Ninja Deck List & Card Guide

Ninja is a Control deck in Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel; one of the oldest archetypes in Yu-Gi-Oh! has finally received support! Check out the core deck list, key combos, as well as how to play & counters!

Ninja Deck List

Main Deck: 40 cards
x3	x3	x3	x3	x3
x2	x1	x1	x1	x1
x3	x3	x3	x2	x1
x1	x1	x1	x3	1x
Extra Deck: 15 cards
x3	x3	x2	x1	x1
x1	x2	x1	x1	-

Ninja Breakdown

Tier Evaluation

Tier Ranking
Tier 2
Deck Archetype		Deck Difficulty
Control		Medium
Deck Evaluation
Deck centered around hit-and-run Flip Monsters Focused on Special Summoning from the Deck to Field Force the opponent's monsters into Defense Position indefinitely

Ninja Deck Guide: How to Play

Playstyle and Win Condition

A number of the "Ninja" monsters have effects that trigger whenever they are flipped face-up. The Deck emphasizes this playstyle, and uses cards that enables it--like Special Summoning monsters from the Deck in face-down Defense Position, or flipping monsters already on the field face-down.

Main Deck Monsters

These three "Ninja" monsters should be at maximum copies at all times, as they provide the resources needed for the Deck to properly play. For example, Ninja Grandmaster Hanzo can search out a "Ninjutsu Art" cardor a "Ninja" monster depending on how its summoned.

Mitsu the Insect Ninja can Special Summon itself onto the field if you control a face-down Defense Position monster, and through its effect can flip other monsters face-up while this card is flipped face-down on top of providing an effect negate.

Tobari the Sky Ninja can provide a Special Summon to another "Ninja" monster by discarding itself, and is the main way to be able to Fusion Summon without needing copies of Polymerization.

The other "Ninja" monsters are more situational, available when the need arises. In this Deck Recipe, they are all at 1 copy, but feel free to tweak the Deck to your liking.

Green Ninja forces one of your own monsters that are summoned to face-down Defense Position, and provides a way to flip monsters when sent to the GY. Baku the Beast Ninja can Special Summon itself when added to the hand outside of drawing it, and recycles a "Ninja" or "Ninjitsu Art" from the GY back to your hand.

Summoning Kagero the Cannon Ninja lets you Special Summon a "Ninja" monster, and it can bounce a card on the field after it targets a "Ninja" monster or a monster in face-down Defense Position. Jioh the Gravity Ninja being summoned locks up to two monsters the opponent controls to face-down Defense Position, and it can destroy a card on the field if a monster is flipped face-up.

As with all Decks, you cannot forget staples that punish the opponent. Never forget to have the three copies each of Maxx C and Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring for maximum punish.

Kashtira Fenrir can be used as Link Sumon fodder, but it's most often the first thing to be summoned to deal with monster effects, especially if the opponent has cards on the field.

Spell & Trap Cards

The most crucial Spell Card for this Deck is Ninjitsu Art Notebook of Mystery, which further works in the player's favor due to its Quick-Play nature. It only needs to have the opponent control just 1 card, and you can immediately set a monster and a "Ninjitsu Art" Spell/Trap, one from the Deck and one from the GY.

The other two Ninjitsu Art Spell Cards provide more support from the side. Hidden Village of Ninjitsu Arts provides recycling cards from the GY, and protection from battle and card destruction.

Ninjitsu Art Tool - Iron Digger provides a small ATK boost, and treats the equipped monster as a "Ninja" monster. It also provides both card destruction and Special Summon, and both effects are synergistic to one another.

The two Quick-Play Book cards that revolves around face-down Defense Position monsters are crucial in this Deck. These cards can be used on your own monsters or your opponent's. Assess the situation first before deciding which one to target.

Book of Moon is simple enough--it forces any monster on the field face-down. Equally simple is Book of Taiyou, which can flip monsters face-up. Considering the Deck is based on Flip Monsters, these cards are a must at 3 copies in the Deck.

For other card searches, classic options like Pot of Extravagance and Pot of Prosperity should be sufficient enough. On top of that, as "Ninja" monsters are Warrior-type monsters, Reinforcement of the Army is a perfect fit.

Ninjitsu Art of Dancing Leaves is important to have on the field, so having 3 copies ensures a chance to have it on hand as soon as possible. It Special Summons monsters straight from the Deck, by tributing monsters you control. With some "Ninja" monsters having effects when sent to the GY, it provides further synergy.

For a Field full of monsters, Ninjitsu Art of Duplication is the crucial Trap Card. It even provides the option to Special Summon those "Ninja" monsters into face-down Defense Position.

Extra Deck Monsters

There are only two Fusion Monsters in this Deck Recipe, and for good reason--because of their shared effects, players can simply just do Contact Fusion by tributing the appropriate "Ninja" monsters on the Field. Which one to summon depends on the state of play.

The Deck's main boss monster is Meizen the Battle Ninja; which has immediate presence when it hits the field. "Ninja" monsters can now Direct Attack with imputiny, and Special Summons a "Ninja" monster if the opponent activates a card or effect.

Yaguramaru the Armor Ninja can banish a monster the opponent controls by banishing a "Ninja" monster, and with balanced stats it can provide some damage, or be a transition into Meizen.

There are also options available for Xyz Monsters. Gigantic Spright provides a way to Special Summon the Level 2 monsters Mitsu the Insect Ninja and Green Ninja, while Blade Armor Ninja is more of an option to go all in on attacking the opponent.

If you plan on clearing the Field and disrupt the opponent's plays as they happened, remember to transition into the Downerd Magician and Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS - Sky Thunder combo.

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Ninja Grandmaster Saizo lets players set "Ninjitsu Art" monsters straight from the Deck, which is important for those Trap Cards mentioned above. It also becomes untargetable for attacks so long as it points to a monster using its Link Markers.

Spright Elf, takes advantage of Special Summoning the Level 2 monsters, and can be used as Xyz Material fodder for an offensive variant of Gigantic Spright.

Lastly, as it can provide immense power in battles, Mekk-Knight Crusadia Avramax is a solid option to summon, and can overpower just about any monster the opponent uses to attack it with.

Core Combos and Interactions

Work in Progress - Information Available Soon!

Boss Monsters

	Jioh the Gravity Ninja
	The moment Jioh the Gravity Ninja hits the Field, it can force up to two monsters on the field to face-down Defense Position, which is effectively a neutralizer on boss monsters. They are also restricted from being flipped face-up again. Once per turn, if a monster is flipped face-up, this card can destroy a card on the Field.
	Meizen the Battle Ninja
	One of two Fusion "Ninja" monsters, this card is immune to attacks if the opponent has a face-down monster on their Field. Its presence also discourages card or effect activations; doing so allows this monster to summon a "Ninja" monster straight from the Deck, either in face-up or face-down position.
	Yaguramaru the Armor Ninja
	Whenever Yaguramaru the Armor Ninja is Special Summoned or flipped face-up, it can banish a card on the field at the cost of banishing a "Ninja" card. This is the other Fusion "Ninja" monster, so take your pick on what to use depending ont the situation.
	Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS - Sky Thunder
	As the Deck can run a couple of Xyz Monsters, it's mandatory to bring along Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS - Sky Thunder due to its ability to clear the field easily as a Quick Effect. If another card is destroyed by the opponent via battle or card effect, this card can absorb another card into it as material.
	Mekk-Knight Crusadia Avramax
	Mekk-Knight Crusadia is a common Link Monster to run in Decks for its aggressiveness during the Battle Phase. It will be hard to beat it in a one-on-one battle, and while in the Extra Monster Zone, it becomes immune to targeted card effects.

Ninja Counters: How to Beat

Best Decks to Use Against Ninja

Runick

Despite the number of hits taken by the Runick archetype into the current banlist, Runick Decks are still very dangerous--especially for Ninja Decks. They don't have responses to having their cards being banished; thus banishing enough key cards stops the Deck entirely.

Runick Deck Lists
Pure Runick	Spright Runick
Ishizu Runick	Naturia Runick

Labrynth

Labrynth Decks are at full power now with their most recent additions to the archetype, and having numerous powerful Trap Cards at their disposal. While aggressive with their control, Ninjas can easily get swamped by the oppressive playstyle of a Labrynth Deck.

Labrynth Deck List & Card Guide

Purrely

Purrely Decks can be quite tricky to counter, but their endgoal is simple to achieve: getting 5 or more materials on an "Epurrely" monster to bring out their boss monsters that enjoy debilittating effets while having 5 materials or more attached. Stopping them from getting to that point can be easier said than done, if a Ninja Deck player does not play carefully.

Purrely Deck List & Card Guide

Best Cards to Tech Against Ninja

	Skill Drain
	The moment "Ninja" monsters are flipped face-up, they essentially trigger their effects on the field. Skill Drain stop sthat from happening, negating them as soon as they show up on the Field face-up.
	Interrupted Kaiju Slumber
	With the rise of Kaiju monsters being used again because of the Purrely and Mikanko Decks, usage of them have become prominent once again. This also spells some trouble for Ninja Decks, especially Interrupted Kaiju Slumber's monster-destroying effect.
	Raigeki
	Simple effects that destroy monsters on the field should prove to be efficient to stop Ninja Decks. Raigeki is the most powerful one, being a simple Spell Card that does nothing else but destroy all monsters the opponent controls.
	Evenly Matched
	If you can survive an onslaught of attacks from a Ninja Deck, and you have no cards on the field, Evenly Matched can easily wreck the field they have set up. Making it worse for them is the cards are banished face-down--they are basically gone from the rest of the Duel.

Related Packs to Ninja

Hidden Arts of Shadows	Legacy Pack
Master Pack	Rage of Chaos
Star-Studded Futures	The Hidden Arts

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