Yugioh and the Meta

Before we talk about balance in Yugioh, I must first explain a few fundamentals.

1: Metagaming.

"Metagaming is any strategy, action or method used in a game which transcends a prescribed ruleset, uses external factors to affect the game, or goes beyond the supposed limits or environment set by the game. Another definition refers to the game universe outside of the game itself. Metagaming differs from strategy in that metagaming is making decisions based upon out-of-game knowledge, whereas strategies are decisions made based upon in-game actions and knowledge.

In simple terms, it is the use of out-of-game information or resources to affect one's in-game decisions."

This is the most basic definition of a metagameing ripped straight from Wikipedia.

Another way to look at metagaming is that it's the idea that the players imput is just as if not more impactful to the game as the rules of said game.

2: Sets and tins.

Every year starting in the summer Konami will release one set every three months. This is important to note as it means that new cards will come into the game, and with new cards means new strategy's for players to experiment and build decks with. 

 3: the ban/limited list

The ban/limited list is a system for Konami to help balance the game in cases of certain decks/cards being to oppressive and or toxic to the game.

4: the format.

this is arguable the most complex part of this game, as without any of the fundamentals above the format would simply not exist.

  "Without the release of new sets the format would grow stale and boring"   

  "Without the ban/limited list the format would devolve into a chaotic mess of the most broken and toxic    decks"

  "Without Metagaming the very ideas that shape what we call the format would not exist"

I know this may seem long winded, but i truly believe that without understanding all of the concepts above we cannot truly understand what must be considered before balance can be achieved.

Thank you all for reading.

P.s . if you think i missed something or failed to explain something properly please feel free to comment below and let me know so that I may revise it.

Edit: i don't know why the white back round is there if anyone could help me get rid of it that would be appreciated

Intro and plans

Hello, my name is Rilcalna. 

I started this blog for the sake of discussion the Idea of balance and how it is done. I also am writing to help some people better comprehend the ways that a Designers will go about balance.

I plan on my first few post to be about a card game called Yu-gi-oh, and then I plan to branch out into more general topics and other games.

P.s.  Please bear with me on this as it will be my first time doing this sort of thing.