Clowning Around in the Chaos: Jesters Reborn [Written]

[TwinMaelstrom]

JOKES ON YOU!!!

With the Link Format exploding on to the scene with all of the new crazy Link monsters I decided to update one of my favorites decks I have put on this site. As I have been playing competitively more, I decided to take these guys to a different level. I move them from casual to advanced and attempted to make them more competitively viable.

The Jesters are here to create summon mayhem on the field jumping around, returning to the hand, and being wild. Welcome to the Jester's Circus. Each Jester only really wants to play with other like them, so you cannot use monster with more that 0 Attack and Defense. All the Jesters do one thing or another: spamming, disrupting, protecting, boosting. Its time for the Circus to begin!

[spoiler=Monsters]
[spoiler=Jester TrickMeister]
Dark-Level 1-Spellcaster/Effect-0/0
If this card is Summoned: You can add 1 monster with 0 ATK and 0 DEF from your Deck to your hand. (Quick Effect): You can return 1 “Jester” monster you control to your hand, except this card and target 1 “Jester” Quick-Play Spell/Trap Card in your GY; Set that target, that card can be activated this turn, but banish it when it leaves the field. (Quick Effect): You can return 1 other “Jester” monster you control to your hand and target 1 face-up card on the field; Return 1 card on the field the hand. If this card returns to your hand: You can draw 1 card. The total ATK and DEF of monsters you control must be 0 to activate this card’s effects. You can only use each effect of “Jester TrickMeister” once per turn.

[spoiler=Jester Magician]
Dark-Level 1-Spellcaster/Effect-0/0
If this card is Summoned: You can add 1 “Jester” Spell Card from your Deck to your hand. (Quick Effect): You can target 1 “Jester” monster in your GY or you control; Shuffle that target into your Deck, if you do, this turn, replace this effect with that monster’s original effects. (Quick Effect): You can return 1 other “Jester” monster you control to your hand and target 1 monster with 0 ATK and 0 DEF in the GY; Special summon it. If this card returns to your hand: You can Special Summon 1 “Jester” monster from your hand, except “Jester Magician”. The total ATK and DEF of monsters you control must be 0 to activate this card’s effects. You can only use each effect of “Jester Magician” once per turn.

[spoiler=Jester Joker]
Dark-Level 1-Spellcaster/Effect-0/0
If the total ATK and DEF of monsters you control is 0: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. If you control another face-up monster with 0 ATK and 0 DEF (Quick Effect): You can activate 1 Spell/Trap Card from your hand. If this card returns to your hand, while you control another face-up “Jester” monster: You can target 1 face-up card on the field; Negate that card’s effect. During the End Phase, if this card was summoned this turn: You can add 1 “Jester” Spell/Trap Card from your Deck to your hand. The total ATK and DEF of monsters you control must be 0 to activate this card’s effects. You can only use each effect “Jester Joker” once per turn.

[spoiler=Jester Dancer]
Dark-Level 1-Spellcaster/Effect-0/0
(Quick Effect): You can discard this card and return 1 face-up “Jester” monster you control to your hand; Return Spell/Trap cards on the field to the hand, up to the number of monsters with 0 ATK and 0 DEF you control. Cards and effect cannot be activated in response to this effect. (Quick Effect): You can shuffle 1 “Jester” monster you control into your Deck; Special Summon 1 “Jester” monster from your Deck, or GY. If this card returns to your hand: You can target 1 card on the field; Return that target to the hand. The total ATK and DEF of monsters you control must be 0 to activate this card’s effects. You can only use each effect of “Jester Dancer” once per turn.

[spoiler=Majestic Jester]
Dark-Level 1-Spellcaster/Effect-0/0
(Quick Effect): You can discard this card and target 1 face-up monster you control with 0 ATK and 0 DEF, except “Majestic Jester”; Return the target to your hand, then return 1 card on the field the hand. If the total ATK and DEF of monsters you control is 0: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. (Quick Effect): You can return 1 other “Jester” monster you control to your hand and target 1 face-up card on the field; Negate that card’s effect. Your opponent cannot target “Jester” monsters you control with card effects, except “Majestic Jester”. The total ATK and DEF of monsters you control must be 0 to activate this effect. The total ATK and DEF of monsters you control must be 0 to activate this card’s effect. You can only use each effect of “Majestic Jester” once per turn.

[spoiler=Jester Prince]
Dark-Level 1-Spellcaster/Effect-0/0
If this card is Special Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 monster with 0 ATK and 0 DEF from your hand or GY. (Quick Effect): You can return this face-up monster you control to your hand; Special Summon 1 monster with 0 ATK and 0 DEF from your hand or GY, except “Jester Prince.” Your opponent cannot target face-up “Jester” monsters for attacks, except this card. If this card battles an opponent’s monster: This card gains 1000 ATK and DEF for every face-up “Jester” monster with a different name you control, during damage calculation only. The total ATK and DEF of monsters you control must be 0 to activate this card’s effects. You can only control 1 "Jester Prince".

[spoiler=Jester Princess]
Dark-Level 1-Spellcaster/Effect-0/0
(Quick Effect): You can return 1 face-up “Jester” monster you control to your hand, except “Jester Princess” ; Special Summon this card from your hand or GY. (Quick Effect): You can return this face-up monster you control to your hand; Special Summon 1 monster with 0 ATK and 0 DEF from your hand. Face-up “Jester” monsters you control cannot be destroyed by card effects, except this card. If a monster you control battles an opponent’s monster: That card gains 500 ATK and DEF for every face-up “Jester” monster with a different name you control, during damage calculation only. The total ATK and DEF of monsters you control must be 0 to activate this card’s effects. You can only use this effect of “Jester Princess” once per battle. You can only control 1 "Jester Princess".

[spoiler=Jester Mirage]
Dark-Rank 1-Spellcaster/Xyz/Effect-0/0
3 or more Level 1 monster with 0 ATK and DEF
Must be Xyz Summoned, and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. You can detach Xyz Material, then discard 1 card; That type of card (if Spell or Trap) cannot be activated, or (if Monster) cannot activate its effects, until the end of your next turn, except “Jester” cards. You can only use this effect of “Jester Mirage” once per turn. Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can target 1 monster with 0 ATK and DEF in the GY or you control; attach it as a face-up material. If this card attacks or is attack: You can detach 1 Xyz material; This card gains 1000 ATK for every “Jester” monster with a different name attached to it as Xyz Material, during damage calculation only. The total ATK and DEF of monsters you control must be 0 to activate this card’s effects. You can only control 1 "Jester Magician".

[spoiler=Jester Ace]
Dark-Link 3-Spellcaster/Link/Effect-0
2+ Effect monsters with 0 ATK
Arrows: Down, Left, Right
“Jester” monsters this card points to are unaffected by your opponent card effects. When a “Jester” monster you control, attacks or is attacked: That card gains 1000 ATK for every face-up “Jester” monster with a different name you control, during damage calculation only. You can only use this effect of “Jester Ace” once per battle. (Quick Effect): If a card or effect is activated: You can return 1 face-up monster you control with 0 ATK and 0 DEF to your hand; Negate the activation, and if you do, shuffle it into the Deck. The total ATK and DEF of monsters you control must be 0 to activate this card’s effects. You can activate this effect of “Jester Ace” once per turn. You can only control 1 “Jester Ace”.

[spoiler=Spells]
[spoiler=Jester's Court]
Normal Spell
Add 1 “Jester” monster from your Deck to your hand, then if the total ATK and DEF of monsters (min 2) you control is 0, draw 1 card. You can only activate 1 “Jester’s Court” per turn.

[spoiler=Jester's Symphony]
Quick-Play Spell
All face-up "Jester" monsters, you currently control, are unaffected by other cards effects this turn. The total ATK and DEF of monsters you control must be 0 to activate this card. (Quick Effect): You can banish this card from your GY and return 1 “Jester” monster you control to your hand; Add 1 “Jester” card from your Deck to your hand, except “Jester’s Symphony”. You can only use this effect of “Jester’s Symphony” once per turn.

[spoiler=Jester's Magic]
Quick-Play Spell
Return 1 face-up “Jester” monster you control to your hand; Return 1 card your opponent controls to their hand. Cards with the same name as the card returned by this effect cannot be summoned and/or their effects cannot be activated until the end of the next turn.

[spoiler=Jester's Parade]
Quick-Play Spell
Return 1 face-up “Jester” monster you control to your hand; Special Summon 1 monster with 0 ATK and 0 DEF from your Deck or GY. If the total ATK and DEF of monster you control is 0: cards and effects cannot be activated in response to this card’s activation.

[spoiler=Jester's Circus]
Field Spell
When this card is activated: Return 1 monster with 0 ATK and 0 DEF from your GY or you control to your hand; Return 1 other card on the field to the hand. Cards with the same name as the card returned by this effect cannot be summoned and/or their effects cannot be activated until the end of your opponent’s next turn. Once per turn (Quick Effect): Return 1 “Jester” monster you control to your hand; Special Summon 1 “Jester” monster from your hand. If this card in your Field Spell is destroyed by a card effect: You can Special Summon 1 “Jester” monster from your Deck. The total ATK and DEF of monsters you control must be 0 to activate this card’s effects. You can only activate 1 “Jester's Circus” per turn.

[spoiler=Traps]
[spoiler=Jester's Crown]
Normal Trap
All face-up monsters on the field lose 1000 ATK and 1000 DEF for every monster with 0 ATK and 0 DEF you control. This turn, all monster on the field are changed to Attack Position and must attack if able. The total ATK and DEF of monsters (min 1) you control must be 0 to activate this card. If a "Jester" monster you control battles an opponent's monster: You can banish this card from your GY; that monster gains ATK equal to the ATK of the battling monster +100, during damage calculation only. You can only activate this effect of "Jester's Crown" once per battle.

[spoiler=Jester's Punishment]
Normal Trap
Target 1 face-up “Jester” monster you control and up to 2 other monsters on the field; Return those cards to the hand. If the total ATK and DEF of monster you control is 0: You can activate this card from your hand. You can banish this card from your GY; This turn, any damage, from battles involving “Jester” monsters, is doubled. (You can only gain this effect once per turn.)

[spoiler=Jester's Masquerade]
Normal Trap
Tribute 1 monster you control with 0 ATK and 0 DEF; Special Summon 2 “Jester” monsters with different names from your hand or Deck. If the total ATK and DEF of monster you control is 0: cards and effects cannot be activated in response to this card’s activation. You can banish this card from your GY and return 1 face-up monster you control with 0 ATK and 0 DEF to your hand; Special Summon 1 “Jester” monster from your hand or GY. You can only activate 1 “Jester Masquerade” per turn.

 

[TwinMaelstrom]

Edit: Jester Joker, Jester TrickMeister, Jester Dancer, Jester Prince, and Jester Princess

[Dova]

Was always annoyed the Jester didn't get anymore support, and I do like how you took the theming of the 2 cards we got and expanded it into a functional archetype.

 

Did you mean for the "You can only use each effect of" to extend to the effects which had "This effect can only be used once while this card is face-up on the field." because the latter is rendered useless by the former. If you want to use both, I'd just use "You can only use each of these effects of" plus the effects you want limited by it first in the card text, then have the other effect you want to limited to nce while it is face-up on the field.

 

Your main monster line-up is pretty solid. I do like how Joker's search requires him to be face-up on the field, which encourages the archetype actually working together for the wincon rather than just as an engine to ladder up with. I will say that the cards get absurdly messy in terms of effects as they go on, particularly the Majestic -> Ace portion, even putting first erratum Relinquished and Timaeus to shame. There's nothing inherently wrong with throwing so many effects onto one card, but I feel that in this case you are making each monster do too much. I wouldn't suggest completely dropping the last effects of Majestic, Prince and Princess each, but I say that with those effects, the cards are too wrong at the moment. Their battle provided with other card effect protection AND the ease of getting them out makes them formidable on their own, and this Deck becomes an absurd turbo. You could nerf them, or somehow work them into the main effect. For Magician, it really only needs one battle related effect, so you drop one or the other or somehow work them into the same effect as well. The locky effect provided by said card isn't too much, although it is weird forcing you to discard a card if you want to restock its Materials. Again, the battle all stocks off far too much when you get to Ace; most if not all of the monsters can handle themselves. In fact, his effect clashes with their effects, as after either his or your other Jester's monster's own battle effect is activated, the ATK of all monsters you control will not be 0, so you can't activate the other one. It just seems gimmicky at that point. Speaking of which, why does it banish itself?

 

Really like your Spell/Trap line-up; simple, fair and to the point. A GY effect here and there, but not done as a main theme. I will say that Punishment is almost entirely better than Parade, as if you control a Jester monster, 90% of the time the total ATK of monsters you control is 0, so you would be able to activate Punishment from your hand. The ATK gain of Masquerade is also unnecessary, especially with cards like Crown; have a "cards or effects cannot be activated if this card attacks or is attacked" effect somewhere, except properly worded XD It is a shame to see no support for my good ol' pal Jester Lord, considering none of these cards are continuous, some activate from the hand during your opponent's turn, and Joker does that as well. Ah well, I suppose one can't do everything.

 

These cards are rather fair, all things considered. Sure, they overstep the line at quite a few points, but you widespread use of HOPT prevents it from getting too out of hand, and easily nerfed. Most of your issues are in-archetype ones, and less so of their balance in the current-metagame. Hopefully this was helpful ^^

[TwinMaelstrom]

@DoaHusando 

         Thanks for the review.

 

So I edited most of the monsters in order to clean-up their effects and simplify their text. You were right it was really long. 

 

After the that the main problem you seemed to have seen was the ATK gain effects. The attack gaining effects can activate at the same time in the damage step and since when they are activated the total ATK and DEF on the field would be 0 and since the effects can resolve without 0 ATK and DEF it shouldn't matter.

 

I don't really know what you mean by parade and punishment, if you meant magic, I made it so punishment could only bounce monsters and magic prevents the cards from being activated. 

 

I think I covered most of the problems you saw. Once again thank you for the review. 

[TwinMaelstrom]

Edit: Overall fixes. Added Jester Magician and Jester Mirage. 

[TwinMaelstrom]

Added: Jester's Circus.

[TwinMaelstrom]

Bump