Subject: Snodin’s Top Ten Favorite Yu-Gi-Oh! Decks

Nothing makes the game of Yu-Gi-Oh! more fun then building a creative themed deck. To me, it doesn't really matter which strategy wins; it's picking your favorite Monsters and building a strong enough deck for them that really tickles my fancy. ...Did I just say "Tickle my fancy?" This game is supposed to be more about the fun than the winning anyway; I mean, who wants to win all the time? ....Besides me? Okay, I'm done kidding around; let's go on to my Top Ten List: the top ten decks; themes, strategies, etc. NOTE: This list is all done in my opinion, and I know for a fact that many people out there will think differently about the rankings of these desks. Here we go!


10. Toon Deck

Compared to just about all of the other decks I have listed, this one needs the most work... but it’s still one of my personal favorites. I’m a sucker for ‘toons; I grew up on them like Pegasus did. (A little off the topic: Does anybody else find it funny to see cartoon characters comment about cartoon monsters?  ^^) Anyway, thanks to Legacy of Darkness, a few new cards came out that can and will make toon decks stronger. First and foremost, is Magic Reflector. It gives Toon World a temporary counter against something like Mystical Space Typhoon and the dreaded Harpies Feather Duster. Also one to think about (until Masked Doll finally comes out) is Life Absorbing Machine. To my understanding, this card can cut in half all of the life point costs you have to make concerning Toon World; instead of paying 1000 LP, you’ll only have to pay 500, and instead of paying 500 LP per attack, it’ll just be 250. Just think about stuff like this before you knock it; they didn’t make Toon World just so it can suck... That’s Gate Guardian’s job!  :-p 
(*apologies to all out there who like Gate Guardian; I’d like to see a deck that can get him out, just once!)

9. Clown Control/Gravity Bind

Okay, "Clown Control" is SomeGuy’s deck. Everybody knows that (or should) by now. If it weren’t for his creative genius (or perhaps he was just the first guy to announce it), then we wouldn’t see so many decks like this out there. While the clown effects alone are great, there are other cards you might want to consider as backups to Gravity Bind: A Legendary Ocean will make your Level-4 fish/aquas Level-3s, which will be more than enough power to take out your opponent’s weenie (and maybe even some of their not-so-weenie) monsters, while all of your monsters will be safe from the really big ones.

8. Ouija Board/ Destiny Board Deck

Call me crazy, but I think this can work. All you really need are strong/effective monsters (Jirai Gumo, Zombrya the Dark, Cave Dragon, maybe even Labyrinth Wall, and in a deck like this The Unhappy Maiden can work- of course, the best one for the deck: Fiber Jar!), and just get annoying stall cards like Swords of Revealing Light and Magic Reflector, and maybe, just maybe... you can spell victory in five letters: F, I, N, A, L. Even if it doesn’t win tournaments, I give props to the creativity of the strategy used for these cards.

7. Dragon Deck

Thank you, SO MUCH, Legacy of Darkness! I love dragons almost as much as I love cats.... Okay, I love dragons more than cats! I’ve always wanted to make a strong dragon deck, and now it’s possible that it might work! Just get Cave Dragon, Luster Dragon, Dragon’s Gunfire, Stamping Destruction (it’s an MST, AND it burns life points!), Dragon’s Rage, Dragon’s Bead... Use your imagination. Already, people are coming up with great dragon deck strategies. It might be crazy, maybe even a little suicidal, but like Gene Wilder once said in "Young Frankenstein," "IT...COULD....WORK!" (*pauses to breathe*)

6. Warrior Deck

.....Okay, I have only one favorite Warrior, and that’s Amazon Archer. She could be my favorite Monster altogether, believe it or not. But she just can’t stand alone, and needs an army to back her up. Enter the Warriors. Now, mostly thanks to Legacy of Darkness, several Warriors out there are looking good: Freed the Matchless General, Marauding Captain, Exiled Force, and even oldies like Goblin Attack Force, Dream Clown (shouldn’t he be a fiend?) and Unfriendly Amazon can be forces to be reckoned with. And coming soon, more Amazons! I’m so excited!!

5. Ocean/Water Deck

Give my regards to Mako Tsunami.  :-)  Ocean decks are among the most creative and difficult-to-defeat decks out there, especially thanks to the recently-released Legendary Ocean field card. While Legendary Fisherman and Deepsea Warrior both have their pros and cons, they’re not in my opinion essential in a Umi/Legendary Ocean deck. And may I say, one of the few Ritual monsters that I have that might just clinch the duel (if I can get him out), is Crab Turtle. He’s already 50 ATK points tougher than the Dark Magician and Summoned Skull; just wait till he gets a power boost from a Magic card!

4. Fiend/Dark Deck

Who DOESN’T like fiends??? There are just too many Fiend-types out there to name that have amazing strengths or effects. ...Okay, I’ll name a few: Dark Ruler Ha-Des, Winged Minion, Lesser Fiend, Possessed Dark Soul, Skull Knight (the Fusion Monster from Metal Raiders), Sangan, Twin-Headed Wolf, Dark Necrofear, Marie The Fallen One, the weak-yet-Waboku-worthy Kuriboh, of course the classic and still mighty Summoned Skull.... Wow, that was more than a few... And it only gets better if you want to make a full Dark deck!

3. Light Deck

Not to be upstaged by their counterparts are Light/Fairy decks. This is one of the hardest decks to build, but when done right, it could be lethal. Some of the best fairies out there include Wingweaver, St. Joan, The Forgiving Maiden, Soul of Purity and Light, and when used properly even Dancing Fairy and Spirit of the Breeze (both Wind-attributes, by the way; use with extreme caution) could be tricky. Not to mention the two Thunder-types worthy of recognition: Thunder Nyan-Nyan, and Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon (who, of course, owes his existence to at least 2 Thunder Dragons). Spellcasters like Magician of Faith and Maha Valio could fit the theme too, but before you go ahead and cram all these cards in your Light deck, remember to use them cautiously. You don’t wanna crowd yourself with too many types...

2. Exodia Deck

I gotta give props to the Big Man (Exodia) for being one of the hardest monsters to get out, and who has one of the coolest ways to win the game. Sure, there are tons of card out there that can either make or break Exodia... That’s what makes him so cool! I personally don’t have him, but if I did, I’d go out of my way just to make him possible to summon to the field. It’s definitely risky, and not a lot of people play him like in the "old days," but he’s still a powerful combo, and worthy of this list.


And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: The number one favorite deck of Snodin...


1. Harpy/Wind Deck

Not the least bit surprised, are you? I’m primarily giving the harpies the number one spot because it was THEM that got me hooked onto the game! It was one of the very first decks in the anime that actually had a theme going, instead of just having really big monsters mixed in together like a serving of tossed salad... Plus, Harpy Lady was one of the first female monsters to be introduced, and as a woman- yes, I’m a woman- I find that incredibly appealing. Seeing girls kick butt... Killer!  ^^;  Okay, so here’s how you make a harpy/wind deck work: use the harpies we’ve got now, and just wait for Cyber Harpy to come out, then you can have a lot of fun! Rising Air Current, Sangan, Witch of the Black Forest, Waboku, and Magician of Faith are all essential in this deck (are you taking notes?). But wait, you don’t have to end there! In my current Wind deck, I’ve also thrown in a few insects like Flying Kamakiri #2 and Empress Mantis; not to mention a few new Wind-attributed dragons like Cave Dragon (who gets an amazing 2500 ATK from Rising Air; works as an excellent wall). As far as Attributes go, I think the Wind one is the most eclectic; it has Winged Beasts, Dragons, Insects, Fairies, and even at least one Fiend. Yes, that’s right, a Fiend. Who is it, you ask? I’ll tell you... Yata-Garasu! That’s right, kiddies! Your Wind deck won’t be so wimpy, now that Yata is in your deck! Now, I’m sure many people out there still think the harpies aren’t worth all the time and effort to build a deck around... Well, tell that to some of my friends, who’ve actually WON several duels (one of them won tournaments altogether) with the harpies! The bottom line, ladies and gentlemen: it’s not the theme that counts, it’s how you use it.

And with that, my friends, I bid you goodnight.


Comments? Flames? Pizza? E-mail me at KaodMaster@aol.com.  Peace out!