Jan Malina's Top 10 Dueling Errors

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[posted 1 Sep 2003]

Originally posted to the Shadowfist Forum on Yahoogroups on 30 May 2001 by Jan Malina. Republished with permission. If you're a member of the group, you can read the original in the archive.

All good points. I contest the fact that the game tends to swing a lot though. I mean sure it can but if both players are not making mistakes then it just doesn't happen often. There are many key errors in dueling that are made by even the best players. I have found the ten most common ones to be:

1. Attacking an unrevealed site without the ability to deal with it if it is a Cave Network or other site that gives a strong advantage when attacked.

2. Not playing around cards your opponent may have in hand, i.e., if you don't have a Hacker or Confucian don't burn for power against the Ascended unless you are way behind.

3. Attacking sites instead of characters. Often an opponent can be hurt more by killing all their characters than by taking one of their sites.

4. Overextending. If you are already smacking down your opponent with two large hitters there is generally no reason to play a third, you are asking to get hit with something if you do.

5. Taking sites with low body just to take them. If you see your opponent has a very damaged Nine Dragon Temple that would trigger when taken, don't take it unless you plan to win that turn.

6. Not considering smoking sites as an option. There is nothing wrong with smoking sites like Fortress of Shadow if the advantage they give your opponent is equal to or greater than the advantage you get.

7. Always attacking for no reason. You should always have a point to an attack, just as in chess you want all your plays to have a purpose.

8. Not allowing your opponent to take a site if need be. There is no reason to stop an attack if it is going to cost you all your characters and your opponent will just take the site next turn anyway.

9. Not playing cards/waiting for cards to give more of an advantage. If you have a Pocket Demon that would give you one extra power it should be played, waiting is a bad thing.

10. Almost always seize sites against the Ascended. This one is highly specific but many people still say that they are dominated by Ascended decks. Unlike most decks the Ascended have very little comeback potential, as such it is almost always better to seize than burn as the site will generate you power and they won't be able to take advantage with cards like Pocket Demon or Violet Med.

There are many more problems with people building the wrong type of deck for dueling but that is the subject of another top ten list that I don't have the energy to write, at least not at this moment.

Jan Malina

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