/dng/ staple list

This list assumes that the reader is really really new to YGO. Everything on this list is subject to change. Not every card here is a staple, but all of them are worth considering in deck building.

XYZ:

Rank 1:
Slacker Magician
Sylvan Princessprite (Only if you REALLY want that fucking excavate)

Rank 2:
Gachi Gachi
Sky Cavalry Centuria
Treatoad (Ran with Bahamut Shark)

Rank 3:
Phantom Knights Break Sword
BA Dante
Leviar the sea dragon
Totem Bird
Granpulse
MX-Saber Invoker (for lv.3 tech + Zodiac Beast shit)

Rank 4:
2 materials:
S39 Utopia The Lightning (Be honest, that shit is summoned with one Number 39, can be used with Utopia One for an extra material)
Castel
Abyss Dweller
Bahamut Shark
Daigusto Emeral
Rafflesia
Zodiac Beast Engine
Number 70 (potential target for 84)

3 Materials - Ouroburos, Delteros

Rank 5:
Pledies
Cyber Dragon Nova -> Infinity
Volcasarus -> Gaia
Tiarus (outdated, but may be useful in some retarded case)

Rank 6:
Utopia Beyond (has no value past its 0-atl-everything effect, but that shit steals games)
Strike Bounzer
Ptolemy M7
Beatrice
Dragulas (was seen in some decks, not a true staple)
CyDra Infinity

Rank 7:
Number 11
MPB Dracosack
Red-Eyes Metal Flare Dragon

Rank 8:
Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon (Ran with Galaxy-Eyes Full Armored, Dark Matter, Cipher Blade Dragon; Number 62 is a "maybe" consideration for 4k attack if you really fucking want it)
Lancelot/Number 15 (Ran with Numbers 84 and 77)
Number 38

Rank 9:
True King V.F.D.
Enterblathnir

Rank 10:
Gustav Max
Number 81
Number 35

Rank 11:
Number 84 (SEE RANK 8)

Rank 12:
Number 77 (SEE RANK 8)

Synchros:

Level 2:
Formula Synchron

Level 3:
Mist Bird Caulausus
Goyo Defender
Note: Neither of those are true staples, but they enable some silly combos and are worth looking at/taking into consideration if you are making some synchro swarm deck.

Level 4:
Arc Light
Photon Pulse Dragon (the go-to lv.4 synchro tuner, has slightly more value than other lv.4 synchs)

Level 5:
TG Hyper Librarian
Chambarider
Catastor
Naturia Beast

Level 6:
Coral Dragon (Useful in combo decks at 3)
Red Wyvern
Metaphys Horus
Kendama (desperation lv.6, not really a staple)
Stardust Charge Warrior (+1)
Note: All of these cards are still pretty situational.

Level 7:
Clear Wing Synchro Dragon
Black Rose Dragon
Twilight Rose Dragon
Yazi
Michael
Odd-Eyes Meteorburst (Probably the worst one out of all of them, but it rips through floater decks)

Level 8:
PSY-Frame Omega (Mandatory, complete abombination)
Beelze (Relic of the past, not so great, but has an occasional use)
Void Ogre Dragon (Not the best, but a valuable Tzolkin target)
Crystal Wing (See Omega)
Scarlight/Hot Red Dragon Archfiend
Ignister (for pendulum decks)

Level 9:
Mist Wurm (non-targeting removal, not the best, but has its uses)
Red Dragon Archfiend Abyss
Trishula
Dragon Mech

Level 10:
Leo

Level 11:
Star Eater
Red Dragon Tyrant

Level 12:
Quasar
Ultimaya Tzolkin

Fusions:
Elder God Norden/Panzer Dragon (both ran with instant fusion, the latter is used for Cyber Dragon Nova -> Infinity)
Gem-Knight Seraphinite (used with Brilliant Fusion engine)

Traps:
Solemn Warning
Solemn Notice
Vanity's Emptiness
Chaos Trap Hole (budget Notice/Warning)
Anti-Spell Frag (Sometimes sided, sometimes mained)
Dimensional Barrier
Shadow-Imprisoning/Light-Imprisoning/Mask of Restrict/Imperial Iron Wall (sided)

Note: The last four cards vary in their use from format to format, but are good enough to be considered as valuable side deck cards. Do not main those.

Spells:
Upstart Goblin (AKA not-a-card, don't fucking run that unless you want a 39 card deck)
Pot of Desires (use at your own risk, don't complain if you mill all 3 of X)
Twin Twister
Raigeki/Dark Hole (see note)
Foolish Burial/FB of Belongings
Reinforcement of the Army/Any generic searcher card
Cosmic Cyclone (sided)
System Down (sided)
Allure of Darkness (don't ever allure without darks in hand, please, just fucking don't)
Terraforming
One for One
Lawnmoving Next Door (see note)

Note: Raigeki/Dark Hole are not the best cards to use, but in case your deck needs a field wipe, it's worth adding. Keep in mind that floater/"can't be destroyed" cards will still shit on you.
Note 2: This card enables some very dumb builds. While it's not a staple, this shit enables 60 card decks. Take it into consideration when playing/building decks.

Monsters:
Maxx "C"
Effect Veiler
Swift Scarecrow/Battle Fader (not true staples, see note)
Ghost Ogre and Snow Rabbit
Ghost Reaper and Winter Cherries (90% of the time it's sided, but there are occasional builds where people can afford to main it.)
D.D.Crow/Cycle Reader (sided)
Kaiju (mained, see note)

Note 1: Fader/Scarecrow can be ran in decks which are weak on the defensive end or dependent on resource conservation. While these aren't cards which are staples, they should not be taken out of consideration when building a deck.

Note 2: Kaiju are the best non-targeting removals, as they are not stopped by any negations. They are mandatory in the current format if you don't want to lose the game turn 1. Kaiju engine is usually ran with 3 Kaijus and one copy of Disrupted Kaiju Dream. The ones used for removal are usually Gameciel and Kumonogus. You could run one Jizukiru for your own field. It is also possible to run two "removal" Kaijus and side Disrupted + some field Kaiju.