Hello Again Duelists,
It's that time again! I'm here to give you the second half of my look at Monster cards. Today we're going to look at Attributes and Types. Duelists who wish to make decks that specialize in a particular Attribute or Type may want to pay attention to this.
There are seven Attributes: Light, Dark, Fire, Water, Earth, Wind and Divine. Let's take a look at them:
Light - The pure and virtuous monsters that the good clean duelists like to use. They tend to favor Fairy-type monsters and Thunder-type monsters over all others. The Lightsworn monsters are one of the more famous groups of Light monsters. Another group is the Worm monsters. Some others worth noting are Blue-Eyes White Dragon (one of my favorites), Elemental Hero Neos and Marshmallon.
Dark - The bad boys of dueling. These tend to be quite popular with a lot of duelists out there. Most of the bad guys in the different Yu-Gi-Oh! series favored these. Some of the most famous Dark monsters include the Gravekeepers, Exodia the Forbidden One, Dark Magician, the Blackwings, and a lot of the Fiend-types.
Earth - Quite a few monsters in Yu-Gi-Oh! were of the Earth attribute. Most of them are either Beast-types, Warrior-types or Rock-types. Some notable Earth monsters include the Karakuris, Man-Eater Bug and the Ancient Gears.
Fire - These monsters will leave you feeling the burn. Mostly Pyro-type monsters make up this attribute, and include some lethal choices such as Flame Swordsman and Lava Golem. Some popular groups of Fire attribute monsters include the Volcanics and the Flamvells.
Water - Monsters of the high seas make up this group. Aqua-types and Sea-Serpents make up the majority of this attribute. Some personal favorites include Number 32: Shark Drake, the Ice Barrier monsters and Nightmare Penguin.
Wind - These monsters will blow you away! Mostly containing Winged Beast-types, these creatures can come together fast, and hit you pretty hard. The cream of the crop includes Stardust Dragon, the Harpie Ladies, Mist Valley monsters and Dragunity monsters.
Divine - Perhaps the most powerful and sacred of all monsters in Yu-Gi-Oh!, this attribute is a very small group. They tend to be hard to get your hands on, and even harder to build a deck around. When the word Divine is mentioned, the name that goes along with it is the well-known Egyptian God Cards.
So there you have it, the seven attributes revealed. Think about which attributes appeal to you, and how you'd like to build a deck around one or two of them. This is the Coach, signing off!
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Monday, January 14, 2019
Monster Mechanics: Part 1
Monster Mechanics: Part 1
Hello Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelists,
Today I'm giving a bit of a history lesson. To those new to the YTCG world, you've probably learned about the three types of cards: Monsters, Spells, and Traps. I thought I'd look into the Monster Cards first. Over the years, there have been thousands of Monster Cards released. They can be grouped into 6 different Attributes, 21 Types, and come in 6 colors.
Normal Monsters: These cards come in yellow. There aren't a lot of special ones, but they can be used to summon more powerful monsters. Blue-Eyes White Dragon is the most powerful normal monster to date.
Effect Monsters: These cards are orange in color and each has one or more special abilities. Their effects range from summoning other monsters in their place when they get destroyed, to filling a field quickly when they are summoned. These cards make up the majority of a duelist's deck.
Fusion Monsters: These cards are purple, and summoned by blending 2 or more other monsters together. Some of the most powerful fusion monsters can have 4000 or more ATK and DEF points. These cards were introduced in the original Yu-Gi-Oh! series, but gained a lot of fame in the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX era.
Ritual Monsters: These blue cards are summoned by offering monsters whose combined levels are greater than or equal to the level of the ritual monster to be summoned.
Synchro Monsters: These white cards are summoned by using a Tuner monster with 1 or more non-Tuner monsters. The catch is that the sum of the levels of the monsters must add up to the level of the Synchro Monster being summoned. These cards were introduced in the Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's era.
Xyz Monsters: These dark colored monsters are summoned by stacking 2 or more monsters of the same level together, and applying the monster of the same "Rank" on top of it. The monsters beneath the Xyz monster are "Overlay Units" that may be used to activate its special ability. These cards were introduced in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal era.
Pendulum Monsters: These dual-colored cards are half monster, half spell card. Pendulum summoning is the latest edition to the game, and makes things very interesting. I'll cover this in greater detail in a future post.
Pendulum Monsters: These dual-colored cards are half monster, half spell card. Pendulum summoning is the latest edition to the game, and makes things very interesting. I'll cover this in greater detail in a future post.
So, there you have it. A basic history of the types of Monster cards out there. Next time, I'll give a breakdown of the Attributes and Types. Until next time, keep on dueling!
Friday, January 11, 2019
More Dark Magician
Hey there duelists! Coach Muramasa is back again. As promised, here is the other half of our look into the Dark Magician. Slip on your bathing suits, because we're diving into the spellcaster's pool. Last time, we looked at the Dark Magician, and some of his intimidating forms. Now, let's see if we can find some cards that will help him blast your opponent away to the shadow realm.
First up is the teacher's pet, or Dark Magician Girl. This Level 6 Spellcaster-type has 2000 ATK and 1700 DEF. With her special ability, she gets stronger for each Dark Magician or Magician of Black Chaos is in either graveyard. She draws strength from her master, and also lends some to him at times as well. Like the Dark Magician, she can be on the frontlines in a Spellcaster-type deck. (5/10)
Skilled Dark Magician is a Level 4 with 1900 ATK and 1700 DEF. His special ability allows him to Special Summon a Dark Magician in exchange for tributing him with 3 Spell Counters. He gathers a Spell Counter each time a Spell Card is activated. If you have to draw him on your opening hand and at least three Spell Cards, you can have a Dark Magician in your first turn. Keep in mind that when you Special Summon the DM, you can pull him from your deck, hand or graveyard. This card can lead to a variety of monster recycle decks. If you use him, go ahead and slip three of him in your deck. (9/10)
Magician of Black Chaos is one of the oldest Ritual Monsters. By using the Spell "Black Magic Ritual", you can sacrifice monsters from your hand and field whose levels total 8 or more, and Special Summon this card from your hand. This card doesn't have any special abilities, just really decent ATK power. (4/10)
Dark Eradicator Warlock is the Dark Magician with a special ability. Each time a Normal Spell Card is activated, your opponent gets slammed with 1000 points of Effect Damage. Between this and the 2500 ATK chunks taken out of their Life Points, you could have the duel won on your second or third turn. (9/10)
Next up is Magician's Valkyria. This monster acts as a Spellcaster-type shield for your other heavy hitters. Your opponent can only target her if there are other Spellcaster-type monsters on your field. You'll want to power her up or protect her with something, otherwise she's just a one trick pony. (5/10)
Now, let's move on to Spells for a Dark Magician deck. Thousand Knives is a good card for taking out something stronger than the DM. If he is in play when you activate this card, you can stick it to a monster your opponent controls. Use this on that Blue-Eyes White Dragon that a Kaiba wannabe might be tempted to use against you. (7/10)
Everyone who has ever watched the original Yu-Gi-Oh! knows of the DM's signature attack. Dark Magic Attack is a Spell that allows you to wipe out your opponent's Spells and Traps if you control a face-up Dark Magician. Use this to take out those annoying stall traps, like Gravity Bind or Swords of Revealing Light. I really like the art on that card. (9/10)
Magicians Unite allows you to combine the might of your Magicians' force and let one of them have 3000 ATK during that turn. The catch is, only that single Spellcaster-type may attack that turn. Use this on a monster that has the ability to deal direct damage or piercing damage. (6/10)
Mage Power is an Equip Spell Card that grants a 500 ATK and 500 DEF boost to a monster for each Spell or Trap Card you have on the field. This gives you a maximum boost of 3000 ATK and 3000 DEF. Stick this on DM, and the duel could easily be over. Just make sure you clear your opponent's Spells and Traps first. The last thing you want to happen is for a nasty Mirror Force or something worse to pop up and ruin your duel. (9/10)
Now let's look at a couple of Trap Cards. Magic Cylinder is a good trap to block a lethal attack, and give your opponent the damage instead. Use this to crush them if they attack with a 3000+ ATK monster. (7/10)
The final card of the day is Pitch-Black Power Stone. This card is good if your Spellcaster-type deck uses a lot of Spell Counters. You get 3 Spell Counters that you may move to other cards once per turn. Slip three of these in your deck and use them with Skilled Dark Magician, and you'll get DM in play in no time. (6/10)
That does it for another lap around the Dark Magician pool. I hope you consider this card for your Spellcaster-type deck, or even an all around deck. Coach Muramasa signing off for now. Hit the showers!
First up is the teacher's pet, or Dark Magician Girl. This Level 6 Spellcaster-type has 2000 ATK and 1700 DEF. With her special ability, she gets stronger for each Dark Magician or Magician of Black Chaos is in either graveyard. She draws strength from her master, and also lends some to him at times as well. Like the Dark Magician, she can be on the frontlines in a Spellcaster-type deck. (5/10)
Skilled Dark Magician is a Level 4 with 1900 ATK and 1700 DEF. His special ability allows him to Special Summon a Dark Magician in exchange for tributing him with 3 Spell Counters. He gathers a Spell Counter each time a Spell Card is activated. If you have to draw him on your opening hand and at least three Spell Cards, you can have a Dark Magician in your first turn. Keep in mind that when you Special Summon the DM, you can pull him from your deck, hand or graveyard. This card can lead to a variety of monster recycle decks. If you use him, go ahead and slip three of him in your deck. (9/10)
Magician of Black Chaos is one of the oldest Ritual Monsters. By using the Spell "Black Magic Ritual", you can sacrifice monsters from your hand and field whose levels total 8 or more, and Special Summon this card from your hand. This card doesn't have any special abilities, just really decent ATK power. (4/10)
Dark Eradicator Warlock is the Dark Magician with a special ability. Each time a Normal Spell Card is activated, your opponent gets slammed with 1000 points of Effect Damage. Between this and the 2500 ATK chunks taken out of their Life Points, you could have the duel won on your second or third turn. (9/10)
Next up is Magician's Valkyria. This monster acts as a Spellcaster-type shield for your other heavy hitters. Your opponent can only target her if there are other Spellcaster-type monsters on your field. You'll want to power her up or protect her with something, otherwise she's just a one trick pony. (5/10)
Now, let's move on to Spells for a Dark Magician deck. Thousand Knives is a good card for taking out something stronger than the DM. If he is in play when you activate this card, you can stick it to a monster your opponent controls. Use this on that Blue-Eyes White Dragon that a Kaiba wannabe might be tempted to use against you. (7/10)
Everyone who has ever watched the original Yu-Gi-Oh! knows of the DM's signature attack. Dark Magic Attack is a Spell that allows you to wipe out your opponent's Spells and Traps if you control a face-up Dark Magician. Use this to take out those annoying stall traps, like Gravity Bind or Swords of Revealing Light. I really like the art on that card. (9/10)
Magicians Unite allows you to combine the might of your Magicians' force and let one of them have 3000 ATK during that turn. The catch is, only that single Spellcaster-type may attack that turn. Use this on a monster that has the ability to deal direct damage or piercing damage. (6/10)
Mage Power is an Equip Spell Card that grants a 500 ATK and 500 DEF boost to a monster for each Spell or Trap Card you have on the field. This gives you a maximum boost of 3000 ATK and 3000 DEF. Stick this on DM, and the duel could easily be over. Just make sure you clear your opponent's Spells and Traps first. The last thing you want to happen is for a nasty Mirror Force or something worse to pop up and ruin your duel. (9/10)
Now let's look at a couple of Trap Cards. Magic Cylinder is a good trap to block a lethal attack, and give your opponent the damage instead. Use this to crush them if they attack with a 3000+ ATK monster. (7/10)
The final card of the day is Pitch-Black Power Stone. This card is good if your Spellcaster-type deck uses a lot of Spell Counters. You get 3 Spell Counters that you may move to other cards once per turn. Slip three of these in your deck and use them with Skilled Dark Magician, and you'll get DM in play in no time. (6/10)
That does it for another lap around the Dark Magician pool. I hope you consider this card for your Spellcaster-type deck, or even an all around deck. Coach Muramasa signing off for now. Hit the showers!
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Dark Magician
Hello again duelists! Coach is here to talk about one of the oldest and greatest monsters of all time. He was Yugi's ace, and my personal favorite Spellcaster-type monster. I'm talking about that mystical menace, the Dark Magician! This Level 7 monster has 2500 ATK and 2100 DEF. While he doesn't have any special abilities, he has a variety of cards that support him as the ace in a deck. Today, we're gonna take a look at some of the Dark Magician's various forms achieved through Fusion and other Special Summoning methods.
First up is Dark Sage. This Spellcaster-type is a Level 9 monster with 2800 ATK and 3200 DEF. To call forth this heavy hitter, you have to tribute a Dark Magician that has been successfully affected by Time Wizard. Also, when this happens, you can pull a Spell Card of your choice from your deck. That will come in handy if you need to pull that one card to turn things around for you, or to ensure a win if you already have the advantage. (6/10)
Next up is Dark Magician Knight, who pulls a change-up and goes from being a Spellcaster to a Warrior. His stats are the same as Dark Magician, but he gains a special ability that allows him to destroy any one card on the field at the time. Wipe out that face down Mirror Force, or even a continuous Spell Card or Trap Card like Gravity Bind. You could just as well take out a high ATK or DEF monster is that's what's standing in the way of you winning or losing the duel. This card sees a lot more play than Dark Sage, and is easier to summon. All you have to do is play Knight's Title in order to summon him. (8/10)
Here we have Dark Paladin with 2900 ATK and 2400 DEF. By Fusing Dark Magician and Buster Blader, you get a powerful Spellcaster-type that can negate your opponent's Spell Cards by discarding a card of your own. This card also has an ability that grants it an extra 500 ATK for each Dragon-type either player has in the graveyard. This card is a good choice for taking on Dragon-type decks. (8/10)
Last, and certainly not least, is Dark Flare Knight. Dark Magician switches to a Warrior-type again by Fusing with Flame Swordsman. While this is a step backward being a Level 6 monster with 2200 ATK and 800 DEF, its special ability will make up for it. No matter what you are fighting, you will not take any damage from a battle that involves this card. On top of that, if this card is destroyed, you get to Special Summon a Mirage Knight from your hand or your deck. As long as you don't have your monster's ability negated, you can use this card to block a heavy hit from your opponent. (5/10)
That's all for now folks. We dipped our feet in the Dark Magician's pool. Next time, we'll look at some cards that support this master spellcaster. Until then, it's time to duel, somewhere...
Monday, January 7, 2019
Dueling Styles
What's shakin' duelists? Today we're gonna take a look at the different ways to duel. In my personal dueling circle, there are a total of five of us. We each are really good at dueling, but we have our own approaches. We duel one another at least twice a week, and have done so over the last seven years. Sometimes we duel one on one, other times two on two. We've even done three on one duels, and the occasional five duelist free for all. No matter what setup we use, we always have a good time. There are never any hard feelings, and it inspires us to become better duelists. Here is a summary of our dueling styles.
First up, is me, Muramasa the Coach. I prefer using a deck that favors Synchro Summoning. I have at least three Fusion and three Xyz monsters in my Extra Deck. The other nine spots are always Synchro Monsters. I keep at least one Ritual Monster in my deck at any given time. My deck favors Dragon-type monsters most of the time. When I play by non-tournament rules, I like to use a lot of the forbidden cards. When I play by tournament rules, I use cards that fill my monster zones as quickly as possible to allow for a Synchro Summon in the first or second turn. I get called the Coach a lot, because I volunteer some of my free time teaching newcomers to the game, and giving my circle suggestions and advice on how to improve their own decks.
Next, there is my best friend, Sentinel the Guardian. He likes to use a more defensive strategy. His deck has a lot of high DEF monsters, and he prefers to counterattack rather than attack. Sentinel loves to Tribute Summon, and then Special Summon the monsters used as tribute back from the graveyard. He also is a big fan of Ritual Monsters, and keeps a fair number of them in his deck. He does a bit of Fusion Summoning, Synchro Summoning, and Xyz Summoning, but only keeps one or two of each in his Extra Deck. He updates his Spells and Traps quite often, and a fair amount of his dueling might comes from that. Sentinel is a good partner, because he always has your back in a duel, no matter how crazy a duel it is.
The third member of our duelist circle is Venus the Heartbreaker. We call her that because every guy she duels outside of our circle falls in love with her dueling skill. I mean, she's quite lovely as well, but with us, it's more about the skills. Venus loves to Xyz Summon more than anything, and is a big fan of cards that allow for piercing damage. Her deck is centered about Fairy-type monsters and all of those that have "cute, cuddly art on them". She makes for a good partner because of her choice of Quick-Play Spell Cards and Counter Trap Cards.
Next is Chaos, the Destructor. He is our most hardcore duelist, because when he's done, most of the cards used in the duel end up in the graveyard. He likes to duel fast and loose, and won't hesitate to send cards to the graveyard to get the one or two he needs for the win. Chaos keeps the field clear a lot of the time, using Spells and Traps that either wipe it clean, or send a card or two to be banished from the game. His deck is fairly balanced between Warrior-types, Machine-types, and Spellcaster-types. His Extra Deck is half Fusion and half Synchro, with an Xyz Monster thrown in once in a while.
Last, and certainly not least, is Serenity the Enlightened. She is the younger sister of Venus, and a real tough cookie in the dueling arena. The monsters in her deck are only Effect Monsters. The same holds true for her Extra Deck. Serenity's Spells and Traps cover the weaknesses that her Effect Monsters can't take care of. When we duel by non-tournament rules, she loves to use Exodia the Forbidden One for a quick win. Although she is a bit younger than we are, she holds her own in a five duelist free for all. She either comes in first or second a lot of the time.
So there you have it, duelists. I've given you a peek into my dueling world. We've shared a lot of memories over the years, and still look forward to each and every duel we are gonna have. In the future, I'll share with you some specific strategies and combos the five of us use. Until next time, keep on duelin'!
First up, is me, Muramasa the Coach. I prefer using a deck that favors Synchro Summoning. I have at least three Fusion and three Xyz monsters in my Extra Deck. The other nine spots are always Synchro Monsters. I keep at least one Ritual Monster in my deck at any given time. My deck favors Dragon-type monsters most of the time. When I play by non-tournament rules, I like to use a lot of the forbidden cards. When I play by tournament rules, I use cards that fill my monster zones as quickly as possible to allow for a Synchro Summon in the first or second turn. I get called the Coach a lot, because I volunteer some of my free time teaching newcomers to the game, and giving my circle suggestions and advice on how to improve their own decks.
Next, there is my best friend, Sentinel the Guardian. He likes to use a more defensive strategy. His deck has a lot of high DEF monsters, and he prefers to counterattack rather than attack. Sentinel loves to Tribute Summon, and then Special Summon the monsters used as tribute back from the graveyard. He also is a big fan of Ritual Monsters, and keeps a fair number of them in his deck. He does a bit of Fusion Summoning, Synchro Summoning, and Xyz Summoning, but only keeps one or two of each in his Extra Deck. He updates his Spells and Traps quite often, and a fair amount of his dueling might comes from that. Sentinel is a good partner, because he always has your back in a duel, no matter how crazy a duel it is.
The third member of our duelist circle is Venus the Heartbreaker. We call her that because every guy she duels outside of our circle falls in love with her dueling skill. I mean, she's quite lovely as well, but with us, it's more about the skills. Venus loves to Xyz Summon more than anything, and is a big fan of cards that allow for piercing damage. Her deck is centered about Fairy-type monsters and all of those that have "cute, cuddly art on them". She makes for a good partner because of her choice of Quick-Play Spell Cards and Counter Trap Cards.
Next is Chaos, the Destructor. He is our most hardcore duelist, because when he's done, most of the cards used in the duel end up in the graveyard. He likes to duel fast and loose, and won't hesitate to send cards to the graveyard to get the one or two he needs for the win. Chaos keeps the field clear a lot of the time, using Spells and Traps that either wipe it clean, or send a card or two to be banished from the game. His deck is fairly balanced between Warrior-types, Machine-types, and Spellcaster-types. His Extra Deck is half Fusion and half Synchro, with an Xyz Monster thrown in once in a while.
Last, and certainly not least, is Serenity the Enlightened. She is the younger sister of Venus, and a real tough cookie in the dueling arena. The monsters in her deck are only Effect Monsters. The same holds true for her Extra Deck. Serenity's Spells and Traps cover the weaknesses that her Effect Monsters can't take care of. When we duel by non-tournament rules, she loves to use Exodia the Forbidden One for a quick win. Although she is a bit younger than we are, she holds her own in a five duelist free for all. She either comes in first or second a lot of the time.
So there you have it, duelists. I've given you a peek into my dueling world. We've shared a lot of memories over the years, and still look forward to each and every duel we are gonna have. In the future, I'll share with you some specific strategies and combos the five of us use. Until next time, keep on duelin'!
Friday, January 4, 2019
Deck Analysis
Hello Duelists!
The Coach is back again. Today I'd like to talk about deck building. I've been in the game for quite a while, and I've helped build a lot of decks over the years. I've had a 91% success rate of dueling, and continue to build decks for fun, just to keep up with what's out there now. If you have a deck you'd like me to look at and give some advice to, I'd be more than happy to help out. I'll also post a deck on here from time to time, and give you a chance to give suggestions as well. Keep on dueling!
The Coach is back again. Today I'd like to talk about deck building. I've been in the game for quite a while, and I've helped build a lot of decks over the years. I've had a 91% success rate of dueling, and continue to build decks for fun, just to keep up with what's out there now. If you have a deck you'd like me to look at and give some advice to, I'd be more than happy to help out. I'll also post a deck on here from time to time, and give you a chance to give suggestions as well. Keep on dueling!
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
Welcome to the Coach's Blog
Hello from the Coach
Greetings to all the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG fans out there. I am Muramasa, a 17-year veteran of the YTCG. I've been in the game since the beginning, and I've enjoyed every minute of it. I've given advice to almost 100 players of the game. Most are family and close personal friends. I now wish to help out people near and far online. If you have a question about the game, or need your deck tuned up a bit, I'm here for you. I'll also be posting tips and suggestions about the cards of the past, the present and the future. So let me again say welcome, and I look forward to working with each and every one of you. So, let's rev it up!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)