Format Analysis

When I was a little kid, I used to play chess (and I did it really well). In chess we separated the game in three phases, the opening, the middle game, and the final. The first part finish when one of the player castle the king. The second part finish when the players trade their queens.

In Yugi, we had something similar. The opening finish when one of the duelists successfully recruit his key monsters (Machina Fortress, gergiaccelerator, grapha, hornet, wind-up shark). The middle game represent the moment when the players develop his combo trying to take field and card advantage while make some damage. And the final part of the duel is the point where both player can potentially die due to a key strategy move. They have to push and sacrifice their card advantage in order to seal their victory.

I used to believe yugioh was like that, but this format is really different. We have lost our middle game, so after searching for the key monsters, the duel can end by any time. Probably you are thinking that I'm talking about those many OTKs we all suffered. However I'm talking about something else, in this format we have combos that don't need to deal damage to seal the duel. I not sure if I expresing myself correctly, so I will put a example.

 You attack with card trooper into a set monster, it flipped face up and it was geargiarmor that search geargiaccelerator. At this point, you know the next turn will bring two geargianto X and one machina fortress, but you have to consider the rest of your opponent hand. So, you desperately need something to defense yourself because even when you didn't lose any card or recieve any damage, you  know you won't survive to see your next turn. The same scenario can be develop if your opponent opens with two dragged downs to grave, or Shi en with three back row cards, or wind up rabbit with wind up factory. You may not die in these cases, but probably the duel will be over if you don't do something quickly. You have this feeling of: "I will probably won't survive to this".

I still remember when I played trap cards and I could acctually decide whether to defense myself with it or take the damage to keep my traps. Right now we don't have a choice. That's why we keep playing many trap cards even when there is three MST and Heavy Storm in the game.

By the way, Did you read the whole coverage? You will find yourself reading X player use MST and hit MST. Because everybody is playing MST at three to clean the back row line to start and finish his battle in one turn. Everybody had fear and they should. Even BLS can finish a duel on his own. We have lost our middle game and Joseph Maddalena knew that. That's why he played every turn like it was the last one. Because it acctually is.

I know this format is better than the last one because this time we at least have the cards and the chance to defense ourself, but we don't have the choice. Beside everything I said here, I love this format. I'm not sure if things will be ok with mermail on the game, but we will have to deal with it.

P.D. I will move out in the next week. So probably no new post until I get internet conecction again. :(