Card games like Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokemon cards are so much whether you are just playing with friends or taking on top players at a tournament. There are so many different decks and strategies to master in order to become a great player that it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. While you don’t need to win every game to have a good time, it is a lot more fun when you are able to compete with top players.
To help everyone out there hone their skills, here are the top ways to improve as a player and make your card game more enjoyable.
1. Master Every Deck
Learning what each deck does is crucial in increasing your win percentages which will help you to enjoy your card games more. Take note of the decks which people at local tournaments are playing with and that way you can prepare yourself by reading up on those cards and the strategies that players are likely to be following. You will then be able to prepare counter strategies such as when to stop certain effects. Once you have chosen the best cards and strategy for your style you can add cool sleeves for your deck so that your opponents know you are a serious player. Learning what the best decks do is imperative to your success because if you don’t know what your opponent’s deck does it doesn’t matter how good your deck is because they will be able to outmaneuver you every step of the way.
2. Learn from the Best
It is very important for your development as a card player that you don’t just compete against players which you know you can beat. The only way to really improve is to challenge players who are more experienced than you. Just talking with the top players or watching them play is a great way to learn things that you may have never realized before. Try attending large tournaments so that you can watch feature matches. Players post content on YouTube all the time and you can also go on Duelingbook and watch the top rated players play at any time of the day.
3. Embrace the Benefits of Net Decking
Net decking means imitating the decks and strategies of successful players and it is a great way to learn. There are some who frown upon net decking as if it is some form of cheating but there is not a sport or game in the world where players don’t try to copy the best. Many players have really strong technical play but they’re poor deck builders or don’t have the time to commit thirty hours to nitpick individual card choices. At the end of the day, why would you start from ground zero when people have already seen success with a particular strategy? You may not even like everything about their deck but it will give you a strong foundation to work from which will help to kick-start your game. A lot of the top players in the game net deck just to get started and then fine-tune and hone their strategy.
4. Became a Master at Side Decking
Top players know how important their side deck is because you will need to rely on it every game you play. When you’re side decking, you don’t want to take away from your core engine because that’s going to be how your deck primarily functions. If you take out cards that are going to stop you from achieving your main win condition then that’s going to be a deterrent in helping you win games two and three. Some cards might stop your opponent from advancing their game state while other cards might give you a slight edge just because they perform very well in a particular matchup. Side decking is a tricky science and the better you get at it the faster you’re going to improve.
5. Be Self-Reflective in Defeat
To become a great player you need to be frank and honest with yourself when you lose a game. Maybe you made a side decking error and brought in too many cards or not enough cards or maybe you took out the wrong cards and made it difficult for you to win maybe you didn’t read your opponent’s card and realized the interaction that was going to occur until after it happened and lost as a result of it. Recognizing why you lost rather than just blaming it on bad luck or some other excuse will help you to learn from your mistakes and help you improve as a player.
Card games can be very tricky to master but they are also a whole lot of fun! Follow these five top ways and you will soon be a top player who can enjoy each match to the fullest.
