The Expression
(the following is written by the Site Administrator)

Some people play games to win. Some play games to express their personal style. Most play for a combination of the two. Duel Masters is among the greatest games in the world because it is designed to facilitate exactly that. To allow a player to take their own personal style and attempt to use it to win the game.

Perhaps this is part of the reason why Duel Masters is designed so simply. By limiting the capacity of any single card, it creates a game where each one can only really act as a component of a much larger scheme or style. Two duelists could use the same card in totally different strategies, with vastly differing aims and effects. It is through this difference of expression that we, as players, find great joy in the game.

Not only does the game give many ways of winning, resulting in many styles, but it also gives players many options of expressing the same style, keeping the game interesting even after a dozen decks, without truly requiring a duelist to ever even experiment with a style of deck they do not want to. This huge capacity for variation also serves as a buffer for new players, removing the relatively steep learning curve of what works and what doesn't, and giving them time to identify strategies that they, and their opponents, could adopt.

Perhaps most importantly, though, it not only promotes self-expression, it subtly nudges most players towards this. Since most strategy, when played well, can bring victory, or at least the sense of satisfaction of a duel well played, players are pushed towards playing that which they can enjoy and can play well. This means that within the true card game, strategies are as divers as players, with often only minor changes required to adapt to the 'meta', if such a thing even exists in certain communities.

An even further interesting aspect of this development is the sharing of experience that comes with slight specialization of duelists. Players inexperienced in a particular playstyle can get advice from those more experienced, and in this way, get a better feel for if they like it, than if they could not. The diverse and expressive nature of the game also encourages players to gain a better understanding of the game itself rather than just the 'top tier' cards involved.

As all these aspects combine, it brings out an even greater good. By the nature of the game, some players are able to develop an identity within dueling. Amazingly, even in the upper levels of competition, this level of identity can remain intact. The level of diversity is in fact so high, that to counter an opponent whose strategy is known, must often take a back seat to keeping the deck stable enuogh to deal with a lot of the other possible competition. In the game's original design format (JP) and tha adjusted English format (KC), one is limited to fitting main strategy, backup strategy, and whatever techniques are used to cover weaknesses, all within only forty cards!

This too promotes a certain level of expression amongst players. Rather than adding a few cards of their personal touch to an already large and very established deck base, they must consider each change carefully, testing, and in so doing, improve both their own play and that of others.

Even when a deck has been 'perfected' by its creator, and undergoes no further refinement or change, there is still quite a bit for that player to experience. Whether this comes in the form of advising other players of how to handle that style, or learning how to use the deck effectively in a sea of other opposing strategies, it is still a wonderful, interesting experience. This, the expression of our own selves, and observation of the expression of others, is what keeps many of us, to this day, enjoying Duel Masters.