It's time to duel! Whether you're a newcomer or a veteran of the series, Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution just recently landed on the Nintendo Switch and it's a great way to play the card game on-the-go.
With Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution, you can relive iconic duels from the anime series, from the original Yu-Gi-Oh! series to the latest VRAINS story. There are also Reverse Duels where you play as the antagonist, local and online multiplayer, and Sealed and Draft Battle Modes for that tournament-like feel. And with over 9000 cards to choose from, you're getting the largest available collection of cards to build your own decks from.
But when you get into the game, it may seem a bit overwhelming. Here are some tips for those just getting started!
Check out the tutorial if you're new
If you're completely new to Yu-Gi-Oh!, there is a tutorial that you can play through to familiarize yourself with the basics of the game.
With the tutorial, there are 19 different lessons, all of them explaining each aspect of a game mechanic. This is a great way for someone who is completely new to learn the ropes, but also for people returning to the game who don't quite fully understand the more recent game mechanics like Synchro, Xyz, Pendulum, and Link Monsters.
The tutorials basically show you only that particular mechanic or rule in action. It's a good way to refresh your memory on how something works, or if you need to clearly see something explained. The first duel in each campaign also acts as a tutorial, as they're scripted and explain everything step-by-step.
Familiarize yourself with Story Decks
In the single-player Campaign for each Yu-Gi-Oh! series, you'll be playing out iconic duels from the show. While you could use a custom deck you've built in these, the Story Decks are still a good option, and they recreate the duels from the anime. They often have cards that specifically counter your opponent, and if you're new, it's a great way to get familiar with the game mechanics of that era.
Read and understand the card effects
Back when Yu-Gi-Oh! first started, the game was pretty simple. It was mostly normal monsters, some overpowered effect monsters (and others that aren't so useful), basic spells and trap cards. But if you look at the cards now, some of the effects read like a novella!
It's important to take a look at the cards that you have, whether it's in your trunk or deck, and even what your opponent plays, and give them a look over. Newer cards can have multiple effects, and you need to understand what some cards do in order to build an effective deck with them and also counter your opponents.
Take your time and plan out your strategy
There is no countdown clock in any duel. This means you should always take your time to learn what the opponent's deck does, plan out a strategy, and carefully execute your moves. Plus, you can't back out of an action once you select it (like putting a monster in attack or defense position or activating a card), so be careful with those accidental button presses.
Take your time! It's never wise to rush while you're in a duel.
Focus on building a deck with a theme
With over 9000 cards available in the game, there are a lot of possible decks that you can come up with. It may be a bit overwhelming, but it definitely helps to examine what kind of decks your opponent plays to get some inspiration. The worst kind of deck is one that is thrown together without any synergy between cards and is just a bunch of random, "strong" cards.
To figure out a theme, think about your play style, and look for an archetype that will suit it. Have a right balance between level 1-4 monster cards, high-level monsters (level 5 and up), spells, traps, fusions, etc. But most importantly, have synergy between them all, and stay around the minimum of 40 cards. Avoid cards that will slow the overall game down.
Having a good deck is the key to winning duels.
Know which character booster packs to get
Once you decide on a theme for your deck, you should know which character booster packs to get. For example, I wanted to build a deck revolving around the Red Eyes Black Dragon card. The vast majority of these cards come from the Joey pack that you unlock in the original series' campaign. My next deck is Dark Magician based, which is Yami Yugi's key card, so you'll find all of the support cards in the Yami pack.
If you need some guidance on what cards to look for in each character pack, there are some online resources.
It's time to duel!
These are just some key tips in getting started in Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution on Nintendo Switch, whether you're a newbie or a longtime fan. Don't miss out on our full review of the game as well, written by yours truly!
