Stand and Draw: Card game rants and experiences

So you've been playing Vanguard for an extremely long time, be it during its first inception in either both the English or Japanese meta game. You may have just started yesterday or a even a couple of weeks before. But have you ever take a look at your deck and think "Have I mastered this deck?"

Mastering a deck isn't about playing hundreds of time with the same deck over and over again. You can play that deck a thousand times and still have yet to master it. The best way to master it is to learn how the deck function as you play it and ask yourself questions along the way. Look at a card's skill, then think if what it can combo with another card in the deck, field or hand. Can you do a chain combo? Will that combo puts me into an advantageous situation down the road or just for that instance but it may cause me the game later on.

Then there's also the timing to use a skill. Let's say you're at 5 damage and your opponent is at 3. Should you break ride now or wait for another turn? Ask yourselves - How is my opponent doing? How many cards is in his hands and did he have a null guard during his checks and has he used it yet? How is my field and hand working out? While many "professional" players may think this is a basic thought process, I may have to actually disagree. I have seen lots of players, be it beginners, intermediates or experienced players, making lots of mistakes. It can be a simple one like not calling out a card (let's say you play Kagero and have  Perdition Dragon Knight, Ilham in hand) to the field first before performing Legion. It can also be not guarding early in the early game when your opponent attacks for 13k and you're a 9k vanguard while having a 10k shield trigger in hand. You can just guard for a no trigger pass with that.


To put it simply, mastering a decks is knowing the ins and outs of your decks. Know its particular strengths and weaknesses and see how you can exploit them to your favour. It may take time depending on the particular deck builds and clans. It's also best to try out other deck builds and clans as well for a feel for it. Knowing how a different clans or deck plays like will also help when playing against that similar deck or clan and you would know what combos to pull off for the win.