Defining The Duelist's Skill Set Part 2
Jason Grabher-Meyer
9/2/2010 9:04:00 AM
Last week we started our discussion of skill in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. We drew a line between strategic and tactical fields, established that identifying individual skills is a necessity to improve them, and laid out the first eight of fifteen individual talents that can help you be a competitive Duelist. To recap, those first eight skills were as follows:
-Core Theory Understanding Strategic
-Metagame Knowledge Strategic
-Matchup Knowledge Strategic
-Making Reads Tactical
-Understanding Opponents Tactical
-Math And Probability Strategic / Tactical
-Risk Assessment Tactical
-Opportunity Recognition Tactical
We left off at opportunity recognition, and today we'll pick up with the strategic partner to that skill. We've got a lot of ground to cover, so let's get started!
Play Sequence Knowledge Strategic:
While opportunity recognition is tactical, and often comes down to the cards you see on the table, determining the capabilities of each Duelist at any given time actually comes down to play sequence knowledge a strategic affair. In order to know what you can do, you first need to be familiar with the individual plays your deck can make; that way, when the cards come off the top of your deck you'll be able to see a complete range of possible plays to choose from. Knowing your opponents' play sequences also helps you judge what they could do to you in return, which is just as important to your success. Play sequences can be short or complicated, but they're usually unique to a given deck. Consider the following scenario:
Your opponent goes first, and sets one card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone. He then sets a monster.
Pretty basic stuff, right? A lot of Duels start that way, so without any context those cards could be almost anything. But consider that brief scenario with a little added information.
Your opponent is playing Blackwings. He goes first, setting one card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone. He then sets a monster.
With a little play sequence knowledge we can immediately recognize the possibility of a classic Blackwing opening: a set Icarus Attack with a set Vayu or Kalut to Tribute for it. If this read is correct, and the opponent isn't just bluffing, we know it's important to disrupt the play sequence by attacking the set Blackwing monster: destroying it without playing a second card for Icarus Attack to target means the Blackwing will be wasted and the Icarus Attack won't be activated this turn. Alternatively, knowledge of the play sequence also tells us that if we don't attack, we almost definitely shouldn't play two cards to the field, because they're both likely to be destroyed by Icarus Attack. But what if the opponent was playing a different deck?
Your opponent is playing X-Sabers. He goes first, setting one card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone. He then sets a monster.
Now the situation is totally different, and play sequence knowledge suggests that a very different tactic is correct for the situation. X-Sabers run 2-3 different monsters that advance the deck's strategy when they're destroyed in battle: XX-Saber Emmersblade, XX-Saber Darksoul, and Sangan. Attacking with anything but a specialized monster like Banisher of the Radiance or Thunder King Rai-Oh will likely give the X-Saber Duelist a leg up in the coming turns, affording us no card advantage but giving the opponent whatever he needs from his deck. While it was correct to make a minimal field commitment and immediately attack against the Blackwing opponent, the opposite is true here: knowledge of the X-Saber Deck's play sequences suggests that a strong defense is likely to be a more beneficial tactic than immediate aggression.
You can build your knowledge of deck-specific play sequences in a lot of different ways:
-Play the decks yourself
-Watch other Duelists play the decks you want to learn about
-Talk to other Duelists about their decks, strategies, and favorite plays
-Read Feature Matches involving the decks you want to research
If you know the possibilities before you start playing, you'll consistently make the best tactical decisions when you're actually duking it out in real competition. If you don't know the strategy and the specific moves that different decks are capable of, it's virtually impossible to make good choices. Do yourself a favor: do the homework.
Side Deck Construction Strategic:
Building an effective side deck is a deeply strategic affair: one that's tied to more fundamental strategic skills. To build a side that can help you defeat your opponents, you'll need to employ your metagame knowledge and matchup knowledge; the first will help you prioritize space amongst your fifteen side decked cards, while the second will help you select the specific cards you want to run.
Note that the strategy doesn't stop there. One you've selected your fifteen cards, you need to decide which cards to rotate in and out of your main deck for each given matchup. You want to have most of your side decking actions planned out in advance: doing so keeps things simple for you between games, and allows you to focus your attention on the match at hand. We've all been that guy, sitting at the table after Game 1 wondering what on earth we should side in. We all know that it sucks to be that dude, too. Spare yourself the pain and distraction of what would often become inevitably bad choices, by making them in advance as often as possible. Make your plans, commit them to memory, and then put them to use.
Side Deck Use Tactical:
Granted, you can't plan for every possibility. You'll almost always face a deck you don't have a defined side deck plan for, and that's Fine: it probably just means that deck isn't a big presence in your metagame, and thus wasn't worth prioritizing specific room for in your side. Beyond that, sometimes you'll encounter a deck you did plan to side against, but your opponent is playing unexpected cards that force you to change your plans (or better yet, cards that offer you a unique opportunity to be even more effective with your siding).
When it does come time to make on-the-fly decisions, be sure not to just throw away your previous plans. Often, the best way to go is just to adapt the groundwork you already laid, changing a few of the cards you'd originally thought to side in or out (or adding a couple more cards into the mix). Think carefully when making these decisions: take stock of what your opponent specifically did that's got you re-evaluating your plans, and then make sure that your response is going to address the situation effectively. Don't just throw out your old plans on a whim and replace them with half-baked, impulsive decisions. If all else fails, and you really have no side decking options you're happy with, make a mental note of that fact and review things after the tournament. Look for cards that can fit into your existing plans and priorities, but that may function a bit differently to cover the difficult matchup you encountered.
This level of adaptation isn't tough to approach, but the sky's really the limit when it comes to just how far you can grow your side decking skills. Often, victory is outrightly determined by which Duelist makes the best decisions between games: the last three months have been a strong example of this, with side decking decisions made against X-Sabers, Infernities, and Frogs being a huge factor in countless Championship-level tournaments. Like all skills, getting better at side decking is a matter of constant self-critique. And that brings us to...
Post-Game Observation Tactical:
You can't learn anything or improve any of the skills we're discussing, if you aren't willing to look at your mistakes. In fact, just facing up to your mistakes isn't enough: the best competitors actively hunt down their blunders. They review matches as soon as they're finished, mercilessly try and figure out what they did that led to defeat, and even commonly ask their opponents for insight right after being beaten by them. In order to get better at this game, you must become your own biggest critic. In life, those that choose to be ignorant about history are doomed to repeat it Yu-Gi-Oh! is no exception.
Confronting your mistakes every time you play a game might not sound like a lot of fun: heck, a ton of people consciously avoid doing it, because losing sucks and dwelling on a loss can make that even cruddier. But realistically, there's no reason to feel bad about your mistakes as long as you learn from them; and by doing so, you'll set yourself leagues ahead of thousands of other competitors who aren't willing to face up to their errors. Once you've made the decision that yes, you're going to be the kind of person who's willing to make serious post-game observations, you can start building a toolbox of Questions to help you review your gameplay.
What Questions you ask yourself post-game will often be determined by your matchup, your personal habits, and the deck you're running. But a few general rules and suggestions can help this process:
-If you lost, ask why?
-Don't just accept the first answer that crosses your mind. Usually, a loss isn't due to just a single mistake
-Don't accept I got unlucky as your answer. You can't learn anything from that deciding that you lost because you drew poorly isn't a useful conclusion, and should be your Last Resort because it just isn't useful.
-If you won, ask how you did it?
-Review key turning points of your games, especially ones where you reclaimed a lost advantage
-Examine which parts of your strategy you fulfilled, and how valuable they were to your victory
-Ask yourself if there were strategic goals that were met, but that weren't as rewarding as you'd expected. Were other situations you created more rewarding than those you'd given more priority to?
Remember, your post-match observations should operate on both the strategic and tactical levels. You could have a great strategy and deck, but if you failed to recognize opportunities or made poor decisions, it could be your tactics that are lacking. At the same time, you might have played your deck perfectly but lost anyways in that case, maybe some strategic changes are in order. You really have to be willing to examine your decisions both on and off the table: doing so will help you focus your time and thoughts on the parts of your game that need the most improvement. It can also help you make tough decisions like changing decks entirely.
Rulings Knowledge Strategic:
Straight up, you need to know what cards do; not just your cards, but also your opponents'. Yu-Gi-Oh! is a complicated game riddled with little details that can often prove confusing or counterintuitive, so use the resources that are available to you. It's shocking just how wrong experienced players can often be about cards they run in their own decks. Always do the following:
-Read your cards. This is especially important for new cards that you don't have experience with. Watch for little details: for instance, Scrap Dragon's effect requires it to be destroyed by an opponent's card, so if you destroy it with its own effect you won't trigger its special summon ability.
-Bookmark and make frequent use of the official Konami Gameplay page. It has a detailed collection of all published card rulings for all card sets released under Konami's reign, dating all the way back to Crimson Crisis. It also has a collection of card errata, and everything's in convenient PDF format with version updates noted and tracked.
-Use your judges! As long as you're polite and respectful, judges will usually be more than happy to field your rulings inquiries and help you puzzle out tricky situations. If you're at a big event, try and get the rulings answers you need before the tournament starts. Understand though, that a judge's on-site schedule is extremely busy, so you should arrive early and have your Questions organized so that you don't eat up all their time.
There are lots of little rulings you can use to your advantage, and the more you know, the better off you'll be. A healthy level of rulings knowledge will also help you ensure that your opponent doesn't make any illegal moves, or make plays to their advantage that don't actually work.
Recognizing Good Cards Strategic:
When Cyber Dragon first hit the scene, I watched hundreds of Duelists on message boards decry it as too risky in the face of Torrential Tribute and a bad card that just encourages over-extension. Virtually every experienced Duelist played it, and it won so many tournaments that it became a $50 Super Rare. Dark Grepher? Countless players called it a bad Armageddon Knight, and some even continued to try and dismiss it as it devasted SHONEN JUMP Championship after SHONEN JUMP Championship, pushing Dark Armed Dragon to the front of not one, but two entire formats. And then there was the quiet little darkhorse sleeper of the Crimson Crisis Sneak Peek weekend: Dark Strike Fighter, a card few Duelists actually paid attention to until it became the bane of our collective existence (and like Cyber Dragon before it, a $50 Super Rare).
The reality is that a lot of Duelists would rather snub a new card right out of the gates instead of trying it out for themselves. The reason? Well, ignoring new cards means that (in theory) you don't have to buy them. Granted, that didn't pan out very well for the people who passed up $10 and $20 Dark Strike Fighters and then had to shell out twice that later, so it's really just misguided logic, but yeah. In addition, going out on a limb to say that something has potential means you might be wrong, and hey, then somebody on the internet might laugh at you. And for some reason, some people actually care about that.
As for me? I'd rather take a chance on something new that seems genuinely worthwhile, and see if it works out. If it doesn't turn out to be as good as I'd hoped, well hey: that's just life. But if it does work, and I'm one of the first people to get in on the groundfloor? I'll win tournaments, pioneer something new and cool, and I'll buy up all the copies in my area before increased demand jacks up the price. Later, I'll sell or trade those cards to people who were late to the party, and the profits will fund my next forays into the unknown (and maybe some clothes or a couple nice dinners).
The best players in this game have shed their cynicism and insecurities, and most tend to take long looks at new sets to figure out what cards could be useful. You can follow trends, or you can be the one setting them. All it takes is a keen eye, an open mind, and a bit of playtesting.
Protecting Yourself Strategic / Tactical:
It's unfortunate that I have to add this to the list, but let's be Honest: you can't win tournaments if your cards keep getting stolen. There are a small number of people who attend big tournaments for the sole purpose of leaving the event with stuff that doesn't belong to them. The good news? Yugi-thieves are rarely sophisticated, and are usually just looking for easy marks. If you remain alert and in control of your possessions, it's very unlikely that you'll ever be victimized. A few short pointers:
-Don't put your stuff down and then look away. When you look back, it might not be there anymore.
-Keep your bag or backpack closed at all times, and keep that bag securely attached to you when seated. Wear your backpack on the front of your chest, or wrap your legs through the arm straps.
-Don't bring things you don't need to big tournaments. If you do have a bag full of high-end cards, electronics, gold bullion, and caviar or foie gras, don't advertise that fact. No one cares how blinged out your binder is, except for the people who'd like to steal it from you.
-Don't be a jerk. People are less likely to help you out (and more likely to steal from you) if they hate your guts.
-When in doubt, check the lost and found. Every big tournament has things turned in to the Tournament Organizer by good samaritans, and if you're lucky, your missing belongings are there. Yu-Gi-Oh! Players might get a bad rap, but the truth is that thousands of dollars in lost goods were turned in at every YCS and SHONEN JUMP Championship I've been to. The average person is not a thief. Go, humanity!
This should go without saying, but if you ever feel at risk in any situation, you should bail. If you don't like how a group of people are handling your trade binders, politely thank them for their time, gather your stuff, and excuse yourself. You don't owe them an explanation, and as long as you aren't rude, you're not doing anything that anyone should take offense to. When in doubt, take the Appropriate actions to ensure that your belongings remain intact.
And that's it! Fifteen fields of prowess that you can study, practice, and improve to step up your game over the years to come in your Dueling career. You don't have to be constantly thinking about how you can improve, nor should you be constantly beating yourself up for your mistakes have fun. But now that the seeds have been planted, you have the tools you need to frame yourself as a competitive player; when you choose to invoke them, you can use those tools to make yourself a more successful Duelist across the long term. Take it slow, and remember that the greatest players got to where they are today by building their skills for years. It won't all come at once, but you can start today, as soon as you finish reading this article.
Skill exists, and while luck is always a factor in a game with randomized elements, there's absolutely no replacement for true prowess. The best Duelists never stop learning and challenging themselves if you want to be a real competitor, neither should you.
-Jason Grabher-Meyer
