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 2) is 34,000 gems. This all comes from the cost of the core UR/SR cards:
Other Top Decks:
- Ritual Beasts (Tier 3) – 22,000 gems
- Spirit of the Beast: 11,000 gems
- Visions of Ice: 4,000 gems
- Tech cards: 7,000 gems
- Shiranui (Tier 1) – 37,000 gems
- Soul of Resurrection: 10,000 gems
- Galactic Origin: 5,000 gems
- Tech cards: 22,000 gems
- Blackwings (Tier 2) – 47,000 gems
- Aerial Assault: 17,000 gems
- Blackstorm Rising: 18,000 gems
- Galactic Origin: 10,000 gems
- Tech cards: 2,000 gems
- Elementsabers (Tier 2) – 61,000 gems
- Dark Dimension: 21,000 gems
- Aerial Assault: 9,000 gems
- Valiant Souls: 5,000 gems
- Generation Next: 5,000 gems
- Galactic Origin: 15,000 gems
- Tech cards: 6,000 gems
- Dark Magician (Tier 2) – 54,000 gems + $4 ()
- Guardians of Rock: 9,000 gems
- Masters of Chaos: 1,000 gems + $4
- Crimson Kingdom: 5,000 gems
- Future Horizon: 9,000 gems
- Tech cards: 30,000 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 every deck on the Tier List
- Paleozoic Canadia is used in Shiranui, Dark Magician, and Elementsabers
- Treacherous Trap Hole is used in Dark Magician, Elementsabers, and Ritual Beasts
- Floodgate Trap Hole is used in Shiranui and Elementsabers
- Enemy Controller is used in Shiranui 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 MINI VOL.01
This box contains support for Shiranui (Tier 1). Cosmic Cyclone is also one of the best staple cards in the current meta.
Note: This Selection Box is available until January 30th. Only a limited number of packs can be purchased with gems.
SELECTION BOX VOL.03
This box contains support for Shiranui (Tier 1) and Dark Magician (Tier 2).
Note: This Selection Box is available until January 30th. Only a limited number of packs can be purchased with gems.
SELECTION BOX VOL.01
This box contains support for Shiranui (Tier 1).
Note: This Selection Box is available until January 30th. Only a limited number of packs can be purchased with gems.
MASTERS OF CHAOS
This structure deck contains support for Dark Magician (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.
CURSE OF DREAD
This box contains support for Shiranui (Tier 1).
Note: Some relevant cards in this box are also currently available in a Selection Box (until January 30th).
GUARDIANS OF ROCK
This box contains support for Dark Magician (Tier 2).
Note: Some relevant cards in this box are also currently available in a Selection Box (until January 30th).
SPELLBOUND SILENCE
This structure deck contains support for Shiranui (Tier 1).
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 January 30th).
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 January 30th).
GENERATION NEXT
This box contains support for Shiranui (Tier 1). Floodgate Trap Hole is also a strong staple in the current meta.
FREE IN-GAME SOURCES
The best cards from free, in-game sources consist of support for Shiranui (Tier 1), Blackwings (Tier 2), Dark Magician (Tier 2), and Ritual Beasts (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.