Chapter 33. Extra Lecture 1! Xyz Dark Magician—Ebon High & Illusion!
DM World.
Yugi Muto and Pharaoh Atem had more or less grasped what the video creator meant at the start.
For them, none of this was a problem.
As the "card-printer" and the top-decker, Yugi Muto and Pharaoh Atem could make a Dark Magician deck shine in their hands.
"Téa, with my bond to Dark Magician…"
"I don't think things like 'too many bricks' or 'dead draws' will happen to me!"
"The most important thing is that I can create miracles in every Duel!"
"That's enough!"
"....."
Téa Gardner, who always believed in Yugi Muto, gave her cheer at the key moment.
Yugi Muto and the Pharaoh within him had been worried about the deck's power, but now they felt at ease.
Right.
When you play a Dark Magician deck, what matters most are the ever-changing combo lines.
Rely on unexpected plays on the field to catch the opponent off guard.
That is the meaning and core of playing Dark Magician.
"Thank you."
"I've always believed Dark Magician is the strongest deck framework."
"Even when I had the Egyptian God Cards."
"I didn't give up Dark Magician, did I?"
"..."
Yugi Muto recalled his journey all the way to the current KC Cup venue.
Dark Magician had helped him far too many times.
.....
Main World.
Sei Yuki couldn't help showing a thoughtful look at this point.
People who still play Dark Magician in Master Duel nowadays are basically soul players, right?
Decks like Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Dark Magician are basically used by soul-player old-timers.
Not strong in raw power.
But full of soul.
Soul is all that matters.
If I'm already playing a soul deck, isn't it because I want to pull off spicy, flashy plays with a soul deck?
"Hah, maybe I should build Dark Magician and mess around with it sometime."
"See what Dark Magician can really do in Master Duel right now."
"Anyway, let's first see how this build thinks about the Extra Deck."
"Up next is the Xyz Extra Deck breakdown."
"...."
Sei Yuki stretched, then focused and watched the rest of the video carefully.
"30-Year-Old Dark Magician": "We've finished the basic going-first lines."
"30-Year-Old Dark Magician": "Next is how we invest into the Extra Deck."
"Let's start with the Xyz axis."
"In the Dark Magician strategy, putting aside non-in-archetype Dark Magician lines…"
"Let's first look at what the in-archetype Xyz options are."
"First is 'Ebon Illusion Magician'!"
[Card Name: Ebon Illusion Magician (Rank 7)]
[Attribute: DARK]
[Type: Spellcaster]
[ATK/DEF: 2500/2100]
A Rank 7 Xyz Monster's info appeared.
Because the earlier decklist already hinted there would be an Xyz slot for this card, the DM World's Yugi Muto and Pharaoh Atem were already mentally prepared.
"Please ignore the so-called 'Rank 6 Spellcaster Xyz → stack upgrade' line for this card."
"In pure Dark Magician, this is just '2 Level 7 monsters' to Xyz Summon."
"Effect 1 detaches to Special Summon a Spellcaster Normal Monster—typically Dark Magician."
"And with Effect 2, when a Spellcaster Normal Monster you control declares an attack, you can target 1 monster your opponent controls and banish it."
"It's that simple—targeted, straightforward banish as removal."
"In Duels it will occasionally have miracle value, recommended 0–1 copy."
Occasionally has miracle value?
After hearing the creator's explanation, duelists across the six worlds felt a bit stunned.
Wait a second.
Even an Xyz with effects this strong is only "occasionally" useful?
Sure, you lose two Level 7 monsters to Xyz Summon it.
But can't it also bring out another by effect?
In what way does this Xyz not look worth making?
...
But in the 5D's World, the sharp-eyed Yusei Fudo realized why this card was only "occasionally" good.
It's simple.
It only removes during the Battle Phase.
Same timing as those "attack-declaration" gotcha Traps.
Just with that alone, it's too easy for the opponent to disrupt.
Including the ZEXAL World, Yuma Tsukumo and Astral also realized how this card plays.
It might not be as good as "Number 11: Big Eye."
At least "Number 11: Big Eye" can activate in the Main Phase and take the opponent's monster to seize control.
Just that point alone is worth far more than the Dark Magician Xyz here.
...
"30-Year-Old Dark Magician": "Next is the other one, 'Ebon High Magician'!!"
[Card Name: Ebon High Magician (Rank 7)]
[Attribute: DARK]
[Type: Spellcaster]
[ATK/DEF: 2300/2800]
"This card basically just adds icing on the cake."
"Effect 1 lets us activate Quick-Play Spells and Trap Cards from the hand during the opponent's turn by detaching 1 material for each activation that turn."
"Effect 2 is a last-words effect—if this Xyz Summoned card is destroyed by battle or card effect and sent to the Graveyard, you can Special Summon a DARK Spellcaster from your hand or Deck."
"After that, you can destroy 1 card on the field."
"How to put it… it's decent and workmanlike."
"The main point is still using Effect 1 to catch the opponent off guard."
"But to be honest, the good Spells/Traps are already ones you can use from the hand."
"If you don't want to rely on Spells/Traps, you can use monsters that activate from the hand—hand traps."
"So my evaluation is that not running it is fine, and at most 1 copy."
"...."
Those words almost made Dark Magician fans in the DM and GX Worlds cough up blood.
Seriously?
This one isn't good either?
So by the looks of it, the Dark Magician Xyz slots in the Extra Deck aren't the optimal choices at all?
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