From Blue-eyes to Red, the legendary dragons of Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel are some of the most well-loved cards in Konami’s card game. While the meta has moved on quite a bit since the days of dragons ruling the skies, or game mats, these iconic archetypes can still pack a punch against some of the more contemporary deck combinations.
In our guide to building a Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel dragon deck, we’ll show you how to create your own set of powerful dragon cards ready to rise through the ranks. With extra boss monsters, magic and trap support, and some hybrid combos, dragon decks don’t just have to rely on beatsticks anymore. Now you can be your own Kaibaman, without the cosplay.
For more on the latest duelling sim from Konami, check out our guides to Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel meta decks and Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel secret packs to become the next king of games. Or, if it’s another anime franchise throwback you’re after, why not read our Pokémon Legends: Arceus review to see how we got on with GameFreak’s latest title.
Now, let’s get into the best Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel dragon decks.
Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel Red-Eyes Black Dragon deck
While never quite living up to the might of Blue-Eyes White Dragon in the anime, Red-Eyes decks have their own killer combos in the TCG that rival its pasty brethren. In fact, the Red-Eyes archetype can be so overwhelming that one of the key cards, Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon, is currently on the ban list. Still, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t avoid the dark dragon, especially with all the alternatives.
Red-Eyes combos are about quickly summoning monsters from the deck and extra deck. Black Dragon’s Chick, Red-Eyes Baby Dragon, and The Black Stone of Legend can all search and summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon, offering a consistent route to getting the material for boss monsters.
While there’s a distinct lack of control cards within the Red-Eyes archetype, you can normal summon Meteor Dragon Red-Eyes Impact to protect your monsters from battle and opponents card effects.
Main deck:
- Red-Eyes Black Dragon x3
- The Black Stone of Legend x3
- Black Dragon’s Chick x2
- Red-Eyes Baby Dragon x2
- Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring x2
- Maxx ‘C’ x2
- Black Metal Dragon x2
- Red Eyes-Wyvern x2
- Red-Eyes Retro Dragon x2
- Summoned Skull x1
- Meteor Dragon Red-Eyes Impact x1
- Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon x1
- Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon x1
- Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon x1
- Red-Eyes Fusion x3
- Return of the Dragon Lords x2
- Red-Eyes Insight x3
- Inferno Fire Blast x3
- Red-Eyes Spirit x2
Extra deck:
- Meteor Black Comet Dragon x1
- Archfiend Black Skull Dragon x1
- Number 75: Bamboozling Gossip Shadow x1
- Hieratic Dragon King of Atum x1
- Number 39: Utopia Beyond x1
- Number 11: Big Eyes x1
- Red-Eyes Flare Metal Dragon x3
- Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger x1
- Dark Armed, the Dragon of Annihilation x1
- Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS – Sky Thunder x1
- Accesscode Talker x1
- Darkness Metal, the Dragon of Dark Steel x1
Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel Red-Eyes Power of the Dragon deck
Are you looking to summon a sky full of dragons but lack the gems to buy them? If you have the Power of the Dragon starter deck, you need only make a couple of intelligent substitutions to make the deck rank-worthy.
First of all, try swapping out Lord of D. and The Flute of Summoning Dragon for two copies of both Dragon’s Mirror and Nebula Dragon. Dragon’s Mirror provides quick access to Five-Headed Dragon, this deck’s boss monster, while Nebula Dragon can work well alongside Blue-Eyes White Dragon to quickly summon any XYZ or link cards you want to add to your deck.
Finally, if you want to rank well and fast, hunt down double copies of both Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring and Maxx ‘C’, two hand traps that you’ll find in nearly every meta deck due to their stalling effects.
Main deck;
- Luster Dragon x3
- Nebula Dragon x2
- Blue-Eyes White Dragon x2
- Twin-Headed Behemoth x1
- The Dark – Hex-Sealed Fusion x1
- Kidmodo Dragon x2
- Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring x2
- Maxx ‘C’ x2
- Lancer Dragonute x2
- Axe Dragonute x2
- Kaiser Glider x2
- Strong Wind Dragon x1
- Stamping Destruction x3
- Back to Square One x2
- Fusion Substitute x2
- Rush Recklessly x2
- Silver’s Cry x2
- Ring of Destruction x2
- Threatening Roar x2
- Defense Draw x2
Extra deck;
- King Dragun x3
- Five-Headed Dragon x2
- Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon x2
- Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon x2
- Black Rose Moonlight Dragon x1
- Kachi Kochi Dragon x3
With all that, you should have a Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel dragon deck worthy of legendary status. For more Yu-Gi-Oh goodness, check out our picks for the best Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Links decks to master the heart of the cards in Konami’s condensed format.