Entering 2021, one of the stronger archetypes in Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links was Noble Knights. Noble Knights revolve around a group of Warrior Monsters and Equip Spell Cards, and the archetype saw a significant boost when the Tales of the Noble Knights Structure Deck launched late in 2020. The deck not only made Noble Knights a bit easier to acquire, but a few new powerful Noble Knights Xyz Monsters were also added to the game.
But what should a Noble Knights deck look like in Duel Links? Let’s go over our recommendations, starting with a Skill you should definitely use with it.
Skill
While you may be tempted to use the Fields of the Warriors skills, which boosts ATK and DEF for Warrior-type monsters, we highly recommend that players use the Balance skill for Noble Knights. Since this deck build utilizes multiple Monsters, Spells, and Traps, it’s wise to use a skill that can balance the opening hand and ensure that at least one monster is in hand before the start of the duel.
Main Deck
Monster Cards
- 3 Merlin
- 3 Noble Knight Medraut
- 1 Noble Knight Drystan
- 2 Noble Knight Borz
- 1 Noble Knight Brothers
- 1 Noble Knight Pellinore
- 1 Gwenhwyfar, Queen of Noble Arms
To maximize the potential of Noble Knights, you will want to start with Noble Knight Medraut in essential every duel. While that’s next to impossible, you should be able to do get Medraut out in most cases with this build.
Noble Knight Medraut is so important that if you can attach an Equip Spell to Medraut to start off, the turn player will be able to Special Summon another Noble Knight monster and get the ball rolling.
If you do get Medraut, or Merlin (a Monster that can allow the player to Special Summon a Noble Knight from the Main Deck), in the opening, you should look to target either Borz or Drystan. In most cases, you’ll want Borz, particularly when you’re in Turn 1 or 2. Noble Knight Borz can, when equipped with an Equip Spell, dig out three Noble Arms cards from the deck. Two of those selected cards will end up in the Graveyard, but once will end up in the hand. In most cases, you’ll want to select two copies of Until Noble Arms are Needed Once Again (which we’ll get to in a bit) and Gwenhwyfar, Queen of Noble Arms, which, when equipped to a Noble Knight as an Equip Spell, offers an extra layer of protection.
Noble Knight Drystan, on the other hand, should only be brought out by Medraut’s effect when there’s a big Monster on the field that needs to be popped. Drystan, when equipped with an Equip Spell, can target one face-up monster on the field and destroy it.
Other Monsters worth adding to the deck include Noble Knight Brothers, which has 2400 DEF and has an effect that allows the turn player to draw one card, and Noble Knight Pellinore, which offers drawing power and the ability to pop a card on the field.
Spell Cards
- 3 Glory of the Noble Knights
- 1-2 Noble Arms of Destiny
- 1 Noble Arms – Arfeudutyr
- 1 Noble Arms – Caliburn
- 1 Noble Arms – Gallatin
- 2 Cosmic Cyclone (Optional)
We’ve brought up Equip Spells quite a bit already, so it shouldn’t shock you that this deck utilizes many of them. In fact, you’ll want to use four different Equip Spells in this build: Noble Arms of Destiny, Noble Arms – Arfeudutyr, Noble Arms – Caliburn, and Noble Arms – Gallatin. Each of these Equip Spells, so let’s get to what each one actually does:
- Noble Arms of Destiny – Prevents a Warrior-type Monster from being destroyed once per turn
- Noble Arms – Arfeudutyr – Destroys one set card per turn, but lowers Warrior-type Monster ATK by 500 each time effect is used
- Noble Arms- Caliburn – Warrior-type Monster gains 500 ATK, and user can gain 500 LP once per turn
- Noble Arms – Gallatin – Warrior-type Monster gain 1000 ATK, but loses 200 ATK during each subsequent turn of controller
You should be able to start with at least one of these Equip Spells in most duels. Additionally, packing three copies of Glory to the Noble Knights should also help. This Quick-Play Spell Card allows the user to pick one Noble Arms Equip Spell from the deck, making it much easier to choose the right one (Note: We should mention that Noble Arms of Destiny should be the main choice, as that Spell provides added protection).
Here’s one other note on Noble Arms Equip Spells: These Spells can return to the field once per turn if destroyed. However, there’s a caveat. This effect can only be used if there’s a Noble Knight on the field that can be equipped to it. Keep that in mind when using this build.
Trap Cards
- 2-3 Until Noble Arms are Needed Once Again
- 3 Karma Cut
- 3 Paleozoic Canadia (Optional)
- 2-3 Wall of Disruption (Optional)
There’s only one Noble Knights-specific Trap you will need for this build: Until Noble Arms are Needed Once Again. This Trap has two separate effects, both of which are quite good. First, when set on the field, this card can excavate a number of cards equal to the number of Noble Arms Equip Spells on the field. Then, the turn player can choose one of those cards and add it to hand. When in the GY, this Trap can be banished, and in return, the user can Special Summon a Monster, which must be a Noble Knight that does not have the same name as Noble Knight that’s in the Graveyard from the deck.
That’s really the only Trap that’s necessary for this build. However, because this deck utilizes Balance, you’ll need at least six Traps nevertheless. However, you should have somewhere between eight or nine Traps in this build, so you should consider adding copies of Karma Cut (which have almost become a necessity in the current meta), Paleozoic Canadia, or Wall of Disruption.
Extra Deck
- 2 Artorigus, King of the Noble Knights (Xyz)
- 2 Sacred Noble Knight of King Artorigus (Xyz)
- 2 Sacred Noble Knight of King Custenmin (Xyz)
- 1 Kachi Kochi Dragon (Xyz – Optional)
Lastly, lets’ cover the Extra Deck. Most of the Extra Deck should be devoted to Noble Knight-specific Xyz monsters, particularly three different cards. Those cards are Artorigus, King of the Noble Knights, Sacred Noble Knight of King Artorigus, Sacred Noble Knight of King Custenmin. Each of these three cards has a different effect, so let’s go over what each one does:
- Artorigus, King of the Noble Knights – 4 * Xyz Monster, destroys Spell/Trap cards
- Sacred Noble Knight of King Artorigus – 5* Xyz Monster (can only be summoned when Noble Knight Medraut and Borz are on the field AND each card has an Equip Spell attached), can destroy one monster per turn
- Sacred Noble Knight of King Custenmin – 4* Xyz Monster, can send up to two Monsters back to opponent’s hand
It’s important to bust out each of these cards at the right time. For example, you might want to use King Custenmin in situations where Fortune Lady Every or any Synchro or Xyz monster is out on the field. However, you may have to use Artorigus in situations where the opponent is using a lot of different Spells and Traps.
Related: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links Blue-Eyes White Dragon deck build (2021)
By in large, this deck can be quite powerful. It’s not as overpowered as some of the other archetypes that have had their time in the sun in Duel Links, and it’s a bit bulky (the final build should be around 30 cards), but it’s still pretty good, to say the least. And, if constructed correctly, it can handle other meta decks well.
Note: This guide reflects an optimal pre-banlist Noble Knight deck build. Thanks to the Balance nerf that hit in March, the above build does not have the same consistency.
We’ll have a more detailed write-up in the future, but here’s an updated build that might work for you:
- Skill: Destiny Draw
- Monsters: 3 Merlin, 2 Noble Knight Medraut, 1 Noble Knight Drystan, 1 Noble Knight Borz, 1 Noble Knight Pellinore, 1 Gwenhwyfar, Queen of Noble Arms
- Spells: 3 Glory of the Noble Knights, 2 Noble Arms of Destiny, 1 Noble Arms – Arfeudutyr, 1 Noble Arms – Gallatin
- Traps: 3 Karma Cut, 1 Until Noble Arms are Needed Once Again
- Extra Deck: Same as above
