Welcome once again, my friends! Whether you've come to learn something new or discover the next big deck, I’ve got you covered. Today, I’ll be talking about something I find pretty ferocious. The Tenpai Dragons!
Have you ever played a game called Mahjong? I’m guessing not, but this deck wants to entice you to find out what it is since the Tenpai Dragons are based on this Chinese tile based game. This One Turn Kill deck packs a serious punch and can be the end for most players if you're not too careful with how you play. Oh, and don’t forget this powerhouse can quick synchro summon while in battle, building for big damage.
Tenpai Dragons have been racing across the competitive scene. Even with the September 2024 ban list coming in to hack this dragon's wings, this deck is still going strong. It has been seen placing in the top four and even winning most regionals all over America with its ability to shut the most opponents down in their tracks. It even won the European National! I can see why some of its cards have been hit with restrictions.
Now, with a little history lesson out of the way, it’s time to get into the meat and bones for the deck!
Table of Contents
Key Monsters and Utility
Tenpai Dragon Chundra
The cool thing with these Tenpai Dragons (specifically the Red, Green and White dragons) is that when you enter the battle phase at any point, during it, you can quick synchro summon to your heart's content. If you control a FIRE Dragon monster already, you can special summon this card from your hand. Also, at the damage step, if a monster battles you can Special Summon one level 4 or lower FIRE Dragon monster from your deck, apart from Tenpai Dragon Chundra.
Tenpai Dragon Fadra
This dragon shares the same starting effect as Tenpai Dragon Chundra, but the difference is that during battle if this dragon is on the field, all your FIRE Dragon monsters are impervious to destruction! Oh, before I forget, if this card is Normal or Special Summoned, or if a monster battles at the damage step, you may Special Summon one level 4 FIRE Dragon monster from the graveyard.
Tenpai Dragon Paidra
The last of the three dragons, Paidra, shares the same starting effect as the last two, but Paidra allows you to add or set one “Sangen” spell/trap card to the hand or field. Your FIRE Dragon monsters will also take no battle damage once this card is on the field.
Sangen Summoning
With the most recent ban list, this card has been limited to only having one in the deck. Nonetheless, this card is still useful. This field spell makes it so that your FIRE Dragon monsters are unaffected by card effects during the Main Phase. Also, during this time, you can add one “Tenpai Dragon” to your deck by discarding one card from your hand. This card also combos well once you have one of your synchro Tenpai monsters on the field, as you can destroy Sangen Summoning to double the attack points of the Synchro Monster.
Sangen Kaimen
So this card has two effects, and while you can use this quick-play spell whenever you want, it's best to activate it during the battle phase since you can apply both of it’s effects only during the battle phase. Basically, this card lets you add one level 4 or lower FIRE Dragon monster to your hand from your deck and you can also special summon one FIRE Dragon from your hand.
Sangenpai Bident Dragion
The lesser of the two Synchro Tenpai Dragons, but both are integral to winning the duel. So once this monster is synchro summoned, you can special summon back one of your FIRE Dragon monsters from your graveyard. The minor downside to using it though is that you can’t special summon for the rest of the turn unless it’s dragon monsters.
The thing about these Synchro Tenpai Dragons is that they unlock special abilities based on the number of attacks that take place each turn. So with this quick effect, if 3 attacks or more have been declared, you can special summon this monster back from the graveyard while also destroying one spell/trap card on the field, which combines nicely with Sangen Kaimen.
Sangenpai Transcendent Dragion
When this card gets on the field, it’s game over for your opponent! Once this card hits the ground, your opponent must attack you if able to. Also, your opponent cannot activate cards or effects during the battle phase. When this card is synchro summoned, you can change all monsters on the field to attack positions so your enemies have no choice but to fight you.
The same effect as the last synchro monster still applies here, if 3 attacks have taken place during any turn this quick effect lets you Special Summon this card back from the graveyard while also allowing you to destroy one card on the field.
Deck List
While this deck is a bit pricey, you are buying the crème de la crème. That doesn't mean you can't swap out some of the more pricey cards for some cheaper utility if it helps your bank account!
Main Deck Monsters
3 x 
3 x 
3 x 
2 x 
1 x 
1 x Main Deck Spells/Traps
3 x 
3 x 
2 x 
2 x 
1 x 
1 x 
3 x Extra Deck
1 x 
1 x 
1 x 
1 x 
1 x 
1 x 
1 x Optional Upgrades
1 x 
1 x 
1 x 
1 x 
1 x 
1 x Combo Guide
The main combos can be done with a bunch of two card matchups in the deck that revolve around Paidra, Chundra, Sangen Kaimen and Sangen Summoning, so in that regard, it’s pretty flexible.
Combo #1
This combo is what to do when you go first, and what you need to start it all off is Tenpai Dragon Paidra and Tenpai Dragon Fadra in your hand:
- Play Sangen Kaimen to add Tenpai Dragon Paidra to your hand
- Play Tenpai Dragon Paidra and activate its effect to place Sangen Summoning onto the field
- Activate Sangen Summoning to add Tenpai Dragon Chundra to the hand from the deck by discarding one card from your hand
- Activate Tenpai Dragon Chundra from the hand and special summon it to the field
- Once both Tenpai Dragon Paidra and Tenpai Dragon Chundra are on the field you can then Synchro summon into Ancient Fairy Dragon
- Use Ancient Fairy Dragon's effect to special summon Tenpai Dragon Fadra to the field which then in turn allows you to special summon Tenpai Dragon Chundra back from the graveyard
- Finally you can use Tenpai Dragon Fadra and Tenpai Dragon Chundra to Synchro summon Sangenpai Bident Dragion to the field
Combo #2
So this following combo will show you how to one turn kill with this bad boy while using the effects of Dimension Shifter to counter your enemy's turn. All you need to use this combo is Sangen Kaimen and Tenpai Dragon Fadra. Now, let’s get stuck in!
- Use Sangen Kaimen to add Tenpai Dragon Chundra to the hand
- Normal Summon Tenpai Dragon Fadra to the field so that you can Special Summon Tenpai Dragon Chundra using its effect
- Switch to the battle phase and engage using Tenpai Dragon Chundra to Special Summon Tenpai Dragon Paidra from the deck
- You can then use Tenpai Dragon Paidra effect to set Sangen Summoning then attack with Tenpai Dragon Fadra
- Make sure to Synchro Summon using Tenpai Dragon Fadra and Tenpai Dragon Chundra into Sangenpai Bident Dragion in the battle phase
- Attack with both Tenpai Dragon Paidra and Sangenpai Bident Dragion and for a final time, Synchro Summon to bring out Trident Dragion
- Finally you can use Trident Dragion's effect to destroy the set Sangen Summoning and attack twice with the all mighty Trident Dragion, ending the duel!
Final Thoughts
So, my last thoughts on the matter… Well to be quite honest, I think this deck may be a little busted. Broken even. But that's the fun of Yu-Gi-Oh nowadays, being able to throw a lot at your opponent and throwing caution to the wind. This deck is a real contender and something to fear. So, if you want to try this out for yourself, I suggest looking into it on Master Duel since its price point can be a bit ‘ouch’ inducing. But I highly suggest you give this deck a go to gain an advantage on your opponents!
Now I’ll let you in on a little secret… If you are looking to get some great deals while increasing your power level, come down to Gathering Games to look at what we have in store and online, including all things Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG and trading card games!
And with that, I bid you adieu, but remember to keep your cool and game on.
