| Let's start from scratch. We all know that a | | | | into your yugioh deck. |
| basic deck must contain at least 40 yugioh | | | | |
| cards. Although the rules allow you to have | | | | The next key item is to find out any |
| more than 40, tournament worthy decks are 99% | | | | additional banned or restricted yugioh card |
| made up of exactly 40 yugioh cards. In some | | | | list that the tournament has listed. Some |
| cases, experts do play with 41 or 42 instead | | | | tournaments restrict some rare yugioh cards |
| of 40. However, they usually have a very | | | | to 1 copy per deck. The reason for any |
| good reason for doing so. That is an | | | | banning or restriction is because the card is |
| advanced topic and will probably be best | | | | too strong and/or easily exploited. What |
| suited for another article altogether. Any | | | | we're going to focus on is the restricted |
| new deck starts with 40. | | | | list. If a restricted yugioh card fits the |
| | | | theme or goal that your deck is trying to |
| The best reason for building a core of just | | | | accomplish, then you definitely want it in |
| 40 yugioh cards is simple mathematics. | | | | your deck. If you know of yugioh cards that |
| Yugioh decks are allowed no more than 3 | | | | will eventually be banned or restricted, it's |
| copies of any one yugioh card. It doesn't | | | | best to work those cards into your current |
| matter if it's common or an ultra rare. No | | | | tournament deck. If you can and if it makes |
| more than 3 -- that's all you get. So basic | | | | sense, include 3 copies. |
| arithmetic shows that the chances of drawing | | | | |
| a particular card from your deck is 7.5% (3 | | | | The final aspect of core deck-buidling is the |
| divided by 40). Compared to a 50 card deck, | | | | metagame. The metagame is simply the |
| your chances decrease to 6.0% (3 divided by | | | | breakdown of the types of decks your |
| 50). The 1.5% difference may seem small now, | | | | competition uses. A good estimate of the |
| but that only applies at the start of the | | | | current metagame will allow you to build your |
| game, when you're drawing your opening hand. | | | | deck to properly counter your competition. |
| | | | Let say that you estimate the current |
| When you find yourself needing that one spell | | | | metagame in your area to be 40% beatdown |
| or trap card to win the game, the difference | | | | decks, 40% turbo-combo decks, 5% dragon |
| actually increases. Compare the edge | | | | decks, 5% gadget decks, 5% spellcaster decks, |
| mid-game with 15 cards already drawn from | | | | 5% other. Most metagames lean towards 1-2 |
| your deck. Assuming that you haven't drawn | | | | winning deck types from previous tournaments |
| any of the 3 copies of your key cards, the | | | | or a winning list published in a recent |
| difference is apparent. 12% (3 divided by 25 | | | | magazine. In this example, you will most |
| cards left) versus 8.6% (3 divided by 35 | | | | likely run into a beatdown deck or |
| cards left). Imagine if you and your | | | | turbo-combo deck. With this in mind, you can |
| opponent are racing for a specific yugioh | | | | begin building your deck with specific yugioh |
| card in your respective decks. I've seen | | | | cards that will help you against these types |
| games like these. Whoever draws their key | | | | of decks. You will most likely end up |
| card first usually locks up the game. Sure | | | | building an antithesis of these decks or |
| there's luck, but you also have to sway luck | | | | simply a better version of the decks because |
| towards you by building in the best chances | | | | you will fare better in a mirror-match. |