[Written] Cards to make a couple of older archetypes more relevant.

[Marly]

These are my first cards in a long time. I worry I might have made these a little too overpowered, but on the other hand, with things like Nekroz and it's Djinnlock running around, I'm not really sure. I'd like some feedback, obviously, especially when it concerns the balance of the cards and how well it makes the deck relevant. 

I put some commentary at the end of each list in dark red. Feel free to skip that and just go straight into the CnC, if you want, I know it's a lot of text.


Gravekeepers:

 

Gravekeeper's Sacrifice

Spell / Quick-Play

You can only activate this card while "Necrovalley" is on the field. Tribute 1 "Gravekeeper" Monster: Negate the effect of an effect monster your opponent controls and destroy that monster.

Mausoleum of Necrovalley 

Trap / Continuous

While this card remains face-up on the field, while you control a "Gravekeeper's" monster or "Necrovalley", cards in either player's banished zones cannot be affected by card effects.

Gravekeeper's Boatman 

Dark / Spellcaster / Effect

Level 4 1600/1600

Once per turn, you can discard 1 card to Special Summon 1 "Gravekeeper" monster from your Graveyard. It cannot be used for a Xyz or Synchro summon. This card's effect cannot be negated by "Necrovalley".

 

 

Gravekeeper's Elder

Dark / Spellcaster / Xyz

Rank 4 1200/1800

2 Level 4 Spellcaster-type monsters

Once per turn, you can detach 1 Xyz material from this card to add a "Necrovalley" from your deck or graveyard to your hand, this effect cannot be negated by the effect of "Necrovalley". You can detach 2 Xyz material from this card to discard all Monster cards from both player's hands. If this card has no Xyz materials attached to it, destroy this card.

Gravekeeper's Mystic

Dark / Spellcaster / Xyz

Rank 4 2400/800

You can detach 1 Xyz material from this card: Until the end phase, "Gravekeeper" monsters you control cannot be destroyed by card effects. 

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That's it for Gravekeepers. I think the cards that teeter around OP are Elder, with it's Royal Tribute-like effect, and maybe Boatman. The card I think I'm proudest of in this set is Mausoleum; it goes along with Gravekeeper's lockdown/anti-meta feel, and with its restriction of having to have a Gravekeeper or Necrovalley on the field, feels balanced. It might be more of a side-deck card, but I think if it existed, it'd get played by Gravekeeper players. I'd like more opinions, though, and debate helps to make better cards. 



Face Knights.

This was never really an archetype as much as it was 4 subpar cards from the anime. I always wanted these cards to be good, and so I came up with these and tried my best to make these, well, good.


Face Call

Spell

Add 1 "King's Knight", "Queen's Knight", or "Jack's Knight" from your deck or graveyard to your hand. 

Rule of the Knights

Trap

Tribute "King's Knight(s)", "Queen's Knight(s)", and "Jack's Knight(s)" you control. For each card tributed this way, discard a random card from your opponent's hand. 

 

Court Jester

Dark / Warrior / Effect

Level 3 500/500

When this card is summoned: Special summon 1 "King's Knight", "Queen's Knight", or "Jack's Knight" from your deck, hand, or graveyard. 

Knight's Squire

Light / Warrior / Effect

Level 4 1600/1200

Once per turn, when a spell, trap, or monster effect is activated while a "King's Knight", "Jack's Knight", or "Queen's Knight" is on the field, negate the effect. If you do, return this card to your hand. 

 

Light / Warrior / Xyz

Rank 4 2100/1600

You can only control 1 "Ace Knight". You can also Xyz summon this card by using a "Jack's Knight" you control as a Xyz Material. You can detach 2 Xyz materials from this card to special summon a "Jack's Knight", "King's Knight", and "Queen's Knight" from your deck or hand. If you do, you skip to the End Phase of this turn. You can detach 1 Xyz material from this card to add 1 "King's Knight", "Queen's Knight", or "Jack's Knight" from your deck or graveyard to your hand. 

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This set feels a little less balanced then Gravekeepers, but that was intentional - the Face Knights themselves are bad. Really bad. With two normal monsters - one being a 5-star with 1900 atk - the support needs to carry them. Whereas Gravekeepers can work with their support, Face Knights rely on it. I imagine, even with Court Jester and Face Call, the deck will have a ton of bricking. I tried to make it as consistent as possible.


Spell Counters

Lastly, we have probably the worst archetype that exists. Spell Counters. As it is right now, this deck is so, painfully slow. And with the exception of Royal Magical Library and Spell Power Grasp - are almost never seen played. And even then, those cards are only in FTKs and draw-heavy decks. The worst part is even when you finally manage to scrounge up enough spell counter, the cards can be easily removed from the field, and even if they aren't - their effects aren't strong enough to warrant the time spent accumulating those spell counters.


Magic Meter
Spell / Continuous 
Once per turn, you can activate this card to put 2 spell counters on any card that you can put spell counters on. If you do, you can flip 1 face-up monster face-down. 

Magi Refusal 
Spell
Destroy cards on the field up to the number of spell counters on your side of the field. If you do, remove all spell counters from the field.

Counter Cunning
Trap / Counter
Activate only if you have a total of 3 or more spell counters on the field. Negate the activation of a spell, trap, or monster's effect and destroy that card. Then remove 3 spell counters from your side of the field. 

Spelltheif
Dark / Spellcaster / Effect
Level 3 1400/800
When this card is summoned, place a spell counter on it. Each time a spell card is activated, place 1 spell counter on this card. Once per turn, you can remove 3 spell counter from this card to target 1 monster your opponent controls and take control of it until the end phase. 

Uppity Magician
Dark / Spellcaster / Effect
Level 2 400/800
Each time a spell card is activated place a spell counter on this card (Max 1). Once per turn, you can remove 1 spell counter from this card to return a spell card from your graveyard to your hand. You cannot conduct your battle phase the turn you use this effect

Mystical King Solomon
Dark / Spellcaster / Effect
Level 7 2600/2000
This card cannot be normal summoned or set. This card can only be special summoned by removing 5 spell counters from your side of the field. When this card is summoned, place 3 spell counters on this card. Each time a spell card is activated, place a spell counter on this card. You can remove 1 spell counter from this card to negate the summon of an opponents monster and send it to the graveyard. You can remove 3 spell counters to destroy all cards on the field except this card. If this card has no spell counters on it, destroy this card..

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I don't have much to say except this was the hardest to balance. I feel like if these cards existed, it would only get played because of Solomon, because even with their powerful effects, it is still extremely slow, and you generally have to waste a spell card just to activate the effect, making them an inherent -1. 

Alright, that's all folks, I know it's a ton of text to read, but I appreciate it if you made it this far.