Code Talker Deck List & Card Guide

The Code Talkers are the original archetype that introduced the Link Summon mechanic into the card game in Yu-Gi-Oh!, and is one of the most flexible in bringing out multiple Link Monsters in Master Duel. Read on to learn about the deck's strategies, combos and Deck list!

Code Talker Deck List

Main Deck: 40 cards
x3	x3	x3	x3	x3
x2	x1	x1	x1	x1
x1	x1	x1	x1	x1
x3	x2	x2	x1	x1
x1	x1	x1	x1
Extra Deck: 15 cards
x1	x1	x1	x1	x1
x1	x1	x1	x1	x1
x1	x1	x1	x1	x1

Code Talker Deck Guide: How to Play

Playstyle and Win Condition

Code Talkers were the first archetype to set the standard in terms of setting up Link Monster summons, with constant combos to Special Summon the required materials.

The main strategy is Link Climbing: continuously summoning and Link Summoning to be able to bring out a Link Monster with a high Link Rating. The absolute full combo in this Deck can result in a U-Lock, where both Extra Monster Zones are occupied.

These four monsters--Code Exporter, Code Generator, Code Radiator and Micro Coder are cheat codes of sorts for Link Summoning, as they all share the effect that they can be used as materials from the hand if the requirements are met. On top of that, once they are sent to the Graveyard when used as material for a Code Talker monster.

Cards like Lady Debug, Linkslayer and Parallel eXceed enable the ability to command presence and pool resources to enable the multiple Summons and open up Link Summons. Lady Debug adds cards tto the hand, meanwhile Linkslayer and eXceed have Special Summon effects that should provide materials to be used..

The Cynet Spell Cards all provide support whenever the key Code Talker Link Monsters are brought out, which signifies their importance to the overall gameplan of this Deck. They enable the Link Summoning shenanigans, and in turn they reward the player through resource maintenance and presence on the field for future Link Summons.

The Code Talker archetype is what the entire Deck revolves around, all building up to the signature boss monster in Accesscode Talker. They are one of the few archetypes that reward using each other as materials, as Accesscode Talker needs them in the Graveyard to activate its effect for game-winning plays.

Core Combos and Interactions

Sample Combo 1

1	Normal Summon Formud Skipper.
2	Activatet Gatchiri @Ignister from the hand, target Formud Skipper to negate its effects, and Special Summon this monster onto the field.
3	Using Formud Skipper as material, Link Summon Talkback Lancer.
4	After being sent to the Graveyard, activate Talkback Lancer's effect, and search out a copy of Parallel eXceed from the Deck to add to your hand.
5	Activate the effect Mathmech Addition, target Talkback Lancer, and Special Summon this monster; Talkback Lancer gains 1000 ATK.
6	Using Mathmech Addition and Parallel eXceed as materials, Link Summon Code Talker Inverted.
7	Upon being Link Summoned, activate the effect of Code Talker Inverted, and chain it with the effect of Gatchiri @Ignister that was just sent to the Graveyard; upon resolution, target Talkback Lancer for the 2nd chain, and Special Summon Parallel eXceed from the Graveyard.
8	Upon being Special Sumoned from the Graveyard, activate the effect of Parallel eXceed, and Special Summon another copy of itself onto the field.
9	Using Code Talker Inverted and one of the Parallel eXceeds as materials, Link Summon Transcode Talker.
10	Activate the effect of Transcode Talker, and Special Summon Code Talker Inverted once again.
11	Using the other Parallel eXceed on the field as material, Link Summon a LINK-1 monster; in this instance, Salamangreat Balelynx.
12	Activate the effect of Salamangreat Balelynx upon being Link Summoned, and search out a copy of Salamangreat Sanctuary from the Deck to add to your hand.
13	Activate Salamangreat Sanctuary, and using its effect, use the Salamangreat Balelynx on your field to Link Summon another copy of itself.
14	Using the LINK-1 Salamangreat Balelynx and LINK-2 Code Talker Inverted as materials, Link Summon Excode Talker; and upon being Link Summon, activate its effect to block out the Monster Zone underneath the unused Extra Monster Zone.

Active Field Spell: Salamangreat Sanctuary
-		-	-	-
-			-	-
-	-	-	-	-

Sample Combo 2

1	Normal Summon Lady Debug; activate its effect, and search out a copy of Dotscaper.
2	Using Lady Debug as material, Link Summon Salamangreat Balelynx; activate its effect, and search out a copy of Salamangreat Sanctuary from the Deck to add to your hand.
3	Activate Salamangreat Sanctuary, and using its effect, use the Salamangreat Balelynx on your field to Link Summon another copy of itself.
4	Activate Cynet Mining by discarding Dotscaper, to search and add Link Infra-Flier from the Deck to your hand.
5	Because it was sent to the Graveyard, activate Dotscaper's effect, and it is Special Summoned once again onto the field--on any other zone other than the Monster Zone Salamangreat Balelynx is pointing to.
6	With the Monster Zone pointed by Salamangreat Balelyx free, activate Link Infra-Flier from the hand and Special Summon it to the aforementioned Monster Zone.
7	Using Dotscaper and the LINK-1 Link Infra-Flier as materials, Link Summon Code Talker Inverted; upon being Summoned, Special Summon Code Exporter from the hand to one of the Monster Zones the former points to.
8	Using the LINK-2 Code Talker Inverted, and Code Generator from the hand as materials (Code Generator allows this), Link Summon Excode Talker; use its effect to block out the Zone under the unoccupied Extra Monster Zone.
9	Upon being Link Summoned, activate Excode Talker's effect, and send a monster of your choosing from the Deck to the GY.
10	Using the LINK-1 Salamangreat Balelynx and Code Exporter as materials, Link Summon Splash Mage; activate its effect afterwards, and Special Summon Code Exporter again from the Graveyard.
11	Using the LINK-2 Splash Mage and Code Exporter, Link Summon Transcode Talker; activate its effect, and Special Summon Salamangreat Balelynx from the Graveyard.
12	Using the LINK-3 Transcode Talker and LINK-1 Salamangreat Balelynx, Link Summon Accesscode Talker; activate its effect, use Transcode Talker as its target and receive its ATK boost (increased to 5300).

Active Field Spell: Salamangreat Sanctuary
-		-	-	-
-		-	-	-
-	-	-	-	-

Boss Monsters

	Accesscode Talker
	Accesscode Talker is quite handily the strongest Code Talker Link Monster in the entire Deck, and is the goal monster this Deck must be able to get outt as soon as possible. Not only can its ATK be boosted to a high level, it has the ability to destroy cards on the field by banishing Link Monsters from your GY.
	Firewall Dragon
	Firewall Dragon may not have the most impressive ATK stat for a LINK-4 monster, but its Quick Effect bounce cards back to the hand based on the number of cards co-linked to this monster. It can also Special Summon a Cyberse monster from the hand if a monster this card points to gets destroyed.
	Mekk-Knight Crusadia Avramax
	Mekk-Knight Crusadia Avramax not only acts as a taunter to protect other monsters, this card is essentially immune to targeted card effects after this card is Link Summoned. This monster is extremely strong against Special Summoned monsters as well, and if sent to the GY by an opponent's card it can force a card on the field back to be shuffled to the Deck.
	Decode Talker
	Decode Talker may not have controlling effects like the above monsters, but this monster can gain ATK if there are monsters on the Zoones its Link Markers are pointing to. At maximum, this card can potentially earn 1500 ATK, and it can tribute one of the monsters being pointed at to destroy another card on the field, in response to a targeted card effect.

Code Talker Counters: How to Beat

Best Decks to Use Against Code Talker

Tri-Brigade

All three variations of Tri-Brigade Decks can handle Code Talkers very handily. They also have a one-up on the archetype and the Deck in general with the Tri-Brigade's synergy with three types of monsters (Beast, Winged-Beast, Beast-Warrior), and the fact that it can conduct Link Summons through certain monsters' effects by banishing cards from the GY as materials.

Tri-Brigade Shuraig the Ominous Omen in particular is very dangerous, as it banishes a card of its choosing as soon as it is Link Summoned, and it has its own floating effect that lets you add a monster to the hand if this card is sent to the Graveyard.

Tri-Brigade Deck Lists
Pure Tri-Brigade	Zoodiac
Bird Up	Spright

Virtual World

Virtual World Decks are very efficient with their resources, maximizing swarming and milling abilities to consistently conduct Synchro and Xyz Summons left and right. Once they finish with their combos, this Deck can end up having a field that is hard to deal with for Code Talkers.

Virtual World Kyubi - Shenshen in particular messes with Code Talkers using the GY as it instead banishes cards that were supposed to be sent there; something they do not want as itt needs the Graveyard as a secondary resource pull for effecs and Special Summons.

Virtual World Deck Guide

Drytron Fairy

Still the defining Deck of the current meta for Ranked Duels, Drytron Fairy Decks are unmatched in their consistency in getting key monsters out on the field, which can be hard to use Extra Deck counters against as the boss monsters are Ritual Monsters. The Extra Deck monsters are more support but can stand-in when needed.

If possible, do not give this Deck a chance to bring out either Herald of Ultimateness or Drytron Meteonis Quandrantis; the LINK-4 monsters in the Code Talker Decks' card listt should all have good chances against these specific boss monsters.

Drytron Fairy Deck Guide

Best Cards to Tech Against Code Talker

	Summon Limit
	Most Decks that run Link Monsters need to summon multiple monsters to match the material requirements needed, especially if the requirements are specific in nature. Summon Limit naturally bottlenecks all swarming attempts and forces both players to make their two summons per turn count.
	Underworld Goddess of the Closed World
	Most players do not get to prepare having one of their monsters be used against them, and Underworld Goddess of the Closed World is a constant menace for those players. The ability to use one of the monsters the opponent controls allows to get rid of a monster without having to use another resource like a Spell or Trap Card that could be used for something else.
	Artifact Scythe
	Artifact Scythe serves as a very powerful block against a Special Summon-heavy Deck. The moment this card is Special Summoned, the opponent is locked out of Special Summoning for the rest of the turn. Even better is that this card can act as a decoy in the Spell/Trap Zone by being set there, and getting destroyed by an opponent's card effect triggers the first effect.
	Called by the Grave
	Quite a lot of monsters in the Code Talkers Deck involve Graveyard effects and Special Summoning monsters from there. Called by the Grave is able to deny both by banishing them before their effects can be resolved.

Related Packs to Code Talker

AI Omniscience	Blazing Fortitude
Cosmic Mechanical Entities	Deceitful Wings of Darkness
Fires of Scorching Bonds	Legacy Pack
Master Pack	Singular Strike Overthrow
Soldiers from the Storm	Star-Studded Futures

Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel Related Guides

Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel Deck Archetypes

Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel Decks

Deck Tier List: Best Decks for Season 35

List of All Covered Decks

World Champion Decks

2024 World Champions: Team 7
Horus Tearlaments	Yubel	Fire King Snake-Eyes
Salamangreat	Purrely	Vanquish Soul

Decks Used in Worlds 2024

Decks Used By All Teams in Worlds 2024
snipehunters	CER	Hero's Future
BOTB	MYYGO	Thank Love
CER 2 x FCG	BRAZ IL	Maxx “Yee”
Double Noir	Rogue Ruler

Aggro Decks

List of All Aggro Decks
D/D/D Aggro	Code Talker / Prank Kids	Zoodiac
Blue-Eyes	Virtual World	SPYRAL Control
Toon Kingdom	Red-Eyes	Blue-Eyes
Zoodiac	Prank-Kids	Zoodiac Tri-Brigade
Pure Tri-Brigade	Ancient Gear	Dragonmaid
Tri-Brigade Lyrilusc (Bird Up)	Dinosaur	Raidraptor
HERO	Dragon Link	Despia
Magikey	Adamancipator	Black Luster Soldier
Pendulum Magician	Stardust Dragon	Tenyi Swordsoul
Cyberdark	@Ignister	Cyber Dragon
The Winged Dragon of Ra	Despian Predaplant	Despia Darklord
Odd-Eyes Performapal	Numeron FTK	Six Samurai
ABC	Trickstar Windwitch	Blackwings
Fluffal	Cupid Pitch Turbo	Lunalight
Vampire	Ultra Athletes	Thunder Dragon
Z-ARC Pendulum Magician	Adventurer Rose Dragon Tenyi	Adventurer P.U.N.K.
Suship	Pure D/D/D	Numeron Egyptian Gods
Galaxy Eyes OTK	Borrelend Dragon Link	Vaylantz
Beetrooper	Icejade Ra	Therion ABC
Libromancer	Mathmech	Spright Evil☆Twin
Spright Tri-Brigade	Ishizu Chaos	Slifer Arcana Knights
Gaia OTK	Vernusylph	Ancient Warriors
Ghoti	Springans	8-Axis Gizmek Orochi
Danger! Dark World	Mikanko	Scareclaw Kashtira
Zombie World P.U.N.K.	Hungry Burger Nouvelles	Obelisk the Tormentor
Mannadium	Gate Guardian	Gold Pride P.U.N.K.
Superheavy Samurai	Nemleria	Dragon Rulers
Snake-Eye	T.G. Diabellstar	Skull Servant
Kaiju	Resonators	Earthbound
Malefic	Kozmo	Armored Xyz Shark
Unchained	Battlin' Boxer	Chimera Illusion
Fire King Snake-Eyes	Vaalmonica	Memento
Horus Tearlaments	Centur-Ion	Dragon Master Magia
Ice Barrier	Infernoid	Lightsworn
Ogdoadic Ragnaraika	Genex	Tenpai Dragon
Goblin Biker	Infernoble	Armed Dragon
Flame Swordsman	Melodious

Control Decks

List of All Control Decks
Invoked Shaddoll	Eldlich Control	Drytron Fairy
True Draco	Dark Magician	Traptrix
Phantom Knights	Madolche	Relinquished
P.U.N.K.	DPE Scythe	Evil★Twin
Paleozoic Frog	Salamangreat	Gravekeepers
Monarch	Tellarknight	Agent
Exosisters	Darklord	Plunder Patrol
Rikka	Floowandereeze	Adventurer Phantom Knights
Dinomoprhia	Tri-Brigade Gladiator Beast	Adventurer Witchcrafter
Dark Magician Gravekeeper	Branded Tri-Brigade	Branded Despia
Zombie Vampire	Blue-Eyes Jet Dragon	Spellbook
Branded Cyber Dragon	Branded Zombies	Pure Scareclaw
Dinomorphia	Runick	Labrynth
Harpies	Buster Blader	Umi Control
Endymion	Nekroz	Spright
Spright Runick	Ishizu Runick	Branded Ishizu
Crystal Beasts	Orcust	Altergeist
Witchcrafter	Subterror Krawler	Mayakashi
Ishizu Tearlaments	Evilswarm	Melffy Spright
Bystial Branded	Dogmatika Bystial	Naturia Runick
Generaiders	Kashtira	Purrely
Ninja	Rescue-ACE	Gishki Spright
Prediction Princess	Vanquish Soul	Jinzo
Egyptian God	Ojama Control	Aromage
Ghostrick	Kuriboh	Anti-Meta Stun
Runick Spright Fur Hire	Horus Control	Toy Box Dark Magician
Yubel	Voiceless Voice	Rikka Ragnraika
Ritual Beast	Shining Sarcophagus

Burn Decks

List of All Burn Decks
Red-Eyes Burn	Timelord Burn	Chain Burn
D.D. Dynamite	Igknight OTK	Cubic
Dinosaur Bishbaalkin FTK	Volcanic Snake-Eyes	Transaction Rollback Burn

Alt-Win Decks

List of All Alternate Win Decks
Crooked Cook Exodia	Flower Cardian Exodia	Treasure Panda Exodia
Suicide	Defense OTK

All Budget Decks

List of All Budget Deck Guides
Budget Shark Xyz	Budget Eldlich	Budget Hippo Turbo
Budget Despia	Budget F.A. Metalfoes	Budget Blue-Eyes White Dragon
Budget Chain Burn	Budget Majespecter	Budget Yosenju
Budget Flower Cardian	Budget True Draco	Budget Amorphage
Budget Ishizu Tearlaments

Best Cards for Decks

Lists of Best Cards for Deck Building
Best Staple Cards		Best Searchers		Best Hand Traps
Best Board Wipes		Best Negates		Best Fusion Monsters
Best Synchro Monsters		Best Xyz Monsters		Best Link Monsters
Best Structure Decks			Best Decks to Go 1st or 2nd