off the first attack. Because of its potency, Debris Dragon is currently on the Limited List, meaning that only 1 can be used in Tournament Matches. Although these cards only come in Common rarity, they are valuable.

Card Review: Road Warrior

Alright, it is time for another card review! The card I will review today happens to be a cover card, but not just any cover card. This card was the first Synchro Monster I obtained when I returned to dueling, and aside from another special card that I've held in my possession for so many years, this card was also the most powerful card that I had when I started on my "Duelist Genesis". Simply because it is a cover card does not inherently mean that it is one of the best, but it is also not one of the worst. Personally, I find Road Warrior to be an interesting card, however, it is apparent that he is not so recognized as other Synchro Monsters out there.

So let's examine this golden Synchron Warrior. Road Warrior is a, LIGHT Attributed, Level 8 Warrior/Synchro/Effect Monster, fighting with 3000 ATK Points and 1500 DEF Points. (In a normal battle, this card could match the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.) First off, the main thing about Road Warrior that I should address is that it is what I would like to call a "Synchron Synchro", or in this case more specifically, a "Synchron Warrior". Synchron Warriors are Monsters that require a specific Tuner Monster to be summoned. These Tuner Monsters have "Synchron" in their name, implying that they Synchronize with other Monsters to become an even more powerful Monster; the Synchrons are used by Yusei Fudo in the anime. Although the Synchrons are not part of an actual archetype, their similarities do pair them up for some interesting trivia.

Now, about Road Warrior. Road Warrior might not be considered to many as one of the greatest Synchro Monsters available. At the time of its release, Road Warrior might have even been the most difficult Synchro Monster to summon. It requires Road Synchron (Level 4) and at least 2 Monsters to add up to a Level 8 Synchro Summon. In terms of the game, that either means waiting 3 turns to Normal Summon 3 weak monsters or exploiting resources in a single turn to Special Summon the necessary monsters to summon Road Warrior. Road Warrior's Effect is very simple. Because of his Effect, however, Road Warrior is simply not made for just any kind of deck. Road Warrior was made to lead decks that use weaker Warrior-Type or Machine-Type Monster Cards. Unfortunately, many people do not see his Effect as being very useful when they could use the Monster he can Special Summon as potential for further Summoning. Despite boasting 3000 ATK Points, Road Warrior probably would not be the optimal choice for many duelists and would be picked after another Synchron Warrior. (I don't often see many of these being used. I am probably the only person I know that has Summoned this guy.)

Since Road Warrior requires Road Synchron as its Tuner, I might as well make a short review of that card as well. Road Synchron is a, LIGHT Attributed, Level 4 Machine/Tuner-Type Monster with 1600 ATK and 800 DEF. For a Level 4 Monster, 1600 ATK is an adequate amount of strength, but still closer towards the lower end of the stronger monsters. Road Synchron's Effect raises its Level by 1 if it battles until the end phase; this effect is so that it might open more possibilities for Road Warrior's Summoning. Road Synchron is not limited to only being used to Synchro Summon for Road Warrior. Since it is a Tuner without restricting itself to being used only for a specific Monster, Road Warrior can be used for other monsters however, it is essentially treated as a Level 2 Tuner for the Synchro Summon of any Monster other than Road Warrior.

Road Warrior strikes me as a card that looks really impressive. Although Road Warrior probably would not be summoned for many duels, it is still one of the cards I find having fun with. I have Synchro Summoned this card before and used it to my advantage, however I may need to utilize more Level 2 or Lower Warrior-Type or Machine-Type as part of my deck. The little Monster that he was able to summon did provide useful for further Summoning or defenses.

"...And now I Synchro Summon ____________!"

This is a misprinted Road Warrior that I received in a Duelist Pack: Yusei Fudo 2 Booster Pack. Everything about it is fine, except it lacks its name. It would have been a Rare** Road Warrior, but because it lacks the foiling from its name and is not "shiny" at all, I call it the "Common* Road Warrior". Road Warrior is only available in Rare and Ultra Rare*** Rarities.

*Common Rarity is identified by having no foiled qualities about the card. Simply because a card happens to be of Common Rarity does not mean that it is not very valuable.
**Rare Rarity is identified by having only the name foiled and nothing else.
***Ultra Rare Rarity is identified by having golden foiling of the card's name and a holographic picture.

The Ace Monster Cards of a Decade

So Yu-Gi-Oh! has been around for just over a decade now, and it is amazing how popular the franchise has become. Most of the success is because of the TV shows that have kept people of many ages excited to buy new cards, trade, and duel with their friends. Because the game changed with the introduction of new card types and archetypes that utilized different mechanics of gameplay, the creators of Yu-Gi-Oh! produced different TV shows to introduce new cards and new styles of dueling. To date there are four Yu-Gi-Oh! TV shows: Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters (or the First Generation Yu-Gi-Oh! That many people are familiar with), Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, and Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal.  Because each show has its own story, each show also has its own protagonist with their own card that they consider their best Monster Card. Since each protagonist is meant to be a spiritual successor to the original hero, Yugi, their best cards all share two similarities: They each have 2500 ATK Points and they each need (at least) 2 monsters to be summoned by their intended method of summoning.

So let’s take a look at the four monster cards that have aided our heroes in their duels!

Generation 1

The Dark Magician, held by Yugi in Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters. I already reviewed this card before, but what I would like to note about it is that its DEF is 2100. For some reason, the other Monster Cards that follow all have 2000 DEF. Yugi's main reason for using this card is simply that it is his favorite. Later in the series, it is implied that this Monster Card is an incarnation of one of the Pharaoh's loyal servants from his past life.

Generation 2

Elemental Hero Neos, held by Jaden Yuki from Yu-Gi-Oh! GX. Although Jaden did not receive or duel with this card until around the second season it is still considered his best Monster Card. This is a Monster designed by Jaden when he was a child; it was entered in a contest to create a deck of Duel Monsters cards and for some reason the cards were launched into "Neo Space". By being launched into space, the cards were infused with the power of Duel Spirits that Jaden can see. Neos' main ability is to be able to "Contact Fuse" with other Neo Spacians, as the card's flavor text would suggest. (This is an actual mechanic to the Neo Spacian Archetype.) Like Dark Magician, it is a Level 7 Normal Monster. Unlike Dark Magician, it is a, Light Attributed, Warrior-Type Monster Card.

Generation 3

Stardust Dragon, held by Yusei Fudo from Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's

Here is a card that might have single hand-idly changed the way of dueling forever. For the first time ever, not only was a Dragon-Type Monster Card the best Card of the Protagonits, but it was also an Effect Monster and it also came from the Extra Deck! (Prior to 5D's, The Extra Deck was called the Fusion Deck. The era of 5D's also introduced the Synchro Monster, which changed how people dueled. Most of the show focuses on the importance of Synchro Monsters in society.) At the beginning of the the show Yusei does not use this card because it was stolen from him by his former friend and rival Jack Atlas. Stardust Dragon is said to serve a powerful creature known as The Crimson Dragon. The Crimson Dragon chose 5 signers and entrusted them with a portion of their powers to those signers destined to restore balance to the world. Stardust Dragon, along with the other "Signer Dragons" played a huge role in the 5D's anime. Throughout the series, Stardust Dragon obtained more power evolved forms.

Generation 4

Number 39: Utopia, held by Yuma Tsukumo. Currently, this card is the whole reason anyone is buying the Starter Deck for 2011. (This, and maybe the other two Xyz Monsters that are included.) The Number Cards are said to come from another dimension or another word in Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal; and according to Konami's official Yu-Gi-Oh! website, Xyz Monsters travel from across the galaxy! Number 39: Utopia (In Japan he is known as Aspiring Emperor Hope) is the first Xyz Monster that came into Yuma's possession, granted by Astral's Power. (Astral is an Duelist Spirit from another world. He is a parallel of the Pharaoh from the original series.) Like Ash, Yuma's goal is to "Catch 'em all!". The Number Cards are powerful cards that amplify the emotions (and darkness) within people's hearts. Yuma must duel and defeat those with Number Cards in order to obtain them. Number Cards are also the pieces of Astral's memories. Why does a powerful spirit with amnesia sound like such a familiar premise for a story?... What is interesting about Number 39: Utopia is that his effect is very defensive, just like Stardust Dragon's effect, which is also defensive but in a different manner.

These cards may receive a review on their own sometime in the future for a more in depth analysis. For now, this is just a preview and overview of all of these cards.