We've all had that moment where we had a friend watch us play Yugioh, then really enjoy seeing the brightly colored, beautifully illustrated cards come out, and watching the various facial expressions, verbal cues, and possibly physical actions they cause. This usually results in them wanting to learn how to play the game.

Universally, the standard plan of action was to immediately take them down to the nearest Target/Walmart/Card Shop, purchase them a Starter (or Structure) deck, and let them learn by reading the manual and following the tips and tricks on the little paper that comes with the deck ("Synchro Summon Jet Warrior by using Jet Synchron and DoppleWarrior!" etc etc). Some people would try and build them a rag-tag deck out of whatever cards they had, or lend them one of their own decks, and try and teach them in person with examples they use. This doesn't usually go down too well, because half the time they can't understand the PSCT or Card Effects, and the other half of the time they don't want to bother reading the Long-winded Card Effects or the Player Handbook.

Typically, a new player after completing this standard ritual of initiation, can play the game at a very bare-bones level. They'll typically understand Normal Summons and Tribute/Advance Summons, and the fact they can set and activate Spells and Traps, although not actually knowing what they do or when they can use them ("Can I use this yet?" or "What did that do?"). After a few sessions of learning to play, a new player will usually end up at one of two destinations:

• They'll know relatively basically how to play, and will need help learning the complicated Mechanics and how to make plays and Combos.

• They'll get frustrated with all the reading, mechanics, and realize that learning Yugioh requires a bit more effort than they expected. They'll probably just put their Starter Deck somewhere, not touch it again, and give up on Yugioh, or fall back on just watching/collecting pretty cards.

This deck is built for the people at the first destination. Learning to play Yugioh well requires enough inherent understanding of mechanics and effects that you should be able to just play a card and understand key terms in the effects. After coaching five or six people through this long and grueling process, and successfully teaching four of them to play at very competitive levels (they're all probably better than me, in all honesty), i've decided to just build a deck that'll essentially tutor them through the numerous processes that are required to learn the game, from Deck Building and balancing the deck's contents, to Mechanics and card interactions.

After thinking long and hard on what deck should be used for this purpose, I settled on a deck that fulfills the requirements that would embrace a New Player's needs. The deck would have to be viable, strong, and easily expanded or improved upon. It also had to be cheap. No player, for example, is going to want to blow 7-8 dollars each on Madolche Anjelly. The cards in the deck need to be easily understood, and widely used. Finally, it should provide a player with cards that can be used in other decks, splashed in as an engine, or used in a stand alone deck.

The deck I settled on was Performages. The entirety of the Performage archetype is made up of Common rarity cards (with exception of their only Extra Deck monster, who is a Rare). The cards are cheap, their effects are easily understood, and are versatile, encompassing many different mechanics from Inherent Special Summons, Pendulum and XYZ Summons, Paying Life and Taking Damage, and other commonly used mechanics. They're splashable in many decks, common enough that practically every player knows what they do (which can help if you're not there, and they need help playing a combo), and can very easily be expanded, improved, and altered to match their play style. They have a wide variety of combos, plays, and are viable enough to compete at the recreational (and perhaps, with tweaking and familiarity, the locals level).

Originally I was going to go with Blackwings, the deck that everyone seems to universally love as the simple and effective deck to learn how to use. But seeing that Blackwings don't really teach Pendulum interactions, which are vital to understand in this current meta, and that Blackwings are a little expensive for a new player with little money, I decided on Clowns instead.

In this deck, you will be able to provide enough examples for essentially everything vital to the game, with cards that are easily understood and are themed around a bunch of cute clowns. The main deck as a whole is less than a 10 dollar Structure/Starter Deck, and can be improved for relatively little money.

DECKLIST

Monsters (22)

• 3x Performage Damage Juggler

  The key player in every deck using the Clowns. Being able to discard it to negate battle damage will be your friend's favorite thing ever, but it's true value, as every Clown Player knows, is it's ability to search out any "Performage" monster from the deck by Banishing it from the Graveyard. It also negates an opponent's Wavering Eyes.

• 2x Performage Trick Clown

  The Clown that always comes back for more. His extreme utility as an XYZ Material provides usefulness that is visually appealing (nothing makes a new player feel super cool than having five monsters out on the field), and his seemingly massive 1000 LP cost is mitigated using Trapeze Magician, Hat Tricker or Flame Eater. He's run at 2 because you can always search him out with Damage Juggler/Plushfire or dump him with other cards. Reminder that he Special Summons ANY Performage from the Graveyard for 1000 LP, not just himself.

• 2x Performage Hat Tricker

  Instant XYZ Materials. This provides the example of inherent special summons to your friend, and makes the Triple Trapeze Magician field extremely possible and satisfying. Searchable with Damage Juggler, he's run at 2 because 3 becomes a little too much. Having Hat Tricker up also removes the penalty of Trick Clown coming back, and if he sticks around long enough, he can become a frightening 3300 ATK beater.

• 3x Performage Flame Eater

  Nobody seems to like Flame Eater, and for good enough reasons that he isn't seen in decks that use Clowns as a side engine. However, in a pure Performage deck, he shines as an inherent Special Summon each time you take effect damage (AKA Trick Clown, himself, or in rare cases, Mirror Conductor). Using him to explain some small amounts of PSCT during his interactions with Trapeze Magician (his effect still activating even with Trapeze's "never take damage" effect) is also possible. His 500 LP burn to both players makes a large difference, especially with Hat Tricker or Trapeze Magician out, and it's not even limited to once per turn. Reminder that his "Banished when leaves the field" effect does not proc when used as an XYZ Material, as stated in the Konami Rulebook Update. He's also not limited to Once Per Turn, meaning you can summon all three Flame Eaters off of one Normal Summon if they're in your hand.

• 3x Performage Plushfire

  A new key player in the Performage Deck, Plushfire special summons another Performage from the hand or deck whenever he's destroyed, whether he was a Monster or a Scale. Plushfire provides the 5 Scale in the deck, and can be used to set up some really fun combos. Reminder that Plushfire's Special Summon isn't limited to once per turn.

• 1x Performage Mirror Conductor

  Nobody really likes Mirror Conductor. He doesn't offer much in terms of Special Summons, but can easily make a large beater monster such as Photon Thrasher into a relatively weak monster. He also provides a small 500 LP burn to proc Flame Eater off on.

• 3x Magical Abductor

  Making up for the lack of 3 scales in this deck, Magical Abductor becomes one of your Spell Counter depots to search the deck for either a Pendulum Monster or a Spellcaster Monster. She's a wonderful card to have in the deck, and adds a relatively healthy amount of consistency in the deck. This card also reinforces the idea that Pendulum Monsters are treated as Spell Cards while they are scales, and introduces the (somewhat underused) Spell Counter mechanic to them.

• 3x Magical Exemplar

  Another Spell Counter depot, this card acts as another way to Special Summon your Performages, this time from the hand or Graveyard, after two Spell Cards have been played. This helps recover resources from the graveyard (for example, detached Plushfires), and being a Spellcaster fulfills the requirements for Trapeze Magician's summon.

• 2x Jigabyte

  Rawr~! A lizard man! Another inherent Special Summon, this guy pushes your non-Trapeze Magician XYZ summons a little further by special summoning himself if you control a Spellcaster monster (AKA Every other monster in the deck). Searchable with King of the Feral Imps, this guy is a bundle of fun.

Spells (11)

• 1x Wonder Wand

  This card provides a healthy 500 ATK for your monsters, and a way to dump Damage Juggler/Trick Clown for more draws. It's fun to put on Trapeze Magician for 3000 ATK, then send him to the graveyard once he's out of Materials. It's also a chance to explain that "send to graveyard" is different from "Destroy", as well as the Equip Card mechanic. Also provides easy counters for Abductor and Exemplar.

• 1x Foolish Burial

  This card sends Damage Juggler/Trick Clown easily, and generates Spell Counters. It's a simple card with immense uses.

• 2x Mystical Space Typhoon

  Staple reasons. In a pinch, pops Plushfire for more Special Summons, which you may enjoy Double Cyclone more.

• 3x Wavering Eyes

  The card that makes everyone laugh or cry. Having a Plushfire and another Scale while using this card recoups plenty of advantages, and this card can be key in enough plays. This may drop lower to 2, due to the lack of scales in the deck itself.

• 2x Bubble Barrier

  Trapeze Magician not killing itself when using its effect? Yes please. Hilariously fun card that also provides a bit of stall if needed.

• 1x Book of Moon

  A Staple card that solves quite a few problems. Also gives you the opportunity to explain Face-down interactions.

Traps (8)

• 2x Echo Oscillation

  Because Luster Pendulum is expensive and also popping Plushfire to proc him while also drawing a Card is wonderful. Also can be used on other scales, in a pinch.

• 2x Grand Horn of Heaven

  It's a cheaper alternative to Solemn Warning. Also, because the Pay 2000 from Warning isn't prevented by any of the Performages, another important thing to teach.

• 1x Dark Bribe

  A cheap negate against Grand Horns, Solemns, or other annoying Spells or Traps.

• 1x Compulsory Evacuation Device

  Staple. It's cheap and abundantly common thanks to High Speed Riders.

• 1x Call of the Haunted

  Another staple, also present in High Speed Riders. Pretty cheap, too.

• 1x Dimension Slice

  An easier, cheaper form of Karma Cut, this card banishes a monster if you Special Summon. You can use it the turn it's set if the Special Summon you conducted was an XYZ Summon.

Extra Deck (6)

• 3x Performage Trapeze Magician

  SHOW MUST GO ON!!! This guy is a bundle of fun. Detach one for a monster to attack twice! Special Summon a Performage when he gets destroyed! This guy puts a whole load of damage on the board, and makes OTKs extremely possible.

• 2x King of Feral Imps

  He tutors for Jigabyte, and has a healthy 2300 ATK. Not much to see here.

• 1x Number 58: Burner Visor

  He is so cheap. Why? I haven't the foggiest idea. But he lets your Trapeze Magician hit your opponent directly for a really cool 5000 LP Damage. Discarding two cards also lets him deal an additional 1000 damage (500 for each card, every time the equipped monster deals damage), and stacking that with the 500 Burn Damage from the numerous times you've summoned Flame Eater, or have hit your opponent in the turns prior, will result in some really great wins.

The cards below this point are simply cheap suggestions for the extra deck. Not much else is needed at this point

• 1x Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer

  Why this card is still five dollars despite being a guaranteed pull in every 2015 tin, I will never know. But his role as a staple is indisputable, and he is without a doubt the best investment one can make early on in Yugioh.

• 1x Wind-Up Zenmaister

  Another ridiculously cheap but strangely fun and effective card. Jerk preventing you from attacking with a Fiendish Chain? Use this guy to flip your monster face-down, and the Fiendish Chain will no longer be able to affect your monster when it flips back up during the end phase! This also leaves the Fiendish Chain just sitting there, taking up space. A fun way to explain Face-Down interactions with continuous effects.

• 1x Abyss Dweller

  Another extremely useful staple card. Like Castel, it's very worth the dollar or dollar fifty to get one, and will likely serve you in the long run. Also boosts itself to a cool 2200 ATK when Jigabyte is used as an XYZ Material.

• 1x Maestroke, the Symphony Djinn

  Another cheap, but effective card. This guy makes one of your opponent's monsters go to Face-down Defense Mode, making quick work of low defense/high attack threats.

• 1x Night Papilloperative

  This card is so good it's not even funny. It's cheap as hell, and for it's detach effect, it permanently gains 300 ATK for every XYZ Material on the field. Permanently. This card, is literal gold, and the fact that it's only like, 50 cents, makes it all the better.

• 1x Number 80: Rhapsody in Berserk

  Gives that Trapeze Magician 1200 additional ATK, which, when combined with Burner Visor, results in an OTK if unhindered. Also banishes cards from your opponent's graveyard, which is nice.

• 1x Starliege Paldynamo

  He negates monster effects, and makes their ATK 0. Also gives you a draw when he dies.

Now the deck as a whole isn't all that powerful at a competitive level, but it'll certainly at least give your friend something not just playable, but something easy to use, gratifying to play, and that'll teach them relatively effectively how to play yugioh. Once they get the ins and outs of this deck, they'll be sure to have the skills required to play other decks, or perhaps build a deck of their own. This deck itself is effectively as expensive, if not cheaper for them to acquire as a Structure Deck, and most likely, you'll already have the parts for it to build it for them.

If you have any suggestions on making the deck more simple, or any cheap additions that'll make the deck more viable, please, by all means, post a comment for others. Thanks for reading, and I hope that this will help you teach your friends how to play this game, because this game, although salty, is a really fun game to play.