Nephthys
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 "Matriarch", "Disciple", "Devotee", and "Cerulean Sacred Phoenix" in the artwork of "Last Hope of Nephthys" | |||||||||||||||||
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The Nephthys Legend is passed on to a new hope...
— The archetype's tagline in promotional material
"Nephthys" (ネフティス Nefutisu) is an archetype of monsters that debuted in Flaming Eternity, and received its first support in Deck Build Pack: Hidden Summoners. They are all related in some way to the archetype's first member, "Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys". It primarily consists of Level 2 WIND Spellcasters and Level 8 FIRE Winged Beasts. Some members that are not in this category are the LIGHT Wyrm "Metaphys Nephthys" and the DARK "Dark Nephthys".
Contents
Lore[edit]
Design[edit]
Nephthys was an Egyptian goddess associated with birth and death, which is the reference for the Winged Beast "Nephthys" monsters. The Spellcaster ones are supposed to be her followers; they seem to worship her and perform Rituals for the sake of her rebirth.
Members[edit]
"Nephthys" monsters can be divided into two sub-series: "Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys" and its counterpart forms, and the Spellcaster-type human-formed "Nephthys followers".
Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys[edit]
| Type | Nephthys | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Main Deck Effect |
Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys | — |
| Dark Nephthys | Dark counterpart | |
| Metaphys Nephthys | "Metaphys" counterpart | |
| Chaos Nephthys | Chaos series counterpart | |
| Link | Nephthys, the Sacred Flame | — |
| Ritual | Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys |
Spellcaster Followers[edit]
In Japanese OCG, all "Nephthys follower" monsters are named with the title 「手」 (te), meaning "Hand of [action]".
| Type | Nephthys | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ritual | Conductor | — |
| Devotee | ||
| Main Deck Effect |
Hand | Pre-Hidden Summoners. |
| Chronicler | First printed in Hidden Summoners; features themed monster effects. | |
| Defender | ||
| Disciple | ||
| Matriarch |
| Nephthys | Main Phase effect (Destroy 1 card in hand, then...) | Standby Phase effect (Next Standby Phase after this card was destroyed...) |
|---|---|---|
| Chronicler | Add 1 "Nephthys" card from the GY to the hand, except itself. | Add 1 "Nephthys" card from the GY to the hand, except itself. |
| Defender | Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Nephthys" monster from the hand, except itself. | Destroy 1 "Nephthys" monster in the Deck, except itself. |
| Disciple | Add 1 "Nephthys" monster from the Deck to the hand, except itself. | Add 1 "Nephthys" Spell/Trap from the Deck to the hand. |
| Matriarch | Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Nephthys" monster, except itself, from the GY in Defense Position and negate its effects | Special Summon itself |
Playing style[edit]
Similar to "Fire King" archetype, "Nephthys" theme is focusing on destroying its controller's monsters to trigger the destroyed monsters' effects, albeit for a longer turn (the "Nephthys" monsters activate their effect upon being destroyed by a card effect on its controller's next Standby Phase). Each Level-2 Main Deck monsters (except "Hand of Nephthys") all have Ignition Effect that destroys 1 card in your hand, which if you do, may trigger various action, and another unique effect that can be used during their controller's next Standby Phase after being destroyed by a card effect. Meanwhile, most of their big monsters have effect that clears the field or to resurrect themselves from the GY, reflecting the ability of mythological phoenix that can be reborn from their ashes. Furthermore, the most recent Nephthys cards are built towards Ritual Summoning, and may also Link Summoning their exclusive Link Monsters that support Ritual Monster.
Strategy[edit]
Having both "Preparation of Rites" and "Pre-Preparation of Rites" in your opening hand can be a big advantage because both cards can gather your Ritual Monster and the Spell at ease. The newcomer "Conductor of Nephthys" granted more speed to the archetype's Ritual Summon; after "Conductor of Nephthys" is Ritual Summoned, you can Ritual Summon a new "Nephthys" Ritual Monster straight from the Deck, without consuming any material. Usually, "Devotee of Nephthys" will follow this call to further fill the board with another "Nephthys" monster. At this point, "Disciple" can be a good choice, despite her 0 ATK, because you can put her in Defense mode and still use her special ability to search another "Nephthys" monster to your hand. "Devotee" and "Disciple" can be used to Link Summon the Link-2 "Nephthys, the Sacred Preserver". Usually, the first effect of "the Sacred Preserver" will be used right away. There are many options; you could search for "Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys" because "the Sacred Preserver" will also give you the Ritual Spell back from the GY to the hand, or you can also search of another Level 8 Winged Beast such as "Dark Nephthys", or the prime boss "Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys". These are perfect aims for "Devotee" to destroy in order to revive herself from the GY. This Deck can be combined with another Winged Beast-theme cards. "Simorgh, Bird of Sovereignty" can be easily Link Summoned following aforementioned strategy, by using "the Sacred Preserver" and another monster you control. It is also a great addition for any Winged Beast-based Decks since it grants you access to powerful Winged Beast monster during the End Phase. "Mist Valley Apex Avian" and "Dark Simorgh" works well with this strategy. Despite being regarded as the alternative boss, the Link Monster "Nephthys, the Sacred Flame" may be rarely seen in the early game. Its basic effect grants attack protection for "Nephthys" monsters it points to, but the Link Monster itself can be full-armored only if it was Link Summoned by using three Ritual Monsters. "Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys" may also be better to get on the stage as a finisher in late game, since it needs pack of ammunition in your hand or field to equally clear monsters your opponent controls. But even if it comes much earlier, it can serve as a revivable big wall.
Recommended cards[edit]
Weaknesses[edit]
- "Nephthys" monsters not only need themselves to be destroyed by card effects to trigger their Standby Phase ability, they also need to be sent to the GY at the same time. Thus, cards that can direct the destroyed monsters to places other than GY are effective. The example includes "Dimensional Fissure" and "Macro Cosmos".
- Also, the player must wait until his/her own next Standby Phase to activate this effect. This is much slower compared to "Fire King" monsters, which can activate a similar ability right on the next turn.
- The self-revival ability of some "Nephthys" monsters can also be shut completely once "Necrovalley" is on the field.
