Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel is now live. The new title lets players collect more than 10,000 cards and duel in a dedicated Solo Mode or against other players online.
Master Duel was designed as a fully digital experience for TCG and OCG players, which means there are some cards included in the game that haven’t been released in certain regions that can still be used. And, with a rotating list of available products in the Shop, there is always new content to browse.
When playing Master Duel, you have a handful of options available to collect the cards you need to build out your collection while also constructing decks to play against friends or other duelists in ranked mode. Most of these methods will require you to use the game’s currency, Gems, to purchase Booster Packs, limited-bundles, or other sealed products in the Shop, but there are a few ways to grab some cards just by playing the game as well.
Players can also get Gems simply by playing the game, whether it be through the Solo Mode or completing Missions, though microtransaction options are available.
If you plan on sinking some time into the newest form of Yu-Gi-Oh!, here is everything you need to know about unlocking cards while you play.
Shop
Starting with the most obvious method, Master Duel’s Shop is an expansive marketplace that features a rotating set of products available for varying prices of Gems.
Pack
The main area of the Shop is the Pack tab, where players can exchange Gems to open single or sets of Booster Packs. Each unique Booster pack is crafted with themes in mind, such as the Stalwart Force collection containing powerful meta cards like Eldlich the Golden Lord and Borrelsword Dragon or Revival of Legends giving players who are more inclined to nostalgic cards access to Stardust Dragon.
However, these “Normal Packs” are only part of the deal. There is also a “Secret Pack” option that only unlocks once you purchase other Booster Packs.
In the Secret Pack menu, players will see a variety of Booster Packs entirely focused on certain archetypes like Soaring on Darkest Wings for Blackwings or Vessels of Freedom for Fur Hire and Plunder Patrol.
These packs are only unlocked by pulling relevant Super Rare or Ultra Rare cards from Normal Packs or generating them via crafting. They disappear after 24 hours, meaning you will need to unlock them again once they are gone. This timer will be reset periodically if a player pulls or generates another relevant card before the 24-hour limit is up. Secret Packs can also appear after clearing certain missions in Solo Mode and other campaigns.
For both Normal and Secret Packs, 100 Gems will get you a single Booster Pack, or you can spend 1,000 Gems to grab 10 packs and guarantee yourself at least a Super Rare or higher in your pulls.
There is also a “Bonus Pack” menu, but that will only be used for select products in the future.
Structure Deck
Players can also purchase pre-constructed decks ready to play out of the box in the Shop. These Structure Decks feature strategies built around one archetype or idea and can typically be used right away, with options to add in your own cards or upgrade the build later on.
At launch, Master Duel featured the Magician od Pendulum and Re-Contract Universe Structure Decks. Each costs 500 Gems to obtain, and players can grab up to three copies before they become unavailable, giving them a chance to test out the decks and later come back to get more copies of it so they can flesh out the deck with multiple copies of cards included inside.
Unlike Booster Packs, Structure Decks don’t have a listed time limit on their product page. This likely means Konami doesn’t plan on rotating them out and will instead allow players access to these products at any time since there is already a limit to the number they can purchase.
Special
The final segment of the Shop that directly deals with unlocking cards is the “Special” tab, where players can purchase Bundle Deals.
These bundles give players access to powerful cards instantly, while also offering them a set number of Booster Packs. For example, bundles for Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Solemn Judgement, and Lightning Storm that included 10 packs of the Master Pack were all featured at launch for 750 Gems.
You can also purchase the Duel Pass bundle in this section of the shop, which will give you access to the premium variant of Master Duel’s battle pass.
Solo Mode
By completing Solo Mode campaigns, players can earn cards from certain archetypes. This includes other Structure Decks and more, though they vary based on the campaign and will need to be individually unlocked by going through the story.
Duel Pass
You won’t be getting individual cards or Booster Packs by completing the Duel Pass, but as you increase your grade, you will earn resources that will help you get the cards you need.
Both the free-to-play Normal and premium Gold Duel Pass reward tracks include Crafting Points of varying rarities and Gems. These will let you either generate the cards you need by using the crafting system or purchasing packs.
You can also get a Pot of Greed Mate to use in duels if you reach Grade 100 by the end of the first Duel pass.
Crafting
Outside of using the Shop, players will likely get the most use out of Master Duel’s crafting system when it comes to collecting cards.
Just like in every other iteration of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Master Duel divides its cards based on rarity, with higher rarities usually representing the most sought-after cards in the game. As of now, Master Duel features Normal, Rare, Super Rare, and Ultra Rare card rarities.
From the Deck menu, players can search for any card featured in the game and view how to obtain it. And, for the purpose of crafting, this includes how many Crafting Points are needed to generate the card in question.
Players can dismantle any card in the game that isn’t obtained through special means, such as the Starter Deck, Structure Deck, or other similar products. Once complete, players will receive 10 Crafting Points of the rarity dismantled card. Doing this three times will let you generate a card of that rarity, seeing as every card in the game requires 30 Crafting Points of a matching rarity to generate.
Be careful, because you won’t be able to undo this process. Once dismantled, you can’t bring a card back unless you generate or obtain another copy.
