Dark Magician is a fan favorite deck and one that can branch into many versions. It can be quite an oppressive deck since both Magician's Circle and Magician Navigation are good ways to stop your opponent's combos, and the combination of the 2 cards gives you some good card advantage as well.
[Skill] description | User |
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Destiny Draw Can be used when your Life Points decrease by 2000. In the Draw Phase, instead of conducting your normal draw, draw a card of your choice. This Skill can only be used one per Duel. | ![]() Yami Yugi |
![]() Magician of Dark Illusion | DARK Spellcaster ★7 ATK 2100 / DEF 2500 |
Arkana [UR] | |
This card's name becomes "Dark Magician" while it is on the field. You can only use each of these effects of "Magician of Dark Illusion" once per turn.● During your opponent's turn, if you activate a Spell/Trap Card or effect (except during the Damage Step): You can Special Summon this card from your hand.● If you activate a Spell/Trap Card or effect while this card is face-up on your field (except during the Damage Step): You can target 1 "Dark Magician" in your Graveyard; Special Summon it. This effect can only be used once while this card is face-up on the field. |
Magician of Dark Illusions is a good monster to Special Summon from your deck with Magician's Navigation. This can set you up for another Dark Magician summoning using Dark Illusion's effect with Magicians Navigation in your graveyard as the trigger.
Dark Magical Circle's removal effect can be activated when you Special Summon Magician of Dark Illusion. Conversely, Dark Magical Circle's removal effect activated during your opponent's turn can trigger Magician of Dark Illusion's summoning, or Magician of Dark Illusion's second effect if activated during either player's turn.
The Eye of Timaeus can be used on Magician of Dark Illusion. This will activate his second effect, letting you revive Dark Magician just before Magician of Dark Illusion leaves the field as fusion material.
![]() Apprentice Illusion Magician | DARK Spellcaster ★6 ATK 2000 / DEF 1700 |
Selection Box Vol.05 [UR] | |
You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by discarding 1 card. If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Dark Magician" from your Deck to your hand. During damage calculation, if your other DARK Spellcaster monster battles an opponent's monster (Quick Effect): You can send this card from your hand or face-up from your field to the GY; that monster you control gains 2000 ATK/DEF during that damage calculation only. |
A searcher for Dark Magician so you can bring 3 Navigation without needing Magician's Rod. Can be very easily special summoned and also works as an ATK booster in the hand or field, making it pretty good to run multiple copies without increasing odds of bricking.
Since the ATK boost effect works on DARK Spellcaster monsters, you can use your Dark Magicians to Xyz into Ebon High or Ebon Illusion safely, knowing that you can potentially protect them from battle with Apprentice's effect.
You can recover this card from your grave by using M7's effect, which you can make with Apprentice and Malicious, or with Monster Reborn.
![]() Dark Magician | DARK Spellcaster ★7 ATK 2500 / DEF 2100 |
Yami Yugi [UR] Yami Yugi's starter deck [UR] Pre-registration bonus (alternate artwork) [UR] Arkana Event [UR] Ranked Rewards [UR] | |
The ultimate wizard in terms of attack and defense. |
Having 3 copies in the deck can help with the consistency to get the combo going, but there's no need to have 2 of the normal Dark Magicians on the field when you use Magician Navigation.
In most cases, it's better to bring out a Dark Magician with Magician of Dark Illusion. However, there might be situations where you want to not use Dark Illusion if you want to XYZ summon instead.
![]() Eternal Soul | Continuous Trap |
Link Revolution [SR] | |
Every "Dark Magician" in your Monster Zone is unaffected by your opponent's card effects. If this face-up card leaves the field: Destroy all monsters you control. You can only use the following effect of "Eternal Soul" once per turn. You can activate 1 of these effects; ● Special Summon 1 "Dark Magician" from your hand or GY. ● Add 1 "Dark Magic Attack" or "Thousand Knives" from your Deck to your hand. |
![]() Magicians Rod | DARK Spellcaster ★4 ATK 1600 / DEF 100 |
Card Trader [SR] | |
When this card is Normal Summoned: You can add 1 Spell/Trap Card from your Deck to your hand, that specifically lists the card "Dark Magician" in its text. During your opponent's turn, if you activate a Spell/Trap Card or effect while this card is in your Graveyard (except during the Damage Step): You can Tribute 1 Spellcaster-Type monster; add this card to your hand. You can only use each effect of "Magician's Rod" once per turn. |
When it’s Normal Summoned, Magician’s Rod allows you to add from your Deck to your hand a Spell/Trap Card that specifically lists the card “Dark Magician” in its text. You can use this effect to search Dark Magical Circle or Magician Navigation. If using a Silent Magician version of this deck, you can tribute Magician’s Rod for a Silent Magician.
If you don't have both Dark Magical Circle and Magician Navigation, prioritize searching Dark Magical Circle and then use that to dig Magician Navigation.
![]() Nights End Sorcerer | DARK Spellcaster ★2 ATK 1300 / DEF 400 |
Ranked Rewards [SR] | |
When this card is Special Summoned, you can remove from play up to 2 cards from your opponent's Graveyard. |
![]() Spellbook Magician of Prophecy | WATER Spellcaster ★2 ATK 500 / DEF 400 |
Visions of Ice [SR] Selection Box Vol. 02 [SR] | |
When this card is Normal Summoned or flipped face-up: Add 1 "Spellbook" Spell Card from your Deck to your hand. |
Magician is one of your key searchers alongside Spellbook of Secrets. The difference is, being a monster, Magician is much more versatile than Spellbook of Secrets.
You can use use Fate to flip Magician face-down when it is targeted for attack. This gives you another search during the opponent's turn when Magician is flip-face up again.
![]() Spellbook of Knowledge | Normal Spell |
Special Set Bundle Sale [UR] | |
Send to the GY either 1 Spellcaster monster you control, or 1 other "Spellbook" card from your hand or face-up from your field, except "Spellbook of Knowledge", and if you do, draw 2 cards. You can only activate 1 "Spellbook of Knowledge" per turn. |
Draw Engine of Spellbook Deck. This card can let you convert the excess Spellbook Spell Card (Cards with the same name) from your hand into two more hand sources without losing any cards on your field. If you chain Spellbook of Knowledge with a Spellbook Quick-Spell Card, then you can send that Quick-Spell that is still on the field which is becomes 1 Card Earning in this situation.
Keep in mind that according to the Rulings, even if you apply the effect of "Spellbook of Knowledge" using the effect of "Spellbook of the Master", you cannot choose the activated "Spellbook of the Master" as the card you send to the Graveyard.
![]() Spellbook of Secrets | Normal Spell |
Visions of Ice [SR] Selection Box Vol. 02 [SR] | |
Add 1 "Spellbook" card from your Deck to your hand, except "Spellbook of Secrets". You can only activate 1 "Spellbook of Secrets" per turn. |
Spellbook of Secrets allows you to add from your Deck to your hand any “Spellbook” card, including Spellbook Magician of Prophecy.
![]() Dark Magical Circle | Continuous Spell |
Future Horizon [UR] | |
When this card is activated: Look at the top 3 cards of your Deck, then you can reveal 1 "Dark Magician" or 1 Spell/Trap Card that specifically lists the card "Dark Magician", among them, and add it to your hand, also place the remaining cards on top of your Deck in any order. If "Dark Magician" is Normal or Special Summoned to your field (except during the Damage Step): You can target 1 card your opponent controls; banish it. You can only use each effect of "Dark Magical Circle" once per turn. |
Add Dark Magician to your hand and Special Summon it with Magician's Navigation. You can also fetch Magician's Navigation if you already have Dark Magician on hand. This combos well with Dark Magical Circle's second effect, letting you banish an opponent's card. Because Magician's Navigation is a Trap card, this combo can be used during your opponent's turn for disruption.
Special Summoning Magician of Dark Illusion with its own effect will also trigger Dark Magical Circle's banishing effect. Magician of Dark Illusion can, on a different turn, trigger Dark Magical Circle's removal again by reviving Dark Magician. You can use Dark Magical Circle's effect activation can trigger Magician of Dark Illusion to revive a Dark Magician.
If Dark Magician is already on the field, you can get Illusion Magic with Dark Magical Circle's search effect. You can fetch a second copy of Dark Magic Circle to be activated at a later turn. But keep in mind only one Dark Magical Circle banishing effect can be activated during a turn.
![]() Temple of the Kings | Continuous Spell |
Odion at Lvl 23 [SR] Odion [SR] Solemn Odion Roaming Event [SR] | |
You can activate 1 Trap Card the turn it was Set. You can send 1 "Mystical Beast of Serket" in your Monster Zone and this card you control to the Graveyard; Special Summon 1 monster from your hand or Deck, or 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck. You can only use each effect of "Temple of the Kings" once per turn. |
![]() Magician Navigation | Normal Trap |
Guardians of Rock [UR] | |
Special Summon 1 "Dark Magician" from your hand, then Special Summon 1 Level 7 or lower DARK Spellcaster-Type monster from your Deck. If you control "Dark Magician", except the turn this card was sent to the Graveyard: You can banish this card from your Graveyard, then target 1 face-up Spell/Trap Card your opponent controls; it has its effects negated until the end of this turn. |
Magician Navigation allows you to Special Summon a Dark Magician from your hand and a Level 7 or lower DARK Spellcaster-Type monster from your Deck. Letting you get two Dark Magician on the field to use as beaters and field presence.
You can banish Magician Navigation from your Graveyard to target a face-up Spell/Trap Card your opponent controls and negate its effects until the end of the turn. You can use this effect to prevent your opponent from searching a “Darklord” card via Banishment of the Darklords, Summoning Elemental HERO Brave Neos via Neos Fusion, or even from shuffling all of your Attack Position monsters into the Deck with Drowning Mirror Force.
Keep in mind that you can only activate this effect of Magician Navigation if you control a Dark Magician and you can’t do it during the same turn the Trap Card was sent to the Graveyard.
Being able to special summon 2 monsters on the field this way is also a pretty good way to XYZ into another monster. Dark Magicians sent to the graveyard that's used as a cost for an XYZ monster can be brought back by using Magician of Dark Illusion.
![]() Vermillion Dragon Mech | FIRE Machine ★9 ATK 2700 / DEF 1800 |
Blazing Rose [UR] Selection Box Vol. 03 [UR] | |
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters Once per turn: You can banish 1 Tuner from your hand, field, or Graveyard, then target 1 card on the field; destroy it. If this Synchro Summoned card is destroyed by card effect and sent to the Graveyard: You can target 1 of your banished Tuners; add it to your hand. |
![]() Cyber Slash Harpie Lady | WIND Winged Beast ★8 ATK 2600 / DEF 1400 |
Sign of Harpies [UR] | |
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters For this card's Synchro Summon, you can treat 1 "Harpie" monster you control as a Tuner. This card's name becomes "Harpie Lady" while on the field or in the GY. When a Spell/Trap Card or effect is activated (except during the Damage Step) (Quick Effect): You can target 1 monster your opponent controls or 1 "Harpie" monster you control; return it to the hand. You can only use this effect of "Cyber Slash Harpie Lady" once per turn. |
Strong monster removal option and useful to disrupt your opponent's turn as well.
![]() Dark Armed, the Dragon of Annihilation | DARK Dragon ★7 ATK 2800 / DEF 1000 |
Chaotic Soldiers [UR] | |
2+ Level 7 monsters Once per turn, if you have exactly 5 DARK monsters in your GY, you can also Xyz Summon "Dark Armed, the Dragon of Annihilation" by using 1 Level 5 or higher DARK Dragon monster you control as material. You can detach 1 material from this card, then target 1 card your opponent controls; destroy it, then banish 1 card from your GY, also, this card cannot attack for the rest of this turn. |
Has a card removal effect that you can use multiple times in a turn, up to however many materials you use to make it. Needing to banish a card in your grave won't be a big issue since you can use it on the used spells/traps like Raigeki Break.
![]() Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack | WIND Machine ★7 ATK 2600 / DEF 2200 |
Sign of Harpies [UR] | |
2 Level 7 monsters Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; Special Summon 2 "Mecha Phantom Beast Tokens" (Machine-Type/WIND/Level 3/ATK 0/DEF 0). While you control a Token, this card cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects. Once per turn: You can Tribute 1 "Mecha Phantom Beast" monster, then target 1 card on the field; destroy that target. This card cannot attack during the turn you activate this effect. |
Draccosack is a self-sufficient boss monster that's effective even outside of its archetype. It has both good offense and defense with its decent stats, inherent protection from destruction, and a targeting removal effect. It also generates its own effect costs, so you don't need to invest any more resources in Dracossack after summoning it.
However, due to limited monster zones, Dracossack needs to be the only monster on board to maximize its token generates.
![]() Number 11: Big Eye | DARK Spellcaster ★7 ATK 2600 / DEF 2000 |
Heart of Xyz [SR] | |
2 Level 7 monsters Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target 1 monster your opponent controls; take control of that monster. This card cannot attack the turn you activate this effect. |
A decent Rank 7 Xyz monster that can take control of 1 of your opponent's monster permanently (this effect is target-effect which will be useless to those monsters that cannot be targeted). However, Big Eyes cannot attack when this effect is activated which will causes that low possibility of OTK for sometimes.
![]() Ebon Illusion Magician | DARK Spellcaster ★7 ATK 2500 / DEF 2100 |
Pendulum Genesis [SR] | |
2 Level 7 monsters You can also Xyz Summon this card by using a Rank 6 Spellcaster-Type Xyz Monster you control as the Xyz Material. (Xyz Materials attached to that monster also become Xyz Materials on this card.) Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; Special Summon 1 Spellcaster-Type Normal Monster from your hand or Deck. When a Spellcaster-Type Normal Monster declares an attack: You can target 1 card your opponent controls; banish it. You can only use this effect of "Ebon Illusion Magician" once per turn. |
With the 2 Dark Magicians special summoned with Magician Navigation, you can Xyz into this to special summon a Dark Magician from the deck. It can also banish cards your opponent controls, but will only activate when the spellcaster normal monster attacks.
![]() Digital Bug Rhinosebus | LIGHT Insect ★7 ATK 2600 / DEF 2200 |
Infinite Ray [R] | |
2 or more Level 7 LIGHT Insect-Type monsters You can also Xyz Summon this card by detaching 2 Xyz Materials from a Rank 5 or 6 Insect-Type Xyz Monster you control, then using that Xyz Monster as the Xyz Material. (Xyz Materials attached to that monster also become Xyz Materials on this card.) If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent. Once per turn, during either player's turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; destroy the face-up monster(s) your opponent controls with the highest DEF (all, if tied). |
This is summoned by ranking up from Exa-Beetle, which will only give it 1 material for 1 use.
Rhinosebus has a quick-effect and it's a non-targeting monster removal. Either use it early to stop potential combos, or do it once they summon their boss monster.
![]() Inzektor Exa-Beetle | DARK Insect ★6 ATK 1000 / DEF 1000 |
Darkness Gimmick [R] | |
2 Level 6 monsters When this card is Xyz Summoned: You can target 1 monster in either player's Graveyard; equip that target to this card. This card gains ATK and DEF equal to half the original ATK and DEF of the monster equipped by this effect. Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to target 1 face-up card on each side of the field; send those targets to the Graveyard. |
Mainly to go into Exa-Beetle, but its effect is also not bad in case you need to return a monster instead of destroying them like Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir instead. But using the effect like this will mean that you can't rank up into Rhinosebus.
![]() Brute Enforcer | DARK Cyberse ATK 1600 / DEF 2 |
Link Revolution [SR] | |
2 Effect Monsters You can discard 1 card, then target 1 face-up card your opponent controls; your opponent can discard 1 card with the same original type (Monster/Spell/Trap) as that face-up card to negate this effect, otherwise destroy that face-up card. You can only use this effect of "Brute Enforcer" once per turn. |
Brute Enforcer is a potential removals with Good Arrow Point. Although its Removal Effect can be negated by your opponent with discard 1 same original type as the targeted cards, you can still makes your opponent's resources reduces due to this effect.
![]() Imduk the World Chalice Dragon | WIND Dragon ATK 800 / DEF 1 |
Link Revolution [R] | |
1 Normal Monster, except a Token During your Main Phase, you can Normal Summon 1 "World Chalice" monster in addition to your Normal Summon/Set. (You can only gain this effect once per turn.) At the start of the Damage Step, if this card battles an opponent's monster this card points to: You can destroy that opponent's monster. If this card is sent from the field to the GY: You can Special Summon 1 "World Chalice" monster from your hand. |
This card is a good Link Monster you run in your deck due to an extra normal summons Dark Magician.
![]() Palladium Oracle Mahad | DARK Spellcaster ★7 ATK 2500 / DEF 2100 |
Dark Dimension [UR] | |
When you draw this card: You can reveal this card; Special Summon it from your hand. If this card battles a DARK monster, its ATK is doubled during the Damage Step only. If this card is destroyed by battle or card effect: You can Special Summon 1 "Dark Magician" from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard. |
This can be a good 1 card to bring if you are using Chocolate Magician Girl. Activating Dark Magical Circle lets you re-arrange the top few cards of your deck, allowing you to normal summon Chocolate Magician Girl and activate her effect to draw Mahad and special summon him right away.
Mahad's effect to double his effect is quite strong, but how often it gets used depends on how relevant DARK monsters are during the meta.
![]() Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer | DARK Spellcaster ★4 ATK 1800 / DEF 700 |
Burning Nova [UR] | |
When this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent: You can target up to 2 monsters in their Graveyard; banish those targets. Your opponent cannot banish cards from either player's Graveyard. |
Kycoo can pull monsters out of your monsters out of your opponent's graveyard to disrupt the graveyard set up of decks like Invoked Elemensaber and Lightsworn. This also serves to remove graveyard effects like Kiteroid and Plaguespreader Zombie. This is not quite as effective on Shiranui, unless you banish Shiranui Spectralsword, because you will be triggering their effects.
Kycoo's second effect is amazing for protecting your graveyard from banishing effects and preventing your opponent from using their own graveyard effects if the cost is banishing, almost like a mini Necrovalley effect.
![]() Dwarf Star Dragon Planeter | LIGHT Dragon ★4 ATK 1700 / DEF 1200 |
Ranked Rewards [SR] | |
Once per turn, during the End Phase, if this card was Normal Summoned this turn: You can add 1 Level 7 LIGHT or DARK monster from your Deck to your hand. |
Normal Summon Dwarf Star Dragon Planeter to fetch Dark Magician. Waiting till your End Phase to get the search off is not really a problem, since you'll also need to wait for a newly set Navigation to go live.
Bringing Warrior-type monsters lets you use Dark Cavalry fusion monster in the deck. Since you can use "Master of Fusion" skill, you won't even need to bring a Polymerization spell to utilize this, but having a -1000 LP card can make it more consistent, which is why this variant uses Dark Magic Veil.
![]() Elemental HERO Stratos | WIND Warrior ★4 ATK 1800 / DEF 300 |
Shark Fang [UR] Selection Box Vol. 03 [UR] Selection Box Vol.03 Mini [UR] | |
When this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can activate 1 of these effects. ● You can destroy Spell/Trap Cards on the field, up to the number of "HERO" monsters you control, except this card. ● Add 1 "HERO" monster from your Deck to your hand. |
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