Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG introduces its first new monster type in six years
Duelist Nexus adds Illusion monsters, the first new type since 2017’s Cyberse cards.
The Yu-Gi-Oh! card game’s latest booster set has added the first new monster type to join the TCG since 2017.
Duelist Nexus debuts Illusion monsters, tricksy creatures that live up to their name by being unable to directly defeat monsters in battle - while also being unable to be defeated in battle themselves - but instead offer other effects to help gain the upper hand over your opponent. While Illusion monsters can’t directly destroy creatures, they can still deal and take damage.
One such Illusion monster is Nightmare Magician, a level-7 monster with 2500 attack and 2000 defence that allows the player to take control of an opponent’s monster it battled that turn. In addition, the card can choose to destroy a card on the field each time another monster attacks.
There are six Illusion monsters in Duelist Nexus - Nightmare Magician, Mirror Swordknight, Cornfield Coatl, Big-Winged Beformet, Chimera the King of Phantom Beasts and Gazelle the King of Mythical Claws - which all share the effect text: “If this card battles a monster, neither can be destroyed by that battle.”
The introduction of Illusion monsters in Duelist Nexus marks the first new monster type to be added to the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG since the addition of Cyberse monsters in the Link Strike starter deck six years ago.
Alongside the new Illusion monsters, Duelist Nexus includes three cards based on anime series Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s - Crimson Dragon, Revolution Synchron and Wheel Synchron - as well as new Infernoble Knights and Dinosaur cards. The new theme in the set is World Premiere.
As Yu-Gi-Oh!’s 25th anniversary celebrations continue, Duelist Nexus also marks the first time that Quarter Century Secret Rares will be available in core boosters. A random card - one of six possible promo cards based on popular monsters - in the anniversary rarity was previously included in the 25th Anniversary Edition re-release of Yu-Gi-Oh!’s Legendary Collection.
25 Quarter Century Secret Rares will be available in Duelist Nexus, with publisher Konami saying that the cards will represent the 25 years of the trading card game. 24 of those cards will appear in other rarities within the set, with one card only available as a Quarter Century Secret Rare.