Jan 12, 2011
When you’re in the heat of a Duel, it’s hard to always make the right decision. But if you familiarize yourself with some of the most common misplays made on the tournament scene, you can avoid making those mistakes. Take a look at some of the most frequent misplays I’ve witnessed in Duels. Try to learn from the mistakes of the Duelists making those misplays, in order to improve the way you Duel.
 |
Don't misplay with these cards! |
1.) Activating Pot of Duality as Soon as Possible
Lots of Duelists activate Pot of Duality as soon as they draw it. But this isn’t always the best play, since activating Pot of Duality prevents you from Special Summoning for the rest of the turn. Even though Pot of Duality will add a new card to your hand, activating it right away will restrict the number of plays you can make during that turn if you have cards that can Special Summon monsters.
One common misuse of Pot of Duality that I often see involves players activating Pot of Duality to grab a card, then Summoning a copy of Blackwing – Shura the Blue Flame that the Duelist already had in his hand, and using it to attack and destroy an opponent’s monster. Normally, Shura’s effect would Special Summon another monster to the field. But Pot of Duality prevents that from happening.
A better play would usually be to Summon Shura and attack your opponent’s monster with it, before activating Pot of Duality. If the attack is successful and you destroy a monster, you get to recruit a monster from your Deck with Shura’s effect. If your Summon or attack is stopped by a card like Solemn Warning, Bottomless Trap Hole, Mirror Force, or Dimensional Prison, you’ll still be free to activate Pot of Duality later in the turn. Plus, with fewer unknown cards on your opponent’s field, you’ll be in a better position to choose the best possible card to add to your hand with Pot of Duality.
If you’re lucky enough to make a successful attack with Shura and Special Summon a monster from your Deck, your Pot of Duality won’t go to waste – you can make the most of it by using it on your next turn, when you don’t have a monster to Special Summon.
2.) Activating Cold Wave While You Have Your Own Set Spells and Traps
Even the best Duelists make this mistake. When an opponent has a bunch of cards in his back row, it can be hard to resist the temptation to activate Cold Wave and use the monsters in your hand to clear your opponent’s field. But if you have a strong back row, with lots of Trap Cards like Solemn Judgment and Solemn Warning that can protect you, activating Cold Wavemay subject you to strong retaliation from your opponent. When so many Decks can clear an opponent’s field with the Summon of a single monster, activating Cold Wave and giving up a stranglehold over a Duel is a dangerous play.
The temptation to clear an opponent’s field with the help of Cold Wave can be hard to resist. But if activating Cold Wave puts you in a vulnerable position that you could avoid, you’ll usually regret using it.
3.) Activating Cold Wave and Giant Trunade Immediately
Lots of Duelists activate Cold Wave and Giant Trunade just so that they can safely destroy an unimportant monster in battle and end their turn. Cold Wave and Giant Trunade are best saved for the big plays: plays that will wipe out a bunch of your opponent’s cards, get you out of an extremely tough position, or win you the Duel. Cold Wave and Giant Trunade will ensure you safety for an entire turn. It’s a mistake to waste that safety on a weak move.
4.) Black Rose Dragon is more than a Field Wipe – it’s a Duel-Ender!
Black Rose Dragon has become a popular card, especially in Plant Synchro Decks. Nonetheless, lots of Plant Synchro Duelists frequently forget that Black Rose Dragon has an effect that allows the Duelist to remove a Plant-Type monster from his Graveyard in order to switch an opponent’s Defense Position monster to Attack Position and reduce that monster’s ATK to 0. When an opponent is low on Life Points, using Black Rose Dragon’s effect and then attacking the opponent’s 0 ATK monster can be an easy way to finish a Duel, no matter how many monsters are on your opponent’s side of the field.
When you’re facing a Plant Synchro Deck, it’s equally important to be cautious of this effect. If you’re low on Life Points and Set a monster, you’re risking the possibility that an opponent will switch the monster into Attack Position and reduce its ATK to 0 with Black Rose Dragon’seffect. If your field is filled with strong Attack Position monsters, sometimes it’ll be safer not to Set the extra monster face-down.
These are just a few of the misplays that occur regularly in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME. If you’re looking to improve your skills by reading about other common mistakes that Duelists make, or reading about strategic plays that top Duelists decide on, check out the YCS post-event analysis for tips!
