Know Thy Self
By Nathanael Tripp

That's right guys. I'm back again with a new article. This time, however, I am really breaking from my normal ways. This week's article is more of a breakdown of how you learn to play a game, and more specifically how you learn to become a better player. These are the things I do when I am first learning a new game, or trying to build a new deck. You can use these techniques for any game that you are planning on playing, not just this one.

1. Know the Cards:
I cannot stress this point enough. In order to be good at a game, you have to know what the cards can and cannot do. Read through all the cards for that game. Know them by heart; be able to rattle off what a card does if someone mentions it. If I were to say "Jawa Sandcrawler", would you know what it does? Beyond just knowing what the cards do, though, you also need to know how they interact. This brings us to point two.

2. Central Theme:
This concept is a little more obscure than just knowing the cards. You have to know what they do when combined together. What happens if I play Lando's Influence, then play Dark Sacrifice? What happens if I have out two Rebel Command Officers and a bunch of Rebel Units? It is these kinds of situations that you need to plan. Also, you need to be able to recognize them. If you fail to see them, or see the signs too late, then you risk losing the game.

3. Play Style:
Everyone has one, and some people are more flexible than others. Take me for instance. When I first started playing SWTCG, I was a beat-down player. I would stuff my deck full of the fastest, most powerful units and use pump cards to win. This worked for me; I was able to win many tournaments with this strategy. Later, my play style changed into more of a control aspect, and now I enjoy being able to control the game and work my opponents' resources in my favor. I have a friend, though, that is still a beat-down player. He could take the most dominant control deck, such as Team BUS's Tyranus's Speeder Deck, and lose 9 out of 10 games with it. He just doesn't do well outside of his comfort play style. This takes us to our fourth point.

4. Play what you feel comfortable with:
This has more to do with tournament play then casual play; but in essence, what it means is to play what you have the most experience with. Before the 2003 Charlotte Qualifiers, my testing group had been testing like mad with a weird stall deck that was working for us and that we felt comfortable with. However, the night before the Qualifier I heard about the Team BUS deck that was taking the Qualifiers by storm. I figured, 'hey, why not play this deck that's bashing face, and have a better chance of winning?' Needless to say, I ended up going 1-7 for the day, while the lowest any of my teammates placed was 4-4. What went wrong for me? I played a deck I had no experience with and it showed, because I had misplay after misplay after misplay that day. So find a deck and go with it. Don't worry about what someone else is playing.

5. You are your own worst enemy:
When you lose a game, the natural reaction is to second-guess all the plays you made; saying, "If only I had done something different." While at times this is good because it lets you learn from your mistakes, if you just get bogged down in the "if only's," you will be second-guessing all the moves you make, and this will effect your game play. So if you lose, you lose. Don't bash yourself over the head about it. Not everyone is going to go undefeated every tournament. Just do your best. That brings us to our final point.

6. Have FUN!!:
All too often, people forget that the reason many play games is to have fun and relax. These "ultra-competitive" people ruin the game for everyone. Crying when they lose, gloating non-stop when they win, and never caring about their opponent. Just remember why you are playing the game and treat everyone how you want to be treated. If you do this, you will make the game fun, not only for yourself, but also for everyone else who is around you; and you will gain more respect for a good attitude than for being an arrogant winner any day.

So there you go, guys. A few of my tips for playing the SWTCG, or any game for that matter. Remember, though, nothing beats good ol' fashion practice to get better. So get on Lackey, and play some games. Print out some cards, and play with a friend, neighbor, or even your parents. But, as always, have fun no matter what you are doing. Until next time, 'May the Dice be with you.'

Thoughts or comments? Visit the message board thread for this article here.

About the Author
Nathanael has been a player since May 2002 and is currently the Playtesting Chairperson and a member of the IDC Board. He has written a number of articles for Wizards of the Coast and has been very active with the SWTCG Hope of the Jedi tournament. Nathanael Tripp has been a member of both the Wizards and Rebelbasers forums since January of 2002, posting under the name Ketricel.