There is something undeniably ecstatic about defeating an opponent before he or she has a chance to react. It could be the knowledge that no opponent could have beaten you, or it could be the expression he or she wears when defeated before ever playing a single card. Whatever it is, Last Turn decks can make almost any hardened Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG veteran nostalgic for a duel that involved the card, regardless of whether that player won or lost.

In creating a Last Turn deck, consistency is the most prevalent issue. You don’t need to show off. All you need to do is play three cards: Jowgen the Spiritualist, Wall of Revealing Light, and Last Turn. If you aren’t aware of the ruling regarding this situation, you pay enough life points to use Last Turn via the Wall, and summon Jowgen. When you activate Last Turn, your opponent’s field and hand are sent to the graveyard, but he or she cannot special summon a monster due to Jowgen’s effect. Therefore, you win, because you are the duelist with a monster remaining on the field.

Today, we’ll walk through this deck, and consider some of the new additions that allow it to run even faster than it did when it was legal in all formats. This deck can take Chaos by storm, never even letting them consider summoning a Dragon or Soldier.

The Monsters:

The monsters are slim because we want to play almost our entire hand on turn 1. The only monster we really want to have to play is Jowgen, because he is part of the combo. The rest of the monsters will just make the deck more stable.  

Monsters: 9

1 Witch of the Black Forest

1 Sangan

1 Morphing Jar

3 Jowgen the Spiritualist

3 A Cat of Ill Omen

We have three copies of Jowgen. The other six monsters just search out pieces of the game-winning combination. A Cat of Ill Omen can search for two pieces of the combo, while the other three can search for either Jowgen or the Cat. Then, of course, let’s not forget the best friend of any combo deck: Morphing Jar. So what if you give your opponent five free cards? He or she will never get to play them!

The Spells:

The spells represent over a quarter of the deck, and you’ll quickly realize their only function is to draw cards. This means that one-fourth of your deck will raise your chances of completing the combination before your opponent even draws: an alarmingly high number. Dark World Dealings, as I’ve stated elsewhere, is an incredible addition to the Traditional format—giving one-turn KO (OTK) decks another card to filter through the deck. Also, the recent removal of Upstart Goblin from the Limited list makes it a prime candidate for triplets, quickly drawing cards and making Last Turn a condition that’s slightly easier to fulfill.

Spells: 13

1 Pot of Greed

1 Graceful Charity

1 Card Destruction

1 Magical Stone Excavation

3 Dark World Dealings

3 Upstart Goblin

3 Magical Mallet

The single copy of Magical Stone Excavation is also new, allowing you to fish out the Last Turn that got destroyed by Heavy Storm a turn previous. It’s just a trump card that allows you to come back from what would otherwise be an impossible situation.

The Traps:

Finally, we look at what is arguably the most important part of the deck, the traps. This contains two parts of the combo: Last Turn and Wall of Revealing Light. The rest of the deck is just an attempt to draw these two cards, plus a copy of Jowgen (which isn’t that ambitious of a goal).

Traps: 18

1 Last Turn

2 Reckless Greed

3 Self-Destruct Button

3 Wall of Revealing Light

3 Jar of Greed

3 Waboku

3 Threatening Roar

To compliment the pieces of the combo, we have five cards that will draw even more of your deck: three copies of Jar of Greed and two copies of Reckless Greed, both at their maximum numbers. Also, I’ve included three cards that will stop battle damage. Often when playing this deck, you’ll find that all you need is one more draw: now you can have it. Finally, three copies of Self-Destruct Button will give you even more options—when you can’t win the game, you can tie it!

Playing the Deck:

The amazing part of the Last Turn strategy is that half the concentration is simply drawing cards. You’ll notice that even a terrible hand can become a turn 2 win quickly. Remember that the most difficult part of the combo to draw is Last Turn, meaning you should never ditch it to a Mallet. Unless you already have it in your hand, it should be your immediate choice with the Cat as well. Even Sangan and Witch should be searching the Cat, in order to indirectly give you your single copy of Last Turn.

Also, remember that Last Turn is a sensitive combo: a single copy of Sinister Serpent or Jinzo (which has just been elevated to the Semi-Limited list) can ruin you. Therefore, you’ll have to act fast to avoid those threats. Also, remember that even with the perfect hand, a misplay could cost you the game. Activate the combination during your opponent’s battle phase, eliminating the threat of an in-play Sangan or in-hand Serpent.

In general, the deck is fairly simple to play. Draw cards until you get the combo, and play the combo in the correct order at the most opportune moment. In my experience, the deck wins more than 60% of the time, giving you an advantage over almost anyone you play. However, remember that this deck is weak against heavy hand control. If your local shop tends to favor running a copy each of Delinquent Duo, Confiscation, and Forceful Sentry, you might want to avoid playing this deck. Otherwise, have fun showing off a hilariously effective strategy that can stop an opponent in his or her tracks. Also, be prepared for a game 4 or even game 5: Self-Destruct Button can have some hilarious effects on a match.