1. Use no more than 45 cards. 40 if you can manage.
This is the first rule because I feel that it's very important. I see
a lot of people who think that having a ton of cards in their deck is
good. It isn't. The fewer you have in your deck, the more likely you are
to draw the ones you need, and the more likely you are to win. On a similar
note, you want to use Pot of Greed and Graceful Charity as well. Both
cards speed up the deck considerably, and they both improve your hand.
Don't worry about getting decked out. It rarely happens.
2. Use Staple Cards. There are several easy to get cards
that you should be using. All of them are either non-holo or in a starter
deck.
Pot of Greed (LOB, TP3)
Graceful Charity (SDP)
Monster Reborn (all starter decks)
Change of Heart (SDY, SDP, SDJ)
Dark Hole (all starter decks)
Mystical Space Typhoon (SDP)
Scapegoat (SDJ)
Man Eater Bug
Witch of the Black Forest (MRD, SDJ)
Sangan (MRD, SDJ)
Cyber Jar (MRL)
There are some other good cards you can add in:
Waboku (various starter decks)
Magic Drain (PSV)
Trap Hole
Fissure
White Magical Hat
Robbin' Goblin
Cannon Soldier
Finally, there are a few other cards that are just fun to throw
in.
Magician of Faith
Jirai Gumo
Morphing Jar #2
Michizure
Fairy Box
Skull Lair
In addition, there are a few cards that are a little rarer that
you need in just about every deck. If nothing else, try to get ahold
of a Raigeki, Heavy Storm, and Feather Duster, but don't trade every good
card you have to get them. For the future, look at getting Mirror Force,
Call of the Haunted, Premature Burial, Snatch Steal, Exiled Force, and
Imperial Order. Other good cards (not as important as the last list) are
Torrential Tribute, Delinquent Duo, Sinister Serpent, and Magic Cylinder.
3. Make sure your deck has a theme. Don't run a Relinquished/Burn/Beadown/Fusion
Deck. Decks with a single theme are more effective.
Fusion:
If you build a Fusion Deck, be sure that you have 3 Polymerization,
and also be sure that you could use all 3 Polymerization to make the
Fusion monster. Also, it's a good idea to use at least 2 of each monster
required in a Fusion. Fusion Decks are slow, so cards like Cyber Jar are
especially good in the deck.
Beatdown:
There are a ton of people who have 3 Gemini Elves. If you choose
to run all 1800's. you won't fair very well. I'd recommend using 1-2
Zombrya the Dark for the time being. Thunder Nyan-Nyan is fairly easy
to get, and a decent substitute to Gemini. Cannon Soldier, believe it or
not, works well in beatdown decks. I'm not a fan of Tribute monsters in
most cases, but 1-2 Summoned Skull can work. A lot of beatdown users use
a lot of equips, but I don't recommend that. Monster Removal is better.
Burn:
This is one of the easiest deck types to make on a low budget.
You have Cannon Soldier, Toll, Giant Germ, Ookazi, Just Desserts, and
several more easy to get cards that can do direct damage. With this
deck, you have to watch out for Hand Depletion. If at all possible, you
should get a Fiber Jar.