It's no secret. Maintaining hand and field advantage are great ways to be successful. But an area that is often overlooked is the Graveyard. By being aware of what is in your, and your opponent's, Graveyard, you can better your chances of victory.
And I'm not just talking about knowing what monsters you have and are able to bring back with Premature Burial and Call of the Haunted. Nor am I just talking about having the correct amount of cards to remove for Chaos Sorcerer, Dark Necrofear, and the like. We all know the importance of knowing the Graveyard for those situations. But instead of having to check the Graveyard every turn, if you are aware of what is going to the Graveyard, you can avoid giving away your strategy with Special Summon by removing cards, or cards like Bazoo the Soul-Eater, Strike Ninja and Freed the Brave Wanderer (to name just a few) that have effects that require removal. Your opponent will expect Dark Necrofear if he sees you are playing Fiends and are continuously checking the Graveyard. By not having to keep an eye on what's in there, you have the element of surprise. On the flip side, you can use this as a bluff if you are playing Fiends but NOT playing Dark Necrofear.
Knowing your Graveyard is also important for Spells and Traps like Skull Lair, Spiritual Earth Art "“ Kurogane, Soul Exchange, Pot of Avarice and The Forces of Darkness, etc. Again, it allows for an element of surprise if you can avoid checking your Graveyard.
I feel the biggest benefit in knowing your Graveyard though is that it allows you to know what remains in your Deck. You could be thinking, "Boy, a Smashing Ground sure would come in handy right now," but both copies are already in your Graveyard. By realizing that the card you need won't be drawn, you can plan alternative strategies and stay a step ahead of your opponent.
This also works for the opposite side of the field. Knowing your opponent's Graveyard is equally crucial. For example, your opponent has 3 Sakuretsu Armors in the Graveyard. You might feel a little safer in attacking now, despite the face-down card in your opponent's back row. Also, a couple copies of Mystic Swordsman LV2 in the Graveyard means you can feel safer setting your flip effects. A Heavy Storm and Mystical Space Typhoon in the Graveyard means you can feel better about the Wave-Motion Cannon you have ready to play.
Please note I'm not condoning poor hand or field management in order to stuff your Graveyard. On the contrary, actually. The key is to maintain control over those areas and be aware of the Graveyard at the same time. I know that seems rather obvious and that nothing I've said here is all that profound. But I think that this subject is one that we often take for granted. It's easy to be caught up in controlling the field and maintaining hand advantage and then forget that the Deck and the Graveyard are also vital elements to be aware of.
Next time you're dueling, make a conscious effort to be more aware of your Graveyard. I know you'll notice a difference in the way you play and you'll likely be more successful because of it.
(Incidentally, I'm thinking I need some kind of clever ending or catch phrase to end these things. Suggestions can be sent to the PM box. If I end up using it, you'll receive credit)
And I'm not just talking about knowing what monsters you have and are able to bring back with Premature Burial and Call of the Haunted. Nor am I just talking about having the correct amount of cards to remove for Chaos Sorcerer, Dark Necrofear, and the like. We all know the importance of knowing the Graveyard for those situations. But instead of having to check the Graveyard every turn, if you are aware of what is going to the Graveyard, you can avoid giving away your strategy with Special Summon by removing cards, or cards like Bazoo the Soul-Eater, Strike Ninja and Freed the Brave Wanderer (to name just a few) that have effects that require removal. Your opponent will expect Dark Necrofear if he sees you are playing Fiends and are continuously checking the Graveyard. By not having to keep an eye on what's in there, you have the element of surprise. On the flip side, you can use this as a bluff if you are playing Fiends but NOT playing Dark Necrofear.
Knowing your Graveyard is also important for Spells and Traps like Skull Lair, Spiritual Earth Art "“ Kurogane, Soul Exchange, Pot of Avarice and The Forces of Darkness, etc. Again, it allows for an element of surprise if you can avoid checking your Graveyard.
I feel the biggest benefit in knowing your Graveyard though is that it allows you to know what remains in your Deck. You could be thinking, "Boy, a Smashing Ground sure would come in handy right now," but both copies are already in your Graveyard. By realizing that the card you need won't be drawn, you can plan alternative strategies and stay a step ahead of your opponent.
This also works for the opposite side of the field. Knowing your opponent's Graveyard is equally crucial. For example, your opponent has 3 Sakuretsu Armors in the Graveyard. You might feel a little safer in attacking now, despite the face-down card in your opponent's back row. Also, a couple copies of Mystic Swordsman LV2 in the Graveyard means you can feel safer setting your flip effects. A Heavy Storm and Mystical Space Typhoon in the Graveyard means you can feel better about the Wave-Motion Cannon you have ready to play.
Please note I'm not condoning poor hand or field management in order to stuff your Graveyard. On the contrary, actually. The key is to maintain control over those areas and be aware of the Graveyard at the same time. I know that seems rather obvious and that nothing I've said here is all that profound. But I think that this subject is one that we often take for granted. It's easy to be caught up in controlling the field and maintaining hand advantage and then forget that the Deck and the Graveyard are also vital elements to be aware of.
Next time you're dueling, make a conscious effort to be more aware of your Graveyard. I know you'll notice a difference in the way you play and you'll likely be more successful because of it.
(Incidentally, I'm thinking I need some kind of clever ending or catch phrase to end these things. Suggestions can be sent to the PM box. If I end up using it, you'll receive credit)
