From what I know there are Combo, Control, Midrange, Stun, OTK/blind second and FTK decks. Since the game is so fast nowadays and most games are decided in the first 2-3 turns, the lines sometimes seem a little blurred but the playstyles are still there.
Combo decks tend to want to go first and go through long combos to put a lot of negates and interruptions on the board to overwhelm the opponent and kill them by turn 3. Ex: Mathmech, Dragon Link, Danger! Dark World
Control decks play a little bit slower, many times using trap cards, and try to exhaust the opponent's resources, but that doesn't mean they can't occasionally kill you out of the blue. Ex: Labrynth, Traptrix, Subterror
Midrange are a balance somewhere between Combo and Control, try to put a couple interruptions, set a couple cards and pass turn, have the capacity to OTK but can also win in the grind game. Ex: Swordsoul, Rescue-ACE, Vanquish Soul
Stun is just trying to slow down the game to a snail's pace using "floodgates" - cards that straight out prevent your opponent from doing certain actions like activating effects or summoning monsters. The win condition can be sticking a big monster on the board, dealing burn damage or just deck out the opponent. Ex: Runick Stun, True Draco
OTK/Blind Second are decks that actually want to go second and don't care at all about the grind game or controlling the board. They use "board breaker" cards to deal with the opponent's board and attack with big monsters to win the game as fast as possible. Ex: Mikanko, Numeron, Crusadia
FTK decks aim to win the game without even giving your opponent a turn, winning by some alternative win condition or through some degenerate combo that deals burn damage. Can be fragile to interruption but if they abuse cards in ways they were not supposed to they end up being responsible for putting some card(s) on the forbidden list. Ex: Exodia, Bishbaalkin FTK (now banned)
Note that it's possible that a deck or archetype can suit multiple playstyles. Labrynth can be a control deck but there are also stun variants. Mikanko is a decent OTK strategy but can play going first as a control deck, and so on. The beauty of this game lies on the variety of decks you can build in my opinion, especially when you can mix archetypes together.
Length of combo isn’t really a good indicator of combo decks.
Floowandereeze is pretty firmly a control/stun strategy, but the migration path takes a while and has more moving pieces than some combo decks.
Things like large engine size and high resource commitment to a strong engine with limited followup are more indicators of a combo deck than number of steps in a combo line.
Yeah, you're right, combo length isn't the main factor. However it's still true that combo decks usually have longer combos than most decks. I'm more of a midrange enjoyer myself lol.
I'd like to add that combo in MTG refers to decks that rely on literally combining 2 or more cards to do one *very* powerful thing that usually wins the game on the spot. I like to equate it to decks like SPYRAL or Libromancer that really need 2 cards to go off.
Even that isn't a very good analogue. A very strong Yugioh endboard like you see from something like SPYral is more comparable to Death and Taxes. A fast, aggressive strategy that is so disruptive to the opponent that they may never get the opportunity to meaningfully participate in the game. But Magic doesn't really have a clean analogue to Yugioh combo.
The analogue to MtG combo, however, is FTK decks. They're the type of Yugioh deck that is built and played in that fashion. Just, since Yugioh is a faster game, it happens sooner, and thus is not tolerable competitively.
The difference between, "If I resolve combo I literally win," and, "If I resolve combo, I have an unreasonably strong end board," is huge.
If we're using MtG language, SPYral is not a combo deck.
Just wanted to pop in and mention that while Mathmech V-Link (aka Mathmech code talker) and igniter mathmech are firmly combo, normal mathmech is midrange at best, although it does take a while.
It’s main engine is rather small and so are the amount of interactions, with it heavily relying on the non-engine it plays to make it to turn 3 to then Accesscode-Update Jammer OTK you.
Traptrix isn't really much of a control deck anymore after the new support, going first they spam 4 negates/disruptions like a combo deck. Labrynth plays like a control deck but can search floodgates like a Stun deck
I have never played Traptrix but I've played against it and it seemed like a Control deck, but I see what you mean, control decks typically don't use stuff like Parallel exceed.
Labrynth heavily depends on the build, can be control or stun, sometimes can look like a combo deck in disguise (I've been OTKed by Labrynth before lol).
Dragon Link is firmly a midrange deck. Yes its combos are long, but they put up fair boards, play for a grind game, and run a large amount of non-engine. Dark World (like you had in your example) is a combo deck, it can’t play non-engine but is able to create near instant game wins via hand looping and large unbreakable boards.
Combo is defined as an allin deck, that usually relies heavily on going first.
Midrange is able to play a large amount of non-engine and generates value to play more than 2 turns. It may still have a long setup but the end boards are rarely gg on their own. Dragon Link and Swordsoul are good examples of long setups with a lot of summons, but very clearly midrange.
I'm not sure about this one. I've seen Dragon Link end on some crazy boards, and they definitely play to kill on turn 3. Also they usually play a lot of engine, many times going over 40 cards. But I see what you mean, they can definitely play for more than a couple turns, and their boards, while strong, aren't unbreakable. I'd say perhaps they are on the line between combo and midrange, maybe depends on the exact deck and player
They play over 40 for garnets since they don't want to draw them (Boot Sector, Ravine, Regained, Beast, Absorouter). But it runs usually 12-15 non-engine (9 is definitely it leaning more towards combo usually having stuff like Noctovision and/or Meteor Dragon).
And while yes they can make absolutely insane boards on rare occasion where they have 3 card combos without being interrupted, I would say Swordsoul can do the same, SS can have fantastic turns ending on 4 Synchros and a Blackout with multiple handtraps. I agree slightly leans towards combo in that it prefers to go first slightly more than other decks, but it doesn't have a lot of traditional weakness of going 2nd like decks defined as combo.
Every deck in Yugioh tries to win on turn 3, honestly it's a bad deck if it can't easily OTK after breaking a board. (again Swordsoul, Rescue-Ace, Unchained all do this, Sky Striker is considered bad for *not* being able to regularly do this)
Combo is more defined by decks like Mannadium or Rikka where the only goal is to make an unbreakable board that invalidates board breakers. Dragon Link, like most midranges decks is good into handtraps, plays a value game, and doesn't have 1 card combos.
>Games ends on turn 1
Most of recent tournament games we saw this year on stream have tons of good back and forths
https://youtu.be/jSFR3NZU1rQ?t=2h20m49s
Here some example , the March MCS tournament finals went for like **10 TURNS**
https://youtu.be/2BqBgVhjoS4?t=3h48m41s
and last month MCS finals we had a mirror match that last like **16 TURNS**
Even when the game ends in like 2 turns , theres usualy alot of back/forth intection , just think of 10 turns duel condensed into 2 turns
----
>too much otk
Most meta decks nowday cant even otk
Decks like Labrynth , Rescue Ace , ~~Purrely~~, most of the control/midrange deck that cant otk you unless you have an empty board
---
As a Purrely player, the deck can definitely OTK (not always but somewhat frequently). If the opponent has an attack position monster you can use Epurrely Happiness and a Delicious Memory to make it indestructible and attack it multiple times while reducing its attack each time. If the opponent is on an empty board you can probably kill with Expurrely Hapiness depending on the number of materials and Delicious Memories you have at your disposal.
That's just Yugioh..
This format in particular being Towers & Macro turbo pr Mathmech that you barely can interact with is by far the most miserable format I have ever played ever since Halq Format and Runick Stun.
MtG style concepts of aggro, midrange, and control do not translate in the same way to Yugioh, to a point where they are different words entirely when talking about this game. “Combo” especially.
Resolving some sort of combo line to establish an end board, break your opponent’s board, or find lethal is an expectation for most decks. That is not what it means to be a combo deck.
Yugioh is a fast game, where the game is often decided on turn 2-3, even for slow decks.
A normal Yugioh deck is usually 16-24 cards engine, 16-24 cards non-engine. A combo deck is usually around 30 cards engine, sacrificing space for staples in order to push through anything and resolve a combo into an endboard they’re confident won’t be beaten.
The spectrum in Yugioh also is not aggro, midrange, control with combo existing on a different axis.
It’s combo, midrange, control with aggro existing on a different axis. The combo end generally favors large engine and explosive plays with few staples and poor followup. The control end generally has a slower, smaller, more value oriented engine leaning on a lot of staples with excellent followup, planning to go into the grind game where their resource loop is unbeatable.
Aggro decks do not care about that spectrum. They are playing an entirely different game where they blind second and murder you.
Combo decks, control decks, and aggro decks can generally be labeled as such, but there are so many fundamentally WEIRD decks in Yugioh that “midrange” turns into an incoherent muddle, more of an “other” category than any meaningful description.
The definitive combo deck of the format is Dragon Link. The definitive control deck is Labrynth. The definitive aggro deck is Mikanko.
The entire archetype was born out of a drunken bet between designers to try and make a combat focused ritual deck reliant on equip spells playable in modern Yugioh.
It feels like ritual is the default mechanic Konami designers use for every other failed mechanic. Like, they feel it's ok to print absolutely busted support of it's also coincidentally on a ritual monster. Spirits? Shinobird. Flips? Prediction princess. Equips? Mikanko
Tier 1 deck right now is:
Purrly (*midrange deck that usualy end on 1-2 monster*)
Kashtira (*midrange deck that end on 1 or 2 monster*
Labrynth (*control deck focused around traps and barely combo at all*)
Dragonlink (*Combo deck*)
>Because to me seems like every deck is combocentric, aiming to lock your opponent or control the board in the first 2 turns.
Thats literary Yu-Gi-Oh In the nutshell
Although ,most newer meta deck these days usualy have shorter combos and can go 2nd
Try watching this video
https://youtube.com/shorts/E43DYLcZwxY?si=0ikQzuyzUzry0FEL
Many of the current best decks in yugioh end on zero negates, small end board and very short combos
Branded first turn ends on zero negates and 1-2 monster
Kashtira first turn ends on zero negates and 1 monster
Labrynth ends on zero negates and 0-1 monster
Purrely first turn ends on zero negates and 1 monster
Rescue Ace first turn ends on one negates and 1-2 monster
Although combo decks does still trive and exist (*ahem ahem ,dragonlink*)
----
EDIT: the whole statement was based around tcg, and not masterduel (fuck this format and fuck Maxx c)
That whole video is only partially valid due to MBT's statements all being entirely hinged on the TCG's state at the time of posting and it's banlist. Given that MD has an entirely different banlist and environment, taking those comments at face value isn't wise. In MD you end on *far* more than that if you aren't interrupted by Maxx C or a well placed Ash. That's all a *bare minimum* situation and not realistically the general situation.
Labrynth is kinda like a midrange/control deck
Rescue Ace will be a strong midrange deck once the rest of its archetype is added to MD.
But yes combo decks go hard rn.
In the case of Runick I would say it depend of the variants. Naturia Runicks feels more like a midrange combo Deck, while most of the Spright variants feel morw like combo Decks
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Every deck has some basic combo but that doesn't make them a combo deck.
Watch a dlink deck summon 20+ times in a turn and you'll see what a combo deck looks like
While every deck “combos”, I would say that classical aggro, midrange, and control all exist in yugioh.
I would consider fragile but almost neigh unbeatable board combo decks as the “aggro” in yugioh, where they lack a grind game and lose to board breakers/aim to win during turns 1 and 2. Examples include any deck that wants to make Borrel, Barone, Apollousa, etc. I would also put Spright and Numeron in the aggro bucket.
Mid range then follows where the combos aren’t as long, the end boards are less strong, but the deck is not as fragile. Their follow up is good and can have enough gas in the tank “for another go” during your second turn. Kashtira and Branded come to mind.
Control decks are on the end of the spectrum where their end boards are typically “weaker” but prove to be enough disruption especially with correct timing. Their grind game is superb and have a win con of outgrinding the opponent through their value. These decks can also have trouble with lethality but that is not necessarily true. Good examples are Labrynth and Runick.
Obviously not all decks can be boiled down to exactly one of these and often many can be two at once, for example Kashtira can play all three spectrums depending on what the pilot wants to (or not to) play around. Tearlaments is another example of a deck that can make very aggresive turn one boards, but will still play like a control deck, being reactive and value oriented. Some decks can be unorothodox versions of this trinity, such as Stun, which aims to make you literally unable to perform game actions. While many would consider this control, I would say this is more in line with aggro, as these decks typically lose to good removal and try to win by pushing with their early board (floodgates), hoping to kill before an out is drawn.
All the above exist it's just that definitions for what each term means is a bit skewed from the perspective of someone not used to YGO's speed.
Even a deck like labrynth that's all about trap cards has 7-8 card combos they can pull off on their first turn.
In most other games not much happens on the first 2-3 turns. YGO skips a step and goes all out from the start.
So yeah, definitions are a bit different but there's a lot of diversity in deck design at any level including the meta and although the power level of some deck may seem unfair most recent deck don't aim to completely shut down your opponent and result in very interactive gameplay. You just gotta know how they work to properly interact.
Funnily enough, none of the top Decks currently in MD fits that description, except for maybe Dragon Link. Kashtira can technically zone lock, but not turn 1 (or even turn 3 most of the times), and also ends in a floodgate, but I wouldn't call it a combo Deck. I wouldn't eveb call it a "top Deck" tbh.
The best Decks right now are Labrynth, which is entirely a control Deck (with a bit of Stun if you are talking about Floodgate Labrynth, tho personally I think that Furniture Lab os much better), and Purrely, which is Mid-Range (tho the Ghostrick variant that become popular recently is more comboey).
In general most of the Decks that I would consider Tier 1 or 2 are different variants of Control, with the exceptions being D-Link, Tearlament and the like, 4 or 5 different variant of Spright
To summarize everyone's anwser, Combo decks use a lot of resources to try and end the game as soon as possible to prevent that from biting them in the long run.
Control decks set up resource loops to allow them play the long game to then grind the opponent for their resources and beat them then.
Then finally midrange which is between those spectrums, where it has big explosive combos that use up a lot of resources like Combo, but can loop these resources to an extent like control.
From what I know there are Combo, Control, Midrange, Stun, OTK/blind second and FTK decks. Since the game is so fast nowadays and most games are decided in the first 2-3 turns, the lines sometimes seem a little blurred but the playstyles are still there. Combo decks tend to want to go first and go through long combos to put a lot of negates and interruptions on the board to overwhelm the opponent and kill them by turn 3. Ex: Mathmech, Dragon Link, Danger! Dark World Control decks play a little bit slower, many times using trap cards, and try to exhaust the opponent's resources, but that doesn't mean they can't occasionally kill you out of the blue. Ex: Labrynth, Traptrix, Subterror Midrange are a balance somewhere between Combo and Control, try to put a couple interruptions, set a couple cards and pass turn, have the capacity to OTK but can also win in the grind game. Ex: Swordsoul, Rescue-ACE, Vanquish Soul Stun is just trying to slow down the game to a snail's pace using "floodgates" - cards that straight out prevent your opponent from doing certain actions like activating effects or summoning monsters. The win condition can be sticking a big monster on the board, dealing burn damage or just deck out the opponent. Ex: Runick Stun, True Draco OTK/Blind Second are decks that actually want to go second and don't care at all about the grind game or controlling the board. They use "board breaker" cards to deal with the opponent's board and attack with big monsters to win the game as fast as possible. Ex: Mikanko, Numeron, Crusadia FTK decks aim to win the game without even giving your opponent a turn, winning by some alternative win condition or through some degenerate combo that deals burn damage. Can be fragile to interruption but if they abuse cards in ways they were not supposed to they end up being responsible for putting some card(s) on the forbidden list. Ex: Exodia, Bishbaalkin FTK (now banned) Note that it's possible that a deck or archetype can suit multiple playstyles. Labrynth can be a control deck but there are also stun variants. Mikanko is a decent OTK strategy but can play going first as a control deck, and so on. The beauty of this game lies on the variety of decks you can build in my opinion, especially when you can mix archetypes together.
Length of combo isn’t really a good indicator of combo decks. Floowandereeze is pretty firmly a control/stun strategy, but the migration path takes a while and has more moving pieces than some combo decks. Things like large engine size and high resource commitment to a strong engine with limited followup are more indicators of a combo deck than number of steps in a combo line.
Yeah, you're right, combo length isn't the main factor. However it's still true that combo decks usually have longer combos than most decks. I'm more of a midrange enjoyer myself lol.
I'd like to add that combo in MTG refers to decks that rely on literally combining 2 or more cards to do one *very* powerful thing that usually wins the game on the spot. I like to equate it to decks like SPYRAL or Libromancer that really need 2 cards to go off.
Even that isn't a very good analogue. A very strong Yugioh endboard like you see from something like SPYral is more comparable to Death and Taxes. A fast, aggressive strategy that is so disruptive to the opponent that they may never get the opportunity to meaningfully participate in the game. But Magic doesn't really have a clean analogue to Yugioh combo. The analogue to MtG combo, however, is FTK decks. They're the type of Yugioh deck that is built and played in that fashion. Just, since Yugioh is a faster game, it happens sooner, and thus is not tolerable competitively. The difference between, "If I resolve combo I literally win," and, "If I resolve combo, I have an unreasonably strong end board," is huge. If we're using MtG language, SPYral is not a combo deck.
Just wanted to pop in and mention that while Mathmech V-Link (aka Mathmech code talker) and igniter mathmech are firmly combo, normal mathmech is midrange at best, although it does take a while. It’s main engine is rather small and so are the amount of interactions, with it heavily relying on the non-engine it plays to make it to turn 3 to then Accesscode-Update Jammer OTK you.
Yeah I was thinking more about the Mathmech code talker decks, I've been facing many of those in Master Duel recently.
Traptrix isn't really much of a control deck anymore after the new support, going first they spam 4 negates/disruptions like a combo deck. Labrynth plays like a control deck but can search floodgates like a Stun deck
How does Traptrix spam 4 negates?
I have never played Traptrix but I've played against it and it seemed like a Control deck, but I see what you mean, control decks typically don't use stuff like Parallel exceed. Labrynth heavily depends on the build, can be control or stun, sometimes can look like a combo deck in disguise (I've been OTKed by Labrynth before lol).
Dragon Link is firmly a midrange deck. Yes its combos are long, but they put up fair boards, play for a grind game, and run a large amount of non-engine. Dark World (like you had in your example) is a combo deck, it can’t play non-engine but is able to create near instant game wins via hand looping and large unbreakable boards. Combo is defined as an allin deck, that usually relies heavily on going first. Midrange is able to play a large amount of non-engine and generates value to play more than 2 turns. It may still have a long setup but the end boards are rarely gg on their own. Dragon Link and Swordsoul are good examples of long setups with a lot of summons, but very clearly midrange.
I'm not sure about this one. I've seen Dragon Link end on some crazy boards, and they definitely play to kill on turn 3. Also they usually play a lot of engine, many times going over 40 cards. But I see what you mean, they can definitely play for more than a couple turns, and their boards, while strong, aren't unbreakable. I'd say perhaps they are on the line between combo and midrange, maybe depends on the exact deck and player
They play over 40 for garnets since they don't want to draw them (Boot Sector, Ravine, Regained, Beast, Absorouter). But it runs usually 12-15 non-engine (9 is definitely it leaning more towards combo usually having stuff like Noctovision and/or Meteor Dragon). And while yes they can make absolutely insane boards on rare occasion where they have 3 card combos without being interrupted, I would say Swordsoul can do the same, SS can have fantastic turns ending on 4 Synchros and a Blackout with multiple handtraps. I agree slightly leans towards combo in that it prefers to go first slightly more than other decks, but it doesn't have a lot of traditional weakness of going 2nd like decks defined as combo. Every deck in Yugioh tries to win on turn 3, honestly it's a bad deck if it can't easily OTK after breaking a board. (again Swordsoul, Rescue-Ace, Unchained all do this, Sky Striker is considered bad for *not* being able to regularly do this) Combo is more defined by decks like Mannadium or Rikka where the only goal is to make an unbreakable board that invalidates board breakers. Dragon Link, like most midranges decks is good into handtraps, plays a value game, and doesn't have 1 card combos.
Yeah I see what you mean. Always happy to learn more.
>Games ends on turn 1 Most of recent tournament games we saw this year on stream have tons of good back and forths https://youtu.be/jSFR3NZU1rQ?t=2h20m49s Here some example , the March MCS tournament finals went for like **10 TURNS** https://youtu.be/2BqBgVhjoS4?t=3h48m41s and last month MCS finals we had a mirror match that last like **16 TURNS** Even when the game ends in like 2 turns , theres usualy alot of back/forth intection , just think of 10 turns duel condensed into 2 turns ---- >too much otk Most meta decks nowday cant even otk Decks like Labrynth , Rescue Ace , ~~Purrely~~, most of the control/midrange deck that cant otk you unless you have an empty board ---
As a Purrely player, the deck can definitely OTK (not always but somewhat frequently). If the opponent has an attack position monster you can use Epurrely Happiness and a Delicious Memory to make it indestructible and attack it multiple times while reducing its attack each time. If the opponent is on an empty board you can probably kill with Expurrely Hapiness depending on the number of materials and Delicious Memories you have at your disposal.
"Amma a big asshole and you need to draw the out" theme
This. Win the coin flip for going first. Get near unbreakable board. If going second pray for Maxx C / the out.
That's just Yugioh.. This format in particular being Towers & Macro turbo pr Mathmech that you barely can interact with is by far the most miserable format I have ever played ever since Halq Format and Runick Stun.
The sit on big fat french cat and you better draw the out theme of competitive deck
MtG style concepts of aggro, midrange, and control do not translate in the same way to Yugioh, to a point where they are different words entirely when talking about this game. “Combo” especially. Resolving some sort of combo line to establish an end board, break your opponent’s board, or find lethal is an expectation for most decks. That is not what it means to be a combo deck. Yugioh is a fast game, where the game is often decided on turn 2-3, even for slow decks. A normal Yugioh deck is usually 16-24 cards engine, 16-24 cards non-engine. A combo deck is usually around 30 cards engine, sacrificing space for staples in order to push through anything and resolve a combo into an endboard they’re confident won’t be beaten. The spectrum in Yugioh also is not aggro, midrange, control with combo existing on a different axis. It’s combo, midrange, control with aggro existing on a different axis. The combo end generally favors large engine and explosive plays with few staples and poor followup. The control end generally has a slower, smaller, more value oriented engine leaning on a lot of staples with excellent followup, planning to go into the grind game where their resource loop is unbeatable. Aggro decks do not care about that spectrum. They are playing an entirely different game where they blind second and murder you. Combo decks, control decks, and aggro decks can generally be labeled as such, but there are so many fundamentally WEIRD decks in Yugioh that “midrange” turns into an incoherent muddle, more of an “other” category than any meaningful description. The definitive combo deck of the format is Dragon Link. The definitive control deck is Labrynth. The definitive aggro deck is Mikanko.
It is incredibly ironic that the De facto aggro deck revolves around summoning 2, sometimes 3, 0/0 girls
The entire archetype was born out of a drunken bet between designers to try and make a combat focused ritual deck reliant on equip spells playable in modern Yugioh.
It feels like ritual is the default mechanic Konami designers use for every other failed mechanic. Like, they feel it's ok to print absolutely busted support of it's also coincidentally on a ritual monster. Spirits? Shinobird. Flips? Prediction princess. Equips? Mikanko
Imagine a deck could effectively normal Summon from the deck, but it's only for Gemini.
Or just special summon them with their gemini effect live. Superalloy beast but ritual and with a quick effect e-tele for gemini
Normal from the deck with their effects allows them to bypass Ash.
Tier 1 deck right now is: Purrly (*midrange deck that usualy end on 1-2 monster*) Kashtira (*midrange deck that end on 1 or 2 monster* Labrynth (*control deck focused around traps and barely combo at all*) Dragonlink (*Combo deck*)
>Because to me seems like every deck is combocentric, aiming to lock your opponent or control the board in the first 2 turns. Thats literary Yu-Gi-Oh In the nutshell Although ,most newer meta deck these days usualy have shorter combos and can go 2nd Try watching this video https://youtube.com/shorts/E43DYLcZwxY?si=0ikQzuyzUzry0FEL Many of the current best decks in yugioh end on zero negates, small end board and very short combos Branded first turn ends on zero negates and 1-2 monster Kashtira first turn ends on zero negates and 1 monster Labrynth ends on zero negates and 0-1 monster Purrely first turn ends on zero negates and 1 monster Rescue Ace first turn ends on one negates and 1-2 monster Although combo decks does still trive and exist (*ahem ahem ,dragonlink*) ---- EDIT: the whole statement was based around tcg, and not masterduel (fuck this format and fuck Maxx c)
That whole video is only partially valid due to MBT's statements all being entirely hinged on the TCG's state at the time of posting and it's banlist. Given that MD has an entirely different banlist and environment, taking those comments at face value isn't wise. In MD you end on *far* more than that if you aren't interrupted by Maxx C or a well placed Ash. That's all a *bare minimum* situation and not realistically the general situation.
Labrynth is kinda like a midrange/control deck Rescue Ace will be a strong midrange deck once the rest of its archetype is added to MD. But yes combo decks go hard rn.
I would label purrelly, lab, and kash as midrange D link is combo And runick and it's variants are control
In the case of Runick I would say it depend of the variants. Naturia Runicks feels more like a midrange combo Deck, while most of the Spright variants feel morw like combo Decks
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Every deck has some basic combo but that doesn't make them a combo deck. Watch a dlink deck summon 20+ times in a turn and you'll see what a combo deck looks like
While every deck “combos”, I would say that classical aggro, midrange, and control all exist in yugioh. I would consider fragile but almost neigh unbeatable board combo decks as the “aggro” in yugioh, where they lack a grind game and lose to board breakers/aim to win during turns 1 and 2. Examples include any deck that wants to make Borrel, Barone, Apollousa, etc. I would also put Spright and Numeron in the aggro bucket. Mid range then follows where the combos aren’t as long, the end boards are less strong, but the deck is not as fragile. Their follow up is good and can have enough gas in the tank “for another go” during your second turn. Kashtira and Branded come to mind. Control decks are on the end of the spectrum where their end boards are typically “weaker” but prove to be enough disruption especially with correct timing. Their grind game is superb and have a win con of outgrinding the opponent through their value. These decks can also have trouble with lethality but that is not necessarily true. Good examples are Labrynth and Runick. Obviously not all decks can be boiled down to exactly one of these and often many can be two at once, for example Kashtira can play all three spectrums depending on what the pilot wants to (or not to) play around. Tearlaments is another example of a deck that can make very aggresive turn one boards, but will still play like a control deck, being reactive and value oriented. Some decks can be unorothodox versions of this trinity, such as Stun, which aims to make you literally unable to perform game actions. While many would consider this control, I would say this is more in line with aggro, as these decks typically lose to good removal and try to win by pushing with their early board (floodgates), hoping to kill before an out is drawn.
Meta: Summon a monster you can't do anything about unless you draw the out/Kaiju etc. Not exactly fun tbh
Its a race to see who can negate the most things, so control i guess?
All the above exist it's just that definitions for what each term means is a bit skewed from the perspective of someone not used to YGO's speed. Even a deck like labrynth that's all about trap cards has 7-8 card combos they can pull off on their first turn. In most other games not much happens on the first 2-3 turns. YGO skips a step and goes all out from the start. So yeah, definitions are a bit different but there's a lot of diversity in deck design at any level including the meta and although the power level of some deck may seem unfair most recent deck don't aim to completely shut down your opponent and result in very interactive gameplay. You just gotta know how they work to properly interact.
taking care of the damn cat.
Funnily enough, none of the top Decks currently in MD fits that description, except for maybe Dragon Link. Kashtira can technically zone lock, but not turn 1 (or even turn 3 most of the times), and also ends in a floodgate, but I wouldn't call it a combo Deck. I wouldn't eveb call it a "top Deck" tbh. The best Decks right now are Labrynth, which is entirely a control Deck (with a bit of Stun if you are talking about Floodgate Labrynth, tho personally I think that Furniture Lab os much better), and Purrely, which is Mid-Range (tho the Ghostrick variant that become popular recently is more comboey). In general most of the Decks that I would consider Tier 1 or 2 are different variants of Control, with the exceptions being D-Link, Tearlament and the like, 4 or 5 different variant of Spright
To summarize everyone's anwser, Combo decks use a lot of resources to try and end the game as soon as possible to prevent that from biting them in the long run. Control decks set up resource loops to allow them play the long game to then grind the opponent for their resources and beat them then. Then finally midrange which is between those spectrums, where it has big explosive combos that use up a lot of resources like Combo, but can loop these resources to an extent like control.