I Made My Friends Try Yu-Gi-Oh and...

[@TeamAPS]

*Thanks to my friends JaKerick and Jordan for helping out with this video! Even if this product was a bit of a mess... the good news is they still seem interested in Yu-Gi-Oh, so maybe we'll have to show them the ropes the right way!* 😅

[@blunk778]

start them off with the OG structure decks that you and alec would play with. That way they get the base game down before getting into the complex extra deck monsters, thats what usually turns people off is big combos and extra deck monsters

[@Ratchetfan321]

You should see if the pokemon or magic starter set is better or not and why in another video with em. Maybe see which they prefer too.

[@jamichealgates]

You know what would have been just easier Way for people to learn how to play yugioh Just use master Dual. Like you ever played the computer ones where like you have to fight a robot and like the robot head like five Deck They lyrically can show somebody How to play from scratch I'm talking about making this thing as basic as they possibly Can. I mean even to the point where's teaching you how to make deck, Is how many goes in one Extra decks, spells, traps I'm talking about Baby level teaching. And just lyrically let them learn that for like a day. And then the next day teach him the next lesson. That way they can lyrically just go back and play that same one. That same day learned it well enough to the point where they are ready for the next interaction. Also this would also give people a chance to test decks. And lyrically learn new strategies

[@TemporalDelusion]

@@Ratchetfan321 I play both, (started pokemon a week ago) and those games don't even need starter sets the way yugioh does. You can just get the basic rules down by playing a game or two on a simulator (tcg live / mtg arena) and reading the cards (which takes seconds to do). While both of those games can become complex you don't need a whole lot to get going. Even the most complex parts can be understood without help, just a bit of logic upon first seeing it. Yugioh lacks the solid core rules those two have, so it has this insane barrier of entry even to people that played before. People harp on the summoning mechanics, but realistically, those are all simple. The problem is that each deck/archetype is it's own game to an extent with very little knowledge that can transfer from one to another. In pokemon or magic you can get a grasp of an opponents deck when you first see it. In yugioh unless you know the deck, you have no way to intuit out what the hell they are trying to do or what they try to end on because so many cards are just a part of a lengthy sequence with little value on their own nowadays.

[@thecowboyofoklahoma5866]

**IDEA!!!!** Make your own preset decks for beginners, making EVERY card low tier without complicated alternative summoning, and try it again with your two friends. Heck, don't use synchros or xyzs monsters for a different experience.

[@KikiCatMeow]

The fact they didn’t add a playmat or tokens is wild to me. I definitely think they could remake this in the future to be even better

[@leviathan5207]

The fact that you are not supposed to crow the eldlich is completely moronic. If they let newcomers perform a play, at least make that authentic and explain the reasoning properly.

[@Nerobyrne]

Yeah, I was really surprised. It's not like it costs them a lot extra, it's just paper. Are they afraid people might want to buy this product? 🤔

[@HinuHyuga]

Yes. The cheap playmats that old starter decks came with.

[@doromac]

There are tiny ass penny sized tokens you have to cut out from a page at the end of the book lmaooooooo

[@Trent110000]

Hey man I know the last time we tried Yugioh you hated it and it was awful and confusing but come over again and try the new product I got. Withers: No They had 1 chance with this product for people to introduce their friends, Not many people will want to give it another try after this.

[@burtongustor9357]

I had my father thats 66 try one time because he really likes strategy games and he really actually liked the strategy of everything involved with the game. It's been 4 months and he's already built his own passable Hero Deck

[@metalmario1231]

Props to dad

[@ashikjaman1940]

Damn I guess that's the retirement money gone

[@nmr7203]

What strategy did he like

[@iVirtuall]

@@ashikjaman1940 lol

[@BuzzlightyearinactionSaSenado]

Thats pretty cool.

[@mcginger9613]

Not having duel mats included is so wild to me. It’s tough enough learning the game brand new but not knowing where to put your cards because you don’t have a mat is so lame

[@phoenixvance6642]

Not even a little arts and crafts page for making a DIY mat out of some paper or something lmao

[@AxelWedstar411]

I swear every other Yu-Gi-Oh product that isn't a booster pack/box comes with some kind of playmat. Konami must've been rly proud of that "Comic".

[@Garisonlane]

"comic book" that's just walls of text is certainly on brand lol

[@Armann_]

That’s practically the game’s signature trait.

[@SomeRandomJackAss]

@@Armann_ Considering the art style is going more towards generic anime waifus and traps are basically useless, it's the only trait it has left.

[@Armann_]

@@SomeRandomJackAss Well, it’s always been a Japanese brand/culture. I’m not an anime fan at all, but I like it because my favourite “mythical creatures” mid-evil ages was _Dragons_ (however each their own, witchcraft, whatever dabble of the likes). Also, early 2004’s/06 whenever this was introduced to the western culture I appreciated how it is. I believe it’s well worth the investment [like the “Magic” cards is.]. Personal preferences, but tightly competitive.

[@user-lh7mt7zo7l]

This is why they should have added keywords lmao

[@warp9988]

They should have made an ANIME styled video that you watch before you play. And there should have been a paper play mat.

[@shaunvanwiele8516]

I subscribe to roughly 15 yugitubers and you guys were the first to make this vid. That's why you the goat. I hope you guys get lots of love.

[@PKSparkxxDH]

The fact that Yugioh is such a complicated game that even Konami themselves can't create a comprehensive way to teach new players the game and set their expectations of where the game is today is unbelievable. If the R&D doesn't have a grasp of their game enough to teach, what hope is there for this game? Video idea: "I Made A Guide to Teach Yugioh"

[@TeamAPS]

Legitimately considering this myself! I feel like R&D had a good idea here, and I'm serious about that. A scripted duel makes a lot of sense on paper! It just feels like they kind of... gave up? So many missing mechanics and a duel that just kind of... ends, abruptly. And then outright exclusion of a playmat. This thing needed more time in the oven.

[@kr555wizard]

@@TeamAPSi’d totally watch you guys make a scripted duel video, i’m seeing it where could use structure decks, and maybe pick 2 that have equal level of complexity and use them for the script, it would be a better showcase of intermediate yugioh while also being something thats as affordable as the starter set that has a better time scaling up in the future.

[@andrewlikesmetal1095]

Maybe instead of trying to cover so many mechanics in one duel they could've had sets for a handful of mechanics each? Theres too much to cover in one duel.

[@spicymemes7458]

I think the ship has all but sailed at this point. Its such a nerdy game that either needs dedicated retro formats or a complete reboot overhaul.

[@christopherb501]

Magic has like two hundred words with rules meaning, double-faced cards, and infinite loops that come about in the the stupidest fashions, and IT'S still more intuitive than this nonsense.

[@dextresen]

you were *absolutely right* in not letting the playmat and token point go, a teaching/learning product should include all relevant pieces

[@SomeRandomJackAss]

It should have been more board game-like, like the Pokemon starter thing.

[@TheGreatSalsaMan]

Someone at Konami didn’t think this through and just wanted to make some quick money…

[@luckykiller911]

I can't believe they didn't add a playmat or tell new players about monster zones or spell and trap card zones, new players would get very confused if it had introduced pendulum cards

[@ducky_vx1_gaming]

Bro I've been playing yugioh since 2003 and duel links since 2018 and I have no clue about pendulum summons 😂😂

[@ThatOneWeirdFlex]

​@@ducky_vx1_gamingand, realistically, you'll probably never have to learn. Pendulum as a whole has been kicked behind the shed like a wounded animal by Konami. Pend without Electrumite is ok at best and, with every floodgate that stops pend at 3 after the 2023 end-of-year banlist, it likely will never be good again.

[@andrewlikesmetal1095]

Pendulum as a mechanic isn't necessary. The only time you might do it is if you have two pend monsters with really good pend effects that just happen to synergize in a deck. I use fluffal angel and one of the predplant dudes in a frightfur deck and I think ive pend summoned maybe five times in a hundred or so matches lol

[@Beybend_Jakko622]

The problem with Yu-Gi-Oh! is that it gets really complicated over time. I got into the card game because my uncle introduced it to me, and I thought it was fun because it was cool to play monsters, spells, and traps on the field. Years later, I tried to challenge my uncle to a duel using the latest meta but found out he quit because the card game became too complicated now LMAO

[@Telados]

You can always play older formats like Goat or Edison

[@trexdrew]

Edison is definitely a great format to introduce new players to the game with. It’s slow enough that everything isn’t done by turn 3 but it’s swingy enough that you have big moves happen and feel really powerful even if you’re entry level.

[@gabeitches87]

​@@Telados Play them where? Without knowing/having someone else avaliable who's also interested in _only_ playing those formats, you're stuck with the standard game.

[@harleypettersen9225]

@@gabeitches87 dueling book has edison now

[@RazielTheUnborn]

@@Telados Probably with that is it gets boring, it gets stale.

[@CptnCobblestone]

They straight up forgot to add a playmat 🤣

[@DeathlyBioShock]

To be fair they add graphics of how the field looks

[@xekon14]

@@DeathlyBioShockI have countless paper mats from the various decks and boxes. It’s not expensive or hard to fit two of them into the box.

[@TheJ1aa2m3]

They should’ve put in like a thick game board mat.

[@ChadKing69]

Konami is too cheap for that

[@Mage_Nichlas_]

Not having a playmat is a crazy thing that actually happened. Also, somebody at the next Regional or even Worlds should use those cutout Sheep Tokens just to annoy Konami.

[@SomeRandomJackAss]

Yeah, one sneeze and the whole game state is fucked.

[@karamuto1565]

Me who hasn't played Yu Gi Oh since it first came out and at that time only played it by schoolyard rules. I was surprised at how good Master Duel could teach me the basic concepts of the game. I think it's currently the best way to start, especially because it's free 2 play and all the solo stuff can help you to find the kind of deck you would like to play in RL

[@andrewlikesmetal1095]

It's pretty good but I think there should be tutorials about lingering effects, chains, more in depth tutorials for each summoning mechanic and extra deck type, and of course an entire section about handtraps. Also a section about how to out floodgates or monsters with protection would be invaluable to new players. As a returnee who's adjusted over the past year and a half I'm getting pretty good. Imagine a new player who faces avramax for the first time though. They need to know how to beat cards like that, they absolutely will face them sooner or later.

[@spicymemes7458]

This really is a better way to teach new players, but Konami is still stuck on paper like it's the 90s.

[@BlindJedi]

I've taught three different people how to play this game within the last few months. Step freaking one is mentioning the phases

[@isaiahmayle4706]

THANK YOU. It's impossible to learn how to take a turn when you don't even know what a turn is yet.

[@xCorvus7x]

Not that the phases are a bad place to start but wouldn't it be more straightforward to begin with explaining the cards and the field (Main and Extra deck and where which card can end up)? The phases are about what you can do with the cards and when, so it seems helpful for this to already have a grasp of what cards there are.

[@levicastro1412]

​@@xCorvus7x yes, everyone that play yugioh with me was taught how to play by me, and it is a pretty big group, lile 12 people. Everytime I start by showing monsters, spells and traps, then I show the different types of said card (quick play, field, etc). Then I show the playmat, explain a little bit more and move to the phases

[@xCorvus7x]

@@levicastro1412 Yeah. This frontloads a lot of info at once but that seems inevitable. It's normal to spend some time learning the fundamental rules whenever you pick up a new game, so the question is how this is done in the most understandable, most sensible fashion.

[@phoenixvance6642]

​@@xCorvus7xthe card types are most pretty intuitive, which helps. Only confusing one is counter-trap or maybe ritual spell

[@MrKelmer01]

The most honest "review" about this product!

[@DefinitelynotKenji]

Paul looks like he's about had enough of konami's lack of attention to their products.

[@ignisofficialgaming]

Bro we all be sick of Konami’s lack of attention to the TCG side. It’s why I’ve pretty much quit at this point and only play casually

[@DefinitelynotKenji]

@@ignisofficialgaming agreed, it's why I went to mtg. Sure the power creep is rough sometimes, but they balance it almost immediately the next block

[@gasaiyuno6021]

On the issue of them forgetting to draw each turn, that's the biggest/most prevalent issue I run into when teaching my friends how to play for the first time. They always forget you HAVE to draw at the start of each turn after the first. And I teach them with the book, use a mat, explain it all myself and give an overview of each monster type, spells, traps, phases, etc. I have to keep reminding them to draw first before doing anything each turn.

[@gameboyman7349]

You know it's funny because it just feels like this 2 player problem was just solved in the 90's. Like when I'd buy a Pokemon theme deck or Yugioh Theme deck in 2002 it just worked. You got a play mat, counters, a decent rule book and a real deck. How have they made REVERSE progress in the last 25 years? Paul could you compare the Yugioh 2002 starter deck to the 2 player starter and see which you think is better? Cause those old starter rule books were very decent. It explained all the phases easily, all the information and chains included. Great video just frustrating how they are doing a worse job than so long ago.

[@1stCallipostle]

Those Pokemon theme decks were supremely ass for the most part, I'll admit.

[@snark567]

Back then the cars were simpler, if you add a "real deck" now, new players will give up as soon as they see the cards.

[@taphy4873]

Are we sure these guys aren’t hostages?

[@TeamAPS]

I'll never tell. 😉

[@the252ndlike]

@@TeamAPS 🫡

[@elizabeth5561]

Seal of Orichalcos ftw

[@mateocortanage]

Aren't we all

[@jrder]

Thanks Guys. You really tried to make this video as objective as possible. Its clear that the product is not complete enough to teach all the basics stuff in yugioh, like Phases and Chains. And Its a shame that token cards and a playmat weren’t included. Its cool that your friends ended up getting Interested in the game. If Konami launches “2-player Starter set Fusion and Links” or whatever, I will be waiting anxiously for your video 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@VictorTAnderson]

Good concept by Konami, flawed execution

[@sRtAoIrNm]

And it’s a concept that pokemon already executed better

[@OnlyLiarGameFan]

I mistook your pfp for ltg 🌩🌩🌩

[@danielramsey6141]

Seems to be a constant problem whenever Konami experiments. And sadly the Game is Largely THAT! An Experiment!

[@Tylerm1013]

@@sRtAoIrNm pokemon is wildly more simple tbf

[@Nin3205]

Yup exactly i bet you can make a better one victor.

[@WinterShorts0]

What a fantastic video VISUALLY showing 2 people's direct, specific experience with the product trying to go through what the comic book tries to teach them but showcases the problems with the Starter Set along the way and what it could do better (no actual tokens or paper playmat is INSANE to me). Not gonna lie it makes me want to create my own 2 personalized starter decks that features every type of card because I want to see if I can do a better job that Konami here.

[@JuanGonzalezZzZzZz...]

Probably you will do. It is a shame the most souless and incompetent people to ever live are the ones working for a greedy and corrupt corporation instead a real player. It is nuts.

[@sRtAoIrNm]

As an old school yugioh player, I gotta say, pokemon did this “scripted starter duel” much better with their beginner’s box

[@chazzitz-wh4ly]

It’s how I learned and taught my kids. It really is a great product with all the components to help get new players familiar with the game. Even the gameboard is marked with helpful information for newbies.

[@christopherb501]

The number of things Pokémon does right compared to the competition is staggering.

[@UTgohan]

Agree, Pokémon is also way easier to learn, me and my gf had a great time learning Pokémon, but learning learning was way to complicated for her lol

[@MrMosebey]

I think the play book we got in the structure decks back in the day was plenty. We just read through it and played and some of the things we did were wrong but it didn't matter we were having fun and figured out we did stuff wrong later.

[@metalmario1231]

Yes this exactly

[@Merilirem]

Indeed. They should just make a second book on more advanced stuff but also keep the original with its basics. I still have mine and they taught me how to play.

[@Tylerm1013]

@@Merilirem I tried getting into master duel, its been a decade+ since I played. Really wish MD started you out with like old school yugioh and then allowed you to work your way up instead of throwing you in almost immediately to modern cards

[@airbornejay4962]

Different time tbh but your'e right. As an 8 year old kid I would just read the book lmao. That along with playing irl with my friends and playing the video games came a long way. YGO really is a game where you have to genuinely enjoy it and consume it in a few different ways. It was also just a great time to be a kid back then lol. Couldn't imagine trying to get into it now.

[@spicymemes7458]

The cut out tokens just put me over the edge. They already had 80+ full sized playable cards for the decks themselves, but they just put jpegs on printer paper and told people to cut them out. That's just insulting. Peak laziness.

[@isidoreaerys8745]

They are literally a card game company. Printing cards is literally their ONLY JOB. THEY HAD ONE JOB. AND THE SAID “here print out these hilariously small black and white jpegs”

[@jojomations2596]

I taught my friend yugioh a few years back and now he's designed cards sleeves for 3 of his best decks: Melffy, Skull Servant, and Nouvelles

[@matthewsaxon3038]

Incredibly based deck choices

[@andrewlikesmetal1095]

Skull servant best deck!

[@kycoo2921]

Actually taught my girl how to play using this Friday night and it went very smooth! She kicked my ass with Zeus and DMG after the instruction ended and she’s excited to play more! Now the criticisms are totally valid - a playmat is a NO BRAINER and the lack of tokens is questionable (I had both ofc.) I think starting with just xyz and synchro is just fine. Her deck was actually out of order by a couple cards too. Splitting up the book to individual player X/S books would’ve been nice. I had to hold her hand and explain other concepts but overall it was a good experience. A KZbin video QR code would have been amazing! Solid 6/10 imo

[@videogamesarecool9280]

Another frustrating thing about this set is that it also doesn't include a proper rule book. The last full rule book I have is master rule 3

[@fabioribeiro4627]

Frankly, a videogame is the best way to learn the essencial rules. That's how I learned many thing way back like the classic MST doesn't negate, standby phases, main phases, hand traps, etc.

[@rifatbobos]

They also taught me about more subtle mechanics like missing timing from "When" and "If" cards or Extra Deck monsters that were not Special Summoned properly are unable to be brought back. The NDS games are still my all time favourite. They weren't head scratching hard but could still provide real challenges as you go on while teaching you through directly dueling instead of reading walls of text. Those games having actual story is also a big bonus since you're basically replacing the protagonist from the series the games are based from like Jaden and Yusei.

[@1stCallipostle]

Eternal Duelist soul from over 20 years ago is where I learned the game. And that basis of knowledge was enough backing to learn the modern game off of

[@DuraheLL]

I love YuGiOh through this channel entirely. This channel is so charming and you guys are so professional and funny.

[@MeizarFarizky]

Anakin: Here are the STARTER deck for new players! Padme: Cool. You've tested it with actual new players right? Anakin: ... Padme: ...It was tested properly, right?

[@Alive7ill]

Paul's frustration and commentary on this speaks volumes. I feel you man, I do

[@MaxAndersonn]

I made my friends try Yugioh too oh wait I don’t have any friends.

[@Knytewish]

I’ll be your friend

[@Jakoby777]

@@Knytewish I'll be both your friends

[@MaxAndersonn]

@@Jakoby777 nothing can overcome the power of friendship 💪

[@Doge8537]

Can i be your friend?

[@johnremizeztomilloso158]

Me too!

[@nikylannaidu1861]

TagForce Arc-V did a really great job at teaching the basics for everything, if there ever was a VReins release it would be my preferred method of teaching new players. I haven't really played Master Duel so I can't speak for those tutorials but i know the game is more or a limbo between TCG and OCG which i don't think is a great way to introduce someone who's looking at getting into the physical card game. I just think the way that TagForce Arc-V took you step by step from the basics of a duel to the necessities for the different summoning mechanics was spot on.

[@feIon]

the tag force games did a great job at teaching the basics

[@phoenixvance6642]

If people play through and progress through the solo mode, it can be quite handy for just getting some practice in. Your starter deck is basic enough, maybe you resolve some spells and win with 1600ATK beatdown. then you play more and unlock a tribute summon structure deck, then you keep going and unlock a ritual structure deck, then fusion, then another fusion that breaks the rules(gladiator beasts), then an xyz structure deck, then finally a synchro structure deck. Nothing for links besides what comes in the starter deck (they really should have made a world chalice structure deck, idk what they were thinking), but they at least give you all the world chalice cards once you get to that point in solo mode. One big issue is they need to put some beginner friendly structure decks in the shop, as even dark magician is confusing for a new player

[@nikylannaidu1861]

@@phoenixvance6642 i see, i think it's pretty cool that they do so, but the issue still remains that you can't really take the same experiences from Master duel to a locals because of the difference in formats. Understandable they'd face the same type of decks like branded, Labrinth, etc but they build decks to counter different problems in each format, so while not impossible it is an adjustment, where you could have just taken a new player through to the TCG format at the beginning. I feel like they need to have a better distinction between types of players. The new player issue in Yu-Gi-Oh is an average experience of someone finding Yu-Gi-Oh, wanting to try it, finding a store to play at, buying a structure deck because they don't know better, then getting 2-0d every match and then leaving because it's not an environment they're able to squeeze into. I feel if we had like a ranking system like Master duel has but for the TCG, it'd be a lot easier to play because you're paired with people of the same caliper and those who aren't can play people in their caliper until they're ready and able to play someone who's in a higher level than themselves, there are definitely drawbacks to this as well, but it's just food for thought on the issue of new player retention

[@Badbufon]

Master Duel does a better job just because it has several solo modes in a intuitive videogame setting... but they aren't that great tbh. they keep making the same mistake of having janky unplayable decks , over and over again. it's not simpler, it's frustrating

[@96Assassine]

Oh damn I didn't even notice the missing playmat until now! Even speed duel boxes give you 4 (FOUR!) of them.... Also tokens which yea, would be nice to have. Could even have exclusive tokens to make this set a little more appealing.

[@2deviant754]

Instead of the book, I think they couldve easily put a QR code or something that led to a video of the scripted duel. That way there's a visual and you can follow along easier without reading so much

[@Darth555]

For all of us who've played since the game's inception, all of the new summoning mechanics were implemented incrementally throughout the years. Compare that to someone starting the game today, trying to learn everything all at once, and it's much more taxing. I'd say the best way for new players to learn is the game "Legacy of the Duelist, Link Evolution." The campaign starts with basic duel monsters and introduces new summoning mechanics with each subsequent anime, similar to how the OG players learned.

[@jesseguernsey5]

I find it very odd that the product was missing so many parts considering that even some of the older collectors sets had mats and tokens. Also very weird way to try and get people interested in the game. I would like to see a ranking of the 3 yugi and Kaibab deck as a gold silver and bronze

[@stevenlindgren3314]

REDHAT! Well you can’t tell in the black and white comic, but one of the characters in there is the player you play as from YUGIOH Tag Force 5 (For the PSP). I downloaded a save file with all cards unlocked and build Edison and Goat format decks to play. The save file has him named at REDHAT rightfully so cause his hats red. Thank you for reading my Ted talk. Cheers.

[@sovest555]

I believe it is also the Vagabond sprite in Duel Links.

[@stevenlindgren3314]

@@sovest555 word, a real nameless protagonist

[@SakuraAvalon]

In other words, it's a cheap, stock asset. lol

[@sovest555]

@@SakuraAvalon Rather it is meant to represent a generic, faceless duelist devoid of true branding.

[@MeizarFarizky]

the most iconic nameless guy in yugioh

[@joaobender3524]

I really think a scripted duel in master duel would be more interestng to put someone into the game. Or maybe a short anime series that shows a player getting a starter deck and building a better one with time. like what cardfight vangard did on first season, before the "this strange power will destroy both worlds" plot was introduced. Show each character with an archetype and with time the complement their decks with a second engine. And do it every master rules big change. I think this would be really fun. And maybe the necessity of another new anime would make konami avoid changing the game so drasticaly so many times.

[@SakuraAvalon]

Those scripted duels already exist in Master Duel. They're the Tutorial for new players.

[@joaobender3524]

​@@SakuraAvalon Yes, they are. I always forget those exist there.

[@Galloglaoch]

This is actually a good idea. Back in the day me and the mates played the game like it was on the anime. Battle City blew our brains! Not to mention what you suggest sound slike it will be very easy to explain ala let's say start with school trounament (starter decks, basic rules, slight changes to decsk via trading). Then go regional with more complicated rules, more changes to decks and adapting to new format. Then let's say something like battle cityr where not only is the game already complicated as irl but you have to quickly adapt, change decks engines, introduce bans and somehwere along the line a master plotline has been introduced slowly brewing to veer its head in this situation. It does sound like a typical shonen progression. Not to mention that if they care and the anime is successful they cna even give love to other formats, Speed Duels etc byt having side-arc with them (ala we visit a city where they play Edison and our band of plucky heroes wants to participate in a local tournament).

[@wiggy5209]

This is a product that you know the person in charge at konami ....thought that Yu-Gi-Oh was easy because they've played it for so long and have kept up with the new summoning mechanics as they came out ...they would have an elitist view about how easy it is ... Whilst forgetting that they have had years to learn it ... It's evident they also never got new players to play it ..and if they did and there were issues ...the testers weren't allowed to be "negative" IE criticise because that would make them social outcasts

[@cincila6981]

I just want to say it's nice you went with it instead of complaing about which card got re-printed.

[@andysledge]

best way to learn is to play master duel or duel links or whatever game of ygo you cant do wrong and youll get the hang of it by visualized phases

[@zaddyuwu9720]

Yep I only ever played duel links and ymd and honestly it's better especially for newer players it tells you the phases, what cards can be activated highlights what effects are being used and other stuff

[@Synactive]

world championship 2010: rise of arcadia is unironically such a good introduction to ygo

[@shirothewolf8318]

11:30 they didn't even acknowledge ritual monsters. Its like they don't exist

[@jbearclowater]

Conceptually, I think this product is a great idea. A structured duel with two decks that feature unique mechanics that are a big part of the game is a really good idea. That said, I think this needed a couple more rounds of R&D to be as good as it could be. Including tokens and a playmat would be a good start. I think your friends' idea of maybe a video or something to follow as well would be a good move too, maybe something like a video to guide you through it and tell you when to play certain cards (along with better explanations of why certain things are being done, since I feel like that was lacking from the 'comic' they provide). I also think it might be interesting to release more than one version of this, to highlight different aspects of the meta to give new players a better idea of how decks interact with each other, and different deck types to give new players something to latch onto.

[@John_1-1_in_Japanese]

They tried to address the problems with teaching new players the game by doing the same thing as always, just vomiting excess information and saying "memorize it" like its for a pop quiz.

[@John_1-1_in_Japanese]

However, the idea of a scripted duel is probably good since it lets you gradually introduce mechanics as you go instead of throwing someone into the deep end or making them read a rule book. That comic looked more like an overly wordy & obtuse rule book though

[@danielramsey6141]

I guess this is why the Anime Series’s was probably the best way to excite younger viewers. but it’s the actual teaching process has be taught with the more experienced players. That’s definitely how me and my brother learned back in 2001. We met the Experienced players who showed us the rules, and we even bought ourselves the Starter sets again just to get the rule book to show where to read, how Stars worked, and how certain Traps actually worked. And we did a practice play without the rule book and we were corrected during certain plays since me and my Bro were learning!

[@Jianichie]

I appreciate you making this video. I was contemplating buying this to play with my girl as a means of bonding -- showing her more of my hobbies. With how poorly it's made in addition to lacking important things (like a blasted duel mat), this product would just frustrate her and I don't want that. Saved me $20.

[@eightyears9850]

the more you learn about yugioh, the more it becomes apparent that a school for learning about yugioh is not unrealistic lmao

[@Pravinoz]

Those tokens! 🤣 I can totally imagine some clueless parent cutting out those tiny tokens for their kids to use during the duel! If they weren't willing to add token cards, at least add some extra pages in the comic so you can cut out full sized tokens!

[@johank3007]

how did this not have a playmat... thats CRAZY

[@PhilipMonsos]

That is something major I didn't realize until watching this video. Not having a 2 player mat in this starter deck does really defeat the purpose of this whole thing, unfortunately.

[@naruto2749]

Honestly that one VHS tutorial with the two kids explained everything better, I get it was back in the early days of yugioh but konami should have probably taken pointers.

[@michel0dy]

A paper mat would be the cheapest simplest inclusion that would help quite a bit. When I was teaching speed duels to my friends I always kept the paper mats cause having zones named actually helps a lot to remember the usual game layout. It also feels very unprofessional for a guide manual to say: "There's also this thing but it's complicated so forget about it"

[@thegreatbocaj]

I really believe that YU-GI-OH Legacy of the Duelist Link Evolution teaches you fairly well about the game overall and helps teach you about certain mechanics, but you have to unlock all arcs and cards, I think.

[@jamichealgates]

13:58 Wait a minute , so you mean to tell me they literally let you play this entire scripted duel All the way into both fields are destroyed and you'll both only have one card in a hand. And that's it That's not gonna teach you anything. It's not gonna show you how you win at. The game is not gonna show how draws are done Not to mention what if The people that's playing this Don't have friends or people to teach them. How to properly play a dual all the way through And think this is how all the games go. Even though they still have Life points

[@Lunacorva]

True, but... imagine Konami trying to market the game by teaching how it's ACTUALLY played. "Hi kids. Here's how to play Yu-Gi-Oh!. First. You'll need a few hundred dollars. Go online and purchase this list of cards: Got them? Excellent. Keep in mind that we'll make them obsolete in a year. So keep an extra hundred dollars handy. :) Step 2 is to play this exact combo. Do this and you'll win. "What do I do if I don't draw the cards needed? What if the combo gets countered?" Don't worry. You simply place your hand on top of your deck and declare you surrender. Now go out there and give us your money!" Sure it's accurate to the current competetive scene, but NO-ONE without would ever want to play a game like that and Konami knows it.

[@seekertosecrets]

Yup. Pretty much. I figured that the product held your hand long enough for the players to continue on their own.

[@Badbufon]

@@seekertosecrets "to continue in their own" as if the decks were playable without the script

[@HotshotMC]

Damn, Konami just got smoked lmao

[@777CrimsonChaos]

Yikes, yeah that’s pretty rough for a teaching product. Honestly, I’d say that Master Duel probably helps more for learning the game in solo mode. They give you a lot of different archetypes to explore and gradually expand on those that focus on different extra deck mechanics, all while breaking each one up into different sections to get a feel for how they’re supposed to work.

[@gabeitches87]

Even Duel Links helps more for learning the game, and that's not even the standard/master duel format lol

[@wolfmech]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@phoenixvance6642]

My only critique is no premade world chalice structure deck to help develop link climbing knowledge and the shiranui being a weird synchro deck to start with if you didnt pick the synchro struct. deck and get prior practice with them

[@Throrma]

Also that is free not like this one...

[@jordanloyd4727]

This was so much fun to do. I would definitely like to learn how to play properly. This felt like so much information for one duel.

[@DynamicReset]

I agree with Konami not including token cards [refering to timestamp 9:55] 1. you don’t confuse them with regular monster- or extra-deck cards, and 2. you don’t learn to rely on token cards (to begin with), much more important is to understand the idea behind tokens, I mean perhaps they put them into the GY, and learn this concept wrong from the beginning, which messes up more things in the long term.

[@vaporeonice3146]

I assume this is their rationale. Even including the crappy paper tokens on the same page where they’re summoned in the scripted duel would have alleviated a lot of the issues, I think.

[@HaveARottenDay]

When I was leading a sort of “Yu-Gi-Oh duel academy club” in school and college, I taught people how to play. I made them early, 2005-ish decks with vanillas, maybe 2 effect monsters, and one vanilla tribute level 5 and level 7. Each time they got the hang of it, I’d throw a new mechanic into the deck (I even did Geminis, I know , I’m a monster). Sadly in a game like Yu-Gi-Oh, A book or DVD will never be as effective as a friend, another human, showing you the ropes lol

[@themaskedeconomist8404]

I think the older starter decks like 5ds 2008/9/duel toolbox are better for these types of beginner dueps, however those are more expensive noeadays, but generally speaking any of those older decks are for some reason easier to play with

[@Tylerm1013]

"Some reason" being that the cards arent OP with half a dozen effects

[@themaskedeconomist8404]

@@Tylerm1013 yeah and sadly on the other end the common cards they included weren't very good they could've easily given much better cards than these

[@phantomknightgalactus]

This is why I swear that master duels tutorial section is by far the best and most interactive way to teach someone yugioh in the modern day

[@eeyuup]

I stopped playing yugioh years and years ago. The way in which master duel lets you incrementally learn as you go through the game is actually fantastic. It's all about those small increments that let you build on what tou learned previously.

[@phantomknightgalactus]

@@eeyuup thats exactly why I say the master duel tutorial section is the absolute best way to teach yugioh

[@luminous3558]

What we really need is 2 simple but complete decks that are low to mid tier but showcase the way modern yugioh archetypes play. Teaching someone to synchro summon means nothing when every synchro deck has their own gimmick of how they use the mechanic. Learning modern yugioh is about learning decks and play patterns that happen between 2 decks.

[@isidoreaerys8745]

Yes. Ghoti, Melffy, Swordsoul, Mannadium, ursarctics, Mayakashi all have completely different synchro summoning techniques.

[@spicymemes7458]

Its nice to hear the layman perspective from non-players. This is who the product is intended for and if its still a hard pass, that's not good

[@Darc_Saber]

One problem I find that wasn't brought up by Paul that much is the fact they used a "comic book" for the scripted duel. Personally, what they should have done is to instead use a DVD that makes it easier to follow along with. Funnily enough, upper deck actually did just that back in 2003 using the Yugi and Kaiba starter decks which included both decks, the DVD, PLAYMATS (take some notes Konami), and a promo Dark Paladin card all for $20. If the upper deck could do this correctly back in 2003, then why can't Konami do it today with updated decks and DVD tutorials to actually help teach new players. They even used Dan Green and several other voice actors in the old DVD, and they could've done it again. At this point I don't know if Konami is greedy with the products they release or just stupid but the US Konami branch and their actions over the last few years is DEFINITELY pointing to them all being stupid. It's like the entire board is run by chimpanzees

[@isidoreaerys8745]

Wouldn’t even need a DVD. Just a QR code to a KZbin video everyone can access using their phone.

[@Darc_Saber]

@isidoreaerys8745 that could also work. Or if they don't want it on KZbin, then Konami could have it on their official site and still use the QR code to access it. Both this option and the one you mentioned would be cheaper than the DVD and no real extra cost to the deck. It's really bad when the fans could come up with better ideas and run Konami better than the actual US branch of Konami.

[@rhaeasoul8531]

It’s funny becuase Konami has releases this product before during duel monsters with actual starter decks and the dvd actually did really well teaching the current game at that time.

[@GhilliedWDB]

I seen this box in the store and I was like. "Konami is getting DESPERATE " and I also thought to myself "They usually tell you whats in the box" 9:09 Thry just pushed out a half baked product... smellsblike Activision and Gamefreak is influencing Konami. 11:04 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@Murdrad]

I tried this with a friend too. Its a bit time consuming. Typical game is 20 min. The book takes an hour, and didn't even go to zero LP. The same friend humored me by playing with a retro Summon Skull beat down Deck vs a nearly identical Summon Skull beat down deck. It was on the longer end of a duel, but it was fun. I think playing a game and coaching a friend works better than this. I think the nich here is for fans of the anime, who want to play with another friend, but neither of them know how to play. So its a seed to start a community of Duelist. Rather than a hook to get a Friend interested. I think the product has the right approach by mostly using simple retro cards for most of the game. Much better to get a handle on the core concepts. Even if it doesn't prepare you for competitive play.

[@kenjimamiku4542]

Sure makes you wonder what Konami is spending all that Master Duel money on

[@isidoreaerys8745]

Fucking exactly.

[@isidoreaerys8745]

Embezzlement. The Whole thing is a money laundering scheme at this point.

[@ElasticLove12]

The easiet part to grasp about YGO is the card types the fact that the book is not in color is insane because learning what color cards are what is the first thing most ppl learn

[@professorivas]

I think Konami missed a big opportunity to turn this into an actual comic series with maybe 3 sets: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. A short comic series that actually had a story as well as taught the game would’ve been a fun way to get someone into the game. They would still need to fix all the issues explained in the video, but the products would have more potential in getting people into the game.

[@vaporeonice3146]

I think from the discussion around this product and especially watching this video, it’s pretty clear to me that a video series you can watch with a QR code would work much better than a scripted duel or product. I get the idea behind having you physically handle the cards as you learn, but I think the reality of having to flip from book to cards and back seems like too much of a hassle to be worth it. A video could walk you through phases and explain the rules, including some of the more niche interactions (like the scripted duel does) in ways that are much easier to follow than big walls of text.

[@TenThirteen2014]

What a good idea for a video. I’ve tried to teach at least 10 people that have never played how to duel and their heads explode. Wasn’t sure if the game is too complicated, I’m a shitty teacher, they weren’t interested, or all or the above. I’ve been casually playing since ‘02 or ‘03. It’s almost a lifestyle not a game. I still love it and will continue to reach my goal of getting one fucking person in my life into this fucking game!

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

This is why i play duel links and master duel Why go to locals when i can go 2-0 in the comfort of my own home 😂

[@GrEEnF1Re1]

The problem with master duel is that is a best of 1, wich creates a lot of degen strats to win 1 game and thats it, while atleast in person you can side things for duel 2 or 3

[@bakuhex786]

Not having a playmat is crazy to me the tokens not so much. I haven't bought a new starter deck in a long time but I remember like Joey's deck had scapegoat but no tokens.

[@ShmarveyXD]

Mannadium Prime-Heart has a special defensive ability that stops your opponent from targeting it with card effects. No monsters facing Mannadium Prime-Heart will be safe due to its multiple energy blades! Find this powerful card in Cyberstorm Access, releasing on May 5th!

[@rosariocrimson]

They really need to make a 'volume 2' set that does it better, provides tokens and an actual mat, and links, fusions, etc. This set seems more like a refresher course for returning players than a learning product for entry level players. They can do tutorials well, Master Duel and other games do it beautifully.

[@gambitgambles]

Great video here are some points. I tried to teach my friends Yugioh a this is what I learned. 1. Yugioh is complicated even "Goat" format is complicated for a regular person. 2. First impression is everything if people are not having fun the first game it is not going to stick. 3. Mats are a must much better if they have all the zones named. 4. Extra deck is extremely complicated not really worth having it in the first games. Pretty much this was an excuse to reprint Zeus again this year.

[@SCH292]

I think the only way to introduce friends into YugiOh is...we gotta start from the bottom. "Bottom" as in old school stuff like..Man Eater Bug, old school 1800 to 1900 Beat down sticks, let them play at their paste and slowly teach them the other formats.

[@gambitgambles]

@@SCH292 Exactly also just make cards easier to read and maybe add bullet points or something to help people more.

[@leemay3097]

@@Kekocola nah, I think they should do something like a "speed duels" with 20 cards and 5 extra deck cards type decks(fusion, xyz, synchro and links) starting with 4000 life points. Then, add some staples like ash blossom, droll, nibiru, evenly match, etc. So they get familiar for handtraps and broad breakers. Later on, they can use these common rarity staples and choose their favorite type of summoning. But, knowing konami, this is too hard to ask for.

[@renzomujica4500]

I got this product for my kid so we can play together, we didn’t like it. However, I decided to build 2 propers decks and now we enjoy the game together

[@crimsonjadewolf2314]

“….. to play as Konami intended.” If that were true, the forbidden/limited list would be shorter, if even exists. But alas, such is life.

[@troublemakerbros4267]

I remember one of the first few times Ive tried to play Yugioh in person with a cousin of mine. I fused a monster (with one being on the field and one in my hand) and he got really mad about it and it was a whole thing hahahaha. He said I couldnt do that and they needed to both be on the field and not in my hand, I argued you could fuse from your hand lol. I wish the game was more beginner friendly still and was still simple to play. Id love to play with my neices and nephews that wanna play it but its so complicated I have a hard time keeping up at times haha. I just stick to the old school ps2 games these days (Duelists of the Roses and Capsule Monsters) and the first 3 shows. (OG, GX, 5'Ds). At some point Ill check out the others for their stories. I personally grew up with OG YuGiOh still releasing new episodes :))

[@Ratchetfan321]

You should see if the pokemon or magic starter set is better or not and why in another video with em.

[@nikylannaidu1861]

I have tried Magic welcome decks and i can definitely say it's way smoother, however these products are built with the intention and purpose of introduction, you'd still need to buy a proper deck to play in a locals environment. And as for Pokemon, the beginners decks are really good for learning how to play but like ygo has the same ratios issue where you'd need a minimum of 2 (in my opinion) to have a decent enough deck to consistently do things you need to do with any given strategy.

[@Ratchetfan321]

@nikylannaidu1861 I'd argue tho at least with these and the magic starter sets neither deck is really local playable as you would get pummeled. The welcome decks in magic are for beginners yes but they also make 2 player starter sets too so those may also be a viable option to do a vid with

[@nikylannaidu1861]

@@Ratchetfan321 yeah, my point wasn't really for tournament viability so much as the experience of learning how to play. When i first tried to teach my brother MTG, i went to locals asked for 2 welcome decks and made him follow the instruction cards, while explaining terms and abilities. They do a good job of explaining turn order and those types of details that the Yu-Gi-Oh rule book would have sufficed in doing, but Konami dropped the ball on that in this 2 player starter decks. When it comes to magic and pokémon they also have 2 player sets as you've pointed out, but those are generally marketed at people to play them together, like a casual game at home with a friend or sibling, this product is intended only for the purpose of learning in my opinion, whereas the magic and pokémon ones can facilitate both needs, learning and playing (albeit in a private capacity, which is fine) I'm not trying to argue that any one game does it the best, I'm just pointing out for how long this product took since it's reveal, it should have been a bit better in the basics department, like mats and rulebooks instead of solely relying on their "manga" to teach them how to properly do things. I think this was more marketed to preexisting players who what to get their friends into Yugioh more than someone discovering it on their own

[@retro2485]

The best way to learn to play yu gi oh is to watch the series that how I learned as a kid. But I still suck at deck building we need a in-depth video about that. Good video though gentleman 👍

[@evandrofteixeira]

As a teacher I think that teaching all the mechanics in one game is the worst idea.

[@SavitTheGoalie]

I remember reading the core rule book over and over and playing by myself for years because everyone else was playing like the first anime

[@brandonneilsta.teresa3494]

I made my friends try playing Yu-Gi-Oh. Now I don't have friends anymore.

[@ChaosMarx]

lol

[@beenthroughnam3747]

Same 😂

[@reploid123]

i think if you to teach someone yugioh, you have to start them with the cards and rules (except maybe ignition and first turn draw) as they were when the game first came out, so no xyz synchro etc just fusions, then slowly introduce new cards and summons, because that's how most people learned the game to begin with

[@manonthemoon692]

The only reason I’m even in Yu-Gi-Oh is because of the anime series, but I was really into Pokémon and I never liked the Pokémon card game. I don’t like magic either. There’s something about Yugioh I just like, but I also like the hell out of the anime

[@dustinmoore2528]

I honestly feel like the original mangas for each individual series does a much better job at explaining the game than whatever Konami comes up with.

[@Tyler-Wiley]

Why would you subject your friends to such abuse?

[@Tranitosaur]

I didn't know about those small token cut-outs until I found this video lol

[@Xelger]

Time to whip out Master Duel and have them build the two practice decks and play against each other that way.

[@bassplayer2011ify]

Honestly if I were introducing someone I would give them an older starter deck and teach them goat. It maybe outdated but it a hell of a lot easier to teach compared to what it is now.

[@RandoomDude]

the problem with modern yugioh isn't learning what a defense position or what monster zones are it's the 5 different extra deck types, 5 minute combos and learning a new archtype every game, if you just want to learn the basics play the gba games, it's trying to learn master duel that's basically going from an incline to a sheer cliff

[@kollimenakal]

Speed Duel was honestly a great entry point. Got so many friends into the game (and others BACK into the game) and somehow Konami managed to completely fumble with it

[@Swift_Jr]

Konami needs to do a part 2 for people that already know the basics and then a part 3 that will prepare players for ACTUAL Yugioh

[@ColtenOrwin42]

That Resetti music is traumatizing

[@teamdandyspore2926]

Konami needs to hire some actual players to critique their products.

[@partymantis3421]

Team Aps with the best video on this, no surprise there. Getting some of your non-yugioh playing friends to use this was genious, perfect showcase of how this works as as a startingpoint. Shame the actual product turned out so wonky, no playmat or tokens ,no fusions or links (rituals dont even get a mention, the poke at pendulums did make me lol tho ) the scripted duel "comic" was a neat idea but it really could use some color & to be divided into 2, 1 for each player like a pair of theatre scripts. (Also odd how Ojamas Green&Yellow as well as queens knight are in here but the other parts of their trio Black, Jacks & Kings are not here, like they were going to put them in to show off fusions but just quit halfway) Atleast its nice to get guaranteed reprints of some of these cards like Zeus & Eldlich . And ofcourse the OG GOAT : Penguin Soldier. Anyway i think the best intro to yugioh is the speedduel boxes to get the basics down & those who want more will grow into the main game ( the game could use more formats tho, come on Konami, keep this one as its own format but add in formats for difrent power levels & release dates so its not just the handfull of OP decks that ever see play)