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‘The Pyramid of Kepher’: New Yu-Gi-Oh! Spell Lets Zombies Shine While Other Monsters Stay Dark

A pyramid named after a scarab-headed god brings a zombie ritual monster forth, yet shuts down every other monster effect save its own.

By mitch·3 min read
A towering pyramid stands amid desert dunes, bearing the image of a golden scarab beetle upon its summit.

Konami has released a new card for Yu-Gi-Oh!, and it is called “The Pyramid of Kepher.” The card is a Normal Spell Card, and it lets players send a Zombie Ritual Monster from their Deck to the Graveyard, then put a Field Spell from their Deck or Graveyard on the field face-up. The catch is that after the card resolves, players cannot activate monster effects for the rest of the turn — except Zombie monsters’.

The card’s name draws on the kanji for “Kepher,” which appears to be an alternate spelling of the scarab-headed god, Khepri, who represented the rising sun and dawn in ancient Egyptian mythology.

How the Effects Work

“The Pyramid of Kepher” has two effects, and each can only be used once per turn. That means a player gets one shot at each effect, then moves on.

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The first effect is the main draw. Players send one Zombie Ritual Monster from their Deck to the Graveyard, then put one Field Spell from their Deck or Graveyard face-up on the field. The Field Spell stays there, and the monster goes to the Graveyard. The restriction kicks in after the card resolves: players cannot activate monster effects for the rest of the turn, except Zombie monsters’.

The second effect is a comeback move. If the opponent controls an Effect Monster, the player can banish this card from their Graveyard, then target one Ritual Monster in their Graveyard and add it to their hand.

The Zombie Loophole

The restriction on monster effects is the clever bit. By allowing Zombie monster effects while shutting down everything else, the card creates a situation where a player’s own Zombie monsters become the only source of board presence for the rest of the turn. That is a powerful position to be in, especially if a player has set up a field with multiple Zombie monsters on it.

What the Card Does Well

The card’s strength is its flexibility. It puts a Field Spell on the field, which changes the game state immediately. Then it adds a Ritual Monster to the hand, which gives the player a resource for the next turn. And it does all of this while sending a monster to the Graveyard, which can be used as material for future plays.

The weakness is the restriction. Activating monster effects is a core part of the game, and losing access to them for a whole turn is a heavy cost. The Zombie loophole helps, but it does not fully undo the damage.

The Verdict on Kepher

This is a niche card. It rewards players who have built around Zombies, and it punishes those who have not. It is not a card that will change the format overnight, but it is a card that will reward careful deckbuilding and give players a new angle on a familiar archetype.

The card’s design is clever, and its name is amusing. A pyramid named after a scarab-headed god is exactly the kind of thing Yu-Gi-Oh! fans have come to expect.

Key Facts Box

  • Card: “The Pyramid of Kepher”
  • Type: Normal Spell Card
  • Cost: Send 1 Zombie Ritual Monster to the Graveyard
  • Restriction: Cannot activate monster effects for the rest of the turn (except Zombie monsters)
  • Banish cost: This card from the Graveyard
  • Requirement: Opponent controls an Effect Monster

Schedule Table

Effect Cost Requirement
First effect Send 1 Zombie Ritual Monster to the Graveyard None
Second effect Banish this card from the Graveyard Opponent controls an Effect Monster

The card is worth a look for anyone running a Zombie deck. For everyone else, it is a curiosity — a pyramid named after a scarab-headed god, doing exactly what its name promises.

See the a run of 22 images at YGOrganization.

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