Galactic Evolution Tips & Decklists

Published on September 7th, 2023 by

Updated on September 7th, 2023

Galactic Evolution is the latest Selection Pack to be released in Master Duel, featuring the brand new and hotly-awaited Purrely and Mikanko archetypes, as well as new supporting cards for Galaxy/Photon Strategies! Here's a quick rundown of the newly released cards, some sample decks, and combo guides to get you started!

Take note that the following decklists are from TCG formats! This means the available pool of cards may not be playable at the same ratios due to different Forbidden and Limited Lists, or even due to certain cards being unreleased at present time in Master Duel. In these cases, note that building similar decklists is possible, and that the lists below are general and/or future guidelines for what a competitive version of the deck looks like.

Purrely

Based around bonding with your beloved pet Loading... , this Xyz strategy revolves around two Main Deck monsters and a myriad of Quick-Play Spells. With Summoning conditions similar to Zoodiac monsters in that you only need a single monster material, Purrely has answers for any situation, using their myriad Rank 2 Xyz monsters. Loading... serves to negate monster effects, Loading... is a searcher that unfortunately requires battle, however it also can return Spells and Traps to the hand thrice per turn, and finally, Loading... gorges itself on Spells and Traps in the GY while also being able to temporarily banish monsters on the field!

These smaller monsters are stepping stones to the immensely powerful offensive and defensive Rank 7's Loading... and Loading... , the latter of which acts as a Tower's that can prove insurmountable for the opponent. Purrely newcomers may be confused on how to attain the required 5 Xyz materials to benefit from additional effects, but as Loading... indicates, there are no shortage of ways to add additional materials to your Purrely Xyz monsters. Each of the Purrely Rank 2's have the ability to attach your own activated Quick-Play Spells, and the Spells themselves grant additional effects to the monsters, including stat gains, targeted removal, and additional attacks in the Battle Phase. it is easy to see how even the relatively offensively weak Loading... can become an OTK machine.

Purrely saw significant success in paper formats, so duelists should be excited to see if that is replicated in the Master Duel meta.

Top 32 at YCS Philadelphia - Nicolas Ma

41 cards

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2nd Place at Central America WCQ - Angel Fernando Ovalle Rivera

40 cards

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Top 8 at National Qualifier - Ireland - Jakob Heher

40 cards

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Mikanko

While a combination of Equip Spells, Ritual monsters, as well as Battle Phase focused may make you think you have traveled back in time to 2006, Mikanko is surprisingly modern and powerful. With a playstyle based around damage reflection and, in turn, forcing your opponent into unfavourable battle conditions through monster manipulation (through theft or removal), Mikanko would surely have a place in any going second enthusiast's heart Yu-Gi-Oh! has had a lot of Equip Spells over the years, and several of them are playable in conjunction with the archetypal boss Loading... and her ability to, without targeting, equip an Equip Spell to any monster on the field. Among the pool of Equip Spells, notable stanouds from outside the archetype include Loading... , which acts as Quick Effect negation as well as increasing the reflected damage, Loading... , which when used with Loading... prevents the targeting of any cards on the field outside of that Metalsilver Armor, and Loading... which gives a colossal boost to the damage Mikanko monsters can deal.

With that being said, Mikanko is not incapable of going first. Ohime is extremely splashable as an engine in varying decks, able to set up Quick Effect monster theft via Loading... simply by having her in your opening hand. Searching Loading... which Summons her without tribute, then using the GY effect to send the aforementioned Rondo allows for potent disruption especially in a format like the current one where decks like Spright need to stick a monster to their field to play.

Mikanko in paper formats was in the same boat as Purrely, having very little success until cards from the Cyberstorm Access set which thankfully have released in Galactic Evolution, so time will show whether players are able to match the expectations set by paper formats.

Top 8 at Regional Qualifier - Philadelphia PA

44 cards

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Top 8 at Regional Qualifier - Halifax, Canada - Todd Arthur Frank Tolbart

41 cards

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Top 8 at Regional Qualifier - Fargo, ND - Dylan Grundstrom

43 cards

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Galaxy / Photon

Long have Photon players pined for additional starter plays, and Konami has finally bequeathed upon them... additional OTK tools! Seemingly unsatisfied with the current pool of boss monsters, Loading... arrives to lay a bigger smackdown than ever before on top of a laughably easy Summoming condition. Alongside this enormous boss comes a variety of consistency boosters including Loading... , Loading... , Loading... and Loading... , all of which aid the player in laying waste to their opponent. Of comedic note is Loading... , a moderately decent card with an extremely punishing effect that discourages mass backrow removal, lest it become the End Phase immediately.

Galaxy decks never quite made it onto the competitive scene despite numerous waves of support (aside from Number 95 spearheading a deck nearly a decade ago), but enjoyers of the deck should be satisfied with their new toys in the coming formats. Galaxy Helper

Enqirue

has been kind enough to supply some sample decklists in place of previous tops in TCG formats.