Forum:Deck Guide/Spellcaster

by Gadjiltron

Intro
Spellcasters are one of the more prominent monster Types in the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game, with plenty of members and support present, including two Structure Decks dedicated to some of their strategies. The Type is also home to the famed Dark Magician and his many related cards. This complexity within a monster Type comes only second to the Warrior Type.

Related Guides
Several prominent members of the Spellcaster Type belong to their own archetypes, so those members will only be covered in their respective specialized Deck Guides.
 * Fortune Lady Decks
 * Gravekeeper Decks
 * Prophecy Decks

Mechanics
Most strategies involving Spellcasters involve the use of Spell Counters, which usually accumulate as the player activates Spells and are removed to trigger the activation of effects. Some cards have limits to how many Counters they can accumulate, and some even gain additional benefits for allowing a large number of Counters to be stacked on them. Unlike Venom Counters or A-Counters, you cannot place a Spell Counter on any card unless the card itself mentions placing Spell Counters on it.

Spell Counters are often placed on cards whenever a Spell is played by any player, so this method of Counter accumulation will be assumed unless stated otherwise.

Strengths

 * Field control - While several archetypes and staples have the ability to check opposing monsters on the field, few have lots of cards that offer S/T control. A good deal of Spell Counter effects often target S/Ts, allowing a Spellcaster Deck an edge in field control that most other archetypes lack.
 * OTK potential - Take a look here. Notice something about most of these FTK Decks? They abuse Spell Counters create an insane draw loop to reach their goals.

Weaknesses

 * Modest speed - As with most control-oriented Decks, a Spellcaster Deck will need some time to accumulate the prerequisite Spell Counters before it can begin laying waste to the opponent. OTK variants, on the other hand, are designed to trade field control for speed.
 * Partially field-reliant - Spell Counter-oriented variants tend to rely on their key Field card to store excess Counters. While said Field card is difficult to destroy, an opposing Deck with a field of their own can simply change the environment and deprive the Deck of their efforts.

The Basics
There's a large number of cards which involve Spell Counters, some more competent than the others. This section will cover the most commonly used cards, along with miscellaneous Spellcaster-related staples.

Spell Counters

 * Magical Citadel of Endymion - Key card to anything focusing on Spell Counters. Endymion is a Field Spell that serves as Spell Counter storage. Not only does it get a Spell Counter each time a Spell is activated, but when a card with Spell Counters is destroyed, you transfer the Counters there too. While it doesn't do anything on its own, once per turn you can remove Counters from Endymion to pay the cost of a card effect that requires Spell Counters. Endymion is also very resilient, as it can simply remove a Spell Counter from itself to prevent it from being destroyed by a card effect.
 * Royal Magical Library - A classic card that persists through the ages since its MFC debut. RML has a sturdy 2000 DEF but nonexistant 0 ATK, which is just asking for a beating should you Normal Summon it. Its selling point is its effect. While it can only hold a maximum of 3 Spell Counters, you can remove those 3 Counters to draw a card. Several OTK burn Decks use RML alongside draw Spells to create a loop that eventually draws their Deck out and sets up the OTK.
 * Breaker the Magical Warrior - Yet another classic from the times of MFC. Other than being known for its relentless assault with Berserker Soul, Breaker has been on the Limited List at a point in time because he was best described as "Mystical Space Typhoon with a body". Standing at a decent 1600/1000, Breaker holds a single Spell Counter that's gained on Normal Summon. That Counter grants him a 300 ATK boost that elevates him to beatstick levels, but it can also be removed to destroy a S/T. His Limited status was eventually revoked as better cards turned up over time, but that doesn't keep him from being a staple in Spellcaster Decks.
 * Crusader of Endymion - He's Breaker's half-brother hailing from SOVR. Crusader is already intimidating at stats of 1900/1200, but once you trigger his Gemini effects, he really starts to shine. Each turn, you can place a Spell Counter on an applicable card, and if you do, Crusader gains a good 600 ATK boost until the End Phase. Combo with Breaker to constantly reload his Counter for S/T popping so that Crusader can safely kill what Breaker can't.
 * Magical Exemplar - The best candidate for Spell Counter generation. Exemplar gains two Spell Counters per Spell card activation. No other card's gonna do that! By removing a number of Spell Counters from Exemplar, you also get to Special Summon a Spellcaster of that Level from your hand or Graveyard. Just two Spells activated and you can revive someone like Crusader!
 * Defender, the Magical Knight - Much like Breaker, Defender comes with a Spell Counter when he is Normal Summoned, and can only hold one. While Defender doesn't destroy stuff or get a stat boost from the Spell Counter, he can remove a Spell Counter from anywhere on your field to protect a Spellcaster from being destroyed.
 * Apprentice Magician - When Apprentice is Summoned, you get to place a Spell Counter on an appropriate card you control. But with stats of 400/800, Normal Summoning her is just asking for a beating. Most players often simply Set her and let her use her secondary effect, where she Special Summons a LV2 or lower Spellcaster face-down when destroyed in battle. That includes other copies of herself or, say, Old Vindictive Magician.
 * Magical Marionette - At 2000 ATK for LV5, it's not really stellar. However, it has no upper limit for Spell Counters and gains 200 ATK for each one on it. By removing 2 Spell Counters, the Marionette can also destroy a monster on the field - usually something it would find difficult to take care of.
 * Dark Red Enchanter - 1700 ATK for LV6 is even worse! However, DRE covers for that by automatically gaining 2 Spell Counters once he's Normal Summoned. Each Counter gives him a 300 ATK boost, bringing him to an okay-looking 2300 for a single Tribute. DRE gains more Spell Counters as Spells are cast, and he furthers the control strategy by discarding from the opponent's hand at the cost of 2 Counters.
 * Endymion, the Master Magician - The cover card of SD16 doesn't collect Spell Counters, but can use them for his Summoning. Though, unlike most other "remove Spell Counter" effects, Master Endymion specifies 6 Spell Counters from his Endymion Field Spell. To make up for all that trouble, you get to add a Spell from your Graveyard to your hand. That effect alone makes Master Endymion worth summoning by his effect, as all other cards that include returning Spells from the Grave to hand either have horrible costs or are banned. Once per turn, Master Endymion can discard a Spell from your hand to destroy a card on the field, but you'd rather be actually using that Spell card you recycled, wouldn't you?
 * Arcanite Magician - Most Synchro-based Spellcaster Decks would look into summoning Arcanite. Though he starts at a wimpy-looking 400/1800, he comes with 2 Spell Counters attached and gains 1000 ATK for each one, buffing him to 2400 ATK. While he doesn't collect Spell Counters by himself, he has the ability to remove a Spell Counter from anywhere on your field to destroy one card on the field, multiple times per turn. Combo with Endymion that's racked up over 5 counters and you can practically lay waste to the opponent's field.
 * Explosive Magician - He's not as popular since his destructive power isn't as good as that of Arcanite Magician's, but his stable ATK of 2500 for a LV6 is nothing to scoff at. He doesn't collect Spell Counters, but can remove 2 of them from anywhere on your field to destroy a S/T once per turn, making him a watered down Breaker with better stats.
 * Tempest Magician - By now, you'd have noticed that all the Spellcaster Synchros require Spellcaster non-Tuners to prevent them from being too splashable. Tempest Magician has slightly lacking statos of 2200/1400 for a LV6, but already comes with a Spell Counter attached. By discarding any number of cards from your hand, you can place a Spell Counter on an appropriate monster you control for each card discarded, making her a little versatile for loading counters. Her final effect lets you clear the entire field of Spell Counters to inflict 500 damage to the opponent per counter, making her good for a finishing move or an OTK centerpiece.
 * Supreme Arcanite Magician - A Fusion requiring a Spellcaster monster and a Spellcaster Synchro monster. These conditions can be easily met just by Synchro Summoning a Spellcaster Synchro and then using Miracle Synchro Fusion. Supreme Arcanite is more or less Arcanite Magician with 1000 more ATK and DEF, but slightly unlike the original Arcanite, Supreme Arcanite can only use its effect once. Fortunately, to make up for it, Supreme Arcanite can do two things with a Spell Counter: destroy a card, or draw a card. Which effect is better will depend on the situation.
 * Spell Power Grasp - Another key card in a Spell Counter Deck. Spell Power Grasp lets you place a Spell Counter on an appropriate card (in addition to other Spell Counters gained just by activating this Spell), and then it helps you thin your Deck by searching for another copy of it. However, you can only activate one Spell Power Grasp per turn, so it's best if you run 2 instead of 3 and keep that vacant card slot for other useful cards.
 * Pitch-Black Power Stone - A Continuous Trap Card that, well, embodies a Spell Counter. Only that it's not one Spell Counter, but three. Once per turn, you can transfer one Spell Counter from the Power Stone to an appropriate card you control, and it destroys itself once you've transferred off all three. The best use for Power Stone is with Arcanite Magician, letting you destroy 3 cards your opponent controls without any penalty to Arcanite's ATK.

Miscellaneous Support

 * Chaos Sorcerer - Most Spellcasters are either LIGHT or DARK, easily fulfilling Chaos Sorcerer's Summon condition. Once per turn, he can banish a face-up monster on the field in exchange for attacking, letting you take care of threats that your other cards cannot handle. Sorcerer's a Spellcaster too, making him viable for any Spellcaster Synchro Summons or related support.
 * Effect Veiler - Probably one of the most expensive and most splashed Spellcasters around. Effect Veiler can be discarded from the hand during the opponent's Main Phase to negate an opponent's monster effect (without destroying it) for the turn. When there's nothing good to negate, Veiler makes for a LV1 Tuner for other Synchro Summons.
 * Night's End Sorcerer - When this LV2 Tuner is Special Summoned, you get to banish up to 2 cards from your opponent's Graveyard. He goes hand-in-hand with Exemplar, since a single Spell cast while Exemplar is out already allows her to summon Night's End. This leaves you to Synchro Summon any LV6 monster immediately, and if you chose a Spellcaster Synchro, it's an immediate setup for Supreme Arcanite.
 * Summoner Monk - The fortunate part about Summoner Monk is that he turtles into Defense Position once he is Summoned to utilize his 1600 DEF. You can discard a Spell card once per turn to Special Summon a LV4 monster from your Deck, but that monster can't attack that turn. Use to either set up emergency Synchro/Xyz Summons, or fetch monsters you need from your Deck like RML or Exemplar.
 * Blizzard Princess - She stands at a respectable 2800 ATK for a LV8, but she also can be Normal Summoned by Tributing one Spellcaster. The turn she's Normal Summoned, the opponent is unable to use Spells and Traps, so if you're pushing for a win, go for it.
 * Magical Dimension - Useable only when you control a Spellcaster. On use, you Tribute a monster you control and Special Summon a Spellcaster from your hand. And afterwards, you can choose to destroy a monster on the field. The uncertainty of destruction allows it to circumvent the likes of Stardust Dragon, while switching out your weaker Spellcasters for your heavy hitters that you don't want to Special Summon.
 * Secret Village of the Spellcasters - An alternative Field for Decks that are not as focused on Spell Counters. Secret Village provides a one-sided Spell lock on the opponent provided that its controller has a Spellcaster and the opponent does not. This lock is reversed once the controller doesn't control a Spellcaster.
 * Magician's Circle - When a Spellcaster declares an attack, you can activate this card, and both players Special Summon a Spellcaster from their Decks with 2000 ATK or less. The best part is that you don't need your opponent to have a valid monster in their Decks, unlike other cards that affect both players.

Arcanite Library
This variant focuses on Summoning the Spellcaster Synchros to make use of the Spell Counters. Its main aim is to make Arcanite Magician, though at other times, Supreme Arcanite is an acceptable alternative.

Counter Tempest

 * See also: Counter Tempest

This variant uses Rock My Life Royal Magical Library and a plethora of draw Spells to practically draw out the Deck and stack a lot of Spell Counters on Endymion. Then, Tempest Magician is Summoned, and 16 Counters are used to inflict a grand 8000 damage for an OTK. Missing Counters can be refilled by discarding excess cards.

Silent Magic
One of the underlooked LV monsters is the Silent Magician series. It consist of two stages: LV4 and LV8. LV4 stands at a humble 1000/1000 but gains 500 ATK for each Spell Counter on her, maxing out (and Leveling up) at 5. Unfortunately, LV4 innately collects Counters whenever the opponent draws, and she usually can't last 5 turns before getting picked off the field. Hence a Silent Magician Deck speeds up the process by either feeding Spell Counters or forcing the opponent to draw.

Cards likely to be seen in a Silent Magician Deck include:
 * Dark Bribe - People don't usually like this card because it lets the opponent draw a card in exchange for a S/T negation. This extra draw results in another Counter on Silent Magician.
 * Chainsaw Insect - 2400 ATK on a LV4 is nothing to scoff at. It's supposed "downside" of giving the opponent a free draw after it attacks or battles means yet another Counter on Silent Magician.
 * Miracle Locus - You opponent draws a card, and one monster you control gains 1000 ATK and two attacks in exchange for inflicting Battle Damage. Combo with Chainsaw Insect and you can easily force 3 separate draws while shredding almost anything you can't kill normally.
 * By Order of the Emperor - Negate any "On Normal Summon" effect that triggers, and the opponent is refunded with a drawn card. And then your cards benefit off that supposed disadvantage.
 * Dark World Dealings or Dragged Down into the Grave - Both players draw and discard one card each. Cycle through cards you don't need, and benefit off the opponent drawing. Be careful if you're using this around Dark World Decks though. Dragged Down works similarly, but both players get to control what their opponent loses.
 * Appropriate - Whenever your opponent draws outside their Draw Phase, you draw 2 cards. This works as a good draw power engine so that you're not behind in hand advantage.
 * Level Up! - Alternatively, just skip all the tediousness of your opponent drawing and go straight to LV8.

Dark Magic Attack!
When it comes to Spellcasters, who could ever overlook the famed Dark Magician? This classic from around the very beginning of Yu-Gi-Oh has enough related support to construct a coherent fun Deck around him. While a Dark Magician Deck doesn't use a lot of Spell Counters like those above, they shouldn't be overlooked if they can lend a hand to the Deck.

Since there are a fair number of Dark Magician related cards, we'll look into them first...
 * Dark Magician - The key card of the Deck. While not exactly "ultimate" in terms of attack and defense (2500/2100 for LV7 is not exactly ideal), he has a number of related cards that improve his versatility. Most notably, he can be searched by Summoner's Art to prepare for a Special Summon via Magical Dimension or Ancient Rules without needing to go through all the Tribute hassle.
 * Dark Magician Girl - The student of Dark Magician isn't as strong as her mentor. With only 2000/1700 for a LV6 monster and a weak 300 ATK boost for each copy of her mentor on the field or Graveyard, the only thing that's sustaining her popularity is her aesthetics. On the upside, she can be Special Summoned easily using Magician's Circle or Sage's Stone, but that's more or less the best tricks you can do with her.
 * Skilled Dark Magician - A definite must for the Deck. SDM holds kickass stats of 1900/1700, and collects Spell Counters each time a Spell is activated. Once he hits his limit of 3 Spell Counters, he can Tribute himself to Special Summon Dark Magician from hand, Deck, or Graveyard. Non-Dark Magician Decks still can use him as a beatstick and Spell Counter reserve.
 * Dark Magic Curtain - A slightly less favourable way to Summon Dark Magician is to use this card, pay half your Life Points and give up other Summons for the turn in order to bring out Dark Magician instantly from the Deck.
 * Dark Magic Attack - Named after Dark Magician's signature attack, Dark Magic Attack functions as a pseudo-Harpie's Feather Duster, wiping away only your opponent's S/Ts. And unlike two other similar cards, your Dark Magician is still free to attack!
 * Thousand Knives - A simple card: Have Dark Magician, kill any one monster. Doesn't even need to be face-up, which makes it a little contested with other similar cards like Fissure or Smashing Ground.
 * Magic Formula - A rather restrictive Equip that only attaches to Dark Magician or his student. The Equipped monster gains 700 ATK, allowing them to take on monsters they couldn't surmount in battle. If sent from the field to the Graveyard, Formula gives a rather meager return of 1000 LP. Better stick with better general-purpose Equips.
 * Miracle Restoring - At the cost of 2 Spell Counters from anywhere, you get to revive Dark Magician or Buster Blader from your Graveyard. Save your Monster Reborn for better targets and use this card as S/T removal bait.

Dark Magician also has a number of alternate forms which, if built around, will require a slightly different strategy, since these forms do not take on Dark Magician's name and render his support unusable. All of these are Nomis unless stated otherwise.
 * Dark Sage - Summon him only by Tributing Dark Magician after succeeding on Time Wizard's effect. He has decent stats of 2800/3200, and when successfully Summoned, you get to add a Spell from your Deck to your hand, and usually that chosen Spell is one of the Limited ones which are good in a pinch. But the fact that Dark Sage's Summon condition is luck-based on its own greatly hampers his playability.
 * Magician of Black Chaos - An effectless Ritual Monster, Summoned using Black Magic Ritual. Other than stats of 2800/2600, he's got nothing else going for him. Move along...
 * Dark Magician of Chaos - He's banned, and for good reason. First thing is that he can recycle a Spell from your Grave when Normal or Special Summoned. Yes, he's not a Nomi. That made him splashable that way. Next is that he banishes anything he destroys in battle, and he himself gets banished when he gets destroyed. Problem is that DMoC goes hand-in-hand with the also-banned Dimension Fusion and created an OTK when paired with Dark Armed Dragon. Now that he's banned, his related card, Dedication through Light and Darkness, which transforms a Dark Magician into a DMoC, is now moot.
 * Dark Magician Knight - Summoned using Knight's Title. For two cards, either of which are likely to become a dead draw, you get... a one-use destruction of a card on the field, with no change in stats. Thankfully Knight's Title is generous in Special Summoning DMKnight from hand, Deck, or Graveyard, but it's not worth the effort.
 * Dark Eradicator Warlock - A simpler Nomi that just needs you to Tribute a Dark Magician you control. Once again, no change in stats. However, DEW has a unique effect that works like Curse of Darkness, where the opponent takes 1000 damage each time either player activates a Normal Spell. While he's still a little easier to play than his cousins, DEW still doesn't give enough reward to risk getting him as a dead draw.
 * Dark Paladin - One of the Fusions using Dark Magician. Dark Paladin requires Dark Magician and Buster Blader, and any Deck focusing around Dark Paladin would be certain to look into related cards Skilled White Magician and Emblem of the Dragon Destroyer. Dark Paladin takes on an upgraded version of Buster Blader's boosting effect, gaining 500 ATK for each Dragon on the field and in both Graveyards, and an unlimited Spell negation effect at one discard per activation. His decent base stats of 2900/2400 let him trump many other monsters in combat unboosted. If you want to run him, you'd better dedicate more to Paladin than Dark Magician.
 * Dark Flare Knight - Ugh, what a pain. Dark Flare Knight requires a Dark Magician and Flame Swordsman, the latter of which is also an effectless Fusion Monster using even weaker material. Make do using Fusion substitutes or Instant Fusion. Once you summon Dark Flare Knight, you'd naturally be suiciding him into a large monster, since you won't take any Battle Damage from the ensuing battle. From his destruction, you can then Summon Mirage Knight, a one-shot monster with a built-in Honest effect that also banishes itself at the End Phase. Ultimately, you end up with nothing assuming you battle with all monsters at one shot. In short, don't bother with him, unless you're shooting for Mirage Knight's bonus in the World Championship games.

Other Tips
Of course, there's a whole plethora of Spellcasters and relevant support. Consider the following in certain situations:
 * Alchemist of Black Spells - With stats of 1200/1800, he won't be doing a lot of attacking. However, his effect puts himself into Defense Position where he can hold off smaller monsters while also generating a Spell Counter on an appropriate card. So, technically, if you keep him alive on the field (like with Defender) he can continuously generate a Counter each turn.
 * Maiden of Macabre - MoM possesses good stats of 1700/0, and each time she scores a kill, she gains a Spell Counter, and an additional 200 ATK for each Spell Counter acquired. This lets her become a snowballing beater until flipped face-down or removed from the field.
 * Mythical Beast Cerberus - An unstable beatstick that starts at 1400/1400, but gains 500 ATK for each Spell Counter it accumulates. Thing is, after it attacks or gets attacked, all its Spell Counters expire at the end of the Battle Phase. At the very least, Cerberus makes for good LIGHT fodder for Chaos monsters.
 * Frequency Magician - A LV2 Tuner with a fairly so-so effect, designed to introduce newcomers to basic effects. Frequency Magician, like Breaker, gains a Spell Counter on Normal Summon, and by removing said counter, a monster you control gains 500 ATK until the End Phase. Use only if you're in desperate need for a Tuner.
 * Magician's Valkyria - Standing at a modest-looking 1600/1800, Valkyria is often outshone by other beatsticks, especially Crusader. She makes up for this by preventing other Spellcasters you control from being targeted for attacks. Have 2 or more of her out, and your opponent can't attack any face-up Spellcasters at all.
 * The Tricky - If you need a LV5 for Synchro purposes in a pinch, The Tricky's the card you'll need. Its Spellcaster Type makes it good for making the Spellcaster Synchros, and it's almost never a dead draw. In fact, it makes for a decent candidate for Magical Dimension shenanigans.
 * Skilled White Magician, Buster Blader, and Dark Paladin - If you're running a Dark Magician Deck and want to put a little spin on it, consider these three cards. Skilled White is a mirror of Skilled Dark, which summons Buster Blader for his three Spell Counters. Buster Blader fuses with Dark Magician in order to create Dark Paladin. Even Miracle Restoring sees more use as it can revive either Dark Magician or Buster Blader.
 * Gagaga Magician and Gagaga Girl - ZEXAL's take on the Dark Magician mentor/student duo can prove to be pretty decent at times. Gagaga Magician can take any Level from 1 to 8, while Gagaga Girl can copy her mentor's Level. Obviously, this is to facilitate Xyz Summons, but you can even Summon Sorcerer of Dark Magic easily this way.
 * Wonder Wand - An equipped Spellcaster gains a basic-looking 500 ATK. The kicker here is that you can send the equip and the Spellcaster to the Graveyard to draw 2 cards, making for some efficient draw power, especially with "fodder" like Apprentice Magician.
 * Bound Wand - Interestingly, Bound Wand demands that the target monster needs to have a Level. Then again, its ATK boost is dependent on Level, at 100 per Level. Obviously, this is best used with high-Level Spellcasters like Dark Magician (or Gagaga Magician altering himself to LV8). If the equipped monster is destroyed by the opponent, you can immediately Special Summon that monster, though without Bound Wand buffing it. This works best if you want to keep a monster on the field for an imminent Xyz Summon or the like.
 * Mega Ton Magical Cannon - Remove 10 Spell Counters from anywhere on your field, and blow up the opponent's entire field. Not too much of a hassle with Endymion, but beware Starlight Road.
 * Anti-Spell - Remove 2 Spell Counters from anywhere on your field to negate and destroy a Spell card. However, I doubt negated Spells count for Spell Counter accumulation. That Spell you're negating better be worth the two Counters.