Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel SelfTK grinding, how & why you should consider it.

Introduction.

Master Duel is a competitive F2P game in which you grind for crafting stones & gems. It can be tiring trying to stay on top of everything, so here is a strategy for quickly grinding out your dailies and Duel Pass. This is ideal for when you don't feel up to grind ranked, but you still want to accomplish your dailies and progress through your Duel Pass.

Quick Q&A Before I Start.

Q. Isn't SelfTK nerfed or something from when the XYZ Festival?

A. Yes but it's still worth it. Regardless of whether you win or lose, (excluding the daily mission of winning a duel) your actions will contribue to your daily missions and the duel will contribute to your Duel Pass. Most rewards that are worth it in events are tied to missions during the events which you'll accomplish quickly by just continuing to SelfTK. Climbing to the 5500 thresholds in events, which is the threshold when you stop gaining gems and start gaining Legacy Packs, is just a matter of time. To add to this, some players will surrender because they dropped their combo going first, get embarrassed and scoop, giving you a win. You might also find a fellow SelfTK player, giving you further wins.

Q. Why should I do SelfTK?

A. It saves time.

Every Duel Pass has 100CP-UR & 100CP-SR, bonus goods like extra mates and wallpapers, and they pay for themselves. The Crafting Points (CP) you gain from the Duel Pass are enough to craft a play set of a UR & SR cards that could save you from pulling from secret packs. Losing gives 50 to your Duel Pass, winning gives 100-120ish; you can lose 3 times faster than winning once when you're actively making yourself lose, making losing on purpose a time saving way of finishing your Duel Pass.

You get 3 daily missions every day and each daily mission is worth 40 gems. Altogether you get 120 gems. You also get 20 from daily login bonuses (which can increase depending on if a special event is on) and you get 5 gems for Duel Live. You can quickly get this out the way every day while working on your Duel Pass. On average that's a 10 pull or 2 structure decks roughly every 7 days. Working on your dailies also contributes to your Duel Pass.

Events & event missions are the big jackpot times to do this because there are so many rewards for just playing cards. With the SelfTK strategy, you can get 3000+ gems from getting the event medals and doing the event missions incredibly fast. Also you can always start playing properly whenever you feel. Events are not tied to ranked so if you care about your rank, events are the perfect time to perform this strategy. Playing events also contributes to your Duel Pass.

Q. When should I SelfTK?

A. Start of the ranked season, End of the ranked season and during events.

At the start of the ranked season, you can just blow yourself up to pass time. You'll be working through your Duel Pass & you'll also be giving lower ranked players - who might be here just starting the game - a little boost in resources as well.

The end of a ranked season is also a good time to do the strategy. Remember in season 1 where players found out that, when you start a new season, you do not get the gems for the ranks you passed when it resets? You lose the gem rewards for those "skipped" ranks. People made a stink the first time the ranks got reset and we got the gems, but they've stopped giving out those gems since. If you don't care about your rank, just SelfTK to push your rank down as low as possible before the rank reset to claim more gem rewards for ranking up. I personally think this is the best reason to do it. Rank placements are just bragging rights but the gem rewards are more valuable, so doing this to get more I believe is completely worth your time.

Event Duel rewards for losing were nerfed once people realised that the SelfTK strategy was optimal for getting rewards, but it's not enough as losing with the SelfTK strategy is still a faster method for doing your Duel Pass and completing the event missions than trying to win duels. It's slower than what it once was, but it's faster than trying to win all the time.

Q. Do I need SR/UR for this?

A. No there are completely N/R variants of the deck with SR/UR cards just existing to make it easier.

Q. Should I feel bad for this?

A. Absolutely not.

Steam is a bit different from other platforms. On PS4 & Switch, if you feel your account is stuck with poor cards and/or decks and you can't really progress, you can always just start from scratch by making a burner account/profile that's easy to swap between. Then you can start again; harvest the bounty of starting rewards, pull better cards and make better decks. This can also be done an infinite amount of times until it works. Many YGO Youtube content creators can even be seen doing this multiple times early on to make various meta deck lists + F2P account challenges to high rank.

On Steam, the account you have is the one you get. It's not realistic to create multiple steam accounts the same way you would make multiple PSN/Switch Profiles. This is just a method to ensure the value of your account without having to treat it like a full time job where you need to continue pumping hours of effort to make sure you can consistently get resources so that you can stay competitive.

You can check my Achievements in the game. I got "To Greater Heights" long before "Beginner no more" meaning I have played ranked for the actual game way before considering options like this. I just think it's silly to think this as a method doesn't work, has no point, or is somehow morally bad to do.

The Cards You Can Use For It.

The SelfTK Deck.

The goal of the SelfTK Deck is to drop your own LP to zero by activating cards which will accomplish your daily and/or event missions, all while receiving Duel Pass EXP. You will do every mission faster, and fill out your Duel Pass EXP faster too, using this method rather than actually playing a drawn out 5-15 minute game.

There are many cards in YGO that will help us reach this "win" condition and many of these cards are either Normal or Rare rarity which makes this deck incredibly cheap to craft. The deck makes heavy use of generic cards as they can bypass many event restrictions unlike other decks and they're unlikely to be banned for future events.

DO NOT craft any of the SR/UR cards listed below for the purpose of this deck, this is just a reference of what sort of cards to put in your deck. N/R CPs are effectively a disposable resource, but SR/UR CPs are a very valuable resource. Do not waste them on a funny grinding deck. If you have the cards already, feel free to use them

The N/R Cards of worth of mention I know of.

Garbage Lord (N)

Special summons himself for 2000LP cost. 0 attack so he can also just swing into the opponent's biggest threat for full damage. It also makes a material to use for link/synchro/XYZ summoning to fulfil daily rewards involving using those summoning methods.

Garbage Ogre (N)

Can be discarded to add Garbage Lord from your deck to your hand.

Mystic Tomato (N)

Can battle an opponents monster for you taking damage. He then floats into himself 2 more times potentially and then end on floating into a 0 ATK monster like Garbage Lord for another swing.

U.A. Signing Deal (R) + U.A. Dreadnought Dunker (N)

It's a Dark Magic Curtain for U.A. monsters. Summoning Dunker off of this burns 2100LP. If you happen to have a U.A. Playmaker or Manager, those will burn an extra 300LP but remember: do not craft SR/UR cards for this deck.

Destruction of Destiny (N)

Mills 3 of your cards, burns you for 1000LP for each card that's a spell. It's not a cost, but a result so this can kill you.

Cybernetic Fusion Support (N)

A Quick-Play Spell that can be activated for no reason that just halves your life points. One of the easiest 3 offs in the deck. Almost instantly declares your intent to the opponent.

Malevolent Mech - Goku En (R)

Summons itself without tribute, but then pops itself during the end phase of your turn, burning you for 2400LP. Pairs very well with some other cards.

Performapal Popperup (R)

This is like your deck's Magical Mallet, except it also just burns you for the amount of cards in your hand. Going second this + Cybernetic Fusion Support is a Self FTK.

White Veil (R)

When this equipped card goes from the field to the GY, it burns for 3000LP. Pairs well with anything you're going to use for an Extra Deck summon or Malevolent Mech - Goku En for a 5400LP burn combo.

Lucky Punch (N)

This is your big bomb. If you pull 3 heads, you can draw 3 or if you pull 3 tails, it destroys itself. When this card is destroyed, you take 6000LP burn damage. You can run Dust Tornado or Mystical space Typhoon to make this 6000LP burn effect go off more often.

Giant Kozaky (N)

If you don't have Kozaky on the field, he instantly dies & burns you for 2500LP. If you have the SR card "Relay Soul," you can Self FTK.

Kozmoll Wickedwitch (N)

Can spend 1000LP to make it invincible, even during your opponent's turn.

Hieroglyph Lithograph (N)

Spend 1000LP to make your hand size limit 7 (BROKEN).

Toon World (N)

Activate this card by paying 1000 LP.

Appointer of the Red Lotus (N)

Pay 2000 to reveal your hand, then rip 1 card from your opponent's hand. Good if they show intent of stopping you for some reason; just take a method of stopping you away.

Destructive Draw (R)

When activated, you can draw 1 extra card on your next turn if your hand is empty &, if destroyed, you take 3000 damage. Even if you cannot destroy it, you take 700LP during your end phase making this another great card for the SelfTK strategy.

The Agent of Creation Venus (R) + Mystical Shine Ball (R)

Burns for 500LP 3 times to special summon 3 normal monsters. You can use those monsters to link climb for dailies.

The Agent of Destruction Venus (R)

Combos with the Creation Venus to loop burning yourself 3 times for 500LP.

Dark Magic Curtain (R)

If you have a spare Dark Magician from buying the structure deck or pulling it, you can run 3 of this to summon Dark Magician fom your deck for half your current life.

Fairy Wind (R)

Pops all face up Spell/Traps and burns both you and your opponent 300 for each card popped by this effect. Good for popping your own Lucky Punch and Destructive Draw and for getting that last bit of chip, ending off a chain of other self burning spells.

Extinction on Schedule (N)

Pay 2000LP to send everything to the GY in 3 battle phases.

Mind Drain (N)

Pay 1000LP to stop hand traps. They can't ash your Destruction of Destiny now.

Abyssal Designator (N)

Declare Zombie / Fire after paying 1000LP to kill Ash Blossom to protect Destruction of Destiny.

Twister (N)

Pay 500LP to pop a face up spell or trap. Good for popping Lucky Punch, White Veil or Destructive Draw.

Ring of Destruction (R)

Saves you time vs Galaxy Eyes by self burning for 3000/4000LP and is generally good. Errata didn't really hurt the card for our purpose. If your opponent gives you LP with cards like Upstart Goblin, you can potentially win with this card. Worth keeping in mind.

Gravity Controller (R)

Make an Extra Deck monster in the Extra Monster Zone and then make it into this for dailies farming.

Cardcar D (R)

Budget draw 2 + you most likely left an empty board to swing into so you'll probably self kill next turn or they'll just kill you.

The SR/UR Cards of worth of mention I know of.

Pot of (X) (SR)

Any card that lets you draw is good. The +1 pots for banishing are especially valuable.

Dragon Shrine (SR) + Foolish Burial (UR) + Destrudo the Lost Dragon's Frisson (SR)

You pay half your life to summon it. It also special summons a tuner for a level 7 synchro summon. Great for doing our dailies and the "win" con.

Dark Magician (UR)

Makes Dark Magic Curtain live so that you can spend half your LP. You're likely to have him since he's a part of a structure deck with Magician's Souls.

Relay Soul (SR)

Instantly lose by summoning Giant Kozaky off of this.

Solemn Judgement (UR)

Pay half your life for an omni negate. Either negate something worthless or stop someone trying to disrupt you. A Bundle has a copy of this + 10 Master Packs so putting it in makes sense.

A Quick Deck List To Copy.

SelfTK grinding, how & why you should consider it. image 94

A quick Deck list to copy.

If you've read the guide and think this is a sound strategy, here is a quick deck list to copy. Every card in this deck is either N/R rarity, in a starting deck, given to you or in a bundle you should definitely buy. Depending on your dailies you might want to change a few cards. Replace cards with other cards listed above, better cards you have and what ever else will help you deal with your current dailies.

---- Monsters 13 ----

3x Garbage Lord

3x Garbage Ogre

3x Giant Kozaky

3x Malevolent Mech - Goku En

1x Dreadnought Dunker

---- Spells 14 ----

3x U.A. Signing Deal

3x Performapal Popperup

3x White Veil

2x Twister

3x Cybernetic Fusion Support

---- Traps 13 ----

3x Destruction of Destiny

3x Fairy Wind

1x Solemn Judgement

3x Destructive Draw

3x Lucky Punch

---- Extra 11+ ----- (just put in what you got)

1x Mighty Warrior

1x Kachi Kochi Dragon

1x Link Spider

1x Gravity Controller

1x Lanphorhynchus

1x Defender of the Labyrinth

1x Progleo

1x Decode Talker

1x Gaia Saber, the Lightning Shadow

1x Traffic Ghost

1x Rasterliger

Source: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3029558060

SelfTK grinding, how & why you should consider it.

Introduction.

Quick Q&A Before I Start.

The Cards You Can Use For It.

A Quick Deck List To Copy.

More Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel guilds