Hey everyone. I'm Pyxlmyx and a new member on staff. Besides fixing your decks, I am also going to submit articles from time to time. Today's article is about combo decks: How to build'em and what weaknesses they have.

Now, I'm sure you all have looked at cards from time to time and thought: "Man, if I could bring this out with (Insert card here), I would seriously kick butt." Combo decks can be the coolest decks to play, but they are not for newbies. It takes some planning to build and pull of a combo. Today I'll discuss some of the more important points.

WHAT IS COMBO?
Combo decks revolve around a few cards that form a bomb. When the combo is initiated, the bomb is usually enough to badly weaken the opponent, if not defeat them. Keep in mind that those cards are your bread and butter. If your opponent somehow gets rid of or negates an important card, your deck turns into a Frankenstein-monster deck, meaning it is a collection of mishappen parts that may not help you win.

HOW DO I BUILD COMBO?
I'm glad I asked.... When building a combo, ask yourself these questions: 1) Is this combo going to win me the game? 2) How long will it take me to start the combo? 3) How many cards are actually in the combo? 4) Are there restrictions to how many cards I can use?

The last question is important. I know its tempting to build that kick-butt lock combo of Jinzo and Spell Canceller (stops Trap and Magic cards), but its probably not going to happen. Let me tell you why. First off, you're only allowed one Jinzo in your entire deck. Second, Spell Canceller is a Lv. 5 monster who is not very strong (attack 1800). Though the complete removal of trap and magic cards is impressive, this combo probably won't ever get off the ground.

The best way to build a combo is to limit your self to no more than 3 cards to be used. As a rule of thumb, the more cards involved, the less space you have for combo protection (more on that in a bit). Also, make sure you're allowed to have at least 2 copies of the card in your deck. The more copies of a card, the better your chances of drawing it. In fact, adding Pot of Greed or Graceful Charity is a good idea because it increases your chances of find your combo cards. Finally, don't totally revolve your deck around that one combo. Make sure you have some sort of plan in case something goes wrong.

On a final note, make sure you protect your combo. As I said, combo decks suck once the combo is destroyed or interupted. Cards like Seven Tools of the Bandit, Magic Jammer, Fake Trap, etc. can save your butt and your cards when used correctly.

Whew!! That was a little long. Well, I hope you all can use this to improve your game, show your rivals a thing or two, but most importantly, have fun.

SEE YA!!!