Yugi's Battle City Magic Cards: Exchanges & Magic Books
You ready for another duo? I've got two Magic Cards for you here today. Fun fact: these two cards debuted within 11 chapters of each other!
You ever wish the 'trading' part of a 'trading card game' could happen in the middle of a game? You can do that (well, kind of) with "Exchange"!
It's another meta card that has an image of manga cards in its illustration.
Whereas characters like Bandit Keith, Mai Kujaku, and Seto Kaiba have cards with effects that allow them to out-and-out snatch cards from their opponent's hand or deck, Yugi's version of the effect is a little gentler because it at least gives the other person a card from the player's hand in, well, exchange.
Really, the most amazing thing about this card is how it survived the transition from fictional card to real card with little in the way of changes.
Below the jump: a key tool of any magician's trade!
Any magician worth their salt studies their craft with the help of a library's worth of grimoires. And so our Magicians have their own mystical guide, the "Magic Spellbook"!
(This card received a minor update, but only to put the word 'Magician' in quotations just like the other updated cards. It seems unnecessary to insert a whole image here when the only change is that small, so this note should suffice.)
You'll notice that the manga version of this card is not an equip-able card, like Konami's version. Takahashi's original is a plain old Magic Card, and its use in chapter 205, "Begrudging Soul!!", indicates that this card, at least, gives an ATK boost that only lasts up until the end of the turn it's played.
Believe it or not, this was the card whose original name gave me maybe the most trouble translation-wise out of any of Yugi's Battle City cards.
Its original name is 「魔術の呪文書」. 魔術 is basically 'magic', same as it is in many other card names. 呪文書 was a little tougher for me.
From what I gathered based on my resources, the most context-appropriate interpretation for this seemed to be something like 'book of spells' or 'incantation book'; 書 mostly means 'document' or 'book', and 呪文 is literalistically 'spell sentence' or 'spell text/writing'.
With a little interpretation, the latter could be taken to mean 'magic words', 'magic spells', or 'incantation'.
It got to the point where I ended up briefly consulting with a professional translator for this. Their suggestions included "Book of Magic Formulae" (I was unaware of the specific phrase/concept 'magic formula' before they pointed it out) and 'Incantation Book of Magic'. The former goes a little way towards explaining Konami's name (though why they omitted the 'book' part of the name I'll never know).
Their input was very helpful! It gave me a direction to base my mental framework on.
So that just left me to ponder how to render the name. It was clear to me that this was going to be "Magic [something]", probably "Magic [something] Book".
I considered; what's the difference between a "Magic Formulae Book", an "Incantation Book", a "Grimoire", a "Book of Enchantments", and a "Spell Book/Spellbook"? Depending on your specific intentions/needs/traditions, there is granularity among these concepts. But for this particular purpose, what would fit best?
I probably put more thought into it than was really warranted for a minor card like this. But in the end, I decided that "Spellbook" worked for me. Of the options, it was fairly close in intended meaning, small enough to fit comfortably on the top of a card, and the word itself seemed in-line with the other "Magician"-themed cards.
Alright! Now we can close the book on another two cards. As always, thanks for reading. Tomorrow will be a single card entry. 'Til then!
So, I recently bought the Yugi’s Legendary Decks set (set of three decks: Yugi’s pre-Duelist Kingdom, Battle City, and Ceremonial Duel decks). Here are some highlight cards:
Exodia! Obliterate!
The iconic Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl cards.
Dark-Dark Magician (Let’s call him Crimson Magician, he wasn’t evil, just following orders!) and Bright Magician Girl.
Pay no attention to the Magician behind the curtain.
Headcanon: This is, in fact, Dark Magician’s diary that he only lets himself and Dark Magician Girl read.
In his defense, he also has magic know-how in there, but he also keeps day-to-day writings here. You know, Mana’s antics, his attempts at magic rituals, that sort of thing. Like a cross between a diary and a scientific journal. But with magical discoveries rather than scientific ones.
Yeesh, no wonder overly-conservative parents back in the day didn’t like Yu-Gi-Oh! If this sh*t was all they knew about it, it surely would have frightened them!
Who’s gonna protect your life points better: Big Shield Gardna, or this fluffy boi?
Every parent’s worst nightmare.
Classic Magician and Sailor Magician Girl.
This little guy looks kind of like White Mage Bakura from the manga. Do I sense Heartshipping vibes here? Nah, probably not... but it would be cool nonetheless if Silent Magician LV4’s design was, in fact, a reference to Ryou Bakura’s white mage character from Monster World!
If Magic Formula had had its TCG/OCG effect of increasing Dark Magician Girl’s Attack by 700, not 500, Bakura would’ve been wiped out on turn 8 and never gotten to use this strategy XD
Magic Formula
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Equip only to "Dark Magician" or "Dark Magician Girl". It gains 700 ATK. When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: Gain 1000 LP.
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Can Be Found In: Gladiator's Assault (GLAS-EN093), Gold Series 4: Pyramids Edition (GLD3-EN044), Legendary Collection 3: Yugi's World Mega Pack (LCYW-EN082), Yugi's Legendary Decks (YGLD-ENB20)
Effects requiring particular cards to be played are often ignored by most players. While might not seem that different of archetypes, these have a big number of monsters to be played along certain effects and obtain the proper results without any difficulties. However, when a card requires a very specific monster it can cause lots or problems to the user, going from gathering dead card in the hand to needing a big setup to be played properly. Finally there's the outcomes that they will offer, as either is underwhelming compared to simpler alternatives or provides several advantages no other can replicate.
"Magic Formula" is nothing out of the ordinary for a Equip Spell, yet restricts itself to be played along two specific monsters. Only to be equipped on a "Dark Magician" or "Dark Magician Girl", "Magic Formula" provides a 700 ATK boost to its target. If the Spell leaves the field and goes to the Graveyard, to compensate we will gain 1000 Life Points in return. Overall "Magic Formula" is easily outmatched by a big number of Equip Spells not only with stronger effects but without limitations to be played. However, with the high support involving "Dark Magician", obtains several advantages compared to many stronger Equip Spells.
While "Magic Formula" might have quite obvious flaws, the fact that assists "Dark Magician" gives it a lead to be played on the right circumstances. Not only can be searched by Equip Spell options like "Hidden Armory" and "Vylon Cube", but also both "Magician's Rod" and "Dark Magic Inheritance" as they look for cards involving "Dark Magician" in their effects. Both "Dark Magician" and "Dark Magician Girl" aren't that difficult to be brought to the field despite their high Level, going from "Magician Navigation" bringing both together to options like "Dark Renewal" or "Temperance of Prophecy" summoning one of them with ease. Both of them also have their own options toi further increase the chance to be brought along "Magic Formula", with "Dark Magician" not only with options involving Normal Monsters but also cards like "Magician's Robe" and "Palladium Oracle Mahad", and "Dark Magician Girl" obtaining assistance from the Magician Girl archetype. If you still struggle to bring one of the two Spellcasters, we can obtain assistance from "Elemental HERO Prisma" to take their place for a turn and be temporarily equiped with "Magic Formula". Finally let's not ignore that "Magic Formula" healing doesn't require to be equipped to be used, so can be Set to bait removal effects or play along cards like "Magical Hats" to obtain this ability with ease.
"Magic Formula" is undoubtly a quite underwhelming Equip Spell when many other Equip Spells easily outmatches its effects with powerful stat boosts and other advantages. But as compensation, the massive list of cards supporting both "Magic Formula" and the Dark Magicians makes it much easier to play along than might look. And even if is taking us a while to find the right timing to be equipped on one of the two Spellcasters, its healing effect still can be activated while Set and thus avoids becoming a completely dead card. Is obvious that "Magic Formula" is easily outmatched by many other cards even to assist "Dark Magician" and "Dark Magician Girl" with, but is that kind of card that is so greatly supported that makes it worth trying atleast on casual play.
Personal Rating: C-
+ Increases the ATK of "Dark Magician" or "Dark Magician Girl"
+ Gives us Life Points if sent from the field to the Graveyard
+ Highly supported
+ Healing effect can be activated while Set
- Can only be equipped on two specific monsters
- Very underwhelming effects compared to easier Equip Spells to play with
I guess they realize you don't do "magic" in the chemistry lab, but to switch in ... Protein shakes? Well, we are creating new vitamins, and this is just a delivery system for such, so it works -- I guess?
Extend the narrative. They have to put together a basketball league with the Lilliputians of Gulliver's Travel. All with a standard regulation sized ball, court, and basket height. Score is zero - zero.
