3
The Idiot's Guide to Deckbuilding
Introduction
Hello to all of you out there! This is going to be my first full-length article for the mainsite; hopefully I'll keep busy and produce more quality work. My first article will be on the subject of Yu-Gi-Oh! deckbuilding. I will be discussing what you should be keeping in mind while building a deck and what is in my opinion the best procedure for deckbuilding.
I've chosen to touch upon deckbuilding in my first article because I think it's something that isn't really discussed often on any Yu-Gi-Oh! site. Learning how to properly build a competitive deck will allow you to bring something of your own to the Regional/Shonen Jump Championship scene. Knowing the difference between a good card choice and a bad card choice when building a deck naturally translates to "Card A isn't as good as Card B." Little by little, it will form the big picture of "These cards aren't as good as those cards." I will elaborate on choosing the better card later on in this article.
Before I continue, this is a note for all of you out there. Lightsworn, Blackwings, Gladiator Beasts, and other decks that you see in the top eight or top sixteen of major tournaments are there for a reason. They each have their own explosive strategy that makes them better than the rest of the decks. Before you proceed, you must leave behind any idea or attitude against these kinds of decks or you will not benefit from this article. You may be the best person at your local tournament with your deck that contains Celtic Guardian, but that entire perspective gets tossed out the window when you enter the competitive scene.
I will first provide you with some tips - things you need to keep in mind before you approach deckbuilding. After I finish stating those, I will continue on to a more step-by-step way of doing things.
Tip #1 - Math is Your Friend
Yu-Gi-Oh has a lot of basic math involved in it. You often subtract from eight-thousand until you reach zero, or add up levels of monsters. Sound familiar? Now how about percentages? But why, you ask, are percentages involved in Yu-Gi-Oh? Simple. Say you have a forty card deck and that you want to see a certain card in your hand at the beginning of the game. You use three of that card in your deck. That means the percentage of you drawing that card is three in forty, or 3/40. Take a calculator and divide three into forty. You'll get 0.075, or 7.5%. That means the chance of that first card being the card you're looking for is 7.5%. The percentage rate of drawing a certain card in your deck always changes when either the number of cards in your deck or the number of the card you're looking for that is left in your deck changes. If the first card in your opening hand is the card you're looking for, and you want to draw another one, the chances of the next card being that specific card is two in thirty-nine, or 2/39. Take out a calculator, do the math, and you'll see that you get 0.051, or 5.1%. See how much your chance of drawing that specific card dropped because there was one less of that card in the deck?
The aim of building a consistent (meaning that it will work more than it doesn't) deck is to optimize the chance of drawing the card or cards you want to draw. In order to achieve this, the best option is to use no more than forty-two cards in the deck. There are some exceptions, like Lightsworns that happen to mill (discarding cards off the top of the deck) a lot of cards at a time. If you go from forty-two cards in deck to twenty-three cards in deck after a turn of Lightsworn milling, and there are two Judgment Dragons left in the deck/you're looking to draw one, your odds are pretty good. Two in twenty-three, or 2/23, is 0.0869 or 8.7% rounded up. You would, in this specific scenario, have an 8.7% chance of drawing that Judgment Dragon. Those odds are pretty good.
The entire point of showing you examples of this percentage math is to show you the real applications that it has. If you decide that you want to randomly run forty-seven cards in your deck, the forty - forty-two card decks will beat you everytime because they have the ability to draw what they are looking for more often than you do. If you are looking for a card that you run three of in your opening hand, and you use forty-seven cards, that's 3/47, or 0.638/6.4%. You're already down a whole percentage point. First card wasn't the one you were looking for? Not the second, third, fourth, or fifth opening card? By the sixth card, you would have 42 cards left in deck. Your sixth draw would be 3/42, or 0.071/7.1%. Even by your sixth draw using a forty-seven card deck, you don't have the same probability of drawing what you want to draw when compared to a forty-card deck before they even pick up their opening hand.
Deck size is important for the reasons I've laid out here. You want to have the best chance possible at drawing what you're looking for, and you have the highest probability of drawing the specific cards you need in a forty - forty-two card deck. If you go any higher, unless the decktype is an exception in some sort of way as I've said, you aren't going to be able to draw what you need when you need it as often as the forty card deck is going to be.
Tip #2 - Choose Wisely
Considering the card choices, or which card you choose to use over another card or cards, is extremely essential to building a deck not only correctly but optimally. I will use just one example to illustrate what I am talking about in this section of the article because any additional examples would be extremely redundant. There is one specific bottom line when choosing which cards to use, and that is: Use the card that creates the best version of an effect for the lowest cost or prerequisite. My example for this topic will be Zaborg The Thunder Monarch v.s. Caius The Shadow Monarch. When tribute summoned, Zaborg The Thunder Monarch destroys any monster you would like. When tribute summoned, Caius The Shadow Monarch can remove from play any card on the field. The comparison and the reasoning behind always choosing Caius over Zaborg should be absolutely obvious, but I'll explain it anyway. Simply put, Caius is a better Zaborg. Not only can it get rid of any monster on the field like Zaborg can, but at the same time it removes from play the monster (letting you dodge pesky effects from cards like Card Trooper or Sangan) OR any other card on the field, AND has a potential burn effect. Caius has those three advantages over Zaborg, and is simply a lot more versatile. It has the best version of an effect which would get rid of one monster on the field, in the category of tribute monsters. You might say, "Well, Chaotic, what if I wanted the LIGHT for Chaos Sorcerer?" Use Caius in your dark monster lineup and use more constructive light monsters; plain and simple. They key to choosing the best card to use is by using the card that has the best version of an effect with the lowest cost or prerequistie. If you take anything from this, please keep that single statement in mind when deckbuilding.
Tip #3 - How many monsters/spells/traps do I use?
The ratio of monsters compared to spells and traps, and vice versa, is really dependant on the decktype. For something like Lightsworns, which is an aggressive deck that benefits from milling monsters into the Graveyard, you want to use a high monster count. Using a relatively high amount of monsters in a deck like Lightsworns compared to a deck like Blackwings (which usually uses a lower amount of monsters) is just one example of using the benefits of a strategy to determine how a deck is built. In the same respect, Lightsworns use a low amount of trap cards because they are a deck that wants to move fast. Seeing as how trap cards are naturally slow (they take a turn to set compared to spells and monsters that can, for the most part, be played freely for an immediate effect), Lightsworn runs only a handful of necessary traps. I would comment more on this particular topic, but I think it would be appropriate to write an article on it at a later date.
Now that you've read all the tips that I have for you, here are some step-by-step guidelines:
Step #1 - Decide what you are going to build
There are many decktypes in Yu-Gi-Oh!, including new ones that get invented through success or exposure at a Shonen Jump Championship or on a popular online forum. Before you build, you need to decide what type of deck you would like to run. What kind of strategy do you like? Is there a specific card that you like and would like to build a deck around? After you decide, you can begin building from there, but please keep in mind that most strategies that don't see the light of competitive play usually aren't suitable for anything beyond a casual local tournament. Do not expect to come up with a huge breakthrough the first time you're going through this process (even while it is possible, it's better to be realistic than set expectations, and that goes for anything you might do even outside of Yu-Gi-Oh).
Step #2 - Get rid of those skeletons in your closet
In this particular process of deckbuilding, you should aim to produce a "skeleton" of your potential build. A "skeleton" of a deck refers to the the end result of a decklist containing only the cards you would deem absolutely and undeniably essential to your deck. Each skeleton is relative to the specific build you are making because, contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as a staple card. When people look at cards like Heavy Storm, they think they belong in every deck. While this is the case a lot of the time, what if you were building a deck that used a lot of continuous cards? Would you commit one of your spell slots during deckbuilding to a Heavy Storm in that specific deck, when it would potentially set you back by playing it? What about Sangan? Are you going to include it if it has few to zero searchable targets? Of course not. The key words in this process are "only the cards YOU would deem essential", meaning the skeleton of a Gladiator Beast deck, for example, is directly relative to the skill of the person building it.
Step #3 - Decide on your "win condition"
When you build a deck, at all times during the process you need to keep in mind what the win condition for your deck will be. "But Chaotic, I attack and bring their life down to zero! That's how I win!" Thanks for pointing that out, genious. When I refer to something as a win condition, I refer to a specific card or cards. I've heard that win conditions have been called "boss monsters" recently, so I will refer to them as that from now on to avoid confusion. A win condition or a "boss monster" is usually a larger monster in terms of attack and defense and has a gamebreaking effect. Lightsworns have Judgment Dragon. Dark variants and Blackwings have Dark Armed Dragon. Gladiator Beasts have Gladiator Beast Heraklinos. There is also a sublevel, if you will, of boss monsters that would include things like Plant's Tytannial, Princess of Camellias, that just aren't as absolutely gamebreaking as something like Judgment Dragon but at the same time are worthy of a mention. Some degree of boss monster is absolutely necessary for a deck to have enough potential to be as good as the current top decks. Notice how at least two out of three of the first level of boss monsters comprise the majority of major tournament top cuts? The evidence is all here; you just need to look at it.
But what about decks like Gadgets that don't really have a boss monster? Gadget decks are one thing that to the best of my knowledge has never topped a Shonen Jump Championship. They lack a boss monster, and that's the main problem with them. Sure, you can go "Summon Gadget. Search Gadget. Fissure. Attack. End." until they're dead, but when it comes down to it you're going to be relying on monster removal like Fissure, Smashing Ground, Lightning Vortex, Bottomless Trap Hole, Dimensional Prison, etc. and that is not a strategy that can really claim a spot among the other top tier decks. If Gadgets don't have removal, they're not going to preform on a level close to other decks. Compare not seeing removal in a Gadget deck to not seeing Judgment Dragon in a Lightsworn deck. Lightsworns can still swarm and win the game without seeing Judgment Dragon. Gadgets can't function without the removal. Is the key difference visible yet?
My Deckbuilding Example : Beasts
In this example, I will be building a deck that focuses on Beast-type monsters using my own method worded here and a couple of other tricks that I didn't really mention.I've already built this deck, but I will go through what I did step by step to show you, the reader, how do go about this.
First off, I will be working on the monster lineup first. Since I now know that I want to build a Beast deck, I'm going to go on YVD and get a list of every Beast-type monster for reference. As a main focus, I will be building this deck that will keep a bigger monster on the field at all times. Green Baboon, Defender of The Forest and King of The Beasts will be my focal points here, because they are easily revivable which supports my main goal. Now that I know what I am aiming for with this deck, I'm going to build the monster line skeleton first:
Monsters: (??)
3 Green Baboon, Defender of The Forest
3 King of The Beasts
3 Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter
3 Moja
X ???
X ???
X ???
X ???
X ???
X ???
Green Baboon and King are both maxed out because they are the focus of the deck. The more of them I run, the more of them I'm going to see in the graveyard, the more I can continually revive. Ryko is maxed out because it's an extremely beneficial card in a build like this. It can destroy any card and at the same time potentially put Baboon/King in the graveyard. Any card that does more than one thing is always helpful. Moja is maxed out because the number of Mojas goes hand in hand with the number of Kings. At the same time, it maximizes revival capabilities.
Now that I have the monsters that I know that I want to run, I'm going to look for other synergetic options. I already have another in mind.
Monsters: (??)
3 Green Baboon, Defender of The Forest
3 King of The Beasts
3 Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter
3 Moja
1 Rescue Cat
3 X-Saber Airbellum
X ???
X ???
X ???
X ???
I've added Rescue Cat because it can search out three different monsters, nine copies altogether. All of the following are beneficial combinations:
2 X-Saber Airbellum (Double discard)
1 X-Saber Airbellum & 1 Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter (Single discard, Lv5 Synchro)
1 X-Saber Airbellum & 1 Moja (Single discard, Lv4 Synchro/King of The Beasts Revival)
2 Moja (Double King of The Beasts Revival)
Special summoning Airbellum in general with other monsters on the field maximizes Synchro Summon capabilities. Even if I am somehow forced into a situation other than these four during a game, when the beasts that I special summoned with Rescue Cat get destroyed at the end phase, it allows me to put a Baboon on my field in time to create somewhat of a wall on my opponent's turn. Rescue Cat has no drawback in this deck and this is the kind of synergy you always want to be looking for when building a deck.
Now that I have more of an earth focus, I'm going to incorporate Giant Rat as a tutor for not only Moja but Rescue Cat and the additional targets I'm about to include as well.
Monsters: (22)
3 Green Baboon, Defender of The Forest
3 King of The Beasts
3 Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter
3 Moja
1 Rescue Cat
3 X-Saber Airbellum
3 Giant Rat
1 Card Trooper
1 Neo-Spacian Grand Mole
1 Cyber Dragon
Giant Rat has been incorporated to as I said not only search Moja but search Rescue Cat, Card Trooper, and Grand Mole. At the same time, if my Rat dies, I'm able to revive Baboon; yet another signal to the projected main focus of this deck. Card Trooper creates mills to help get Kings and Baboons into the GY, can run over a few notable things, and nets me a card when destroyed. Grand Mole is a Synchro Killer. Cyber Dragon has been included because it in some sense supports the main focus of the deck, by creating a somewhat big monster on the field. In addition, it lets me have access to Lv8 Synchro Monsters with Airbellum, and can be used against machine decks with Chimeratech Fortress Dragon. Lastly, as far as this monster lineup goes, twenty-two monsters is a good number for a deck that wants monsters in the graveyard often. Twenty would have been spread too thin come time to test this deck. As an additional note, Sangan was not chosen to go into this deck despite the smorgasboard of targets because of room constraints and in addition, the only monster I would cut from this for it would be Cyber Dragon, which would cut off all access to Lv8 Synchros.
Next, I will move onto spells.
Spells: (??)
X ???
2 Pot of Avarice
1 Heavy Storm
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 One For One
X ???
X ???
Most of the spell lineup is set in stone from the initial thought of what the deck would look like. Two Pot of Avarice because the deck mills often and Rats can fill up the graveyard rather quickly. Heavy Storm and MST to clear the way for the bigger monsters to swing freely. One for One to automatically search Moja for the special summon. What else could I use? I'm going to fill out the rest of the spell lineup here and then explain my choices.
Spells: (10)
3 Book of Moon
2 Pot of Avarice
1 Heavy Storm
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 One For One
1 Charge of The Light Brigade
1 Lightning Vortex
I've filled out the rest of the spell lineup rather nicely. Book of Moon is a must in three because not only does it let me abuse Ryko's effect (also keep in mind that he's searchable through Cat) but it stops opposing Synchro Summoning, saves the bigger monsters from things like Bottomless Trap Hole, flips down Lightsworns so you don't have to worry about Honest, lets the bigger monsters push by flipping down their stronger monsters, among other uses. Lightning Vortex is a simple filler really; the deck might come into situations where it needs removal and Vortex is the most synergetic removal card for this deck because it lets you pitch King/Baboon while getting rid of their field. Charge of The Light Brigade is a personal tech that I like, especially in here. It's a card that helps ensure a really useful turn one Ryko setup, and at the same time it mills Kings/Baboons. Again, finding cards to use that have two or more benefits is key.
Next, traps.
Traps: (??)
X ???
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Torrential Tribute
1 Mirror Force
1 Call of The Haunted
X ???
The trap lineup is moreso common sense as well. Bottomless Trap Hole is too good not to run because it stops the majority of boss monsters along with a neverending list of other bigger monsters that are run in this format. Torrential and Mirror Force should be self explanatory: control the field. Call of The Haunted has many beneficial targets: Rescue Cat, Airbellum for synching, any of the bigger monsters, Moja for special summoning King, Card Trooper for the draw, Grand Mole for more Synchro killing/field control. Another really self-explanatory card. I might as well fill the rest of it out for you.
Traps: (09)
3 Phoenix Wing Wind Blast
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Torrential Tribute
1 Mirror Force
1 Call of The Haunted
1 Limit Reverse
Two simple explanations: PWWB was chosen because it's a nice removal card that can at the same time let me utilize the discard with King/Baboon. It gets rid of whatever may be in the way. Plain and simple. Limit Reverse was chosen for the same reasons I mentioned for Call. Limit is simply an additional Call that grabs back any one of nine of my monsters. It's a nice splash that allows me to further abuse Cat, Moja, Grand Mole, Trooper, etc. I really can't think of a better choice for that slot.
The Finished Product:
41 Cards
Monsters: (22)
3 Green Baboon, Defender of The Forest
3 King of The Beasts
3 Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter
3 Moja
1 Rescue Cat
3 X-Saber Airbellum
3 Giant Rat
1 Card Trooper
1 Neo-Spacian Grand Mole
1 Cyber Dragon
Spells: (10)
3 Book of Moon
2 Pot of Avarice
1 Heavy Storm
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 One For One
1 Charge of The Light Brigade
1 Lightning Vortex
Traps: (09)
3 Phoenix Wing Wind Blast
2 Bottomless Trap Hole
1 Torrential Tribute
1 Mirror Force
1 Call of The Haunted
1 Limit Reverse
All reasoning behind the card choices and deck focus has previously been explained, so I'll simply talk about one thing now: ratios. A deck like this is not overly aggressive or overly defensive. It can create beatsticks but at the same time can set up Ryko/Grand Mole and simply control. It's somewhere in the middle. Because that is what type of deck this is, I kept the spell and trap ratios nearly even so it can switch between both efficiently. From there, the monsters simply filled themselves in. Please keep in mind that this was just a general example and that something like this is probably most suitable for casual play. I don't believe that there is anything else I can touch upon that I haven't already previously in the article, so lets wrap this up.
And That's a Wrap
I've gone over not only what you should keep in mind while deckbuilding but what you need to do to begin and wrap up the deckbuilding process, with an example provided. I hope you've enjoyed this article and that you're able to take some valuable information away from it. If you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to PM me; I'll answer you in the best way that I can. Thanks for reading!
