This is the first archetype I have ever formally created, and I have been constructing it for several years (but more "off" time than "on" time). The concept of the archetype is simple. DARK monsters send cards to the Graveyard while EARTH monsters benefit from being in the Graveyard. If I were to compare them to an existing TCG/OCG archetype, it would be like Fabled, but
only because of cards pitching and cards benefit from being pitched.
About the theme of the archetype itself, Mantra is defined in Wikipedia as:
A "mantra" (/ˈmæntrə, ˈmɑːn-, ˈmʌn-/ (Sanskrit: मन्त्र); ) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit believed by practitioners to have psychological and spiritual powers. Mantra meditation helps to induce an altered state of consciousness. A mantra may or may not have a syntactic structure or literal meaning.
Thanks One Piece for teaching me something. The archetype has control elements (see: Mantra Mantis and Mantra's Power) based around the ideology. The monsters, in lore, adapt to their surroundings due to survival of the fittest, and the ones you see here are the ones that survived.
In reality, I just scrapped some ideas for the archetype over time.Due to this archetype being my first, I started scripting this archetype when I started to learn scripting, and most of the cards you see here are already scripted for testing (but I have very few card pics so no pics are in this post).
Spoiler: Main Deck Monsters • show Spoiler: Mantra Alligator • show DARK|Reptile|LV4|1300|1900
If this card is Normal or Flip Summoned: You can change it to Defense Position. You can discard 2 cards; Look at all cards in your opponent's hand and all Set cards they control. You can only activate this effect of "Mantra Alligator" once per two of your turns.
Spoiler: Mantra Archer • show EARTH|Warrior|LV4|1800|1600
If this card is sent to the Graveyard to activate the effect of a "Mantra" card OR if this card is sent to the Graveyard by the effect of a "Mantra" card: You can target 1 card your opponent controls; destroy it. You can only activate the effect of "Mantra Archer" once per turn.
Spoiler: Mantra Cat • show EARTH|Beast|LV4|1300|1200
You can banish this card from the Graveyard; Add 1 "Mantra" card from your Deck to your hand. You can only use the effect of "Mantra Cat" once per turn.
Spoiler: Mantra Dog • show EARTH|Beast|LV4|1200|1300
You can banish this card from the Graveyard, then target 1 "Mantra" card in your Graveyard; Add it to your hand. You can only use the effect of "Mantra Dog" once per turn.
Spoiler: Mantra Dolphin • show EARTH|Aqua|LV2|500|1400
If this card is sent to the Graveyard to activate or resolve the effect of an Effect Monster's effect, except from the Deck, OR if this card is destroyed by battle or card effect: You can add 1 "Mantra" card from your Deck to your hand, except "Mantra Dolphin". You can only use the effect of "Mantra Dolphin" once per turn.
Spoiler: Mantra Dragon • show EARTH|Dragon|LV4|2000|400
Cannot be used as a Synchro Material Monster for a Synchro Summon. Cannot be used as an Xyz Material for an Xyz Summon, except for the Xyz Summon of a "Mantra" monster. If this card is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect: You can Special Summon it. You can only use this effect of "Mantra Dragon" once per turn.
Spoiler: Mantra God - Eneru • show EARTH|Thunder|LV9|2800|1700
You can Special Summon this card (from your hand or Graveyard) by Tributing 1 "Mantra" monster you control. During your opponent's Standby Phase: You can declare 1 card name and, if you do, cards with that name cannot be used until the end of your next turn. You can only activate this effect of "Mantra God - Eneru" twice per turn. This card can attack all Special Summoned monsters your opponent controls, once each. At the start of the Damage Step, if this card battles a Special Summoned monster: You can destroy that monster. You can only control 1 "Mantra God - Eneru".
Spoiler: Mantra Kid • show EARTH|Warrior|LV2|1000|800
You can increase the level of this card by 2. You can only use this effect once while this card is face-up on the field. You can only use one of the following effects of "Mantra Kid" per turn and only once that turn.
● If this card is sent to the Graveyard to activate the effect of a "Mantra" card, OR if this card is sent to the Graveyard by the effect of a "Mantra" card: You can Special Summon it.
● You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by sending 1 "Mantra" monster from your hand to the Graveyard.
Spoiler: Mantra Kitsune • show EARTH|Beast|LV4|1800|1600
If this card is sent to the Graveyard to activate the effect of a "Mantra" card, OR if this card is sent to the Graveyard by the effect of a "Mantra" card: You can target 1 card your opponent controls; return it to the hand. You can only activate the effect of "Mantra Kitsune" once per turn.
Spoiler: Mantra Leech • show EARTH|Insect|LV1|200|300
If this card is sent to the Graveyard to activate the effect of a "Mantra" card, OR if this card is sent to the Graveyard by the effect of a "Mantra" card: You can target 1 monster your opponent controls; Equip this card from the Graveyard to that monster. During your Main Phase, if this card is equipped to a monster: You can discard 1 "Mantra" monster; send the equipped monster to the Graveyard, then draw 1 card.
Spoiler: Mantra Mantis • show DARK|Insect|LV4|1700|1000
When a monster(s) would be Summoned, OR when a Spell Card, Trap Card, or monster effect is activated that includes an effect that Special Summons a monster(s): You can send 1 "Mantra" monster from your hand to the Graveyard; negate the Summon or activation, and if you do, destroy that card. You can only activate the effect of "Mantra Mantis" once per turn.
Spoiler: Mantra Rhino • show DARK|Beast|LV4|1900|1200
Once per turn, during your Battle Phase: You can discard any number of "Mantra" monsters from your hand to the Graveyard and, if you do, this card gains 400 ATK for each card sent this way, until the end of the turn. If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing damage to your opponent.
Spoiler: Mantra Seed • show EARTH|Plant|LV11|?|?
Cannot be Summoned/Set. If this card is sent to the Graveyard to activate the effect of or by the effect of a "Mantra" card: You can Special Summon 1 level 4 or lower "Mantra" monster from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard. During either player's turn, if this card is in the Graveyard but was not sent there this turn: You can banish this card from your Graveyard; this turn, "Mantra" monsters you currently control cannot be targeted or destroyed. You can only use each effect of "Mantra Seed” once per turn.
Spoiler: Mantra Spider • show DARK|Insect|LV4|1800|1700
During either player's Damage Step, if a "Mantra" monster you control is battling an opponent's monster: You can send 1 "Mantra" monster from your hand to the Graveyard and, if you do, destroy the opponent's monster. You can only use the effect of "Mantra Spider" once per turn.
Spoiler: Mantra Tiger • show DARK|Beast|LV4|1700|1600
Once per turn, during your Main Phase 1, if your opponent controls a monster: You can send 1 "Mantra" monster from your hand to the Graveyard, and if you do, this card can attack your opponent directly during each Battle Phase this turn. If this card attacks, it is changed to Defense Position at the end of the Damage Step.
Spoiler: Mantra Wiseman • show DARK|Spellcaster|LV4|1600|1600
Once per turn: You can discard 1 card, then target 1 "Mantra" card in your Graveyard; Add that target to your hand, then if it is a level 4 or lower Effect Monster other than "Mantra Wiseman", you can Special Summon it.
Spoiler: Spell Cards • show Spoiler: Mantra Awakening • show Normal
Discard 1 "Mantra" monster; draw 2 cards. You can only activate 1 "Mantra Awakening" per turn.
Spoiler: Mantra For One • show Continuous
Immediately after a card or effect resolves in which you sent a "Mantra" monster(s) from your hand to the Graveyard to activate or resolve that effect, draw 1 card for each card sent. You can only control 1 "Mantra for One".
Spoiler: Mantra to One • show Continuous
If you send a "Mantra" monster(s) from your hand to the Graveyard to activate the effect of, or by the effect of, a "Mantra" monster, your opponent must send cards from their hand to the Graveyard for each "Mantra" monster you sent, immediately after the effect resolves. If your opponent must discard a number of cards when they have no cards in their hand, you draw that number of cards instead. You can only control 1 "Mantra to One".
Spoiler: Mantras Power • show Continuous
Your opponent cannot activate cards or effects if a "Mantra" monster you control declares an attack. "Mantra" monsters you control are unaffected by other card effects, except by the effects of "Mantra" cards. "Mantra" monsters cannot be tributed for the Special Summon of a monster, except a "Mantra" monster. You can only control 1 "Mantra's Power".
Spoiler: Mantras Soul • show Continuous
If a DARK "Mantra" monster(s) is sent from your hand to the Graveyard to activate the effect of, or by the effect of, a "Mantra" card: You can target one of them; add it to your hand. You can only use this effect of "Mantra's Soul" once per turn. You can only control 1 "Mantra's Soul".
Spoiler: Trap Cards • show Spoiler: Mantra Counterforce • show Counter
When a monster effect is activated: Send 1 "Mantra" monster from your hand or your side of the field to the Graveyard; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy that monster.
Spoiler: Mantras Hidden Ability • show Normal
After this card resolves, each time you Special Summon a "Mantra" monster to your side of the field this turn, destroy 1 card on the field. You can only activate 1 "Mantra's Hidden Ability" per turn.
Spoiler: Mantras Sacred Tree • show Continuous
Other "Mantra" Spell or Trap Cards cannot be targeted or destroyed by card effects. You can only control 1 "Mantra's Sacred Tree".
Spoiler: Extra Deck Monsters • show Spoiler: Xyz Monsters • show Spoiler: Mantra Baboon • show DARK|Beast|RK4|2600|2000
2 Level 4 "Mantra" monsters
You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card: Activate one of the following effects.
● Send 1 "Mantra" card from your Deck to the Graveyard and, if you do, you can make an opponent's monster lose 1000 ATK and DEF.
● Target 1 non-Xyz "Mantra" monster in your Graveyard or that is banished; Add that target to your hand and, if it is a DARK monster, you can Special Summon it.
You can only use this effect of "Mantra Baboon" once per turn.
Spoiler: Mantra Chimera • show DARK|Winged Beast|RK6|2700|2200
3 Level 6 Winged Beast-type monsters
You can also Xyz Summon this card by using any number of Rank 4 "Mantra" Xyz monsters you control as Xyz Material. (Xyz Materials attached to those monsters also become Xyz Materials on this card.) If this card has a "Mantra" Xyz Monster(s) as Xyz Material, this card gains their effects while they are attached to this card. If you would detach an Xyz Material from a "Mantra" Xyz Monster you control, you can send 1 "Mantra" monster from your hand to the Graveyard instead.
Spoiler: Mantra Lion • show DARK|Beast|RK4|2200|2000
2 Level 4 DARK monsters
During either player's turn, if this card has a "Mantra" monster as Xyz Material, you can activate this effect: Banish all "Mantra" cards in your Graveyard and, if you do, this card gains 300 ATK for each monster banished this way. You can only use this effect once while this card is face-up on the field. If this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: You can shuffle all banished cards into their owners' respective Decks. You can only use this effect of "Mantra Lion" once per duel.
Spoiler: Synchro Monster • show Spoiler: Mantra Hawk • show DARK|Winged Beast|LV6|?|?
1 tuner + 1 or more non-tuner "Mantra" monsters
If this card is Synchro Summoned: You can send up to 3 "Mantra" monsters from your hand, Deck, or your side of the field to the Graveyard with different names, except "Mantra Hawk". You can only use this effect of "Mantra Hawk" once per Duel. This card's original ATK and DEF become equal to the number of cards sent with this card's effect x 600.
