A Beatdown Deck is a strong offensive Deck which concentrates on using high ATK-powered monsters to bring down the opponent's Life Points as quickly as possible. To have a successful Deck, players must be able to apply pressure to their opponent at the outset of the game before any real strategies can be employed. A common misstep in such a deck is to use powerful monsters simply for their power. A successful deck will include monsters that are not only powerful but have powerful effects to ensure their dominance over the field.
Very few safety cards should be included in Beatdown Decks. While a select few, such as "Magic Cylinder", may be used, Spell and Trap Cards should focus on clearing the opponent's field as quickly as possible (such as with "Mirror Force", "Torrential Tribute", and other staples) in order to provide for the full potential of the monsters. Monsters should also be Summoned to the Field as quickly as possible. A further possibility is to use Trap Monsters such as "Metal Reflect Slime". Trap Monsters help to swarm the field quickly, and can be used as tribute fodder. Cards that have a low Level but a high ATK also fit in well.
The most effective ATK stats for Beatdown Decks depend on the metagame, but generally are 1800 or higher for Level 4 or lower monsters, 2400 or higher for Level 5 and 6 monsters, and 2800 or higher for Level 7 or higher monsters.
Cards such as "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" and other powerful Normal Monsters should be left out as they contribute little to the overall function of the Deck. They should only be included if the Deck is a Level 4 Normal Monster Beatdown Deck, or based around one card, for example "Blue-Eyes White Dragon".
Any monster that requires more than one Tribute should try to be avoided unless they have a game-breaking effect (such as "Beast King Barbaros", who can be either a powerful 3000 ATK beatstick, clear the opponent's field, or be Summoned as a quick 1900 ATK beatstick).
Generally, don't expect most monsters to stay on the field for more than a few turns. Be aggressive and attack whenever possible. If one was to draw "Goblin Attack Force" before "Skill Drain", attack with "Goblin" and let it be destroyed when it switches to Defence Position. Waiting a turn or two to get "Drain" might cost a precious window of opportunity to attack the opponent's Life Points.
Cards that can target multiple cards for an attack such as "Chaos Ancient Gear Giant" are fantastic against decks based on swarming the field. The aforementioned card also has a very high attack and piercing damage, making it an overall amazing card for beatdown in general and OTKs.
Monster Cards[]
Impressive Level 4 monsters like "Gene-Warped Warwolf", "Slate Warrior", "Berserk Gorilla", "Ape Fighter", "Cactus Fighter" and any other cards with around 1900 or more ATK. "Spear Dragon" is usually one of the best bets since it has the decent 1900 attack power AND piercing damage. The downside is that it cannot attack for two turns and remains vulnerable due to its low DEF.
"Thunder King Rai-Oh" is a near-compulsory addition to a Beatdown deck, not only because is it a level 4 monster with 1900 ATK, but it stops the opponent from searching and it can tribute itself to negate a Special Summon, which is very effective against most conventional decks.
"Inspector Boarder" is a 2000 ATK monster that effectively locks down most monster effects, considerably slowing the opponent.
A great choice for a beatdown deck would be "Injection Fairy Lily". Its effect of gaining 3,000 ATK when attacking or attacked makes a death-machine against most monsters.
Alongside fast summoning, putting one "Gigantes" in a deck is usually very effective. A majority of the very good beatdown Monsters out there are EARTH-Attribute. (ie: "Berserk Gorilla", "Goblin Attack Force" (or any variation thereof), "Chainsaw Insect", "Black Tyranno", etc...), so chances are quite high for there to be at least one EARTH monster in the Graveyard before Special Summoning this monster.
"Eater of Millions" is a hard monster to get rid of that removes the opponent's best monsters and is a great way to use up Extra Deck cards that would otherwise go unused. With "Pot of Desires" it can turn into a considerable offensive threat.
Cards that increase their ATK with certain effects like "Great Maju Garzett", whose ATK becomes double that of the monster Tributed for its Summon, gives access to a greater power to beat the opponent shortly. Other monsters that can increase their ATK include "Bazoo the Soul-Eater" and "Evilswarm Salamandra", whose ATK can hit 2500 and 2450 if it is possible to banish 3 and 2 monsters from the Graveyard, respectively, and their effects last until the end of the opponent's turn so it is possible to hopefully repeat without too much trouble.
"Evil HERO Malicious Edge" is a wonderful Level 7 monster to include due to his effect that it can be tribute summoned with one tribute when the opponent has a monster on their side of the field. It also inflicts piercing damage and can be searched with "Elemental HERO Stratos".
"Dinowrestler Pankratops" is a 2600 ATK monster that can be Special Summoned if your opponent controls more monsters than you do, 500 more ATK than "Cyber Dragon".
"Honest" is a staple in most LIGHT Decks and is also very effective in LIGHT Beatdown Decks due to its ability to have a battling LIGHT monster gain ATK equal to the attack target's ATK until the end of the turn at the cost of sending "Honest" from the hand to the Graveyard.
Most of the "Code Talker" monsters gain ATK for each monster they point to or grant ATK boosts to monsters they point to, and also have other potent Beatdown effects. "Pentestag" grants your monsters that are linked the ability to inflict piercing battle damage.
Spell/Trap Cards[]
"The Seal of Orichalcos" is an excellent card to boost the ATK of all the player's monsters by 500, making level 4 cards such as "Alexandrite Dragon" as powerful as level 5 and 6 monsters.
Floodgates can slow down other Decks long enough to win.
"Waking the Dragon" is an excellent anti-meta card in general, but especially in this Deck given that it provides a finisher to complement your medium ATK monsters.
"Double Summon" lets you conduct two Normal Summons/Sets for one turn, letting you put out two beatsticks or Tribute Summon a Level 5 or 6 monster faster. This card works especially well with monsters whose effects activate when they are Normal or Tribute Summoned e.g. "Dodger Dragon" and the "Monarchs".