Difference between revisions of "Archfiend"

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{{Infobox archetype
+
{{Redirect|Daemon|the Type|Daemon (Type)}}
| image   = ArchfiendsRoar-TF04-JP-VG.jpg
+
{{Infobox archseries
| caption = "[[Terrorking Archfiend]]" and "[[Darkbishop Archfiend]]" in the artwork of "[[Archfiend's Roar]]"
+
| image       = ArchfiendEmperortheFirstLordofHorror-MADU-EN-VG-artwork.png
| ja_name = デーモン
+
| caption     = "[[Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror]]", with "[[Archfiend Soldier]]" and "[[Archfiend General]]" in front of "[[Archfiend Palabyrinth]]"
| romaji = Dēmon
+
| ja_name     = デーモン
| trans   = Daemon
+
| romaji       = Dēmon
| fr_name = Archdémon
+
| trans       = Daemon
| fr_trans = Archdemon
+
| zh_name      = 惡魔
| de_name = Erzunterweltler
+
| zh_pinyin    = Èmó
| de_trans = Archunderworlder
+
| zh_jyutping  = Ok3 mo1
| it_name = Arcidemone
+
| zh_trans    = Demon
| it_trans = Archdemon
+
| fr_name     = Archdémon
| ko_name = 데몬
+
| fr_trans     = Archdemon
 +
| de_name     = Erzunterweltler
 +
| de_trans     = Archunderworlder
 +
| it_name     = Arcidemone
 +
| it_trans     = Archdemon
 +
| ko_name     = 데몬
 
| ko_romanized = Demon
 
| ko_romanized = Demon
 
| ko_trans    = Demon
 
| ko_trans    = Demon
| pt_name2 = Archdemônio<br>(formerly)
+
| pt_name      = Arquidemônio
| pt_name = Arquidemônio
+
| pt_name2     = Archdemônio (formerly)
| pt_trans=Archdemon
+
| pt_trans     = Archdemon
| es_name = Archidemonio
+
| es_name     = Archidemonio
| es_trans = Archdemon
+
| es_trans     = Archdemon
| zh_name = 惡魔
+
| sets         =
| zh_pinyin = Èmó
 
| zh_jyutping=Ok3 mo1
 
| zh_trans = Demon
 
| sets   =  
 
 
* [[Starter Deck: Yugi]]
 
* [[Starter Deck: Yugi]]
* [[Starter Deck: Pegasus]]
 
* [[Starter Deck: Yugi Evolution]]
 
 
* [[Metal Raiders]]
 
* [[Metal Raiders]]
 
* [[Spell Ruler]]
 
* [[Spell Ruler]]
* [[Pharaoh's Servant]]
+
* [[Starter Deck: Pegasus]]
 
* [[Legacy of Darkness]]
 
* [[Legacy of Darkness]]
 
* [[Dark Crisis]]
 
* [[Dark Crisis]]
 +
* [[Starter Deck: Yugi Evolution]]
 
* [[Cybernetic Revolution]]
 
* [[Cybernetic Revolution]]
 
* [[Force of the Breaker]]
 
* [[Force of the Breaker]]
 +
* [[Starter Deck: Syrus Truesdale]]
 
* [[Phantom Darkness]]
 
* [[Phantom Darkness]]
 
* [[The Duelist Genesis]]
 
* [[The Duelist Genesis]]
 
* [[Crossroads of Chaos]]
 
* [[Crossroads of Chaos]]
 +
* [[Anniversary Pack]]
 
* [[Crimson Crisis]]
 
* [[Crimson Crisis]]
 +
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's World Championship 2009: Stardust Accelerator promotional cards]]
 +
* [[Duelist Pack: Yugi]]
 
* [[Ancient Prophecy]]
 
* [[Ancient Prophecy]]
 
* [[The Shining Darkness]]
 
* [[The Shining Darkness]]
 
* [[Starstrike Blast]]
 
* [[Starstrike Blast]]
 +
* [[Extreme Victory]]
 +
* [[Order of Chaos]]
 +
* [[Judgement of the Light]]
 +
* [[Primal Origin]]
 +
* [[Duelist Alliance]]
 +
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Volume 6 promotional card]]
 +
* [[Duelist Pack: Battle City]]
 +
* [[Clash of Rebellions]]
 +
* [[Dimension of Chaos]]
 +
* [[Shining Victories]]
 +
* [[The Dark Illusion]]
 +
* [[Extreme Force]]
 +
* [[Rising Rampage]]
 +
* [[Blazing Vortex]]
 +
* [[Darkwing Blast]]
 +
* [[Photon Hypernova]]
 +
* [[Phantom Nightmare]]
 +
* [[Legacy of Destruction]]
 +
| tcg          =
 +
* [[Summoned Skull Sample promotional card]]
 +
* [[Booster Pack Collectors Tins 2002]]
 +
* [[Tournament Pack: 3rd Season]]
 
* [[Dark Beginning 1]]
 
* [[Dark Beginning 1]]
 +
* [[Shonen Jump Vol. 3, Issue 1 promotional card]]
 +
* [[Dark Revelation Volume 1]]
 +
* [[Tournament Pack 6]]
 +
* [[Dark Beginning 2]]
 
* [[Dark Revelation Volume 4]]
 
* [[Dark Revelation Volume 4]]
* [[Booster Pack Collectors Tin 2003]]
+
* [[Retro Pack]]
* [[2002 Booster Pack Tins]]
+
* [[Collectible Tins 2008 Wave 1]]
* [[2008 Collectors Tins]]
+
* [[Dark Legends]]
* [[Collectible Tins 2010 Wave 1]]
 
* [[Collectible Tins 2010 Wave 2]]
 
* [[Anniversary Pack]]
 
 
* [[Retro Pack 2]]
 
* [[Retro Pack 2]]
 +
* [[Duelist League Demo 2010]]
 
* [[Turbo Pack: Booster Two]]
 
* [[Turbo Pack: Booster Two]]
* [[Tournament Pack: 3rd Season]]
+
* [[Duel Terminal 2]]
* [[Tournament Pack 6]]
 
 
* [[Gold Series 3]]
 
* [[Gold Series 3]]
* [[Sneak Preview Participation Cards]]
+
* [[Duelist Revolution Sneak Peek Participation Card]]
* [[Shonen Jump promotional cards]]
+
* [[Duelist Revolution]]
* [[Order of Chaos]]
+
* [[Collectible Tins 2010 Wave 1]]
 +
* [[Duel Terminal 3]]
 +
* [[Collectible Tins 2010 Wave 2]]
 +
* [[Starstrike Blast Sneak Peek Participation Card]]
 +
* [[Duelist League 2 participation cards]]
 +
* [[Demo Pack]]
 +
* [[Duel Terminal 5a]]
 +
* [[Turbo Pack: Booster Six]]
 +
* [[Duel Terminal 5b]]
 +
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! Advent Calendar]]
 
* [[Battle Pack: Epic Dawn]]
 
* [[Battle Pack: Epic Dawn]]
* [[Judgement of the Light]]
+
* [[Legendary Collection 3: Yugi's World Mega Pack]]
 +
* [[Duel Terminal 7b]]
 +
* [[Battle Pack 2: War of the Giants]]
 +
* [[Astral Pack Three]]
 +
* [[Judgment of the Light: Deluxe Edition]]
 +
* [[Legendary Collection 4: Joey's World Mega Pack]]
 
* [[Shadow Specters]]
 
* [[Shadow Specters]]
* [[Primal Origin]]
+
* [[Starter Deck: Yugi Reloaded]]
* [[Duelist Alliance]]
+
* [[Weekly Shonen Jump December 2013 membership promotional card]]
 +
* [[War of the Giants Reinforcements]]
 +
* [[War of the Giants: Round 2]]
 +
* [[Jump Pack 2014 Issue 1 promotional card]]
 
* [[Astral Pack Four]]
 
* [[Astral Pack Four]]
* [[Clash of Rebellions]]
+
* [[Super Starter: Space-Time Showdown]]
* [[Dimension of Chaos]]
+
* [[2014 Mega-Tins]]
* [[Booster SP: Highspeed Riders]]
+
* [[2014 Mega-Tin Mega Pack]]
 +
* [[Legendary Collection 5D's Mega Pack]]
 +
* [[Demo Deck 2015]]
 +
* [[2-Player Starter Deck Yuya & Declan]]
 +
* [[Dark Legion Starter Deck]]
 +
* [[2015 Mega-Tin Mega Pack]]
 
* [[High-Speed Riders]]
 
* [[High-Speed Riders]]
* [[The Dark Illusion]]
+
* [[Yugi's Legendary Decks]]
 +
* [[Master of Pendulum Structure Deck]]
 +
* [[Premium Gold: Infinite Gold]]
 +
* [[Millennium Pack]]
 +
* [[Starter Deck: Yuya]]
 +
* [[OTS Tournament Pack 2]]
 +
* [[2016 Mega-Tin Mega Pack]]
 +
* [[Legendary Decks II]]
 +
* [[Pendulum Domination Structure Deck]]
 +
* [[Dinosmasher's Fury Structure Deck]]
 
* [[Duelist Pack: Dimensional Guardians]]
 
* [[Duelist Pack: Dimensional Guardians]]
| anime   =  
+
* [[Pendulum Evolution]]
 +
* [[Battles of Legend: Light's Revenge]]
 +
* [[Structure Deck: Lair of Darkness]]
 +
* [[2018 Mega-Tin Mega Pack]]
 +
* [[OTS Tournament Pack 9]]
 +
* [[OTS Tournament Pack 10]]
 +
* [[Ignition Assault]]
 +
* [[The Lost Art Promotion 2019 B]]
 +
* [[Speed Duel Starter Decks: Twisted Nightmares]]
 +
* [[Legendary Duelists: Season 1]]
 +
* [[2020 Tin of Lost Memories]]
 +
* [[2021 Tin of Ancient Battles]]
 +
* [[Ghosts From the Past: The 2nd Haunting‎‎]]
 +
* [[Tactical Masters]]
 +
* [[The Lost Art Promotion 2022 I]]
 +
* [[Speed Duel GX: Duelists of Shadows]]
 +
* [[OTS Tournament Pack 22]]
 +
* [[Structure Deck: The Crimson King]]
 +
| ocg          =
 +
* [[Vol.1]]
 +
* [[Vol.4]]
 +
* [[Vol.5]]
 +
* [[EX Starter Box]]
 +
* [[Magic Ruler (Japanese)]]
 +
* [[Pharaoh's Servant]]
 +
* [[Revival of Black Demons Dragon]]
 +
* [[EX-R Starter Box]]
 +
* [[Booster R3]]
 +
* [[Weekly Shōnen Jump 2001, Issue 11 promotional card]]
 +
* [[Limited Edition 3: Yugi Pack]]
 +
* [[Structure Deck: Yugi]]
 +
* [[Asia Championship 2001 prize cards]]
 +
* [[Struggle of Chaos]]
 +
* [[Structure Deck: Joey]]
 +
* [[Mythological Age]]
 +
* [[Duelist Legacy Volume.1]]
 +
* [[Duelist Legacy Volume.2]]
 +
* [[Power of the Guardian]]
 +
* [[Booster Pack Collectors Tin 2003]]
 +
* [[Threat of the Dark Demon World]]
 +
* [[Duelist Legacy Volume.5]]
 +
* [[Beginner's Edition 1]]
 +
* [[Expert Edition Volume.1]]
 +
* [[Beginner's Edition 2]]
 +
* [[Structure Deck: Curse of Darkness]]
 +
* [[Expert Edition Volume 4]]
 +
* [[Weekly Shōnen Jump 2008, Issue 18 promotional card]]
 +
* [[Tournament Pack 2008 Vol.2]]
 +
* [[Duel Terminal - Justice Strikes Back!!]]
 +
* [[Duel Terminal - Demon Roar God Revival!!]]
 +
* [[Duel Terminal - Dragunity of the Hurricane!!]]
 +
* [[Tournament Pack 2009 Vol.3]]
 +
* [[Monster Figure Collection promotional cards]]
 +
* [[Duel Terminal - Vylon Descends!!]]
 +
* [[Duel Terminal - Raid of the Inverz!!]]
 +
* [[Beginner's Edition 1 (2011)]]
 +
* [[Beginner's Edition 2 (2011)]]
 +
* [[Extra Pack Volume 4]]
 +
* [[Duel Terminal - Ouroboros, Wicked Dragon of Destruction!!]]
 +
* [[Duelist Edition Volume 1]]
 +
* [[Duelist Edition Volume 2]]
 +
* [[Duelist Edition Volume 3]]
 +
* [[Duelist Edition Volume 4]]
 +
* [[V Jump June 2013 promotional card]]
 +
* [[Half-Deck: DARK]]
 +
* [[Starter Pack Volume 1]]
 +
* [[Memories of the Duel King: Duelist Kingdom Arc]]
 +
* [[Starter Deck 2014]]
 +
* [[Memories of the Duel King: Battle City Arc]]
 +
* [[Extra Pack: Knights of Order]]
 +
* [[Starter Pack Volume 3]]
 +
* [[The Rarity Collection]]
 +
* [[Duelist Road -Piece of Memory- Side: Yami Yugi]]
 +
* [[Structure Deck: Devil's Gate]]
 +
* [[Duelist Entry Deck VS]]
 +
* [[Entry Pack]]
 +
* [[V Jump October 2015 promotional card]]
 +
* [[Booster SP: Highspeed Riders]]
 +
* [[Structure Deck: Master of Pendulum]]
 +
* [[Millennium Pack (OCG)]]
 +
* [[Starter Deck 2016]]
 +
* [[Dimension Box Limited Edition]]
 +
* [[Structure Deck: Pendulum Evolution]]
 +
* [[Structure Deck R: Tyranno's Rage]]
 +
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links Legend Deck Guide: Yami Yugi VS Seto Kaiba promotional cards]]
 +
* [[LINK VRAINS Pack]]
 +
* [[Structure Deck R: Curse of the Dark]]
 +
* [[Special Pack 20th Anniversary Edition Vol.1]]
 +
* [[Special Pack 20th Anniversary Edition Vol.2]]
 +
* [[Half Deck 2018: DARK]]
 +
* [[Special Pack 20th Anniversary Edition Vol.3]]
 +
* [[Tournament Pack 2018 Vol.4]]
 +
* [[Special Pack 20th Anniversary Edition Vol.4]]
 +
* [[Structure Deck: Masters of the Spiritual Arts]]
 +
* [[Rarity Collection Premium Gold Edition]]
 +
* [[Deck Build Pack: Tactical Masters]]
 +
* [[Photon Hypernova +1 Bonus Pack]]
 +
* [[Structure Deck: Pulse of the King]]
 +
* [[Structure Deck: Pulse of the King Rumbling of Heaven and Earth Pack]]
 +
* [[The Valuable Book EX 4 promotional cards]]
 +
| korea        =
 +
* [[Expansion Pack Vol.1]]
 +
* [[Expansion Pack Vol.2]]
 +
* [[Expansion Pack Vol.3]]
 +
* [[Tournament Pack 2010 Vol.6]]
 +
* [[Tournament Pack 2011 Vol.11]]
 +
* [[Winter Festival 2011 promotional cards]]
 +
* [[Advanced Tournament Pack 2013 Vol.2]]
 +
* [[Advanced Event Pack 2013 Vol.1]]
 +
* [[Advanced Event Pack 2013 Vol.2]]
 +
* [[Advanced Event Pack 2014 Vol.1]]
 +
* [[Precious Pack Volume 2]]
 +
* [[Structure Deck: Cyber Dragon Revolution Deluxe Edition]]
 +
* [[Premium Pack Vol.9]]
 +
* [[Advanced Event Pack 2014 Vol.4]]
 +
* [[Duelist Entry Deck VS: Dark Legion]]
 +
* [[Premium Pack Vol.14 1st Wave]]
 +
| anime       =
 
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! (Toei anime)]]
 
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! (Toei anime)]]
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie]]
+
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! (Toei film)]]
 
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! (anime)|Yu-Gi-Oh!]]
 
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! (anime)|Yu-Gi-Oh!]]
 
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light]]
 
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light]]
Line 78: Line 253:
 
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL]]
 
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL]]
 
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V]]
 
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V]]
| manga   =  
+
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS]]
 +
| manga       =
 
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! (manga)|Yu-Gi-Oh!]]
 
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! (manga)|Yu-Gi-Oh!]]
 +
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! (subseries)]]
 
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist]]
 
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist]]
 
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! R]]
 
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! R]]
 
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's (manga)|Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's]]
 
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's (manga)|Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's]]
 
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! D Team ZEXAL]]
 
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! D Team ZEXAL]]
| vg      =
+
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V (manga)|Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V]]
 
}}
 
}}
 +
"'''Archfiend'''", known as "'''Daemon'''" (デーモン ''Dēmon'') in the ''[[OCG]]'', is one of the very first [[archetype]]s. Members appear in a myriad of sets due to the string required for inclusion being a simple word in Japanese. While many [[Duelist]]s use "Archfiend" cards in the anime and manga as a result, only [[Titan]] and [[Raizo Akuma]] runs a dedicated "Archfiend" Deck. The majority of the [[Monster Card|monsters]] in this archetype are [[DARK]] [[Fiend]] monsters, but there are many monsters of other [[Attribute]]s and Types. There are cards, such as [[Falling Down]], which supports any "Archfiend" cards. There are a sub-archetype, "[[Red Dragon Archfiend (archetype)|Red Dragon Archfiend]]", and a sub-series, [[Skull Archfiend]].
 +
== History/Naming ==
 +
The first monster to receive the "Archfiend" designation is "[[Summoned Skull]]". It has appeared in the first manga chapter featuring ''Duel Monsters'', [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Duel 009|Duel 009]], as well as the [[Yu-Gi-Oh!_Duel_Monsters_(video_game)|first ''Duel Monsters'' video game]]. Two more monsters, "[[Wicked Mirror]]" and "[[Air Marmot of Nefariousness]]", also debuted in this video game.
  
"'''Archfiend'''", known as "'''Daemon'''" (Japanese: デーモン ''Dēmon'') in the ''[[OCG]]'', is one of the very first archetypes. Members appear in a myriad of sets due to the string required for inclusion being a simple word in Japanese. While many [[Duelist]]s use "Archfiend" cards in the anime and manga as a result, only [[Titan]] runs a dedicated "Archfiend" Deck. The majority of the monsters in this archetype are [[DARK]] [[Fiend]]-[[Type]] [[Monster Card|monsters]], but there are many monsters of other Types and Attributes.
+
"[[Wicked Mirror]]" and "[[Air Marmot of Nefariousness]]" are the first Archfiend monsters to appear in the ''OCG'', appearing in the [[Vol.1|very first set]]. Both have been renamed as demonstrated in video games.
 
 
The "[[Red Dragon Archfiend (archetype)|Red Dragon Archfiend]]" archetype is a sub-archetype of the "Archfiend" archetype.
 
 
 
==Naming==
 
According to the [http://replay.waybackmachine.org/20090226221410/http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/yugioh/en/gameplay/faqs/archfiend/default.aspx Upper Deck Entertainment] website, ''"'''Archfiends''' are a special category of card. Most "Archfiend" cards can be easily identified by their name. Any card with "Archfiend" in the card name is an "Archfiend."''
 
 
 
This category was officially introduced with the release of ''[[Dark Crisis]]'', as a way to standardize the English translation of ''OCG'' card names containing "Daemon" 「デーモン」. Some non-"Archfiend" cards have it spelled "Demon"; for example, the Japanese name of "[[Regenerating Rose]]", 「スプリット・{{Ruby|D|デモン}}・ローズ」 translates to "Split Demon Rose", but "Demon" is spelled 「デモン」, so it is not an "Archfiend" card. Some monsters have Japanese names with "Demon" as a possible translation. Arguably, this was the first attempt by the creators of ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' to establish an archetype, and set a standard by which archetypes would be defined thereafter.
 
 
 
Since some Japanese cards with names containing "Daemon" 「デーモン」 had already been released in the ''TCG'', they were retroactively classified as "Archfiend" cards, although their official names were left unchanged. These are:
 
  
 +
The introduction of the "Archfiend" archetype in ''[[Dark Crisis]]'' caused a translation issue, since [[archetype condition]]s were not yet created and the cards in the set specified support for all monsters with 「デーモン」 ("Daemon") in their Japanese names. This was decided to be translated into English as "Archfiend", and from this point onward, all cards with 「デーモン」 in their Japanese names would have "Archfiend" in their English names. However, several cards in older sets predating the concept of archetypes had already been released and translated whose Japanese names contained 「デーモン」, but whose English names did not contain any specific string:
 
* [[A Deal with Dark Ruler]] (''A Deal with a Daemon'')
 
* [[A Deal with Dark Ruler]] (''A Deal with a Daemon'')
 
* [[Axe of Despair]] (''Daemon's Axe'')
 
* [[Axe of Despair]] (''Daemon's Axe'')
* [[B. Skull Dragon]] (''Black Daemons Dragon'')
+
* [[Black Skull Dragon]] (''Black Daemons Dragon'')
 
* [[Beast of Talwar]] (''Talwar Daemon'')
 
* [[Beast of Talwar]] (''Talwar Daemon'')
 
* [[Fiend Skull Dragon]] (''Death Daemon Dragon'')
 
* [[Fiend Skull Dragon]] (''Death Daemon Dragon'')
Line 108: Line 280:
 
* [[Toon Summoned Skull]] (''Toon Daemon'')
 
* [[Toon Summoned Skull]] (''Toon Daemon'')
  
Starting with "Axe of Despair" in ''[[Battle Pack 2: War of the Giants]]'', later prints of these cards in the ''TCG'' now use [[archetype condition]]s in their [[card text]] to classify them as "Archfiend" cards. With the release of ''[[Legendary Collection 4: Joey's World Mega Pack]]'', all of these cards have archetype conditions classifying them as "Archfiend" cards. In Portuguese, "[[Archfiend Soldier]]" also has an archetype condition classifying it as an "Archfiend" card, although this wasn't added until it was reprinted in ''[[2-Player Starter Deck Yuya & Declan]]''.
+
In two cases, cards whose English names did not contain "Archfiend" were renamed to contain "Archfiend". In both cases, the former names appeared in video games only as they remained OCG-exclusive at the time Archfiend support came out.
 
+
* [[Archfiend Marmot of Nefariousness]] (Air Marmot of Nefariousness)
"A Deal with Dark Ruler" was not included on the original list of "Archfiend" cards that do not have "Archfiend" in their English names on the [[Upper Deck Entertainment]] website, as it had virtually no mechanical impact at the time. However, due to later "Archfiend" support it became mechanically significant, so it was given the archetype condition along with the other cards.
+
** First ''TCG'' release was on 2005 June 1st, with the new name.
 +
** Last appearance mentioning the former name was from [[Air_Marmot_of_Nefariousness_(DBT)|''Destiny Board Traveler'']].
 +
** Change reflected on subsequent video game appearances starting from [[Archfiend Marmot of Nefariousness (World Championship 2006)|''World Championship 2006'']].
 +
* [[Archfiend Mirror]] (Wicked Mirror)
 +
** Still ''OCG''-exclusive to this date. Also has never appeared in another set.
 +
** Still called "Wicked Mirror" in [[Wicked Mirror (World Championship 2006)|''World Championship 2006'']], excluding it from the archetype.
 +
** Name change applied since [[Archfiend_Mirror_(Tag_Force_1)|''Tag Force 1'']], released on the same year.
  
==Themes==
+
To resolve this issue, [[Upper Deck Entertainment]] invented the idea of Archfiend monsters (rather than "Archfiend" monsters) as a separate category, similar to existing [[ability|abilities]]. Due to the circumstances, they were not printed on the card but rather could only be looked up via UDE's website, which stated: ''"'''Archfiends''' are a special category of card. Most "Archfiend" cards can be easily identified by their name. Any card with "Archfiend" in the card name is an "Archfiend." In addition, several older cards are also considered to be "Archfiends." These cards include:'' followed by the above list.<ref>{{citeweb|url = http://replay.waybackmachine.org/20090226221410/http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/yugioh/en/gameplay/faqs/archfiend/default.aspx|title = What is an "Archfiend"?|publisher = Upper Deck Entertainment|date = February 26, 2009|access-date = February 26, 2009}}</ref>
 +
As a result, all "Archfiend" support in the original printing of ''Dark Crisis'' referred to Archfiend cards as if they were a category (rather than "Archfiend" cards as an archetype). For example, this can be seen in the original card texts of "[[Card Errata:Falling Down|Falling Down]]" and "[[Card Errata:Archfiend's Roar|Archfiend's Roar]]".
 +
The introduction of [[archetype condition]]s 7 years later would remove the need for any special category, and later prints of the above list of cards in the ''TCG'' would all receive one stating that they belonged to the "Archfiend" archetype regardless of their printed name. This began with "Axe of Despair" in ''[[Battle Pack 2: War of the Giants]]'', and finished with the release of ''[[Legendary Collection 4: Joey's World Mega Pack]]''.
 +
"A Deal with Dark Ruler" was not included on UDE's original list of Archfiend cards that do not have "Archfiend" in their English names, as all Archfiend support at the time referred to either monsters or cards that could be continuously controlled, making it mechanically irrelevant. However, later cards like "[[Archfiend Heiress]]" would refer to adding any "Archfiend" card from the Deck to the hand, making it mechanically significant, and it was given the archetype condition along with the other cards.
 +
In order for a card to be an "Archfiend" card, it must have the exact string 「デーモン」 ("Daemon") in its Japanese name. Other spellings like "Demon" (or any other Japanese word that might be translatable as "demon") do not qualify. For example, the Japanese name of "[[Regenerating Rose]]", 「スプリット・{{Ruby|D|デモン}}・ローズ」, translates directly to "Split Demon Rose" with "Demon" spelled 「デモン」, so it is not an "Archfiend" card.
 +
===Themes===
 
The first members introduced after "Archfiend" became an archetype are chess-themed, all of which are named after chess pieces, and feature a chessboard pattern as the background of their artwork.
 
The first members introduced after "Archfiend" became an archetype are chess-themed, all of which are named after chess pieces, and feature a chessboard pattern as the background of their artwork.
 
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
! Chess Archfiend !! Origin
 
! Chess Archfiend !! Origin
 
|-
 
|-
| [[Terrorking Archfiend]] || [[wikipedia:King (chess)|King]]
+
| [[Terrorking Archfiend|Terrorking]]<br />[[Masterking Archfiend|Masterking]] || [[wikipedia:King (chess)|King]]
 
|-
 
|-
| [[Infernalqueen Archfiend]]<br />[[Imprisoned Queen Archfiend]] || [[wikipedia:Queen (chess)|Queen]]
+
| [[Infernalqueen Archfiend|Infernalqueen]]<br />[[Imprisoned Queen Archfiend|Imprisoned Queen]] || [[wikipedia:Queen (chess)|Queen]]
 
|-
 
|-
| [[Desrook Archfiend]] || [[wikipedia:Rook (chess)|Rook]]
+
| [[Desrook Archfiend|Desrook]] || [[wikipedia:Rook (chess)|Rook]]
 
|-
 
|-
| [[Darkbishop Archfiend]] || [[wikipedia:Bishop (chess)|Bishop]]
+
| [[Darkbishop Archfiend|Darkbishop]] || [[wikipedia:Bishop (chess)|Bishop]]
 
|-
 
|-
| [[Shadowknight Archfiend]] || [[wikipedia:Knight (chess)|Knight]]
+
| [[Shadowknight Archfiend|Shadowknight]] || [[wikipedia:Knight (chess)|Knight]]
 
|-
 
|-
| [[Vilepawn Archfiend]] || [[wikipedia:Pawn (chess)|Pawn]]
+
| [[Vilepawn Archfiend|Vilepawn]] || [[wikipedia:Pawn (chess)|Pawn]]
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Checkmate]] || [[wikipedia:Checkmate|Checkmate]]
 
| [[Checkmate]] || [[wikipedia:Checkmate|Checkmate]]
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
 
 
Since then, other "Archfiends" have been released which lack the chess motifs. In general, they possess demonic and gruesome features, some even going so far as to have physiques featuring bones and sinew reminiscent of their original representative, "[[Summoned Skull]]".
 
Since then, other "Archfiends" have been released which lack the chess motifs. In general, they possess demonic and gruesome features, some even going so far as to have physiques featuring bones and sinew reminiscent of their original representative, "[[Summoned Skull]]".
 +
Since "Archfiends" have seen many years of release, the archetype has varying appearance themes which change over time. The original unorganized "Archfiends" were generally bony and "horror" themed ("Summoned Skull", "[[Axe of Despair]]", "[[Lesser Fiend]]", etc.). At this point, they were not related other than sharing a word in their Japanese names.
 +
The first archetype-oriented "Archfiends" appeared in ''[[Dark Crisis]]'' and were chess-themed, each featuring a dice roll-conditional negation of effects that target them ("[[Terrorking Archfiend]]", "[[Vilepawn Archfiend]]", etc.). These "Archfiends" all had appearances that very closely resembled contortions or variations on "Summoned Skull". This series was the longest-lasting period for the "Archfiends", and provided them with most of their Spell/Trap support, including their first [[Field Spell Card|Field Spell]], "[[Pandemonium]]". It ended with the release of "[[Imprisoned Queen Archfiend]]".
 +
The next wave of "Archfiends" appeared in the 5D's period, and had a sports theme ("[[Archfiend Interceptor]]", "[[Lancer Archfiend]]", "[[Mad Archfiend]]"). For the first time since "[[Black Skull Dragon]]" and "[[Fiend Skull Dragon]]" it featured a Dragon member: "[[Red Dragon Archfiend]]". This series had no general effect theme or visual appearance (though skulls featured prominently in several of their artworks), but represented a move away from the "bone and sinew" style of the chess "Archfiends".
 +
The most recent series of "Archfiends" began in the ''TCG'' in ''[[Starstrike Blast]]'', beginning with the North American release of "[[Archfiend Empress]]". These Archfiends bore little resemblance to the original chess Archfiends, having generally purple color schemes, a metallic appearance, and an imperial theme, similar to the "[[Fabled]]" monsters. ''[[Judgement of the Light]]'' introduced the archetype's second Field Spell, "[[Archfiend Palabyrinth]]", and the 3000 ATK "[[Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror]]". This support continued in the North American release of ''[[Shadow Specters]]'' with the release of "[[Archfiend Giant]]" and continued with the global release of "[[Archfiend Eccentrick]]" in ''[[Clash of Rebellions]]'', alongside "[[Red-Eyes Archfiend of Lightning]]", the first "Archfiend" Gemini monster, and "[[Archfiend Black Skull Dragon]]", the retrained version of their first ever Fusion.
  
Since "Archfiends" have seen many years of release, the archetype has varying appearance themes which change over time. The original unorganized "Archfiends" were generally bony and "horror" themed ("Summoned Skull", "[[Axe of Despair]]", "[[Lesser Fiend]]", etc.). At this point in time, they were not related other than sharing a word in their Japanese names. Since archetypes were not yet officially part of the game, these early cards were not initially translated as members of a group.
+
==Playing style==
 
+
Building a Deck around the "Chess Archfiends" is tricky since they require your [[Life Points]] as payment and paying is not optional. As a result, your Life Points will be drained very quickly, especially since you must worry about further Life Point drain through battle damage from your opponent. Most "Archfiends" do not have enough attack power to hold their ground. Their most useful ability is negating an opponent's effect that targets them by a roll of the dice. However, this is not a reliable defense, and only two of the cards have a 50% chance of negation (although one of them, "[[Darkbishop Archfiend]]", works for any of your Archfiends, including the ones that have their own protection). Most have a ~17% chance, and a couple have a ~33% chance.
The first archetype-oriented "Archfiends" appeared in ''[[Dark Crisis]]'' and were chess-themed, each featuring a dice roll-conditional negation of effects that target them ("[[Terrorking Archfiend]]", "[[Vilepawn Archfiend]]", etc.). These "Archfiends" all had appearances that very closely resembled contortions or variations on "Summoned Skull". This series was the longest-lasting period for the "Archfiends", and provided them with most of their Spell/Trap support, including their first [[Field Spell Card|Field Spell]], "[[Pandemonium]]", and ended with the release of "[[Imprisoned Queen Archfiend]]".
+
If trying to go for a "Chess Archfiend" Deck for novelty's sake, then it is advantageous to make it a general [[Fiend]]-themed Deck, adding Fiend support cards like "[[Goblin King]]".
 
+
The more modern "Archfiends" such as "[[Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror]]" and "[[Annihilator Archfiend]]" tend to go for a destruction strategy to pave the way to attack the opponent directly with their high-Level high-ATK Monsters. Three "Archfiend" [[Equip Spell Card]]s exist with different effects: the oldest, "[[Axe of Despair]]", boosts ATK and can return to the hand; "[[Falling Down]]" is an in-theme "[[Snatch Steal]]"; and the newest, "[[Archfiend's Staff of Despair]]", is an enfeebling version of "Axe of Despair". The "Archfiends" are also lucky enough to have two [[Field Spell Card]]s: "[[Pandemonium]]", which although designed for the older "Archfiends" can still be used with the modern ones to recover losses when "Archfiends" are destroyed by an effect, and "[[Archfiend Palabyrinth]]", which boosts Fiends' ATKs as well as carrying a Special Summon from Deck effect granting access to fast Xyz Summons.
The next wave of "Archfiends" appeared in the 5D's period, and had a sports theme ("[[Archfiend Interceptor]]", "[[Lancer Archfiend]]", "[[Mad Archfiend]]"), and for the first time since "[[B. Skull Dragon]]" and "[[Fiend Skull Dragon]]", featured a Dragon-Type member: "[[Red Dragon Archfiend]]". This series had no general effect theme or visual appearance (though skulls featured prominently in several of their artworks), but represented a move away from the "bone and sinew" style of the chess "Archfiends".
+
"[[Summoned Skull]]'s" [[series]] is covered more on its own page, [[Skull Archfiend]].
 
+
Being Fiend and DARK gives the members a myriad of support such as "[[Fiend Griefing]]", "[[Stygian Street Patrol]]", "[[Allure of Darkness]]", the "[[Virus]]" cards, and many others.
The most recent series of "Archfiends" began in the ''TCG'' in ''[[Starstrike Blast]]'', beginning with the North American release of "[[Archfiend Empress]]". These Archfiends bore little resemblance to the original chess Archfiends, having generally purple color schemes, a metallic appearance, and an imperial theme, similar to the "[[Fabled]]" monsters. ''[[Judgement of the Light]]'' introduced the archetype's second Field Spell, "[[Archfiend Palabyrinth]]", and the 3000 ATK "[[Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror]]". This support continued in the North American release of ''[[Shadow Specters]]'' with the release of "[[Archfiend Giant]]" which continued with the global release of "[[Archfiend Eccentrick]]" in ''[[Clash of Rebellions]]'' along side the first "Archfiend" Gemini monster "[[Red-Eyes Archfiend of Lightning]]" and the retrained version of their first ever fusion "[[Archfiend Black Skull Dragon]]".
+
===Recommended cards===
 
+
{{Decklist|Recommended cards
==Deck==
 
Building a Deck around the "Chess Archfiends" is tricky since they require your [[Life Points]] as payment and paying is not optional. As a result, your Life Points will be drained very quickly, especially since you must worry about further Life Point drain through battle damage from your opponent. Most "Archfiends" do not have enough attack power to hold their ground. Their most useful ability is negating an opponent's effect that targets them by a roll of the dice. However, this is not a reliable defense, and only two of the cards have a 50% chance of negation (although one of them, "[[Darkbishop Archfiend]]", works for any of your Archfiends, including the ones that have their own protection), whereas most have a 16.5% chance, and a couple have a 33% chance.
 
 
 
A Deck built around these cards is difficult to play and does not ensure victory. "Archfiend" Decks rely on heavy support, so try to activate "[[Pandemonium]]" as soon as possible, including "[[Terraforming]]" and/or "[[Archfiend General]]" in the Deck to get it out faster. To help an "Archfiend" Deck run smoothly, it is often advisable to use "[[Dark Necrofear]]" or "[[Plaguespreader Zombie]]" to get a quick defense if you're in a tight spot. It is highly advisable to make good use of "Archfiends" that don't sap your Life Points but still offer good attack or defense, like "[[Archfiend Soldier]]" and "[[Archfiend of Gilfer]]".
 
 
 
If trying to go for "Chess Archfiend" Deck for novelty's sake, then it is advantageous to make it general [[Fiend]]-themed Deck, adding Fiend support card like "[[Goblin King]]".
 
 
 
Take advantage of the high ATK of most "Archfiends", namely "[[Shadowknight Archfiend]]", "Archfiend Soldier" and "[[Terrorking Archfiend]]". "Archfiends" are one of the few archetypes with an abundance of high ATK non-tributers in the game; "[[Stygian Street Patrol]]" is an excellent card and can help avoid the Summoning problems usually related to "Terrorking Archfiend". "Summoned Skull" and its [[retrained]] [[Skull Archfiend of Lightning|counterpart]] can provide late-game power, as well as receive a considerable boost when used in conjunction with "[[Axe of Despair]]" or "[[United We Stand]]". If you can weather the [[Life Point]] payments, you may be able to destroy your opponent under a barrage of massive attacks. Piercing cards such as "[[Big Bang Shot]]" and "[[Fairy Meteor Crush]]" can further the punishment, while the "Archfiend's" own innate immunities can provide some defense.
 
 
 
One potential strategy is to use "[[Foolish Burial]]s" and "[[Armageddon Knight]]s" to put at least two "[[Imprisoned Queen Archfiend]]s" in the Graveyard to give "[[Terrorking Archfiend]]" 4000 ATK, then banish an "[[Evil Hero Infernal Gainer]]" so "Terrorking Archfiend" can attack twice, then play "[[Checkmate]]" to allow it to attack [[Direct attack|directly]] for a [[One Turn Kill|OTK]].
 
 
 
"[[Masked Chameleon]]" can also be used with "[[Archfiend Heiress]]", "[[Archfiend Cavalry]]" or "[[Mist Archfiend]]" to go into a Level 7, Level 8 or Level 9 Synchro Monster, respectively. "Masked Chameleon" can also be used with "Archfiend Cavalry" for a Rank 4 Xyz Monster.
 
 
 
"Archfiends" are Beatdown Decks that don't rely on Special Summoning, so cards like "[[Vanity's Fiend]]" and "[[Barrier Statue of the Abyss]]" are great compliments to fend-off Synchros and higher-level monsters. On the other hand, it is very possible to go to the opposite and abuse Special Summoning, both from the Graveyard and the Deck, with cards such as "[[Archfiend's Roar]]", "[[Stygian Street Patrol]]", and "[[Call of the Haunted]]", along with Synchro Summoning higher level Archfiends or fiends to weather down the opponent, such as "[[Thought Ruler Archfiend]]", "[[Chaos King Archfiend]]", or even "[[Stygian Sergeants]]", and very strong monsters that fit with the general Archfiend theme such as "[[Darkness Neosphere]]". As an added bonus, the Synchro Archfiends do not require Life Point payment and in case of destruction, "[[Pandemonium]]" allows to search the Deck for virtually any other" Archfiend" to take to the hand.
 
 
 
You can also use the "[[Resonator]]s" to incorporate [[Synchro Monster|Synchros]] and "[[Power Tool Dragon]]" as a means of searching "[[Falling Down]]".
 
 
 
{{Decklist|Chess Archfiend - Recommended cards
 
|effect monsters =
 
 
<!--This is not an exact Decklist. Please do not add multiples or staples.-->
 
<!--This is not an exact Decklist. Please do not add multiples or staples.-->
 +
|normal monsters =
 +
* [[Summoned Skull]]
 +
|effect monsters =
 +
* [[Annihilator Archfiend]]
 +
* [[Archfiend Cavalry]]
 +
* [[Archfiend Commander]]
 +
* [[Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror]]
 
* [[Archfiend Empress]]
 
* [[Archfiend Empress]]
 
* [[Archfiend General]]
 
* [[Archfiend General]]
* [[Darkbishop Archfiend]]
+
* [[Archfiend Giant]]
* [[Desrook Archfiend]]
+
* [[Archfiend Heiress]]
* [[Evil Hero Infernal Gainer]]
+
* [[Berserk Archfiend]]
* [[Imprisoned Queen Archfiend]]
 
* [[Infernalqueen Archfiend]]
 
 
* [[Mist Archfiend]]
 
* [[Mist Archfiend]]
* [[Nefarious Archfiend Eater of Nefariousness]]
+
* [[Terrorking Archfiend]]
* [[Shadowknight Archfiend]]
+
* [[Skilled Red Magician]]
* [[Skull Archfiend of Lightning]]
+
* [[Barrier Statue of the Abyss]]
 +
* [[Dark Spirit of Banishment]]
 +
* [[Dark Spirit of Malice]]
 +
* [[Diabolica the Draconique General]]
 +
* [[Fiendish Rhino Warrior]]
 +
* [[Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss]]
 +
* [[Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss]]
 
* [[Stygian Street Patrol]]
 
* [[Stygian Street Patrol]]
* [[Terrorking Archfiend]]
+
* [[Tour Guide From the Underworld]]
* [[Vilepawn Archfiend]]
+
* [[Zalamander Catalyzer]]
|tuner monsters = * [[Stygian Security]]
+
|tuner monsters =
* [[Dark Resonator]]
+
* [[Weiss, Lightsworn Archfiend]]
 +
* [[Mental Tuner]] (with [[Emergency Teleport]])
 +
|pendulum monsters =
 +
* [[Archfiend Eccentrick]]
 
|synchro monsters =
 
|synchro monsters =
<!--This is not an exact Decklist. Please do not add multiples or staples.-->
+
* [[Chaos Archfiend]]
 +
**[[Chaos Angel]]
 
* [[Chaos King Archfiend]]
 
* [[Chaos King Archfiend]]
 +
* [[Infernity Doom Archfiend]]
 
* [[Dark Highlander]]
 
* [[Dark Highlander]]
* [[Scrap Archfiend]]
+
* [[Groza, Tyrant of Thunder]]
* [[Stygian Sergeants]]
+
* [[Hundred Eyes Dragon]]
|spells =
+
* [[Phantasmal Lord Ultimitl Bishbaalkin]]
<!--This is not an exact Decklist. Please do not add multiples or staples.-->
+
* [[Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend]]
* [[Allure of Darkness]]
+
*[[Thought Ruler Archfiend]]  
* [[Falling Down]]
 
* [[Foolish Burial]]
 
* [[Pandemonium]]
 
* [[Solidarity]]
 
* [[Trade-In]]
 
|traps =
 
<!--This is not an exact Decklist. Please do not add multiples or staples.-->
 
* [[Archfiend's Roar]]
 
* [[Battle-Scarred]]
 
* [[Dice Re-Roll]]
 
* [[Elemental Burst]]
 
* [[Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan]]
 
* [[Hate Buster]]
 
* [[Torrential Tribute]]
 
}}
 
 
 
{{Decklist|Xyz Archfiends - Recommended cards
 
|normal monsters =
 
<!--This is not an exact Decklist. Please do not add multiples or staples.-->
 
* [[Archfiend Soldier]]
 
* [[Zure, Knight of Dark World]]
 
|effect monsters =
 
<!--This is not an exact Decklist. Please do not add multiples or staples.-->
 
* [[Archfiend Heiress]]
 
* [[Archfiend Cavalry]]
 
* [[Archfiend Commander]]
 
* [[Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror]]
 
* [[Archfiend Empress]]
 
* [[Dark Armed Dragon]]
 
* [[Dark Necrofear]]
 
* [[Nefarious Archfiend Eater of Nefariousness]]
 
* [[Rescue Rabbit]]
 
* [[Skull Archfiend of Lightning]]
 
* [[Stygian Street Patrol]]
 
* [[Tour Guide From the Underworld]]
 
* [[Trance Archfiend]]
 
|tuner monsters =
 
<!--This is not an exact Decklist. Please do not add multiples or staples.-->
 
* [[Masked Chameleon]]
 
|synchro monsters =
 
<!--This is not an exact Decklist. Please do not add multiples or staples.-->
 
* [[Dark End Dragon]]
 
 
|xyz monsters =
 
|xyz monsters =
<!--This is not an exact Decklist. Please do not add multiples or staples.-->
+
* [[Archfiend's Ascent]]
* [[Constellar Ptolemy M7]]
+
* [[D/D/D Wave King Caesar]]
* [[Evilswarm Nightmare]]
+
* [[D/D/D Wave High King Caesar]]
* [[Gachi Gachi Gantetsu]]
+
* [[Number 1: Infection Buzzking]]
* [[Hieratic Sun Dragon Overlord of Heliopolis]]
+
* [[Number 22: Zombiestein]]
* [[Maestroke the Symphony Djinn]]
 
* [[Number 6: Chronomaly Atlandis]]
 
 
* [[Number 66: Master Key Beetle]]
 
* [[Number 66: Master Key Beetle]]
* [[Sword Breaker]]
+
|link monsters =
* [[Wind-Up Zenmaines]]
+
* [[Masterking Archfiend]]
 +
* [[Muckraker From the Underworld]]
 +
* [[Beat Cop from the Underworld]]
 +
* [[Wee Witch's Apprentice]]
 
|spells =
 
|spells =
<!--This is not an exact Decklist. Please do not add multiples or staples.-->
 
 
* [[Archfiend Palabyrinth]]
 
* [[Archfiend Palabyrinth]]
* [[Advance Draw]]
+
* [[Archfiend's Staff of Despair]]
 +
* [[Falling Down]]
 +
* [[Pandemonium]]
 
* [[Allure of Darkness]]
 
* [[Allure of Darkness]]
* [[Burial from a Different Dimension]]
+
* [[Dark Spirit's Mastery]]
* [[Falling Down]]
+
* [[Dimension Dice]]
* [[Oni-Gami Combo]]
+
* [[Emergency Teleport]] (with [[Mental Tuner]])
* [[Terraforming]]
+
* [[Evil Eye Reemergence]]
* [[Trade-In]]
+
* [[Evil Mind]]
 +
* [[Recurring Nightmare]]
 +
* [[Terraforming]]/[[Set Rotation]]
 +
* [[The Beginning of the End]]
 +
* [[The Monarchs Stormforth]]
 
|traps =
 
|traps =
<!--This is not an exact Decklist. Please do not add multiples or staples.-->
+
* [[Archfiend's Ghastly Glitch]]
 
* [[Archfiend's Roar]]
 
* [[Archfiend's Roar]]
* [[Deck Devastation Virus]]
+
* [[Call of the Archfiend]]
 +
* [[Simul Archfiends]]
 
* [[Eradicator Epidemic Virus]]
 
* [[Eradicator Epidemic Virus]]
* [[Escape from the Dark Dimension]]
+
* [[Fiend Griefing]]
* [[Torrential Tribute]]
+
* [[Unending Nightmare]] (with Masterking Archfiend)
 
}}
 
}}
  
 +
==Weaknesses==
 +
* The effects of "Archfiends" apply mostly on the field or in the Graveyard; as such cards such as "[[Skill Drain]]" and "[[Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror]]" can hinder the strategy.
 +
* As most of the members are high Level, "[[Gravity Bind]]" can prevent a game winning attack from happening.
 +
* "[[Vampire Hunter]]" and "[[Exile of the Wicked]]" can destroy "Archfiends" without needing to beat their high ATK.
 +
* The deck is also typically slow, requiring Normal Summons of an Archfiend to begin swarming. Cards that can negate the Summon such as "[[Solemn Judgment]]" and "[[Chaos Trap Hole]]" can take away a whole turn.
 +
* The deck often requires paying a lot of Life Points, so can have difficulty against [[stall]] and [[burn]] strategies.
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
 
*[[Card Rulings:Archfiend]]
 
*[[Card Rulings:Archfiend]]
 
+
==References==
 +
<references />
 +
{{Archseries navbox}}
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{{Archseries navbox (anime)}}
 +
{{Archseries navbox (manga)}}
 +
{{Archseries navbox (D Team)}}
 +
{{Archseries navbox (Duel Links)}}
 
{{Archfiend}}
 
{{Archfiend}}
 
 
[[Category:TCG and OCG archetypes]]
 
[[Category:TCG and OCG archetypes]]

Latest revision as of 14:00, 21 February 2024

Archfiend
"Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror", with "Archfiend Soldier" and "Archfiend General" in front of "Archfiend Palabyrinth"
Japanese
  • デーモン
  • Dēmon (romanized)
  • Daemon (translated)
French
  • Archdémon
  • Archdemon (translated)
German
  • Erzunterweltler
  • Archunderworlder (translated)
Italian
  • Arcidemone
  • Archdemon (translated)
Korean
  • 데몬
  • Demon (romanized)
  • Demon (translated)
Portuguese
  • Arquidemônio
  • Archdemon (translated)
  • Archdemônio (formerly)
Spanish
  • Archidemonio
  • Archdemon (translated)
Sets
TCG
OCG
Korean
Anime appearances
Manga appearances
Lists

"Archfiend", known as "Daemon" (デーモン Dēmon) in the OCG, is one of the very first archetypes. Members appear in a myriad of sets due to the string required for inclusion being a simple word in Japanese. While many Duelists use "Archfiend" cards in the anime and manga as a result, only Titan and Raizo Akuma runs a dedicated "Archfiend" Deck. The majority of the monsters in this archetype are DARK Fiend monsters, but there are many monsters of other Attributes and Types. There are cards, such as Falling Down, which supports any "Archfiend" cards. There are a sub-archetype, "Red Dragon Archfiend", and a sub-series, Skull Archfiend.

History/Naming[edit]

The first monster to receive the "Archfiend" designation is "Summoned Skull". It has appeared in the first manga chapter featuring Duel Monsters, Duel 009, as well as the first Duel Monsters video game. Two more monsters, "Wicked Mirror" and "Air Marmot of Nefariousness", also debuted in this video game.

"Wicked Mirror" and "Air Marmot of Nefariousness" are the first Archfiend monsters to appear in the OCG, appearing in the very first set. Both have been renamed as demonstrated in video games.

The introduction of the "Archfiend" archetype in Dark Crisis caused a translation issue, since archetype conditions were not yet created and the cards in the set specified support for all monsters with 「デーモン」 ("Daemon") in their Japanese names. This was decided to be translated into English as "Archfiend", and from this point onward, all cards with 「デーモン」 in their Japanese names would have "Archfiend" in their English names. However, several cards in older sets predating the concept of archetypes had already been released and translated whose Japanese names contained 「デーモン」, but whose English names did not contain any specific string:

In two cases, cards whose English names did not contain "Archfiend" were renamed to contain "Archfiend". In both cases, the former names appeared in video games only as they remained OCG-exclusive at the time Archfiend support came out.

To resolve this issue, Upper Deck Entertainment invented the idea of Archfiend monsters (rather than "Archfiend" monsters) as a separate category, similar to existing abilities. Due to the circumstances, they were not printed on the card but rather could only be looked up via UDE's website, which stated: "Archfiends are a special category of card. Most "Archfiend" cards can be easily identified by their name. Any card with "Archfiend" in the card name is an "Archfiend." In addition, several older cards are also considered to be "Archfiends." These cards include: followed by the above list.[1] As a result, all "Archfiend" support in the original printing of Dark Crisis referred to Archfiend cards as if they were a category (rather than "Archfiend" cards as an archetype). For example, this can be seen in the original card texts of "Falling Down" and "Archfiend's Roar". The introduction of archetype conditions 7 years later would remove the need for any special category, and later prints of the above list of cards in the TCG would all receive one stating that they belonged to the "Archfiend" archetype regardless of their printed name. This began with "Axe of Despair" in Battle Pack 2: War of the Giants, and finished with the release of Legendary Collection 4: Joey's World Mega Pack. "A Deal with Dark Ruler" was not included on UDE's original list of Archfiend cards that do not have "Archfiend" in their English names, as all Archfiend support at the time referred to either monsters or cards that could be continuously controlled, making it mechanically irrelevant. However, later cards like "Archfiend Heiress" would refer to adding any "Archfiend" card from the Deck to the hand, making it mechanically significant, and it was given the archetype condition along with the other cards. In order for a card to be an "Archfiend" card, it must have the exact string 「デーモン」 ("Daemon") in its Japanese name. Other spellings like "Demon" (or any other Japanese word that might be translatable as "demon") do not qualify. For example, the Japanese name of "Regenerating Rose", 「スプリット・デモン・ローズ」, translates directly to "Split Demon Rose" with "Demon" spelled 「デモン」, so it is not an "Archfiend" card.

Themes[edit]

The first members introduced after "Archfiend" became an archetype are chess-themed, all of which are named after chess pieces, and feature a chessboard pattern as the background of their artwork.

Chess Archfiend Origin
Terrorking
Masterking
King
Infernalqueen
Imprisoned Queen
Queen
Desrook Rook
Darkbishop Bishop
Shadowknight Knight
Vilepawn Pawn
Checkmate Checkmate

Since then, other "Archfiends" have been released which lack the chess motifs. In general, they possess demonic and gruesome features, some even going so far as to have physiques featuring bones and sinew reminiscent of their original representative, "Summoned Skull". Since "Archfiends" have seen many years of release, the archetype has varying appearance themes which change over time. The original unorganized "Archfiends" were generally bony and "horror" themed ("Summoned Skull", "Axe of Despair", "Lesser Fiend", etc.). At this point, they were not related other than sharing a word in their Japanese names. The first archetype-oriented "Archfiends" appeared in Dark Crisis and were chess-themed, each featuring a dice roll-conditional negation of effects that target them ("Terrorking Archfiend", "Vilepawn Archfiend", etc.). These "Archfiends" all had appearances that very closely resembled contortions or variations on "Summoned Skull". This series was the longest-lasting period for the "Archfiends", and provided them with most of their Spell/Trap support, including their first Field Spell, "Pandemonium". It ended with the release of "Imprisoned Queen Archfiend". The next wave of "Archfiends" appeared in the 5D's period, and had a sports theme ("Archfiend Interceptor", "Lancer Archfiend", "Mad Archfiend"). For the first time since "Black Skull Dragon" and "Fiend Skull Dragon" it featured a Dragon member: "Red Dragon Archfiend". This series had no general effect theme or visual appearance (though skulls featured prominently in several of their artworks), but represented a move away from the "bone and sinew" style of the chess "Archfiends". The most recent series of "Archfiends" began in the TCG in Starstrike Blast, beginning with the North American release of "Archfiend Empress". These Archfiends bore little resemblance to the original chess Archfiends, having generally purple color schemes, a metallic appearance, and an imperial theme, similar to the "Fabled" monsters. Judgement of the Light introduced the archetype's second Field Spell, "Archfiend Palabyrinth", and the 3000 ATK "Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror". This support continued in the North American release of Shadow Specters with the release of "Archfiend Giant" and continued with the global release of "Archfiend Eccentrick" in Clash of Rebellions, alongside "Red-Eyes Archfiend of Lightning", the first "Archfiend" Gemini monster, and "Archfiend Black Skull Dragon", the retrained version of their first ever Fusion.

Playing style[edit]

Building a Deck around the "Chess Archfiends" is tricky since they require your Life Points as payment and paying is not optional. As a result, your Life Points will be drained very quickly, especially since you must worry about further Life Point drain through battle damage from your opponent. Most "Archfiends" do not have enough attack power to hold their ground. Their most useful ability is negating an opponent's effect that targets them by a roll of the dice. However, this is not a reliable defense, and only two of the cards have a 50% chance of negation (although one of them, "Darkbishop Archfiend", works for any of your Archfiends, including the ones that have their own protection). Most have a ~17% chance, and a couple have a ~33% chance. If trying to go for a "Chess Archfiend" Deck for novelty's sake, then it is advantageous to make it a general Fiend-themed Deck, adding Fiend support cards like "Goblin King". The more modern "Archfiends" such as "Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror" and "Annihilator Archfiend" tend to go for a destruction strategy to pave the way to attack the opponent directly with their high-Level high-ATK Monsters. Three "Archfiend" Equip Spell Cards exist with different effects: the oldest, "Axe of Despair", boosts ATK and can return to the hand; "Falling Down" is an in-theme "Snatch Steal"; and the newest, "Archfiend's Staff of Despair", is an enfeebling version of "Axe of Despair". The "Archfiends" are also lucky enough to have two Field Spell Cards: "Pandemonium", which although designed for the older "Archfiends" can still be used with the modern ones to recover losses when "Archfiends" are destroyed by an effect, and "Archfiend Palabyrinth", which boosts Fiends' ATKs as well as carrying a Special Summon from Deck effect granting access to fast Xyz Summons. "Summoned Skull's" series is covered more on its own page, Skull Archfiend. Being Fiend and DARK gives the members a myriad of support such as "Fiend Griefing", "Stygian Street Patrol", "Allure of Darkness", the "Virus" cards, and many others.

Recommended cards[edit]

Recommended cards

Weaknesses[edit]

  • The effects of "Archfiends" apply mostly on the field or in the Graveyard; as such cards such as "Skill Drain" and "Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror" can hinder the strategy.
  • As most of the members are high Level, "Gravity Bind" can prevent a game winning attack from happening.
  • "Vampire Hunter" and "Exile of the Wicked" can destroy "Archfiends" without needing to beat their high ATK.
  • The deck is also typically slow, requiring Normal Summons of an Archfiend to begin swarming. Cards that can negate the Summon such as "Solemn Judgment" and "Chaos Trap Hole" can take away a whole turn.
  • The deck often requires paying a lot of Life Points, so can have difficulty against stall and burn strategies.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. "What is an "Archfiend"?". Upper Deck Entertainment. February 26, 2009. Retrieved February 26, 2009.