I like to contest and chase DX. I have worked 300 DXCC entities and have 288 confirmed. Just missing 8 entities on 160 and 7 entities on 12 meters for DXCC on all HF bands.. Working a new one is tough. I need a couple of not so rare ones like Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Monaco , and a few others. Most of what I need are rarely activated islands in the Pacific Ocean or islands near Antarctica.
I think to be a successful DXer you need to be flexible with the modes and the bands you operate. If you are just starting out you will want to have a decent antenna for 40 meters, 20 meters and a WARC band like 17 meters or 30 meters. A WARC band like 17 or 30 thins the competition quite a bit since many hams don't have a decent WARC antenna.
For DX you want a low take off angle for your signal. Wire Delta loops are easy to erect (you only need one vertical support) and if you feed it 1/4 wave up the side, or at the corner, your signal will be vertically polarized. A delta loop does not need to be high off the ground. I use a pair of delta loops on 80m that are only a few feet off the ground. They are phased so I can get a little gain NE or SW. I can work New Zealand and Australia, at greyline, every morning, on 80m from eastern Pennsylvania. I also have delta loops for 30 and 12 meters.
Having the ability to work any mode the DX might operate also increases your success rate. Rare DX will have a huge pile up of stations trying to make contact. SSB has the most competition. It is also the most difficult to make a contact in a pile up in my opinion. CW is easier, FT8 even easier.
There is a lot to learn to be a successful DXer. You will need to know how propagation works, best time and band to use to work a rare DX from your location, and good operator skills to be heard. You won't be the loudest station the DX hears so you have to know how to use split frequencies properly and when to drop your call sign into the pile. And much, much, more to learn.
These skills are learned by listening and learning how DX works, but the best way to learn is from an experienced DXer. Preferably one you can visit and watch him/her operate (aka an Elmer). An Elmer can help you design your station and keep you from making expensive mistakes.
You will also learn that the extra $$ spent on filters and dual receivers have advantages when working DX. Don't worry about that now. Just dive in and have fun.
Here is a link to a much anticipated DX-pedition to Bouvet Island. According to Clublog (an online database used by many DXers around the world) Bouvet Island is second most wanted DX entity in the world (North Korea is #1). The pile ups will be massive.
https://www.3y0j.no/ Their budget is over $700,000!
Well....that's my two cents. Sorry for the long post.