"Invoked", known as "Invoked Beast" (
It's related to the "Prophecy" archetype ("Crowley, the First Propheseer") and the "Magistus" archetype ("Crowley, the Magistus of Grimoires").
Design[]
Design-wise, the archetype consists of "Invoked" Fusion Monsters who are seemingly Summoned through magic powers by sorcerers.
Individually, each "Invoked" represents a different Attribute, with their Fusion Materials being "Aleister the Invoker" plus one monster of their specific Attribute, and are named after historical or mythological elements related to said Attribute. They also contain the staff of "Aleister" somewhere in their artworks, but much brighter than the original.
Level | Attribute | Type | Invoked | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
4 | DARK | Beast | Caliga | Caligula |
5 | WIND | Warrior | Raidjin | Raijin |
6 | WATER | Dragon | Cocytus | Cocytus |
7 | FIRE | Fiend | Purgatrio | Purgatory |
8 | EARTH | Rock | Magellanica | Terra Australis |
9 | LIGHT | Machine | Mechaba | Merkabah |
10 | All | Fairy | Elysium | Elysium |
Playing style[]
This archetype's plays start with either the Field Spell "Magical Meltdown" to search "Aleister the Invoker" who searches for this archetype's Fusion Summoning Spell card called "Invocation", this can Fusion Summon any monster using Materials from the hand, and can also banish Fusion Materials from either GY or one's own field if Summoning one of the "Invoked" monsters. It can also recycle itself to the Deck and a banished "Aleister the Invoker" to the hand. Aleister can also act as a handtrap, giving any Fusion Monster +1000 ATK until the end of the turn.
This trait gives the Invoked strategy a lot of versatility for many reasons. Firstly, they can access generic Fusion Monsters without needing Polymerization or other off-archetype cards. Secondly, only one Aleister is needed to produce an unending stream of Invoked monsters. Thirdly, the ability to banish monsters from either GY means it is possible to deny your opponent a chance to recycle important monsters while possibly gaining an unusual Attribute for your Summon. Finally, the ability to banish other monsters from one's own GY means it is possible to use the monsters on the field for a Link Summon, before getting a second use from them.
However, it is rare to see "pure" Invoked Decks, as the deck lacks sufficient Main Deck components; Aleister is the only Main Deck monster, and most builds only use "Magical Meltdown" and "Invocation". Due to this, to summon the Extra Deck monsters consistently, outside support is necessary. As a result, Invoked are most commonly seen as an engine in other Decks, particularly those with little to no Normal Summon reliance or otherwise play cards like Brilliant Fusion to get an extra one. These Decks can give up the Normal Summon to Aleister while successfully executing their main strategy, using the Invoked to provide either offensive firepower or defence to help their plays go off. Examples of Decks that have historically used Invoked successfully include "Windwitches", "Mekk-Knights", "Thunder Dragons", and "Trickstars". As of 2022, "Invoked" has seen more extensive use, particularly alongside "Dogmatika" and "Shaddoll", forming the "IDS" build.
The "Invoked" Fusion monsters are naturally not all viewed as equally strong, and choosing to play them often revolves around which can be Summoned in a Deck. "Caliga", "Magellanica" and "Cocytus" are viewed as being comparatively weak, but they can still be viable especially if their Attribute is strong in the current meta, as their Summoning will often be far easier. "Elysium" is often viewed as practically infeasible to Summon, and as not giving enough rewards for the large investment made in it, so is nearly never played. "Invoked Augoeides" can pop monsters whenever the opponent Special Summons while turning itself into a huge beatstick though it requires Fusion Monsters in the GY.
"Invoked Raidjin" is a highly versatile option that effectively provides a "Book of Moon" every turn. The fact it is a Warrior and can be Summoned off "Instant Fusion" also makes it popular in Decks that Summon Isolde, Two Tales of the Noble Knights. "Invoked Purgatrio" is a highly dangerous monster that gains ATK for each card the opponent controls and can attack all monsters the opponent controls. As it also does piercing damage, it can OTK the opponent in a flash, making for a startling contrast to the Deck's mainly control-focused options. Finally, "Invoked Mechaba" has an awesome negation effect that can negate any effect in the game once per turn by discarding the same type of card as the opponent activated (Monster/Spell/Trap), and then banish whatever was on the receiving end of this effect. If one can Summon multiple Mechaba, the opponent will have a hard time doing anything with the right cards in hand.
With the release of "Aleister the Invoker of Madness" as a dedicated Link Monster for this archetype, Decks that play "Invoked" Monsters now can Fusion Summon even more often, and can even use the Invoker of Madness himself for a last Summon, as his name becomes "Aleister the Invoker" on the field or GY. He also gives better support to the archetype's Spell/Trap cards, so the other non-direct Fusion cards are more effective now.
Weaknesses[]
- Cards like "Non-Fusion Area", "Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo" and "Dimensional Barrier" can be used to prevent Fusion Summons or slow down the "Invoked" strategy.
- "Chain Disappearance" can be used to banish all copies of "Aleister" at the time it is Normal Summoned. Bear in mind, though, that if "Invocation" is sent to the GY, by a card like "Twin Twisters", "Foolish Burial Goods", etc, those copies can be easily retrieved.
- "Mistake" or "Thunder King Rai-Oh" can shut down key cards like "Terraforming", "Magical Meltdown" and, most importantly, "Aleister" itself.
- "Imperial Iron Wall" can be used to prevent the "Invoked" player from banishing monsters from their opponent's GY, and can also disable the powerful effect of "Invoked Mechaba", since it will not be able to banish the card it would have negated. "Artifact Lancea" can also be used as a one-turn hand trap.
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