Fans of card games would look atYu-Gi-Oh!as one of the most popular competitive card games out there, andYu-Gi-Oh! Master Duelserves as the most recent and perhaps largest adaptation of the hit card game into a video game format. Adapting the game’s most modern version,Master Duelallows players to compete in intense card games with opponents all over the world with most modern consoles, providing perhaps the biggestYu-Gi-Oh!experience for both newcomers and savants alike.
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However, newcomers to the franchise might feel a bit overwhelmed when it comes to building just the right deck for their needs. After all, there are not just Spells, Traps, and Monster Cards out there. There are Summoning Methods, various win-cons, and even archetypes to consider. For fans who want to create basic yet balanced decks, how should they proceed?
Remember How To Acquire Specific Cards
Before players even begin to construct their idealMaster Dueldecks, it’s important to understand how they can acquire their cards to begin with. Similar to other online card games such asMagic Arena,Master Duelalso has specific methods of acquiring cards. Here are some things to take note of:
Decks Are Safest At 40 Cards
While there’s a60-cardlimit to anyMaster Dueldeck, there’s a required minimum of40 cardsfor any deck to become competitive. Interestingly enough, even instruction books included in starter decks recommend a 40-card deck over more cards. There’s a reasoning behind this:
Understand The Ban List
As with other card games,Master Duelbuilds upon standardYu-Gi-Oh!mechanics where the meta changes every now and then due to theBan List. In card game speak, the Ban List pertainsto a list of cardsthat are either banned or can only be included in a limited manner to all decks. However, the ban list inMaster Dueldoes differ from the standard card game, which means players need to pay extra attention as to what cards they’re going to use in their particular build.
To recall, here are the kinds of banned cards that can be included in the Ban List:
It’s important to get a good sense of the Ban List early on so players can adjust their intended builds or even scrap them outright, especially when a card they want is included in the Ban List.
When In Doubt, Build From An Existing Deck
Players who want to build balanced decks are more than welcome to experiment with different cards and deck styles, but this approach can be admittedly overwhelming for newcomers. To avoid these unpleasant situations, a player can also look atvarious existing decksin order to find a deck they want or modify it according to their needs. Here are potential sources of deck inspirations:
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Go For A Win-Con
Like in other card games likeHearthstoneandMagic: The Gathering, there’s also such a thing as aWin Conditionor win-con inMaster Duel. At its core,a Win Condition is what determines a deck’s winning strategy, be it through pummeling through an opponent’s Life Points, ruining their play with Spell and Trap cards, relying on specific Summoning Methods, or even relying on a key monster to secure the victory.
Here are popular Win Conditions that are often used in the CCG meta that players may want to try inserting intoMaster Duel:
Go For A Theme
Aside from a Win Condition, a great way of creating a balanced deck inMaster Duelis by doing what’s called aTheme Deck. This is more or less a deck built around a particular theme or subject - be it a Monster Type, a Summoning Method, a Character Deck, or even a Monster. Building a thematic deck is what players usually do when they want to copy a popular character’s deck or try to secure victory using a particular Monster.
Here are popular Theme Decks that are often used in the CCG meta that players carry over toMaster Duel:
Avoid Risk Factors That Compromise A Strategy
Considering that there are a lot of ways players can approach building a deck, a lot of players might have different philosophies with what makes a deck work. Some might prefer extremely situational decks, while some enjoy building around a theme. However, players who want to create balanced decks might want to eliminate variables that generate risks and make specific strategies fail. Here are certain risk elements to consider removing from a deck:
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The Less Restrictions For Great Effects, The Better
When choosing cards for a deck, players need toconsider how often a card is playablein any situation. Thematic decks often face this problem, as sometimes they’re either built to work against a specific type of card. When building towards a theme and choosing between cards, players should choose the one that they can use in more situations. Here are some choices that demonstrate this logic:
Consider The Card Advantage
In resource-based games likeMagic ArenaorMtG, players often talk about the Mana Curve when building decks. This talks about how much Mana or resources it normally costs players before being able to play a card. In a general sense, a deck with too high-Mana cards isn’t ideal as it takes too long to play them to become practical. Interestingly,Master Duelhas a similar concept in the form ofCard Advantage.
Unlike the Mana Curve,Yu-Gi-Oh!Card Advantagerefers to this imaginary ratio where a card’s value is often determined based on how many cards players end up with before and after playing it. Here are important factors about Card Advantage:
Standard Cards Secure Basic Strategies
Sometimes, the most basic plays secure the most wins - that’s because they don’t rely too much oncomplex Win Conditionsand instead fulfill a general, tried, and tested approach. Some players might consider these plays predictable or a bit too ordinary, but they often get the job done.
When it comes to these standard plays, it often boils down to what cards that deck uses. Thankfully, there are a lot of standard cards or basic cards that fit almost any kind of deck. Here are some decent examples:
Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duelwas released in 2022 and is available for Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows.
