Spellbook

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Spellbook
"Spellbook Magician of Prophecy" and "Spellbook of Secrets" in the artwork of the former card.
"Spellbook Magician of Prophecy" and "Spellbook of Secrets" in the artwork of the former card.
Japanese
  • どうしょ
  • 魔導書 (base)
  • まどうしょ (ruby)
  • Madōsho (romanized)
French
  • Livre de Magie
German
  • Magiebuch
Italian
  • Libro di Magia
Korean
  • 마도서
  • 魔道書 (Hanja)
  • Madoseo (romanized)
Portuguese
  • Livro de Magia
Spanish
  • Libro de Magia
Sets
TCG
OCG
Korean
Lists

"Spellbook" (どうしょ Madōsho) is an archetype that supports Spellcaster monsters. The archetype, prior to Return of the Duelist, had two cards that merely contained "Spellbook" in their names. Also, "Spellbook" cards from Return of the Duelist, except "Spellbook of Wisdom", all share the restriction that only 1 copy can be activated per turn. This archetype is a sub-archetype of, and is supported by, the "Prophecy" archetype.

Lore[edit]

Naming[edit]

Several "Spellbook" cards are based on mystical tomes and books from history:

English name Translated Japanese name Famous tome/book
Spellbook of Eternity Spellbook of Alma Almanac
Spellbook of Fate Spellbook of Goethe Goetia
Spellbook of Knowledge Spellbook of Ldra Galdrabók
Spellbook of Life Spellbook of Necro Necronomicon
Spellbook of Power Spellbook of Hygro Hygromanteia
Spellbook of Secrets Spellbook of Grimo Grimoire
Spellbook of the Master Spellbook of Sefer Sefer Yetzirah
Spellbook of Wisdom Spellbook of Torah Torah

Playing style[edit]

Most of the cards in this archetype are Spell Cards. The exceptions are "Hidden Spellbook" and "Spellbook Magician of Prophecy". As such, numerous support cards like "Spellbook of Life" cannot use them for their effects, nor can they help you get or use them. "Prophecy" cards usually specify a "Spellbook" Spell Card in which they are also excluded. However "Spellbook of Secrets" is an exception, as it does not specify a Spell Card specifically, so it can still search them out. Due to these cards searching each other out, they can be useful in Deck Thinning. Additionally, due to their effects benefiting Spellcaster monsters, these cards can easily be used in a Spell Counter-based Deck for massive amounts of Spell Counters to be created. "Hidden Spellbook" can be used in this case to recycle those cards for future use. Also cards such as "Spellbook of Judgment" can be used to replenish your hand of "Spellbook" cards.

Weaknesses[edit]

"Spellbooks" aren't without flaws, as there are many ways to shut a "Spellbook" deck down.

  • Card that Negate, Destroy or restrict use of Spell Cards will slow or shut this deck down: "Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8", "Spell Shield Type-8", "Spell Canceller", "Great Shogun Shien", etc.
  • Almost all of the "Spellbook" , (except for "Spellbook of Wisdom") can only be activated once per turn, so if you activate any Spellbook spell, except for Wisdom, and it is negated, you cannot activate any more copies of that said Spellbook spell again in the same turn, rendering all other copies of the said Spellbook card in your hand useless during that same turn.
  • Another way to stop Spellbooks is with cards that restrict searches, like "Thunder King Rai-Oh" and "Droll and Lock Bird" can also prevent a Spellbook user from getting other Spellbooks via searches. "Prohibition" can also stop the reuse of one of your spell books, limiting you only slightly.
  • "Eradicator Epidemic Virus" will completely annihilate all "Spellbook", shutting the deck down.
  • "Mind Crush" can also be used to counter this deck to an extent, and can send a newly added Spellbook in your hand to the grave.
  • While some "Prophecy" monsters can search for Spellbooks/ add them to the deck and/or hand, cards that negate effects like "Divine Wrath", "Effect Veiler", "Skill Drain", etc., can easily prevent them.