History of Yu-Gi-Oh!

       ADVERTISED CARDS:  Sword of Dark Destruction, Rogue Doll, Mabarrel Booster 2 （ＢＯＯＳＴＥＲ ( ブースター ) ２）was the second release of the Booster Series released on May 25, 1999. Like with B1, this acted as a supplement for the previous releases. But at the same time, this Booster Pack is also the bookend of the first period of Series 1. It can be considered an epilogue for the way the game had been up to this point.  So come gather here, o seekers of truth. Let us see the strength that arises. (There will be a tl;dr as usual. Note that this is both a card and meta analysis, so feel free to read in more detail below. Skip to Conclusion to read the summary and tl;dr.)

(Please read this article here for context of this one)     With the Expert Rules introduced, the OCG entered the second half of one of the game's more unique formats. Unlike later implementations, the new rules did not come with a new Core Booster. Thus, we have a SUPERFORMAT with Vol.2. The introduction of the new rules meant the shift to a new environment. Thus the VOL.2 EXPERT RULES FORMAT was born.

 (Part 1 can be found here . Part 2 can be found here .)     When we last left off, the Expert Rules were discussed and what changes came to the game. Today, we'll finish discussing the Official Guide Starter Book by talking about the last update to "Yu-Gi-Oh!".     Do cards always stay the same? Once a card is printed, will it always be written in the same way from that point on? The answer to that question is no. Not every card will stay the same from printing. Over time and for various reasons, a card's text can be altered or changed entirely. This is called an ERRATA 「エラッタ」. It's not important right now to go into all of the ways a card can receive an errata. What IS important is knowing that cards can be changed from what they were before.      Within the Official Guide Starter Book, three cards would become the first to be changed in the game's history. These erratas made minor changes that mostly altered how these cards worked or ...

 (Part 1 can be found here .)       As mentioned previously, the Official Guide Starter Book held a lot of information for the aspiring Duelist. The most important of this, and what would further build upon the foundations of the "Yu-Gi-Oh!" Collectable Card Game as a whole, are the EXPERT RULES!!! The Expert Rules (「エキスパートルール」 Ekisupāto Rūru ) were the next rule set introduced by KONAMI. Previously, the Official Rules were made with the idea that beginners could learn the game rather quickly without needing to know any extra mechanics. While it was interesting to play like Yugi and friends, there were issues with the Official Rules that made it less interesting and more luck based than other card games in the market.   The First Wall speaks of most of the issues in more detail. Suffice to say that KONAMI and Takahashi-Sensei adjusted the rule into something more strategic for advanced players. Let's consider them now: FUSION SUMMONING With the Official R...

     The Yu-Gi-Oh! Official Card Game Duel Monsters Official Guide Starter Book (「遊戯王 オフィシャルカードゲーム デュエルモンスターズ 公式ガイドスターターブック」 Yugiō Ofisharu Kādo Gēmu Dyuerumonsutāzu Kōshiki Gaido Sutātā Bukku ), or just the Official Guide Starter Book (「公式ガイドスターターブック」 Kōshiki Gaido Sutātā Bukku ) is a 130 page Guide Book published by Yu-Gi-Oh! copyright owner Shueisha on May 5, 1999.  It was released as a special edit in conjunction with the newest version of the Yu-Gi-Oh CCG from KONAMI.      The promotional card given with one's purchase is the 2nd ever Ultra Secret Rare. This time it's the Fusion Monster Card "Flame Swordsman." While this is the 1st Fusion Ultra Secret Rare, this card is further historic by being the first card with alternative art. Games use alternative art to make new copies more distinctive from their original counterparts while also potentially adding nuggets of lore for their worlds. However, the alt-art of "Flame Swordsman" is also fro...