Hello! Playing and reviewing Roguelikes is actually not everything that we do in this blog – I’m also an avid Yu-Gi-Oh player, and I have posted about my efforts to make a good Labyrnth deck beforehand.
A few weeks have passed since then, including a regional I went to, so how’s that been going?
Were GOAT-era cards the solution to 2025 Yu-Gi-Oh?
This was the question I was asking myself last time. My reasoning was that Ryzeal was highly vulnerable to its Extra Deck monsters being bounced, while Maliss was generally weak to removal. Because of this, I leaned toward playing lower-to-the-ground trap cards like Compulsory Evacuation Device and Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, supported by appropriate discard fodder.
However, I overlooked a few key factors—most notably, the Fiendsmith cards. I initially assumed Fiendsmith wouldn’t be very popular. Since Ryzeal locks you into Rank 4s and Maliss locks you into Links, I didn’t think Fiendsmith would see widespread play.
I was dead wrong.
Ryzeal Fiendsmith quickly became the most dominant and popular deck of the format. Worse still, it isn’t just dumping Fiendsmith in Paradise in its regular combo lines—it’s creating serious issues for my Sky Crisis control setup against Ryzeal. I can’t just sit back, deny Detonator after a Normal Summon, and call it a day. Now, I actually have to deal with the Nader pops. This meant an entirely different set of cards needed to be played—more on that below!
Regarding Maliss, I originally thought I could still rely on Nibiru and my turn 0 trap cards to beat them going second. However, Maliss players have adapted, learning how to play around Nibiru more effectively. While it’s still a strong card against Maliss, it’s no longer as impactful on its own. One Dormouse alone can’t deal with it, but one Dormouse plus a Field Spell? That’s another story.
All of this forced me to readjust.
Trap card adjustments
Compulsory Evacuation Device – Cut
I reluctantly decided to cut Compulsory Evacuation Device. I actually enjoy running this card since it’s a simple yet versatile tool from an older era, capable of bouncing both my opponent’s monsters and my own. Unfortunately, I determined that my primary form of removal had to be Dogmatika Punishment instead.
Dogmatika Punishment – Added
I previously hesitated to run Punishment because Detonator can shrug it off, and Maliss can dodge it using their trap cards. However, careful maneuvering can still make this card effective. When it works, its utility is undeniable—it destroys a card and triggers an additional effect depending on what I send to the GY. There are plenty of great GY targets to take advantage of.
Additionally, I chose to run Punishment partly because of Berfomet, the Mythical King of Flying Beasts, which allows me to Special Summon any banished Fiend monster during my opponent’s turn. Given how popular Bystials are right now, this is crucial for recovering Lovely Labrynth if she ever gets banished.
Phoenix Wing Wind Blast – Cut
I also had to cut Phoenix Wing Wind Blast—not because it’s a bad card, but because I desperately needed the space. Its discard cost made it awkward with my side deck patterns, as I frequently side out Rollback and/or Black Goat Laughs depending on the matchup.
Instead, I opted for Paleozoic Marrella, one of my favorite techs in Labrynth. I played it extensively last year, so I’m already well-versed in how to utilize it effectively. If I find space in my Extra Deck, I might also run Paleozoic Opabinia. Another card I strongly considered was Paleozoic Dinomischus, which I love for its ability to swarm the board with Paleos while also acting as a discard outlet—something I’m currently lacking. But compromises had to be made.
Starry Dragon’s Cycle – Testing
You could argue that, instead of Compulse, I’m now running Starry Dragon’s Cycle. This is a tech card I’ve been experimenting with a lot this format, and I really like it. If I’m allowing my opponent to access the Extra Deck, this card serves as a great punish. It also has a lot of small synergies, though I’m still not entirely convinced that it belongs in the deck. I plan to keep testing it.
The Black Goat Laughs – returning
Lastly, I want to point out that I actually cut The Black Goat Laughs for the better part of months, but recently returned it – I am still debating whether I want to run 1 or 2, as it is sometimes very good if you can discard it, but it can be very bad going 2nd without a way to do so.
Mixed ratios
Arianna, the Labrynth Servant – Reduced to 2
You may have noticed that I’m only playing two copies of Arianna, the Labrynth Servant. This might seem strange since she’s one of the deck’s best starters, but I had a few reasons for this change:
- I finally got my hands on Dominus Impulse, so I needed three deck slots for it.
- With Impulse in the deck, I started stacking too many three-ofs, including Trick Trick, Big Welcome, Arias, Absolute King Back Jack, and previously Arianna.
- Running so many three-ofs increased my chances of drawing dead duplicates.
- Arianna conflicts with my Normal Summon, and she’s vulnerable to hand traps and disruption.
Considering all of this, cutting her to two felt like the best compromise for my deck. It is now not clogging my hand as much in both of duplicates and normal summons, I am being vulnerable to less hand traps, I still see her often enough, and I can play a recurring resource game with my other starters.
Labrynth Labyrinth – Cut
Following the previous logic, I am trying to have as many live cards as possible in my hand right now – and LabLab is usually a brick. It is awkward to play and sometimes feels like a win-more card. Right now I’m experimenting with ways to clear fields without it, and I am doing fine with that! I might play it again in the future, but for now, it’s out.
Side and Extra Deck considerations
I won’t go too deep into my side and extra deck today, but here’s a quick overview:
Side Deck Strategy
- I always side in at least six cards, usually cutting Paleozoic Marrella, Transaction Rollback (e.g., Punishment when going second vs. Ryzeal or Ice Dragon’s Prison against Maliss), as these are primarily defensive cards, and the least effective trap card for that matchup
- Since I have so many GY effects, I don’t need backrow protection when going first, making me always fix my deck for going second and very little for going first.
- Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay improves my odds of seeing turn 0 plays against Maliss. Unlike Artifact Lancea or Chaos Hunter, Phantazmay doesn’t lose me card advantage.
- Droll & Lock Bird and Nibiru, the Primal Being are flexible side deck picks against Ryzeal variants, Mermails, and Maliss decks, which also cover a lot of rogue strategies.
- Ultimate Slayer is a near auto-include going second—except against Maliss.
- Dimension Slice is my only truly experimental side deck tech—it helps immediately remove Detonator after summoning Sky Crisis, unless my opponent is running Solemn cards.
- Labrynth Set-Up is there for Shifter decks, though I might drop it since they’re falling out of favor.
Extra Deck Adjustments
- Mostly consists of Punishment and Slayer targets.
- I have room for one Rank 4 utility Xyz (preferably Fiend because of the Welcome Lock). Right now, I’m testing Dugares. Since I am stealing level 4 monsters a lot of the time through Starry Dragon’s Cycle, I wanted to have something that was immediately and generically useful.
- Cambroraster is getting cut, but I’m undecided on its replacement.
- Almiraj is staying for Back Jack setups.
Conclusions
I’m still experimenting with various tech choices and side deck patterns, but overall, this deck is practically guaranteed to win going first and has solid chances when going second. My side deck is designed to patch up weaknesses in specific matchups.
As for how good this build will be after further testing? Time will tell!
What do you think? How do you prefer to play
Labrynth? Let me know in the comments!
