A Tribute to SSJason19

I’ve watched more Yugitubing than home movies, local news, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine combined. 

Perhaps that’s not saying much.  Nevertheless, I have consumed a large amount of Yugioh content in 10 to 15 minute video bites.  The most recent binge came with a contest sponsored by Underworld6667 who brought 32 aspiring videographers together to vie for the title of the Next Great Yugituber.   While the contest had the alacrity of a US Presidential election, it did reveal three promising Yugitubers.  However, none of them rose to the level of my favorite, SSJason19. 

At his best, Jason does what few Yugitubers can, namely explain the game of Yugioh.  YouTube is rife with self-appointed experts offering such cutting commentary as “This card is broken” of “That deck sucks”.  However, few can give cogent reasons for their passionate statements.  Even fewer offer principles that can be applied to the game in general.

For those of you who have yet to click on the link to his channel, here is a small sample:

• The neg 1 exceed: Playing two cards from your hand to make one XYZ monster is a Neg 1 Exceed.   This simple rule explains why 80% of the archetypes in Yugioh are bad. It also explains the potential perils of cards like Satellarknight Vega and Tin Goldfish.  Vega works well with Deneb as does Goldfish with Gadgets.  However, most of the time you are giving up card advantage and making yourself vulnerable to one-for-one removal.  

•  MST is bad: Jason created more than a little stir by suggesting MST be taken out of the main deck.  Nevertheless, his point was quite valid.  Drawing into an MST can be a problem in the latter portion of the duel.  With the exception of Qlipharts, you generally need to deal with monsters and not spells and traps.

• Cake and Crap: A couple of months ago I wrote a post about combining different engines.  While this method can create some interesting decks, the usual outcome is a deck that underperforms.  The reason is that most hybrids use an excellent engine (i.e. the cake) and combine it with a deck that needs help (i.e. the crap).  As SSJason colorfully points out nobody wants to eat cake with crap in it. 

The Yugitube world seems to be divided into analysts and entertainers.  The division is somewhat arbitrary since many analysts entertain and vice-versa.  I make distinction based on my motivation for clicking on a video.  Do I want to be amused or do I want to learn something? I learn from analysts. 

Unfortunately, the careers of analysts are often much shorter than the careers of entertainers.  Perhaps their understanding makes them more aware of the game’s problems.  I suspect this is the case for Jason.  His prodigious video output has taken a significant drop in the past several months as the game has introduced archetypes and mechanics that make concepts like “card advantage” irrelevant.

I hope Jason continues to make videos.  His slightly subversive style combined with an endearing Scottish brogue will always be welcome.  

My YouTube Recommendations:

Analysts

• MegaCapitalG: Cap may be one of the best analysts in the game today.  His duel commentaries are far better than those used by Konami or ARG.  My only criticism is his penchant to butcher the pronunciation of card names; but as a hometown guy, I’ll cut him some slack.
• Lithium2300: While I may be drawn in by the gravitas of his Belgium accent, I still believe Lithium offers outstanding analysis of up and coming archetypes.  He does have a penchant for Monarchs, but this may be the best rogue strategy in the game today. 
• Cimoooooo: If you like Yugi-enthusiasm, you will love this channel.  Cimoooooo provides some of the best tech analysis in the game. 

Entertainers

• GalacticGod: As the veritable grandfather of the Yugitube world, GalacticGod reminds us what is fun about this game.  
• YourYugiohChannel: High quality, well edited videos + a likable host = a very successful Yugitube channel.
• TheRJB0: Robert is one of the few Yugitubers that defies my classification.  He does entertaining analysis or analytical entertainment. 
• Duelrock88: Along with RJB0 and Cimoooooo, Duelrock made the hours of Underworlds contest worthwhile.  As a host, he is quite likeable and he benefits from his association with team UNITED GOSUS.
• dpYGO: Those of you with delicate sensibilities would be advised to avoid this channel.  Everyone else should click on an ad so that he can pay the rent. 

One for the good guys ...

Successful people are often the targets of petty rumor and slander, particularly by those who aspire to be successful.  Yugioh is no different.  Thus, many players at the top of the game are treated with some suspicion.   It’s a card game and people have been cheating at cards since the invention of the printing press.  Accusing a winner of cheating takes them down a notch and brings them back into the realms of the wannabes.  
 

If anything, the sophistication and subtlety of our game facilitates such accusations.  In addition to the universal cons (e.g. marking cards), we have the “soft cheat” where advantage is gained by ignoring or reinterpreting certain card rules.  Attacking after Soul Charge, special summoning after Pot of Duality, or playing a once per turn card twice are all examples of soft cheating. Proving that such actions were taken deliberately is a question of intent and intent is impossible to prove.  Where there is no proof, there is speculation.  Speculation plus jealousy plus the internet leads to a proliferation of defamatory statements about any number of players.

But this is not one of those posts …

This post is a tribute to a player from our locals who not only won the Roanoke Regional, but did it with class and integrity.  

Alvaro began playing Yugioh a few years ago.  For about the first six weeks, he was an easy win and a good tournament draw.  After that, play was interesting.  In about four to six months, it was challenging.  I don’t think I’ve beaten him in 2014.  Fortunately, I am not the only player to experience his improvement. I’ve witnessed him go from regional washouts, to invites, to tops, and now to wins.  He is poised for a breakthrough in a YCS event.  I predict that he will, which will boost the prophetic powers of this blog.  

His success is not accidental.  Losses don’t bring harangues about card draws or luck sacking.  Instead, he carefully thinks about where his deck broke down and ways that it could be improved.  He also benefits from a distinct lack of sentimentality about cards and archetypes.  Dreaming about being the first Crystal Beast player to win a YCS is a great way to become another Crystal Beast player to never win a YCS.  Sell my Geargias?!?  Are you kidding?  Alvaro is free from such mawkishness.  This willingness to change decks has also given him a thorough understanding of the current meta.  There are few substitutes for playing a deck in real life.  Alvaro has made and benefitted from that commitment. 

While noteworthy, these are not the characteristics that have impressed me.  I know many really good players, but I know few who play absolutely above reproach. I have never seen an incident of sharking, self-serving rule interpretation, or questionable play.  He treats his opponents with respect, which makes even losing to him enjoyable.  

I’m not sure what life skills one can gain from being successful at Yugioh.  I suspect pulling out a “Nationals” mat will not impress many employers.  Still, you have to think there are places in this world that want young men with ethical strength. It’s unfortunate that most of the adult world won’t know how impressive his accomplishments are.

Good Bye to a Good Friend

From time to time I may forgo Yugioh for other thoughts and musings.  This post is written as a tribute for our beloved dog Bridgett who died after being with us for nearly fourteen years.

In retrospect, most choices are so commonplace that they could be considered banal. You leave for college, get married, have kids, and get a dog. Our lives flow along the same well-worn paths as those around us.  Our experience is more shared than disparate; our decisions more predetermined than determined.

Yet our perception at those times of decision could not feel more different.  I chose a college after months of deliberation.  I married after years of dating, and all our pregnancies were planned.  The decision to get a dog was no less intentional. We had a six year son who needed to learn responsibility.  A dog would allow him to grow by caring for another being. His successful entry in to manhood could be fostered by this pet.  

The execution of our decision to get a dog would be no less rational.  We turned to various experts to help us choose the right animal.  After all, we only managed to get through pregnancy with the help of “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”.  We would surely do the same for raising a dog.  We learned that the dog could be a Christmas present but we should not bring her home at Christmas. Check. We would have a crate for the dog to provide a safe environment. Check. We would bring her up according to the standards of the American Kennel Club. Check.  

Funny, dogs don’t read books or follow agendas.  In fact, they seem to help you find ways of forgetting yours.  At least our Bridgett did.  Within minutes of meeting her I forgot about character development and purposeful parenting.  She was friendly, a bit demure, and appeared glad to see us.  Of course, these were the traits selected over the ages to help make her and her kind the most successful parasitic species on the planet. On the other hand, her actions prompted a genuine emotional response.  I was happy, content, and pleased to rescue her from the shelter and bring her to our home. 

We did, nevertheless, follow the plan conceived before her homecoming.  Bridgett retired to her kennel at night and occasionally retreated to it during storms.  She was trained according to the AKC standards and earned her “Good Citizen” award.  She was athletic and lean and literally wore out a path around the house.  Like any long term relationship there were occasional strains.  For example, she had a penchant for chewing up any sock that was left on the floor.  Perhaps, she was just teaching me to be a little tidier.  In any case, a whole sock-full of drawers would not make up for our loss.  In fact, time is quickly erasing any memory of the strains though it has yet to erase the grief. 

Bridgett died only a few weeks after my son left for AmeriCorps.  She was his companion, tutor, and comforter.  She was with him through growth spurts, fashion fads, and broken hearts.  When the world seemed to reject him, as it does from time to time in nearly all teenage worlds, Bridgett accepted him without cost or condition.  And when her task was finished and he entered the adult world, she left us.  

Whether intentional or unintentional, mindful or accidental, whether a product of breeding, evolution, or environment, I will always be grateful for what that dog did for my son, my family, and most of all, for me.