Shadow Hunters - A Fusion/Banish Archetype [FEEDBACK APPRECIATED](Persona 3)

[iexzxx]

This is the first part of a much bigger archtype called "Persona", an archetype comprising 4 sub-archetypes and over 90 cards. I hope you'll enjoy them, they all have fun little gimmicks and I have a lot of fun designing them. The Artworks are not mine, they are from a bunch of different sources. Anyway, let's start with Shadow Hunters!

The "Shadow Hunters" is a Fusion based archetype which only way to Fusion Summon is to shuffle banished monsters into the Deck. They have plenty of ways to accomplish this, and plenty of of Fusion Monsters to spit out.

"Shadow Hunters" design is based on the, back-in-the-day controversial, videogame Persona 3 released by Atlus in 2006; this was 3rd entry in the series Persona, which is itself is a Spin-Off of the series Shin Megami Tensei. Persona 3's theme is centered about Death and its inevitability, and the characters have to learn to accept it in order to gain their power. Translating to Yu-Gi-Oh, "Shadow Hunters" don't want to stay in the Grave, it scares them, so they choose to banish themselves instead. "Shadow Hunters" who cannot be banished have fully embraced Death and even died themselves for a greater purpose. So I guess should say SPOILERS FOR PERSONA 3 ahead!

 

SHADOW HUNTER, IO

ATTRIBUTE: Wind      LEVEL: 3

[Winged Beast/Effect]

(This card is always treated as a "Persona" card)

You can activate each effect of "Shadow Hunter, Io" only once per turn.

(1) Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can Tribute this face-up card on your Field; banish a card on the Field.

(2) You can banish this card from your Graveyard; Special Summon a Level 6 or lower "Shadow Hunter" monster from your Graveyard, except "Shadow Hunter, Io".

1700 ATK/600 DEF

"Io" is our first card and it's already very strong. Non-targeting banish is a very good effect which can banish our monsters too. Of course recycling our own monsters is good and there's some amazing targets too.

SHADOW HUNTER, POLYDEUCES

ATTRIBUTE: Light     LEVEL: 5

[Warrior/Effect]

(This card is always treated as a "Persona" card)

You can activate (1) and (2) effects of "Shadow Hunter, Polydeuces" only once per turn.

If you control no monsters: You can Special Summon this card from your hand in Defense Position, but you cannot summon monsters the turn you activate this effect, except "Persona" monsters.

(1) If a card you control would be destroyed: You can destroy this card instead.

(2) You can banish this card from your Graveyard; send a "Shadow Hunter" Monster from your Deck to the Graveyard, except "Shadow Hunter, Polydeuces".

2100 ATK/400 DEF

"Polydeuces" is an in-archetype Cyber Dragon, which gives generic destruction protection, which is an okay effect, but does interact interestingly with some cards that destroy themselves. His 2nd effect is a Foolish Burial for any of our Monsters which is extremely good, in fact "Foolish Burial" itself would be optimal for this Deck.

SHADOW HUNTER, ARTEMISIA

ATTRIBUTE: Water    LEVEL: 6

[Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect]

(This card is always treated as a "Persona" card)

You can activate (1) and (2) effect of "Shadow Hunter, Artemesia" only once per turn. 

If you control a "Persona" monster, you can Special summon this card from your hand in Defense Position.

(1) (Quick Effect): You can Tribute this card; target a monster your opponent controls and take control of it until the End Phase.

(2) You can banish this card from your Graveyard; add a "Shadow Hunter" Monster from your Deck to your hand.

1900 ATK/300 DEF

"Artemisia" is a free Special Summon is you control any Persona monster, and if you haven't noticed yet, every card is treated as a "Persona" card. Like "Io", this card can tribute herself to give you a strong removal, this time by taking an opponent monster. Her Grave effect is also very good, letting you search any "Shadow Hunter" including herself.

SHADOW HUNTER, NEMESIS

ATTRIBUTE: Light      LEVEL: 3

[Beast-Warrior/Effect]

(This card is always treated as a "Persona" card)

You can activate each effect of "Shadow Hunters, Nemesis" once per turn.

(1) When this card is Summoned: You can Special Summon a Level 3 or higher "Shadow Hunter" Monster from your hand or Deck, except "Shadow Hunters, Nemesis".

(2) If a Level 8 monster is sent to the GY: You can Tribute this card; destroy a Set card on the Field.

(3) You can banish this and another "Persona" card in your GY, except the turn this card was sent there by its own effect; add 1 "Memories of You" from your Deck to your hand.

1200 ATK/800 DEF

A very strong searcher both for our monsters and for our Fusion Spell "Memories of You". We only have 1 Level 8 monster, but it combos easily with "Nemesis" so there's some easy synergy there. "Nemesis", being a Beast-Warrior, is searchable with "Fire Formation - Tenki" and interacts with some "Tri Brigade" monsters.

SHADOW HUNTER, CASTOR 

ATTRIBUTE: Earth      LEVEL: 8

[Beast-Warrior/Effect]

(This card is always treated as a "Persona" card)

(1) While on the Field and in the Graveyard this card cannot be banished.

(2) You can tribute this card; add a Level 1 "Persona" monster from your Deck to your hand, also "Shadow Hunter" monsters cannot be destroyed your opponent's card effects for the rest of the turn.

(3) While this card is in your Graveyard, it can be used as a Fusion Material for the summoning of any "Persona" Fusion monster, but the materials must be correct, and if you do, shuffle this card into the Deck.

3000 ATK/500 DEF

The first of some cards that cannot be banished and can be used as material from the Graveyard instead of having to be banished. It's a good target for "Nemesis", if not the best one, and gives us destruction protection!

SHADOW HUNTER, ORPHEUS

ATTRIBUTE: Dark    LEVEL: 1

[Fiend/Effect]

(This card is always treated as a "Persona" card)

Cannot be Normal summoned or Set. While you have 5 or more banished "Persona" cards: You can Special summon this card from your hand.

(1) While on the Field and in the Graveyard this card cannot be banished.

(2) Once per turn, when a "Shadow Hunter" monster is banished from your GY: You can target a card your opponent controls; Halve its ATK and DEF, also negate its effects.

(3) While this card is in your Graveyard, it can be used as a Fusion Material for the summoning of any "Persona" Fusion monster, but the materials must be correct, and if you do, shuffle this card into the Deck.

(4) You can control only 1 "Shadow Hunter, Orpheus".

2500 ATK/0 DEF

A good target for "Castor" and a miniboss monster requiring some setup. It needs only "Persona" cards and not necessarily monsters! Either way, her negations are permanent and only soft once per turn, so it has a lot of potential.

MEMORIES OF YOU

Normal Spell

(This card is always treated as a "Persona" and a "Fusion" card)

You can activate the (2) effect of "Memories of You" only once per turn.

(1) Fusion Summon 1 Fusion "Persona" Monster from your Extra Deck by shuffling the Fusion Materials listed on it into the Deck, from among your face-up banished cards.

(2) You banish this card from your GY, except the turn it was sent there, then banish a "Shadow Hunter" card from your Deck; add 1 "Memories of You" from your Deck to your hand.

Fusion Spells are usually very disadvantageous, since they use multiple cards to create only 1, but by shuffling banished cards that disadvantage disappears. Although, now we need a solid setup before we can actually activate it, but if we do, "Memories of You" gives another copy of itself + 1 material for a 2nd Fusion summon! And speaking of Fusion:

SHADOW HUNTER, THANATOS

ATTRIBUTE: Dark       LEVEL: 8

[Fiend/Fusion/Effect]

2 "Persona" monsters

(This card is always treated as a "Persona" card)

(1) While on the Field and in the Graveyard this card cannot be banished.

(2) If this card is Fusion Summoned: Add a "Shadow Hunter" card from your Deck to your hand.

(3) Once per turn: You can target a number of cards in your opponent's GY equal to the number of your banished cards; shuffle them into the Deck.

(4) While this card is in your Graveyard: It can be used as a Fusion Material for the summoning of any "Persona" Fusion monster, but the materials must be correct, and if you do, shuffle this card into the Extra Deck.

(5) You can control only 1 "Shadow Hunter, Thanatos".

2500 ATK/2000 DEF

Our most generic Fusion Monster requiring any 2 "Persona" monsters (although we only have seen "Shadow Hunters"). "Thanatos" is very powerful already though, searching upon summon and messing with out opponent's Grave!

SHADOW HUNTER, ATHENA

ATTRIBUTE: Earth       LEVEL: 8

[Machine/Fusion/Effect]

2 "Shadow Hunter" monsters

(This card is always treated as a "Persona" card)

You can activate the (4) effect of "Shadow Hunter, Athena" only once per turn.

(1) If this card is Fusion Summoned: Double this card's ATK until the end of the turn, but monsters this card declares an attack against cannot be destroyed by that battle.

(2) This card is unaffected by the effects of Xyz monsters your opponent controls.

(3) At the start of the Damage Step, if this card battles an Xyz monster: Banish that monster.

(4) You can shuffle this card from your Graveyard into the Extra Deck and 3 of your cards that are currently banished into the Deck; Special Summon a "Shadow Hunter" Fusion monster, ignoring its summoning requirements, but its effects are negated while on the Field.

2500 ATK/2500 DEF

"Athena" is the first example of some our Fusion monsters countering certain types of monsters, in this case Xyz Monsters. "Athena" is also great One Turn Kill material, getting her ATK up to 5000. She becomes a Fusion Spell in Grave, sort of: She only needs any 3 banished cards to bring a body on board with their effects negated; Take note that the effects are negated only on the Field!

SHADOW HUNTERS, CAESAR

ATTRIBUTE: Light    LEVEL: 8

[Warrior/Fusion/Effect]

(This card is always treated as a "Persona" card)

Must be Fusion Summoned using any 2 between "Shadow Hunter, Polydeuces", "Shadow Hunter, Castor" and "Shadow Hunters, Nemesis".

You can activate the (4) effect of "Shadow Hunters, Caesar" only once per turn.

(1) When this card is Summoned: Shuffle 1 "Persona" Spell that is currently banished into your Deck, and if you do, draw 1 card.

(2) This card is unaffected by the effects of Link monsters your opponent controls.

(3) At the start of the Damage Step, if this card battles a Link monster: Banish that monster.

(4) You can shuffle this card from your Graveyard into the Extra Deck; banish a "Shadow Hunter" card from your Deck.

3100 ATK/1400 DEF

("Kala-Nemi" in the card text of the card itself refers to "Nemesis", I forgot to change it) "Caesar" is our way to recycle "Memories of You" or other generic "Persona" Spells and getting advantage thanks to it. It does require pretty specific material, but "Castor" and "Nemesis" are usually always together in rotation, so it should't be hard. It's our counter to Link Monsters, and it banishes our "Shadow Hunters" by shuffling itself in the Extra Deck.

SHADOW HUNTERS, TRISMEGISTUS

ATTRIBUTE: Fire     LEVEL: 8

[Fairy/Fusion/Effect]

1 "Shadow Hunter" monster + 1 "Persona" monster

(This card is always treated as a "Persona" card)

Must be Fusion summoned using "Shadow Summoner, Medea".

You can activate the (4) effect of "Shadow Hunters, Trismegistus" only once per turn.

(1) When this card is Summoned: Target a card your opponent controls and one of your banished cards; shuffle both targets in their respective owner's Decks.

(2) This card is unaffected by the effects of Synchro monsters your opponent controls.

(3) At the start of the Damage Step, if this card battles a Synchro monster: Banish that monster.

(4) You can shuffle this card from your Graveyard into the Extra Deck; Special summon a Level 4 or lower "Persona" monster from your GY, but its effects are negated.

2800 ATK/2300 DEF

"Trismegistus" needs his own specific Fusion Spell that we'll see soon, but the mechanic is still the same. He's a good form of removal by shuffling into the Deck, and our Synchro Counter. He's also a free Special Summon for any "Persona" Monsters! (Better when we actually see more of them though)

SHADOW SUMMONER, MEDEA

ATTRIBUTE: Fire       LEVEL: 3       SCALES: 2 - 4

(This card is always treated as a "Persona" and a "Fusion" card)

You can activate the (2) effect of "Shadow Summoner, Medea" only once per turn.

(1) You cannot Pendulum Summon monsters, except "Shadow Hunter" monsters.

(2) You can Fusion Summon 1 Fusion "Persona" Monster from your Extra Deck by shuffling the Fusion Materials listed on it into the Deck, from among your face-up banished cards, then destroy this card.

(3) While face-up on the Field this card cannot be banished.

 

[Psychic/Pendulum]

Awakened to a Persona while she was young, she now cannot live without it, but she cannot live with it either. While fighting the Shadow Hunters, she falls in love with Hermes, but their love is cut short by Hypnos killing Hermes. Medea, distraught, sacrifices herself for her lover, reviving him and living inside him forever. And so, in the end, understanding their mortality, the lovers became one: Trismegistus.

1000 ATK/1200 DEF

 

Some Pendulum Monsters named "Shadow Summoner" show up here. They are all Normal Monsters and give some interesting lore for people who love this stuff. This is an alternative Fusion Spell, but it is once per turn and has no secondary effect. This would be also the first Pendulum card with different scales (somehow), but it has its restrictions of course, being able to summon only Level 3 with it and the next 2 cards:

SHADOW SUMMONER, HYPNOS

 ATTRIBUTE: Light      LEVEL: 3      SCALES: 4 - 4

[Pendulum Effect]

(This card is always treated as a "Persona" card)

You can activate the (2) effect of "Shadow Summoner, Hypnos" only once per turn. 

(1) You cannot Pendulum summon monsters, except "Shadow Hunter" monsters.

(2) While you have a card in your other Pendulum Zone: You can destroy this card; Special summon 1 "The Shadow Prince, Norn" from your Deck.

(3) While face-up on the Field this card cannot be banished.

 

[Fairy/Pendulum]

Became a Persona user while he was still very young; he now uses his powers to bring about his mother Nyx, and in her, the extinction of all living beings. He fought against the Shadow Hunters, and even took the lives of some of them, but now he won't be able to see the coming of his Mother.

1600 ATK/1000 DEF

SHADOW SUMMONER, MOROS

ATTRIBUTE: Dark     LEVEL: 3      SCALES: 2 - 2

[Pendulum Effect]

(This card is always treated as a "Persona" card)

(1) You cannot Pendulum summon monsters, except "Shadow Hunter" monsters.

(2) If a card in your other Pendulum Zone is destroyed: You can destroy this card; add 1 "Persona" Trap from your Deck to your hand.

(3) While face-up on the Field this card cannot be banished.

 

[Cyberse/Pendulum]

He awakened to a Persona at an early age, but never wished for it; he now lives for his brother Hypnos, and will support him to the End of the world. Fights for the coming of Nyx, and fights even against his brothers Thanatos and Nemesis, part of the Shadow Hunters group, but in the end he cannot witness the coming of his Mother.

1300 ATK/900 DEF

"Moros" and "Hypnos" are our other 2 Pendulum Monsters. Moros searches for a Trap (we'll see none in this archetype unfortunately), while "Hypnos" Special Summon a pretty important monster that we'll see soon as well. They're a bit of a small engine that can be omitted, but has some strong searches!

SHADOW HUNTER, LUCIA

ATTRIBUTE: Earth      LEVEL: 1

[Cyberse/Tuner/Effect]

(This card is always treated as a "Persona" card)

You activate each effect of "Shadow Hunter, Lucia" once per turn.

(1) You can send this card from your hand to the GY; add a "Shadow Summoner" card from your Deck to your hand.

(2) You can banish this card from your GY; target a "Shadow Summoner" card face-up in your Extra Deck and add it to your hand.

1000 ATK/300 DEF

"Lucia" is very good over all, even if you only run "Medea". She searches and recycles your Pendulums very efficiently, what more could you ask? Maybe the fact that "Castor" can search it from your Deck!

THE SHADOW PRINCE, NORN

ATTRIBUTE: Light     LEVEL: 1

[Warrior/Effect]

(This card is always treated as a "Persona" card)

(1) When this card is Normal Summoned: Banish this card, also add a "Shadow Hunter" monster from your Deck or that is currently banished to your hand.

(2) If this card is Special summoned by the effect of a "Shadow Summoner" card: Banish this card; then banish a Fusion monster from your Extra Deck, but you cannot Special Summon monsters from your Extra Deck for the rest of the turn, except Zombie-Type monster. 

0 ATK/1000 DEF

A pretty interesting card. It will always leave the Field if you want to activate its effects, so especially for Normal Summoning, be sure to know what you are doing! If summoned by "Hypnos" effect, it sets up for a strong Fusion Monster we'll see next:

THE SHADOW LORD, NYX AVATAR

ATTRIBUTE: Light      LEVEL: 10

 "The Shadow Prince, Norn" + 1 "Shadow Hunter" Fusion monster + 1 "Persona" monster

(This card is always treated as a "Persona" card)

(1) This card original ATK and DEF equal to the number of cards in the GYs x100.

(2) If this card is Fusion summoned: Send a card your opponent controls to the Graveyard.

(3) Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can banish any number of cards from your GY, then target an equal number of cards your opponent controls; Destroy them.

(4) When this card leaves the Field: Special summon 1 "Nyx Token" (Zombie-Type/LIGHT/Level 12/ATK ?/DEF ?) in Defense Position. (When summoned, its original ATK and DEF becomes the number of currently banished cards x 1000. If it would be destroyed shuffle a banished card into your Deck instead.)

? ATK/? DEF

Our strongest boss monster, and the hardest to summon requiring a Fusion Monster, but "Norn" and "Athena can help, by easily cheating out Fusion Monsters. "Nyx Avatar" has a lot of destruction available to him, but the real deal is when it leaves the Field. 

NYX TOKEN 

ATTRIBUTE: Light      LEVEL: 12

[Zombie/Token]

Special Summoned with the effect of "The Shadow Lord, Nyx Avatar". This card original ATK and DEF is equal to the number of currently banished cards x 1000. If this card would be destroyed, shuffle a banished card into your Deck instead.

? ATK/? DEF

A Token boss monster which gets insanely big, and with a lot of protection. Of course it's only destruction, but that still causes a lot of trouble! "Nyx Avatar" can banish all cards in your Grave to destroy the opponent entire Field, then leave the Field himself to summon "Nyx Token" for your opponent to deal with! All the while being free to summon other monsters.

SAVIORS OF WORLD'S MORTALITY

ATTRIBUTE: Light     LEVEL: 3

[Fiend/Fusion/Tuner/Effect]

"Shadow Hunter, Orpheus" + "Shadow Hunter, Thanatos"

(This card is always treated as a "Persona" card)

Must first be Fusion Summoned (from your Extra Deck) by shuffling the cards listed above from your GY into the Deck (You do not use "Polymerization").

(1) While on the Field and in the Graveyard this card cannot be banished.

(2) When your opponent summons a monster, OR activates a card or effect (Quick Effect): Tribute this card; negate the Summon or activation, and if you do, banish that card, then banish all cards with the same name as that monster from your opponent's Deck.

(3) While this card is in your GY, your opponent cannot target cards in your GY with card effects.

(4) You can control only 1 "Saviors of World's Mortality".

0 ATK/0 DEF

Oooh boy, "Saviors of World's" is a sub archetype which comprises the strongest cards in the "Persona" archetype, and you see it here. "Saviors of World's Mortality" it's an omni-negate, that negates, banishes and then banishes all copies of the card you negated, which could win games on its own. In the Graveyard has another incredible effect in protecting your Graveyard from cards such as "D.D. Crow", situational, but could save your skin!

The summoning is not too hard: "Orpheus" is searchable by "Castor" and "Thanatos" itself, but you can also send it to the Graveyard with "Polydeuces"; "Thanatos" has generic "Persona" Material and can be cheated out with "Athena" as well. Best part is that this is a Contact Fusion, meaning you don't need our Fusion Spells either: as soon as "Orpheus" and "Thanatos" hit the Graveyard, you can summon "Saviors of World's Mortality"!

 

This is the end of the "Shadow Hunters"! Look forward to the next archetypes NOW: