"Dogmatika", known as "Dragma" (ドラグマ Doraguma) in the OCG, is an archetype of LIGHT Spellcaster monsters which debuted in Rise of the Duelist.
Design
The "Dogmatika" archetype takes heavy inspiration from the Constantinian shift. All members of the archetype wear outfits of varying designs that draw inspiration from "Dogmatika Nexus", making usage of some combination of their primary colors: white, gold/yellow, and blue (though they do apply instances of black as well). Also, each member has a "stigmata" somewhere on their body. By activating this stigmata, they can take on monstrous transformations.
Lore
- The Isolated, Faraway Land: 'The Abyss'
There are many who call it 'The Abyss', it is a continent isolated from the rest of the world. In the land of 'The Abyss', a huge different dimension called 'The Hole' appeared in times long lost from the traces of memory, which is well known to open its 'jaws' and swallow both people and regions whole. However, 'The Hole' is not just a disaster that swallows men, but in rare, almost miraculous, cases, it brings forth power that could be called 'Grace Beyond Human Understanding' to the world. One time, it was an unknown form of dark matter. Another, it brought forth what appeared to be a relic from a long lost civilization. And yet another, even a life form...
- The Political Superpower of 'The Abyss': The "Dogmatika Nation"
Located in the far north of 'The Abyss' is a political superpower, that has the church as the central political authority, lead by "Dogmatika Maximus" as the supreme leader and highest authority. Their army of crusaders, made up of followers of the "Dogmatika" faith, eradicate heathens and heretics, by devoutly following the path of "Dogmatika", by which they perform miracles via 'Stigmata', the mark of their faith.
The 'Stigmata' is a mark given to all members of the "Dogmatika" faith. The followers and agents of the faith receive this power of the divine through the holy relic "Dogmatika Nexus", administered by "Dogmatika Maximus", and this power is capable of creating mysterious miracles. Among them are those who are particularly powerful, who fight heretics that threaten the stability of the nation as soldiers of its crusading army.
A maiden raised by the church since childhood. With the 'Stigmata' shining brightly on her forehead, and her pure personality, people call her a "Saint" along with "Fleur-De-Lis"
The knight commander of the crusaders, who, thanks to the 'Stigmata' on all four of her limbs, wields the three holy relics of the church, the Sword, the Shield, and the Armor, that can only be wielded by those with truly incredible power of miracles. She is the other saint who serves as the moral authority of the nation's people.[1]
Etymology
The name "Dogmatika" is likely a portmanteau of the words "Dogma" and "tika". Most of the monsters' names reference the church and religion in their names.
| Card | Name Origin | Nexus Symbol Location | Stigmata location | Stigmata color | "Despia" counterpart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adin, the Enlightened | Adin | Cover of his book | Face | Green | - |
| Ashiyan | Order of Assassins (Ḥashashiyan) | Cape brooch on lead "Ashiyan" | N/A | N/A | Ad Libitum of Despia |
| Ecclesia, the Virtuous | Ecclesia (ἐκκλησία, Greek term for Christian Church) | Hammer face | Forehead | Yellow | - |
| Fleurdelis, the Knighted | Fleur-de-lis | Shield | N/A | Indigo | - |
| Maximus | Pontifex maximus | Stole | Hands | Violet | Dramaturge of Despia |
| Nexus | Tetragrammaton | N/A | N/A | N/A | Despian Proskenion |
| Theo, the Iron Punch | Theos (Θεός, God in Greek) | Gauntlet head | Arm | Red | - |
| White Knight of Dogmatika | - | Shield | N/A | Indigo | Despian Quaeritis |
Playing style
The first wave of "Dogmatika" monsters have effects that counter/disrupt Extra Deck monsters. In later sets, "Dogmatika" gains Ritual Monsters and Ritual Spell Cards.
The Level 4 monsters ("Adin", "Ecclesia" and "Theo") all share the following effects: "If a monster that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck is on the field: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. You can only activate this effect of "[this card]" once per turn. Cannot be destroyed by battle with a monster that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck." This allows them to quickly swarm the field and go into Rank 4 Xyz Monsters. Examples of good generic Rank 4s include "Number S39: Utopia Prime", "Daigusto Emeral", "Gagaga Cowboy", etc.
"Dogmatika Fleurdelis, the Knighted" also features a similar summoning condition and supports "Dogmatika" monsters by having them gain ATK whenever a "Dogmatika" monster declares an attack, allowing for a quick Beatdown when combined with the swarming provided by the lower Level monsters. Due to her summoning condition being a Quick Effect, she can be summoned during the opponent's turn to disrupt their plays by negating the effects of one of their monsters.
"Dogmatika Maximus" and "Dogmatika Nexus" profit from Extra Deck monsters being in the GY as their Summoning Condition involves banishing Extra Deck monster from the GY. Accumulating Extra Deck monsters is achieved by their supporting Spells and Traps, but also "Maximus", sending cards from the Extra Deck to the Graveyard. Due to this, Extra Deck monsters having effects while being the Graveyard are recommended. Those monsters having a decent range of Attribute and Type make "Archnemeses Eschatos" and "Protos" good optional "boss monsters" in the Deck. "Zaborg the Mega Monarch" can also help you with setting up the Graveyard. Since "Dogmatika Nexus" can be summoned multiple times per turn, this card makes bringing out multiple copies of him very easy.
Because of their heavy reliance on monsters summoned from the Extra Deck being on the field and their own inability to summon those regularly, they are a Deck focused on going second. To offset this weakness, running some copies of "Instant Fusion" to easily summon monsters from the Extra Deck yourself is recommended (be careful when playing "Dogmatika Punishment", "Dogmatika Ecclesia, the Virtuous", "Dogmatika Maximus", "Nadir Servant"; you can trap yourself out of necessary Extra Deck summons if not timed correctly). If you summon "Thousand-Eyes Restrict" or "Millennium-Eyes Restrict" this way, you can use them to Link Summon "Linkuriboh", instantly giving you a material to summon "Maximus".
"Albaz" can help you break your opponent's board by using it and their monsters to summon cards like "Titaniklad the Ash Dragon", "Starving Venom Fusion Dragon", "Predaplant Triphyoverutum" or "Panzer Dragon". Cards that allow you to summon him during your opponent's turn (like "Dogmatika Encounter") can help you disrupt them by getting rid of their monsters.
Recommended cards
Weaknesses
This archetype heavily relies on the opponent summoning monsters from their Extra Deck. Opponent cards that prevent or punish Special Summoning can be disruptive to the player's strategy when using monsters in this archetype.
References
- ↑ NeoArkadia (April 18, 2020). "[Lore] So About The Dragma". https://ygorganization.com/agehaactivateshergreatestnormalholecard/.
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