Ever since its release last year, Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel has been the go-to for digital Yu-Gi-Oh! players new and old. The game isn’t without its fair share of troubles though. For newer or more casual players, encountering highly competitive decks is extremely frustrating. How do you counter meta decks in Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel?
Believing in the heart of the cards can only get you so far.
One option is to play a competitive archetype yourself, but a lot of people play archetypes they simply find fun. Below you’ll find a list of cards you can add to most decks to boost your chances against meta decks.
What Are Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel’s Current Meta Decks?
Before you get started on countering the meta, you’d first have to know what the current meta is. Unfortunately, Konami does not publicize official Master Duel statistics. Master Duel has a Card Report feature that shows how successful a card is, but it’s not enough to tell you how successful each deck is.
The next best thing is to look at Master Duel Meta, a third-party website that keeps tabs on all official Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel tournaments. They record which decks are used in each tournament and rank them based on how often they win.
Here are the current top 3 decks in Master Duel Meta:
- Purrely – A powerful XYZ-based deck that bounces your cards back to your deck.
- Labrynth – A deck centered around trap cards. They destroy your cards through effects and prevent you from playing by using floodgates.
- Dragon Link – A combo deck that uses Link and Synchro monsters to set up multiple negates.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel Meta Deck Counters
Here’s a list of cards that will give meta decks a run for their money. Most of these are great in tons of decks, so if you don’t have them yet, craft them as soon as you can. Long-time players probably already have a couple of these in their decks. However, not everyone knows when the optimal time to activate them is. This list will tell you exactly when to activate these counters against the top 3 decks.
Cards That Counter Purrely
- Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring – Although it’s tempting to immediately use Ash Blossom, you should wait for the right targets first. The best targets for Ash Blossom are My Friend Purrely, Purrely Happy Memory, Purrely Delicious Memory, and Purrelyly.
- Droll & Lock Bird – Use Droll & Lock Bird after your opponent uses an effect to draw a card. Purrely searches and draws a lot, so Droll will force them into a weaker board.
- Kaijus – Kaijus are best used against Expurrely Noir. Tributing Noir will considerably weaken their board and open them up to an easy kill.
- Maxx “C” – As soon as you see your opponent summon a Purrely or Kashtira monster, activate Maxx “C”.
- Skill Drain – This card has a permanent effect, so it will still negate Expurrely Noir, which only protects against “activated” effects.
Cards That Counter Labrynth
- Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring – Activate Ash Blossom to negate Welcome Labrynth or Big Welcome Labrynth.
- Eradicator Epidemic Virus – Eradicator is only viable if you play a deck with high-attack Dark monsters. However, Dark is one of the most common attributes, so a lot of decks can fit this in. Use Eradicator Epidemic Virus to stop all your opponent’s traps for three turns. Removing all traps effectively destroys Labrynth.
- Harpie’s Feather Duster/Lightning Storm – These are a given. Use them to wipe out all of your opponent’s spells and traps. Harpie’s Feather Duster and Lightning Storm can automatically win you the game against Labrynth if you’re lucky.
- Evenly Matched – Similar to Harpie’s Feather Duster and Lightning Storm, Evenly Matched clears your enemy’s backrow. Don’t be afraid to skip your Battle Phase if you can completely cripple your opponent’s field.
- Red Reboot – An incredible card that will stop your opponent from using any trap cards for one whole turn. If you activate Red Reboot on your turn, you can instantly shut down Labrynth decks. You can activate it from the hand too!
Cards That Counter Dragon Link
- Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring – Your main targets for Ash Blossom would be Chaos Space, Starliege Seyfert, and The Bystial Lubellion.
- Dark Ruler No More – Monsters are the backbone of Dragon Link decks. Dark Ruler No More will negate all their monster effects and turn them into harmless little dragons. They can’t even use monster effects to negate Dark Ruler No More, so it’s almost always going to work.
- Maxx “C” – As always, trigger Maxx “C” as soon as the opponent brings out a monster. If successful, this should completely stop their play.
- Nibiru, The Primal Being – The best time to activate Nibiru is immediately after your opponent summons Borreload Savage Dragon. If you wait too long, they’ll bring out negates that stop Nibiru.
- Kaijus – Use Kaijus to tribute Baronne de Fleur, Borrelend Dragon, or Borreload Savage Dragon.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to use every card in this list. Maxx “C” and Ash Blossom are essential since they’re great against most decks, but everything else is up to you.
Also, remember that with constant banlist updates, the meta is always changing. Study your opponent’s decks carefully and adapt accordingly. Good luck duelists!