BLACK MAGICIAN Types: Dark/Magic-User Level: 7 Attack Strength: 2500 Defense Strength: 2100 "As far as Magic Users go, it has the highest attack and defense strengths for its class."

Welcome to the the first card of the week for Edo's small Yu-Gi-Oh! page. This week, we will be looking at one of the most well-known cards in Duel Monsters, and is one of its mascots. Not to mention it is the favored card of the hero of the Yu-Gi-Oh! story, Yugi Mutou.

The Black Magician is a respectable Monster card, though it is not as powerful as some of the same power and level. It's attack strength of 2500 is nice, but as it is a level seven card, it requires you to sacrifice two monsters on order to summon it normally. The Demon Summon card gives you the same attack strength for only a level six card, with only one monster sacrifice. However, if you drop it into your Cemetery in some useful way (Welcome For The Dead, Angel's Gift, etc.), you can special summon it to the Field with cards like Raise Dead to get around the sacrifice requirement. Otherwise, you are better off leaving the Black Magician in your binder instead of putting it in your deck.

There are a few saving graces to the card. First of all, it is extremely easy to get ahold of. It's in Volume 1, Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon, Labyrinth of Nightmare, Duel Monsters EX, Premium Pack 4, and the Yugi Structure Deck.

Second, there are enough of cards that support the Black Magician theme, and for those that want a Yugi theme deck. If you pick up a few Premium Pack 4, you have the basis of the Black Magician theme deck right there.

Edo's Rating: 3 out of 5. It's strictly an average card, unless you specifically build a deck around it.

SAMPLE BLACK MAGICIAN DECK (40 cards)

Here is a sample Black Magician deck. Though its overall power is lacking, it is a good place for you to begin. Add and remove cards as your power and playing-style sees fit. The goal suits its theme - get the Black Magician onto the Field. There are a variety of ways to go about this: discard it via Angel's Gift, Welcome For The Dead, or the Ritual of Chaos Black Magic, then use the the revival cards (Raise Dead, Early Burial and Cry of the Living Dead) to put it into play. Be careful of using the Black Magician Curtain - you'll spend half of your Life Points to play the card. It's best to use late in the game when your Life Points are already low. Should you choose to leave them in your Cemetery, the Black Magician Girl is there to take up the fight, or, get the Black Magician Girl into play, and dump the Black Magicians into your Cemetery in the same ways above.

• Monster Cards: (14 cards)
  1. Black Magician
  2. Black Magician
  3. Black Magician
  4. Black Magician Girl
  5. Black Magician Girl
  6. Magician of Black Chaos
  7. Android Psycho Shocker
  8. Gemini Elf
  9. Gemini Elf
  10. Gemini Elf
  11. Black Forest Witch
  12. Black Forest Witch
  13. Swordsman From Another Dimension
  14. Cyber Pod