It is time for the next Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Booster Pack to release, with a smaller and more focused card list that includes entirely new cards that for existing strategies and the highly anticipated retrains for cards used by the anime-favorite Paradox Brothers.
Maze of Memories will be one of the rare global releases for Yu-Gi-Oh!, which means Konami is launching the set live in all regions at the same time on March 9, except for Japan. This doesn’t change much for the set itself, but it does mean it will have roughly the same impact around the world upon release—bringing with it many cards that had yet to be released in the TCG from the OCG’s History Archive Collection.
Whether it be the new Gate Guardian-adjacent strategy, the new Black Luster Soldier – Legendary Swordsman, or much-needed reprints for cards like Baronne de Fleur, there is plenty in this set side set that will make it worth picking up.
If you are more interested in just what cards have some competitive viability or can be used in some existing decks, here are the cards worth picking up from Maze of Memories.
Best cards to pull from Maze of Memories in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG
Baronne de Fleur
This is a no-brainer for anyone who wants to pick up one of the best probably the best Synchro Monster released in recent memory.
Hailing from Legendary Duelists: Synchro Storm, this card really added some flair to Synchro strategies while also being a fantastic generic addition to any deck that has the possibility to run it out. The versatility of Baronne de Fleur’s negation effect paired with its ability to cycle itself into a monster from your Graveyard are key reasons why it peaked at over $130 dollars for a single copy soon after release.
Pulling one in Maze of Memories won’t net you a huge payday, but it is still the prized holo for most players who have little interest in the set’s featured strategies or rarity chasers. And if you are the latter, there is a Collector’s Rare of this card in the set too, so have at it.
Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon
If you think Baronne de Fleur is good, this card fits a similar bill but as a combo line extender that essentially lets decks that might have a hard time getting Level Nine or 10 Synchros onto the board cheat them out.
This is done by being able to revive a Level Two or lower Tuner from the GY with no restriction. Additionally, its next effect allows you to tribute Accel Synchro Stardust Dragon to bring out the original Stardust Dragon from your Extra Deck, treating it as a Synchro Summon, and then perform an additional Syncro Summon using any monsters on your field.
So not only can you bring out OG Stardust to protect your cards with its effect, with the full ability to revive it since it was technically Synchro Summoned, but you can pivot into other Synchro Monsters during your opponent’s turn to disrupt their plays—and there are very few limiting factors on this.
Expect this card to see a lot of use initially and potentially grow to become key in multiple strategies well after Maze of Memories drops. More good Synchro stuff is coming soon, so grabbing this and a few copies of On Your Mark, Get Set, DUEL! at release will be worth it. Especially if you go for the Collector’s Rare before a price hike.
Wake Up Your Elemental HERO
An oddity when it comes to HERO support, this is an extender of sorts that allows players to fuse another Elemental HERO Fusion Monster with one or more Warriors to bring out.
It gains 300 ATK for each material used to summon it and can attack for each one too, it also deals instantly destroys any monster it battles at the end of the Damage Step and deals damage to your opponent’s Life Points equal to the original ATK of a monster it destroys. Pairing these abilities makes it a decent closing option if you run out of lines—though it can only be Fusion Summoned so it has its limits.
Where Wake Up Your Elemental HERO truly shines is in its third effect though, as it allows players to Special Summon a Warrior from their hand or Deck when it is destroyed. And, considering the likelihood of playing this and Destiny HERO – Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer in the same deck, you basically just get a free search off of an easy Super Polymerization target.
Gate Guardian support
If you are a connoisseur of decks that might barely scratch rogue status in the metagame and want to throw build after build of new stuff at the wall to see what sticks, the new Paradox Brother retrains are exactly what you are looking for.
You have a total of four new Fusion Monsters, two Effect Monsters, three Spells, and one Trap card that fit this expanded archetype out of Maze of Memories. And, thankfully, if you want to pick up the entire core you will need to actually run this Guardian strategy, it won’t cost you much.
Labyrinth Heavy Tank will be a must and arguably the most important starter for this deck, with Gate Guardian of Wind and Water being the best Fusion overall. Those two paired with Labyrinth Wall Shadow might end up as the key pulls for this core, but if you don’t want to open Maze of Memories yourself, grabbing a full set of what you need won’t run you too much. Should be a fun budget option that makes a bit of noise on the fringes as people play around with it.
Dot Esports will update this article as more key cards from Maze of Memories are identified post-release.
