Duel Masters Trading Card Game
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The Duel Masters Trading Card Game is a two-player collectible card game (CCG) jointly developed by Wizards of the Coast, Shogakukan, and Mitsui & Co., Ltd.. The card game is part of the Duel Masters franchise.
It was released in Japan in May of 2002, where it quickly became the number one selling trading card game for over a year. Due to this popularity, it was released in the United States on March 5, 2004, where it has also done well. The game shares several similarities with , the world's first collectible card game which was first published by Wizards in 1993. In fact, "duelmaster" was originally intended as an alternative tradename for Magic: The Gathering and that the earlier game play was abandoned in the Duel Masters manga plot to promote this latest experience.
As in Magic: The Gathering, Duel Masters players summon creatures and cast spells using mana. Key differences include the fact that all creatures and spells can act as mana producers, creatures cannot block attacking creatures without having the "blocker" ability, and that creatures only have one "power" statistic. Furthermore, duelists have shields in the form of cards that go to their hand when "broken" as opposed to Magic's "life points". Whether this will be the norm remains to be seen, since Wizards of the Coast may add new rules and card types to increase the game's longevity.
Contents
Game play
In Duel Masters, two players play the role of duelists, using the 'art' of "kaijudo" (a marketing term created for the North American version which supposedly describes the "art of battling with giant monsters") to bring their creatures to life to do battle. Each player has 5 shields that protect them from damage; once these are gone, all it takes is one successful attack to win the duel. Also, if a player runs out of cards to draw from their deck, or library, when required, then that player loses. Players battle each other by playing mana, and then using that mana to summon creatures or cast spells, described below:- Creatures: Creatures are summoned to attack the player's shields, and then the player themselves, for the win. There are many types of creatures, with different powers and abilities.
- Spells: When cast, spells do something for the player, then go to the graveyard, or used cards pile. Spells can do a variety of things, like give the player more shields, power up their creatures, etc.
- Blocker: Allows a creature to stop an attack from an opposing creature. For example, if a creature attacks one of your shields, you can use a creature with the Blocker ability to stop the attack. Sometimes this is specific to a given trait, e.g. a "fire blocker" can only block fire creatures.
- Charger: Allows a spell to be put it into your mana zone instead of your graveyard after it has been cast.
- Double/Triple Breaker: Allows a creature to break two/three shields instead of the normal one.
- Power Attacker: Makes a creature more powerful when they attack. For example, a creature that has power 3000 and Power Attacker +2000 will deliver an attack of 5000.
- Shield Trigger: Allows a player to use a card from the shield zone without paying its cost when that shield is broken if it has the shield trigger ability.
- Stealth: Allows a creature to be unblockable when it attacks an opponent with a specific civilization card in their mana zone. For example, a creature with "water stealth" cannot be blocked by an opponent who has water cards in their mana zone. Synonymous with Landwalk in .
- Slayer: Allows a creature to destroy another creature in battle, regardless of the other creature's power. For example, a 1000 power creature with slayer can battle and destroy a 5500 power creature. Sometimes this is specific to a given trait, e.g. a "nature slayer" can only use its slayer ability against nature creatures.
- Speed Attacker: Allows a creature to attack on the turn that it was summoned. Synonymous with Haste in .
- Silent Skill: An effect that triggers when you refuse to untap the tapped Creature with Silent Skill during the Untap Step.
- Evolution: A creature mechanic that allows you to "evolve" a creature into a more powerful creature. This is done by placing the "evolved" creature on top of the original. Both the original and "evolved" creature must be of the same type (human, guardian, etc.)
- Survivor: A creature mechanic that allows your survivor creatures to share abilities with other survivor creatures.
- Turbo rush: A creature mechanic that allows creatures to gain special abilities when other creatures break a shield.
- Wave Striker: A creature mechanic that allows Wave Striker effects to take place if there are three or more Wave Strikers in the battle zone.
- Cross Gear: Neither a creature or spell, this card can not attack or be attacked. This Card is played by summoning it with mana and "crossing" it with a creature for the same amount of mana, to give the crossed creature abilities (e.g. Blocker).
- Evolving Cross Gear: This card type evolves like a creature, yet by the crossgear's element.
- Sympathy: A card with the Sympathy mechanic's cost will lower by 1 mana for each creature of a certain race in the battle zone. Synonymous with Affinity in .
- Zero Gravity: If all conditions are met you can summon these cards with no cost.
Each player begins the game with a hand of 5 cards. The play area is divided up into the following sections:
- Shield Zone: This is where the cards representing the player's shields are kept. Players start with 5 shields, all placed face down, one next to the other. When an opposing player breaks a shield, the player takes the card and places it in their hand.
- Battle Zone: This is where summoned creatures are placed. The battle zone is above the shield zone.
- Mana Zone: This is where cards used to draw mana are placed. It is below the shield zone.
- The Library: This is where the player's deck is placed, face down. It is to the right of the shield zone. Once you draw the last card of your deck/library, you immediately lose the duel.
- The Graveyard: This is where the player's used spell and destroyed creature cards are kept, face up. It is to the right of the library.
Play is divided into several phases: Untap Phase, Draw Phase, Mana Phase, Summon Phase, and lastly Battle Phase.
Untap Phase: The player untaps--turns cards that are facing horizontally to the vertical position again--all of the cards in his/her battle and mana zone. If the player has no cards that are tapped, then they do nothing in this phase, and move on to the Draw Phase. Any Silent Skill effects also take place in this phase.
Draw Phase: The player takes a card from the top of their deck and puts it into their hand.. Note: The person who plays first skips drawing a card on their first turn. This is to compensate for the advantage of going first.
Mana Phase: The player may play any one card from their hand into the mana zone. This must be done immediately following the draw phase and can not be done at any other point in the turn unless specified by an effect.
Summon Phase: The player may tap their cards in the mana zone to cast spells or summon creatures. Each card has a cost, and the more powerful a card, the higher its cost.
Battle Phase: The player may tap their creatures to attack. A player may attack either the opponent's shields or one of their tapped creatures (could also attack untapped creatures if the attacker has that attribute). When a creature is attacked, the one with the higher power wins the battle and the other one is sent to the graveyard. When a shield is attacked, it is broken and then sent to the opponent's hand. Once all shields have been broken, a player can attack their opponent directly and win the game. Once the battle phase is over, it is then the opponent's turn. Note that you can not summon creatures or cast spells once you have entered the battle phase.
Building Decks
A player must have at least 40 cards in their deck. Players can purchase booster packs to increase the number of cards they have. Expansions are sets of cards that build upon the foundation laid out by the base set, the original set of cards released. At the time of this writing, boosters are available for the following expansions:- Base Set: The original set of 120 cards.
- Evo-Crushinators of Doom: This set introduces the Evolution mechanic.
- Rampage of the Super Warriors: This set focuses on decks that use only one civilization.
- Shadowclash of Blinding Light: This set focuses on cards with abilities affecting other civilizations, eg: a creature that increases the mana cost of another civilization to hinder your opponent. Mainly focuses on Dark/Light support and hate.
- Survivors of the Megapocalypse: This set introduces the Survivor mechanic.
- Stomp-a-Trons of Invincible Wrath: This set introduces creatures with "Tap" abilities. These are abilities that activate when the creature is tapped. It is also the second set to have 120 cards, including reprints of cards introduced in the Base Set.
- Thundercharge of Ultra-Destruction: This set introduces creatures with "Stealth" abilities, allowing them to be unblockable as long as an opponent has a specific civilization card in their mana zone. It also introduces spells with the "Charger" ability, allowing you to put it into your mana zone instead of your graveyard after it is cast. Finally, it introduces creatures that gain extra abilities when you have no shields left in your shield zone.
- Epic Dragons of Hyper Chaos: This set focuses on Dragons, and introduces 3 new Dragon races: Earth Dragons, Volcano Dragons, and Zombie Dragons. It also introduces the Turbo Rush creature ability.
- Fatal Brood of Infinite Ruin:This set adds cards that allow you to power up creatures of a race of your choosing, and creatures that get bonuses if their attacks are unblocked.
- Shockwaves of the Shattered Rainbow: This set introduces the dual-civilization and Silent Skill (creatures than you can keep tapped to use their abilities) mechanics. This is also the third set to have 120 cards, including reprints of cards from previous sets.
- Blastosplosion of Gigantic Rage: This set introduces the Wave Striker ability. Creatures with Wave Striker can only use their abilities if there are two other creatures with Wave Striker in the battle zone. This set also introduces dual-civilization spells.
The 5 Civilizations
Duel Master cards represent five different civilizations. It is possible to build a viable deck with one, two or even three civilizations; four and five civilization decks are rarely seen. If used properly, the civilizations can complement each other nicely. Each civilization has their unique strengths and weaknesses. The five civilizations are:- Water: The Water Civilization is composed of sunken, technologically advanced cities. The Water races include: Cyber Clusters, Cyber Lords, Cyber Virus, Earth Eaters, Fish, Gel Fish, Leviathans, Liquid People, and Sea Hackers. Water works well with Nature, Fire and Light, and is opposed by Darkness. Water focuses on hand advantage (drawing cards), bounce (sending creatures back to the hand) and unblockables. Also features blockers, although not as good as most Light blockers.
- Nature: The Nature Civilization is a savage world of never-ending forests. The Nature races include: Balloon Mushrooms, Beast Folk, Colony Beetles, Earth Dragons, Giant Insects, Giants, Horned Beasts, Mystery Totems, Snow Faeries, and Tree Folk. Nature works well with Light, Water and Fire, and is opposed by Darkness. Nature focuses on mana manipulation eg: increasing and destroying mana, power attackers and rushing weenies (cheap and weak creatures used to overrun enemy). Nature possesses no blockers.
- Light: The Light Civilization is located high among the clouds in celestial structures. The Light races include: Angel Commands, Berserkers, Gladiators, Guardians, Initiates, Light Bringers, Mecha del Sols, Mecha Thunders, Rainbow Phantoms, and Starlight Trees. Light works well with Nature, Fire and Water, and is opposed by Darkness. Light possesses the best blockers and the ability to tap and untap creatures.
- Darkness: The Darkness Civilization is located underground, with an evil and poisoned landscape. The Darkness races include: Brain Jackers, Chimeras, Dark Lords, Death Puppets, Demon Commands, Devil Masks, Ghosts, Hedrians, Living Dead, Parasite Worms, and Zombie Dragons. Darkness works well with Fire, and is opposed by Nature, Water and Light. Darkness gets hand destruction, creature destruction and slayers. Darkness has blockers, but the cards usually possess negative side-effects.
- Fire: The Fire Civilization is located in a volcanic and battle-torn land ruled by those with the most power. The Fire races include: Armored Dragons, Armored Wyverns, Armoloids, Dragonoids, Dune Geckos, Fire Birds, Humans, Machine Eaters, Melt Warriors, Rock Beasts, and Xenoparts. Fire works well with Nature, Light, Water and Darkness, and is opposed by nothing. Fire focuses on rushing weenies, speed attacking (allows creatures to attack the same turn that their summoned) and creature destruction with power limits (eg: destroy a creature with 3000 power or less). Along with Nature, Fire possesses no blockers.
Strategy
There are a number of different strategies that a Duel Masters deck can be build around. Each one of these strategies has its own strengths and weaknesses, and each rely on the player to make the correct choices in both deckbuilding and actual gameplay for the strategy to be ultimately successful. The following is a list of the most common Duel Masters strategies:
- Rush: The simplest type of strategy to build a deck around. Rush relies on low-powered creatures that can be summoned early in the game or en masse in the later turns. Rush generally employs Fire when it wants to power up its creatures and give them double-breaker early on, or Nature when it wants to build up mana and swarm its opponent with a large amount of creatures. Some rush decks also employ speed attackers from the fire civilization. Rush is generally weak to Fire field-killing spells (such as Searing Wave) and blocker-heavy decks.
- Control: A control deck is a complicated deck to use. Control generally employs a large number of blockers and focuses on killing or bouncing the opponent's creatures as he summons them. Control decks almost always include the Darkness civilization because of its killing spells (such as Terror Pit). Many control decks also use Water for its bouncing and hand advantage cards. Hand advantage is important in a control deck, as the player wants to have many options at his disposal to counter his opponent's moves. Some control decks will employ Light for lockdown cards or Fire for mass killing. Generally, a control deck will focus on building up its field early on, repelling opponent's attacks as they come, and killing them in one turn late in the game. Control is weak to rush decks and other control decks.
- Mill: A mill deck is similar to a control deck; however, in addition to reacting to an opponent's moves, it will also take action to prevent the opponent from making those moves. A mill deck does not seek to break the opponent's shields and attack him; instead, it will lock down the field and prevent the opponent from acting, then wait until the opponent draws all the cards in his deck (thus losing the game by default). Because a mill deck relies on victory by default, it will almost always have over 80 cards. Mill almost always employs the Darkness civilization because of its hand discarding and deck discarding. Water and Light are also occasionally used in Mill decks. A Mill deck is very hard to build and use, and some players avoid them because they result in long and drawn-out games; a properly constructed mill deck, however, can counter and defeat almost any other deck type
Tournaments
Like , Wizards of the Coast also hosts tournaments for Duel Master players. Players can go to their local card shops and participate in these tournaments, called JDC Tournaments. Tournaments are governed by the DCI, the same body that governs Magic: The Gathering tournaments. There are no banned cards as of yet, although Bombazar (a dual-civilization Armored Dragon from the Fire Civilization) has been placed on the "watch list" and may be banned in the future. Whether Wizards of the Coast does so remains to be seen.See also
External link
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