Me (along with a couple friends) are trying to get a few people into the game of VS. These people have an extensive background in Yugioh, but no real experience in VS at all. I realize there are starter decks that are supposed to make this easy, but I also know that there are other ways of teaching them the game such as building them each a simple standard deck from our own pool of cards to help them out and help them understand the rules, etc.

Some things about VS can be tricky and confusing to a new player. The most basic of these is the combat step. Example: not only must the new player know how damage is dealt and why, but he must also know if his character stuns back, understand team attacking and reinforcing, understand how effects work in combat (and more importantly how they effect the outcome of the turn), know how to take advantage of Flight and Range, determine a decent order of attacks, and many other dimensions. A plethora things are presented, and it is most definitely overwhelming to a new player.

I want to know how you guys would teach/have taught the game of VS to people you know. What methods are best for helping them understand how the game is played?

This is pretty relevant to me....I have a big background in ygo and my teamates picked up this game and said it has hella fun.....so they got me into it and I had a real rough time learning that you basically take the same turn....(since i'd been playing ygo for 3 years) and then came the stunning back of their charcters by comparing my attack to there D and there Attack to my D.....that part had me so confused I almost quit....but my teamates helped me a lot and now it's a much more enjoyable game then ygo right now...........they taught me how to play with a synister syndicate deck and since it was pretty straight forward eased me into the game......if you wish to teach ygo players the game build a sinsiter synicate deck because it's primarly beatdown and that's a concept ygo players understant.....:p

peace ThePrimeMinasta

First rule of demoing/teaching: Let the Wookie Win
Winning is the easiest way to keep new players interested. Throw a few games to them by underdropping in the later turns or hold back on some of your better PTs.


Second rule: Use only beatdown decks
Beatdown decks are simple decks and they don't really have negative cards (cards that stop your opponent doing things).


Third rule: Less text is best
The less text on cards the less complicated they are so try to use decks that have characters with little or simple game text.


Fourth rule: Introduce things slowly
I always start with whats a character card and point out what the numbers are used for. Explain the resource row and then show a PT and Loc and explain how they work. Then explain the rest as you play. You don't want to overwhelm with information otherwise people think the game is too complicated. Take it slow.


Once I had to demo 8 kids at once how to play and I found the easiest way was to just get them to lay a resource and recruit a character of the right cost. I didn't bother with front/support rows, flight/range or powers. After a few games I then introduced the front/support row and flight/range. Then after a few more games I started with the powers.

I've found that, for younger players, using the Fantastic Four deck (and letting them play the Fantastic Four) really works wonders. There isn't much text, it's really straightforward, and really engages them for some reason.

Actually, I find that it's better if you work fast.

Just throw the rules at them kinda fast, and start a game and see if they can follow.

It's better to play open hand this way, but it really works, and obviously explain as you go.

I have found this thread gives the most comprehensive directions for teaching new players!Good Luck:) A Basic VS. Lesson Plan it is in the general forum!

You know, I can see people ending up in a psych ward because someone tried to teach them to play with Titan and NS chain tricks.

I find Chicken Supreme to be a good teaching tool, without a hand, there's not much decision to be made. And of course, throw them a game or two(unless they act like a jackass)

When I'm teaching a new player, I try to go through stages, and in each stage I like to focus on certain aspects of the game. With each aspect of the game, I try to help that player define a model that will hold throughout his Vs System days.

I especially like to focus on models because all players create them, and if you don't try to set the right model, you're going to end up with some messed up ideas about the game. For example, most new players end up with an "Illegal Attackers Ready" model that is just plain wrong. You have to set the foundation to make sure this model never catches.

*****

Stage 1: Learn the types of cards! Focus on the difference between a threshold vs. resource costs. I like to point out that both use the resource row as their enabler; however with resource costs the resource row is a wallet...whereas with threshold costs, the resource row is a light-switch.

Stage 2: Learn the rows! I like to focus on the importance of the support and 'attack' (i.e., front) rows. I begin setting the foundation for one of my key models--Legal Attacker vs. Legal Defender. With this model, I like to point out that every attack needs a legal attacker and a legal defender. I also like to point out how there are very simple rules for this.

A Legal Attacker is an attacker in the front row.
A character with Range is always a legal attacker.

A Legal Defender is an unprotected character.
A protected character is a legal defender if the attacker has flight.
Hidden Characters are always illegal defenders.

That's it. It's simple. Sure, the new players are going to have their growing pains, where they think that an unprotected character in the back rown can't be attacked because the attacker doesn't have flight. You just have to keep hammering home. Is the attacker legal? Is the defender legal? Then it's all good.

Stage 3: Resource Management! This is when I start to integrate strategy. I'll start using Plot Twists at this point. I might start to hint at priority, but I won't go into it, explicitly. I keep working on cementing the points from the earlier 2 stages while working on how to best use the resource row.

*****

Basically, if you can focus on building the right models, your new players are going to evolve very quickly.

My classes are only 54 minutes long, so I need a way to hook them like snap. The One World format is ideal to start with: http://metagame.com/vs.aspx?tabid=46&ArticleId=6917

I realize that it does not teach proper competitive habits... but it is fun and quick and they get to swing and learn really fast. They like it, sometimes much better than the more extensive lessons that come later.

One of the reasons Avengers was such a good set i think was that almost all the teams were pretty easy to use. I've noticed as more and more sets get released a lot of the teams that come out are really fun but also really complex for beginner players. One of my gripes with IC was that ALL the teams were pretty tricky and i couldn't recommend anything to a beginner. I had to tell them to go buy xmen which some didn't like.

MHG is the same way, Kree, Doom and Inhumans are not that easy to play with if your just learning the mechanics. Heralds isn't hard but it requires a lot of rares. I'm not quite sure how sets can be designed to keep vetern and beginner players happy but its definitely something to think about.

I really hope the NEW spiderfriends team is easy, i know a lot of younger players wanting to play it. If it comes out with the complexity of say, Shadowpact. I'm going to be ticked. So many kids want to play spidey they better make it Avengers Reservist easy.