The release of Xyz monsters has caused Duelists worldwide to ask themselves the same question: “How can I fit all of these new monsters into my already full Extra Deck?”  The key is to optimize your Extra Deck to contain only the monsters that really help you out and leave out the ones you rarely, if ever, use. It may be hard to figure out which Synchro and Fusion Monsters you’ll need to take out, but here are some tips you can use to help you fit some Xyz Monsters in your Extra Deck.

When you make a Deck, you want it to have a strategy which you execute in every Duel. A lot of Duelists use certain Synchro Monsters that help their strategy. For example, Revived King Ha Des is an important part of Zombie Decks, and T.G. Wonder Magician is useful for Tech Genus Decks. They also use powerful Synchro Monsters that are good in any Deck, likeBrionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier.

But they also use Synchro Monsters that they can technically Summon but probably never will, like Blackwing Armor Master in a Deck that has no Blackwings but might Monster Reborn aBlackwing – Gale the Whirlwind. If you need some space for Xyz Monsters in your Extra Deck, these are the first monsters to remove since they don’t help with the strategy of your Deck.

Some Decks run multiple copies of some Synchros, even if they hardly ever Summon more than one. Two examples of this are Stardust Dragon, and Black Rose Dragon. Their awesome abilities have landed them in just about every Extra Deck. Some people even run two or even three copies of these cards, but chances are, they never Summon more than one. If you remove the extra copies that you never Summon from your Extra Deck, then you’ll have room to fit in some Xyz Monsters and gain access to a wider range of strategies to defeat your opponents.

Most Duelists have 15 cards in their Extra Deck, even if some of these cards are extremely difficult or impossible to Summon in their Deck! To free up some space in your Extra Deck, you should assess how often you can play certain monsters. For example, if you have an Arcanite Magician in your Extra Deck, but only 1 Spellcaster-type non-Tuner monster in your entire Deck, you’re going to have a lot of trouble trying to Summon it.

Number 17: Leviathan Dragon, and Number 39: Utopia are two great replacements for cards like that. Since Xyz monsters are so much easier to Summon than Synchro or Fusion Monsters (all you have to do is have monsters on the field with matching Levels), they’re a great replacement in your Extra Deck for those tricky to Summon Synchros.

One potential trend that we could start seeing in competitive play is the addition of Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz Monsters into Side Decks. You’re allowed to swap appropriate cards from your Side Deck into your Extra Deck between games, which can give you an edge against unexpected Decks. A handful of Duelists already do this, but it will be much more common now that Xyz Monsters are around!

Two great monsters to have in your Side Deck are Chimeratech Fortress Dragon and Ally of Justice Decisive Armor. These monsters shouldn’t be in your Extra Deck all the time, due to their situational nature, but you can keep them in your Side Deck just in case you come up against a Deck with lots of Machines or LIGHT monsters. This gives your Extra Deck space to include some new cards that’ll be more useful in more matchups! If you really don’t want to remove some Synchros completely, put them in your Side Deck for when you think you’ll need them.

It might seem like a daunting task to remove some monsters from your Extra Deck to fit in Xyz Monsters, but with the right know-how it’s easy. Just remember:

1.      Use the monsters that work well with the strategy of your Deck.

2.      Don’t include too many copies of certain cards.

3.      Try to avoid really hard-to-Summon monsters unless they’re important to your Deck.

4.      Don’t forget about your Side Deck! If you’re having trouble taking out a monster, remember that you can put it in your Side Deck instead.

Xyz Monsters are already revolutionizing the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, so follow the tips listed here to make sure you have enough room in your Extra Deck to play with them!