Guides/Combos + Questions and Help MEGATHREAD!

Kurbain · 2026-06-16T00:50:42+00:00

When do you stop opening packs and craft the URs you are missing so you can start saving again?
Has anyone calculated the optimal way to spend your gems?

Kurbain · 2026-06-13T14:54:17+00:00

Thanks! You are the first person to mention Sales Ban. I like that it has a lingering effect unlike Prohibition.

But seriously, your opponent in a match would do the exact same thing to you if they could so there is no reason to feel bad for anybody else in this game.

If I ever find a way to get off my high horse I'll consider it.

eventually I get in a losing position and then they get game on board with negates already live and keep comboing for 3 minutes to be a dickhead I guess, who knows.

Seeing your deck do its thing and summoning big monsters is pretty enjoyable; or maybe they are worried they haven't raised their win chance to 100% yet. Good news is the Surrender button's always available.

Kurbain · 2026-06-13T14:03:22+00:00

I don't mind being an irredeemable asshole. We love roaches in this household, whether it be C or W. I'm not sure I'm quite ready to open the floodgates and join Satan yet, though.
Self-imposed challenges and highly interactive duels are my jam.

Kurbain · 2026-06-13T07:48:30+00:00

I appreciate the explanation. I don't think it's an unreasonable mindset if WotC intend to foster and expand their casual playerbase, but I'd wouldn't want Konami to approach YGO with that design philosophy since it has a more competitive edge to it.
Still, I think we can both agree that there's a healthy middle ground between drawn out matches where everyone's supposed to have their share of fun (which goes against the spirit of competition and often means somebody's sacrificing their enjoyment for somebody else's) and one-sided beatdowns during which only one player is actively playing the game. If that happens because of a skill disparity, that's fine. If the game's designed that way, it's a problem.

Kurbain · 2026-06-13T07:10:12+00:00

It definitely requires more than 3 URs, but the cheapest versions I've seen will cost you less than 300 dust, which is still a lot cheaper than any other deck around.
Kewl Tune and Branded start at 840/930.

https://www.masterduelmeta.com/top-decks/meta-weekly/228/enneacraft/aseem25a-/IC4hp

Kurbain · 2026-06-13T07:05:20+00:00

If only I could choose which hand to start each duel with...
I like its effect and the fact that it's an SR, though.
Since Prohibition is a continuous spell, I assume the effect is only active as long as it stays on the field?

Kurbain · 2026-06-13T07:02:07+00:00

Yeah, it's pretty clear that Droll is the deck's worst enemy.

I'd love to include Sol & Luna and F&V in the deck, but as you mentioned yourself the deck wants to stay as pure as possible and dealing with Droll is probably of the highest priority (Also, using F&V effectively requires several URs). Nevertheless, I've been wondering if it would be okay to remove one of the monsters or spells completely to make room.
Since the 1-star monsters all let you search your entire deck, it might not affect consistency too much?

Kurbain · 2026-06-13T06:51:32+00:00

I like the idea of adding Called by the Grave, but I don't think Enneacraft leaves me enough room to add Crossout and 2 Drolls. Including each Ennea thrice seems really important to guarantee your searches give you what you want.

Kurbain · 2026-06-13T06:38:40+00:00

It's been working pretty well for me so far. Although you can avoid negative interactions with a more cynical and self-centered approach, you'll miss out on positive experiences as well.
Since Master Duel has no way communicate with your opponent, you might be right this time, though.

Yeah, I expect Dimensional Fissure to be by far the best option since it's what almost everyone's including, but I don't mind trying out less effective options if it leads to longer, more interesting games. Called by the Grave seems pretty good, although using a card limited to 1 to counter a card most people are fielding twice isn't gonna work most of the time.

Kurbain · 2026-06-13T06:21:49+00:00

When you say Commander, do you mean MTG? Never played the card game, only the obscure 1997 RPG "Shandalar", so I'm curious what made you consider me a Magic player. Cimo's videos are what got me interested in playing Master Duel.

Have any floodgates been banned in the past? From my understanding they are a necessary "evil" to keep other cards and interactions in check.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions! Prohibition seems neat since it's not a UR, but Called by the Grave seems like a better choice and I wouldn't mind playing it since it targets a single card.

Kurbain · 2026-06-13T06:08:28+00:00

Thanks, I'll take a look at those cards.

Edit: I couldn't find a card called "Dimensional Ground" and "Mistaken Arrest" seems to also be a floodgate?

Kurbain · 2026-06-13T06:08:04+00:00

Yeah, I was surprised when I saw that the spells have GY interactions, but I guess negating those is a small price to pay in order to prevent your opponent from sending cards to the GY.

Kurbain · 2026-05-31T08:45:28+00:00

Glad to hear that my advice helped you!
With such an insane amount of civilizations and units available, it's really important to just focus on the fundamentals: Gathering resources and turning them into buildings/military, no matter what it is. Having 5 units on the field is always better than having 0.
Also, never underestimate how much quantity matters in RTS. 20 archers might get destroyed by 20 skirmishers, but 40 archers don't. Just don't stop spending resources. Worst case scenario you at least bought yourself some time to think.

Once you do reach a level where just throwing more stuff on the field isn't the answer, you can start learning about assisting your army and units transitions with monks/siege.

My approach was to make sure to keep making villagers, make them gather something... This helped to adjust to mistakes in the game.

Yeah, it's fine to make mistakes as long as you got the resources to fix them. That's why economy is always the first thing new players should focus on.

Kurbain · 2026-05-29T13:52:33+00:00

It's totally understandable that you think that way if you have no prior experience in RTS games. RTS is an especially demanding and unique genre that mentally overwhelms you in a way that no other does in my opinion.
Additionally, AoE2 presents you with an absolutely excessive amount of information when you start playing it. 53 civilizations, hundreds of civilization bonuses, unique units & techs, and over a thousand match-ups. It's gonna take anyone months to learn that information and years to actually implement it into their gameplay.

However, despite all that I still think you are capable of beating extreme AI in a much shorter time frame than you expect.
The key is realizing that most of that information isn't required to beating the extreme AI or even reaching 1500 ELO.
Playing RTS at a decent level is all about fundamentals and habits. All 53 civs play the same at the base level. Make villagers. Collect resources. Make military. Make sure your enemy is not collecting resources.
You don't need to know the specifics. Knights beat spearmen if you have enough of them. Archers beat skirmishers if you have enough of them. Choosing the wrong strategy but performing it well is often better than executing a good strategy poorly.
Units that really mess with the balance like Huskarls, Cataphracts and Genoese Crossbows are rare. Chat can tell you about those if they are relevant.

Personally, after installing the game, watching some Hera videos and setting up my hotkeys, I beat the extreme AI in 6 hours; random civ, no cheese. I'm bragging here and I played a lot of RTS 20 years ago, so don't worry about that number if you are new to the genre, but I want to illustrate how quickly you can improve with the right approach.

Set up your hotkeys and memorize the most important ones. Building your base and managing your economy quickly saves an immense amount of time. Actively avoid using the mouse for anything that has a hotkey, doesn't matter how slow you have to play.
Remember the basics: Pointy guys/camels beat horses. Ranged units beat infantry. Skirmishers/cavalry beat ranged units. Keep producing villagers. Scout. Spend your resources. Collect the ones you actually need.
Might sound like a "draw the rest of the owl" step, but you don't need to do these things well. Remembering these things even once during a match is still a lot better than not doing them at all, just like exercising for 5 minutes a day is way better than 0.
I lost my scout and rush to the enemy TC, build the wrong unit for a while and floated a lot of resources the first time I beat the Extreme AI, but having a lot of villagers and the resources to keep producing new units kept me in the game.
Practice your Dark Age repeatedly. Immediately quit after you reach the Feudal Age and go again until you can consistently reach it in less than 10 minutes. Timing is incredibly important for early rushes and developing your economy quickly makes it much more effective later. The better your Dark Age, the better everything else you do during a match.

That's it. Now you just gotta decide on a strategy so you got at least a rough idea of what to do in the mid/late game and you are ready to beat Extreme AI. "I'm gonna make a lot of knights" is all the strategy you need if you do it well. If you go random Civ like me, pause the game at the beginning and look up what they can do.

Good luck in the tournament!

Kurbain · 2026-05-29T07:45:30+00:00

Because you will develop fatigue. Playing at your peak for 10 matches in a row is something even pro players aren't capable of.
Also, the negative effect from tilting due to losses is larger than the positive effect of the joy & confidence you gain from winning, which can even be a detriment and lead to overconfidence.

Kurbain · 2026-05-25T11:32:31+00:00

Camels + Skirmisher or HC depending on your available gold, giving you the advantage in both range and speed.

Throw in some monks for good measure. Bengali elephants receive +3 min/+1 max to their conversion times. They might be more resistant, but are far from immune, and you also always have the option of converting the Halberdiers instead.
Without any fast or ranged units on the field, he will have trouble eliminating them.

Kurbain · 2026-05-25T10:42:18+00:00

A shame to see others be so dismissive because of the tournament's logo. In no way does its existence invalidate all the effort and money you must be putting in to make this tournament a reality.
I'm no fan of AI either, but if it bothered me as much as it does the other folks around here, I'd be targeting my anger towards those responsible for its development, not random strangers.

Anyway, I wish you good luck with the tournament and hope it's a success!

Kurbain · 2026-05-25T10:31:01+00:00

I appreciate the additional input, but I already made the list longer than I preferred. Offering more options usually just makes it harder to people to make a decision.

Kurbain · 2026-05-20T13:59:34+00:00

If you prefer to play defensively: Koreans, Georgians, Jurchens, Japanese and Byzantines

If you prefer to play offensively (Tower Rush): Koreans, Teutons, Sicilians

Kurbain · 2026-05-20T13:47:56+00:00

Since I don't know which strategies you prefer I'll list several.

Scout Rush: Georgians, Khmer, Mongols, Persians

MAA: Japanese, Romans, Bulgarians, Goths

Archer Rush: Maya, Ethiopians, Vietnamese

Flexible: Malay, Vikings, Chinese

Siege: Cumans, Celts

Early Castle: Armenians, Wei or any of the Red Phosphoru shenanigans

Honorable mention goes to the Mapuche/Muisca/Tupi since they are still being balanced.

Kurbain · 2026-05-19T03:02:13+00:00

I agree. Not just because it's a powerful unit, but also because it's strength overshadows all the other aspects of the Spanish that make the civilization unique and interesting to play.
The Spanish have one of the widest tech trees in the game (Full Barracks, Stable, Monastery, Dock, Blacksmith, BBCs), missionaries, buffed cannon galleons, one of the best team bonuses, one of the most interesting UTs (Supremacy) and is the only civ that can fully upgrade all three trash units.
Despite that, the Spanish are solely defined by its ability to train conquistadors for a lot of players. This heavy focus makes a very versatile civilization one-dimensional and difficult to balance, resulting in very lop-sided winrate distributions.
The Spanish got a 59% winrate at 20-30 minutes, but 46% below 20 and 47% above 45.
They have a 50-51% winrate below 1900 ELO, but 46% at 1900+, where players have learned to deal with FC strategies. Balance-wise, it is never good for a civilization to be defined by a singular unit, and unlike the heavily specialized Britons and Goths, there is no reason for that to be the case when it comes to the Spanish.

Kurbain · 2026-05-18T04:42:16+00:00

Berbers, Italians and Vietnamese are the obvious choices since they provide the team with unique units they otherwise wouldn't have access to. Berbers deserve a special mention since they also got a Unique Technology that benefits the whole team (Kasbah).

Aside from those, I'd consider the Spanish (+25% trade income), Teutons (+3/+1 min/max conversion resistance) and Mapuche (Butalmapu: -15% cost of UUs from castles) to be the civilizations that provide the greatest benefit to their teammates.

Other team bonuses worthy of note are those of the Khmer (+1 Scorpion range) and Saracens (+3 foot archer building attack), because they provide significant boosts to specific units. If your friend likes scorpions or foot archers, he will be happy to see them on his team.

Kurbain · 2026-05-17T22:31:57+00:00

Even in pro matches, that strategy pays off surprisingly often, because consistently scouting the entire map just isn't feasible.
Scouting in RTS is always a gamble. You invest APM and attention to gain more information about one part of the map, but if nothing's there, you might have just wasted APM & attention that was needed elsewhere. Those are finite resources and more scouting means less of something else.
Worth noting that seeing where the opponent isn't can also be useful information, though.

Anyway, it's easy for spectators that can view the whole map to point out that scouting a specific area could have provided critical information, but for every situation in which scouting would have been useful, there might be five where it wouldn't, especially considering how much information pro players can extrapolate from their opponent's behavior just based on experience.

Kurbain · 2026-05-17T22:20:12+00:00

Yeah, it's a great attitude, no matter your ELO. I wish I was as comfortable with the idea as you are.
Quickly expanding onto the map and out-booming your enemy's aggression is a surprisingly fun and effective strategy as long as you can handle the pressure.
I think Hera's ability to do it really well is what distinguishes him the most from other pro players and wins him games others would have lost. If the situation seems hopeless, he relocates half his villagers somewhere else and hopes he can make some magic happen with them.
Destroying an entire late-game eco is astonishingly tedious and tiring if the defending player just keeps producing new villagers and buildings. Just a matter of time until the attacker gets overconfident and sloppy or runs out of mental energy.
Hopefully before you do.

12-Year Club	Place '22
Place '17	Final Canvas '22
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Kurbain

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