All players have a favorite attribute, Yugioh is so much more fun when you really connect with your deck. No doubt you have a few attribute-only decks already, ones you really like to use but rarely get the chance to. Whether that’s due to it being bad and defeated constantly or not is irrelevant, it’s best to find to an archetype of an attribute you like.
I’ve listed the best decks of each attribute below, as well as a couple of honorable mentions if the featured archetype isn’t really up your street. Aesthetics are important too, if you don’t find the monsters cool then keep looking. Ideally, you’ll use this list to find an archetype that’s both awesome looking and fits your gameplay style!
Dark: Burning Abyss
Despite being released all the way back in 2014, Burning Abyss have stayed strong throughout all subsequent metas. Versatility is key, they have a ton of great match-ups and are a fan favorite for their reliability and fairness. Burning Abyss is a powerful archetype, swarming the field with monsters that have effects when sent to the graveyard.
There’s plenty of ways to build this archetype, from casual to competitive. Burning Abyss is perfect for newer players looking to get started on the competitive scene, as well as veterans who want something different!
Honorable mentions: Lair of Darkness, Abyss Actor & D/D
Earth: Gouki
Comprising of monsters with high ATK stats but 0 DEF are Goukis, as you can see from the pictured Link monster, they’re an aggressive archetype to say the least. All of them have effects to add another Gouki monster to your hand when they’re sent to the graveyard, giving you more fodder for Link plays.
Capable of swarming the field with high ATK monsters and summoning a bunch of Extra Deck monsters, the Gouki archetype have quickly become meta with many decks being unable to deal with such strategies.
Honorable mentions: Magnet Warrior, Amazoness & Ancient Gears
Fire: Shiranui
Surprisingly competent, the Shiranui archetype has few weaknesses with a ton of combos and strategies at their disposal. You can choose to maintain card advantage, go aggressive or defensive to wait for next turn. Such versatility is awesome, it allows you to approach a situation on your terms. Banishing is so prevalent nowadays, Shiranui don’t care for such things, having their own effects if they’re removed from play.
Even competitively, this archetype can hold its own. The Fire attribute is in dire need of some good archetypes, Shiranui is the best available for now.
Honorable mentions: Metalfoes, Fire Burn & Battlin’ Boxer
Light: Trickstar
Disruption and burn damage, that’s what Trickstar monsters love doing. Each monster inflicts a piddly 200 damage when their effect conditions are met, this doesn’t sound like much but over a few turns, you can inflict a substantial amount of damage. What puts them above other Light attribute decks, is their ability to Link summon and recycle monsters so easily.
As well as effect damage, Trickstar monsters are formidable opponents in the battle phase, with nice ATK stats. A huge, sweaty combo is Droll & Lock Bird with Trickstar Reincarnaition, allowing you to banish your opponent’s entire hand!
Honorable mentions: Lightsworn, Cyber & Counter Fairy
Water: Paleozoic Frog
Mermails are another great shout as they’re fairly consistent and are still somewhat meta relevant. Paleozoic Frogs however are something else entirely, having very few poor match-ups and performing well against even the biggest of meta decks.
Toadally Awesome is by far the best card in the deck, it’s so easy to summon yet is so effective. Your opponent will have a very difficult time ridding the field of it, all the while you’re further disrupting with Palezoic traps.
Honorable mentions: Mermail, Crystron & Dinomist
Wind: Mecha Phantom Beast
Unfortunately, the Wind attribute doesn’t have much going for it. This kinda sucks for fans of flying creatures and/or machines, Mecha Phantom Beasts are about the closest you’ll get to a viable deck. The listed honorable mentions are also worth checking out, just know they absolutely will not win any tournaments!
Mecha Phantom Beasts swarm tokens, filling the field full of them to use for Link, Synchro or XYZ summoning. They have each of those extra deck type cards themselves but it’s a good idea to tech others in too.
Harpies are the next step but they’ve been severely power-creeped over the years, they’re still fun however!
StormFury
Wednesday 26th of May 2021
but i have some good cards in my unfinished deck cards like 5 headed dragon
StormFury
Wednesday 26th of May 2021
and personally i dont really like the salamangreat deck and cards
StormFury
Wednesday 26th of May 2021
Im making a Dragon and something deck but iv nevet played Yugioh before and I dont know my playstyle
Leokai
Monday 18th of May 2020
I think an Infinitrack and Superdreadnought deck is the best earth attribute deck.
Dylan
Sunday 5th of April 2020
What about nekroz?