3 Best Decks in YuGiOh Duel Links to Climb the PVP Ranks

If you’ve played the game before, or if you’re a total newbie to the world of Duel Monsters (but a YuGiOh fan regardless, and are dedicated to learning the ins and outs of the game), then you know how important it is to learn all about the best decks in YuGiOh Duel Links to earn a place in Ranked Duels. Make no mistake, however, that the most popular decklists change around the same time Konami drops a new box for us players to moon over. And recently, they’ve released mini-box number 18, Dimension of the Wizards. So, is it far-fetched to say that there’ll be a new deck in the making to dethrone Koa’ki Meiru’s top spot among players’ favorites soon? And I know that there are more than 3 best decks in YuGiOh Duel Links, but we’ll only tackle 3 for the sake of nailing it down and getting right to the point. Because, you’re reading this article to know which decks you should use in your next PVP excursion, right?

3 Best Decks in YuGiOh Duel Links

For sure, YuGiOh Duel Links has come a long way since its humble beginnings back in 2017. Now that it’s reached the 2nd-anniversary mark, and Konami has released the world of 5D’s and the synchro-summoning, players the world over have been kicked into overdrive about deciding the best decks in YuGiOh Duel Links. Where before, if anyone can remember, a Red-Eyes deck was the favorite and trounced most of its competition, now it’s been dethroned by the inclusion of meta decks and their chaining capabilities. Personally speaking, I’m not a huge fan of meta because the Blue-Eyes deck with its supports have always been my favorite, but I can see the logic behind it, and why a meta deck is important if you want to climb the ranks in a brutal PVP duel. For this reason, these best decks in YuGiOh Duel Links that I’m about to list are primarily meta. And trust me. If you want to get past the monster players in PVP, you’ll probably need this — and more research into decklists if you want to be thorough. I’ll leave it to you to do the in-depth research. I’ll just give you the overview of them all; because detailing every single one down to the last piece of advice would need an article of its own.

Bonus: Gladiator Beasts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI2h8VK0yiQ

I’m starting off this list with a bonus King-of-Games worthy deck.

Character Skills

This deck is ideally used for the following characters and their corresponding skills — though you’re free to change things up however you want.

• Odion’s Endless Trap Hell: Skill is used when you have 3 trap cards in the Graveyard. 1 random trap would be added to your hand; the other one gets shuffled into your Deck from the Graveyard. Only used once per Duel.
• Ishizu Ishtar’s Sealed Tombs: The skill is only used once per Duel. And “until the end of the opponent’s next turn, neither player can banish cards from the Graveyard or Special Summon monsters from the Graveyard.”
• Tea Gardner’s Holy Guard: Receive no battle damage during your turn.

Deck Overview

Most of the non-fusion Gladiator Beast monsters are effect ones (with the exception of Gladiator Beast Andal), and they all have the ability to return to the Deck at the end of the Battle Phase of the turn in which they attacked or were attacked and were failed to be destroyed. When they return to the Deck, you can Special Summon another monster of their archetype from the Deck, no matter the level. Not all of them, though; because a few cards do have specific summoning conditions, like Gladiator Beast Alexander only being Special Summoned through the effect of Gladiator Beast Dimacari. These monster cards, however, rely heavily on the ability to continuously leave the field and activate their effects. For instance, your Gladiator Beast monster has the chance to regain the attack points that were halved by a monster like, say, Dark Jeroid, by returning to the Deck and being Special Summoned later on in the Duel again. Personally, I have my own version of a Gladiator Beast Deck. And I, for one, find them useful in Event PVC games. This is an example of a Deck that won’t easily fall-prey to a deck-out loss.

Needed Cards and Boxes

The essential cards you must have, no matter the Gladiator Beast deck arrangement are:

• Gladiator Beast Bestiari: When it’s Special Summoned to the field by the effect of Gladiator Beast monster, you select a card from the spell or trap zone and destroy it.
• Gladiator Beast Murmillo: When it’s Special Summoned to the field by the effect of Gladiator Beast monster, you select 1 face-up monster and destroy it.

Boxes where they can be found:

• Neo-Impact
• Galactic Origin
• Valiant Souls
• Blackstorm Rising

#3: Ancient Gear Fusion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-laDkwEnnQ

At number three, we’ve got Dr. Crowler’s favorite bunch of monsters. For the longest time, I can remember these being one of the best decks in YuGiOh Duel Links when 5Ds wasn’t around yet. It’s aggressive with Seto Kaiba’s Beatdown skill, or Vellian’s Middle Age Mechs skill backing this deck arrangement.

Character Skills

The deck is ideally used for the following characters and their corresponding skills — though you’re free to change things up however you want.

• Seto Kaiba’s Beatdown: During your turn, the attack of all your Level 5 or higher face-up monsters increase by the number of monsters of Level 5 or higher on your field by 300.
• Dr. Crowler’s Middle Age Mechs: Immediately activates the continuous spell, Ancient Gear Castle, at the beginning of the very first turn.
• Restart: The restart skill is available for a lot of characters. It can only be used once after the starting hands are dealt.

Deck Overview

If you’re looking for a very aggressive Fusion Deck that can bring your enemies to your knees (like Kaiba wants them to be), the Ancient Gear Fusion deck might be your best bet. Using the effects of Ancient Gear Box and Ancient Gear Wyvern together gives you card advantage and eventually lets you summon Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem. You’ll need massive amounts of Fusion support for this Deck, though — like Jaden’s Elemental Hero Blazeman if you don’t have King of the Swamp. The latter is much more advisable though — both to pump out Polymerization and to substitute as a fusion monster for the Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem (or any Fusion monster, really).

Needed Cards and Boxes

Essential cards you should have in this Deck include:

• Ancient Gear Golem: One of the main ingredients to the Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem. But deals damage to defense position monsters as well.
• Ancient Gear Wyvern: Whether Normal or Special Summoned, you can add an Ancient Gear card from the Deck to your hand.
• Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem: Takes damage out of defense position monsters too, and when it attacks, your opponent can’t activate spells or trap cards.
• Polymerization: Need I say more? Lets you fusion summon monsters from the Extra Deck.

Boxes where they can be found:

• Structure Deck Ancient Gear Awakening
• Blades of Spirit
• Generation Next

#2: Cyber Angel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olU7r-m-dYs

I would be the first to raise my hand and declare that these cards are way too overplayed. But they’re that way, and they’re one of the best decks in YuGiOh Duel Links, for a very good reason. Alexis Rhodes’ Cyber Angel ladies are consistent in the field, and before any of the Cyber Angel cards received a semi-ban to maintain balance, players with a Cyber Angel deck dominated the PVP dueling circuits. And here I find that it’s still on the top list of King of Games Decks this March… Honestly, I’m not surprised.

Character Skills

The various deck arrangements of Cyber Angel work well with the following characters’ skills:

• Jesse Anderson’s Grit: Skill activates randomly when your turn starts. Your life points won’t decrease under 1 until your opponent’s next turn ends.
• Seto Kaiba’s Heavy Starter: A Deck with 3 or more Level 5 or higher monsters with different names will have a better chance of having said monsters in the starting hand.
• Balance: Starting hands reflect the card balance of the deck.
• Restart: Reveal and redraw your starting hand. I described this in the previous bullet.

Deck Overview

Again, as I’ve mentioned, I’m not surprised that Cyber Angels continue to dominate the Meta, and the best decks in YuGiOh Duel Links list; even when Konami finally decided to stomp their foot down and declare a semi-limited ban. But even with Cyber Angel Dakini or Machine Angel Ritual no longer in full tri-force, a Cyber Angel Deck is still pretty solid. But now that there’s a ban, players have gotten more creative. It’s not just purely Cyber Angel any longer. People have seen it fit to add other Ritual monsters into the mix to pack a deadly punch. It’s all about having 3 copies of Saffira, Queen of Dragons paired with Hymn of Light now.

Needed Cards and Boxes

Cards you must have in this type of Deck arrangement include:

• All the Cyber Angel Ritual Monsters: You need Dakini, Idaten, and Benten in that deck to maximize the use of each of their effects.
• Senju of the Thousand Hands: Upon Normal Summoning this Monster, you can add 1 Ritual Monster from the Deck to the Hand.
• Saffira, Queen of Dragons: Activate a variety of effects depending on the summoning conditions. You can draw 2 cards while discarding one card, discard a random card from your opponent’s hand, or add 1 light attribute monster from the Graveyard to your hand.

Boxes where they can be found:

• Galactic Origin
• Neo-Impact
• Rampage of the Forest
• Alexis Rhodes’ level-up and Duel rewards

#1: Koa’ki Meiru Traptrix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcpN61UM87c&t=42s

One of the most popular cards used in PVP Duels recently: the Koa’ki Meiru cards… And undoubtedly, one of the best decks in YuGiOh Duel Links to have in your arsenal of cards. Koa’ki Meiru, in general, is pretty popular and on the top list of March’s King of Games Decklist. But for those of you who look to take down the Meta users, this just might be your best bet (cross your fingers, because you still need the skill and the luck).

Character Skills

This Deck arrangement is best used with Odion’s Endless Trap Hell. I explained this earlier on when we discussed Gladiator Beasts, but to recap and to quote the actual description, this skill “can be used when you have 3 trap cards in the Graveyard. 1 random Trap Card in your Graveyard is added to your hand. Then, shuffle 1 random Trap Card in your Graveyard into your Deck. This skill can only be used once per Duel.”

Deck Overview + Cards and Boxes

Koa’ki Meiru Traptrix takes advantage of powerful Trap Cards like Treacherous Trap Hole and Void Trap Hole to break opponent play. You do it all while slowly depleting their resources. So, kind of like a slow-kill. Cards you need to have in your Deck to pull off your anti-meta schemes include:

• Koa’ki Meiru Beetle: Switches into defense position any Light or Dark attribute monster that is special summoned on either side of the field. Is it coincidence that most Meta decks’ lead monsters are either Light or Dark? Nevertheless, you can use this to deal with Masked HERO Anki, Cosmo Brain, Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Dragon Spirit of White, Armades, Keeper of Boundaries, Silent Magician, and Silent Magician Level 8.
• Traptrix Atrax: This monster lets you activate “Hole” normal trap cards directly from your hand. At the same time, it keeps your opponent from negating the effect activation of Normal Traps on your side of the field.
• Traptrix Dionaea: This supports your Traptrix Atrax. It lets you target a “Traptrix” monster in your Graveyard and Special Summon it in Defense Position.
• Void Trap Hole: This Trap negates the effects of an opponent’s monster with over 2,000 attack points. Furthermore, if the monster was Special Summoned, you can destroy it.

Evidently, I’m not the genius who made this anti-meta deck, but I’d have to give them points for coming up with this. It has some weaknesses though. It takes time to finish off your opponent, and it’s pretty slow. So, may I recommend adding at least two Wall of Disruption Trap Cards into this mix? Anyway, you can find these cards in the following boxes:

• Generation Next
• Resonance of Contrast
• Visions of Ice
• Secrets of the Ancients
• Revolution Beginning

My Final Thoughts on These Best Decks in YuGiOh Duel Links

The fun thing about YuGiOh deck building is that you can get pretty creative with your smarts. Through the use of various card combinations, a Deck that’s perfectly capable of paving the way to the top of Ranked Duels is perfectly possible. In addition, these best decks in YuGiOh Duel Links are only as good as you make them. Sure, they come to you right now in a strict formula, but remember that every opponent and player is different. That means, you need to consistently tweak your Deck to match the current trend in the PVP circuit. I daresay that these 3 best decks in YuGiOh Duel Links only achieved this kind of status because their creators never settled for keeping it to themselves. This was obviously the product of sharing card combos in the Deck boards and then revisions and revisions again. If you have the time to spare, and if you’re really set on winning the YuGiOh Duel Links World Championship this year, then perhaps it’s time to start working up towards that King of Games slot in the Ranked Duels with these best decks in YuGiOh Duel Links. Looking for more detailed gaming info just like this? Keep browsing through Scoopfed. Featured image credit: vbwebmaster.com