Best cards from Yu-Gi-Oh! Phantom Nightmare

The newest booster set to enter Yu-Gi-Oh!’s extensive pantheon is finally here, and early signs suggest there is a lot to like about Phantom Nightmare, for both competitive and casual players.

The greatest strength of this new set is that it offers support for a ton of different archetypes, including the introduction of an entirely new one for the TCG in Ashened. The extra layer to this is additional support for decks that have gone without much consideration for some time now.

The set contains no reprints, so all of the cards will need to find their role in the current landscape of the wider game. That said, some clear standouts should slip seamlessly into a bunch of solid competitive decks.

Here’s our full list of the best cards in the Phantom Nightmare booster set.

The ten best cards in Yu-Gi-Oh! Phantom Nightmare

Iron Thunder

It really was a tough decision on whether or not to include Iron Thunder in this list, over other stellar Trap options like The Black Goat Laughs and Ultimate Offering. It’s expensive to play, costing half of the player’s Life Points, and it’s arguably a little gimmicky.

All of that said, Iron Thunder will likely be difficult to play around for the opponent and could be devastating if players plan around it correctly. That said, the other two trap cards mentioned above are also well worth the investment as singles.

Saffira, Dragon Queen of the Voiceless Voice

As a major part of the Voiceless Voice archetype introduced in Phantom Nightmare, Saffira, Dragon Queen of the Voiceless Voice is well worth picking up. Though it has nice stats in its own right, the real strength of the card comes from its effects.

The first effect allows it to be discarded to get a Ritual Monster into the hand. Cards like Hymn of Light or Sprite’s Blessing are good Spell options to send to the Graveyard, making it possible to get strong archetype monsters into the hand quickly, with Saffira actually having to enter play. Arguably a necessity for the new archetype.

Raidraptor – Rising Rebellion Falcon

Coming slightly out of left field, Raidraptor – Rising Rebellion Falcon is a strong XYZ choice for Raidraptor and Rebellion decks, and by extension Odd-Eyes and XYZ Dragon decks. Though it’s going to be difficult to get out onto the field, a successful XYZ summon is near enough a guaranteed win.

Essentially, this card destroys all of the opponent’s cards and then damages their life points to the equivalent attack of all the combined attacks of the destroyed monsters. Though the latter only happens with 3 or more XYZ Raidraptor monsters as material, this shouldn’t be much of an issue with decks built into this archetype.

Skull Guardian, Protector of the Voiceless Voice

The Skull Guardian archetype synergizes well with the new Voiceless Voice cards introduced in this set. As such, it’s nice to see more options added and Skull Guardian, Protector of the Voiceless Voice is one of the best of the bunch.

Essentially, Skull Guardian is designed to be used in combination with Lo, the Prayers of the Voiceless Voice (which features later in this list). Its real strength comes via a Quick Effect that negates and destroys, alongside a Voiceless Voice card draw when this card is successfully Ritual Summoned.

Veidos The Eruption Dragon Of Extinction

As its terrifying name may suggest, Veidos has the potential to blow opponents away if used correctly. Arriving as part of the world premiere of the Ashened archetype that arrived with Phantom Nightmare, its Dark Hole-like effect has the potential to be game-changing.

As with any new archetype, it could arguably do with more support in later sets. That said, it’s relatively easy to summon to your opponent’s side of the field, and it allows continuous traps to enter the game, allowing time to get Veidos into the Graveyard, where it needs to be.

Yubel – The Loving Defender Forever

Though some cards previously lent themselves to the Yubel archetype made famous by the character of the same name, it has never been officially supported in the OCG or TCG. All of that changes in Phantom Nightmare and Yubel – The Loving Defender Forever is the standout choice.

The main mechanic behind the card allows a near-enough risk-free battle step. After attacking with this card, it inflicts direct damage to the opponent’s Life Points, equal to the attack of the opponent’s monster. It then banishes that monster. Used correctly, Yubel could genuinely become a big part of the meta moving forward.

EM:P Meowmine

Anybody who has played the game over the last year or two knows how many people fell in love with I:P Masquerena and S:P Little Knight. EM:P Meowmine adds further depth to strategies centered around those cards, and it could be a staple in decks of that type moving forward.

Both effects are hugely useful, with Meowmine able to be Special Summoned if a Link monster is on the field or in the Graveyard. Though its second effect may seem difficult to navigate, its a perfect choice alongside the cards mentioned above.

Promethean Princess, Bestower Of Flame

Fire decks seem to be having some form of renaissance, and Promethean Princess is the next step in that process. The first major effect could spiral brilliantly in the mid-late game, essentially allowing the player to freely summon monsters from the Graveyard.

It’s also fairly easy to get Promethean Princess out of the Graveyard and there’s a lot of support from other archetypes for players who do want to build this card into existing decks. The best Link card in the set.

Snake-Eyes Poplar

As a Level 1 effect monster that offers as many single-card combos as it does chaining opportunities with other Snake-Eye cards, Snake-Eyes Poplar has the potential to blow other duelists away if used correctly. The fact that this also offers a ton of contingency for Diabellstar builds is a bonus that should not be forgotten.

Rushing out the Snake-Eyes Flaberge Dragon is the key to any deck in this archetype, and Snake-Eyes Poplar’s Spell/Trap draw effect should make this a lot easier. The continuous spell effect may be more difficult to pull off effectively, but it has a huge potential ceiling in the right hands.

Lo, the Prayers of the Voiceless Voice

For anyone looking to build a deck around the new Voiceless Voice archetype introduced in Phantom Nightmare, Lo, The Prayers of the Voiceless Voice is a necessity. Its main effect is its major strength, allowing players to Ritual Summon a Light Warrior or Dragon using Lo as the entirety of the tribute.

It also allows players to get Spells and Traps out onto the field quickly. Additionally, it will prove a real pain for players to remove from the equation entirely, thanks to its ability to return to play when a Light monster is Special Summoned. All things considered, Lo is a stupidly well-rounded card and the best in the entire set.

That’s the complete list of the best cards in the new Phantom Nightmare booster set. With over 100 in total, there are some solid choices across the board, but the above are the ones to go for as singles, to integrate into existing decks.

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