Hello there, people. I have written a larger guide about Ai patterns and manipulations for it, that I have split up into multiple parts, which can be read individually. This should be especially helpful for Beginners and Intermediate players of Story Deck runs. I put this header on top of all them, so feel free to ignore this in case you have already read this.
As a disclaimer: These strats work most of the time, but not all of the time. Sometimes you get weird moments, where the AI doesn‘t follow these rules. 5D‘s especially really likes to do that. But those moments are more on the rare side, so in like 95% of cases these manips should work. Also keep in mind that the AI in the original Legacy of the Duelist works different. Some things still work, but these guides is meant for Link Evolution.
- Manipulations for set Backrow cards
The AI has a specific pattern to it when it comes to setting and activating certain trap cards, which I am going to cover here. This will mostly be the more common ones.
3.1 Mirror Force
One of the most feared cards in the speedrun. There are a couple of things to notice about this.
First of, „Mirror Force“ is a card the AI can only set 1 copy of at a time. So, if you see it getting flipped, you know that all the other cards, that are currently set on the field, can‘t be another copy of it. Another important thing is, that the AI also usually doesn‘t flip the card unless a certain damage threshhold is met. I don‘t know the exact damage threshhold, but I know they will activate it, if you have a monster with 1600 Attack on the field, which attacks them directly. In some cases the AI will flip it even under the damage threshhold, e.g. if your attack would kill one of their monsters. The AI will also flip it, when the attack would kill them.
3.2 Sakuretsu Armor/Dimensional Prison
These are in practice the exact same card, one just destroys the monster, the other one banishes it.
These also are cards, that the AI can only set 1 copy of each at a time. The AI flips these cards when your monster with the highest Attack value attacks. Keep in mind, that the AI also doesn‘t consider effects in this case, so if you have 2 monsters with the same Attack, it will flip it on the first attack.
Example: You have a „Red-Eyes Black Dragon“ and a „Lord of the Red“ on your field. Attack with „Red-Eyes“ first, which is going to make the AI „Sakuretsu Armor“, which not only protects your „Lord of the Red“, you also get an activation from its effect of that.
3.3 Call of the Haunted
It is fascinating to me how many times this card was able to kill runs just by existing. This is a card the AI can set multiple copies of at a time. Anyway there is a very important manip for this one, because it is a very common card in a lot of the campaigns.
If you attack with a monster, that has the same or fewer Attack points than their monster with the highest Attack, which they are able to Special Summon from the Graveyard, they are going to activate it. So, what you want to do in duels, that have „Call of the Haunted“ in them, is to attack with a weaker monster to bait it out, and then run over the monster, that got summoned by it, with a higher Attack monster of yours. If the monster has an effect, that boosts its Attack during the battle, the AI is still going to flip „Call of the Haunted“, because it doesn‘t consider the effect for it. It also flips the card, if the attack would kill them.
Example:
3.4 Trap Monsters
The same rules as in „Call of the Haunted“ apply here. The AI can set multiple copies of each Trap Monster at a time. If the specific Trap Monster has the same or a higher Attack/Defense value, the AI is going to flip the card in order to block the attack. Not considering effects also applies here.
3.5 Pinpoint Guard
This is a card the AI can only set 1 copy of at a time. The AI is going to flip this one when you declare a direct attack on them. In a lot of cases there is very little you can do about that, however, there is something useful to know for GX. In Bastion VS Chazz, Chazz does have „Pinpoint Guard“ while Bastion has an Effect Monster called „Hyper Hammerhead“. It bounces the monster it battled back to the hand, if the attack target didn‘t get destroyed by that battle. Chazz will not consider the effect and still flip „Pinpoint Guard“, even if „Hyper Hammerhead“ attacks. You can use this to your advantage and not lose an attack by thinking he won‘t flip it on the „Hyper Hammerhead“ attack.
3.6 Other backrow for Battles
If you see the AI summon a monster with less Attack than yours in Attack Position and then just passes with a set card in their backrow, it most likely has something to combat the attack in form of either an Attack Boost or a way to stop the attack. This includes both Quickplay Spells and Traps. The Ai doesn‘t consider monster effects, for whether to activate the card or not. I will give 3 examples (1 from DM, 1 from 5D‘s and 1 from Arc-V) to make this a bit more clear what I am getting at.
Example 1: Rex Summons „Uraby“ (1500 Attack) in Attack Position into your „Axe Raider“ (1700 Attack), sets a backrow and passes. In this case he has either „Reinforcements“ or a „Threatening Roar“ Trap set. You can check for the „Threatening Roar“ by just entering Battle Phase. If you don‘t see him flip Roar, you know it‘s „Reinforcements“. The AI seems to not use it proactively, so you can try to find a workaround for it.
Example 2: Akiza summons Phoenixian Seed (800 Attack) in Attack Position into your Junk Warrior (2300+ Attack), sets a backrow and passes. In this case she either has a „No Entry“ or a „Wall of Thornes“ to stop your attack. „No Entry“ switches all monsters into Defense Position. You can change all monster, that you did not try to declare an attack with back to Attack Position in Main Phase 2. „Wall of Thornes“ is the same card as „Mirror Force“, but it can only be activated, if a Plant type monster is attacked, which is why she had to summon the Seed.
Example 3: The opponent controls a „Marauding Captain“ (1200 Attack) on the field and has a set „Ego Boost“ (+1000 Attack) on the field. You Synchro Summon a „Speedroid Chanbara“ (2000 Attack), which gains a permanent 200 Attack Boost during each Damage Step. You can attack a set or non Warrior monster (if they control one), that is either in Defense Position or doesn‘t get to 2200 Attack with „Ego Boost“ first, to get „Chanbara“ to 2200 Attack. Then you can attack the „Marauding Captain“, which makes the AI activate „Ego Boost“, because it wants your monster to crash. Your „Chanbara“ now goes up to 2400 Attack, making the AI waste their „Ego Boost“ and also lose their monster.
Video for Example 3: https://www.twitch.tv/ashinyblackphoenix/clip/AntediluvianFitShrimpRlyTho-ucdj7J1KN7kw1uUO
