Something that might help u in duels...
You must begin by being aware of what you see. The proper steps to do this are:
Step 1: Take into consideration the opponents deck type. If you happen to be dueling a meta deck then you will know about 98% of the cards in their decks.
Step 2: Pay attention to the number of cards in your opponents hand. THIS IS VITAL. You can predict and prepare for their moves just by their hand size by guessing their next moves and capabilities. Also pay attention to the cards in your opponent’s graveyard and RFG because their moves will also most likely be based off of the specific cards found there. Keep account of the staples in the graveyard and RFG zones as well because this will help you dictate your moves as well by calculating the risks by taking into account all the counters your opponent has used up.
Step 3: His playing style is the next important thing. Throughout the match pay close attention to his liking for field presence and hand presence. Basically watch how many cards your opponent needs to have on the field to feel “safe.” This is assuming he has enough cards in his presence. Also pay close attention to what synchro monsters your opponent has played and used already. This way you can prepare for those as well depending on his remaining major resources. Pay attention to the deck for example does your opponent set a lot of monsters that he wants destroyed to move forward? Rykos, Dandylions, Goblin Zombies, Sangan etc. Also pay attention to his backrow information. Most duelists only set 1 defense card while the other is usually part of a combo. Most duelists only carry about 7-8 traps and they happen to be, 2 BTH, Mirror Force, TT, Solemn Judgment, Trap Dustshoot, CoTH.
Now if you summon a monster with under 1500 Attack and no backrow is chained, this could mean:
A. Most likely it is BTH
B. He is saving TT for bigger +
C. He wants his monster killed
D. He is saving a game breaker like Mirror Force
In case of B or D you must go passive, by pushing him with the monster he refused to destroy so he is forced to deal with it a different way or waste the card he was saving. In case of A you simply made him waste his BTH on a small monster and now you have 1 less BTH to worry about so you can hit with your stronger monsters with more ease and a less calculated risk. In case of C just destroy his monster but try to take the lowest calculated risk as possible for example if you suspect Ryko do not summon/set anything you do not want destroyed and in case of Morphing Jar you would want to set your hand to minimize damage.
Let’s go further, when an opponent has set remember that a typical set monster is either a flip, searcher, floater which means that they all need to be destroyed by battle (most of them) or at least be flipped up or hit the graveyard. This is where your deck is tested because you want to RFG it if possible as this will most likely neutralize the danger. If you can’t then you have to kill it via battle which might be playing into his hands but it is much better than later when he can do it using his options as that makes him more dangerous. What you do want to do is prepare with defensive counters preferably chainable so that you can full combat them.
Step 4: During gameplay you need to understand your strengths so you can prepare for your weaknesses. If your deck is based on synchro summoning then you must be prepared to face of 3 cards that are potentially dangerous as they wreck synchros the most, BTH, TT, and BoM. This is why experience is key and also why I like to have played each duelist for fun before I consider them a threat. Knowing your opponent beforehand can give tremendous advantage by knowing his style, memorizing his recklessness or patience levels that way you can prepare for his big moves or at the very minimum his preference in deck types.
Another thing you need to do is face each and every competitive deck so that you are never thrown off guard because that is the quickest way to lose a duel. To better gain a sense of how to beat these competitive decks, “meta” decks, its best to also play with them. By observing meta decks personally you can understand much more about the opponent and their thought process rather than sitting back and waiting for their moves you can prepare for them one step ahead of time. Meta decks do not differ much as usually there are about 3-4 card differences.
Examples are such as Flamvell Cat decks, you know the type of firepower these decks contain so you never want a weak monster to go unattended. For this reason you want your weaker monsters always protected that way your opponent cannot abuse a Flamvell Firedog to gain a quick level 8 synchro summon. If you face a Blackwing deck then you usually want to try to play with at least one card on the field to continue to disrupt the decks regular flow before they can swarm hard. For a Stratos and Neos Alius deck you might consider searching out Alius before Stratos depending on the situation in case you do not have enough back up for Stratos etc. If you are facing Fader Monarchs or a potential Gorz you might want to reconsider at times if you are confident that the opponent is baiting you just to slow the game down and regroup. These are the kinds of plays that allow a good duelist to distinguish himself from a great one. So learn to adapt to your opponent’s deck because the faster you do, the faster you can tip the advantage into your favor, all assuming you are not already dominating
Step 5:Predicting the *BIG* plays usually is pretty simple, and it all starts with the hand. The number of cards in the hand of the opponent, how many the opponent used and how they were used all tie into how effectively the cards were used or why they were used a specific way tie into where, how, and when a big play will come. The opponents hand size tells you how many options are available to them, combine that with the knowledge of knowing their deck and you usually got it all in the bag.
For example your opponent has 4 cards in their hand and no field presence, now they might throw a decent play at you but you should be able to counter most of the time with a BTH or D Prison. However some decks are not like that, for example a deck like a Zombie deck can hit hard and strike from anywhere at any time. Depending on what lies in the graveyard as well as RFG a duelist can make a number of plays with even a small hand, these are some of the more explosive decks and what they lack in consistency, they make up for with power. Other deck types such as Gadgets focus on consistency rather than power and will always net hand presence. The best decks however combine power with consistence and then fine tune it to their play style which is what will keep the opponent on their toes.
At the beginning of the game each player donates his efforts early on to set up their deck, wither it calls for filling up the graveyard or searching out key cards using searchers such as: Sangan, ROTA, Charge of the Light Brigade etc. The game is decided in those turns because the player who opens with the better hand and gains advantage by interrupting the flow of the opponent wins. Plays such as using Caius on a Sangan or Ryko on a backrow disrupt the opponent from achieving the situation they want, thus putting you at a higher advantage not just with field presence but also advantage in options as well as these things are vital.
This is why you always want to start first so you can set up a solid defense, synchro abuse or a tribute fodder etc. For example if I start and set a Ryko, you can do the same thing but I have won for two reasons, A. I get to flip summon first, disrupt your strategy (Ryko or backrow) then I get to use Ryko’s effect to mill and set up further big plays. The flipped Ryko is then perfect for a synchro summon or a tribute fodder thus further disrupting your flow. There are exceptions of course but those decks want to go second so they have a better chance to get your combo ready so that your opponent cannot counter you and most of the time they won’t attack either since they will be expecting a Battle Fader or Gorz. In my opinion a facedown is more dangerous because you simply do not know what it is for 100%.
My strategy is to make my opponents reveal their cards first so that I am prepared for them before they can see what I am about to pull off. This method lets me use my cards more effectively and I can surprise my opponents much better as they will not be expecting the moves that I have in store for them. For bluffs it is often smart to set a normal spell as a decoy and here is why:
Case 1: Opponent will be afraid and become hesitant
Case 2: Opponent will attempt to clear it away and waste a MST/Heavy Storm
Case 3: He doesn’t react to it and you are able to use it later
What gives great advantage in a duel is chainable cards because it forces your opponent to make a move, only to have you turn around and still use its effect but this forces your opponent to have wasted a key card and still not be able to stop you.
Some key chainable cards are: BoM, Threatening Roar, Waboku, Reckless Greed, Dust Tornado, Jar of Greed, Scapegoat etc.
These situations are great because they force your opponent to play their cards now rather than wait later to disrupt you later and you also come away with a +. Sometimes you have to call their bluffs and take the risk but these risks are called “calculated risks.” For example if your opponent has used 2 BTH and a TT, they most likely are not going to disrupt your summon so you can be safe from those. Although this type of reasoning is not always accurate it is all in the numbers and the percentages of your opponent having a dangerous trap besides Mirror Force or D Prison for example is lower since they have used up a majority of their destruction traps. Using these tips and methods you can force your opponent to play on their heels and in the end of a duel the winner is usually the duelist who *forces* the other duelist to play their cards less effectively.
You must begin by being aware of what you see. The proper steps to do this are:
Step 1: Take into consideration the opponents deck type. If you happen to be dueling a meta deck then you will know about 98% of the cards in their decks.
Step 2: Pay attention to the number of cards in your opponents hand. THIS IS VITAL. You can predict and prepare for their moves just by their hand size by guessing their next moves and capabilities. Also pay attention to the cards in your opponent’s graveyard and RFG because their moves will also most likely be based off of the specific cards found there. Keep account of the staples in the graveyard and RFG zones as well because this will help you dictate your moves as well by calculating the risks by taking into account all the counters your opponent has used up.
Step 3: His playing style is the next important thing. Throughout the match pay close attention to his liking for field presence and hand presence. Basically watch how many cards your opponent needs to have on the field to feel “safe.” This is assuming he has enough cards in his presence. Also pay close attention to what synchro monsters your opponent has played and used already. This way you can prepare for those as well depending on his remaining major resources. Pay attention to the deck for example does your opponent set a lot of monsters that he wants destroyed to move forward? Rykos, Dandylions, Goblin Zombies, Sangan etc. Also pay attention to his backrow information. Most duelists only set 1 defense card while the other is usually part of a combo. Most duelists only carry about 7-8 traps and they happen to be, 2 BTH, Mirror Force, TT, Solemn Judgment, Trap Dustshoot, CoTH.
Now if you summon a monster with under 1500 Attack and no backrow is chained, this could mean:
A. Most likely it is BTH
B. He is saving TT for bigger +
C. He wants his monster killed
D. He is saving a game breaker like Mirror Force
In case of B or D you must go passive, by pushing him with the monster he refused to destroy so he is forced to deal with it a different way or waste the card he was saving. In case of A you simply made him waste his BTH on a small monster and now you have 1 less BTH to worry about so you can hit with your stronger monsters with more ease and a less calculated risk. In case of C just destroy his monster but try to take the lowest calculated risk as possible for example if you suspect Ryko do not summon/set anything you do not want destroyed and in case of Morphing Jar you would want to set your hand to minimize damage.
Let’s go further, when an opponent has set remember that a typical set monster is either a flip, searcher, floater which means that they all need to be destroyed by battle (most of them) or at least be flipped up or hit the graveyard. This is where your deck is tested because you want to RFG it if possible as this will most likely neutralize the danger. If you can’t then you have to kill it via battle which might be playing into his hands but it is much better than later when he can do it using his options as that makes him more dangerous. What you do want to do is prepare with defensive counters preferably chainable so that you can full combat them.
Step 4: During gameplay you need to understand your strengths so you can prepare for your weaknesses. If your deck is based on synchro summoning then you must be prepared to face of 3 cards that are potentially dangerous as they wreck synchros the most, BTH, TT, and BoM. This is why experience is key and also why I like to have played each duelist for fun before I consider them a threat. Knowing your opponent beforehand can give tremendous advantage by knowing his style, memorizing his recklessness or patience levels that way you can prepare for his big moves or at the very minimum his preference in deck types.
Another thing you need to do is face each and every competitive deck so that you are never thrown off guard because that is the quickest way to lose a duel. To better gain a sense of how to beat these competitive decks, “meta” decks, its best to also play with them. By observing meta decks personally you can understand much more about the opponent and their thought process rather than sitting back and waiting for their moves you can prepare for them one step ahead of time. Meta decks do not differ much as usually there are about 3-4 card differences.
Examples are such as Flamvell Cat decks, you know the type of firepower these decks contain so you never want a weak monster to go unattended. For this reason you want your weaker monsters always protected that way your opponent cannot abuse a Flamvell Firedog to gain a quick level 8 synchro summon. If you face a Blackwing deck then you usually want to try to play with at least one card on the field to continue to disrupt the decks regular flow before they can swarm hard. For a Stratos and Neos Alius deck you might consider searching out Alius before Stratos depending on the situation in case you do not have enough back up for Stratos etc. If you are facing Fader Monarchs or a potential Gorz you might want to reconsider at times if you are confident that the opponent is baiting you just to slow the game down and regroup. These are the kinds of plays that allow a good duelist to distinguish himself from a great one. So learn to adapt to your opponent’s deck because the faster you do, the faster you can tip the advantage into your favor, all assuming you are not already dominating
Step 5:Predicting the *BIG* plays usually is pretty simple, and it all starts with the hand. The number of cards in the hand of the opponent, how many the opponent used and how they were used all tie into how effectively the cards were used or why they were used a specific way tie into where, how, and when a big play will come. The opponents hand size tells you how many options are available to them, combine that with the knowledge of knowing their deck and you usually got it all in the bag.
For example your opponent has 4 cards in their hand and no field presence, now they might throw a decent play at you but you should be able to counter most of the time with a BTH or D Prison. However some decks are not like that, for example a deck like a Zombie deck can hit hard and strike from anywhere at any time. Depending on what lies in the graveyard as well as RFG a duelist can make a number of plays with even a small hand, these are some of the more explosive decks and what they lack in consistency, they make up for with power. Other deck types such as Gadgets focus on consistency rather than power and will always net hand presence. The best decks however combine power with consistence and then fine tune it to their play style which is what will keep the opponent on their toes.
At the beginning of the game each player donates his efforts early on to set up their deck, wither it calls for filling up the graveyard or searching out key cards using searchers such as: Sangan, ROTA, Charge of the Light Brigade etc. The game is decided in those turns because the player who opens with the better hand and gains advantage by interrupting the flow of the opponent wins. Plays such as using Caius on a Sangan or Ryko on a backrow disrupt the opponent from achieving the situation they want, thus putting you at a higher advantage not just with field presence but also advantage in options as well as these things are vital.
This is why you always want to start first so you can set up a solid defense, synchro abuse or a tribute fodder etc. For example if I start and set a Ryko, you can do the same thing but I have won for two reasons, A. I get to flip summon first, disrupt your strategy (Ryko or backrow) then I get to use Ryko’s effect to mill and set up further big plays. The flipped Ryko is then perfect for a synchro summon or a tribute fodder thus further disrupting your flow. There are exceptions of course but those decks want to go second so they have a better chance to get your combo ready so that your opponent cannot counter you and most of the time they won’t attack either since they will be expecting a Battle Fader or Gorz. In my opinion a facedown is more dangerous because you simply do not know what it is for 100%.
My strategy is to make my opponents reveal their cards first so that I am prepared for them before they can see what I am about to pull off. This method lets me use my cards more effectively and I can surprise my opponents much better as they will not be expecting the moves that I have in store for them. For bluffs it is often smart to set a normal spell as a decoy and here is why:
Case 1: Opponent will be afraid and become hesitant
Case 2: Opponent will attempt to clear it away and waste a MST/Heavy Storm
Case 3: He doesn’t react to it and you are able to use it later
What gives great advantage in a duel is chainable cards because it forces your opponent to make a move, only to have you turn around and still use its effect but this forces your opponent to have wasted a key card and still not be able to stop you.
Some key chainable cards are: BoM, Threatening Roar, Waboku, Reckless Greed, Dust Tornado, Jar of Greed, Scapegoat etc.
These situations are great because they force your opponent to play their cards now rather than wait later to disrupt you later and you also come away with a +. Sometimes you have to call their bluffs and take the risk but these risks are called “calculated risks.” For example if your opponent has used 2 BTH and a TT, they most likely are not going to disrupt your summon so you can be safe from those. Although this type of reasoning is not always accurate it is all in the numbers and the percentages of your opponent having a dangerous trap besides Mirror Force or D Prison for example is lower since they have used up a majority of their destruction traps. Using these tips and methods you can force your opponent to play on their heels and in the end of a duel the winner is usually the duelist who *forces* the other duelist to play their cards less effectively.
10/10
