The Solemn pattern is a very well-known set of cards that can mess up your opponent’s moves at the cost of your own life points.
But the thing is, most players don’t know about all the other cards in the Solemn pattern that don’t cost your opponent life points and don’t disrupt their play.
One of the cards even gives you more life points and has nothing to do with the opponent.
Even so, do you need these cards in your deck, or would you be better off sticking to the better-known Solemn cards?
Let’s find out
7. Solemn Authority
The only card on this list that has a direct link to the Aesir deck is the first Solemn card.
When you use Solemn Authority, you can choose an Aesir monster you control, and for as long as Solemn Authority is on the field, no other card effects can target it.
But when you activate Solemn Authority, it goes to the graveyard after the second reserve phase.
I can’t remember the last time I even saw someone holding an Aesir card, because the meta has changed too much for this strategy to still be competitive.
So, this one is at the very bottom of the list.
6. Solemn Scolding
Solemn Scolding is the first of the famous effects we all know and love from the Solemn archetype.
But pay close attention, because all the similar effects might be hard to keep track of.
Solemn Scolding is a counter trap. You can use it to stop and destroy a monster summon or a card effect if you pay 3000 life points.
You can only use this card, though, if it’s the only trap in your spell and trap zone.
When compared to the rest of the class, the life points you have to pay to use this card is one of the bigger risks.
This card isn’t very good, either, because it should be the only set card in your spell and trap zone.
5. Ultimate Providence
Now, I know this doesn’t sound or look like a Solemn archetype card, but based on the name in the original Japanese, it is a Solemn card.
Anyway, when a spell, trap, or monster effect is played, you can use Ultimate Providence to stop it and destroy the card.
In return, you’ll have to throw away a card of the same type as the card you’re chaining to, whether it’s a monster, a spell, or a trap.
If you have a lot of Solemn cards in your deck, you might want to use Guiding Ariadne to get rid of the cost of triggering Solemn cards.
4. Solemn Wishes
Solemn Wishes is a quick change from the usual “pay a cost to negate a card” effect.
It has nothing at all to do with your opponent.
This is an ongoing spell that gives you 500 life points for every card you draw while it’s on the field.
Solemn Wishes works great in an Exodia deck because you’ll have to draw a lot of cards in order to win.
Appropriate, Heart of the Underdog, and other songs like them are often used in Exodia.
From a deck of 40 cards, you might need to draw about 36 cards to get a full Exodia.
If you leave out the first five cards and the first draw, this is 30 cards, or 15,000 extra life points, giving you a total of 23,000 to use as a cushion against damage.
3. Solemn Judgment
Finally, Solemn Judgment is a card that most players have seen before.
It can still be a good one, based on how you look at it.
If you pay half of your life points, you can use Solemn Judgment whenever a monster is called or a spell or trap is used.
Then you can stop that call or card from being used and destroy it.
It doesn’t make much sense to use Solemn Judgment early in the game, when you’ll have to give up the most life points.
But the best time to hurt your opponent so you can finish them off early is usually at the beginning of the game.
Even though this card can be very useful later on, it’s really up to you if you think it fits into your plan or not.
2. Solemn Warning
Solemn Warning is a card that I see a fair number of people play, so it’s a good one.
Solemn Warning can be used by paying 2000 life points when a monster is called or when a monster effect is used that includes special summoning another monster (or when a spell or trap is used).
Then, just like all the other Solemn cards, that summon/activation is canceled and destroyed.
For a price of 2,000 life points, you can stop your opponent from summoning a monster, which could be very important to them.
So, this is not the worst choice among the Solemn cards.
1. Solemn Strike
But out of all the cards on this list, Solemn Strike is the one that beats them all.
Solemn Strike is different from the other cards here because it only costs 1500 life points to cancel a monster call or effect.
Most of the time, monster effects or summoned monsters are more dangerous than magic and traps.
In most cases, 1500 is also cheaper than Solemn Warning, Solemn Authority, and Solemn Judgment.
Overall, Solemn Strike deals with the most dangerous problems for the least amount of money. Because of this, it has become a common card in many decks.
But this card can be a bit expensive, so keep that in mind when building a deck.
