How to Build a Competitive Yu-Gi-Oh Deck

The Yu-Gi-Oh TCG is hard enough to learn and play, but try competing in a big event! Konami and Upperdeck, the producers and distributors of the Yu-Gi-Oh trading card game based on the hit TV show offer a ton of prizes for those who win their official tournaments. From cash to cards these prizes are well worth your time and effort, but your competition will be fierce. Not only children play this game, adults are the primary winners at local and regional tournaments. Ranging in age from the late teens to late twenties early thirties this proves how much is at steak and the kind of atmosphere you'll be exposed to, and I want to make sure your deck will be at its best.

When building a deck for competition there are a few things to consider. The cards you currently have, what cards you need, the level of the event, and be aware of the current strategies players are using. You need to have good cards to begin with, if you dont then buy a structure deck and a few packs. Then be sure and try to get some of the staple cards found in many of the decks played by the pros. Also practice is key, play your friends and family to get a good feel for the game, and never be afraid to ask a question.

Every deck in this game tries to be unique, however most fail, why? Because there are a list of about ten to twenty cards that you should always have in your deck no matter what, and even then most decks in the current play environment only differ from one another by a couple of cards. The following cards are needed in most every deck for a chance to win.

Traps: Mirror Force, Bottomless Trap hole, Torrential Tribute, Call of the Haunted, Sakuretsu Armor

Magic: Pot of Avarice, Graceful Charity, Last Will, Hammer Shot, Fissure, Heavy Storm, Mystic Space Typhoon, Noblemen of Cross out

Monsters: Spirit Reaper, Breaker the Magical Warrior, Exiled Force, Sangan, Jinzo, Magician of Faith, Cyber Dragon.

So those twenty cards will make up the base of any deck you may want to build. As you can tell your magic cards are very important. These cards are your best bet for getting technical work done with little or no consequence. Traps can be destroyed, and monster effects are easily negated so with magic cards like Fissure and Hammer Shot you can kill annoying monsters, and with Pot of Avarice and Graceful Charity you'll have some decent draw power. Heavy Storm and Mystic Space Typhoon will kill your opponent's traps and your Noblemen of Cross Out will allow you to score direct hits.

The traps listed are hard to obtain but well worth it. All of them knock out your opponents monsters easily, and will leave them open for your next turn. Sakuretsu Armor will kill monsters on the attack, Torrential Tribute kills the entire field likewise with Mirror Force and Bottomless Trap Hole will allow you to stop your opponents from even playing a creature down. The Call of the Haunted is great for pulling back a Jinzo or Cyber Dragon for a big hit at a key moment.

Now the monsters. Well these guys will be doing the brunt of the damage to your opponent and score you a win. Each deck created is usually based on its monsters and so this list is very flexible. Spirit Reaper keeps your life points safe and can potentially discard your opponents hand, Breaker the Magical Warrior is a nice attacker at 1900 and can remove opponents set magic and trap cards. Cyber Dragon is the greatest opening card out there with a special summon and 2100 attack and Exiled Force can knock out your opponents big guys. As for Sangan, he's weak but puts important tech monsters into your hand, Magician of Faith gets your magic cards back for further use and Jinzo will stop the use of your opponents annoying traps, and his attack is massive.

Other monster, magic and trap cards will be added to your deck obviously depending on its arch type. If you use a warrior deck try running cards like, The Warrior returning alive, Reinforcement of the Army, Marauding Captain and Goblin attack force, for a Magician deck use Dark Magician of Chaos, Old Vindictive Magician, and Gemini Elf. It all depends on your play style and what you find comfortable.

Always be sure to experiment and practice with your newly built deck. Play against your friends and family, and see if your local card shop holds weekly tournaments. By doing this you can exchange information with fellow players and advise one another in deck building. Once you feel ready and able enter a regional event. Here you can play for big prizes such as product and cash. Only do this if you have practiced and perfected your deck and play style, because your going up against the best in your area.

Remember the rules at all times, and watch for cheating. Pro players are very ruthless, unlike your average casual tournament participants. Always ask questions, no matter how trivial they may seem at the time, you never know when you opponent is feeding you false info for his or her own personal gain. Stay calm in the heat of a match; it's a proven fact that more then 50% of a match is decided before the first cards are played. If you have a positive mentality and actually believe you can win you have already upped your chances of wining by half.

Being an informed player is also a powerful asset. If you have been participating at a local level then you may have a good idea about the dominate deck types being used. Currently Machines and Warriors dominate the playing field, but Konami and Upperdeck always keep us on our toes. So aside from watching what people play locally, get online and check the official website for Yu-Gi-Oh. They will frequently post deck ideas, card reviews and more to help you out. Also check other top forum sites to discuss your strategies with players from all over the country.

Yu-Gi-Oh is a fun and innovative game, that has a ton of cards and constantly evolving playing environment. Competing in a pro level event may not be for you, and that's ok. This game was designed to be fun and engaging, so play with your friends and just have a good time, however there are a lot of opportunities for those that take this game a step farther. So make sure your deck is the best it can be, put your time and full effort behind its creation and play with all you heart and knowledge, hey who knows it could pay off.