Strategy and Counters

The more integral a deck's strategy is, the more counters it will have.

Conversely, the more random and luck based a deck is, the less it will.

"The only strategy with no counter is no strategy at all".


Thats great. So, Highlander, one of the only decks with no strategy at all, should be running over everything right?

Wrong.

Having nothing to be countered is one thing, but that also means you have nothing WORTH countering.

Combo decks/FTK decks are the converse of this. They run off getting off one FTK to win.

The only reason they win is the opponent not having any counters to mess them up OR not being ABLE to do so, thanks to turn 1.

One divine wrath, the loop is broken. One raigeki break, its game. One MST and there goes your match.


Probally the only deck that is undisputed tier 1 is Lightsworn.

What allows Lightsworn to dominate everything, even before Charge of the Light Brigade(see: OCG before October), is the ability to shift its balance between Strategy and Randomness.

While being highly luck based(Milling), it also has strong strategy, allowing you access both good strong strategy and erratic playing.


However, what this "drunken brawler" concept CAN be applied to better is playstyle.

Playing very sacky and very luck based, and very random, not thinking things through a lot can lead to less than desirable outcomes, but also will lead to each individual card being countered meaning less, because it wont have much impact to your plan.

Being able to shift to this for a few games once in a while can be effective in throwing your opponent off.

Go out on a limb once in a while, make some stupid yet spectacular plays, dont think so much, and it will come back to you in a good way.

Everybody remembers that spectacular move that ended in an OTK. Nobody remembers that spectacular move that didnt.