Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel is the newest way to play the game in an all-digital capacity. Practically every card ever released is available in the game, allowing for any kind of deck to be played. There are a lot of different mechanics in the game now, which can be a bit jarring for players who have been away from the game for a while.
One of these mechanics is Pendulum. Pendulum Monsters can be used as Monsters, or they can be used as Spell cards to initiate Pendulum Summoning, allowing you to summon multiple Monsters in one turn. Many Pendulum Archetypes can support each other, so knowing the best ones is important for any Pendulum player.
10 Abyss Actor
Abyss Actor is a Pendulum Archetype built around combat. They have a lot of battle tricks, and effects that trigger when they tribute an Abyss Actor Monster. Since all Pendulum Monsters go to the Extra Deck when they would go to the Graveyard, this allows Abyss Actors to manipulate Attack and then be brought back out with a Pendulum Summon.
Abyss Actors can lock the opponent's card down to allow the rest of the Monsters to start tearing apart the opponent's field. While most popular Pendulum Archetypes are based on setting up negates, Abyss Actor is one of the few that are heavily combat-focused.
9 Igknight
Igknight is a very consistent lot of Pendulum Monsters. On the Scales, they have an effect that pops both of their Scales in order to search out more Igknight Monster to your hand. This allows you to set up your Scales so you can Pendulum Summon all of your used Igknights back to the field.
While Master Rule Four has hurt Igknight's strategy, with how many powerful Link Monsters there are, you'll have no trouble bringing them back out. With cards like Heavymetalfoes Electrumite available in Master Duel, Igknights have as much consistency as they'd ever want.
8 Dinomist
One of the few Archetypes with a core you can get from Solo Mode, Dinomist is one of the best Pendulum Archetypes out there. Dinomist offers a ton of protection for its Monsters, with the Scaled Dinomist able to destroy themselves to protect the Dinomist Monsters on the field.
With cards like Dinomist Charge, you can put Dinomist into your hand so you can Pendulum Summon them back anywhere. They have one of the best Pendulum cards as well with Dinomist Howling, allowing you to set two Scales directly from your deck.
7 Qli
Another Archetype available by playing through Solo Mode, Qli was at once one of the best decks in the entire game. While its power level has reigned in since its dominance, Qli is still a very powerful Pendulum Archetype. They are primarily Normal Pendulum Monsters with powerful effects on the Scale.
Qli are all about Pendulum Summoning a bunch of Monsters onto the field, and then tribute summoning their main Boss Monsters. Apoqliphort Towers is still a formidable Monster in the current game against most decks that don't run Link Monsters.
6 D/D
D/D (and by extension D/D/D) is one of the most complicated Archetypes out there, so much so some people need spreadsheets in order to perform their combos. They have a lot of consistency thanks to the multiple lines they can take, though D/D definitely has one of the highest learning curves in all of Yu-Gi-Oh!
D/D have Monsters in every type, but their Pendulum Monsters allow them to do some flooding to the field to allow them to go into their powerful Synchro and Xyz Monsters.
5 Draco
Draco is more commonly known for the Monsters that can be tribute summoned with Continuous Spell and Trap cards, but they also have another variant with their Pendulum Monsters. In fact, Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer is such a good card that it is currently limited in Master Duel.
Draco has a lot of consistency and effects to slowly whittle the opponent's resources away with their Synchro Monsters. Pendulum Draco is often paired with Performapal (given the name "Draco Pals") to make for a formidable Pendulum package. Draco Pendulum might be Normal Monsters, but the effects on the Scale are what gives it power.
4 Mythical Beast
Mythical Beast is a very small, but incredibly powerful Archetype. Mythical Beast cards are built around amassing Spell Counters onto their Monsters to gain access to their powerful negate effects. Since Pendulum decks often use a ton of Spell Cards, you'll have no trouble loading up on Spell Counters.
Many other Pendulum decks rely on Spell Counters for their effects, making Mythical Beast a great engine in any Pendulum deck. Since there aren't many Monsters in it, using it as an engine is incredibly easy, and almost a natural inclusion for Pendulum decks.
3 Performapal
Performapal is by far the largest Pendulum Archetype, being the deck of choice of the main protagonist of the Arc V anime. Over the years, they have amassed a ton of support cards, allowing for just about any kind of Pendulum playstyle to be played with Performapal cards alone.
Performapal cards have always been in the meta since their release, with some of their cards being one-half of the "PePe" deck. This was one of the few times a deck had to be emergency banned. Performapal is incredibly consistent, and one of the best Pendulum Archetypes out there.
2 Endymion
Endymion was released in a Structure Deck and completely warped Pendulum decks in a good way. They are a small, but incredibly powerful Pendulum Archetype. While some of their cards are restricted in the TCG, they have no such restrictions on Master Duel.
Endymion is all about Spell Counters and gaining access to powerful effects by using them. These range from special summoning from the deck to gaining access to powerful negate effects. All of their Monsters are easy to special summon, making Endymion a must-run engine in just about every Pendulum deck.
1 Magicians
Pendulum Magicians are an incredible series of Pendulum Monsters and were one of the reasons Pendulum as a mechanic got the reputation it has. The Archetype is incredibly consistent, so much so that there are multiple cards in it that are currently restricted, though none of them are fully banned in Master Duel.
Magicians are hyper-consistent, able to pop themselves to search out for other copies. The cards that pop themselves are able to be Pendulum Summoned later. With cards like Heavymetalfoes Electromite, Magicians become one of the best ways to play Pendulum.