Decks That Go First or Second in a Duel

Sometimes, the Duel is almost decided depedning if the player can play either the first or second turn of the game. However, there are some Decks that work far better if they can get its usually preferred turn. Read on to learn which Decks work better if they go first or second in a Duel!

Best Decks that Should Go First

Eldlich Control

Eldlich Control''s signature playstyle slows down the game considerably, having to deel with various Trap Cards and floodgates that most aggressive Decks have trouble dealing with.

For the most part, the Deck doesn't even need to use the Extra Deck, but has access to it depending on the player's preference.

Cards to Watch Out For

Key Cards for Eldlich Control

Eldlich Control Deck List & Card Guide

Labrynth

Much like Eldlich Decks, Labrynth Decks slow down the pace of the game with their Traps, but this one focuses on having Normal Trap Cards set on the field at all times.

The more it uses Normal Traps, the more it gains control over the field; from destroying cards from the hand to being able to Set Traps even on the opponent's turn.

Cards to Watch Out For

Key Cards for Labrynth Control

Labrynth Deck List & Card Guide

Branded Despia

Even in the current meta in Master Duel, Branded Despia Decks can hang with the very best, and has the flexibility to adopt a number of Deck Engines to give some variety into the Deck.

It usually likes to go first to be able to set up uninterrupted, and get key Fusion Monsters out on the field as soon as possible.

Cards to Watch Out For

Key Cards for Branded Despia

Branded Fusion Decks
Branded Tri-Brigade	Branded Despia
Branded Cyber Dragon	Branded Zombies
Branded Ishizu	Branded Dragonmaids

Tenyi Swordsoul

While Tenyi Swordsoul can technically be played on either side of the coin toss, this Deck works better going first due to its simple yet powerful combo openings to get at least two boss Synchro Monsters out on the field.

It has plays to go around anything that tries to stop it, and at the end of the turn can end up having a card advantage.

Cards to Watch Out For

Key Cards for Tenyi Swordsoul

Tenyi Swordsoul Deck List & Card Guide

Sprights

Sprights are known for taking low-level monsters into powerhouses, being able to Special Summon monsters one after another to create a near-unbreakable field that can stop multiple interruptions.

What makes them even more dangerous is their flexibility with archetypes, being able to support multiple other Decks by using its most important cards into a Deck Engine.

Cards to Watch Out For

Key Cards for Tenyi Swordsoul

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

Mathmech

Mathmech is incredibly consistent with its combos, being able to bring out powerful Link Monsters with relative ease, and maintaining card advantage.

If it goes first and manages to complete one of its many combos it can branch off into, the opponent will have to deal with mutiple disruptions on their turn.

Cards to Watch Out For

Key Cards for Mathmech

Mathmech Deck List & Card Guide

Marincess

Marincess Decks are one of the most underrated Link-centric Decks in the game, and they have gotten more and more support over time, directly or indirectly.

Their ability to push through and continue Link Climbing to their key boss monsters that are rather hard to get rid off the field is more consistent than Duelists realize most of the time.

Cards to Watch Out For

Key Cards for Marincess

Best Decks that Should Go Second

Floowandereeze

In a meta defined by multiple Special Summons in a single turn, Floowandereeze breaks the trend by focusing on chaining Normal Summons one after another to get monsters.

The Extra Deck is merely an afterthought to them, and this Deck one of the few that takes advantage of being banished instead of being sent to the Graveyard.

Cards to Watch Out For

Key Cards for Floowandereeze

Floowandereeze Deck List & Card Guide

Exosisters

Exosister Decks are very strong against Decks that use the Graveyard as a secondary resource pool, especially if they move cards out of the pile for whatever reason.

Their ability to punish that makes them great for going second, as one wrong move by the opponent can lead to multiple Xyz Summons, cards being banished, and locking out the GY.

Cards to Watch Out For

Key Cards for Exosisters

Exosisters Deck List & Card Guide

Sky Strikers

What makes Sky Strikers dangerous is their numerous Quick-Play Spell Cards, and their ability to constantly refresh their Spell Cards back from the GY.

The ace monsters of the Deck can be easily summoned through Quick Effects, and they get stronger for every Spell Card that the player used.

Cards to Watch Out For

Key Cards for Sky Strikers

Sky Strikers Deck List & Card Guide

Ancient Warriors

Ancient Warriors benefit from going second, as the archetype likes having the opponent control more monsters than you do. This works in their favor, and allows them to generate plays despite the disadvantage.

Their Main Deck monsters are strong on their own, so players can run cards in the Extra Deck to their own discretion and can add quite a lot of options if they so choose.

Cards to Watch Out For

Key Cards for Ancient Warriors

Ancient Warriors Deck List & Card Guide

Decks that Can Go First or Second

Ishizu Tearlaments

As of writing, Ishizu Tearlaments is the definitve most played Deck in the current meta, and is heavily considered the strongest due to being a good matchuip against any Deck--regardless of going first or second.

Its ability to create and deny plays through shuffling cards, milling the Deck, Fusion Summoning monsters and having so many varieties in Deck Recipes, makes this Deck a dangerously responsive opponent.

Ishizu Tearlaments Deck List & Card Guide

Cards to Watch Out For

Key Cards for Ishizu Tearlaments

Ghoti

Ghoti Decks set themselves apart from other Synchro Decks by not only being fine having their materials be banished, but they are Special Summoned the turn after they were banished, and can conduct Synchro Summons afterwards.

This allows the Deck to use what usually are punishing effects that banish cards into their own advantage, and can summon stronger monsters as the Duel progresses.

Cards to Watch Out For

Key Cards for Ghoti

Runick

Runick Decks punish the opponent for having any kind of presence on the field, through Quick-Play Spells that banish cards from the top of the opponent's Deck.

They can work regardless if the Deck goes first or second, so long as they can set up their ability to slow down the game, and punish the opponent until they completely Deck Out.

Cards to Watch Out For

Key Cards for Runick

Runick Deck Lists
Pure Runick	Spright Runick
Ishizu Runick	Naturia Runick

Adamancipator

Adamancipators rely on Monster effects to be able to continue their combos, and they can go on for a very long time due to multiple Graveyard and Special Summon effects, even against hand traps and disruptions.

They rarely rely on Spell and Trap Cards, and are extremely efficient in using their Extra Deck to bring out the strongest field possible.

Cards to Watch Out For

Key Cards for Runick

Adamancipator Deck List & Card Guide

HERO

HERO Decks are known for their prowess in Fusion Summoning monsters, comprised of different sub-archetypes that while effective on their own, together they have surprising synergy.

They can surprise people with Fusion Monsters that have both powerful stats and debilitating effects, and a field full of them will be really hard to break.

Cards to Watch Out For

Key Cards for Runick

HERO Deck List & Card Guide

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