[Archetype] The Abyss/Scourge - The Dark King Himself Arises!

[Queen of the Abyss]

For those who remember the Curse of Darkness Structure Deck that never made it to TCG as a result of it being really poor, (And probably because Crush Card for everybody sounded scary) the goal of this Deck is essentially making the strategy it had going for it work. Basically you have DARKs, you tribute, and your Traps and the monsters that benefit from their triggering keep you ahead of your opponent. On top of that, you have a really solid boss lineup to work with (Diabolos, your Fusions, and a few Synchros) that acts as additional targets for your Traps. As for other cards to use with this, you can also run Hunduel's Grant Diabolos, Dragon's Mirror seems nice, and the original Virus cards wouldn't hurt to side. Recurring Nightmare is also a staple by flavor, and OG Diabolos is good because of the above mentioned Grant.

Feedback is really appreciated, as I am looking to take this into the next tournament and also have not yet to extensively test it out of a few self done mirror matches. Also, it should be noted that the text has the correct effect, a few fixes need to be done OCG wise, and a few hard OPTs were adjusted.

[spoiler Virus/"Scourge" Cards]
[spoiler Crush Card/Incarnation of the Scourge Core]

Tribute 1 DARK monster you control with 1500 or less ATK; Special Summon 1 "Diabolos" or "the Abyss" monster from your Deck, ignoring its Summoning conditions, but it cannot attack this turn. During your Main Phase, you can target 1 of your banished "Scourge" Trap cards, then banish this card from your Graveyard and Tribute 1 DARK monster you control; add that target to your hand. You can only use 1 "Incarnation of the Scourge Core" effect per turn, and only once that turn.
Trivia: The Kanji symbol is the same symbol as on Crush Card Virus, meaning "Death"

[spoiler Deck Devastation/Pestilance of the Dark Scourge]

Tribute 1 DARK monster you control with 2000 or more ATK: declare 1 Type and Attribute; until your opponent's next End Phase, negate the effects of monsters of the declared Type and Attribute. During your Main Phase, you can banish this card from your Graveyard and Tribute 1 DARK monster you control, then target 1 monster your opponent controls; its effects are negated, also it can't attack until your opponent's next End Phase. You can only use 1 "Pestilence of the Dark Scourge" effect per turn, and only once that turn.
Trivia: The Kanji symbol is the same symbol as on Deck Devastation Virus, meaning "Devil"

[spoiler Eradicator Epidemic/Gateway of the Scourge Lords]

Tribute 1 DARK monster you control with 2500 or more ATK; Destroy all face-up monsters your opponent controls whose DEF is lower than the ATK of the Tributed monster. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase during the turn this card is activated. During your Main Phase, you can banish this card from your Graveyard and Tribute 1 DARK monster you control; add 1 "Diabolos" or "the Abyss" monster from your Deck to your hand. You can only use 1 "Gateway of the Scourge Lords" effect per turn, and only once that turn.
Trivia: The Kanji symbol is the same symbol as on Eradicator Epidemic Virus, meaning "Darkness"

[spoiler Dark King of the Abyss/Diabolos Mistress]
[spoiler Demoted King of the Abyss]

You can discard this card; add 1 Level 4 or lower "the Abyss" monster, except "Demoted King of the Abyss", from your Deck to your hand. You must control no monsters to activate and resolve this effect. During your Main Phase: If a DARK monster is Tributed to activate a DARK monster or Trap card's effect; you can Special Summon this card from your hand or Graveyard, and if you do, banish it when it leaves the field. You can only activate each effect of "Demoted King of the Abyss" per turn, and only once that turn.

[spoiler Dark Ruler of the Abyss]

If your opponent controls a monster that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, you can Tribute 1 DARK monster you control or in your hand; Special Summon this card, (from your hand or Graveyard) but it cannot attack this turn. You can discard this card; this turn, you can activate 1 "Scourge" Trap Card during the same turn it was Set. During either player's turn: you can Tribute 1 monster you control; this card gains ATK equal to the ATK of the Tributed monster until the End Phase. You can only use 1 "Dark Ruler of the Abyss" effect per turn, and only once that turn.

[spoiler Diabolos Mistress - Queen of the Abyss]

You can discard this card; add 1 "the Abyss" Spell Card from your Deck to your hand. You can only activate this effect of "Diabolos Mistress - Queen of the Abyss" once per turn. If you control a "Diabolos" monster, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. You can only Special Summon 1 "Diabolos Mistress - Queen of the Abyss" per turn this way. You can Fusion Summon 1 monster from your Extra Deck, Tributing this card and 1 "Diabolos" monster you control as Fusion Materials.

[spoiler Residents of the Abyss]
[spoiler Skilled Paladin of the Abyss]

If your opponent controls a monster and you control no monsters, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). You can Tribute this card; add 1 "Scourge" Trap Card from your Deck to your hand. You can only activate this effect of "Skilled Paladin of the Abyss" once per turn.

[spoiler Winged Dragon of the Abyss]

When this card is Summoned, you can Tribute 1 "the Abyss" monster in your hand or that you control; Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "the Abyss" monster from your Graveyard in face-up Defense Position. You cannot Special Summon monsters for the rest of this turn, except DARK monsters. You can only activate the effect of "Winged Dragon in the Abyss" once per turn.

[spoiler Grim of the Abyss]

If you control a face-up "the Abyss" monster, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). Cannot be used for a Synchro Summon, except for the Synchro Summon of a DARK monster. If this card is tributed to activate a DARK monster or a "Scourge" Trap card's effect; You can Special Summon this card in face-up Attack Position. You can only Special Summon 1 "Grim of the Abyss" per turn.

[spoiler Plague Dragon of the Abyss]

When this card is Normal Summoned, you can send 1 "the Abyss" monster from your Deck to the Graveyard. If this card is tributed to activate a DARK monster or a "Scourge" Trap card's effect; you can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "the Abyss" monster from your hand or Graveyard, but its effects are negated, also tribute it during the End Phase. You can only use this effect of "Plague Dragon of the Abyss" once per turn.

[spoiler Sorceress of the Abyss]

When this card is Normal Summoned, you can send 1 "Scourge" Trap Card from your Deck to the Graveyard. If this card is tributed to activate a DARK monster or a "Scourge" Trap card's effect; you can activate one of these effects. You can only activate this effect of "Sorceress of the Abyss" once per turn.
- Add 1 "Diabolos" or "the Abyss" monster from your Graveyard to your hand.
- Draw 1 card

[spoiler Diabolos Rider, Tamer of the Abyss]

1 DARK Tuner + 1 or more Non-Tuner DARK Monsters
You can Tribute 1 other DARK monster you control; add 1 "Scourge" Trap Card from your Deck to your hand. If this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, you can add 1 DARK monster with 0 DEF from your Deck to your hand. You can only use 1 effect of "Diabolos Rider, Tamer of the Abyss" per turn, and only once that turn.

 

[spoiler Diabolos, Commander of the Abyss]

When this card is Synchro Summoned; Add 1 "Scourge" Trap Card from your Graveyard to your hand. When this card battles a Special Summoned monster, you can Tribute 1 DARK monster in your hand or that you control; destroy that monster. You can only control 1 "Diabolos, Commander of the Abyss".

 

[spoiler Spells/Fusion]
[spoiler Grant Diabolos, Empress of the Abyss]

"Diabolos Mistress - Queen of the Abyss" + 1 Level 6 or higher DARK monster
When this card attacks or is attacked, you can Tribute 1 "the Abyss" monster you control; this card is unaffected by other card effects until the end of the Damage Step. Cards and effects cannot be activated in response to this effect. When this card in your possession is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard; you can add 1 "The Abyss" spell or 1 "Scourge" Trap Card from your Graveyard to your hand. You can only control 1 "Grant Diabolos, Empress of the Abyss".

[spoiler Fusion From The Abyss]

Fusion Summon 1 "Diabolos" or "the Abyss" monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand or your side of the field as Fusion Material Monsters, but it cannot attack this turn. If a "the Abyss" monster(s) you control would be destroyed by a card effect, you can banish this card from your Graveyard instead of destroying one of those monsters. You can only use 1 "Fusion from the Abyss" effect per turn, and only once that turn.

[spoiler Contagius Sanctum in the Abyss]

Non-DARK monsters Lose 500 ATK. During your Main Phase: If you Tribute a Non-Zombie Type DARK monster to activate the effect of a DARK monster or "Scourge" Trap,  you can add 1 "the Abyss" with 0 DEF from your Deck to hand. You can only activate this effect of "Contagius Sanctum in the Abyss" once per turn.

A HUGE Thanks to Batmed on all of these! He helped put a bit of the effects together with this and although I had the initial idea, I'd like to think he really helped make it happen! Also he did the editing on the Scourge arts to include the Virus symbols, which ended up absolutely amazing.

[Love of Ghibli]

Sooo I do like the art...and the flavor of it all. But to be very fair and honest I cannot get behind the phrase "Tribute 1 DARK in hand." This, like others have done before is an illusionary cost. Between Archfiends Devotee and all of these Residents of the Abyss you would never truly feel the effects of those Scourge trap cards. I mean some of these like Winged and Plague dragon are just direct +'s which is fine if it was like 1 card at a time but there are at least 5 monsters in this set alone that directly plus off of being the cost for effects. Essentially these look like Atlanteans for the DARK (maybe that's an Abyss pun) and I personally loathe that concept. 

 

So far everything looks like a plus engine of epic proportions at the first chance a cost is put forth. I am sure it will do well in the coming tournament. I'm not really sure if anything should be changed seeing as Atlanteans do exist and DP's power level has yet to be truly established. 

[Queen of the Abyss]

Sooo I do like the art...and the flavor of it all. But to be very fair and honest I cannot get behind the phrase "Tribute 1 DARK in hand." This, like others have done before is an illusionary cost. Between Archfiends Devotee and all of these Residents of the Abyss you would never truly feel the effects of those Scourge trap cards. I mean some of these like Winged and Plague dragon are just direct +'s which is fine if it was like 1 card at a time but there are at least 5 monsters in this set alone that directly plus off of being the cost for effects. Essentially these look like Atlanteans for the DARK (maybe that's an Abyss pun) and I personally loathe that concept.

 

So far everything looks like a plus engine of epic proportions at the first chance a cost is put forth. I am sure it will do well in the coming tournament. I'm not really sure if anything should be changed seeing as Atlanteans do exist and DP's power level has yet to be truly established.

I see what you are saying, I understand very much the potent of Merlanteans and they were taken into account and their impact as I made this Deck, but if I would be quite honest myself I always felt Merlantean was screwed from the start. Whereas Abyss's Tribute pluses by giving yourself advantage and never really gives you cards that you didn't have before, (Meaning you usually are working with the hand and Graveyard) Merlantean's pluses often hurt the opponent or give you new cards, Atlantean Dragoons, Marksman, and Heavy Infantry being the best examples of this. On top of this, Mermail had a lot of powerful effects, ranging from swiping the opponent's hand to on summon searching, that already were rather potent. In spite of the tests I had showing some potentially brick hands, I was cautious as all heck about putting these type of effects on, and hence why Demoted exists searching wise and I left Dark Ruler is as slow as it is. I might be able to cut down on some of the triggering, (Demoted being the first I could see) but for now, I think more tests should pinpoint what needs to happen.

[Queen of the Abyss]

Bumping for several major changes. Too many to list, so will leave it to be rediscovered

[Queen of the Abyss]

This should have been done a bit ago but some fixes were made

[Queen of the Abyss]

Further changes, swapped the on Normal Summon effects of Sorc and Plague Dragon, Empress and Queen got changes in consistency with the changes to Emperor, and Demoted requires a blank front row, as to prevent excessive advantage