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New player guide: What packs to buy first? [Feb 8]

Duel Links, which packs to buy, which decks to build to reach KOG for new players.
update 08/02/2023

Updated Information

Overview

If you have just started playing Duel Links or you simply haven’t opened the game in a while, you are probably looking at the Shop, wondering where to start. After all, this game has been out for over two years, and the amount of options available at this point is quite overwhelming. You do, however, have a limited amount of resources, so I am going to try and direct you towards what’s relevant at the moment.

Recommended Pull

For starters, let’s talk about some of the most popular cards in the game like right now—mostly Spell and Trap Cards that can fit in pretty much any deck. These cards have proven to be a great investment for many players by remaining relevant for a very long time and should be one of your primary foci, if you have just started playing the game.

The cards are sorted by Type and Rarity

Available from the very first main box, Sphere Kuriboh has remained relevant as a pretty strong hand trap to stop attacks. However, most of the cards from the first box aren't all that good anymore, so it's important to take that into consideration.

If you're willing to spend some real money, you can buy 1 copy of this in the shop section under "Special" tab. Otherwise, you can get it from the Selection Box Vol. 01 when they come back, or use a UR Dream Ticket.

D.D. Crow

D.D. Crow
D.D. Crow
DARK Winged Beast ★1
ATK 100 / DEF 100
Shining Hope [UR]
Selection Box Vol.05 [UR]
During either player's turn: You can discard this card to the Graveyard to target 1 card in your opponent's Graveyard; banish that target.

Best Counter Tech in the current meta. Great Disruption effect to stop your opponent's combo by graveyard effect activation or monster reviving.

Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon

Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon
Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon
DARK Dragon ★4
ATK 2500 / DEF 2000
Phantom of Rebellion [UR]
2 Level 4 monsters
You can detach 2 Xyz Materials from this card, then target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; its ATK becomes half its current ATK, and if it does, this card gains that lost ATK.

A pretty decent generic rank 4 to help get over just about any monster, as long as they can be targeted. Its effect pretty much means that you can deal 2500 damage to your opponent, but it's only usable once since it uses 2 materials.

It's definitely a good addition if you plan on playing decks that use a lot of level 4 monsters, but it's not a "core" card in any deck.

Abyss Dweller

Abyss Dweller
Abyss Dweller
WATER Sea Serpent ★4
ATK 1700 / DEF 1400
Photons of Galaxy [UR]
2 Level 4 monsters
While this card has an Xyz Material attached that was originally WATER, all WATER monsters you control gain 500 ATK. Once per turn, during either player's turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; any card effects that activate in your opponent's Graveyard cannot be activated this turn.

Abyss Dweller is used like a monster version of Necrovalley that's accessible to any Rank-4 spam Deck. Another benefit of running Abyss Dweller is, unlike Necrovalley, it does not affect your own graveyard so you're still able to activate graveyard effects.

Make sure to toggle your chain from "Auto" to "On" so you can use Abyss Dweller at the start of the opponent's turn where it is most effective. Chaining Abyss Dweller to an effect activation would not negate that effect.

Number 70: Malevolent Sin

Number 70: Malevolent Sin
Number 70: Malevolent Sin
DARK Insect ★4
ATK 2400 / DEF 1200
Photons of Galaxy [SR]
2 Level 4 monsters
Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target 1 monster your opponent controls; banish it until your opponent's next Standby Phase. At the end of the Damage Step, if this card attacked: You can make this card gain 300 ATK, and if you do, increase its Rank by 3.

Even though this only temporarily banishes your opponent's monster, using this on your opponent's Xyz monster will also remove all of their materials. It's also great to use if your opponent only controls 1 monster on the field, allowing you to attack directly which can often lead to an OTK.

Steelswarm Roach

Steelswarm Roach
Steelswarm Roach
DARK Fiend ★4
ATK 1900 / DEF 0
Photons of Galaxy [SR]
2 Level 4 monsters
During either player's turn, when a Level 5 or higher monster would be Special Summoned: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; negate the Special Summon, and if you do, destroy it.

This has somewhat limited use since it mostly works against certain kinds of special summoning like synchro, pendulum, or ones that special summons from the hand. Against opponents that happen to need them, having this on your field can shut them down pretty hard, or at the very least, make them do a weaker play.

Dark Hole

Dark Hole
Dark Hole
Normal Spell
Future Circuit [SR]
Destroy all monsters on the field.

Techs to wipe out all monsters on the field but you need to use it wisely since this effect is applied on yours as well.

Mystical Space Typhoon

Mystical Space Typhoon
Mystical Space Typhoon
Quick Spell
Antinomic Theory [UR]
Selection Box Vol.03 Mini [UR]
Target 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field; destroy that target.

There are many powerful spells and traps in the game, so having a quick and easy removal card like this helps a lot. It can be used in just about any deck, but it's not actually crucial. If you're not sure about which UR to get when you have something like a UR Dream Ticket, this is one of the safest choice out there at the moment, and might potentially last quite a long time.

The Antinomic Theory box provides some T.G. archetype, so you can roll the main box if you're interested. Otherwise, the selection box vol.03 mini provides many other good options.

Cosmic Cyclone

Cosmic Cyclone
Cosmic Cyclone
Quick Spell
Galactic Origin [UR]
Selection Box Vol. 01 Mini [UR]
Pay 1000 LP, then target 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field; banish it.

Pretty similar to Mystical Space Typhoon, but banishing a spell/trap card is a stronger form of removal compared to MST. This prevents certain spells/traps from activating in the grave when destroyed. It comes at a cost of 1000 LP, but this can actually be beneficial since some character skills require low LP.

Similar to Sphere Kuriboh, this is available in an old box with many cards that aren't that relevant anymore. You can buy 1 copy of this with real money from the shop's "Special" tab, or go with the Selection Box Vol. 01 Mini if you're a new player.

Forbidden Chalice

Forbidden Chalice
Forbidden Chalice
Quick Spell
Servants of Kings [SR]
Selection Box Vol. 01 Mini [SR]
Special Set Bundle Sale [SR]
Target 1 face-up monster on the field; until the end of this turn, that target gains 400 ATK, but its effects are negated.

Normal monsters are rarely ever used anymore, so the odds of this being useful in a duel are usually pretty high. Monsters effects used in the early turns are what allows them to extend to long combos that can lead to a full board, having Chalice to stop their combos can be a game winning factor.

Being a quick-play spell also makes this quite good since you can use it both offensively or defensively.

Forbidden Lance

Forbidden Lance
Forbidden Lance
Quick Spell
Valhalla Calling [UR]
Selection Box Vol. 02 Mini [UR]
Special Set Bundle Sale [UR]
Target 1 face-up monster on the field; until the end of this turn, that target loses 800 ATK, but is unaffected by the effects of other Spell/Trap Cards.

Chalice is used to prevent combos, while Lance is the card to ensure that you can perform those combos uninterrupted.

Can be used offensively or defensively depending on whose monster you target. Firstly, you can use Forbidden Lance to protect a monster from removal and other harmful effects. Alternatively, you can use it as a significant 800 ATK debuff on an opponent's monster.

Book of Moon

Book of Moon
Book of Moon
Quick Spell
Chaotic Soldiers [UR]
Selection Box Vol.04 [UR]
Target 1 face-up monster on the field; change that target to face-down Defense Position.

Highly versatile for defense and control purposes. For example, you can flip a newly summoned monster face-down so that your opponent can't follow up with a Synchro or Xyz play.

Enemy Controller

Enemy Controller
Enemy Controller
Quick Spell
Seto Kaiba [SR]
Seto Kaiba (DSOD) [SR]
Ranked Rewards [SR]
Activate 1 of these effects.● Target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; change that target's battle position.● Tribute 1 monster, then target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; take control of that target until the End Phase.

Versatile Quick-Play Spell that can be used to protect your monsters and/or your Life Points, or to take control of an opponent’s monster. Enemy Controller is currently Semi-Limited.

Crackdown

Crackdown
Crackdown
Continuous Trap
Selection Box Vol.02 Super Mini [UR]
Activate by targeting 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; take control of that monster. While you control that monster, it cannot attack or activate effects. When that monster leaves the field, destroy this card.

Great Disruption Tech not only allows you to take control 1 Face-Up monster your opponent control but also you can use that monster for Link Summoning.

Warning Point

Warning Point
Warning Point
Normal Trap
Link Revolution [UR]
When a monster(s) is Summoned: This turn, that face-up monster(s) cannot attack, its effects are negated, also it cannot be used as material for a Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, or Link Summon.

Another good tech to disrupt your opponent by targeting a Face-Up monster you opponent control from Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, or Link Summoning Combo. It can also stop that targeted monster from attacking and its effect also be negated.

Karma Cut

Karma Cut
Karma Cut
Normal Trap
Arena of Sanctuary [SR]
Selection Box Vol. 02 Mini [SR]
Discard 1 card, then target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; banish that target, then banish all cards with the same name as that monster from your opponent's Graveyard.

Banishing is a great form of removal since it's usually harder to recover banished cards. Also, the added effect of banishing similar copies from the graveyard can occasionally be useful to disrupt graveyard setup. The discard effect can actually be helpful in some Decks that need the graveyard setup.

Treacherous Trap Hole

Treacherous Trap Hole
Treacherous Trap Hole
Normal Trap
Visions of Ice [SR]
Selection Box Vol. 02 Mini [SR]
If you have no Trap Cards in your Graveyard: Target 2 monsters on the field; destroy those targets.

A Trap Card with a minor activation requirement and the ability to destroy two monsters on the field. Treacherous Trap Hole is currently Semi-Limited.

Other Recommended Pull

Black Rose Dragon
Black Rose Dragon
FIRE Dragon ★7
ATK 2400 / DEF 1800
Blazing Rose [UR]
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
When this card is Synchro Summoned: You can destroy all cards on the field. Once per turn: You can banish 1 Plant-Type monster from your Graveyard, then target 1 Defense Position monster your opponent controls; change that target to face-up Attack Position, and if you do, its ATK becomes 0 until the end of this turn.

To any Deck that can make Level-7 Synchros on demand, Black Rose Dragon is a great addition to your toolbox. Summon it when you want to get rid of the opponent's entire board. And if you can follow up with summoning a powerful monster, you can hit the opponent with a huge direct attack.

Sphere Kuriboh
Sphere Kuriboh
DARK Fiend ★1
ATK 300 / DEF 200
The Ultimate Rising [UR]
Selection Box Vol. 01 [UR]
When an opponent's monster declares an attack: You can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard; change the attacking monster to Defense Position. When you Ritual Summon a monster, you can banish this card from your Graveyard as 1 of the monsters required for the Ritual Summon.

Available from the very first main box, Sphere Kuriboh has remained relevant as a pretty strong hand trap to stop attacks. However, most of the cards from the first box aren't all that good anymore, so it's important to take that into consideration.

If you're willing to spend some real money, you can buy 1 copy of this in the shop section under "Special" tab. Otherwise, you can get it from the Selection Box Vol. 01 when they come back, or use a UR Dream Ticket.

Kiteroid
Kiteroid
WIND Machine ★1
ATK 200 / DEF 400
Card Trader [SR]
Activate when you discard this card from your hand during damage calculation after a direct attack. Any Battle Damage you would receive from that direct attack becomes 0. Only once, if you remove this card from the game when it is in your Graveyard, any Battle Damage you would receive from a direct attack becomes 0.

Another amazing low-Level monster that can allow you to survive an OTK. Kiteroid has been Semi-Limited pretty much right after its release.

Divine Wrath
Divine Wrath
Counter Trap
Valkyrie's Rage [UR]
When a monster effect is activated: Discard 1 card; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy that monster.

Compared to Forbidden Chalice, being a trap card makes it slower to use, but this one will destroy the affected monster and can also negate effects outside of your opponent's field. The cost of discard can be good in certain decks that makes use of the graveyard.

Floodgate Trap Hole
Floodgate Trap Hole
Normal Trap
Generation Next [UR]
Bundle Set Sale [UR]
When your opponent Summons a monster(s): Change that monster(s) to face-down Defense Position. Monsters changed to face-down Defense Position by this effect cannot change their battle positions.

Trap Card that’s generally used to slow down the opponent by locking a monster that has just been Summoned in face-down Defense Position.

Paleozoic Canadia
Paleozoic Canadia
Normal Trap
Valiant Souls [UR]
Bundle Set Sale [UR]
Target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; change it to face-down Defense Position. Once per Chain, when a Trap Card is activated while this card is in your Graveyard: Special Summon this card as a Normal Monster (Aqua-Type/WATER/Level 2/ATK 1200/DEF 0). (This card is NOT treated as a Trap Card.) If Summoned this way, this card is unaffected by monster effects, also banish it when it leaves the field.

Similar to Floodgate Trap Hole, Paleozoic Canadia can flip monsters face-down, but it’s more versatile and it has an additional effect that allows you to Special Summon it from the Graveyard as Level 2 monster.

Recommended Start

These are the Decklists we recommended for new players to start investing :

Mekk-Knight - The "Expensive" Route

Example Core Mekk-Knight Cards

Mekk-Knight Purple NightfallMekk-Knight Purple NightfallMekk-Knight Purple NightfallMekk-Knight Yellow StarMekk-Knight Blue SkyMekk-Knight Blue Sky
Mekk-Knight Indigo EclipseMekk-Knight Red MoonMekk-Knight AvramWorld Legacys MemoryWorld Legacys MemoryWorld Legacys Memory
Galaxy-Eyes Full Armor Photon DragonGalaxy-Eyes Cipher DragonGalaxy-Eyes Cipher Blade DragonMekk-Knight of the Morning StarImduk the World Chalice Dragon-

Example Filler Cards

Knightmare Corruptor IbleeSwap ClericMystical Space TyphoonBook of MoonCrackdownCompulsory Evacuation Device-
Knightmare UnicornKnightmare MermaidKnightmare Phoenix----

Comments

Hot New Top
Can't Forget
Thunder Dragons should be mentioned under Dark Dimensions. Draining Shield should also be mentioned under Servent of Kings IMO.
F2P
I built Samurais long ago.
I'm completely satisfied
JW
Look up the definition of power creep. Or the visual definition can be seen in the boxes up above.
Anonymous
If you want to pay get AGG structure deck x 3. Its been around meta for so long now.

For f2p buy Red Eyes structure deck x1 using gems. Try get Power Of The Guardian for Red-eyes Slash Dragon.
Master of f2p's
the best way to start this game is rerolling for one copy of Fiendish Chain at Selection Box 3 and one copy of Cosmic Cyclone in Selection miniBox 1(if you fail to obtain Cycone u cant try last chance opening only 10 packs in Galactic Origin Box). That is easy and both these staple are tier 1, so u will can use these 2 card in any deck u biuld, also selection boxes are the best boxes and u can obtain many other good cards beyond CC and FdC
than biuld a total F2P deck

*Weevil anti meta (SR/UR tickets Card Tarder)

*Armed Ojama (Chazz drop, Trader Card, SR/UR Tickets)

*Aromage (all card in trader card)

*Thunder Dragon/Cyber Stein (all Card Trader Card SR/UR ticket and Pegasus drop)

*Cyrstal Beast (all Jesse Drop or SR/UR Tickets0

*Cyberdark (all Zane Drop or SR/UR Ticket)

*Black Luster Soldier deck (all Trader Card or SR Ticket)

*Counter Parshath ( SR/UR and Selection Box 3)

*CyBer Angels (Alexis drops SR/UR/R tickets)



*use UR/SR dream ticket to obtain more staples another Cosmic Cyclone, Floodgate trap hole, Hey!Trunade, Treacherous trap hole or save it until before expire
*use common SR Ticket for 2 enemy controller
you dont need spend Gems or time griding it or Money in this game to reach Legend rank
Anonymous
The best way to start this game is to not listen to the spamming idiot.
<< Anonymous
Yang Reply
Just one good deck core can last for a happy life in Duel Links(at leas until you get bored) In several cases, deck cores from the past can still make it up to Legend or even KoG if you are willing to invest the time and effort. So what do you do with gems you earn? Simply just hoard them and use them for buying staples whenever you go over the limit.
Anonymous
I'm pretty sure Ritual Beasts can be built very easily. I tried to open some packs and I got Winda very fast.

Aromages from the card trader are also good to farm gems while climbing up to platinum or even Legend. Aromages can KoG if you have a lot of techs, but Ritual Beasts will always be better as a f2p deck (at least in the current meta) maybe Aromages will become competitive in the future.
<< Anonymous
Yang Reply
True, Ritual Beasts are currently the cheapest deck with very good PVP efficiency. You probably need only 20k gems to fully have something competitive, though you can do a lot with probably just the core engine.
KOG
S h i r a n u i PVP
Anonymous
Aromage is good as well, but I guess you need to be a good player to reach kog with it these days.
<< Anonymous
Anonymous Reply
so damn true.
Anonymous
The best starter deck is Ritual Beasts or Vendreads.
Anonymous
why spend gems, time farming, tickets or money when you could simply buy all aromage cards with gold in trader card and make aromage, it is a synchron deck fun and you cna reach high ranks.
just spend gems rerollling for Cosmic Cyclone at selection mino box 1 and TTH in vision of Ice in first packs than never back spend gems again just play totally F2P
<< Anonymous
King Wise Reply
Why play totally F2P if you can pay and get more fun?
Anonymous
Triamids / Vendreads.
Ritual Beasts if you are a experienced player.
<< Anonymous
Anonymous Reply
Ritual beasts feels like you're dueling against the timer unless you can think quickly.
<< Anonymous
Anonymous Reply
I'd add Dragunity.
If you have 3 bucks and dream tickets.
<< Anonymous
Anonymous Reply
Triamids and Vendreds aren't so good now but at least they have some tournament performances at their peak. Dragunities had no impact on the meta. Ritual beasts are very solid though.
<< Anonymous
Anonymous Reply
you don't need 3 senatus but it really helps

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