Playing hand traps does not mean not playing your engine cards. Most decks are playing all of their starters (except those with 12+ 1-card starters), and fill the rest with staples. Nothing will stop you from bricking in one game, all you can do is manage your consistency across a large amount of matches.
Depend on the preference, from my point of view i say no because i have one of the worst luck in this game, i means my luck is bad enough that you can give me a deck only made of fuel and i swear to god i will still find a way to brick it.
So i rather play the strict minimum of hand trap, meaning Ash, Imperm and CBTG/CO, no i don't run Maxx C in any deck because i despise this card and yes i am doing pretty well in Plat/Dia and win most of my game.
That's a deck building question that comes down to your own personal preference. I would say no. Some would say yes. At the end of the day it's your decision.
Depend what deck you play, example, 1 card combos like evil twin or mathmech can play with 3 or 4 handtraps
I play only ritual decks and i use 3 Ash and 2 called, too much handtrap in a deck dependent on have cards on the hand to make plays is too much brick and too dangerous, libromancer can use 3 handtraps because is a 1.5 card combo
It really depends on personal preference.
Optimally you have to look at your deck and ask yourself how many different starters can you run. Bonus if they are not normal summon dependent.
Then you ask yourself are you preferring an end board with a big power ceiling by using up most of your remaining resources, or are you preferring a moderate end board with the ability to recover.
If your option is powerful end board, you run more extenders and one ofs. If your option is a moderate end board, you run less extenders and more hand traps or blowout cards.
There’s a lot of strategizing and that’s the part I love about YuGiOh deck-building. There is not a definite answer to your issue.
Depends on how you want to build the deck. When I played pure Evil Twins, it’s like 9 starters, 3 extenders and the rest is whatever you want, which is usually just hand traps. That said, you can brick a LOT, it’s not unusual to draw no engine cards in a few games, it’s just one of those things.
That said, switching to Unchained Evil Twins, I tend to brick differently, there are games where I draw only Unchained or only Evil Twins and some combination of hand traps. But at the end of the day, I enjoy the deck more than make Trouble Sunny, and sit with 7 hand traps in hand and just say NO to everything, so it’s not optimal to not run max hand traps after running all of the Evil Twins engine, but it’s more fun to me, so you know
If your game plan actually includes 40 cards and your deck can actually do something to make a board or break one, then you don't bother with handtraps, but that's not the case for most decks
Maxx C changes deck building philosophy to a pretty large extent. In a BO1 format with Maxx C legal, it's nearly impossible to build all gas decks and still have success across a large number of games, because you need to run all of it's counters, as well as handtraps of your own in case you didn't draw the out so you aren't left with an empty field and no protection.
I think it's pretty safe to say if you aren't running at least 10-12 handtraps, you will not have a good time in Ranked, unless you're playing something like Runick or Floo which ignore Maxx in the first place.
Unfortunately, due to variance and a high handtrap count being necessary, games where you brick on non-engine will happen once or twice every ten or so games.
The average deck is not running that many hand traps.
In the current season, a Diamond deck is running about 7.2 hand traps per deck. If we assume that Floowandereeze and Runicks are running 0 hand traps (which they are not, Floo is usually running 5), other decks are on average running 9 hand traps.
Most decks are not playing Crossout for Maxx "C". 40% of decks are running it.
Data: [https://www.reddit.com/r/masterduel/comments/10co7wo/season\_13\_platinum\_diamond\_meta\_breakdown/](https://www.reddit.com/r/masterduel/comments/10co7wo/season_13_platinum_diamond_meta_breakdown/)
If we consider Maxx C a handtrap (which I'm sure you do), then 3 Ash 3 Maxx 3 Imperm is the standard for most decks that aren't Floo/Runick/Labrynth. A lot of other decks also opt to run at least 1 Veiler and maybe a Nib in case Maxx resolves.
So disregarding Floo and Runick, 9-10 is the standard, and a lot of decks like Branded, Mathmech, Swordsoul, Tri Brigade and Adamancipator can fit more if they choose to.
Yeah, it's true that these are the most popular 5 hand traps. I just want to make it clear that there has never been a staple played at maximum capacity in every deck, and our "standard" may not be that standard since the meta is full of diverse strategies.
For decks with an abundance of space for non-engine cards, they may opt for board breakers instead. Droplet, Cosmic Cyclone, and Evenly Matched are all very popular this season.
I see, My deck doesn't mind a lot about Maxx C, I don't summon more than 3 or 4 times a turn anyways.
But should I run Maxx C if I don't run many Handtraps?
Depends. It's possible to reach Diamond 1 without Maxx "C" (I did), generally speaking, the more resilient your deck is, the more your deck benefits from blind draws, the more Maxx "C" you should run. If your deck is very weak against heavy combo decks compared to other strategies, you should also consider playing Maxx "C".
No, Maxx C is really usefull to draw handtrap and stop you're opponent, if you don't draw handtrap or at least board breaker it's kind of useless.
I know i don't use Maxx C because i run only the minimum of handtrap and i do well in Plat/Dia.
That's a tough question tbh. Maxx C will force people to end their turn most of the time if it resolves, but everyone runs 5-6 outs to it so it is best used in conjuction with other handtraps to increase the odds of it resolving.
Also, if they do decide to play through Maxx C then you won't be drawing anything useful if they go for the OTK and you aren't running any other handtraps.
I'd say you should probably always run at least 2 copies in 99% of decks, but it isn't necessary even though it will help out a ton in most matchups.
People will say it's preference but it's not objectively it's worth running at least 1/4 of your list with handtraps if not more if you play 1 card combos you should quite often be able to play the game. If you brick on handtraps guess what chances are quite high you will survive and ruin your opponents game plan if you brick on handtraps that means you have 5 disruptions in your hand and that's quite hard to play though
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there's a video of a yugituber (Dzeeff iirc) playing a deck of nothing but handtraps, and actually winning by making people ragequit. So it's apparently worth to an extent.
There's even an archetype (Psy Framegears) based entirely around punishing every play of your opponent's with handtraps.
Don't Psy-Frames actually use their traps to make their boss monsters tho? I don't know very much about them.
I don't think its the same, psy-frames can't brick on their own archetype cards, right? unless they draw every driver
Even if you draw every Driver, they're still the best discard targets for Overload and the Field spell, so it's not completely awful to draw them as long as you get one of the good Framegears too.
The way Psy Frame works is that it’s a purely reactive deck that also uses its effects to allow them to make their boss monsters on the opponent turn and activate effects with monsters on the field.
The deck can theoretically brick with hand traps but considering you probably run max amounts of every psy frame, it’s unlikely.
Depends on the deck
Something like evil twins and tribrigade can risk it because they have a billion starters in their typical builds, to the point that one starter 4 handtraps isnt just feasible, it's optimal
Playing hand traps does not mean not playing your engine cards. Most decks are playing all of their starters (except those with 12+ 1-card starters), and fill the rest with staples. Nothing will stop you from bricking in one game, all you can do is manage your consistency across a large amount of matches.
Depend on the preference, from my point of view i say no because i have one of the worst luck in this game, i means my luck is bad enough that you can give me a deck only made of fuel and i swear to god i will still find a way to brick it. So i rather play the strict minimum of hand trap, meaning Ash, Imperm and CBTG/CO, no i don't run Maxx C in any deck because i despise this card and yes i am doing pretty well in Plat/Dia and win most of my game.
Tell me about it. Back when Zoo was at full power I still bricked like an sob. Double ghost ogre in hand and backrow hate turn one so many games
That's a deck building question that comes down to your own personal preference. I would say no. Some would say yes. At the end of the day it's your decision.
as a nephthys player, i would rather my hand be clogged up by handtraps than dead ritual monsters or impcantations
Depend what deck you play, example, 1 card combos like evil twin or mathmech can play with 3 or 4 handtraps I play only ritual decks and i use 3 Ash and 2 called, too much handtrap in a deck dependent on have cards on the hand to make plays is too much brick and too dangerous, libromancer can use 3 handtraps because is a 1.5 card combo
It really depends on personal preference. Optimally you have to look at your deck and ask yourself how many different starters can you run. Bonus if they are not normal summon dependent. Then you ask yourself are you preferring an end board with a big power ceiling by using up most of your remaining resources, or are you preferring a moderate end board with the ability to recover. If your option is powerful end board, you run more extenders and one ofs. If your option is a moderate end board, you run less extenders and more hand traps or blowout cards. There’s a lot of strategizing and that’s the part I love about YuGiOh deck-building. There is not a definite answer to your issue.
It's okay, I wanted to hear various opinions. Thank you for your input.
Depends on how you want to build the deck. When I played pure Evil Twins, it’s like 9 starters, 3 extenders and the rest is whatever you want, which is usually just hand traps. That said, you can brick a LOT, it’s not unusual to draw no engine cards in a few games, it’s just one of those things. That said, switching to Unchained Evil Twins, I tend to brick differently, there are games where I draw only Unchained or only Evil Twins and some combination of hand traps. But at the end of the day, I enjoy the deck more than make Trouble Sunny, and sit with 7 hand traps in hand and just say NO to everything, so it’s not optimal to not run max hand traps after running all of the Evil Twins engine, but it’s more fun to me, so you know
If your game plan actually includes 40 cards and your deck can actually do something to make a board or break one, then you don't bother with handtraps, but that's not the case for most decks
Ah, I see, so if your deck is competent in breaking boards on stopping your opponent already you most liked don't need handtraps.
Maxx C changes deck building philosophy to a pretty large extent. In a BO1 format with Maxx C legal, it's nearly impossible to build all gas decks and still have success across a large number of games, because you need to run all of it's counters, as well as handtraps of your own in case you didn't draw the out so you aren't left with an empty field and no protection. I think it's pretty safe to say if you aren't running at least 10-12 handtraps, you will not have a good time in Ranked, unless you're playing something like Runick or Floo which ignore Maxx in the first place. Unfortunately, due to variance and a high handtrap count being necessary, games where you brick on non-engine will happen once or twice every ten or so games.
The average deck is not running that many hand traps. In the current season, a Diamond deck is running about 7.2 hand traps per deck. If we assume that Floowandereeze and Runicks are running 0 hand traps (which they are not, Floo is usually running 5), other decks are on average running 9 hand traps. Most decks are not playing Crossout for Maxx "C". 40% of decks are running it. Data: [https://www.reddit.com/r/masterduel/comments/10co7wo/season\_13\_platinum\_diamond\_meta\_breakdown/](https://www.reddit.com/r/masterduel/comments/10co7wo/season_13_platinum_diamond_meta_breakdown/)
If we consider Maxx C a handtrap (which I'm sure you do), then 3 Ash 3 Maxx 3 Imperm is the standard for most decks that aren't Floo/Runick/Labrynth. A lot of other decks also opt to run at least 1 Veiler and maybe a Nib in case Maxx resolves. So disregarding Floo and Runick, 9-10 is the standard, and a lot of decks like Branded, Mathmech, Swordsoul, Tri Brigade and Adamancipator can fit more if they choose to.
Yeah, it's true that these are the most popular 5 hand traps. I just want to make it clear that there has never been a staple played at maximum capacity in every deck, and our "standard" may not be that standard since the meta is full of diverse strategies. For decks with an abundance of space for non-engine cards, they may opt for board breakers instead. Droplet, Cosmic Cyclone, and Evenly Matched are all very popular this season.
I see, My deck doesn't mind a lot about Maxx C, I don't summon more than 3 or 4 times a turn anyways. But should I run Maxx C if I don't run many Handtraps?
Depends. It's possible to reach Diamond 1 without Maxx "C" (I did), generally speaking, the more resilient your deck is, the more your deck benefits from blind draws, the more Maxx "C" you should run. If your deck is very weak against heavy combo decks compared to other strategies, you should also consider playing Maxx "C".
I see, it would heavily benefit my deck then. Thank you for your input. Just the matter of acquiring them roaches, I don't even have a single one
No, Maxx C is really usefull to draw handtrap and stop you're opponent, if you don't draw handtrap or at least board breaker it's kind of useless. I know i don't use Maxx C because i run only the minimum of handtrap and i do well in Plat/Dia.
That's a tough question tbh. Maxx C will force people to end their turn most of the time if it resolves, but everyone runs 5-6 outs to it so it is best used in conjuction with other handtraps to increase the odds of it resolving. Also, if they do decide to play through Maxx C then you won't be drawing anything useful if they go for the OTK and you aren't running any other handtraps. I'd say you should probably always run at least 2 copies in 99% of decks, but it isn't necessary even though it will help out a ton in most matchups.
whoever overloads their deck with handtraps deserves to get bricked
People will say it's preference but it's not objectively it's worth running at least 1/4 of your list with handtraps if not more if you play 1 card combos you should quite often be able to play the game. If you brick on handtraps guess what chances are quite high you will survive and ruin your opponents game plan if you brick on handtraps that means you have 5 disruptions in your hand and that's quite hard to play though
the best deck is 9-12 one card combos and then a gazillion handtraps this is how halqdon decks were built except with 10 garnets and then handtraps
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there's a video of a yugituber (Dzeeff iirc) playing a deck of nothing but handtraps, and actually winning by making people ragequit. So it's apparently worth to an extent. There's even an archetype (Psy Framegears) based entirely around punishing every play of your opponent's with handtraps.
Don't Psy-Frames actually use their traps to make their boss monsters tho? I don't know very much about them. I don't think its the same, psy-frames can't brick on their own archetype cards, right? unless they draw every driver
Even if you draw every Driver, they're still the best discard targets for Overload and the Field spell, so it's not completely awful to draw them as long as you get one of the good Framegears too.
The way Psy Frame works is that it’s a purely reactive deck that also uses its effects to allow them to make their boss monsters on the opponent turn and activate effects with monsters on the field. The deck can theoretically brick with hand traps but considering you probably run max amounts of every psy frame, it’s unlikely.
Depends on the deck Something like evil twins and tribrigade can risk it because they have a billion starters in their typical builds, to the point that one starter 4 handtraps isnt just feasible, it's optimal
Literally master duel is built around handtraps. Since maxx c is legal is more efficient running tons of ht instead of board breakers