Ghoti is a unique Aggro deck in Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel that specializes in Synchro Summons, but also gets advantages whenever their Fish monsters are banished! Check out the core deck list, key combos, as well as how to play & counters!

Ghoti Deck List

Main Deck: 44 cards
x3	x3	x3	x3	x3
x3	x2	x2	x2	x1
x1	x1	x1	x3	x3
x2	x1	x3	x2	x2
Extra Deck: 15 cards
x3	x2	x1	x1	x1
x1	x1	x1	x1	x1
x1	x1	-	-	-

Ghoti Breakdown

Tier List Evaluation

Tier Ranking
Tier 1
Deck Archetype		Deck Difficulty
Control		Hard
Deck Evaluation
Ghoti monsters like being banished, which for others is a punishment Banished Ghoti monsters can be Special Summoned the next turn Effects allow them to Synchro Summon even during opponent's turn

Ghoti Deck Guide: How to Play

Playstyle and Win Condition

The Ghoti Monsters are unique where they would prefer being banished instead, and once they are, they are Special Summoned on the next Standby Phase. They can act more as an Engine rather than a standalone Deck, and needs other Fish monsters to be at full strength.

Main Deck Monsters

As mentioned, each of the Ghoti monsters will be Special Summoned on the next Standby Phase after they get banished. Most of them also have effects to banish cards as much as possible. The most important out of all of them is Paces, Light of the Ghoti, which can banish itself to Special Summon a fellow "Ghoti" monster from the Deckm, and Special Summon during the opponent's turn when Special Summoned via effect.

The other two Tuners, Zep, Ruby of the Ghoti and Shif, Fairy of the Ghoti share the same Synchro Summon effect, but they have their respective effects . Shif can boost the ATK of a fellow Fish-type monster you control, while Zep can contribute in banishing a "Ghoti" or fellow Fish-type monster from the Graveyard.

Ixeep, Omen of the Ghoti can Special Summon itself from the hand if a Fish-type monster is banished, which makes it a nice combo piece for an easy Synchro Summon. The next Standby Phase after this card was banished, it can Set a "Ghoti" Trap Card that's either banished or in the GY.

Snopios, Shade of the Ghoti is the only Level 6 "Ghoti" monster, and is one of the monsters that opens up Level 8 or higher Synchro Summons. By banishing two Fish-type monsters you control, this card can be Special Summoned from the hand--do this with the "Ghoti" Tuners, and you have a play set up during the opponent's turn.

Fish Monsters have quite the number of support cards added, and the most notable of them all is Beautunaful Princess, which banishes itself in order to Special Summon a Fish-type monster straight from the Deck.

Abyss Shark and Silent Angler are key monsters in other Fish-type Decks like Sharks, and they retain their staple status here because of their ability to Special Summon themselves from the hand. Lifeless Leaffish can send a Fish-type monster from the Deck to the GY, and can shuffle back cards to the Deck for a free draw.

Another support Fish-type Decks can take advantage of is Minairuka, which chains off of a WATER monster activating its effect, and negating a monster's effects until the end of the opponent's turns by banishing a Fish, Sea Serpent, or Aqua monster you control.

As is standard in Deck Building in the current meta, always start building your Deck with three copies each of Maxx "C&quot+; and Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. Not running eitther hand trap can cost you more games than you realize.

Another noteworthy handtrap is Dimension Shifter. As the "Ghoti" archetype loves having their monsters banished, they can take advantage of the effect lasting for two turns and have their cards banished free of charge.

Spell and Trap Cards

Ghoti's dedicated Field Spell, The Most Distant, Deepest Depths, provides extra protection to your Fish-type Synchro Monsters, and is a free search for other "Ghoti" by banishing a Fish-type monster from the hand. It even has a recycle effect if it's in the Graveyard.

More punishment comes in its Spells, with staple cards like Triple Tactics Talent being a very good card against hand traps and opponent's monster effects that are triggered while you're still in your Main Phase. Called by the Grave and Crossout Designator is part of the counters against hand traps, and are also somewhat mandatory in the current meta.

Hand traps are standard options here; always start building any Deck with three copies Maxx C and Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring--anything else otherwise becomes extremely punishable, especially against players in higher Ranks. Dimension Shifter deals with Decks that use the Graveyard as a secondary resource pool, especailly with the likes of Ishizu Tearlaments and Branded Despia currently dominating the meta as of writing.

Infinite Impermanence is a staple in Decks to deal with Monster effects that trigger when they're on the field. However, the main limelight for traps in this Recipe are the dedicated "Ghoti" Trap Cards.

Ghoti Chain Special Summons a "Ghoti" monster from basically anywhere, but it has to be different than the Fish-type monster you have to banish as part of its activation cost. Meanwhile, Ghoti Cosmos gets more effects as the number of banished Fish-type monsters increase.

Extra Deck Monsters

The Deck truly comes online once a single "Ghoti" Synchro Monster gets summoned on the field. The most common of all would be Arionpos, Serpent of the Ghoti, which is a Level 6 Synchro Monster. It banishes a Level 6 or lower Fish-type monster straight from the Deck, and it gives even more advantage once this card gets used as Synchro Material.

For Level 8 monsters, there are two options from the archetype; Askaan, the Bicorned Ghoti can banish a card the opponent controls, and can Special Summon itself when banished; meanwhile, Guoglim, Spear of the Ghoti automatically banishes a monster it battles, and can Special Summon all the materials used to Synchro Summon Guoglim.

Ghoti of the Deep Beyond is the main boss monster of the Deck, and it gets stronger for every banished monster between both players. This is further enabled when its effect upon being Synchro Summoned, banishing every card on the field including itself, then Special Summoning itself the next Standby Phase.

The world is your oyster for Level 8 Synchro Monsters, but don't forget the extra advantages Fish-type Synchros get because of the "Ghoti" Field Spell! White Aura Whale is the most notable one, as it destroys all the opponent's monsters that were in Attack Position upon being Synchro Summoned, along side being able to attack monsters twice with piercing battle damage.

Accel Synchron Stardust Dragon Special Summons a Level 2 Tuner from the GY when it gets Synchro Summoned, which synergizes well with the "Ghot+i" Tuners. It also has the effect of Special Summoning Stardust Dragon from the Extra Deck, free of charge, then using it immediately as Snychro Material--making Level 10 Synchro Monsters easily accessible.

Adamancipator Risen - Dragite is a perfect fit given the Deck's affinity to WATER monsters. So long as there is a WATER in the GY, this monster can negate a Spell or Trap Card once per turn.

With so many banish effects available, Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying becomes a must-have in the Extra Deck, getting stronger for every banished card while being able to banish cards by itself as well.

The newer addition is Icejade Gymir Aegirine, which immediately grants all face-up monsters you control immunity from card destruction or banish effects. If a card is banished due to an opponent's card effect, while in the GY, it can Special Summon itself.

While you can run a full Extra Deck of Synchro Monsters, one or two other types shouldn't hurt. Abyss Dweller is a very strong Xyz Monster at the moment for its effect to deny the opponent from using Graeyard effects; especially strong for Decks that uses them well like Ishizu Tearlaments.

Abyss Keeper is an easy-to-summon LINK-2 monster that Special Summons a Fish monster from your hand. It also provides a banish effect against one of the opponent's monsters.

Core Combos and Interactions

Fish Swarm

The thing you have to remember with the Ghoti archetype is that by if they are monsters, they are typically Special Summoned on the next Standby Phase, so going full combo is a little delayed compared to other decks.

While waiting for the Ghoti monsters to Special Summon themselves the next turn, you have to provide some form of control to stay safe until then.

back onto your field.

Card(s) Needed
Step	Description
1	Normal Summon Beautunaful Princess, and immediately acitvate its effect; banish itself, then Special Summon from the Deck Paces, Light of the Ghoti.
2	Upon being Special Summoned, activate the effect of Paces, Light of the Ghoti; banish itself from the field, and then Special Summon from the hand Lifeless Leaffish.
3	Upon being Special Summoned, activate the effect of Lifeless Leaffish; send Shif, Fairy of the Ghoti from the Deck to the Graveyard. Then, activate its effect immediately, and banish itself from the GY to boost the ATK of a monster you control.
4	Special Summon Abyss Shark from the hand, as you currently control a Fish-type monster on your side of the field. Then activate its effect upon being Special Summoned; search out a copy of Silent Angler to add from the Deck to the hand.
5	Special Summon Silent Angler as you have a fellow WATER monster on the field.
6	Using two Level 4 Monsters--Lifeless Leaffish and Silent Angler--as materials, Xyz Summon Abyss Dweller. Activate its effect as soon as the opponent's Draw Phase occurs to prevent any Graveyard effects from triggering.
7	During the next Standby Phase in the opponent's turn, Special Summon both Paces, Light of the Ghoti and Shif, Fairy of the Ghoti

Ghoti Synchro Summon

Now, say you managed to get the materials needed to Synchro Summon for the first time, which is most likely Arionpos, Serpent of the Ghoti--the Deck's bread and butter. What to do after you Synchro Summon this monster enables the rest of the Deck from here, so make sure to summon this monster as top priority.

Card(s) Needed
Step	Description
1	Upon Synchro Summoning Arionpos, Serpent of the Ghoti, acitvate its effect, and banish a Level 6 or lower Fish-type monster from the Deck. Your best choices are Ixeep, Omen of the Ghoti or Snopios, Shade of the Ghoti.
2	On the next Standby Phase, Special Summon the Fish-type monster you just banished.
3	Depending on the number of Tuners that you have on the field, or monsters available to be used as material, Synchro Summon at your discretion.
Sample 1	Only one Level 2 Tuner on the Field: Use it and Arionpos, Serpent of the Ghoti to Synchro Summon any of the Level 8 Synchro Monsters. Ideally, you should Synchro Summon either Adamancipator Risen - Dragite or Guoglim, Spear of the Ghoti both offense and control on the field.
Sample 2	Two Level 2 Tuners on the Field: Use one of the Tuners and Arionpos, Serpent of the Ghoti to Synchro Summon Askaan, the Bicorned Ghoti, then use its effect to banish a card the opponent controls. Then, use Askaan and another Level 2 Tuner to Synchro Summon a Level 10 Synchro Monster. Best choice would be Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying.

Boss Monsters

	Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying
	Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign shines in Decks that benefit from having cards banished. For every card banished, this Synchro Monster gets stronger, and it can banish a card on the field if a card gets banished at any point while this card is up and active on the field.
	Ghoti of the Deep Beyond
	Much like Chengying, Ghoti of the Deep Beyond gets stronger for every monster that is banished between both monsters. It also clears the field and banishes aforementioned cards once this card is Synchro Summoned, including itself, then Special Summons itself in the next Standby Phase.
	White Aura Whale
	As soon as White Aura Whale gets Synchro Summon, this monster can destroy all monster the opponent controls. It can attack up to twice on monsters per Battle Phase, and inflicts piercing battle damage. This monster can also be treated as a Tuner.

Ghoti Counters: How to Beat

Best Decks to Use Against Ghoti

Floowandereeze

Floowandereeze is one of those Decks that can compete agains the Special Summon-heavy meta and stand its ground against it. Even with Ghoti's penchant for banishing cards becoming a strength, the different playstyle and control over the field with its Normal Summons makes Floowandereeze a strong match-up versus this Deck.

[:btnn:Floowandereeze Deck List & Card Guide:(/games/Yu-Gi-Oh-Master-Duel/archives/382184):]

Spright

Once a Spright Deck can set up its signature combo with negates like Spright Red and Spright Carrot, it can be hard for the Ghoti Deck to be able to do their combos as well. Unless a few techs are added to the Deck that can deal with their near-unbreakable board, it might be hard to go up against any variant of Sprights.

Spright Deck Lists
Pure		Runick		Evil★Twin
Tri-Brigade		Melffy		Gishki

Dinomorphia

Dinomorphia's offense comes from its defensive style of Fusion Summoning monsters, playing at a knife's edge by spending its LP to get those monsters out on the field. Once their conditions have been met, it can be extremely hard to defeat the boss monsters and secure a win condition, let alone Synchro Summon the key monsters and trigger their effects upon Summon.

Dinomorphia Deck List & Card Guide

Best Cards to Tech Against Ghoti

	Summon Limit
	Summon Limit bottlenecks both players into two summons per turn. This can prevent the Ghoti archetype from banishing and Special Summoning out of control, and restricts their access to their dangerous Synchro Monsters with trigger effects.
	Imperial Iron Wall
	As long as Imperial Iron Wall is face-up and active on the field, cards cannot be banished at all. This Continuous Trap Card completely shuts down any strategy that involves banishing, and that includes the Ghoti archetype.
	Maxx "C"
	Maxx "C" will discourage the Ghoti player from Special Summoning at all, and that means they are discouraged from banishing cards as well. They cannot pool resources at the risk of being overwhelmed by card advantage.
	Tearlaments Rulkallos
	Tearlaments Rulkallos has one of the most powerful Special Summon negates in the current meta, as it can refresh itself or send a fellow "Tearlaments" monster to the GY, thereby enabling their Special Summoning chaos.

Related Packs to Ghoti

Forgotten City Dwellers	Legacy Pack
Master Pack	Rulers of the Deep
Stardust Ties	Synchro Mode Change
The Synchronized Cosmos

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