Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel best decks: Starter and meta builds
KonamiYu-Gi-Oh Master Duel has thousands of cards to choose from, with dozens of different themed decks to build, so we’ve put together a list of the best decks to help you climb the ranked leaderboard with ease.
With over 10,000 cards and plenty of different structure decks on offer in Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel, it can be tough to know where to start. Crafting the right deck is essential, especially if you want to be competitive in ranked matches.
While the options are pretty much endless, there are certain engines and card types that have clearly established themselves in the meta. These are the best decks you can build in Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel to dominate your opponents.
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Yu-Gi-Oh Master duel best starter decks
If you’re new to Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel, and you have little experience with the trading card game, it can be daunting when you first get showered with crazy-looking cards. While the likes of XYZs and Links are vital when it comes to the meta, there are some decks you can build to keep you competitive while you get to grips with the many rules and features.
The secret to any great deck, both for beginners and veterans, is choosing cards that compliment each other from the same engines. With this in mind, here are three perfect starter decks in Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel to get you well on your way.
Toon
KonamiFirst up, we have Pegasus’ classic Toon deck, first seen in the Yu-Gi-Oh anime. “Toon” cards work perfectly together, but their effects are far less complicated than some of the game’s higher-level builds.
This deck is all about getting Toon Kingdom onto the field, which protects your monsters from card effects, and gives you the option to banish a card from your deck instead of destroying your quirky cartoon characters in battle.
There are plenty of Toon cards to choose from, but the likes of Toon Harpie Lady and Toon Dark Magician are a must. Spell and Trap cards like Pot of Extravagance and Toon Terror will only bolster the deck and help you adapt to different scenarios.
Don’t be afraid to add multiple copies of each card too, as the last thing you want is to be left vulnerable because your Toon Kingdom was destroyed after one turn.
Elemental Heroes
KonamiSimilar to the Toon deck, there are dozens of Elemental Hero-themed cards that work together beautifully. The aim of the game here is to fuse your normal heroes together into powerful monsters that can conquer the battlefield.
To do this, you’re going to need plenty of Spell cards that can combine Elemental Heroes together, meaning the deck should be stacked with the likes of Miracle Fusion, Fusion Destiny, and Polymerisation.
In terms of actual monsters for your Extra Deck: Masked HERO Dark Law, Vision HERO Trinity, and Elemental HERO Sunrise have immense attacking and defending stats. They also boast effects that let the player add more and more Elemental Heroes and fusion cards to their hand, so you can keep summoning more powerful creatures.
When it comes to normal monsters to make up the core deck, make sure you have as many cards with “HERO” in the name as possible. That means Elemental HERO Shadow Mist, Vision HERO Faris, and Elemental HERO Honest Neos, as well any similar monsters that suit your playstyle.
Cyber Dragon
KonamiAnother card type introduced by Yu-Gi-Oh GX was the Cyber Dragons, and they’re just as effective in Master Duel as they are in the real card game. Even better, they’re far less complicated than other engines, making them ideal for beginners.
There are multiple different plays that a Cyber Dragon build is capable of, but the key is filling the deck with the right monsters. Of course, you’ll need Cyber Dragon, as well as the likes of Cyber Dragon Nachster and Cyber Dragon Core to complement them.
Cards with Chimeratech in the name are essential in taking the power of your monsters up a notch, while still fitting in the Cyber Dragon engine. You’ll also need Galaxy Soldier and Electromagnetic Turtle, as both have special effects that get the right monsters onto the field.
Elsewhere, Spell cards like Cyber Emergency and Machine Duplication will prove incredibly useful. All in all, this is an incredibly versatile deck for those finding their footing but contains cards capable of totally wiping out opponents.
Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel best meta decks
Virtual World
KonamiThis Virtual Deck is one of the best decks in Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel, thanks mainly to its ability to summon True King of All Calamities. Not only does this ridiculous card have 3000 ATK and DEF points, but it also allows players to declare an attribute and change all face-up monsters to it, then prevent the opponent from attacking with cards of that attribute.
It’s as overpowered as it sounds, and makes the True King of All Calamities virtually indestructible from most conventional methods. The rest of the deck should be geared specifically around getting this card to the field as soon as possible, so stack it up with other Virtual World cards.
Tuners like Virtual World Roshi – Laolao and Virtual World Xiezhi – Jiji will help you bring out Synchro monsters, which, if you have the right levels, can summon the level 9 True King quickly. Make sure to have some normal monsters in there, too, in order to pull off the Synchro-summon.
Spell and Trap cards can also aid in getting Virtual World monsters into play: Virtual World Gate – Qinglong, Emergency Teleport, and Virtual World Gate – Chuche, in particular.
Tri-Brigade
KonamiLink summons are incredibly powerful in Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel, and the Tri-Brigade card type is arguably the best of the bunch. This engine lets you rapidly chain together Links and bombard opponents before they have time to react.
Getting Tri-Brigade Shuriag the Ominous Omen and Accesscode Talker onto the field is your win condition for this deck. The former has a staggering number of ATT points, while the latter allows you to flood the field with heavily-boosted monster cards that were used as part of its summon.
Link cards like Tri-Brigade Fraktall have effects that provide instant access to the Tuners needed. By continuously completing more and more summons, your graveyard will keep growing, meaning that the likes of Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess, or Tri-Brigade Rugal the Silver Sheller can come into play.
It’s also worth considering throwing some Zoodiac-types into the mix. This engine pairs well with Tri-Brigades, as many of their abilities let you search your deck for the cards needed for victory. All adding up to one of Master Duel’s best builds.
Drytron
KonamiWhat sets this build apart from others on this list is its reliance on the more traditional Ritual summons, instead of Link or Synchros. However, the rituals use ATK points rather than levels, making it a truly unique set in the Yu-Gi-Oh canon.
The Drytron engine has some monstrous cards in its rank, most of which are devastating machines or deceptive fairy-types. Drytron Meteonis Dracondis has an eye-watering 4000 ATK and DEF, while the Herald of Ultimateness lets you completely negate your opponent’s Spells and Traps.
Stuffing your deck with easy-to-summon Drytron cards as well the required Ritual Spells allows players to create an intimidating line of monsters in no time, and your foes will have to react quickly if they want to stop your momentum.
A potential downside here is that you might not get the Ritual cards or monsters you need off the bat. So, it always pays to include any Spells or cards with effects that allow you to draw from or search your deck. Get on top of that, and there’s no doubt that this is one of the best meta decks in the game.
Eldlich
KonamiIf you’re a regular duelist, you’ve probably noticed that the meta-decks so far have been incredibly heavy on special summons and combos. The Eldlich deck is the perfect counter these playstyles, making it extremely useful in ranked matches.
Eldlich the Golden Lord is the glittering key to success here, and while his 2500 ATK may not seem like anything groundbreaking, he has a sneaky trick up his sleeve. Eldich’s effect lets players chain together a number of discards, before eventually allowing him to be summoned straight from your hand with an extra 1000 ATK and DEF.
If that wasn’t enough, it also can’t be destroyed by card effects until the end of the opponent’s turn. The rest of the deck should concentrate on getting Eldlich into your hand, then keeping him on the field once played.
With this in mind, Spells that let you draw cards or search the deck will provide the upper hand. However, the beauty of this deck is that there is a lot of freedom to add in other engines that work for you, so don’t be afraid to swap and change.
Adamancipator
KonamiWhile in the official TCG Adamancipator has fallen out of the meta, it’s still alive and kicking in Master Duel. This is one of the game’s more challenging builds, but it’s a risk worth taking for players who know how to handle themselves.
The challenge comes from the random nature of the deck, meaning users have to be able to adapt their strategy on the fly. Adamancipator makes use of “excavating” Rock-type monsters, to throw a large number of low-level, but effective monsters onto the field.
Ultimately, the aim of the game is to get Block Dragon into play, as this leaves your opponent with very few options to clear the field. This is also one of the most monster-heavy decks in the game, as you only require two Called By The Graves and two Sekka’s Light in the Spell and Trap department.
Aside from that, fill the deck with as many Adamancipator cards as possible, including Adamancipator Seeker, Adamancipator Researcher, and Adamancipator Analyzer. Accesscode Talker, Herald of Arc Light, and Link Spider are also vital.
There you have it! Those are the best decks you can build currently in Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel. We’re expecting the meta to constantly shift as more updates come, so be sure to come back here to keep on top of the best builds.
For more Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel content, check out our other guides:
Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel codes | Master Duel iOS & Android versions | How to craft cards | How to unlock secret packs | How to avoid “this account has pre-existing data” error
