USA Nationals

Live US nationals coverage is up on the official yugioh website. Check out all the feature matches and decklists here.

This Format: Blackwings

Blackwings are incredibly popular at the moment. Not only are they cheap to build, but the are a very competitive deck type. They came 3rd in the last Shonen Jump Championship (Anaheim), and reached 2nd in the Canadian nationals, as well as placing highly in nationals and the european and south american championships. They are a good pick, providing relatively consistent control and the ability to easily swarm and OTK. Below is the build Matt Peddle took to second place at Canadian Nationals.

Monsters: 17

Dark Armed Dragon
Blackwing - Sirocco the Dawn [2]
Blackwing - Shura the Blue Flame [3]
Blackwing - Bora the Spear [3]
Blackwing - Kalut the Moon Shadow [3]
Blackwing - Gale the Whirldwind [3]
Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North [2]

Spells: 13

Black Whirlwind [3]
Monster Reborn
Heavy Storm
Mystical Space Typhoon
Brain Control
Mind Control
Dark Eruption
Book of Moon [2]
Allure of Darkness [2]

Traps: 10

Solemn Judgment [3]
Bottomless Trap Hole [3]
Icarus Attack [2]
Torrential Tribute
Mirror Force

Monsters
A pretty standard blackwing lineup. Dark Armed Dragon is great for clearing the field and going for a final push. Tuners such as gale and blizzard are crucial for the deck in order to whip out synchros like Dark Strike Fighter and Blackwing Armor Master. The monster lineup is purely focused on swarming, and maintaining field presence with cards like kalut.

Spells
Black whirlwind is the engine behind the deck. If you open with whirlwind along with a shura or bora, it can immediately put you in a strong position in the game. Black whirlwind offers almost a toolbox of blackwings to search out. It effectively turns most monsters in your deck into an e-hero stratos. It also stacks, so multiple whirlwinds can give you huge advantage very quickly.

Brain and Mind control are great cards in the deck, as they can help clear the opponent's field, and take cards to be used for synchro summons. Dark Eruption lets you get back your used up gales, blizzards and kaluts. It also helps with graveyard manipulation, so it's easy to drop Dark Armed Dragon and dominate.

Book of moon is a great pick. It's chainable, helps shura blow up monsters and is good against most decks this format. It can stop lightsworns from milling, and blocks off synchroing for your opponent.

Traps
Solemn gives the deck even more control, and helps block off your opponents big plays, or moves that may put you behind in the game. Icarus attack is also great, especially with blizzard. It's rare that your field is going to be empty, so this gives you even more control over the field. It also works on spells and traps, which can set you up for the potential OTK next turn.

Youtube: CompetitiveYGOBlog

You may remember me saying in a previous article how youtube is a great resource for yugioh discussion etc. Well I heard on Duelistgroundz.com of a new audio blog up, which will basically talk about the state of the metagame and whatnot. Heres hoping it will be a great resource in the future.

Canadian Nationals

Canadian nationals coverage is up! You can find the decklists and feature matches on the official yugioh website here.

Guide to Tournaments

Tournaments are great. They give you the oppurtunity to meet up with friends, trade, test out decks and qualify for larger events such as nationals. However, to someone relatively new to the game, tournaments can be quite daunting. Here are a few tips to make it easier for your first trip.

1) Bring Money
Don't just bring the entry fee along, bring a little extra. Most tournaments sell packs, sleeves and binders, as well as snacks. Bringing along an extra bit of money is always useful.

2) Keep all of your stuff in bags
Don't bring all of your cards just loose in your pockets. Make sure you keep them organised in a rucksack. The last thing you want is to lose track of where your cards are.

3) Bring more cards than just your deck
Most people at the tournament will want to trade, and you never know who may want something from your trades. Make sure you keep your trades in a binder (which probably can be bought at the tournament). This keeps the cards safe and improves presentation.

4) Test beforehand
Especially for more major events. Don't forget to test out your deck, or post it on forums. This can provide you with useful ideas and tips to make your deck better.

5) Bring extra food and snacks
You don't know if you'll get hungry at any time during the day. Bring some extra snacks just in case, and most importantly water. It's important you stay hydrated to help improve your game.

6) Respect your opponent
Respect your opponent, and they'll respect you. Going to tournaments is great for making new friends, who you can talk to, and test out decks with. Try and be as friendly as possible while playing, and it will make the tournament much more enjoyable for everyone.

7) Game analysis
Whenever you lose a game, don't just blame it on bad luck or being 'sacked'. Analyse where you went wrong. Think in your mind what mistakes you made during the game that could have caused you to lose. This is useful in helping you to improve as a player.

8) Keep your eye on your stuff
Don't be too paranoid about theives, as the point of a tournament is to have fun. Be wary though, and make sure you're concious about where your cards are at certain times. Don't just leave your deck around lying on tables (you'll be surprised how often people do this). You occasionally get thieves at some tournaments, so remember to keep an eye out. Most people will be honest, and if they see a deck lying around, they'll hand it in to the head judge. If you lose anything, the first thing to do is see if the head judge has it.

4 Yugioh Websites to Improve Your Game

All of us want to improve our game, that's one of the reasons why I find yugioh so addictive. It's a great feeling to achnowledge that you've improved, whether it means beating a player that you normally wouldn't, or building your best ever deck. The internet is a crucial tool at expanding your game, so here are a few sites that may help your journey to yugioh stardom.

Forums
Whether it be for posting decks for others to critique, or to discuss a ruling or new release, yugioh forums are great to help improve your game. They give you and oppurtunity to share ideas with others, and give you a fresh outlook on the game.

Netrep (netrep.net)
Netrep is a great tool, especially if rulings aren't your strong point. If you have any queries, just type in the name of the card you want, and it provides you with a list of detailed rulings.

Youtube (youtube.com)
Youtube is often knocked by many competitive players. I actually find it incredibly useful, especially for viewing matches online. It gives you a great chance to see how certain decks unfold in real time, which is crucial if you want survive in this meta.

Manjyome Thunder (manjyomethunder.twoday.net)
The best place to get upcoming yugioh news first, straight from Asia. They regularly post new card and pack releases, as well as the new banlist for each format.