Magistus
"Magistus" (マギストス Magisutosu) is an archetype of monsters with various Types (primarily Spellcaster) and Attributes which debuted in Deck-Build Pack: Genesis Impactors. It is the second theme featured in the Yu-Gi-Oh! OCG Stories manga.
| Magistus | |
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 The "Magistus" sages in Yu-Gi-Oh! CARD GAME THE CHRONICLES | |
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This is the story of the "beginning".
— The archetype's tagline in promotional material
Contents
EtymologyEdit
Magistus is based on Hermes Trismegistus, the purported author of the Hermetic Corpus, a series of sacred texts that are the basis of Hermeticism. The word "magistus" itself is a portmanteau of "magi" and "mégistos" (Greek: μέγιστος; Romanized as "megistus"), meaning "magicians" and "greatest".
In Japanese, a large number of "Magistus" monsters feature titles that contain gikun stylized readings, with a non-Japanese name reading (that includes "Magistus") applied to a Japanese kanji name.
In Japanese, many of the "core" monsters include the "aspect" of their related Magistus magician in their kanji title (Lawbook, Absolute Flame, Crystal, or Sacred Magic); this naming convention is not present in their TCG names.
| Spell/Trap | Inspiration | Japanese kanji name |
|---|---|---|
| Trismagistus | Trismegistus, Hermetica | The Three Sages' Book |
| Magistus Theurgy | Theologia Germanica | Great Magic |
| Magistus Invocation | Invocation | Sacred Lawbook |
| Magistus Vritra | Vritra | Absolute Fire Manifestation |
LoreEdit
DesignEdit
"Magistus" revolves around four magician characters (monster cards) who form the titular magician group, whose detailed lore is depicted (after the theme's initial release) in the Magistus story arc of Yu-Gi-Oh! OCG Stories. Three of four are key members of three pre-existing Spellcaster archetypes, with their younger forms depicted in "Magistus"; the last one, "Zoroa" is introduced by "Magistus".
| Magistus | Preexisting counterpart | OCG Stories counterpart |
|---|---|---|
| Crowley | Aleister the Invoker ("Invoked") | Aleister Crowley |
| Zoroa | - | Zoroa |
| Rilliona | Witchcrafter Madame Verre ("Witchcrafter") | Rilliona |
| Endymion | Endymion, the Master Magician ("Endymion") | Endymion |
Each Magistus magician is associated with an "aspect" (used to name the monsters' and the guardian deity monsters' Japanese kanji names), a summoning method (used by the magicians' related Extra Deck monsters), a guardian deity monster card, and other related in-theme cards.
| Aspect | Magistus | Guardian deity | Associated Summoning | Related cards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawbooks | Crowley | Aiwass | Fusion | Crowley, the Gifted Magistus Magistus Invocation Invoked Magistus Omega |
| Absolute Flame | Zoroa | Vahram | Synchro | Magistus Vritra Zoroa, the Magistus Conflagrant Calamity Zoroa, the Magistus Verethragna |
| Crystal | Rilliona | Ninaruru | Xyz | Verre Magic - Lacrima of Light Rilliona, the Wondrous Magistus Witch Wardrobe |
| Sacred Magic | Endymion | Artemis | Link | Magia Magic - Thunder of Judgment Endymion, the Crescent Magistus |
Many of the theme's cards released following the release of the OCG Stories storyline depict additional events and characters introduced by OCG Stories. These include "Magistus Chorozo" and "Spenta, the Magistus Sealer", counterparts of the characters Chorozo and Spenta.
Playing styleEdit
"Magistus" is an archetype focused on summoning Level 4 Spellcasters, using them to perform Special Summons from the Extra Deck, and equipping monsters for beneficial effects. Many "Magistus" cards also synergize—to varying extents—with the playstyle of their related "original" archetype, i.e. "Invoked", "Endymion", and "Witchcrafter"
All "Magistus" Main Deck monsters are Level 4 Spellcasters with basic consistency or build-building effects, and many feature a shared effect that equips a "Magistus" monster with an Extra Deck one (from various locations).
| Magistus | Equip effect | Individual effect |
|---|---|---|
| Zoroa | From Extra Deck | Summons a Level 4 Spellcaster from hand or GY |
| Endymion | Draws 1 and returns 1 card from hand to Deck | |
| Crowley | From Graveyard | Special Summons itself |
| Rilliona | Searches a "Magistus" Spell/Traps, or returns a banished Level 4 or lower Spellcaster to GY | |
| Crowley Retrain | - | Special Summons itself, performs Fusion Summon |
| Spenta | From ED or GY | Search "Magistus" monster, or halve a monster's ATK |
"Magistus" Extra Deck monsters cover all Extra Deck monster card types, and most can be made with 2 Level 4 Spellcaster monsters (being Link 2, Synchro Level 8, Rank 4, or require 2 Fusion materials). They contain a mix of board builders (Xyz "Rilliona"), field control (Synchro "Zoroa", Fusion "Zoroa", "Invoked Magistus Omega", "Aiwass"), and recovery ("Ninaruru", Link "Endymion").
Notably, a large percentage of "Magistus" Extra Deck monsters have effects when treated as Equip Cards.
| Magistus | Equip effects |
|---|---|
| Aiwass | +1000 ATK/DEF |
| Vahram | Grants Spell/Trap and battle protection |
| Ninaruru | Grants double attack (Ignition) Destroys a "Magistus" card and an opponent's card |
| Rilliona | (Ignition) Negates an opponent's monster's effects |
| Artemis | (Ignition) Searches a "Magistus" monster |
The Extra Deck "Magistus" without equip effects still interact with monster Equip Cards in their own ways:
- Fusion "Zoroa", Synchro "Zoroa", and Link "Endymion" have on-field effects that require or benefit from the presence of Monster Cards in the Spell/Trap Zone.
- "Invoked Magistus Omega" has an effect that equips itself to another monster, and applies effects only if it is equipped through its own effect.
- "Chorozo" can be Contact Fused with Spellcaster Monster Cards in the Spell/Trap Zone, enabling both further Xyz or Synchro Summons (given its being a Tuner) and enabling the revival effect of "Cross-Sheep".
Several Extra Deck "Magistus" also have their own equip-from-ED/GY effects.
"Magistus" Spell/Traps provide varied utility and combo tools. "Verre Magic - Lacrima of Light" searches, "Magia Magic - Thunder of Judgment" provides disruption, "Magistus Invocation" is a Fusion spell, "Magistus Vritra" revives from GY, "Trismagistus" summons from hand, and "Magistus Theurgy" provides extra ED equips.
"Magistus" generally aims to use its searchers and advantage generators to summon on-field bodies that turn into in-theme bosses, and use them to control the field; the Equip Card "advantage", while abundant, often requires additional work to be turned into usable materials. The Deck's core searchers are "Spenta", "Verre Magic", Xyz "Rilliona", Main Deck "Rilliona", and "Artemis", while the main advantage generators are Main Deck "Zoroa" and "Artemis". The main bosses are usually Synchro "Zoroa" and Fusion "Zoroa".
Barring the xenolocking enacted by Xyz "Rilliona", the Deck externally synergizes with themes that utilize Spellcaster monsters and/or placing monsters in the Spell/Trap Zone.
- "Witchcrafter" interacts with "Verre Magic - Lacrima of Light" through "Witchcrafter Genni's" ability to copy either of its effects by banishing itself from GY, as well as Summoning additional interaction and protection options in "Madame Verre" and "Haine".
- "Invoked" provides additional "anti-handtrap" boss monsters such as "Mechaba", alongside "Aleister the Invoker" being a Level 4 monster to immediately Link Summon "Artemis" after searching "Invocation". Furthermore, "Crowley, the Gifted Magistus" can copy the name of the original "Aleister" when used as Fusion Material, allowing additional "Invoked" Fusion Monsters to enter rotation.
- "Snake-Eye" provides "Snake-Eyes Doomed Dragon", readily-available by sending two Monster Cards in the Spell/Trap Zones to GY and placing another monster on field into the backrow as either a form of removal or to enable further synergy between the Deck's mechanics.
- "Allure Queen" provides "Allure Palace" to discard any card to search "Chaos Allure Queen" and subsequently Summon any Spellcaster with 1500 or less ATK (i.e.; "Rilliona") without a necessary Normal Summon. "Allure Dance" can also revive multiple "Allure Queen" monsters from GY to use as material for Extra Deck extenders.
Recommended cardsEdit
- Crowley, the Magistus of Grimoires
- Crowley, the Gifted Magistus
- Endymion, the Magistus of Mastery
- Rilliona, the Magistus of Verre
- Spenta, the Magistus Sealer
- Adularia of the June Moon
- Aiwass the Spirit of the Law
- Apprentice Illusion Magician
- Chaos Allure Queen (with "Allure Palace")
- Dracotail Faimena
- Fairy Tail - Matchgiru
- Fallen of the White Dragon
- Genni, the Maid of Endymion
- Immortal Phoenix Gearfried
- Magicians' Souls
- Performage Damage Juggler
- Performage Hat Tricker
- Performage Trick Clown
- Regulus, the Prince of Endymion
- Spellbook Magician of Prophecy
- Summoner Monk
- Verre, the Maid of Endymion
- Witchcrafter Genni
- Zoroa, the Magistus of Flame
- Blazing Cartesia, the Virtuous
- Disguise, the Copycat Hero
- Dragon Buster Destruction Sword
- Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous (with "Fallen of the White Dragon")
WeaknesesEdit
- The deck has a lack of extenders; if its starters are negated or removed, the deck has few ways to make recovery combos.