Gem Guide
This is a living guide which automatically updates itself based on daily new top decks and weekly Tier List updates to give you the most up-to-date gem investment advice possible. The green/red arrows — / — found on cards throughout the guide represent recent trends in those cards' usage rates.
Quick Links
- Recommended Deck: The best deck for new or returning players to pick up and immediately become competitive.
- Top Staples: All the cards used in multiple top-tier decks; these cards are very flexible and powerful.
- Trending Cards: Take a look at which cards are currently going up or down in usage.
- Set Breakdown: Full list of relevant boxes and structure decks along with the most competitive cards inside them.
- Analysis Details: Technical details about how this page chooses what to show and recommend.
The average cost to build Darklords (Tier 1) is 27,000 gems. This comes from the 22,000 gems needed for the core UR/SR cards:
- 2x Darklord Nasten
- 2x Darklord Tezcatlipoca
- 1x Darklord Ukoback
- 3x Darklord Contact
- 2x The Sanctified Darklord
Other Top Decks:
- Vendread (Tier 3) – 15,000 gems
- Curse of Dread: 10,000 gems
- The Ultimate Rising: 5,000 gems
- Six Samurais (Tier 2) – 30,000 gems
- Warriors Unite: 17,000 gems
- Crusaders' Battlegrounds: 3,000 gems
- Stardust Acceleration: 2,000 gems
- Secrets of the Ancients: 3,000 gems
- Blazing Rose: 3,000 gems
- Tech cards: 2,000 gems
- Desperado (Tier 1) – 26,000 gems + $11
- Full Metal Desperado: 1,000 gems + $11
- Tech cards: 25,000 gems
- Triamids (Tier 3) – 24,000 gems
- Guardians of Rock: 11,000 gems
- Tech cards: 13,000 gems
- Fortune Lady (Tier 2) – 37,000 gems ()
- Valhalla Calling: 15,000 gems
- Blazing Rose: 6,000 gems
- Tech cards: 16,000 gems
- Amano Stun (Tier 3) – 32,000 gems ()
- Lords of Shining: 2,000 gems
- Servants of Kings: 2,000 gems
- Blazing Rose: 4,000 gems
- Tech cards: 24,000 gems
- Subterror (Tier 3) – 35,000 gems
- Blazing Rose: 9,000 gems
- Valiant Souls: 5,000 gems
- Tech cards: 21,000 gems
- Spellbooks (Tier 3) – 26,000 gems + $18
- Visions of Ice: 8,000 gems
- Spellbound Silence: $18
- Crimson Kingdom: 1,000 gems
- Burning Nova: 5,000 gems
- Blackstorm Rising: 9,000 gems
- Tech cards: 3,000 gems
- These are decks that require significant in-game play time to build. Because they make heavy use of cards from sources like drop rewards, ranked tickets, the Card Trader, and level-up rewards, these decks can be difficult for a new player to obtain.
Note: Before investing in a deck, take the time to look into the play-style of the deck as well as general opinions on the deck. Be sure that you'll enjoy playing the deck and that it's not in danger of suddenly becoming irrelevant.
Warning: Not all box staples are in good boxes. Chasing cards from much older boxes is almost never a good idea for newer players.
- Paleozoic Canadia is used in Desperado, Fortune Lady, Subterror, and Triamids
- Cosmic Cyclone is used in Darklords, Desperado, Fortune Lady, and Subterror
- World Legacy Clash is used in Desperado, Six Samurais, and Amano Stun
- Vermillion Dragon Mech is used in Fortune Lady and Six Samurais
- Armades, Keeper of Boundaries is used in Fortune Lady and Six Samurais
- Avenging Knight Parshath is used in Desperado and Amano Stun
On the Rise
In Decline
Boxes and structure decks that are not in the list below have no cards that are frequently used in current top-tier decks. Competitive free-to-play duelists should not invest in them right now.
For more information on each set, the banner images will take you to full overview pages with complete card lists.
FULL METAL DESPERADO
This structure deck contains support for Desperado (Tier 1).
Note: This structure deck can only be purchased once with gems. Be careful about pursuing decks that use these cards if you do not want to spend money.
BLAZING ROSE
This box contains support for Fortune Lady (Tier 2) and Subterror (Tier 3), as well as multiple popular staple cards.
LORDS OF SHINING
This box contains support for Darklords (Tier 1). Rebirth of Parshath is also a strong staple in the current meta.
NEOS FUSION
This structure deck contains support for Subterror (Tier 3).
Note: This structure deck can only be purchased once with gems. Be careful about pursuing decks that use these cards if you do not want to spend money.
DIMENSION OF THE WIZARDS
This box contains support for Desperado (Tier 1) and Fortune Lady (Tier 2).
SPELLBOUND SILENCE
This structure deck contains support for Spellbooks (Tier 3).
Note: This structure deck cannot be purchased with gems. Think twice about pursuing decks that use these cards if you do not want to spend money.
PRIMAL BURST
This box contains support for Six Samurais (Tier 2).
Warning: All relevant cards in this box have been reprinted in newer sets. Be extremely cautious about investing your gems here.
ECHOES OF SILENCE
This box contains support for Spellbooks (Tier 3).
Warning: All relevant cards in this box have been reprinted in newer sets. Be extremely cautious about investing your gems here.
CRIMSON KINGDOM
This box contains support for Desperado (Tier 1) and Spellbooks (Tier 3).
Warning: Some relevant cards in this box may also be found in newer sets. Think carefully before investing your gems here.
FREE IN-GAME SOURCES
The best cards from free, in-game sources consist of support for Desperado (Tier 1), Fortune Lady (Tier 2), Six Samurais (Tier 2), Amano Stun (Tier 3), Subterror (Tier 3), and Triamids (Tier 3). Avenging Knight Parshath is also a strong staple in the current meta.
This page works by analyzing recent top decks from the past few weeks, automatically accounting for any changes to the Forbidden/Limited List and Tier List. Only cards which are used in those decks above a certain "usage threshold rate" are counted on this page, so the cards you see above are guaranteed to have been successful in multiple top decks from multiple players.
A "staple" card is classified as any card which is commonly used in multiple top-tier decks. Cards may shift from being staples to being classified as "archetype-specific support" if all but one of the decks using that card fall off the Tier List. Similarly, cards may become staples as other decks that use the card are promoted on to the Tier List.
The recommended deck is the best, most accessible deck on the Tier List, perfect for new or returning players. The price of each deck is estimated by looking at the "core" cards and then factoring in how expensive common "tech" cards are. If you're instead looking for information on one of the non-recommended decks, the deck-type pages have full statistical breakdowns of the cards used in every deck.