It's no secret that Structure Deck: Blue-Eyes White Destiny is the base for a great competitive deck. But how useful is it for everyone else? Let's take a look at the cards and just how potent they are, then determine who all this product is for.
A "Poplar" Trend
Maiden of White, as one of the cover cards, is emblematic as to the power level of this structure deck. With three useful effects, it is the follower in the trend of meta decks having extender, starter, and grind game all rolled into one. Maiden's first effect places True Light directly from the deck - not normally a card you would play in a Blue-Eyes deck, but it essentially becomes a Spell card here. This alone grants Blue-Eyes incredible grind game, providing search and bodies every turn.
Maiden's second effect revies herself when Blue-Eyes White Dragon is summoned. She can then be used to Synchro or Link Summon - she holds no restrictions. Her third effect is akin to Maiden with Eyes of Blue, where upon being targeted for an effect or an attack, she summons the Blue-Eyes White Dragon herself!
Humble Beginnings
Maiden's third effect wouldn't be quite so relevant without a way for the deck to target its own monsters. Enter Spirit with Eyes of Blue! This adorable engine of destruction searches for Mausoleum of White, providing an extra normal summon of a Level 1 Light Tuner - as well as a Blue-Eyes White Dragon if you target Maiden with it. Then, the baby dragon soars to its full height by tributing itself. The deck is cyclical in that everything summons Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and Maiden is always right by its side.
The Most Ultimate
The strategy of the Blue-Eyes deck, while massively updated, still has its roots in Synchro Summoning. Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon can tribute itself to Special Summon any Light Dragon Synchro from the Extra Deck. This includes the all new Blue-Eyes Ultimate Spirit Dragon! The mighty dragon is a floodgate, preventing the opponent from Banishing cards from your GY. This is generally useful to counter Bystial cards, which otherwise banish Maiden of White. Then, Ultimate Spirit Dragon is an omni-negate, and gains 1000 ATK points as a bonus. Finally, if the beast is destroyed, you may revive a Light Dragon monster. This is likely Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon - its effect destroys the monster it summons at the End Phase, so they loop into each other.
Prayers Answered
Blue-Eyes White Destiny comes with two new Spell cards: Wishes for Eyes of Blue and Roar of the Blue-Eyed Dragons. These two cards are similar to The Melody of Awakening Dragon and Silver's Cry respectively. Wishes for Eyes of Blue searches for a Level 1 Light Tuner and a Spell/Trap that mentions "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" - meaning it can find Maiden of White, and subsequently start our one card combo off of True Light!
Roar of the Blue-Eyed Dragons isn't nearly as impactful, but a great one-of that can get Blue-Eyes decks out of awkward situations. Its banish-to-fusion effect in the GY isn't half-bad either; Blue-Eyes Tyrant Dragon is a great boardbreaker!
Majestic, and Destructive
Speaking of board breakers, Majesty of the White Dragons is a non-targeting Trap that potentially destroys up to two cards on the field. Typically Majesty wouldn't be worth the time of day, but with True Light and Wishes for Eyes of Blue constantly handing you cards, it's a consideration for when your own board gets broken and you need to stop the opponent from establishing one themselves.
Reprints
Aside from containing all of the Blue-Eyes cards you would need for the competitive version of this deck, Blue-Eyes White Destiny comes with a litany of incredible reprints, including Nibiru, the Primal Being, Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Effect Veiler, and Infinite Impermanence! Frankly, from the perspective of a mid-level duelist who plays slightly competitively with friends, three copies of this structure deck is enough to have a great base for a long time.
The Dragon's Hoard
Now that we have gone over the relevant new cards from the structure deck, what else do we need to make this deck competitive competitive? The common consensus is the addition of Primite Dragon Ether Beryl, Primite Lordly Lode, and Primite Drillbeam. This package has a solid normal summon that extends into Spirit with Eyes of Blue and naturally increases the Blue-Eyes deck's grind capabilities. Both Lordly Lode and Drillbeam provide removal via battle and a Solemn Judgment-esque effect every turn, respectively.
Other options include a Crimson Dragon package and leaning towards fusions with Aleister the Invoker. Crimson Dragon allows you to tag team with Blue-Eyes Ultimate Spirit Dragon to summon Stardust Sifr Divine Dragon, protecting Ultimate Dragon alongside True Light with both destruction prevention and two disruptions. On the other hand, Aleister is a tried and true engine that also gives an extra Normal Summon that converts into Spirit With Eyes of Blue. While the former is more susceptible to Nibiru and the latter has less disruption power than the Primite engine, both give Blue-Eyes an extra push that could be the difference between having enough damage to end the game or playing out the game one more turn.
Is It Worth It?
The Blue-Eyes White Destiny structure deck has mass appeal: it's the base of a competitive deck, chock full of hand trap reprints, and appeals to the Duel Monsters crowd. Frankly, for $12 MSRP, the deck is a no-brainer when it comes to tournament play as long as you're able to pick up the Primite cards (an engine that costs $250 total as of the time of writing). Even in terms of raw value, the structure deck covers itself - you wouldn't be saving much by buying singles instead.
Frankly, the only group I would not recommend Blue-Eyes White Destiny to are highly casual players. This deck is strong, and if played correctly, puts up a floating omni-negate even if nothing is changed from its base. This may prove too powerful against unsuspecting, unoptimal decks. Otherwise, I would heartily say that this product is worth its weight in gold.
