Tenpai Dragon is an Aggro deck in Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel, specializing in going second to be able to OTK using Synchro Summons during the Battle Phase. Check out the core deck list and key combos, as well as tips on how to play, alternative card options & counters against this specific Deck!

Tenpai Dragon Deck List

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

Tenpai Dragon Breakdown

Monsters

Spells

Traps

Extra

Rarity	Name	Qty
	Tenpai Dragon Paidra	3
	Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring	3
	Tenpai Dragon Chundra	3
	Effect Veiler	2
	Maxx "C"	2
	Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion	1
	Tenpai Dragon Genroku	2
	Dimension Shifter	1
	Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit	1
	Tenpai Dragon Fadra	2
	PSY-Framegear Gamma	1
	Dora Dora	2
	PSY-Frame Driver	1

Rarity	Name	Qty
	Sangen Kaimen	3
	Forbidden Droplet	3
	Called by the Grave	2
	Lightning Storm	2
	Crossout Designator	1
	Harpie's Feather Duster	1
	Sangen Summoning	2

Rarity	Name	Qty
	Infinite Impermanence	3

Rarity	Name	Qty
	Black Rose Dragon	1
	Black Rose Moonlight Dragon	1
	Sangenpai Transcendent Dragion	1
	Ruddy Rose Dragon	1
	Super Starslayer TY-PHON - Sky Crisis	1
	Hieratic Seal of the Heavenly Spheres	3
	S:P Little Knight	1
	Samurai Destroyer	1
	Sangenpai Bident Dragion	2
	Odd-Eyes Meteorburst Dragon	1
	Trident Dragion	1

Tenpai Dragon Deck Guide: How to Play

Playstyle and Win Condition

Tenpai Dragon has wrecked havoc in the TCG and OCG formats as one of the best Decks to go second blindly regardless of matchup. With Master Duel's current meta being heavily reliant on a wide variety of hand traps, expect this Deck to be rampant in Ranked Duels for the foreseeable future.

Tenpai Dragon Cards

The key monsters in the Main Deck are very conciese in their effects, but on sumon they have their own concise effects. Paidra is thesearcher for the Spell Cards, Fadra is a Special Summon from the GY, and Chundra is both a Special Summon and the sole Tuner for the Deck.

All three of these cards share the effect of being able to Synchro Summon using materials on the field. The effect has a soft once-per-turn clause, meaning each time the are taken off the field, the effect can be used again.

Tenpai Dragon Genroku is more of a Special Summon fodder for the Deck, to get to the other central archetype monsters. Take note that its effect locks you to Special Summoning Dragon-type monsters exclusively.

Sangen Summoning is an incredible Field Spell for the Tenpai Dragons, as it provides blanket immunity to all acitvated effects from the opponent during the Main Phase. This easily protects your FIRE Dragon monsters on a phase that is usually a monster's most vulnerable moment.

It also happens to have a second effect where if this Field Spell gets destroyed by card effect, a Dragon-type Synchro monster you control gets to double its ATK.

Sangen Kaimen is best used uring the Battle Phase. Doing so combines the search and Special Summon effects into one activation.

Step one of the combo for Tenpai Dragon is getting into Sangenpai Bident Dragion, which can immediately Special Summon a Tenpai Dragon from the GY on Synchro Summon.

Deal more damage with the two monsters from that combo, then as Bident happens to be a Tuner monster, you can use those two monsters as materials to go into either Sangenpai Transcendent Dragion or Trident Dragion. For maximum firepower, Trident goes first to make use of the triple attack effect.

Hand Traps

Because of how concise the the strategy of the Tenpai Dragons are with their own little monsters, this leaves lots of free room for the Deck List. Commonely, players would fill it to the broom with every hand trap possible while still remaining consistent.

The ratio of each popular hand trap will vary between players, but it all comes down to discretion. Just remember the goal of the Deck: protect yourself, pressure the opponent and gain advantage as much as possible until your turn going second.

Core Combos and Interactions

Paidra-Chundra Combo

This combo can potentially bait out an Ash Blossom activation using Tenpai Dragon Paidra, leaving the player open to use Sangen Kaimen during the Battle Phase uninterrupted.

Cards on Hand
Step	Description
1	During Main Phase 1, Normal Summon Tenpai Dragon Paidra, and activate its effect. Feel free to target another Sangen Kaimen, or Sangen Summoning to add to the hand. This is supposedly where Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring will be used to stop the search for Sangen Kaimen.
2	As you have a FIRE Dragon on the field in Paidra, you are able Special Summon Tenpai Dragon Chundra from the hand. Use that effect to summon the monster.
3	Go into Battle Phase. Declare an attack using either Tenpai Dragon Paidra or Tenpai Dragon Chudra. At the start of the Damage Step, activate Chudra's effect; Special Summon Tenpai Dragon Fadra from the Deck.
4	Attack using all three Tenpai Dragons on the field. Because of Fadra's passive effect, FIRE Dragon monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle. These attack declarations will come in handy in a later step.
5	Activate the Quick Effect of Tenpai Dragon Chundra; using itself and Tenpai Dragon Paidra as materials, Synchro Summon Sangenpai Bident Dragion. Upon being Special Summoned, trigger its effect; Special Summon Chundra back onto the field.
6	Attack using Tenpai Dragon Chundra and Sangenpai Bident Dragion. Trigger Chundra's effect again at the start of a Damage Step; Special Summon a second copy of Tenpai Dragon Paidra from the Deck. Then, attack with that monster as well.
7	Activate Tenpai Dragon Paidra's Quick Effect; using itself and Sangenpai Bident Dragion as materials, Synchro Summon Sangenpai Transcendent Dragion. Then, launch another attack. The combo can go even further from here into a Trident Dragion play by Special Summoning Bident Dragion using its own effect due to having declared more than 3 attacks.

No Field Spell Active
	X		X
-	-		-	-

One Card Full Combo (30,000 Damage)

Theoretically, the best combo from a Tenpai Dragon Deck can result in more than 30,000 battle damage dealt. All it takes is a single Sangen Kaimen, and a hand full of hand traps to protect your combo.

Cards on Hand
Step	Description
1	During your Main Phase 1, activate Sangen Kaimen; search out a copy of Tenpai Dragon Paidra to add to the hand.
2	Normal Summon Tenpai Dragon Paidra. Then, activate its on-summon effect; search out a copy of Sangen Summoning and place it face-down onto the Field Spell Zone.
3	Flip up and activate Sangen Summoning. Then, activate its effect; discard a card, then search out Tenpai Dragon Chundra to add to the hand. Use Chundra's effect to Special Summon itself onto the field, as a FIRE Dragon is already present.
4	Go into Battle Phase. Launch an attack with a Tenpai Dragon monster. This will trigger Tenpai Dragon Chundra's effect; use it to Special Summon Tenpai Dragon Fadra from the Deck.
5	Launch attacks with all three Tenpai Dragons--Paidra, Fadra, Chundra. Then, activate the Quick Effect of Tenpai Dragon Chundra; using itself and Tenpai Dragon Paidra as materials, Synchro Summon Sangenpai Bident Dragion. Attacks launched: 3 Total battle damage: 1,500 + 1,600 + 1,700 = 4,800
6	Upon being Synchro Summoned, trigger the effect of Sangenpai Bident Dragion; Special Summon Tenpai Dragon Paidra back onto the field. Then, launch an attack with the newly summoned monsters; this triggers Tenpai Dragon Fadra's effect; Special Summon Tenpai Dragon Chundra back on to the field. Resume battle as normal. Attacks launched: 6 Total battle damage: 4,800 + 2,600 + 1,700 + 1,500 = 10,600
7	Trigger Tenpai Dragon Paidra's Quick Effect; using itself and Sangenpai Bident Dragion as materials, Synchro Summon Sangenpai Transcendent Dragion. Use its effect upon Synchro Summon to force all monsters the opponent controls to Attack Position (if there are any left). Launch an attack with Transcendent Dragion afterwards. Attacks launched: 7 Total battle damage: 10,600 + 3,000 = 13,600
8	Activate Sangenpai Bident Dragion from the GY; having launched three or more Attacks already, Special Summon it onto the field. Then, if there any Spell or Trap Cards left on the opponent's field, feel free to use its effect to destroy one. It can also launch an Attack as a Special Summoned monster during the Battle Phase. Attacks launched: 8 Total battle damage: 13,600 + 2,600 = 16,200
9	Activate Tenpai Dragon Fadra's effect; using itself and Sangenpai Bident Dragion as materials, Synchro Summon Trident Dragion.
10	Activate Trident Dragion's effect upon being Synchro Summoned; use its effect to destroy Tenpai Dragon Chundra and Sangen Summoning. Sangen Summoning's destruction will trigger its second effect; target Trident Dragion, and double its ATK. Trident Dragion can now attack up to 3 times, with 6,000 ATK. Attacks launched: 11 Total battle damage: 16,200 + 6,000 + 6,000 + 6,000 = 34,200

No Field Spell Active
	X		X
-	-	-	-	-

Boss Monsters

	Sangenpai Bident Dragion
	The first step of a Tenpai combo during the Battle Phase, Sangenpai Bident Dragion can Special Summon a "Tenpai" monster in the GY upon being Summoned itself. If there are three attacks declared during the Battle Phase, this monster can also revive itself from the GY, and destroy a Spell/Trap Card on the field to boot.
	Black Rose Dragon
	Black Rose Dragon is the classic nuke for a Deck that can Synchro Summon during the opponent's turn. Once Synchro Summoned, it can destroy all other cards on the field, including itself. Just be careful not to summon this monster in the middle of an effect chain; this can cause you to miss timing, and you cannot activate Black Rose Dragon's nuke effect as a result.
	Sangenpai Transcendent Dragion
	Sangenpai Transcendent Dragion is the end boss of this Deck. Once this hits the field, it is game over; the opponent cannot activate any cards during the Battle Phase while this card is on the field. It also shares the same effect as Bident, where it can make Special Summon itself from the GY.
	Trident Dragion
	Trident Dragion acts as both a combo piece and as a game-ending boss monster. When Synchro Summoned, it can destroy two of your cards, and it can launch up to three attacks--more than enough to get into activating Bident and Transcendent Dragons' effects.

Tenpai Dragon Counters: How to Beat

Best Decks to Use Against Tenpai Dragon

Yubel

Probably the only Deck that can match a Tenpai Dragon Deck in the Battle Phase outside of a mirror match, Yubel players only need to adjust removing one Phantom of Yubel during the October 10, 2024 Banlist Update.

Its constant presence of Yubel mosnters and Nightmare Pain will force battle damage to the Tenpai Dragon player.

Yubel Deck List & Card Guide

Labrynth

Labrynth does not mind going first against Tenpai Dragon, and is quite insistent in doing so because of their usage of Trap Cards. They have lots of ways and options to disrupt plays, and can even make use of effects a second time due to the addition of Transaction Rollback.

More recently, The Black Goat Laughs is a powerful interruption once the Labrynth players finds out what Deck they are facing in the Duel.

Labrynth Deck List & Card Guide

Ritual Beast

Not even a bevy of handtraps and interruptions can stop a full combo from a Ritual Beast Deck. Even with Maxx "C" being active, it will be hard to get to your boss monsters once it manages to get to the Archnemeses lock strategy it often uses, usually with Protos or Eschatos.

Unironically, the best way to go up against Ritual Beasts is to go first--which is not what Tenpai Dragons prefer to do usually.

Ritual Beast Deck List & Card Guide

Best Cards to Tech Against Tenpai Dragon

	Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo
	Even though Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo was hit to be Limited as of October 10, 2024, this is still a powerful floodgate monster to run. While on the field, all Special Summons are denied, and when equipped with Moon Mirror Shield, it becomes a very simple yet deadly combo in an Anti-Meta Stun Deck.
	D.D. Crow
	Most of the Tenpai Dragon's Special Summon effects from the GY are not once-per-turn. However, they rely on being there to actually properly use its effect. A well-timed D.D. Crow can stop the snowball before that happens during the Battle Phase, and cut off the chain of Special Summons as the monster never got to hit the field.
	Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir
	For any Deck that can run Rank 4 Xyz Monsters, once players can sense they will have to deal with Tenpai, Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir is an immediate choice to run. Though reliant on the opponent not having board breakers on hand, while this card is in Defense Position, it forces all other monsters to the same position, and their effects are negated.
	Threatening Roar
	Tenpai Dragon specializes in launching attacks, Special Summons and Synchro Summons during the Battle Phase. Any card that can deny them the Battle Phase is a good counter to consider. For Trap-centric Decks like Labrynth and Traptrix, consider running Threatening Roar.
	The Dark Door
	A full Tenpai Dragon combo can result to an OTK barrage of attacks, with a famous combo line possibly hitting a capacity of 30,000 total damage. The Dark Door forces both players to attack with only one monster during the Battle Phase. If they do not have their boss monster on the field that can attack multiple times, it effectively slows down the Deck.
	Super Polymerization
	With most of the Main Deck monsters being a monotone typing and Attribute, a well-timed Super Polymerization can deny a Synchro Summon during the Battle Phase.
	Skill Drain
	Skill Drain negates and prevents the activation of monster effects that are on the field. Most of the Main Deck pieces need to activate their effects while on the field,so they have to deal with this Continuous Trap Card first.
	Dimensional Barrier
	For Trap-centric Decks, Dimensional Barrier is a must-have to go up against Tenpai Dragon. Sniffing out even a Synchro Summon, activating this Trap Card and calling Synchro Monsters blocks them from any summons from that monster type for the rest of the turn.

Related Packs to Tenpai Dragon

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

Decks Used in Worlds 2024

Aggro Decks

Control Decks

Burn Decks

Alt-Win Decks

All Budget Decks

Best Cards for Decks