When we think of winning at Yu-Gi-Oh! we first think of the broken cards we have all come to love such as DaD (Dark Armed Dragon), Card Trooper in three’s and etc. Then, we think of deck building and those we refer to as professionals. Actually, there is a large list of factors that we think of before we reach playing style, heck, even food items that day rank higher. Most players build decks and assume there is only one correct way to play the hand, but in all actuality, there are various ways and they all work together. In order to excel, you must understand all aspects of playing this game and understand your playing influence on your deck.
Conservative Playing Style
The name should reveal what this type of playing is all about. You always play to have options the next turn while never over-extending. A classic deck for this would be Monarch, built and tested to fit any situation. Over-extending is not an option for this play style. Now, it gets interesting, finding a player who uses this playing style…
Adam Corn
A good player and possibly the best conservative player to date, Adam Corn, has a national title under his belt and is known for his conservative playing style. He wins by having the next move available whenever possible. Adam Corn is the first person I think of when think about a player who would be classified as a conservative player.
Aggressive Playing Style
From the sound of this playing type you should picture decks such as Six Samurai, OTK’s and FTK’s. These players go for the win despite the risk involved. They also play like the current turn could be their last turn or their last turn to win and in some formats this is completely true. Now, picking a player for this is tough to single one person out, but I must pick…
Jonathan Moore
Six Samurai are possibly the most aggressive deck when built as we have seen in the current format and how it has been used in past formats. Moore’s deck and playing style go hand and hand; it can worth the risk for the vast reward. Over-extension is a key factor.
How do these decks look?
Adam Corn:
FROM METAGAME.COM
Monsters:3 Dark Armed Dragon
2 Strike Ninja
2 Mystic Tomato
1 Sangan
1 Spirit Reaper
1 Breaker the Magical Warrior
1 Darklord Zerato
1 Jinzo
1 Snipe Hunter
1 Destiny Hero – Disk Commander
1 Prometheus, King of the Shadows
1 Morphing Jar
1 Dark Magician of Chaos
2 Armageddon Knight
1 D.D. Scout Plane
Spells:1 Dimension Fusion
1 Smashing Ground
3 Allure of Darkness
1 Enemy Controller
1 Creature Swap
1 Premature Burial
2 Reinforcement of the Army
1 Heavy Storm
1 Fires of Doomsday
1 Scapegoat
Traps:1 Crush Card Virus
2 Return from the Different Dimension
2 Escape from the Dark Dimension
1 Mirror Force
1 Torrential Tribute
1 Call of the Haunted
Now for where the deck meets the playing style for conservative players. Corn plays 2x Escape from the Dark Dimension, vs. RftDD. Why? It does not waste life points. Morphing Jar and Spirit Reaper are also conservative. Morphing Jar and Spirit Reaper act as cards that you need to use as safety-nets or they could be a wasted card space, so the correct planning and mechanics are needed. One of the most conservative cards is Fires of Doomsday. Fires of Doomsday is great tribute fodder and it acts as a last defense when needed.
Jonathan Moore:
FROM METAGAME.COM
Monsters:1 Enishi, Shien’s Chancellor
1 The Six Samurai – Kamon
2 Spirit of the Six Samurai
2 Cyber Dragon
2 The Six Samurai – Zanji
3 The Six Samurai – Yaichi
3 The Six Samurai – Irou
3 Great Shogun Shien
3 Grandmaster of the Six Samurai
Spells:1 Swords of Revealing Light
1 Premature Burial
1 Mystical Space Typhoon
1 Brain Control
1 Heavy Storm
2 Reinforcement of the Army
2 Six Samurai United
3 Reasoning
Traps:1 Torrential Tribute
1 Call of the Haunted
1 Mirror Force
2 Phoenix Wing Wind Blast
3 Solemn Judgment
Now, this is aggressive. Three Great Shogun Shiens act as a lock and the highest attack monster but it can be a dead draw. 3x Solemn Judgment can waste half of your life points and when most players only use one Cyber Dragon or none he uses two of the aggressive monster. 3x Reasoning and Brain Control are only more support that he plays aggressively and built his deck to do so.
So, the deck-build matters?
Yes! Both playing styles utilize different decks, require different plays due to this and may use different mechanics. Aggressive decks are built for quick and powerful moves while conservative have the same potential while having the ability to protect the powerful moves. Conservative players will wait for a protection card burried within their deck while aggressive players will usually attack while your opponet has a face down trap. From my experiences those players who use a conservative play style are better thought-out in their moves but aggressive players are usually hit or miss, these two very different styles will always conflict.
Adam Corn VS. Jonathan Moore
In the SJC finals, Moore won and his aggressive style, good draws and knowledge of his decks capabilities put him on top. Moore knew and built his deck to reduce the previously mentioned, "hit or miss" by creating a deck that fit his style like a glove. Adam Corn faced a deck that was aiming to win and over-extend and it did just that. It was a draw of luck for both players due to the fact both builds were created well and to increase the efficacy of their moves based on their style. When you find your style keep in mind how your deck is built and how the players who also play in the same fashion utilize their cards. It is a learning lesson but knowing the playing differences will help you read your opponent and become a better player. No version is better, it is personal preference. Adam Corn obviously has found his position as a conservative player while Moore is a classic aggressive player, just because one came out on top does not make either style superior.
Happy Medium
Personally, I aim to be ready for the next turn while being aggressive. This is a "Happy Medium" based on my play style. I aim for options while being aggressive. Despite the vast majority sticking to one side it is possible to venture out and try something new, as long as it works why not use it?
