NEXUS

Ride of the Valkyries: An Overview

The Valkyrie archetype is an explosive, "go-second" OTK (One-Turn Kill) strategy themed around Norse mythology. Its entire game plan revolves around a singular, decisive goal: swarm the field with various Valkyrie monsters, clear the opponent's board, and then activate the unchainable Quick-Play Spell, Mischief of the Time Goddess. This powerful spell grants the player a second, consecutive Battle Phase, allowing their entire board to attack again and secure victory. While immensely powerful when its combos resolve, the archetype is notoriously fragile'?a "glass cannon" that is highly susceptible to disruption on its key starter cards.

The Pantheon of Valhalla

Core Warriors

Valkyrie Dritte

The heart of the entire strategy. On summon, she searches any "Valkyrie" card from the deck, providing unparalleled access to your engine.

Valkyrie Sechste

The primary extender. When Special Summoned, she summons another Valkyrie from the deck, quickly building board presence.

Valkyrie Zweite & Erste

Key disruption pieces. Zweite provides targeted monster destruction, while Erste offers crucial Graveyard hate and recycles your win condition.

Divine Spells

Ride of the Valkyries

The main swarm spell, allowing you to Special Summon multiple Valkyries from your hand at once. Its GY effect is the key to victory.

Mischief of the Time Goddess

The unchainable win condition. Activating this at the end of the Battle Phase grants you a second Battle Phase to finish the duel.

The "Goddess" Engine

A trio of Continuous Spells (Skuld's Oracle, Verdande's Guidance, Urd's Verdict) that provide protection and disruption for a go-first strategy.

The Path to Valhalla: Go-Second OTK

The deck's primary strategy involves a precise sequence starting with a single monster, escalating into a full board, and culminating in two Battle Phases to defeat the opponent before they can react. This combo is designed to break an established board and win on Turn 2. The goal is to summon the full might of the Valkyries and overwhelm the opponent.

Valkyrie Dritte
Missing: 3026686
1

The First Valkyrie

Normal Summon Valkyrie Dritte. Activate her effect to search Ride of the Valkyries from your Deck to your hand.

Ride of the Valkyries
Missing: 65687442
2

Summon the Squadron

Activate Ride of the Valkyries to Special Summon multiple Valkyries from your hand (e.g., Sechste, Zweite). This triggers Sechste to summon another Valkyrie from the deck.

Mischief of the Time Goddess
Missing: 92182447
3

The Final Blow

After attacking with all monsters in the Battle Phase, banish Ride of the Valkyries from your GY to search Mischief of the Time Goddess. Activate it to get a second Battle Phase and win the duel.

Ideal End Boards

Go-First: The Goddess Tower

Valkyrie Erda
Missing: 83705073
  • Valkyrie Erda: A floodgate that banishes any card sent to the opponent's GY and reduces their monsters' ATK.
  • Goddess Spells: The trio of Goddess Continuous Spells make your Valkyries untargetable and indestructible by card effects.

Go-Second: The Divine Onslaught

Valkyrie Brunhilde
Missing: 2204038
  • Full Field of Valkyries: At least 4-5 different Valkyries ready to attack, led by the powerhouse Valkyrie Brunhilde.
  • Mischief Resolved: A cleared opponent's board and Mischief of the Time Goddess activated, ready for the second, game-ending Battle Phase.

Competitive Analysis

Strengths

  • Explosive OTK: The double Battle Phase is one of the most powerful and definitive win conditions in the game.
  • Unexpected Control: The "Goddess" engine gives the deck a surprisingly resilient go-first option that many opponents do not expect.
  • Excellent Searching: Valkyrie Dritte provides consistent access to any card in the archetype.

Weaknesses

  • Extremely Fragile: Highly reliant on the Normal Summon of Valkyrie Dritte. A single hand trap can end the turn.
  • Inconsistent Hands: Prone to drawing multiple high-level monsters with no way to summon them.
  • Battle Phase Reliance: Can be shut down by effects that prevent attacks or skip the Battle Phase.

Tech Choices

  • Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen: A continuous spell that provides an extra Special Summon for your Fairy monsters.
  • One for One: A limited spell that can summon Valkyrie Sechste directly from the deck to start combos.
  • Extra Deck Toolbox: Generic Links and Xyz monsters like Beatrice can help, but must be removed from the field to use Mischief.

Banlist Impact

While the Valkyrie core remains untouched, the archetype's High reliance on Nordic Relic support cards for consistency and enabling Special Summons. The archetype benefits from generic LIGHT Fairy support but requires specific Nordic Relics to function. Trap Card support like Solemn Judgment enhances the control elements. means restrictions on generic support cards do have an impact.

Affected Synergistic Cards

Limited

  • Solemn Judgment

Meta Implications: Despite restrictions on support cards, Valkyrie's Moderate adaptability with multiple summoning methods (Synchro, Xyz, Link) and various disruption tools. Can pivot between aggressive plays with Ride of the Valkyries or control strategies with Trap Cards. The Nordic Relic engine provides flexibility in deck construction. allows the deck to remain viable with alternative tech choices.

Banlist Status Summary

+ analyzed • 0 archetype restrictions • 1 synergistic card restricted

Find Valkyrie Decks

Explore deck lists from the YGOProDeck community featuring Valkyrie. Find inspiration for your next build!

View Competitive Decks

Tournament & Tiered Lists

View All Decks

All User-Submitted Decks

Join Valkyrie Discord

Archetype Community Server