Mastering the Gimmick Puppet Arc Rebellion Deck in Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links 2025: Strategies, Tactics, and the New Relinquished Puppet Skill
Introduction
The Gimmick Puppet archetype, long overshadowed by faster and more consistent strategies in Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links, has surged into the 2025 meta with a powerful new tool: the Relinquished Puppet skill. Paired with the devastating Arc Rebellion Xyz Dragon, this deck combines explosive plays, board control, and relentless aggression. This article dives deep into the mechanics, strengths, weaknesses, and tactical nuances of the modern Gimmick Puppet strategy, offering a comprehensive guide for competitive play.
Core Components of the Deck
Key Monsters
Gimmick Puppet Dreary Doll: The linchpin of the deck. Its ability to Special Summon itself when destroyed and generate tokens enables quick Xyz plays.
Gimmick Puppet Magnet Doll: Facilitates Rank 8 Xyz Summons by Special Summoning itself when a Level 8 Gimmick Puppet is on the field.
Gimmick Puppet Bisque Doll: A searcher that adds consistency by retrieving combo pieces from the deck.
Arc Rebellion Xyz Dragon: The deck’s ace monster. It negates all other face-up monsters’ effects, gains ATK equal to their combined ATK, and can attack multiple times per turn.
Support Cards
Gimmick Puppet Shadow Feeler: Protects your monsters and disrupts opponents by banishing cards.
Junk Puppet: Recovers resources from the Graveyard.
Rank-Up-Magic Argent Chaos Force: Enables summoning Arc Rebellion directly from the Extra Deck.
The New Skill: Relinquished Puppet
Introduced in 2025, Relinquished Puppet revolutionizes the archetype:
Activation: Lose 1500 LP; add 1 "Gimmick Puppet" monster or "Rank-Up-Magic" spell from outside your deck to your hand.
Secondary Effect: Once per duel, if you control a Rank 8 Xyz Monster, you can attach 1 "Gimmick Puppet" from your Graveyard to it as material.
This skill mitigates the deck’s historical inconsistency by providing direct access to combo pieces while offering late-game resource recovery.
Game Plan and Tactics
Opening Plays
Turn 1 Setup:
Prioritize summoning Bisque Doll to search Dreary Doll or Magnet Doll.
Use Relinquished Puppet to grab Rank-Up-Magic or a missing monster.
Aim to establish Number 40: Gimmick Puppet of Strings (Rank 8) to threaten opponent’s monsters with its burn effect.
Aggressive Turn 2 OTK:
Summon Magnet Doll alongside Dreary Doll to Xyz Summon Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy for spell/trap negation.
Use Rank-Up-Magic to upgrade into Arc Rebellion Xyz Dragon, which can swing for game by absorbing ATK from multiple monsters.
Combo Extensions
Token Abuse: Dreary Doll’s tokens can be used with Scissor Arms or Xyz Reborn to revive monsters.
Graveyard Loops: Junk Puppet retrieves banished/destroyed monsters, enabling recurring Xyz material.
Disruption and Control
Shadow Feeler: Use during the opponent’s turn to banish key combo pieces.
Hope Harbinger: Negate spells/traps to protect your board.
Strengths
OTK Potential: Arc Rebellion can easily reach 5000+ ATK and attack multiple times, ending games in one turn.
Resource Generation: The Relinquished Puppet skill and Bisque Doll ensure consistent access to combo starters.
Board Dominance: Hope Harbinger and Number 40 create oppressive boards that disrupt opponents.
Skill Synergy: Relinquished Puppet bridges the gap between early-game setup and late-game recovery.
Weaknesses
Fragility to Disruption: A single Karma Cut or Forbidden Lance on Dreary Doll can cripple your turn.
LP Cost: The Relinquished Puppet skill’s 1500 LP cost leaves players vulnerable to burn or aggro strategies.
Dependence on Normal Summon: Without resolving Bisque Doll or Magnet Doll, the deck struggles to establish momentum.
Limited Backrow: Most builds run minimal traps, relying on monster effects for protection.
Tech Choices for 2025
Forbidden Droplet: Counter meta staples like Bounzer or Mekk-Knight Crusadia Avramax.
Xyz Tribalrivals: Protects Xyz monsters from targeting.
Limiter Removal: Doubles Arc Rebellion’s ATK for overkill damage.
Monsters (12):
3x Gimmick Puppet Dreary Doll
3x Gimmick Puppet Magnet Doll
2x Gimmick Puppet Bisque Doll
2x Scissor Arms
2x Junk Puppet
Spells/Traps (8):
2x Rank-Up-Magic Argent Chaos Force
2x Xyz Reborn
1x Limiter Removal
3x Forbidden Droplet
Extra Deck (6):
2x Arc Rebellion Xyz Dragon
2x Number 40: Gimmick Puppet of Strings
1x Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon
1x Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon
Conclusion
The Gimmick Puppet Arc Rebellion deck, supercharged by the Relinquished Puppet skill, is a glass cannon with unparalleled explosive power in Duel Links’ 2025 meta. While its reliance on unbroken combos and vulnerability to disruption remain challenges, its ability to steal games through sheer aggression makes it a thrilling and viable rogue choice. Mastery of this deck requires precise resource management and a fearless mindset—perfect for duelists who prefer high-risk, high-reward strategies.
Final Tip: Always calculate damage outputs before committing to an OTK. A misplay with Arc Rebellion’s ATK absorption could leave you open to a lethal counterattack!
