BELIEVING IN the heart of the cards was a message that struck our hearts upon watching the hit card game anime series, Yu-Gi-Oh!
And we even fell for the hype as we ended up buying the iconic cards from the series, from Dark Magicians to Blue Eyes White Dragons, and the like.
Nowadays, fans of the card game series can relieve the nostalgia as it can be found on Netflix, while they can also try playing the actual card game via Steam through Duel Links or Master Duel. Both games are free to play.
Given the accessibility from Yu-Gi-Oh!, should fans relieve its glory days? Should newcomers start venturing into the Trading Card Game?
Here's what I discovered after spending hours in Master Duel.
Yu-Gi-Oh! is more complex than ever
For fans who grew accustomed to the traditional setup of Yu-Gi-Oh!, where effect monsters only had a sentence in their description, and when level 5 to 8 monsters can only be summoned by sacrificing 1-2 monster cards might be overwhelmed with the current meta in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG.
Nowadays, the starter decks from our childhood (e.g. Joey, Kaiba, Yugi) are no longer viable as they have been severely power crept by the latest decks (e.g. Mathmech, Kashtira, etc.)
And you'd be surprised that high level monsters in the current meta, can instantly be summoned on the first turn, especially with the right combos or setups. Plus things are even more demanding now that effect monsters have a paragraph written all over them.
But these aren't the only changes that might be daunting for returnees as there are new sets of cards that would add some spice, as Link Monsters, Pendulums, Synchros, and XYZs have invaded the scene.
Given what has transpired, Yu-Gi-Oh! has evolved to the point where players could be boggled by the game's mechanics and not even Yugi Mutou's current deck list and his belief in the power of friendship could save him in this modern era.
Is Yu-Gi-Oh! beginner friendly?
Now due to the current complexities from the modern era, comes a truckload of strategies and tactics that players need to be aware of.
First Turn Kill (FTK) strats are common in the current setting, where opponents can instantly win the game on the first move.
Getting the FTK condition isn't just limited to being lucky in getting five parts of Exodia as there are countless decks and strategies that offer the same approach.
But besides FTK decks, Yu-Gi-Oh! is currently bound in a meta, where hand traps and negates are very common, so expect the opponent to land a field of cards that would deny the activation of your cards.
With these in mind, it can be argued that Yu-Gi-Oh! can be a frustrating experience for newcomers as they can feel that they're being cheesed by their opponents.
However that doesn't necessarily mean that new players shouldn't try to venture into the game as it can be a rewarding experience especially once you dig deep and uncover the secrets of Duel Monsters.
Fast-paced gameplay
And once the players master the art of dueling, they'll slowly appreciate Yu-Gi-Oh!'s fast-paced nature.
From the get go, players begin with 8000 life points, which may seem like a large number, but the attacks of most monsters and the constant burn damage from card effects could easily dwindle that down to zero.
This what makes Yu-Gi-Oh! stand out as it isn't a long grindy slugfest that consumes a lot of your time. Heck, you can even play Master Duel during breaks or even while working (which is what I'm doing now, as I write this article)
Yu-Gi-Oh! actually has a profound lore
While the gameplay and nostalgia could be some of the biggest highlights of Yu-Gi-Oh!, one should never discount its lore.
And no I am not talking about the anime series where Yugi Mutou duels with Seto Kaiba, Maximilion Pegasus, Marik Ishtar, then saves the world from the likes of Bakura and Dartz, while also uncovering the mysteries of the Millenium Puzzle.
The cards themselves have their respective backstories.
Take for instance the World Legacy story, which is in my opinion offers the best narrative.
The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic fantasy world where childhood friends Auram, Ib, Ningrisu, and the small dragon Imduk were chosen to save the world.
It may seem simple and straightforward, but it gets complicated as there are a lot of twists and turns that took place. Some fans would even argue that the World Legacy story should have its own anime or series, given its overall profoundness.
And there are other stories to uncover from other decks, which can be explored in Master Duel's solo mode.
With these cards/decks having their respective narratives, seeing them clash against each other feels like the multiverse has erupted, as one can imagine the heroes of World Legacy duke it out against the characters from Sky Strikers, Dogmatika, Spyrals, and other notable archetypes.
And for fans who wish to jump into Duel Monsters, they can purchase the official copy of the cards/decks by shopping in Courtside, which can be located in North Edsa, Glorietta 3, and even on Shopee.
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