Overview
Hey everyone! This is the first issue in a series of guides meant for new players just starting up Duel Links for the first time! This first issue will mostly be QUICK, barebones information. More detailed issues will come in the nearby future!
Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid as a New Player
Before we get too in-depth about the game, here are 5 quick tips to keep in mind as a new player:
1) DO NOT spend your Gems, Dream Tickets, or any ingame resources in general without doing some research first! Always have a PLAN!
- Some ingame resources are hard to come by, especially the UR and SR Dream Tickets, which we only get about twice per year. Because these are so rare, you definitely want to do some research (e.g. using this website or social media like Discord and YouTube) to make sure that whatever cards you're getting with them are actually worth the investment. While it may be tempting as a new player to immediately spend a Dream Ticket on a cool looking UR card or carelessly pull packs from a box, the card(s) that you're getting may not actually have any use in either PVE (single player) or PVP (competitive play)! Always plan out a goal in mind for a deck before you spend, and then focus on completing that deck before moving onto another one. It's better to have 1 complete and usable deck, than many incomplete, unusable decks!
2) DO NOT convert any card that you have at 3 (the max you can have in a deck) or fewer copies!
- Some cards in the game are exclusive to as few as 1 copy per player. As a new player, it may be tempting to convert cards that seemingly look mediocre into ingame resources like Jewels and Stones in the game's Card Studio. However, if you convert one of these exclusive cards, then you may not be able to get another copy -- i.e. it'll be gone forever! To be safe, a general rule of thumb is to always keep at least 3 copies of every card, so that you always have a full playset of each card ready in case you need it for a deck.
3) DO NOT ignore the weekly events (both PVE and PVP)!
- Sometimes, events actually give incredibly worthwhile cards (or Skills) that may never be available again. An example of this was an event featuring the character, Espa Roba, from the original Yu-Gi-Oh! series that gave away an exclusive copy of the card, Jinzo, one of the most notorious cards in Yu-Gi-Oh! history. To this day, players who missed or started the game after that event still cannot get the extra copy of Jinzo. So to be safe, it's always a good idea to read up on and play the weekly events when there are good looking rewards on the line -- besides, almost every event gives out a good amount of gems (see the monthly gem reports, e.g. Jan 2021, and you need gems to pull more packs anyway!
4) DO NOT assume that Duel Links is the same as the TCG or OCG!
- This is sometimes the biggest trap for players coming from the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG or OCG. Know that Duel Links IS NOT like the real life card game! Often, cards or even entire archetypes that were once meta dominant in the TCG or OCG end up completely unplayable or rogue at best in Duel Links, due to the difference in game mechanics -- e.g. only 3 each of monster and spell/trap zones -- or the card pool at time of release. On the flipside, it's not uncommon for cards and archetypes that were never relevant in the TCG or OCG to become top tier in Duel Links. Moral of the story, while it's good to keep your Yu-Gi-Oh! experience in mind when playing Duel Links, don't automatically assume that everything in Duel Links will go the same way as you remember it in the TCG or OCG -- keep an open mind!
5) DO NOT get discouraged! Everyone starts somewhere!
- Getting used to Duel Links may seem daunting at first. It can take time to learn the best decisions to make and even as long as a couple of weeks before you complete your first competitive deck for PVP. But, this is all normal and something that all new players go through. Even experienced Duel Links players still make mistakes, like investing in the wrong deck or pulling packs on impulse. The most important thing isn't to never make mistakes but be able to learn from them and bounce back. Eventually, you'll find yourself comfortable with the game mechanics, be able to establish a long-term account, and start having the gems and flexibility to make any deck you want!
Links/Guides on the DLM Website!
This is another quick section to show what resources are available on this website. Keep these links in mind as you read through the rest of this guide and start building your account.