Introducing the Mischief Doers

Ever since their release in 2018, Prank-Kids has been classified as a rogue-tier deck. Their playstyle connects Fusion and Link Summoning, all while playing little pranks like healing and burning!

Over the last couple of years the Fusion mechanic has evolved from being a costly play that requires 1 Polymerization spell and at least 2 fusion material monsters into 1-card combos such as Magical Meltdown.

Link Summoning was first introduced together with the Extra Monster Zone (EMZ) in 2017 to change the game. Back then, all monsters summoned from the extra deck could only be summoned to either:

• Any empty EMZ
• Any monster zone belonging to you that a Link monster has its arrows directly pointed to

With the implementation of Master Rule 5, only Pendulum and Link Monsters have the above-stated restrictions, and with that said, the purple side of the Prank-Kids are now free to roam the field!

Meet the Practical Jokers

Juveniles

• 3 Fansies (mill Prank-Kids card)
• 3 Lampsies (burns your opponent for 500lp
• 3 Dropsies (heals you for 1000lp)
• 3 Rocksies (banish 1 to draw 1)

These Kids are your Fusion and/or Link materials. Not only do they provide you with the above effects, but they also replace themselves with another color when used as material for one of the Animals or Vehicles.

Capers

• 2-3 Dodo-Doodle (searches S/T, tributes to add back 2 cards)
• 1 Bow-Wow (gives a 1000 ATK baboost, tributes during opp turn to add back 2 cards)
• 2 Meow (banish during opp turn to substitute for tribute cost)
• 0-1 Roaster (tributes to destroy ALL opponent's S/T)
• 1-2 Battle Butler (tributes to destroy ALL opponent's monsters)
• 1-2 Rocket Ride (tributes to revive 2 non-fusions)
• 1 Washer (tributes during opp turn to resurrect 2 non-fusions)

These are the Animals that your Kids will turn into to gain those flashy effects all while replacing themselves. You should be allocating around 8-9 Extra Deck slots for these cards as you won’t be making many plays efficiently without them.

4P

• 1-2 Prank-Kids Pandemonium (Fusion but not named polymerization)
• 2-3 Prank-Kids Place (searches Kid on activation, and Fusion/Link bonus effects)
• 1 Prank-Kids Pranks (discard 1 card for a token, End Phase Disciples of the True Dracophoenix)
• 0-1 Prank-Kids Plan (Link summon during opp turn)

These are what your Doodles will be searching for. Players have cut Plan more recently as it is a win-more card. 

Starting your Trickery

Ever since their release in 2018, the Prank-Kids start off their turn by fusion summoning, while triggering their Kids’ effects. The Kids will replace themselves to ladder up into a big monster or fuse into a Butler. With the upcoming release of Meow-Meow, the deck is able to have a more consistent startup.

Prank-Kids Meow-Meow
EARTH Beast / Link / Effect
Link 1 ATK 1000
Materials: 1 Level 4 or lower Prank-Kids
You can only Link Summon “Prank-Kids Meow Meow(s)" once per turn. If a "Prank-Kids" monster you control would Tribute itself to activate its effect during the opponent's turn, you can banish this card from your field or GY instead. You can only use this effect of "Prankd-Kids Meow-Meow once per turn.

What does Meow do specifically? Well, it's a Prank-Kids Link monster that only requires any 1 Kid, effectively granting you direct access to the Kid’s effect. It’s simple, yet very effective. Back in 2018, Prank-Kids combos had a strict requirement of at least 2 Kids and a fusion spell to start, making it more difficult to combo. With Meow, you can do it more efficiently with just 1 Kid!

Any Juvenile will do the trick

As in all combo decks, you should be resolving as many effects in 1 turn as possible. This combo gives you the ability to be able to activate 2 Raigekis during your opponent’s turn

1. Normal summon Kid A
2. Link Summon Meow to trigger Kid A’s effect to summon Fansies
3. Fansies + Meow link into Bark
4. Fansies mill Prank and summon Kid B
5. Kid B + Bark link into Doodle
6. Doodle search Place, and Kid B will summon Kid C
7. Doodle tribute to retrieve Prank and Kid A/B
8. Use Prank to discard whichever kid you retrieved for token
9. Token into Linkuriboh
10. Linkuriboh + Kid C into Predaplant Verte Anaconda
11. Pay 2000 LP, send Red-Eyes Fusion Thunder Dragon Fusion from your deck to the GY, Fusion Summon Battle Butler by returning Fansies, Lampsies and Dropsies into the deck
12. Prank returns Rocksies, Doodle and Bark to draw a card.

Double Raigeki onto your opponent!

During the opponent’s turn, Meow will banish itself from the grave to use Battle Butler’s effect and because Butler is not a once per turn effect, you will be able to use it twice in a turn! 

Sounds pretty cool huh? This combo not only provides you with the ability to double Raigeki your opponent during their own turn, but it also recycles your Prank-Kids back into the deck for more shenanigans next turn! 

In the past, Butler or Roaster will tribute itself, only to be responded to by a Called by the Grave, which will severely cripple the whole of two turns. Meow can now protect you from that counterplay as your opponent will not be able to target your Roaster or Butler as they will not be tributing themselves yet!

Of course, you can also use generic Link support cards such as Parallel Exceed to enable some oppressive Rank 4 plays such as Abyss Dweller or even Bagooska. Not only limited to XYZ plays, but you can also even go for a potential finisher such as Accesscode Talker! 

Archetype-Specific Combos

Of course, there are other plays where you can achieve Raigeki, but even a Harpie’s Feather Duster too! This requires the use of the previously mentioned Plan. An ex-YCS champion has done the step-by-step into a video for an easier viewing or learning experience. 

Toadally Awesome cameo with the use of Polymerization! courtesy of Kozakku1313

Two (or more) monsters with different names

Having only a Prank-Kids monster in your hand will also provide you with the flexibility to go into any generic Link-2 Monster like Knightmare Phoenix to have an immediate answer to any backrow. 

Adversaries and Weaknesses

In exchange for this whole new level consistency, the deck will definitely be weaker against handtraps like Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, even a well-timed Lancea, as your combo requires you to Normal Summon. Dropping the infamous rock Nibiru will also cripple this deck, with only Prank as your follow-up play, you can only pray that your opponent doesn’t Normal Summon Seyfert next turn.

Wrapping Up

With the recent restriction of Called by the Grave to 1, and even the rising popularity of PSY-Framegear Gamma, including Polymerization in your deck will grant the ability to brute force your way through these cards, and play out your combo successfully. The Japanese players have also piloted this rogue deck into success over the past few weeks and have proven its consistency time and time again. Don’t give up on this, and let all the Kids prank your opponent as much as possible!