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 Blue-Eyes (Tier 1) is 43,000 gems. This comes from the 34,000 gems needed for the core UR/SR cards:
Other Top Decks:
- Shiranui (Tier 2) – 45,000 gems
- Soul of Resurrection: 10,000 gems
- Curse of Dread: less than 1000 gems
- Generation Next: 5,000 gems
- Galactic Origin: 10,000 gems
- Tech cards: 20,000 gems
- Darklords (Tier 3) – 37,000 gems
- Lords of Shining: 3,000 gems
- Valhalla Calling: 14,000 gems
- Judgement Force: 8,000 gems
- Dark Dimension: 1,000 gems
- Future Horizon: 1,000 gems
- Blazing Rose: 5,000 gems
- Tech cards: 5,000 gems
- Crystrons (Tier 1) – 51,000 gems
- Cybernetic Rebellion: 15,000 gems
- Blazing Rose: 5,000 gems
- Spirit of the Beast: 10,000 gems
- Dark Dimension: 1,000 gems
- Secrets of the Ancients: 3,000 gems
- Valhalla Calling: 14,000 gems
- Galactic Origin: 5,000 gems
- Blackwings (Tier 3) – 45,000 gems
- Aerial Assault: 17,000 gems
- Blackstorm Rising: 18,000 gems
- Galactic Origin: 10,000 gems
- Dark Magician (Tier 3) – 44,000 gems ()
- Guardians of Rock: 8,000 gems
- Future Horizon: 14,000 gems
- Galactic Origin: 5,000 gems
- Tech cards: 17,000 gems
- Elementsabers (Tier 1) – 65,000 gems
- Dark Dimension: 21,000 gems
- Generation Next: 15,000 gems
- Aerial Assault: 9,000 gems
- Tech cards: 20,000 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.
- Cosmic Cyclone is used in Crystrons, Shiranui, Blackwings, Dark Magician, and Masked Heroes
- Sphere Kuriboh is used in Blue-Eyes, Thunder Dragons, and Shiranui
- Black Rose Dragon is used in Crystrons, Thunder Dragons, and Darklords
- Vermillion Dragon Mech is used in Blue-Eyes, Thunder Dragons, and Dark Magician
- Samurai Destroyer is used in Crystrons, Thunder Dragons, and Darklords
- Giganticastle is used in Blue-Eyes and Dark Magician
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.
SELECTION BOX VOL.03
This box contains support for Blue-Eyes (Tier 1), Crystrons (Tier 1), Elementsabers (Tier 1), Thunder Dragons (Tier 1), Shiranui (Tier 2), Dark Magician (Tier 3), and Masked Heroes (Tier 3), as well as multiple popular staple cards.
Note: This Selection Box is available until April 12th. Only a limited number of packs can be purchased with gems.
SELECTION BOX MINI VOL.02
This box contains support for Crystrons (Tier 1), Elementsabers (Tier 1), Thunder Dragons (Tier 1), Blackwings (Tier 3), and Masked Heroes (Tier 3), as well as multiple popular staple cards.
Note: This Selection Box is available until April 12th. Only a limited number of packs can be purchased with gems.
SELECTION BOX VOL.02
This box contains support for Masked Heroes (Tier 3).
Note: This Selection Box is available until April 12th. Only a limited number of packs can be purchased with gems.
SELECTION BOX MINI VOL.01
This box contains support for Shiranui (Tier 2) and Darklords (Tier 3). Cosmic Cyclone is also one of the best staple cards in the current meta.
Note: This Selection Box is available until April 12th. Only a limited number of packs can be purchased with gems.
SELECTION BOX VOL.01
This box contains support for Blue-Eyes (Tier 1) and Elementsabers (Tier 1). Sphere Kuriboh is also a strong staple in the current meta.
Note: This Selection Box is available until April 12th. Only a limited number of packs can be purchased with gems.
JUDGEMENT FORCE
This box contains support for Blue-Eyes (Tier 1), as well as multiple popular staple cards.
DRAGUNITY OVERDRIVE
This structure deck contains support for Blue-Eyes (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.
Note: All relevant cards in this structure deck are currently available in a Selection Box (until April 12th).
FUTURE HORIZON
This box contains support for Thunder Dragons (Tier 1), Shiranui (Tier 2), and Dark Magician (Tier 3). PSY-Framelord Zeta is also a strong staple in the current meta.
SOUL OF RESURRECTION
This box contains support for Shiranui (Tier 2), as well as multiple popular staple cards.
KING’S RESONANCE
This structure deck contains support for Thunder Dragons (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.
AERIAL ASSAULT
This box contains support for Elementsabers (Tier 1), Thunder Dragons (Tier 1), and Blackwings (Tier 3).
MASTERS OF CHAOS
This structure deck contains support for Dark Magician (Tier 3) and Masked Heroes (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.
Warning: Some relevant cards in this structure deck are also available from free, in-game sources.
DARK DIMENSION
This box contains support for Elementsabers (Tier 1) and Thunder Dragons (Tier 1). Samurai Destroyer is also a strong staple in the current meta.
Note: Some relevant cards in this box are also currently available in a Selection Box (until April 12th).
VALHALLA CALLING
This box contains support for Crystrons (Tier 1), Thunder Dragons (Tier 1), and Darklords (Tier 3).
Note: Some relevant cards in this box are also currently available in a Selection Box (until April 12th).
CURSE OF DREAD
This box contains support for Thunder Dragons (Tier 1) and Shiranui (Tier 2).
Note: Some relevant cards in this box are also currently available in a Selection Box (until April 12th).
CYBERNETIC REBELLION
This box contains support for Crystrons (Tier 1). Crystron Ametrix is also a strong staple in the current meta.
Note: Some relevant cards in this box are also currently available in a Selection Box (until April 12th).
GUARDIANS OF ROCK
This box contains support for Dark Magician (Tier 3).
Note: Some relevant cards in this box are also currently available in a Selection Box (until April 12th).
BLAZING ROSE
This box contains support for Thunder Dragons (Tier 1), as well as multiple popular staple cards.
Note: Some relevant cards in this box are also currently available in a Selection Box (until April 12th).
SECRETS OF THE ANCIENTS
This box contains support for Crystrons (Tier 1) and Dark Magician (Tier 3).
Note: Some relevant cards in this box are also currently available in a Selection Box (until April 12th).
BLACKSTORM RISING
This box contains support for Blue-Eyes (Tier 1) and Blackwings (Tier 3).
Note: Some relevant cards in this box are also currently available in a Selection Box (until April 12th).
Warning: Some relevant cards in this box may also be found in newer sets. Think carefully before investing your gems here.
THE WHITE DRAGON OF LEGEND
This structure deck contains support for Blue-Eyes (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.
STARDUST ACCELERATION
This box contains support for Blue-Eyes (Tier 1). Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon is also a strong staple in the current meta.
SPELLBOUND SILENCE
Gold Sarcophagus is a strong staple in the current meta.
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.
Note: All relevant cards in this structure deck are currently available in a Selection Box (until April 12th).
VISIONS OF ICE
Treacherous Trap Hole is a strong staple in the current meta.
Note: All relevant cards in this box are currently available in a Selection Box (until April 12th).
VALIANT SOULS
This box contains support for Elementsabers (Tier 1) and Masked Heroes (Tier 3). Paleozoic Canadia is also a strong staple in the current meta.
Note: Some relevant cards in this box are also currently available in a Selection Box (until April 12th).
RAMPAGE OF THE FOREST
This box contains support for Masked Heroes (Tier 3).
Note: All relevant cards in this box are currently available in a Selection Box (until April 12th).
DESTINY RULERS
This structure deck contains support for Masked Heroes (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.
Warning: Some relevant cards in this structure deck may also be found in newer sets. Think carefully before investing your gems here.
Warning: Some relevant cards in this structure deck are also available from free, in-game sources.
PRIMAL BURST
This box contains support for Darklords (Tier 3).
Note: All relevant cards in this box are currently available in a Selection Box (until April 12th).
GALACTIC ORIGIN
Cosmic Cyclone is one of the best staple cards in the current meta.
Note: All relevant cards in this box are currently available in a Selection Box (until April 12th).
SERVANTS OF KINGS
This box contains support for Shiranui (Tier 2).
Note: All relevant cards in this box are currently available in a Selection Box (until April 12th).
CRIMSON KINGDOM
This box contains support for Blue-Eyes (Tier 1) and Dark Magician (Tier 3).
Note: Some relevant cards in this box are also currently available in a Selection Box (until April 12th).
Warning: Some relevant cards in this box may also be found in newer sets. Think carefully before investing your gems here.
VALKYRIE’S RAGE
This box contains support for Blue-Eyes (Tier 1).
Note: All relevant cards in this box are currently available in a Selection Box (until April 12th).
NEO-IMPACT
This box contains support for Elementsabers (Tier 1).
Note: All relevant cards in this box are currently available in a Selection Box (until April 12th).
THE ULTIMATE RISING
Sphere Kuriboh is a strong staple in the current meta.
Note: All relevant cards in this box are currently available in a Selection Box (until April 12th).
FREE IN-GAME SOURCES
The best cards from free, in-game sources consist of support for Blue-Eyes (Tier 1), Crystrons (Tier 1), Thunder Dragons (Tier 1), Blackwings (Tier 3), Dark Magician (Tier 3), and Masked Heroes (Tier 3). Giganticastle is also one of the best staple cards 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.