[Written] Impossible task of the day: making Arcana Force viable

[Nekomata]

Recently, while reviewing Eshai's Dice World, I thought that, if you want to play some sort of Deck based on luck, there's an Archetype that tosses a coin each time a monster is Summoned. Unluckily, it is extremely inconsistent and there are only 2 or 3 cards that can really be useful in some ways. So, why not making some support for the old Arcana Force? Let's complete the deck of the Tarots adding the remaining Arcana Forces (+ some cards to boost consistency and to even OTK).

Other Arcanas are anime/OCG only.

[spoiler=Monsters]
Arcana Force IX - The Hermit  ATK 1900 DEF 1900 5 Light/Fairy/Effect
You can discard this card from your hand: add an "Arcana Force" monster from your Deck to your hand. If this card is in your GY: you can Tribute an "Arcana Force" monster; Special Summon this card from your GY, and if you do, this card's effect becomes the opposite of the coin toss of the Tributed monster. You can only use each effect of "Arcana Force IX - The Hermit" once per turn. When this card is Summoned, except by its effect, toss a coin:
Heads: "Arcana Force" monsters you control cannot be targeted by your opponent's card effects.
Tails: During the end of your Main Phase, destroy every other monster you control.
This card solves many problems Arcana Force monsters have: inconsistency and bad luck. It's a great searcher, and if you get a Tails, you can Tribute that monster and Summon this one from the GY with a Heads effect (I didn't know how to write it in a decent OCG).
 
Arcana Force XVI - The Tower  ATK 2600 DEF 2600  7 Light/Fairy/Effect
Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. This card must first be Special Summoned by shuffling 2 "Arcana Force" monsters from your GY into the Deck. When this card is Summoned, toss a coin:
Heads: Once per turn (Quick Effect): you can send an "Arcana Force" from your hand or Deck to your GY, then target one card on the field; destroy it.
Tails: Once per turn (Quick Effect): your opponent can discard one card, then target one card on the field (except this card); destroy it.
The Spirit of an Arcana Force in a Special Summonable monster.
 
Arcana Force XIX - The Sun  ATK 2900 DEF 2900 7 Light/Fairy/Effect
You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by banishing an "Arcana Force XVIII - The Moon" from your hand, field or GY. When this card is Summoned, toss a coin:
Heads: During your Main Phase, you can pay 500 Life Points: Special Summon a "Sun Token" (Fairy-Type/LIGHT/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0). That Token cannot be used as material or Tributed, except for the Tribute Summon or for the activation of an effect of an "Arcana Force" monster. You can use this effect up to twice per turn.
Tails: During the end of your turn, discard 1 "Arcana Force" monster.
This card is the only reason you want to play The Moon, and can swarm the field with Tokens for The World or for a Tribute Summon. Yet it's nothing too overpowered.

[spoiler=Spells and Traps]
[spoiler=Based on Tarots]

Arcana Justice  NORMAL SPELL (this would be number XI - Justice)

Target one "Arcana Force" monster you control. Special Summon an "Arcana Force" monster with a lower ATK from your hand or Deck, and if you do, choose which effect to apply without tossing a coin.

That's consistency and anti-bad luck. In the worst case, you'll be Summoning The Fool that can't be destroyed by battle and can't be targeted.

 

Arcana Lucky Star  CONTINUOUS SPELL (this would be number XVII - The Star)

Each time an "Arcana Force" monster(s) is Normal or Tribute Summoned on your side of the field: draw 1 card. If this card is destroyed, you can select a Field Spell that specifically says "roll a six-sided dice" or "toss a coin" in its text in your GY; add it to your hand.

Draw power and recovery (it's meant to get Light Barrier, but Dice World too :D)

 

Judgement of Destiny  COUNTER TRAP (this would be number XX - Judgement)

You can only activate this card if you control at least 1 "Arcana Force" monster. Negate the activation of a Spell/Trap card and destroy it. You can banish this card from your GY: Set a "Reversal of Fate" directly form your Deck or GY.

Dark Bribe for Arcanas, and then it helps you in case you get Tails next turn.

 

 

Major Arcana Fortune-Telling  QUICK-PLAY SPELL

Add an "Arcana" card or "Light Barrier" from your Deck to your hand. You can banish this card from your GY: select one "Arcana" card in your Deck; put it on top of your Deck. You can only use one effect of "Major Arcana Future-Telling" per turn, and only once that turn.

 

Arcana Art of Divination  NORMAL SPELL

You can only activate this card if you control no monsters, and if you have at least 2 cards in your hand. Discard your entire hand, then Special Summon up to 2 "Arcana Force" monsters from your Deck, then take damage equal to the sum of the ATK of the Summoned monsters. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase or Special Summon any other monsters the turn you activate this card. You can only activate 1 "Arcana Art of Divination" per turn.

This is how you can OTK. Normal Summon something, (activate Light Barrier, or take some risks), Special Summon The World and something else, Tribute with the World and wait until next turn if you have something else decent to OTK.

 

Arcana Occult Secrets  CONTINUOUS TRAP

Once per turn, you can Special Summon 1 "Sun Token"  (Fairy-Type/LIGHT/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0). That Token cannot be used as material or Tributed, except for the Tribute Summon or for the activation of an effect of an "Arcana Force" monster.

Tokens nowadays can be used in fun Decks, so this card can swarm pretty easily, or you can use Tokens as Tribute fodder for the high level Arcanas.

 

[Tojin]

*cracks knuckles* Alright, let's get to it!

 

The Hermit: A very solid start! I'll admit that I was kinda worried until I got to the Tails effect, but the potential drawback of being left with only a 1900 ATK monster and whatever backrow after your Main Phase balances it out, in my opinion. Good stuff.

 

The Tower: Not a lot to say here IMO. Good mid or late-game surprise miniboss, unless you get the tails effect of course. And even then, you can use it as tribute fodder real quick, or use Hermit's graveyard effect to get rid of it. In another, better archetype, I'd say that the deck milling as a cost miiight be a bit much, but with Arcana Force I think it's alright.

 

The Sun: Not super great, but definitely not awful either. The summoning condition is neat. My only real complaint is that the tails effect can actually be beneficial sometimes, like with getting enough fodder to summon Tower. But since the heads effect isn't amazingly good, I think I can let that slide.

 

Arcana Justice: Ooh, swarming! My favorite. Very solid card, especially since it lets you pick the coin toss result.

 

Arcana Lucky Star: Holy sheet, this thing needs a hard once per turn clause, a "you can only control 1" clause, something. If you open two of these and an Arcana Force monster you can summon right away, you can draw 2 cards. With zero drawback. Arcana Force are pretty bad (though this support bumps them up to "decent" in my book), but they're not that bad. The recycling effect is neat, too.

 

Judgement of Destiny: Pretty solid counter trap. It can't hit monsters, but being able to tutor Reversal of Fate makes up for that IMO.

 

Major Arcana Fortune-Telling: A very good searcher, with the added benefit of being able to stack your deck a bit later. Between this and Hermit, I think you've all but annihilated Arcana Force's consistency problems.

 

Arcana Art of Divination: I love this card. Being able to immediately pop out, say, two copies of The World makes me very happy. I would, however, suggest that you add a minimum number of cards that you have to discard for it, because as is, you can use it even if you have nothing in your hand. I am also wary of its interactions with Lucky Star. I really think adding that hard OPT clause to it would help limit its ridiculousness a lot. Overall, a very well-designed card. Good job!

 

Arcana Occult Secrets: It's alright. Probably would be run more in builds focused on The World, but it's nice for tribute/effect fodder in a regular Arcana Force deck too.

 

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Rating: 9/10, and for the love of god, please make Lucky Star not as ridiculous.

[Nekomata]

Thanks for the review!

Balanced Lucky Star making it work only with Normal and Tribute Summons. So unless you're running Double Summon (which was almost a staple in old Arcana Decks) you'll get a card per turn. A +0 if it doesn't get Twin Twistered next turn (you can still have 2 Lucky Stars, but if you think about it it'll be just a +0 first turn, and a +1/+1 next turn, and they probably won't survive until then).

 

Now Art of Divination requires discarding at least 2 cards. Getting that -3100 LP to Summon the World is still a big cost, though. But you could Summon the Fool too, and Normal Summon something to use The World's effect, and then attack directly, so both players will have (8000 - 3100=) 4900 LP. Of course, if you get the Heads effect.

 

The monsters could be buffed a little, but I feel like the other Arcana Force monsters would look way too underpowered.