Dealing with Side Decks

[JesusofChaos™]

This was requested from Exiro so ill give it a go.

 

Side decks are a very valuable tool in the game. It contains valuable mtech cards which can allow you to adapt your deck in the middle of the game. In this issue we will look at various rules relating to side decks, a few tips and a few cards which are popular in side decks currently.

 

The Basics

 

First of we need to understand what a side deck is. A side deck is a collection of 15 cards which in between games you can exchange between your main deck.

 

A side deck must contain either 0 or 15 cards. No where in between. You may still only include 3 copies of an unlimited card in side deck and main deck combined.

 

After the first game of a match has passed both players get 3 minutes to exchange cards between their side deck and main deck. After the exchange has occured both the main deck and side deck must contain the same number of cards that you started with. Some players will check this by making their opponent count out their side deck so they can see it still contains 15 cards.

 

A few Rulings

 

There are several rulings relating to side deck:

 

When playing in Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG tournaments' date=' each player is allowed to bring a Side Deck to the tournament in addition to his or her regular Deck. The Side Deck is only used for games after the first game of a Match. If game 1 was not played because of a tournament penalty, players may not access their Side Decks for game 2. At the end of a Match, each player must revert his or her Deck back to its original state, undoing all changes that were made using the Side Deck during that Match.

[/quote']

 

Another ruling is that both players must declare to each other they are using a side deck before the game starts. If they do not, they cannot use their side deck during that match.

 

If time is called before the end of a game and the players need to play another game to determine the winner, side decking is not allowed.

 

A few side deck tips

 

There are many techniques to side decking that can be used to your advantage. The first is smokescreening. This is to not allow your opponent see what you are side decking in and can be done a variety of ways. The first is adding your whole side deck into your deck, then going through your deck and removing 15 cards placing them face down on the table. Another is to make sure you keep the cards you are siding in and out face down so your opponent cannot see.

 

There are also different types of side deck that we can split into; tech filled side decks and deck changing side decks

 

Tech filled side decks are the most commonly used side deck. These contain anti meta cards that can disrupt the widely used decks. In the last meta these included- Shadow Imprisoning Mirror, Light Imprisoning Mirror, Threatening Roar, Divine Wrath, Royal Oppression, Skill Drain. These allow players to make slight adjustments to make their deck stronger against a particular deck.

 

Deck Changing Side Decks are less scene but can give duelist the edge of surprise over their opponent. These side decks allow the player to change thier whole deck for example changing a PC deck into an apprentice monarch deck. These are most widely used by monarch decks as the core cards are usually the same, but they are also used in various stall/burn/exodia variants.

 

The main aim with your side deck is to outwit your opponent. Look around your local meta and try to find cards that combat your specific local meta.

 

A few Side Deck Cards

 

Some cards have earn themselves in most peoples side decks. Here are 3 cards which are widely used-

 

Prohibition- When you play this card, declare the name of 1 card. As long as this card remains on the field, the declared card cannot be played. The cards which are already on the field before this card's activation are excluded.

 

This card is extremely versitile as the card declared cannot be summoned, discarded for a cost, or activate its effect (eg D.D. Crow)

 

Dust Tornado- Destroy 1 Spell or Trap Card your opponent controls. You can then Set 1 Spell or Trap Card from your hand.

 

When you need extra magic and trap destruction most people turn to dust tornado. It also has a handy second effect.

 

Divine Wrath- Discard 1 card from your hand. Negate the activation of an Effect Monster's effect and destroy that Effect Monster.

 

Most cards rely on their effects in most metas. Divine Wrath is helpful for when you want to combat decks which heavily rely on monster effects (LS, Glads and DAD)

 

Thanks for reading

[Skuldur]

Very good information, now people can make better sidedecks

[Exiro]

JoC, you are great!

 

You immediately take your time for these things when there's somebody who needs it, and that's why you're doing a great job as a mod.

 

Thanks ;)

[CrabHelmet]

A side deck must contain either 0 or 15 cards. No where in between.

 

I thought that this rule was changed so that numbers between 0 and 15 were legal.

[JesusofChaos™]

Nope it was scraped along with release and advance summon term changes

[CrabHelmet]

Nope it was scraped along with release and advance summon term changes

 

Well' date=' obviously the term changes didn't carry over, but I thought I remembered that the side deck rule did.

 

EDIT:

 

However, a Side Deck is not compulsory, in which case, a value of 0 for a Side Deck is also considered legal. In both the OCG and the TCG, any value between 0 and 15 inclusive is permissible.

 

Rules for UDE Sanctioned Tournaments have not changed, however. For UDE Tournaments, you still must have either 0 or 15 cards exactly in your Side Deck.

 

THE WIKI SAID SO THEREFORE IT MUST BE TRUE

 

I'm too lazy to find any remotely reliable sources. >_>

[JesusofChaos™]

Nope it was scraped along with release and advance summon term changes

 

Well' date=' obviously the term changes didn't carry over, but I thought I remembered that the side deck rule did.

[/quote']

 

nope they didnt follow through-

From Most recent UDE policy document

 

When a player registers for a Constructed tournament, he or she may choose to register a Side Deck of exactly fifteen cards, or he or she may decide not to register a Side Deck at all. Side Decks must always be fifteen cards—no more, no less. If a player uses a Side Deck between games, he or she must exchange cards on a one-for-one basis so that the Side Deck always contains fifteen cards. A player has a total of three minutes between games of a Match to use his or her Side Deck, shuffle, and present his or her Deck to the opponent.

 

 

I always make my articles with reference to tournements

[Jesus]

I like this. Very helpful to those who don't understand/use sidedecks.

 

I think it should be stickied.

[Exiro]

I like this. Very helpful to those who don't understand/use sidedecks.

 

I think it should be stickied.

 

I don't see why this one is more important than the other Dealing With articles.

 

Anyway, maybe link to this and the other articles in the 'Q&A' thread.

[JesusofChaos™]

All my dealing with articles can be found here- http://forum.yugiohcardmaker.net/thread-63183.html

[Exiro]

Hm, I'm starting to like Prohibition...

 

All my dealing with articles can be found here- http://forum.yugiohcardmaker.net/thread-63183.html

 

Oh yeah, forgot about that thread.

[Ultimate Ryan]

I'm gonna add this to my compilation of important threads if you don't mind ^^

[Zeppeli Gyro Supreme]

The 0 or 15 rule sucks. Why can't we be smart like Japan and be able to use any number in between? I don't duel in official tourneys, but it still aggravates me >

[NeoPaladin2008]

why? If you can run 15 you want to run 15, it does no harm >.>

[Zeppeli Gyro Supreme]

In a sense, it promotes playing bad cards. If you only have 10 cards for your side deck and throw in 5 random cards, you might end up thinking of actually using one of those crappy cards against someone.

[Darkerai]

In a sense' date=' it promotes playing bad cards. If you only have 10 cards for your side deck and throw in 5 random cards, you might end up thinking of actually using one of those crappy cards against someone.

[/quote']

 

but what if those 5 cards happen to be 3 skull servents and 2 thousand eyes idle?

[RyanAtlus]

The prob with Skill Drain is that it will *FFF* your own cards as well...