User:MrVariant/YugiohGameMaster

Here is an interesting variant of Yu-Gi-Oh I created. I call it Yu-Gi-Oh! Game Master. Essentially, the decks will have leaders and cards can only be used by one of 2 people: the player and the game master. It will have class changes that let you play things a lot easier, including an extra deck for cards like Archlord Zerato, which would be too expensive in play. This playstyle encourages creativity as well.

Sets: When both players can use different cards, things can go differently. For example, the player can use Pot of Greed but the GM can use Witch of the Black Forest while drawing in both player's draw phases and playing/setting spells/traps during the standby phase. The game goes by quickly plus monster removal isn't as overpowered since the leader can be special summoned by paying 500 life points.

There will be a treasure deck, with 5 traps from the GM and 5 equips from the player. You roll a die to get a selective draw, a random battle (think monster gate), a class change (for example, Dark Magician into Dark Sage), or a treasure. A class change will enable a transformation, plus for weaker monsters, like Magician's Valkyria, I'll allow the player to tribute it to play Dark Magician Girl from their deck. Another interesting thing is to restrict every card that cannot search itself through deck thinning (like Toon Table of Contents). This really adds spice to things, especially with a 20 card deck limit (Self-deck thinners don't have to count but are limited to 3 copies) and starting with 2 cards).

Balancing is always an issue; you don't want things to be too easy or too difficult to play. Leaders generally need to have a themed support, plus creativity to help things go better. Since this is an adventure type of game, you can create new rules too, like when I set up Cyber Dragon to count as level 5 or higher monsters with Cyber in its name (or Proto-Cyber Dragon and Cyber Dragon Zwei) to count. This way, The Fiend Megacyber and Cyber Saurus (with Instant Fusion) can count.

Fusing won't bother using Polymerization as that card is unplayable. I also warn that some decks will not work (like Strike Ninja given Ninja's low support). I have a set of rules (such as using 3 Harpie Ladies, like Cyber Harpie Lady, Harpie Lady 1 and Harpie Lady 3 as exceptions to my normally restriction card setup with Harpie's Pet Dragon as a leader), so you can email me if you have any questions. I have a rulebook explaining more here.