Players of Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel who want to create the best decks need to rely not just on Monster Cards, but also Spell Cards to ensure they’re able to pull off some of the wildest tricks in the card game. In Yu-Gi-Oh!, Spell Cards are often used to control the overall duel, giving players a wide variety of effects to expand their options in manipulating the battlefield to their favor. Contrary to Trap Cards that “cut” a player’s moves, Spell Cards are often game-changers that pave the way for a fierce winning attack.

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However, in Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel, where meta decks often have rather crazy Spell Cards, players might want to instead rely on some underappreciated Spell Cards that can surprise even the most careful of enemies. When used properly, certain Spell Cards may give players the tide-turning opportunity they need to secure a losing match.

10 Pot Of Extravagance

Pot of Extravagance
  • Rarity: Super Rare
  • Card Pack: Master Pack

A lot of times in a Yu-Gi-Oh! match, it’s Special Summons and other effects from the Extra Deck that very well determine a player’s strategy. However, if their current run isn’t making the Extra Deck worth the while, they may as well use its cards with the Pot of Extravagance.

This Yu-Gi-Oh! Spell Card needs players to banish three (3) to six (6) cards from their Extra Deck, face down, and at random. For each three (3) cards banished this way, players can draw a card. The obvious caveat here is that players can unwittingly discard a key card from their Extra Deck. However, for players who have banishment-based effects or need a particular card from the main Deck more, then Pot of Extravagance can guarantee extra draws.

9 Pot Of Desires

Pot of Desires
  • Rarity: Super Rare
  • Card Pack: Master Pack

Players desperate to draw an ace in the hole might want to gamble with their Yu-Gi-Oh! deck via the Pot of Desires. For a hefty 10-card banishment cost, being able to draw two (2) cards might seem like an unreasonable trade-off. However, if players build their decks right, this may just be a lifesaver.

This is especially the case if players are building decks that don’t necessarily have GY-activated effects. Likewise, using this in conjunction with the “Different Dimension” archetype or banishment-based effects may transform Pot of Desires into a resource gatherer.

8 Reasoning

Reasoning
  • Rarity: Super Rare
  • Card Pack: Master Pack

Sometimes, certain Yu-Gi-Oh! strategies work best when enemies have no idea what players can pull off from their decks, and Reasoning is precisely the card for this. When activated, this forces opponents to select a Monster Level (star) from 1 to 12. Players then mill cards until they reach a Monster they can Normal Summoned or Set. If that Monster is the same level as the opponent’s declaration, all cards remain milled. If the Monster doesn’t match the opponent’s guess, then that Monster is Special Summoned while everything else is sent to the GY.

While Reasoning is a self-mill card, this works great for GY-based effects. This works well with decks such as Tri-Brigrade and Shaddoll decks, which often need multi-star Monsters. Of course, once enemies have an idea what kind of Levels the player’s Monsters have, Reasoning can be easily countered - making this card ideal for best-of-one matches, like those in Master Duel.

7 Spiritualism

Spiritualism
  • Rarity: Common
  • Card Pack: Legacy Pack

In the presence of an annoying Spell or Trap Card in the field, a player may simply need to delay its activation and not necessarily destroy it. This is precisely what Spiritualism does in the Yu-Gi-Oh! game. At its core, Spiritualism will return any one (1) Spell or Trap Card that the opponent controls and its effects cannot be activated.

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Granted, since the Spell or Trap Card is back in the opponent’s hand, they can play it again in the next turn. However, with some combos only happening in extremely specific circumstances, enemies may never be able to pull off the combo they’re trying to pull off in the turn Spiritualism is activated. And even then, players would’ve been able to set up a decent counter thanks to the time offered by this card.

6 Harpie’s Feather Duster

Harpies Feather Duster
  • Rarity: Ultra Rare
  • Card Pack: Glory on Wings

Some of the best Spell Cards in Yu-Gi-Oh! meta are often the straightforward ones, and there’s a reason why Harpie’s Feather Duster remains a consideration in some decks despite its Ultra Rare nature. At its core, this odd Yu-Gi-Oh! card simply destroys all Traps and Spells the opponent controls, plain in simple.

This is the equivalent of a targeted Dark Hole, with no caveat to the player whatsoever. Granted, a lot of meta decks right now rely more on Monsters than hard Spells or Traps. However, players may be able to use Harpie’s Feather Duster to their advantage, especially when playing second.

5 Raigeki

Raigeki
  • Rarity: Ultra Rare
  • Card Pack: Master Pack

A frightening card in its own right, Raigeki isn’t an often-used Spell Card in meta Yu-Gi-Oh! decks simply because enemies can outright counter the Spell with specific effects. However, the plain and straightforward nature of Raigeki makes it a must-have in certain situations.

Considering how a lot of meta decks run reliant on boss Monsters like Dragon-type Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, Raigeki is a great way to ruin the opponent’s day - especially when summoning multiple Monsters at once. And while Raigeki may not be able to eliminate all cards due to some having immunity to card effects, being able to eliminate at least some Monsters on the opponent’s side can still be detrimental to their play.

4 Lightning Storm

Lightning Storm
  • Rarity: Ultra Rare
  • Card Pack: Master Pack

An absolute card-destruction card may be hard to find in Yu-Gi-Oh! meta, much more summon outright. Such is the case of Lightning Storm, as it’s only available for activation when players control no face-up cards. However, its effects are absolutely devastating, as it can nuke all the opponent’s attack position Monsters or destroy all their Spells and Traps.

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Due to its hefty condition, players may not have situations where they can find Lightning Storm useful, especially since its recommended second-turn activation is too early into the match. However, with metas that rely on first-turn based showcases and in emergency situations where opponents have eliminated all the player’s Monsters and are one turn short of a final blow, Lightning Storm can become a lifesaver.

3 Swords Of Concealing Light

Swords of Concealing Light
  • Rarity: Rare
  • Card Pack: Master Pack

Whereas Yami Yugi of Yu-Gi-Oh! often uses the Swords of Revealing Light to protect himself from Monster attacks for three (3) whole turns, its sister card, Swords of Concealing Light, has a more complex approach to matters. At its core, this Spell Card immediately changes all Monsters on the opponent’s side to face-down Defense Position, and opponents won’t be able to change their battle positions. There’s a caveat, however, in that this card is destroyed during the player’s next Standby Phase.

Regardless, this rather one whole turn where an opponent simply cannot use their face-down Monsters can be a great way to debilitate aggressive plays. While some cards may be able to destroy this Spell Card, the plays players could make during this card’s activation may be more than enough to help them turn the tide of battle.

2 Creature Swap

Creature Swap
  • Rarity: Super Rare
  • Card Pack: Legacy Pack

Think Mind Control, only slightly more tolerable - at least, not from the eyes of its target. With Creature Swap, both the enemy and the user have to choose a Monster that they’d willingly switch with each other. Since this card is a normal Spell Card, players can easily summon a worthless Monster and force the opponent to make the switch.

This card is especially annoying if players use it around the turn the opponent has summoned a boss monster or an integral monster in their combo. Not only that, but since Creature Swap doesn’t force players to switch back the monsters they’ve exchanged, players may use a boss monster against the opponent - and not even make the effort to summon it for themselves!

1 Soul Release

Soul Release
  • Rarity: Common
  • Card Pack: Legacy Pack

With a lot of Yu-Gi-Oh! meta decks focusing on triggering their effects from the GY or Special Summoning monsters from the grave, it makes sense for players to want a card that precisely ruins this tempo. This is where Soul Release comes in, and this card has a rather ridiculous effect for its rarity. At its core, Soul Release can banish up to five (5) cards in either player’s GY.

The implications of this card alone are staggering, but especially more so when visualized. For instance, a Blue-Eyes deck easily relies on “small” creatures like the White Stone of the Ancients to be able to summon a Blue-Eyes into the field. Imagining ruining this on the get-go, stopping one of the many ways players can summon a Blue-Eyes. This all the more hurts if the Blue-Eyes themselves are in the grave, as banishing them means the opponent no longer has a way to bring them back except if they’ve anticipated this very move.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel was released last January 2022 for the PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, iOS, and Android.

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