Jazz is an online duelist exclusively these days. He also runs this site! Hi :)
Q: How long have you been playing goat format?
Jazz: I played during 2005. I quit playing for a while but picked up goats on DN a couple years ago.
Q: Why do you play goat format?
Jazz: Goat format is extremely challenging and every decision you make really matters; luck is truly the least important factor. I play for the challenge and the satisfaction of winning with skill.
Q: What is your overall philosophy of how to win in goat format?
Jazz: Maximize your future plays. Keep your life points as high as possible and your hand as big as possible. This helps maximize the usefulness of every card you draw. It’s also important to recognize the state of the current game: when you are winning, when you are losing, when a specific card could really hurt you, or when you have to take risks.
Q: What is the most important power card and why?
Jazz: Heavy Storm. I think it’s the most important card in a tight game state. For this reason I always hold it as long as possible, and I really don't like setting it because it might get blown away before I can use it.
Q: Are there any power cards that you feel are overrated?
Jazz: Pot of Greed. At the end of the day it doesn’t directly limit your opponent's options. I see too many people grab it with Magician of Faith without thinking. Sometimes it is better to get back something like Nobleman of Crossout that can cut off your opponent's plays.
Q: What are your favorite tech card(s) and why?
Jazz: I really like Magical Merchant and Dekoichi the Battle-Chanted Locomotive. They dig for power spells and set up deadly combos. They also work very well with 3 copies of Book of Moon and give easy advantage when combined with Tsukuyomi.
Q: Are there any tech cards that you feel are overrated?
Jazz: Sakuretsu Armor. For some reason this card never works for me, maybe it's my play style and tech choices. It always seems to get hit by Breaker whenever I set it, so I prefer something chainable. I realize it works for some people, but it’s not for me.
Q: How do you use your side deck?
Jazz: I like to side into Warrior Toolbox and Spell/Trap removal because it’s good against so many rogue decks. I’ve also learned not to be afraid to side out certain power cards when the matchup is unfavorable and I know the outcome of the game will be determined in the first few turns. I usually only swap 1 or 2 traps against goat control variants - stuff like Dust Tornado, Ceasefire, Bottomless, or Sakuretsu.
Q: If you had to use an alternative deck (not goat control) what would you use and why?
Jazz: Strike Ninja toolbox with Return from the Different Dimension. It can support a lot of really interesting tech monsters that you normally don't get to play with, like Possessed Dark Soul, Zombyra the Dark, and Dark Magician of Chaos. It’s also a nice change of pace from the more passive version of goat control I normally run.
Q: Could you give an example of a pro play you like to make?
Jazz: Setting Magician of Faith with no trinity in the Graveyard. This only really works against good players, because they wouldn't pull something on you like a first turn Blade Knight. Being able to unexpectedly play Duo twice on the same turn has won me a lot of games.
Q: Are there any pro plays that you feel are overrated?
Jazz: Pro-Storm. In my opinion it's one of the most valuable cards in your deck and you can't risk losing it that way. I've lost a lot of games because I couldn’t get my Heavy Storm back from the Graveyard. Also if you really want to set up that play, set a card like Nobleman of Crossout instead.
Q: What is your strategy when your opponent opens with some or all of the trinity?
Jazz: Slow roll and don't let them get a Tsuku lock going. It's only a matter of time before you draw your own power cards. You can stall the game by committing fewer monsters to the field and not attacking into traps.
Q: To what degree do you value life points?
Jazz: More than I think other players do. I would say lots of players tend to focus on card advantage too much. Everything in goat format is about trade offs and risk versus reward. Every time I might take damage I consider that a risk, so I have to have a good reason not to activate something like Scapegoat. If you take one attack that seems harmless early it might come back to bite you 10 turns later.
Q: To what degree do you value tempo?
Jazz: Not that much compared to other formats. I generally press with attacks only when I have card advantage or I know my opponent is running out of defensive S/Ts and removal options. As long as I have options to respond and a decent life point cushion, I feel pretty safe.
Q: Would you ban any cards in the format if you could?
Jazz: Only something like Book of Taiyou because it is integral to the Empty Jar OTK (IMO the most unfair deck in goats). I think all other cards and decks, even other OTKs, are inferior to a goat control deck with the proper side deck. No power card actually wins the duel on its own, not even Delinquent Duo.
Q: How do you feel about playing with Cybernetic Revolution?
Jazz: I think it's okay but I prefer the slower tempo of pre-CRV goats. It's honestly not as bad as everyone thinks it is, but I don't like that it makes you hesitate to activate your own Scapegoat and that it lets your opponent put an extra 2100 damage on the board so easily.
Q: What are some of the biggest mistakes you see other players make?
Jazz: Mostly being too aggressive when behind on card advantage. Bringing out extra non floater monsters is just asking for me to play Torrential, TER, Snatch Steal, Tribe Infecting Virus, etc. or power over you in battle.
Q: What concept about goat format took you the longest to learn?
Jazz: It took me a while to learn how important life points are. When I played in 2005 I thought it was all about card advantage and that it was unfair when I lost when I had a +2, etc. Now I realize protecting your life points starting at 8000 can act as an insurance policy 10 turns down the road. It also gives you the ability to trade life points for a killer play later in the game.
Q: Are there any mistakes you still make?
Jazz: Little mistakes are impossible to eliminate completely. However, the big mistake I often make is assuming my opponent runs a deck that I would run or would play their cards the way I would play them. I find that I get in trouble when I don't consider the possibility that my opponent might run something like 2 Tsukuyomi or a Zaborg. Needle Ceiling can also be really nasty. There are so many playable tech cards in goat format that it is really hard to account for all the possibilities.
Q: When two really good players play each other, how does one beat the other?
Jazz: I think a lot of times it comes down to one play. Whoever makes that first mistake will generally lose the duel since the other player is good enough to capitalize on it. The other major thing that happens is games can last really long and come down to who is in the best position to go for the "game shot." I think luck is rarely a factor, but when it is the game is over in like 4 turns, so you'll know it.
Q: What is your advice for someone who wants to get better at goat format?
Jazz: Question everything you do and learn from your mistakes. If you lose a game of goats, you should be able to look back and figure out how you could have played it differently and won. You might want to experiment with different plays and learn what works and what doesn't. Try to find match videos or watch a good player in real life, so you can see all the decisions they are making. Often the most complicated decisions in goat format are deciding what not to do, not what you could do.
Q: How long have you been playing goat format?
Jazz: I played during 2005. I quit playing for a while but picked up goats on DN a couple years ago.
Q: Why do you play goat format?
Jazz: Goat format is extremely challenging and every decision you make really matters; luck is truly the least important factor. I play for the challenge and the satisfaction of winning with skill.
Q: What is your overall philosophy of how to win in goat format?
Jazz: Maximize your future plays. Keep your life points as high as possible and your hand as big as possible. This helps maximize the usefulness of every card you draw. It’s also important to recognize the state of the current game: when you are winning, when you are losing, when a specific card could really hurt you, or when you have to take risks.
Q: What is the most important power card and why?
Jazz: Heavy Storm. I think it’s the most important card in a tight game state. For this reason I always hold it as long as possible, and I really don't like setting it because it might get blown away before I can use it.
Q: Are there any power cards that you feel are overrated?
Jazz: Pot of Greed. At the end of the day it doesn’t directly limit your opponent's options. I see too many people grab it with Magician of Faith without thinking. Sometimes it is better to get back something like Nobleman of Crossout that can cut off your opponent's plays.
Q: What are your favorite tech card(s) and why?
Jazz: I really like Magical Merchant and Dekoichi the Battle-Chanted Locomotive. They dig for power spells and set up deadly combos. They also work very well with 3 copies of Book of Moon and give easy advantage when combined with Tsukuyomi.
Q: Are there any tech cards that you feel are overrated?
Jazz: Sakuretsu Armor. For some reason this card never works for me, maybe it's my play style and tech choices. It always seems to get hit by Breaker whenever I set it, so I prefer something chainable. I realize it works for some people, but it’s not for me.
Q: How do you use your side deck?
Jazz: I like to side into Warrior Toolbox and Spell/Trap removal because it’s good against so many rogue decks. I’ve also learned not to be afraid to side out certain power cards when the matchup is unfavorable and I know the outcome of the game will be determined in the first few turns. I usually only swap 1 or 2 traps against goat control variants - stuff like Dust Tornado, Ceasefire, Bottomless, or Sakuretsu.
Q: If you had to use an alternative deck (not goat control) what would you use and why?
Jazz: Strike Ninja toolbox with Return from the Different Dimension. It can support a lot of really interesting tech monsters that you normally don't get to play with, like Possessed Dark Soul, Zombyra the Dark, and Dark Magician of Chaos. It’s also a nice change of pace from the more passive version of goat control I normally run.
Q: Could you give an example of a pro play you like to make?
Jazz: Setting Magician of Faith with no trinity in the Graveyard. This only really works against good players, because they wouldn't pull something on you like a first turn Blade Knight. Being able to unexpectedly play Duo twice on the same turn has won me a lot of games.
Q: Are there any pro plays that you feel are overrated?
Jazz: Pro-Storm. In my opinion it's one of the most valuable cards in your deck and you can't risk losing it that way. I've lost a lot of games because I couldn’t get my Heavy Storm back from the Graveyard. Also if you really want to set up that play, set a card like Nobleman of Crossout instead.
Q: What is your strategy when your opponent opens with some or all of the trinity?
Jazz: Slow roll and don't let them get a Tsuku lock going. It's only a matter of time before you draw your own power cards. You can stall the game by committing fewer monsters to the field and not attacking into traps.
Q: To what degree do you value life points?
Jazz: More than I think other players do. I would say lots of players tend to focus on card advantage too much. Everything in goat format is about trade offs and risk versus reward. Every time I might take damage I consider that a risk, so I have to have a good reason not to activate something like Scapegoat. If you take one attack that seems harmless early it might come back to bite you 10 turns later.
Q: To what degree do you value tempo?
Jazz: Not that much compared to other formats. I generally press with attacks only when I have card advantage or I know my opponent is running out of defensive S/Ts and removal options. As long as I have options to respond and a decent life point cushion, I feel pretty safe.
Q: Would you ban any cards in the format if you could?
Jazz: Only something like Book of Taiyou because it is integral to the Empty Jar OTK (IMO the most unfair deck in goats). I think all other cards and decks, even other OTKs, are inferior to a goat control deck with the proper side deck. No power card actually wins the duel on its own, not even Delinquent Duo.
Q: How do you feel about playing with Cybernetic Revolution?
Jazz: I think it's okay but I prefer the slower tempo of pre-CRV goats. It's honestly not as bad as everyone thinks it is, but I don't like that it makes you hesitate to activate your own Scapegoat and that it lets your opponent put an extra 2100 damage on the board so easily.
Q: What are some of the biggest mistakes you see other players make?
Jazz: Mostly being too aggressive when behind on card advantage. Bringing out extra non floater monsters is just asking for me to play Torrential, TER, Snatch Steal, Tribe Infecting Virus, etc. or power over you in battle.
Q: What concept about goat format took you the longest to learn?
Jazz: It took me a while to learn how important life points are. When I played in 2005 I thought it was all about card advantage and that it was unfair when I lost when I had a +2, etc. Now I realize protecting your life points starting at 8000 can act as an insurance policy 10 turns down the road. It also gives you the ability to trade life points for a killer play later in the game.
Q: Are there any mistakes you still make?
Jazz: Little mistakes are impossible to eliminate completely. However, the big mistake I often make is assuming my opponent runs a deck that I would run or would play their cards the way I would play them. I find that I get in trouble when I don't consider the possibility that my opponent might run something like 2 Tsukuyomi or a Zaborg. Needle Ceiling can also be really nasty. There are so many playable tech cards in goat format that it is really hard to account for all the possibilities.
Q: When two really good players play each other, how does one beat the other?
Jazz: I think a lot of times it comes down to one play. Whoever makes that first mistake will generally lose the duel since the other player is good enough to capitalize on it. The other major thing that happens is games can last really long and come down to who is in the best position to go for the "game shot." I think luck is rarely a factor, but when it is the game is over in like 4 turns, so you'll know it.
Q: What is your advice for someone who wants to get better at goat format?
Jazz: Question everything you do and learn from your mistakes. If you lose a game of goats, you should be able to look back and figure out how you could have played it differently and won. You might want to experiment with different plays and learn what works and what doesn't. Try to find match videos or watch a good player in real life, so you can see all the decisions they are making. Often the most complicated decisions in goat format are deciding what not to do, not what you could do.
