Notes & Combos

Disclaimer: This list focuses on going first AND second. I personally like to play both, so it's probably suboptimal.

I'm currently at Masters 2 with this deck that I specifically designed to have a chance going second vs Snake Eyes.

I'm not at Masters 1 yet because of missplaying some lines when I'm playing into handtraps when I listen to music or have to talk while playing.

The strategy on this list going first is to max out your starters, almost TCG-like; 2 Pend Magicians for Timestar, do all the combo; 1 harmonizing; 1 Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer; complete the starter puzzle with duelist alliance; just draw Skullcrobat; draw your Monkeyboard; classic pend magician combos and end on nothing too crazy. All these starters have "hard once per turn effects" but we need them to dodge or literally start. The only downside is the 1 Harmonizing magician. I can't figure out how to run more this meta, but if you can run 3, do it, almost the best card if it resolves, but her interactions are pend summoning it, so I prefer the meta calling cards and keep the consistency for before pend summoning for going second plays.

The only pre-sided that you run at 3 is Maxx C due to his high impact. Pendulum Magician needs too many resources to start, so you need something effective going second. It would be funny to pend summon it someday hahaha

At first glance, you run just two pre-sided cards: Ash and Talents. That's kind of true, but you run 2 field spells vs Snake Eyes which shuts down their fieldspell going second, and it's good going first like all the other pre-sides at 2. All these pre-sided cards are hard once per turn, so that's why the only one we run at 3 is Maxx C due to having the highest impact. We already have many "hard once per turn" in this deck, so if we can cut some conflict, I think it's good, so we just draw 1 or 2 and then just the engine that requires too much gas to begin with. Also, all these at 2 are mostly good going first. But I want to draw pendulum monsters, so I'm not so passionate about running too many of them.

The idea behind 2 Double Iris is to cut down the engine and have just enough to complete the gameplan going first and just use your skill to end up on a good board. But the thing is going second we max out the Black Fang and the Purple Poison so we can out the Appollousa that they summon, like really fast walking over him, or reduce their negates with Black Fang.

This time, we stick to 40 because we need more hard draws.