Warrior-Type monsters are as old as Yu-Gi-Oh! itself, and have always helped Duelists with creating a simple strategy that teaches all the basics of what a good Deck needs. Here’s a quick look at basic cards you might use in a simple Warrior Deck and the things they can do.

Warrior Decks have always had a simple yet effective strategy behind them: Summon high ATK monsters, destroy opposing cards and start attacking! Warriors also help each other out, working together as a team by boosting the ATK/DEF of other monsters or redirecting attacks and destruction effects (Six Samurai is a perfect example of this).

Command Knight is one of the more useful monsters to have when constructing a pure Warrior Deck. While face-up on the field, Command Knight gives all of your Warriors an extra 400 ATK, often pushing them over 2000 ATK in the process. In addition Command Knight can’t be attacked while another Warrior is under your control, which means your opponent will have to take down a higher ATK monster before they can get at it. With 1900 DEF Command Knight’s a decent card to have in your opening hand too, as you can Set it without fear.

Warriors are also versatile, as Heroic Challenger – Double Lance can easily prove. When Double Lance is Normal Summoned, you can Special Summon another copy from your hand or Graveyard. The second Double Lance is Summoned in Defense Position, which helps prevent your opponent from attacking you directly, but also allows you to Xyz Summon a Rank 4 Warrior-Type monster. Number 39: Utopia, Blade Armor Ninja, Gagaga Cowboy, and the Heroic Champions, Excalibur and Gandiva, are all powerful Warriors that Double Lance can help Summon instantly, and if you used Heroic Challenger – Extra Sword as an Xyz Material instead of one of the Lances, your monster would become even stronger.

Sometimes you don’t need to do anything fancy in order to turn the tide of a Duel in your favour. Hammer Bounzer is a quick and easy way to Summon a high ATK monster, and can also shut off opposing Spell/Trap Cards when it’s attacking.

There are also many classic cards that can be added to make your Warrior Deck more powerful. D.D. Warrior Lady and D.D. Assailant have been fan favourites for years as they can get rid of any monster they please, allowing you to attack directly with your other monsters or to simply eliminate a high ATK monster quickly. They’re also good cards to Set in Defense Position, as your opponent won’t expect them when they attack, especially on their opening turn.

There are other Warriors worth checking out too. Greenkappa is a sneaky way to destroy Spell and Trap Cards, Exiled Force can Tribute itself to destroy any monster Mysterious Guard can remove 2 opposing monsters from the field and Wind-Up Soldier is a quick and easy way to Summon a 2200 ATK monster.

No Warrior Deck would be complete without Reinforcement of the Army. Reinforcement of the Army is a Spell Card that lets you add any Level 4 or lower Warrior-Type from your Deck to your hand. If you use a wide variety of monsters Reinforcement of the Army will let you pick whichever effect you need, be it some ATK boosting from Command Knight, a Double Lance to Xyz Summon with, or even an Exiled Force to get rid of any monster you please.

Warriors are a great way to go when building a simple Deck with basic combos. They have a little bit of everything and are a solid introduction to the game’s more complex strategies. If you’re new to Yu-Gi-Oh! and are putting together your first Deck, Warriors could easily be the way to go.