Fans of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game and/or the original series, rejoice—there’s a brand new game that’s got all the great things you love in something that fits in your hand! Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links, which has hit iOS and Android platforms alike, brings the awesome card game to smart devices the world over. And it's free to play!

Old Friends, New World

Duel Links opens with…what else? A Duel! Not just any Duel either—Yami Yugi and Seto Kaiba are clashing again, and you get to decide which of these Legendary Duelists you’ll control. Don’t worry if you’re new to this–despite the big names involved, this is very much a startup session to get you familiar with the system and interface. Just dive right in!

Once you’ve kicked your rival to the curb, you wind up in Duel World, a digital recreation of Domino City where Duelists will fight nonstop for the title of King or Queen! And you’re not alone–right from the start, A.I. Duelists fill the streets, each ready for you to challenge and conquer on your way to the top!

All in This Together

One of Duel Link’s main draws (heh) is how you’ll get to control a whole roster of other Legendary Duelists. The one you select at the beginning will just be the first—you’ll soon unlock the likes of Joey, Téa, Mai and your unchosen rival just by advancing through the game’s Stages. Other Duelists like Mako Tsunami, Bandit Keith and Odion will also become available after winning a certain number of times or playing a certain number of cards. Try to grow your character roster as fast as possible too—unlocking a new character adds all of their cards to your catalogue, which is a BIG help during the game’s early stages.

Likewise, as you Level Up your Legendary Duelists during gameplay, they’ll unlock certain valuable skills that they’ll take into the Duels themselves. At level 3, for example, Joey gains a Skill that lets him start the Duel with an additional 1000 Life Points! Leveling comes with other rewards too such as additional deck-recipe slots, rare cards, or even just more Gold and Gems.

Besides, all characters come fully voiced by their original actors and have special animations when they play their signature cards. It’s a total blast just to watch and listen!

New World, New Rules

The rules of Dueling in Duel Links are slightly different from those in real life, so here’s a quick 'n' dirty list of the changes to expect:
• Decks must be between 20 and 30 cards 
• Extra Decks must have 5 cards or fewer
• Side Decks aren’t permitted
• Both Players begin with 4000 Life Points (unless increased with a Skill) 
• The Field now has only three Monster Card Zones and Spell/Trap Card Zones per side, not counting Field Spell Card Zones
• Both players can have Field Spells in play at the same time
• The second player can attack on their first turn
• Main Phase 2 has been removed. Turn flow is now Draw Phase > Standby Phase > Main Phase > Battle Phase > End Phase. In other words, no waiting until the end of your turn to set a Spell or Trap Card, or to Summon another monster!

Planning Ahead

While there’s a lot of ways to play the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game, there’s a few key strategies that’ll make progressing through Duel Links a lot more fun!

Challenge Everyone and Never Surrender

It’s easy to yearn for a perfect no-loss record, but losing a Duel has no in-game penalties whatsoever beyond fewer Experience Points and more common rewards. Surrendering, on the other hands, denies you any rewards whatsoever.

Seek The Vagabond!

Sometimes you’ll encounter a strange, faceless Duelist called “The Vagabond.” Challenge him. While his Duels always come with a serious handicap since his Deck is likely above your punching level, he’ll also give you a ton of experience points if you win or not.

Duel School Is Your Friend

The Duel School is located in the “Gate” area of the Duel World, and it is a fantastic resource. Not just for knowledge, though it’s great for that too if you’re a Yu-Gi-Oh! newcomer, it has a series of “Duel Puzzles” that net you 15 free Gems each; the first set of Duel Puzzles is little more than just “summon X” or “activate Y.” You’ll get the funds for quite a few Boosters in a pretty short amount of time that way!

Buy New Cards ASAP!

While it’s a bad idea to break the bank super-early, you’ll want to nab as many high-ATK, low Level cards as soon as possible. The surrounding A.I. Duelists will keep using weaklings for a long time, so you’ll secure your victory for the first 10 Stages or so just by favoring high-ATK monsters that don’t require a Tribute. What’s more, both Kaiba and Yami Yugi quickly learn Skills that let you begin the Duel with a Field Spell Card already active; Yugi’s Yami empowers Fiends and Spellcasters while Kaiba’s Mountain boosts Dragons, Thunder and Winged-Beast Types, so play to the strengths of whichever Duelist you chose!

Keep It Short

More cards mean a smaller chance to draw the ones you need when you need them, and speed is key in Duel Link’s bite-sized Duels! I’m not saying that you can’t have more than 20 cards in your Deck, but ask yourself if you really need more. Also, try to skew towards monster level 4 or lower, since you’ll wind up with an empty Field without these guys. And when you’re starting with 4000 LP, that’s pretty hard to recover from!

Take it Outside

Use the Vs. Arena to challenge other players across the internet. Yes, yes, it’s a little obvious and probably the reason you picked this game up in the first place. But even if you’re not feeling social, the Vs. Arena is still a good place to see other strategies and cards in action–maybe you’ll stumble across a card or Skill you need to make your own deck unstoppable! And if you’re of the friend-making persuasion, that too has its own rewards, including potentially more visits from the Vagabond!

Final Thoughts

While it’s not a straight re-creation of the real-life version, Duel Links is a great bite-sized sample of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game. Whether you’re a new recruit looking to hone your skills in a safe environment or a veteran player who can’t wait until Saturday for the next tournament, Duel Links can and will deliver!

Hint: Read the manga and watch the anime! It won't help you duel, but it's a lot of fun! 

by Chris Turner