Playing to Win? or Playing Not to lose?

Hello DGA been a long time, been a while since I wrote an article as well.
This subject caught my attention after seeing some videos on the subject, but reading the title I bet your all like, whats the difference aren't they both the same.
Well there not, this article wont focus on game play, I will be talking about deck building and how you build your deck to win.

Still not getting the idea, I'll put it simple, take a look at TCG players and decks we usually start building decks with the main structure then we think a sec, ok Windups, Geargia, and Mermails are pretty popular decks. Maxx C, Veiler and Thunder King Rai-Oh are good cards to stop those decks I'm going to main them or 1-2 of them. Then this is what happens oh I have 2 "Effect Veiler" and 2 "Thunder King Rai-oh" and I'm playing "Tragodia" and tour guides I should play BLS and Chaos Sorc. Thats how I used to build decks then something showed up. The deck lost all consistency. I keep getting really bad hands and just sitting there with hand traps or better way to put it cards that should be sided, and not being able to play at all. Running into Dark World or Hero's with a hand of Maxx "C" and Veiler, not so fun now is it.
This my friends is what i meant by "Playing Not to Lose", were starting to main deck cards so other decks to kill us or beat us, but its actually killing our decks consistency.

Now lets take a look at the OCG side, at the moment OCG has same cards as we do and more so we were expecting close or similar decks to come out. Well looking at there builds there decks specialy the ones that top rarely play cards like Veiler or Maxx "C" in main, they focus on drawing cards and consistency in TCG we usually never play Pot Of Duality in windups, in ocg ive seen builds with Cardcar D and PoDs. Why do they play them like that its because they "Play to Win" they try to get off the combos ASAP and win the duel fast game 1, game 2. You can try and slow your opponent down by siding in everything you need against that matchup.
Still think you may end up losing or scared of it, take a look at last YCS. The Inzektor deck that won mained none of those cards. It focused and drawing and setting your pieces, and with that game 1 consistency, he was able to win the whole thing. Think about it. Inzektors were not even on radar so unless u sided SIM for Dark World which dont think much people did. He was able to race through it all to the top, without focusing on not losing with hand traps that make his deck work slower he focused on getting to his Hornet and Dragonly and winning as fast as he can.
Another thing I want you to think of is situations would u prefer to open Inzektor Cent and PoD/Foolish Burial, or open with "Maxx C" and "Effect Veiler" and turn out playing against hero's.

My last example will be take a look at Dark World no one ever mains Veiler and Maxx and just play darkworlds plain and simple that raises the consistency a lot, now imagine raising the consistency more in other decks that are more consistent than darkworlds, yeh your liking the idea.

Today's Meta is really diverse that you cant main cards for certain match-ups because they don't work against others so focus on your decks plays and combos and play based on speed game 1 out speed out play opponent and you will end up winning game 1 a lot, if you do that game 2 and 3 will be easier knowing your opponents deck siding in cards and you'll have a lot of choices to side out, instead of being stuck with "Maxx C" and "Effect Veiler" and not being able to side them out because you don't have enough cards to side in against a certain match up.

Know don't go to your decks and drop all your hand traps to the side and say im ready to go, there are decks that wont do well with out them examples Chaos Dragons, and Agents if your thinking of going trapless or with 1-2 traps these cards are your traps. This is just helping you think more when making your deck you dont have to follow it just keep in mind when im adding these cards am I hurting consistency or do i need them since i dont have any other ways of protection.

Sorry if this turned out a bit bad haven't wrote something in a while hope i helped have fun and Duel to WIN.
DE Out Peace

Its a good thing that you took the ocg meta exemple for this article cuz Ive been looking at some ocg decks recently and I realised the same thing. I checked a WU ocg deck recently and the guy was running no hand traps and 2 summoner monks and the reason why nobody tought bout summoner monk here is because we focus to much on hand traps and TKR.

I'm not saying those cards are bad, I usualy main 2 veilers in most of my decks cuz veiler worst against anything but darkworld but I dont push the inconsistency further in game 1 cuz there is nothing like drawing a TKR, a maxx or a veiler when your opponent already exploded.

Thx for the article DE ! you could have wrote a lot more about that subject tho XD

You've taken into consideration what many people seem to be going through atm. People take into consideration stopping the opponent's deck before playing to actually win.

Great article, DE! Thanks for taking the time to write ^^