Savage Tarantino
06/13/2012
Hello, Shadow Era Players. Some of you may already know who I am but for the ones who don't, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Savage Tarantino aka whoisSAVAGE. I have been playing Shadow Era on and off for about 6 months. I have recently gotten more active within this last month and I have been writing Articles for the Shadow Era Forum based on what I learn everyday from playing and my Veteran TCG skills from my 5 Years of playing competitive Yu-Gi-Oh! I am a Member of Shadow Era's "Team Juggernauts". I live in Minnesota, US. I'm a Hip-Hop Addict, Anime Fiend and Dread Head. Okay that's enough for the intro lets get to the point of the article...
When preparing for a premier event like the World Championship Wild Card & Grand Finals Tournament coming this weekend, I believe it takes more preparation than your typical pop-up or quick-play match. I, for one, have never been one to be behind “the curve” of the meta. Right now I am preparing for the upcoming Wild Card Tournament, which will be held this Friday. That gives me about 3 more days to get ready and I have already put in more than 100 recorded games of Play testing, It would be really dope getting that 32nd spot in the Grand Finals and would be a good start for people recognizing me as a good player. I try to break my preparation into steps, which I will share with you.
Step 1: Study.
Before any Big Tournament , I “study.” I take a look at what decks are most popular, what decks are being played in the Higher Ratings (and who is playing them.) I take a look at the most popular decks played in Tournaments in the last 2 weeks. And I also study individual player's "Gameplay Habits & Deck Choice" that I think will be attending the event. Knowledge of the particular meta will always be important no matter what event you attend, but it is more important when you’re planning to attend a premier event. So study hard!
Step 2: Choose your deck.
Now that you know what you are up against due to your study habits, it is time to decide what deck to run. The most important thing is to always choose a deck that you are comfortable running; however, sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone can help if that would be the best meta call for the upcoming tournament. Be aware that it will require much play testing, but we will get into that in a bit. Like I said I am also preparing for the Wild Card, so i know my deck choice should be one that can compete with Lance, Zaladar, and Majiya
Step 3: Play test!
Now that you have chosen a deck, or at least have an idea of a deck you would like to run, you need to become completely comfortable with the deck and have the least possible misplays. You need to know the deck in and out and how to play against the decks that you believe you will be facing based on your studying. I advise everyone to have a “Team” or a group of friends to play test with. If you and another friend are both planning on playing the same deck, play testing is simple because you will have someone else to bounce ideas off of, and both of you can figure out the best possible list. I also advise you not to play test with only players of lower skill levels because you will gain confidence in your abilities and in your deck. That won’t help you much with the level of competition that you will be seeing at premier events. I wrote a Article that talks about Playtesting more in-depth. I would highly suggest reading it if you are trying to gain real results from your testing. You can find it HERE.
Step 4: The day before.
Now that the big day is almost here and you have your ideal deck that you know everything about, it is time to sign up. I personally advise everyone to always pre-register for every premier event that they enter because of the peace of mind you receive by doing so. Also, I usually won’t play with others the day before with the deck I am planning on playing in the tournament due to the off-chance that I will be facing them the next day. Most Importantly... Get a good night’s sleep. People always think better on a good night of sleep.
Step 5: Stay Calm.
On the morning of the event, wake up early. A good breakfast is also important so that you think clearer. During the event, the most important thing to remember is to stay calm and go through your plays slowly because, whether you like it or not, you will be nervous. I have a water bottle with me the duration of the event to stay hydrated. If you continue to advance in a premier event, you most likely will have little or no time to get food or drinks.
There you have it! In my opinion, the best way to prepare for a premier event is to follow these five easy steps. I hope that I was able to help all of my readers, and I hope to see you all at top spots in upcoming premier events.
Thanks for reading!
P.S. – If you have questions or suggestions on other articles, leave a comment, or Send me a Private Message. Also, feel free to Follow me on Twitter! @whoisSAVAGE
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