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.
- Other useful to know Patterns and Manipulations for specific duels
This will cover some other useful things and manipulations that are specific to some cards and duels they appear in.
4.1 Predicting face-down backrow
I made a whole seperate guide on that, but I still want to mention it to raise awareness of the guides existance. I am not going into details here, because it‘s too much cover.
4.2 Cards getting added to the hand
This depends a bit on the duel, but one way the AI adds cards to their hand is, that it prioritizes monsters on effects like „Pot of Duality“***. With search cards the AI usually searches the monster with the highest Attack value, that it can add with that specific effect.
Example: Bruno in 5D‘s: „T.G. Rush Rhino“ will search „T.G. Jet Falcon“ from deck, because it cannot search „Rhino“. All the other „T.G“s will search „Rush Rhino“ until there is non left in the deck, then they will go down to „Falcon“, then to „Warwolf“ (You usually don‘t get down to „Warwolf“ searches).
*** This can also be used for No Banlist runs. The AI will add monsters over spells. They will pick the monster with the highest Attack value, that you selected with "Painful Choice".
4.3 The AI doesn‘t flip up a monster, even after multiple turns
There are a couple of reasons why the AI could be doing this. The monster can have a really low Attack value or even 0 Attack. This can be used in the Adrian VS Chazz duel in GX to get a read on set „Ojamas“. Another reason could be, that the monster has an effect, that activates when it is flipped face-up, but there is no good target for it currently on the field. This can be used to get a read on cards like „Man-Eater Bug“ or „Snowman Eater“.
4.4 The AI doesn‘t deactivate „Messenger of Peace“, if you control the monster with the highest Attack on the field
It is as above says. This can be used in the GX for both of the Sacred Beasts duels. If you control the monster with the highest Attack on the field the AI is not going to deactivate „Messenger of Peace“. In both these duels you have a Fusion Monster called „Elemental Hero Mariner“, which has 1400 Attack and can attack directly, if you control a set backrow. With this you can just keep attacking directly with „Mariner“, while to AI protects it for you by not deactivating „Messenger“. The AI once again doesn‘t consider effects in this situation.
4.5 Reptillian Naga
This is a really funny one, which is relevant for the Viper duel in GX and the Misty duel in 5D‘s. The way „Naga“ is programmed is: if (LP > monster attack) naga attack. So, as long as they have more LP than your monster has Attack, the AI will keep running into your stuff. But it gets even funnier. They didn‘t set a flag, that the monster has already been attacked by a „Naga“. So, if the AI manages to summon multiple „Naga“s, they all run into the same Monster Card. You can use this to your advantage by just passing instead of attacking the „Naga“ yourself to get potentially really fast duels.
Example:
4.6 „Skull Flame“ + „Burning Skull Head“
This is another incredibly funny one, which is relevant for the Hunter Pace duel in the 5D‘s campaign. If you manage, that Hunter Pace has a „Skull Flame“ on the field and a „Burning Skull Head“ in the Graveyard, he will just keep adding the „Burning Skull Head“ from the Grave back to his hand, instead of conducting his normal draw. If you have a monster with more Attack than his „Skull Flame“ on the field, you can use this to your advantage by preventing him from getting new cards until you are confident, that you can quickly win from this position.
Example:
4.7 Soulburner does not Link Summon on his first turn when going first
The Vrains campaign is a very difficult campaign to even just get through with Story Decks. The most difficult opponent from it is Soulburner. You face him in both ways, but you duel him way more in Reverse with Soulburner VS Windy Reverse being an absolute nightmare of a duel (in my opinion the most difficult duel in the game). The decks facing each other are completely mismatched in terms of how strong they are (Salamangreat VS Meta Threat Dragunity sarcasm). There is, however, something to make that duel a bit more consistant. If you let him go first, Soulburner is not going to Link Summon during his first turn. You want him to summon a lot during his first turn, so you can clear as many monsters as possible before he starts to Link Summon. It doesn‘t make the duel easy, but it makes it at least more winable. This behaviour also applies to other opponents, Soulburner is just the most important one to mention.
