The Dark Magician Deck Guide (For Both Casual & Meta Players)

Dark Magician core cards are at 29-30. Its Albaz/Branded engine is at 5-7. Why? Its simple. The focus is getting DM on the field and/or getting his Fusions on the field. The goal is setting up a Dragon Knight stall board (consisting of Circle and Eternal Soul) so you can utilize your resources for the next turn while exploiting your opponent's and gaining knowledge of the cards they use or play with. 

Card analysis:

1. Magician Navigation searches for the most important cards of the deck: DM, Apprentice, Dark Illusion, and DMG. The core ratios are at 2 except Dark Illusion. You can replace Dark Illusion with Mahad since they are both at 1. With the Branded build, its better to go with Mahad instead. Your best cards to help you would be Apprentice and/or DMG for ATK boost, searching, or combos with cards such as Salvation and Combination when you use Navigation, also, Navigation can negate Spell/Trap Cards even while Dragon Knight is on the field. 

2. Secrets of Dark Magic is at 3 because you can chain while Rod gets targeted by cards such as Effect Veiler or Impermanence. Circle can make it add 1+, also, Branded can discard or you can Fusion summon furthermore using Branded. This MUST remain at 3. Also, you can disrupt your opponents board on their turn if you have no more options or resources by summoning Quintet or Chimera.

3. Illusion of Chaos does not need Preparation but it does need Branded Fusion to get rid of a extra card which can help your draw power with cards like Soul Servant.

4. Soul Servant searches your important cards such as DM, Rod, Timaeus, Circle, Eternal, Souls, etc. Its important to have at 3. 

5. Fusion Deployment at 1 and Branded Fusion at 3 has good synergy and can cause continuous combos in 1 turn. Fusion Deployment can be used for 1 card combo by using Cartesia or can help you with Piercing the Darkness by summoning DM to draw 1 card. Branded Fusion is 1.5 card combo that can setup your Dragon Knight board quicker and setup a potential draw 2 (draw 3 if you use Mahad instead of Dark Illusion). Since Branded locks you out Extra Deck already (except for Fusion Summoning), Deployment does not make much of a difference. You can ratio Deployment at 2 and Branded at 2. But its best to leave Deployment at 1 and Branded at 3. Branded can setup Navigation negate quicker while DM the Dragon Knight is on the field.

6. Allure of Darkness can aid your draw power and has synergy with Lubellion to unbanish your DARK monsters that you banished after you drawn 2 cards. You can keep Albaz in your GY while you can unbanish the other through Branded Fusion. You should also have it ratio'd at 2. You can replace it with Wonder Wand since players use Ash Blossom for Rod. If they Ash Blossom you, you can draw 2 cards by sending Rod to the GY by using Wonder Wand instead. The choice is up to whatever the player feels comfortable with between Allure or Wonder Wand. 

7. Piercing the Darkness can increase DM the Dragon Knight ATK so other monsters cannot destroy it by battle and also help you draw 1 card each turn you summon DM. 

8. Magicalized Fusion can summon an extra Dragoon in the late game and can summon Quintet to field wipe your opponent. 

9. Apprentice Illusion can help you beat boss monsters in battle such as Dragoon by giving your Spellcasters a 2000 ATK Boost. You easily destroy powerful cards like Dark Dragoon in battle just by sending Apprentice to the GY. 

Also remember the MAIN goal is to setup the Dragon Knight board, then wait until your next turn to summon heavy boss monsters after your opponent uses and wastes resources. Dark Magician was ALWAYS meant to be played This way with DM the Dragon Knight, Circle, and Eternal Soul so you come back stronger during your next turn. Hint: Magicians Rod has a recycling effect for a reason so you can get access to more cards to deal with your opponent in more ways to win your way to victory. The mistake DM players make is trying shotgun Dark Dragoon for a easy win. You will NOT ever win your duels this way. You can summon Dragoon your next turn so you can OTK your opponent more properly after having knowledge on their Deck and strategies. The card ratios for each monster and Spell/Trap are perfectly good going first or second. 

"But what about having handtraps?" Then this deck would fail with them in it so it does not matter, win or lose. 90% of the time your opponent runs out of cards to use by cramming in handtraps that make lose resources and run out of good cards to play with in their hand. But adding or changing any other cards thats on here, will ruin the deck. So dont consider it. DARK MAGICIAN BEST DECK!