Kergy’s Korner #9: The Non-Technical Side of VS

“How do I play the game?” – You read the rulebook a bunch of times and then find someone who knows how to play to teach you.

“How do I build a deck?” – You take cards and put them together into a pile of at least sixty, and hope that they work together.

Seems like I’m being sarcastic, doesn’t it? But I’m actually being quite serious. This article is not about which cards are the best, or what type of deck to play, or a deep, behind-the-scenes look at the game’s design. What I want to do is take a look at some of the problems that have repeatedly popped up and give out some non-technical, simple-to-understand advice on how to learn and play this game.

1) The RULES

The first bit of advice I have is the most simple for those of you who are literate, and are willing to put JUST a little effort into this game. READ THE RULEBOOK. Then, when you’re finished, READ IT AGAIN. Now spend some time thinking about the rules, look at some VS sites, some articles, play a sample game or three, and READ IT AGAIN. In fact, before you ask any questions about the rules, game play, etc, you should be VERY familiar with the rules and the book.

I’m NOT trying to be condescending or snobbish, as I’m no exception to this rule, I’m really just trying to be honest and helpful. Even experienced gamers need to be careful when entering new TCG domains. A new game is uncharted territory, and log-time gamers can be the worst – many of them think they know everything they need to know, often give the rules no more than a cursory glance, and then apply the system of every other game they play to these rules, assuming that they work the same way.

I have read the rulebook through multiple times. Think double digits. And I still consult it frequently when answering a question, or monitoring rules discussions. I know the rules back to front, but I still like to make sure that I am right before I answer a question, or that the rules are not set out in front of me, before I ask one.

More often than not, the answer to your question is right under your nose. You simply may have missed it the first time through, or you might not have read that section through carefully enough (or are too lazy to read it through carefully enough). But before you ask questions, try to make SURE that the answer isn’t already there.

Now you should read the FAQ ( http://www.upperdeckentertainment.co...q_specific.asp ), as well as looking through VSRealms past threads, to get a feel for the clarifications and errata that Upper Deck has set down to make you gaming easier.

Once you have the rules down, have someone who knows the game play with you a few times. Whether by using Apprentice or locally with friends or at a hobby shop, the best way to learn the ins and outs of the rules is to have someone who knows them well to help you when you first start to play.

After a few games, you should now be able to move onto the next step in the game:

2) The DECK

Deck construction is an art form. And, like any art, it takes practice, determination and experiment to perfect it. Don’t expect your deck to come out of the gates winning. Even if you’ve played other games and consider yourself to be somewhat experienced in the TCG field, your skill in deck-building will be a boon in this game, but not a guarantee.

There are four basic steps towards building a competent deck.

Step One: Learn the spoiler. You should know every card in the game – you don’t have to know every bit of game text by heart, but you should be aware of every card’s existence and have a spoiler list nearby for consultation. Not knowing the cards can break your deck – you need to know what will work within your game strategy, and what to expect from other deck types.

Step Two: Research. Look at the decks on VSRealms – paying special attention to those that have been rated highly by members. Look around for other deck samples. Look at what your local community is playing. Look at the metagame – the favourites in terms of cards and decks within the local, regional and national communities. This will give you an idea of what’s out there, what’s being played, and some samples of decks that work.

Step Three: Experiment. Test your deck out . Sample draws. Set up scenarios. Play friends or online gamers, etc, and see how your deck holds up. Keep the cards that help you and remove cards that you don’t find use for. Experimenting with different cards and combos will help you to understand how the cards work, which cards work well together, and will help you to streamline your strategies.

Step Four: Learn by experience. Enter into a local tourney. How well did you do? What kinds of decks beat you and which decks gave you no problems? Were there any cards you had trouble playing? Any you REALLY wish you’d had in your deck? Ultimately, the only way to truly know how strong your deck is, is to put it into a game situation. Granted, mistakes may be made, and your gaming skills have a lot to do with winning and losing, but if your deck doesn’t hold up, you should examine very carefully WHY it didn’t perform and make the necessary surgical decisions.

To recap:

-LEARN the rules. Without a strong knowledge of the rules, you’re doomed before you start playing.
-FIND a teacher. The best way to fully understand the rules is to have someone help you along.
-LEARN the cards. You have to know the cards in order to complete – even casually.
-RESEARCH your deck. Learning by example will always help you to tweak your deck construction and understand the underlying complexities behind the cards.
-PLAY the game. Experience is the best teacher. The best way to solidify your knowledge of the game, cards and rules is to get out and PLAY the game.

So what are you waiting for…??

Running out of ideas, Kergy? Seriously man, not your best work. Your time would be better spent pressuring Upper Deck for spoilers to put in your confirming lists, which is desperately needed right now.

As far as basic review pieces go, it's pretty good. Definately see the Lit. student in you (I like English class myself). Bizarro does have a valid point though, just not much meat in this one.

Fun read anyways. :)

i liked it if is only cuz it made me chuckle with the off hand remarks

how do i play Vs?

read the @#$% rulebook you @#$%.



oh i did the symbols myself, not sure what words are filtered and what would go through, so i decided to be safe.

now that seems like a fun experiement, does't it?

-grin- well my MAIN reason for writing this is because I constantly see people on all the boards and lists asking questions that are CLEARLY marked in the rules (and I know how unclear the book can be, but these are *obvious* and it's clear the people who ask them are too lazy to look them up...), people who ask questions that have been asked a UNDRED times before but don't take the time to look in the archives or do a simple 'search' - or, and I kid you not, I've seen four people at least like this, ask 'can someone tell me how to play this game?'

So while I know that a lot of people on the boards are QUITE this bad, everyone needs a gentle reminder now and then, myself included =)

I have somethig a little more 'interesting' planned for next week...

Cheers!
-Ben =)