Top 10 Budget Decks for the March 2013 Format

Are you poor? That's alright, you can still compete! Decks in the meta nowadays are extremely pricey, but why would you spend the money on that when you can spend a fraction of it and get a deck that works just as well, if not better?

The criteria for these decks: Main deck cannot cost over $100, extra deck is not considered, except for mandatory cards the deck runs.

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10. Blackwings

Blackwings are a deck that has been around for a very long time, and the deck refuses to give up without some kind of a fight. The deck is very simple, and has been gaining extra tech support in recent years and has been getting more and more of their toys back in the recent banlists. With Kalut back to 3, Shuras and Boras have become even bigger of an issue, and with heavy beatdown decks coming out recently, Armor Master will become more and move viable. The deck can still do a lot, and still puts a lot of punishment on the board.

Cost: Low
Speed: Mid

9. Prisma Glads

Glads have lost a lot of their steam because of the hit on Bestiari, but the deck by itself is still explosive and is still a force to contend with in the right hands. This is not the version of the deck that runs Fire Fist monsters, but, the deck can run a lot of the Fire Formation commons, such as Tenki and Tensu for extra power on the field. The deck can still accomplish a lot and is still one of the best standalone beatdown decks in the game.

Cost: Mid
Speed: Mid

8. Hazy Flame

This deck is a bit weird. The deck runs like an Xyz version of Lavals, and can go absolutely nuts if it's given the chance. The deck can draw into bad hands a lot of the time but it's boss monster is extremely useful. If you beef it up to its full potential, Hazy Flame Basilitrice is nearly unkillable, and can detach material to banish cards on the field or in grave and STILL be able to attack afterwards. Not only that, but the monsters can be Rekindled and used for Xyz summoning again. The deck also has access to a lot of Rank 6 monsters such as Photon Strike Bounzer and the upcoming Gauntlet Shooter.

Cost: Low
Speed: Mid

7. Frognarchs

Frogs are a deck that has withstood the test of time like no one's business, and has the best recycle power of any deck type in the entire game. Even though Mass Driver and DSF are banned, the deck remains alive due to its incredible ability to run tribute monsters such as Caius, Raiza, Jinzo, Vanity's Fiend, and Obelisk the Tormentor. Swap Frog, Treeborn Frog, and Ronintoadin allow the deck to be extremely versatile and resiliant, and allows for weird tech choices like main decked Enemy Controller and Creature Swap. The deck's only downside is that it doesn't run any traps due to Treeborn Frog's effect.

Cost: Low
Speed: Mid

6. Infernities

This is one of my favorite decks in the game. The deck works by abusing synchro summoning loops, and has one of the most powerful defensive trap cards in the game. With the reprint of Infernity Barrier, the deck has become even more useable, and can still explode and drop massive Synchro boss monsters on the board. With the decks reliance on having no cards in hand, the deck also techs in Void Ogre Dragon, which locks down a lot of options your opponent has.

Cost: High
Speed: High

5. E-Hero

Heros are a deck that have been around a long time and are one of the most expansive and versatile decks in the game. Whether you run Hero Gate or Bubble Beat, the deck is extremely good and extremely flexible. A lot of the cards are common or have been reprinted in recent sets, and there are always new variants coming out. Xyz monsters have also given this deck a major boost. The deck went from a Fusion heavy deck to an Extra Deck toolbox, and it's very hard to corner the deck in a situation where they can't get out.

Cost: High
Speed: High

4. Madolche

This is a deck that is going to start exploding onto the scene when LTGY comes out. With the addition of Hootcake, the deck can now drop Tiaramasu with almost no effort or cost, and allows it to main deck powerful hand traps like Veiler and Maxx "C". The deck can drop a lot on the board and maintains costant massive hand advantage. The monsters refuse to die and most of the deck recycles and reuses itself, and searches out most of itself as well. It's almost impossible to get a Madolche player down and out in terms of card advantage, and that lends them to be able to toolbox from almost any situation.

Cost: High
Speed: Mid

3. Inzektors

Inzektors are deck that used to spell horror for the meta, but have now been reduced to a much more tame form. The deck is still a major force to be reckoned with, however. When the deck gets the chance to go off the deck goes absolutely bonkers, and can spam the field with extremely powerful monsters and blow up everything your opponent has at the same time. The deck recycles itself through use of the Inzektor Sword and Giga Mantis, and Hornet and Dragonfly is still a doomsday scenario against most any deck. The deck has lost speed because of Macro decks and heavy siding of Macro, but it still can wreck when it gets the chance to.

Cost: Mid
Speed: High

2. Lightsworns

Lightsworns will never stop being a thing. Lightsworns are and always will be a major force to contend with, and with the addition to Lightrays, the deck has become even faster. The deck has destruction power in the form of Lyla and Ryko, and has recycling power in the form of the now at 3 Lumina. The deck also boosts one of the most powerful boss monsters in the game, Judgment Dragon, a boss monster so powerful people to this day continue to clamor for it to have a spot on the banlist.

Cost: Mid
Speed: Mid

1. Fire Kings

Fire Kings, because of their structure deck, have become very cheap to build a skeleton of, and are extremely powerful under the right plays. Garunix is a sight that all players should fear, and with very good reason. When Yaksha and Wolfberk come out in the TCG, the deck will go very far, and cause a lot of damage. The deck constantly recycles itself and is very adept at spamming its boss monster over and over again, and if you get 2 Garunixes looping, the game is pretty much over.

Cost: Low
Speed: High

Gladiator Fists?

I've been fucking around with the idea of combining Gladiator Beasts with Fire Fist monsters. I've been testing a bunch of different builds and different methods of making the deck work and I've come to the decklist I think works best:

MONSTERS:

Gladiator Beast Laquari x3
Gladiator Beast Darius x3
Gladiator Beast Andal x3
Gladiator Beast Bestiari 1
Rescue Rabbit x2
Effect Veiler x2
Brotherhood of the Fire Fist- Bear x1
Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Gorilla x1

SPELLS:

Fire Formation - Tenki x3
Fire Formation - Tensu x2
Mystical Space Typhoon x2
Pot of Duality x2
Monster Reborn x1
Heavy Storm x1
Dark Hole x1

TRAPS:

Gladiator Beast's War Chariot x2
Fire Formation - Tenken x2
Fire Formation - Tensen x2
Bottomless Trap Hole x2
Compulsory Evacuation Device x2
Solemn Warning x1
Solemn Judgment x1
Starlight Road x1

EXTRA DECK:

Gladiator Beast Essedarii x2
Gladiator Beast Heraklinos x1
Gladiator Beast Gyazarus x1
Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Tiger King x2
Brotherhood of the First Fist - Cardinal Commander x1
Shock Master x1
Gagaga Cowboy x1
Maestroke x1
Gem Knight Pearl x1
Photon Butterfly x1
Blackship of Corn x1
Steelswarm Roach x1
Stardust Dragon x1

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The deck is easily Tier 2, possibly high Tier 2. The addition of Fire Formation cards being generic Beast-Warrior support makes the deck a lot more viable, and the addition of actually being able to MAKE something out of the Andals helps as well. Tiger King first turn with a Tensen and a Tenken set is a really good way to open, since all of the Fire Formation stuff is chainable, and if they kill Tiger King, you can chain all your cards and then get his floater effect off.

Tenki makes Proving Ground pointless. I tried playing Proving Ground along with Tenki but having 6 ROTAs doesn't help and just clogs your hand with monsters. The deck plays really heavy backrow, and playing with lots of monsters in hand fucks up your plays. Most of the time you don't even need all 3 Tenkis, and most of the time Tenki is just used to get Bear or Gorilla.

Why only 1 Bear? 3 gets way too cloggy. The point of the deck is to abuse the Glads, not the Fire Fists. The Fire Fists are just the cherry on top that add to the mix. Bear is only needed because he can get toolboxed and its effect only really needs to go off once. I'm not trying to do a bunch of fancy shit where I blow stuff up and then set things and try and do all these flashy plays. I'm not here to be flashy, I'm here to beat face.

The same reasoning goes with Gorilla at 1.

Let me know what y'all thnk.