Ritual summoning is easily my favorite summoning method right up their with xyz summoning, and I love any discussion people have about them. I really love the point you made about the pre-prep paradox, I never really noticed that, i knew it is on paper a amazingly strong card setting you go plus 1 in card advantage which is nice when you have to invest so much into summoning a ritual monster, but in practice its never used because it infuriatingly cant be used alot of the time for any archetype, so someone finally putting it into words was liberating. Overall I feel like rituals will have to go the same way as fusions to see any meta relevance, fusion's summoning using materials in deck has been common among top tier fusion decks for a while now because gathering resources is often too difficult and the ones that dont have a deck fusion card while still summoning a swath of fusion monsters can gather and recycle resources at a immense pace like despia, but even despia makes use of branded fusion so theres that. Konami adding ritual spells with no costs or costs from elsewhere feels like the step theyre gonna try to make; theyre obviously testing the waters to not have another nekroz kelidoscope but super soilder synthesis, dogmatikalamity, chaos form, revendread evolution all toy with paying costs from deck or extra deck or cards banishing from the grave to make up the cost, and long before that they were making tribute fodder monsters that counted at the whole tribute to cheat out ritual monsters. I think just one more confident leap forward and rituals can be as competitive as many fusion decks without being completely over the line like nekroz was, and honestly nekroz isnt even that good nowadays and take that from someone who climbed to diamond with it on masterduel, a archetype of equal power to nekroz is like tier 2 at best. A new archetype getting pretty fair and balanced suite of ritual boss monsters that has a ritual spell that summons from the deck or tributes from the deck or even both with some kind of restrictions but nothing as bad as the current spells that require you to run bricky normal monsters or garnets that only have effect when tributed with decent recycling power could genuinely have a place in the metagame, even if thats alot of things to do, but most decks do alot of things and these wouldnt even be unheard of even if theyre unprecedented. Drytron is almost there but the boss monsters only exists for closing games and everyone just relies on hearlds, the ritual monsters of the archetype arnt the main strategy sadly, a true ritual deck with proper boss monsters that has cards in theme that can be more than just an engine to turbo out only the good ritual monsters from other archetypes could exist but probably wont as konami is too scared of a repeat nekroz incident, as if djinnlock wasn't 70% of the problem with nekroz as its recyclability is worse than most modern decks and its searching ability to generate advantage is meh at best, it was just ahead of its time when it first came out, its not special anymore. A ritual deck that can play with the big kids is feasible without it being hyper reliant on only 1 of its boss monsters like libromancers is, and libromancers dont even use that boss monster for its main effect they just use it because it searches a omni-negate trap, its probably gonna take each boss monster being good tribute fodder and good on field at the same time to do it, but it is possible to make people play with more than 1-3 copies of ritual monsters in their ritual decks I feel, the extra deck has 15 slots, until a ritual deck can be competitive playing at least 15 ritual monsters I will not be satisfied, maybe, maybe I will be with like 6 unique monsters at least, who know, Ill have to see what konami does. Also everything on your wishlist is stuff I want so badly, mainly the latter 2, but having a archetype gimmick be non battle related would be a very nice change. If i may share my wishlist for rituals, here's some ideas I've been toying with, and trust me I know some of these are a bit out there but this is a wishlist not a prediction list: - A archetype of Ritual Gemini monsters that count as normal monsters at all times, even in the deck to take advantage of stuff like advanced ritual art, unexpected dai, painful decision, and all the other amazing normal monster support, that can be normal or special summoned but will only gain their Gemini effect if they're properly ritual summoned. I liked that shinobirds put a nice twist on spirits and even broke the rules with making spirits not return to the hand and thought that kind of support could come to geminis as well, giving them effects on a ritual summon to avoid how slow normal summoning twice is. - A archetype that uses tokens. They could have a load of spells that all have 2 effects, they can either be used in specific type of ritual summon, or summon tokens to be used as tribute fodder, similar to how mystarune cards can all summon from the extra deck or mill from the opponents deck in different ways. Like a ritual spell that makes a token or ritual summons from the hand and adds another in archetype monster or spell to hand. One that summons from grave or summons tokens, a trap that summons from deck etc etc. Either that or when each ritual monster is summoned it summons a token that is the same level of itself to be used for more summons, giving a ritual archetype a unique swarm playstyle, but, the whole token on summon thing might bleed too far into swordsouls gimmick. - A archetype that summons using lifepoints, probably a certain amount x the monsters level, gishkis actually have a ritual spell that does this and its the only one of its type, but I imagine a archetype where the monsters may have methods to regain lifepoints attached to them, either dealing battle or effect damage to heal you or refunding their costs when they leave the field. All kinda hinged on one main ritual spell that has a gem-knight fusion-esqe recycling effect and no once per turn clauses to enable you to ritual summon as long as you have life and can get ritual monsters in your hand, with maybe a few support ritual spells that can kickstart or extend the combos. Maybe it could be themed around succubi/incubi and life force/blood rituals to summon them, or maybe it could be a expansion on the loosely defined and very much failed archfiend archetype. If nothing else they could be psychic because they kinda have a lifepoint paying thing going on generally. - As of right now and to my knowledge, there are no plant, pyro, thunder, psychic, or wyrm type ritual monsters. there a few others as well, but, i feel like these ones have the most potential and I want to see at least one of them get a archetype. A druid themed plant archetype where spellcaster support monsters search and summon fourth tree-ents, dryads, and the like would be neat. Pyro archetype with a ritual spell that destroys instead of tributing, i can't believe the Nephthys cards didn't do that tbh, i know rokkets do it but no one plays borreload riot dragon. Thunder archetype, cause, honestly I like thunders and they need something going for them besides thunder dragons, i dont have any ideas though, maybe scientific lighting in a bottle or Frankenstein-esqe monsters. the pretty high tech psychics mixing with magical ritual just seems like it'd produce some really cool looking stuff. And wyrms, like, come on, I could see mischievous and jovial wyrms being beckoned fourth by ritual spells themed around festivals and the such, wyrms wanting to partake in festivities like fireworks or carnival games and watch how the people worship them with their long Chinese dragon costumes dancing through the crowds. Lots of potential, id like to see any of them instead of just more anime boys and girls in armor and standard dragons and machines, any of these typing's would be a great change of pace stylistically and could change what it means to be a ritual monster or be a ritual spell potentially opening up more variety going forward. This comment ended up being way longer than I thought I would be but I just really love ritual summoning and only want the best for it.
Thanks for taking the time to watch my video and type this comment! I do like the idea of bringing back Gishki Photomirror LP cost as well, which could be a way to bypass using tributes for ritual summons. Aesthetics-wise, it doesn't matter for me as much since Konami could always just commission artists for excellent looking cards, but still provide them with trash effects at the end. I also didn't make the connection to Fusions in this video, but you are correct that they have been transitioning towards "cheating out" fusions through using the deck for materials or the GY. The only difference is that Konami made that shift for them more earlier and far more numerous. Also one more issue I just realised is the lack of "quick-ritual", like Megalith Unformed. Fusions seem to have alot of those, notably Mask Change, Super Poly, Branded in Red, etc. Rituals do need more of these as well imo
Ritual Summon is my favorite summon too! Among my 4 decks IRL 3 are Rituals (Vendreads, Drytrons and Nekroz). I think the biggest problem of Rituals are the ressources they need to perform their summon. You need at least 3 cards (Spell+Ritual+tribute) which is a lot and leads to "brick" because either you have the Ritual but not the Spell or you have the Spell+tributes but not the Ritual...For any other mechanic you just need 2 cards like synchros, Xyz, Link (Links are even 1-card combo with Link-1). Only fusions shared this problem (1 fusion Spell+2 materials). However Konami fixed this by giving ridiculous card advantage if you fusion summon (Fluffals, Lunalights), fusing from deck under conditions (shadoll, Lunalight) or fusing from deck for free (Branded Fusion, Fusion Destiny). Tearlaments let u even fusing without any Spell card, so atm Fusion summon is a 1-card combo. So Konami should create more Ritual Spells which Ritual Summon by using Monsters from Deck, to Make any Rituals Summon a 2-card combo instead of 3. Revendread Evolution is an excellent Ritual Spell, why didnt they continue this trend? I would even Say they should Make a Branded Fusion-like Ritual Spell, which Ritual Summon from Deck by sending Monsters from deck! Even though Mikanko reveal was kinda disappointing if we look at the "Ritual" side of the deck, i'm still optimistic about Ritual Summonning. Konami did a very good job with the 3 latest "Vendread" cards (well, 2 because the Ritual Monster is dogshit) which fixed both the consistency and the gimmick of the deck. Let's Hope other Ritual archetypes will get that kind of good support in the future. And to prevent any New Ritual archetype from being abused by Drytrons, they just have to put on the Ritual Monster a "must first be Ritual Summoned with *insert the archetype's name* card" clause. Problem fixed.
I like your idea for locking the ritual monster to its archetype with that one line of text. It must sacrifice Impcantations at the same time, but I suppose it is a sacrifice it must be willing to make to prevent Drytron abuse Also I did use the new Vendread ritual monster when Halq was still legal here in the OCG since it can be used as an extra body to extend your combo if you have any "Revendread Slayer" on the field, which allowed me to consider Rank8 plays if necessary
Mikanko is based around Shinto and Kagura in Japan. Pretty much all of the Spirit monsters in the game are based on Shinto lore. Along with the “Summon through a mysterious dance” I think it may be a Spirit ritual archetype like Shinobird. Maybe even a reason to play Ritual Foregone. Either way most excited for Mikanko than any other archetype the past year!
I like the idea too, but I doubt it is a Spirit archetype since Spirit monsters all have that "portal" behind them in their card artwork, although it would be interesting to see another Spirit ritual archetype
Watch the follow-up video where I review the Mikanko Archetype here:
ua-cam.com/video/oorfvf_V_ic/v-deo.html
Woow nice video mate
Ritual summoning is easily my favorite summoning method right up their with xyz summoning, and I love any discussion people have about them. I really love the point you made about the pre-prep paradox, I never really noticed that, i knew it is on paper a amazingly strong card setting you go plus 1 in card advantage which is nice when you have to invest so much into summoning a ritual monster, but in practice its never used because it infuriatingly cant be used alot of the time for any archetype, so someone finally putting it into words was liberating.
Overall I feel like rituals will have to go the same way as fusions to see any meta relevance, fusion's summoning using materials in deck has been common among top tier fusion decks for a while now because gathering resources is often too difficult and the ones that dont have a deck fusion card while still summoning a swath of fusion monsters can gather and recycle resources at a immense pace like despia, but even despia makes use of branded fusion so theres that.
Konami adding ritual spells with no costs or costs from elsewhere feels like the step theyre gonna try to make; theyre obviously testing the waters to not have another nekroz kelidoscope but super soilder synthesis, dogmatikalamity, chaos form, revendread evolution all toy with paying costs from deck or extra deck or cards banishing from the grave to make up the cost, and long before that they were making tribute fodder monsters that counted at the whole tribute to cheat out ritual monsters. I think just one more confident leap forward and rituals can be as competitive as many fusion decks without being completely over the line like nekroz was, and honestly nekroz isnt even that good nowadays and take that from someone who climbed to diamond with it on masterduel, a archetype of equal power to nekroz is like tier 2 at best. A new archetype getting pretty fair and balanced suite of ritual boss monsters that has a ritual spell that summons from the deck or tributes from the deck or even both with some kind of restrictions but nothing as bad as the current spells that require you to run bricky normal monsters or garnets that only have effect when tributed with decent recycling power could genuinely have a place in the metagame, even if thats alot of things to do, but most decks do alot of things and these wouldnt even be unheard of even if theyre unprecedented.
Drytron is almost there but the boss monsters only exists for closing games and everyone just relies on hearlds, the ritual monsters of the archetype arnt the main strategy sadly, a true ritual deck with proper boss monsters that has cards in theme that can be more than just an engine to turbo out only the good ritual monsters from other archetypes could exist but probably wont as konami is too scared of a repeat nekroz incident, as if djinnlock wasn't 70% of the problem with nekroz as its recyclability is worse than most modern decks and its searching ability to generate advantage is meh at best, it was just ahead of its time when it first came out, its not special anymore.
A ritual deck that can play with the big kids is feasible without it being hyper reliant on only 1 of its boss monsters like libromancers is, and libromancers dont even use that boss monster for its main effect they just use it because it searches a omni-negate trap, its probably gonna take each boss monster being good tribute fodder and good on field at the same time to do it, but it is possible to make people play with more than 1-3 copies of ritual monsters in their ritual decks I feel, the extra deck has 15 slots, until a ritual deck can be competitive playing at least 15 ritual monsters I will not be satisfied, maybe, maybe I will be with like 6 unique monsters at least, who know, Ill have to see what konami does.
Also everything on your wishlist is stuff I want so badly, mainly the latter 2, but having a archetype gimmick be non battle related would be a very nice change.
If i may share my wishlist for rituals, here's some ideas I've been toying with, and trust me I know some of these are a bit out there but this is a wishlist not a prediction list:
- A archetype of Ritual Gemini monsters that count as normal monsters at all times, even in the deck to take advantage of stuff like advanced ritual art, unexpected dai, painful decision, and all the other amazing normal monster support, that can be normal or special summoned but will only gain their Gemini effect if they're properly ritual summoned. I liked that shinobirds put a nice twist on spirits and even broke the rules with making spirits not return to the hand and thought that kind of support could come to geminis as well, giving them effects on a ritual summon to avoid how slow normal summoning twice is.
- A archetype that uses tokens. They could have a load of spells that all have 2 effects, they can either be used in specific type of ritual summon, or summon tokens to be used as tribute fodder, similar to how mystarune cards can all summon from the extra deck or mill from the opponents deck in different ways. Like a ritual spell that makes a token or ritual summons from the hand and adds another in archetype monster or spell to hand. One that summons from grave or summons tokens, a trap that summons from deck etc etc. Either that or when each ritual monster is summoned it summons a token that is the same level of itself to be used for more summons, giving a ritual archetype a unique swarm playstyle, but, the whole token on summon thing might bleed too far into swordsouls gimmick.
- A archetype that summons using lifepoints, probably a certain amount x the monsters level, gishkis actually have a ritual spell that does this and its the only one of its type, but I imagine a archetype where the monsters may have methods to regain lifepoints attached to them, either dealing battle or effect damage to heal you or refunding their costs when they leave the field. All kinda hinged on one main ritual spell that has a gem-knight fusion-esqe recycling effect and no once per turn clauses to enable you to ritual summon as long as you have life and can get ritual monsters in your hand, with maybe a few support ritual spells that can kickstart or extend the combos. Maybe it could be themed around succubi/incubi and life force/blood rituals to summon them, or maybe it could be a expansion on the loosely defined and very much failed archfiend archetype. If nothing else they could be psychic because they kinda have a lifepoint paying thing going on generally.
- As of right now and to my knowledge, there are no plant, pyro, thunder, psychic, or wyrm type ritual monsters. there a few others as well, but, i feel like these ones have the most potential and I want to see at least one of them get a archetype. A druid themed plant archetype where spellcaster support monsters search and summon fourth tree-ents, dryads, and the like would be neat. Pyro archetype with a ritual spell that destroys instead of tributing, i can't believe the Nephthys cards didn't do that tbh, i know rokkets do it but no one plays borreload riot dragon. Thunder archetype, cause, honestly I like thunders and they need something going for them besides thunder dragons, i dont have any ideas though, maybe scientific lighting in a bottle or Frankenstein-esqe monsters. the pretty high tech psychics mixing with magical ritual just seems like it'd produce some really cool looking stuff. And wyrms, like, come on, I could see mischievous and jovial wyrms being beckoned fourth by ritual spells themed around festivals and the such, wyrms wanting to partake in festivities like fireworks or carnival games and watch how the people worship them with their long Chinese dragon costumes dancing through the crowds. Lots of potential, id like to see any of them instead of just more anime boys and girls in armor and standard dragons and machines, any of these typing's would be a great change of pace stylistically and could change what it means to be a ritual monster or be a ritual spell potentially opening up more variety going forward.
This comment ended up being way longer than I thought I would be but I just really love ritual summoning and only want the best for it.
Thanks for taking the time to watch my video and type this comment!
I do like the idea of bringing back Gishki Photomirror LP cost as well, which could be a way to bypass using tributes for ritual summons.
Aesthetics-wise, it doesn't matter for me as much since Konami could always just commission artists for excellent looking cards, but still provide them with trash effects at the end.
I also didn't make the connection to Fusions in this video, but you are correct that they have been transitioning towards "cheating out" fusions through using the deck for materials or the GY. The only difference is that Konami made that shift for them more earlier and far more numerous.
Also one more issue I just realised is the lack of "quick-ritual", like Megalith Unformed. Fusions seem to have alot of those, notably Mask Change, Super Poly, Branded in Red, etc. Rituals do need more of these as well imo
Ritual Summon is my favorite summon too! Among my 4 decks IRL 3 are Rituals (Vendreads, Drytrons and Nekroz).
I think the biggest problem of Rituals are the ressources they need to perform their summon. You need at least 3 cards (Spell+Ritual+tribute) which is a lot and leads to "brick" because either you have the Ritual but not the Spell or you have the Spell+tributes but not the Ritual...For any other mechanic you just need 2 cards like synchros, Xyz, Link (Links are even 1-card combo with Link-1). Only fusions shared this problem (1 fusion Spell+2 materials). However Konami fixed this by giving ridiculous card advantage if you fusion summon (Fluffals, Lunalights), fusing from deck under conditions (shadoll, Lunalight) or fusing from deck for free (Branded Fusion, Fusion Destiny). Tearlaments let u even fusing without any Spell card, so atm Fusion summon is a 1-card combo.
So Konami should create more Ritual Spells which Ritual Summon by using Monsters from Deck, to Make any Rituals Summon a 2-card combo instead of 3. Revendread Evolution is an excellent Ritual Spell, why didnt they continue this trend? I would even Say they should Make a Branded Fusion-like Ritual Spell, which Ritual Summon from Deck by sending Monsters from deck!
Even though Mikanko reveal was kinda disappointing if we look at the "Ritual" side of the deck, i'm still optimistic about Ritual Summonning. Konami did a very good job with the 3 latest "Vendread" cards (well, 2 because the Ritual Monster is dogshit) which fixed both the consistency and the gimmick of the deck.
Let's Hope other Ritual archetypes will get that kind of good support in the future.
And to prevent any New Ritual archetype from being abused by Drytrons, they just have to put on the Ritual Monster a "must first be Ritual Summoned with *insert the archetype's name* card" clause. Problem fixed.
I like your idea for locking the ritual monster to its archetype with that one line of text. It must sacrifice Impcantations at the same time, but I suppose it is a sacrifice it must be willing to make to prevent Drytron abuse
Also I did use the new Vendread ritual monster when Halq was still legal here in the OCG since it can be used as an extra body to extend your combo if you have any "Revendread Slayer" on the field, which allowed me to consider Rank8 plays if necessary
Mikanko is based around Shinto and Kagura in Japan. Pretty much all of the Spirit monsters in the game are based on Shinto lore. Along with the “Summon through a mysterious dance” I think it may be a Spirit ritual archetype like Shinobird. Maybe even a reason to play Ritual Foregone. Either way most excited for Mikanko than any other archetype the past year!
I like the idea too, but I doubt it is a Spirit archetype since Spirit monsters all have that "portal" behind them in their card artwork, although it would be interesting to see another Spirit ritual archetype
This gives me quite the understanding of the ritual archetype. In addition, I also now understand why my friends told me rituals aren’t really good.
As a no extra deck player I relate
thank you a salmon, very cool. i too hope that mikanko doesn't turn out like solfachords...
Worse come to worse, people can just enjoy the other archetypes that came with its box!
Wait a minute...
Did you take the link down?
The link for the ritual guide list is not working
Lemme check, might be a link error
Ive changed it to the original google drive link instead of a shortcut link. Should be working now