Dark Magician Archetype [6/6]

[Kyng's Old Account]

Dark Magician Archetype
by Kyng

 
With two prominent forces of magic, from the Might of the King of the Magical Citadel to the Vast Studies of the Educational Research Facility of Magic, the folk of the once acclaimed "ultimate wizard in terms of attack and defense" were promptly outcast by this new and powerful magic. Yet, they did not give up hope. The Dark Magician began to study in seclude and attempted to awaken a great Heavenly Force in hopes to reassert his old accolade. One night, the Dark Magician's efforts came to fruition - The Goddess Chrysopoeia radiated intense energy upon the Magician, causing his soul to split into four separate forms, each reflected the steps he needed to take in order to transmutate his spirit into the true ultimate wizard once again.[hr][spoiler=Dark Magician Nigredo]

[hr]When this card is Normal Summoned; you can reveal 1 card in your hand. When this card in your hand is revealed: You can target 1 card on the field; destroy it. This effect of "Dark Magician Nigredo" can only be activated once per turn.[/spoiler][spoiler=Dark Magician Albedo]

[hr]When this card is Normal Summoned; you can reveal 1 card in your hand. When this card in your hand is revealed: You can return 1 card from your Graveyard to your Deck; draw 1 card. This effect of "Dark Magician Albedo" can only be activated once per turn.[/spoiler][spoiler=Dark Magician Citrinitas]

[hr]When this card is Normal Summoned; you can reveal 1 card in your hand. When this card in your hand is revealed; Special Summon it. This effect of "Dark Magician Citrinitas" can only be activated once per turn.[/spoiler][spoiler=Dark Magician Rubedo]

[hr]When this card is Normal Summoned; you can reveal 1 card in your hand. When this card in your hand is revealed; you can Normal Summon 1 Spellcaster-Type monster in addition to your Normal Summon/Set. (You can only gain this effect once per turn.)[/spoiler][spoiler=Chrysopoeia, the Magnum Opus]

[hr]Cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. Must be Special Summoned (from your hand) by having 4 or more "Dark Magician" cards with different names on your field or in your Graveyard, and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. When your opponent activates a card effect; your opponent can reveal 1 cardin their hand to negate this card's effect, otherwise negate the activation and destroy the card. Your opponent cannot reveal cards he has already revealed by this card's effect during the turn this card's effect is activated.[/spoiler][spoiler=Arcane Burst of the Great Work]

[hr]Reveal 1 Level 4 or lower Spellcaster-Type monster in your hand; add 1 card with the same name as the revealed card from your Deck to your hand.[/spoiler][hr]

I am currently contemplating whether to add a few more monsters to this Archetype, and increase Chrysopoeia's requirements to compensate for its effect. I am also considering adding more support Spells or Traps.

[Zazubat]

I don't really know if I really like the design of this Archetype. Considering that it is just like Spellbooks in that revealing isn't really a cost, and gaining more effects when you do so, it just seems kind of cheap without any real cost. It would maybe have been more balanced if you had conditions or costs on them, since these are very strong effects. You are basically allowed Summon up to 3 of these guys per turn, and since they all got 1500, Inferno Reckless is also easy to pull off. The insane control of your boss monster I cannot say I like at all. It's very easy to get out, since you simply have to put a few in the Graveyard for it, making Lightsworn useful for it, and since it's a DARK Attribute Archetype, Chaos versions are easy to pull off. You are also allowed to Summon multiple of these guys without any worry, since it has an easy SS clause, and it can go into Rank 8s very easily, though I doubt you would want to do that anyway, since the card is quite strong. The Spell card is another bad design, it reminds me of Generation Shift, but that card is balanced, where your card is extreamly splashable in Spellcaster Decks. I would consider an overhall of the Archetype, or make their effects more balanced by putting in some costs/conditions on them, so you can't just make a ton of easy moves in just 1 turn without all too much effort at all.

 

Also, about the OCG, conditions such as "When this card is X" have a colon after them. Costs/Targets always have a semi-colon. If you don't have Cost/Target, then you don't use the semi-colon. There's some other things, though not that big of a deal in most cases.

 

EDIT: Oh, I didn't see the "different name" on the boss, that makes it a bit more balanced, but remember that there's plenty of Dark Magician cards out there, so it isn't too hard, plus, it is quite easy to still pull it off with just 4 cards.

[Kyng's Old Account]

I don't really know if I really like the design of this Archetype. Considering that it is just like Spellbooks in that revealing isn't really a cost, and gaining more effects when you do so, it just seems kind of cheap without any real cost. It would maybe have been more balanced if you had conditions or costs on them, since these are very strong effects. You are basically allowed Summon up to 3 of these guys per turn, and since they all got 1500, Inferno Reckless is also easy to pull off. The insane control of your boss monster I cannot say I like at all. It's very easy to get out, since you simply have to put a few in the Graveyard for it, making Lightsworn useful for it, and since it's a DARK Attribute Archetype, Chaos versions are easy to pull off. You are also allowed to Summon multiple of these guys without any worry, since it has an easy SS clause, and it can go into Rank 8s very easily, though I doubt you would want to do that anyway, since the card is quite strong. The Spell card is another bad design, it reminds me of Generation Shift, but that card is balanced, where your card is extreamly splashable in Spellcaster Decks. I would consider an overhall of the Archetype, or make their effects more balanced by putting in some costs/conditions on them, so you can't just make a ton of easy moves in just 1 turn without all too much effort at all.
 
Also, about the OCG, conditions such as "When this card is X" have a colon after them. Costs/Targets always have a semi-colon. If you don't have Cost/Target, then you don't use the semi-colon. There's some other things, though not that big of a deal in most cases.
 
EDIT: Oh, I didn't see the "different name" on the boss, that makes it a bit more balanced, but remember that there's plenty of Dark Magician cards out there, so it isn't too hard, plus, it is quite easy to still pull it off with just 4 cards.

Thanks for the review Zazu. I'll make changes. I have some suggestions, maybe they'd balance this archetype out?

1 - For a monster's effect to be revealed you must also discard 1 card from your hand, thus reducing the number of these cards you can use in a turn.
2 - Replace the Normal Summon Clause with a "When this card leaves the field/is sent to the Graveyard/etc" clause.
3 - Add a Life Point Cost to each card's revealing effect.
4 - A complete overhaul, as you've suggested.

[Ren✧]

I feel like the discard edit would make this archetype unusable. As a whole I like the idea of archetype, similar to Spellbooks, but not quite so complicated and whatnot. Also, anything that gives support to Dark Magician is good in my book. 

 

 

Replace the Normal Summon Clause with a "When this card leaves the field/is sent to the Graveyard/etc" clause.

 

I like this. It would definitely be a step in the direction of balancing. The problem I think this archetype has is with 3 of the cards. Rubedo poses a problem because it allows for the use of two of the effects in one turn. Perhaps nerf it by saying that the Normal Summoned monster's effect(s) are negated. The boss monster is much too controlling, and either needs an effect rework or more of a cost/condition. Perhaps the 4 monsters have to be level 4 effect monsters. Or has to be 5, with at least one being a Normal Monster. This would force you to play the real Dark Magician. The Spell card I am not really sure what to do with, but perhaps add a discard cost for it.

[Zazubat]

Thanks for the review Zazu. I'll make changes. I have some suggestions, maybe they'd balance this archetype out?

1 - For a monster's effect to be revealed you must also discard 1 card from your hand, thus reducing the number of these cards you can use in a turn.
2 - Replace the Normal Summon Clause with a "When this card leaves the field/is sent to the Graveyard/etc" clause.
3 - Add a Life Point Cost to each card's revealing effect.
4 - A complete overhaul, as you've suggested.

I actually don't mind the first option, as it would get things in the Graveyard as well for your boss, could work out.

[Therrion]

I don't believe option 1 or 4 are good options. The discard would kill the archetype, and an overhaul would be such a waste. I actually liked them the way they were. They sacrifice their own effects, and are reliant to others to get those effects back. You're basically running a crap ton of weak bodied Normal Monsters that don't benefit from Rabbit and depend on your hand for effects cards get slapped onto them these days.

 

Out of them all, I believe the Special Summoner wouldn't be ran as much. The extra Normal Summon does amazing plays for the archetype, allowing more use in a turn, and the free +1 the others offer is great, but not game breaking and in need of complete revision. The Special Summon may hit 1 or 2 for Xyz Plays in the archetype, but that is about it as the Normal Summoner does this AND offers a second chance at effects triggering.

 

The boss monster presented was pretty cool, I really liked how balanced its negation effects were, and that you didn't just slap the highest stats you could think of on it just because it's a boss monster. Though it is a bit controlling, you could up the Magician count in Grave to 5 (forcing a real Dark Magician), or simply add an upkeep. Perhaps a discard during each of your Standby, essentially Time Sealing yourself.

 

The Spell Card is perfect. Great search and great effect trigger. Not much else to say. Makes the archetype run better overall.

 

Overall, I really liked the archetype. I could say that they don't really have costs, but their effects that have no cost are basically their only way of achieveing their effects, and once they hit the board after the Normal Summon they become useless as effectless effect monsters. Glad you got make into cardmaking, Kyng. If any of your options need to happen, then I would go with the Life Point cost, and suggest not making it too steep. (500-800tops, moreso towards the 500 mark imo)

[Kyng's Old Account]

Alright, I'm making fixes and going with the Life Point Cost based on Therrion's argument. I'll update this topic when I get Week 8 Card 1 going.