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 competive cards inside them.
- Analysis Details: Technical details about how this page chooses what to show and recommend.
The average cost to build Dinos (Tier 2) is 19,000 gems (). This comes from the 10,000 gems needed for the core UR/SR cards:
- 2x Babycerasaurus
- 3x Paleozoic Marrella
Other Top Decks:
- Koa'ki Meiru (Tier 2) – 33,000 gems
- Gaia Genesis: 9,000 gems
- Revolution Beginning: 7,000 gems
- Tech cards: 17,000 gems
- Amazoness (Tier 2) – 32,000 gems ()
- Valiant Souls: 1,000 gems
- Servants of Kings: 2,000 gems
- Tech cards: 29,000 gems
- Karakuri (Tier 3) – 37,000 gems
- Revolution Beginning: 9,000 gems
- Secrets of the Ancients: 3,000 gems
- Tech cards: 25,000 gems
- Masked Heroes (Tier 2) – 41,000 gems
- Destiny Rulers: 500 gems
- Valiant Souls: 15,000 gems
- Tech cards: 25,500 gems
- Ancient Gears (Tier 1) – 42,000 gems + $11
- Ancient Gear Awakening: 1,000 gems + $11
- Gaia Genesis: 9,000 gems
- Blackstorm Rising: 5,000 gems
- Tech cards: 27,000 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 Ancient Gears, Amazoness, Dinos, Masked Heroes, and Karakuri
- Floodgate Trap Hole is used in Ancient Gears, Amazoness, and Masked Heroes
- Cosmic Cyclone is used in Koa'ki Meiru, Masked Heroes, and Karakuri
- Offerings to the Doomed is used in Masked Heroes and Karakuri
- Mirror Wall is used in Amazoness and Masked Heroes
- Enemy Controller is used in Ancient Gears, Dinos, and Karakuri
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.
ANCIENT GEAR AWAKENING
This structure deck contains support for Ancient Gears (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.
REVOLUTION BEGINNING
This box contains support for Ancient Gears (Tier 1), Koa'ki Meiru (Tier 2), and Karakuri (Tier 3).
STARDUST ACCELERATION
This box contains support for Karakuri (Tier 3). Offerings to the Doomed is also a strong staple in the current meta.
VALIANT SOULS
This box contains support for Ancient Gears (Tier 1), Amazoness (Tier 2), Dinos (Tier 2), Masked Heroes (Tier 2), and Karakuri (Tier 3). Paleozoic Canadia is also a strong staple in the current meta.
Warning: Some relevant cards in this box may also be found in newer sets. Think carefully before investing your gems here.
DESTINY RULERS
This structure deck contains support for Masked Heroes (Tier 2).
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.
FREE IN-GAME SOURCES
The best cards from free, in-game sources consist of support for Ancient Gears (Tier 1), Amazoness (Tier 2), Dinos (Tier 2), Masked Heroes (Tier 2), and Karakuri (Tier 3). Enemy Controller 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.
