Yu-Gi-Oh! has a reputation for complexity, and modern competitive decks earn it. Getting started, though, is simpler than it looks, because the publisher sells pre-built decks designed to be played as they come.

Buy a structure deck, or two

A structure deck is a fixed list: the same cards in every copy, built to work together. That makes it the cheapest sensible entry point, and buying two copies of the same deck is a common piece of advice, since the extra copies of key cards make the deck noticeably more consistent. Two different decks also let you teach a friend.

How a turn works

On your turn you draw, you may normal summon one monster, and you can set or activate spells and traps. Monsters attack in the battle phase, and damage comes off your life points. The parts that confuse new players are the extra deck, where the bigger summons live, and chains, which decide the order effects resolve in. Both make sense after a few games; neither needs to be mastered on day one.

Learn against a real person

Reading the rulebook end to end is slower than playing three games with someone who already knows the game. If you have nobody to play with, the digital versions of the game teach the turn structure well, and the rules carry over to paper.

Going to a local event

Most shops run casual nights that are friendlier than the name “tournament” suggests. Bring a legal deck, sleeves, and a way to track life points. Check the current forbidden and limited list before you go, because it changes and it decides which cards you can play.

What to buy after your first deck

Play first, buy second. After a few nights you will know whether you want more copies of what you own, a stronger version of the same strategy, or something completely different. That is a much better guide than a shopping list written by a stranger.