Artmage deck: Power Patron Fusion toolbox, now with Ars Magna (October 2026)

Artmage is a Fusion deck that shares the Medius the Pure and Power Patron core with Elfnote. It won three regionals on the first weekend of the September 2026 list, and Beyond the Brave has already given it a new Ars Magna version that put several copies into top 8s on October 10-11. It sits in the tier-2 group and is one of the harder decks in the format to pilot.

How the deck works

The deck has three layers: the Artmage monsters, the Power Patron Pendulum monsters, and Medius the Pure tying them together.

Medius the Pure adds or Special Summons a “Power Patron” monster from the Deck when it is summoned. Artmage Academic Arcane Arts Acropolis gives an extra Normal Summon for Medius and lets you discard a Spell or Trap to search an Artmage monster by name. Theorealize Past Lull Special Summons Medius from the hand or Deck while you control an Artmage card.

Artmage Power Patron is the Fusion engine. During either player’s Main Phase it can Fusion Summon an Artmage Fusion Monster or Nerva the Power Patron of Creation using itself and monsters from your hand or field, and when it goes to the GY it searches an Artmage Spell or Trap. Artmage Graflare, Artmage Finmel and Artmage Litera each Special Summon themselves while you control an Artmage card, then set a Spell, draw a card, or return an Artmage card from the GY. Many Artmage effects get stronger with three or more different Monster Types on your field: Finmel negates and halves every monster your opponent controls, Graflare destroys a Spell or Trap at instant speed, and Artmage Diactorus negates and destroys a card. Theorealize can change a monster’s Type to help reach three.

Artmage Non-Finito sets an Artmage Spell or Trap when it is Special Summoned and Fusion Summons once on your opponent’s turn. Nerva turns one of your Artmage monster effects into “destroy all cards your opponent controls” once per turn.

The Power Patron Pendulum monsters are the second engine. Pendulum Treasure puts one face-up in your Extra Deck, which turns on their “added to your Extra Deck face-up” effects. Nervedo the Shadebeast Power Patron summons a Power Patron or Artmage monster from the Deck, Vidolium the Unstable Power Patron of Unity searches a Power Patron card, and Jupredo the Shademachine Power Patron searches a Power Patron Spell or Trap. From the field, Nervedo, Jupredo and Junoldo the Shadespirit Power Patron each destroy themselves to summon their matching Extra Deck monster: Nerva (Fusion), Jupiter the Power Patron of Destruction (Xyz) or Junora the Power Patron of Tuning (Synchro). One Fusion, one Synchro and one Xyz is exactly what Vidolium needs to summon itself, and it is unaffected by monster effects other than Power Patron monsters.

Nervedo’s Pendulum Effect protects the combo: it negates a monster effect your opponent activates in response to a Power Patron or Artmage monster effect. Plundered Power Patron Plane - Vidolia reveals a Power Patron monster in the Extra Deck to add or summon a monster that mentions it, and stops your opponent’s GY effects while you control Nerva, Jupiter and Junora together.

The Ars Magna version

Beyond the Brave added the Ars Magna cards, and Artmage was one of the first decks to pick them up. Ars Magna “Citrinitas” is treated as an Artmage card, so it turns on the Artmage summon conditions by itself. It searches a Medius or Ars Magna monster once while face-up, and while you control a Power Patron Link Monster it lets your Ars Magna monsters use their effects as Quick Effects. Purification Power Patron and Mediclius the Extraordinary Power Patron are the Power Patron Links that do this.

The three Ars Magna monsters banish themselves from the hand for value, then come back when you summon the right kind of Extra Deck monster:

Ars Magna the Finite and the Infinite searches another Ars Magna monster, returns when a Fusion or Link Monster is Special Summoned, and banishes a monster while you control a Power Patron Link.
Ars Magna the Corruption and the Purification searches an Ars Magna Spell or Trap, returns on an Xyz or Link summon, and banishes Spells and Traps.
Ars Magna the Division and the Union revives another Ars Magna monster from the GY or banishment, returns on a Synchro or Link summon, and draws a card.

Theorealized Medius is a second Medius. It Special Summons itself while a Power Patron card is on the field and searches a Theorealize Spell or Trap, and whenever a monster is banished face-up it can search an Ars Magna card or summon a Diactorus from the Extra Deck. Since the Ars Magna monsters banish themselves face-up, this loops well. Mediclius negates your opponent’s monsters, and with three monsters it points to it can banish itself and every card your opponent controls on their turn.

The version is very new. It has one weekend of results, and the Ars Magna Link Monsters are not legal in the TCG yet.

Key cards

Medius the Pure: finds any Power Patron monster from the Deck.
Artmage Power Patron: Quick Effect Fusion Summons and an Artmage Spell/Trap search.
Artmage Academic Arcane Arts Acropolis: extra Medius summon and an Artmage monster search.
Nervedo the Shadebeast Power Patron: Deck summon, Nerva, and a negate for the combo.
Vidolium the Unstable Power Patron of Unity: the boss monster. Banishes every GY when summoned.
Artmage Non-Finito: sets a Spell/Trap and Fusion Summons on the opponent’s turn.
Nerva the Power Patron of Creation: turns an Artmage effect into a one-sided board wipe.
Ars Magna “Citrinitas”: the new Ars Magna search and enabler.

Sample decklist

1st place, Campinas WCQ Regional, September 26, 2026. This is the pre-Beyond the Brave build. The Main Deck was registered at 41 cards.

Main Deck (41)

Extra Deck (15)

Side Deck (15)

Recent results

Event	Date	Placement	Players
Campinas WCQ Regional	Sept 26, 2026	1st	about 150
Ballarat WCQ Regional	Sept 26, 2026	1st	35
Ioannina WCQ Regional	Sept 26, 2026	1st	17
Leipzig WCQ Regional	Sept 27, 2026	2nd	118
Rende WCQ Regional	Sept 27, 2026	2nd	44
Saint Peters WCQ Regional	Oct 10, 2026	Three copies in Top 8 (Ars Magna)	57
Monterrey WCQ Regional	Oct 10, 2026	Top 8 (Ars Magna)	about 300
Curitiba WCQ Regional	Oct 11, 2026	Top 8 (Ars Magna)	53

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

Artmage Power Patron and Non-Finito Fusion Summon on either player’s turn, so the deck can rebuild or interrupt mid-combo.
Many ways to start: Medius, Acropolis, Theorealize Past Lull, Pendulum Treasure and Vidolia all lead into the engine.
Nerva and Finmel can clear or shut down a whole board when their conditions are met.

Weaknesses

Several of the best effects need three or more different Monster Types on your field. If the board gets broken up, Finmel, Graflare’s Quick Effect and Diactorus lose their power.
Medius is the key starter, and its search can be stopped.
Vidolium banishes your own GY too when it is summoned, so it has to come at the right time.
The lines are long and branch a lot. This is not a deck to pick up the week before an event.

What to watch

How far the Ars Magna cards push Artmage once bigger Beyond the Brave events report. YCS Houston (October 16-18) is the first major test.
Elfnote uses the same Medius and Power Patron cards and is also adding Ars Magna. Expect these two decks to keep borrowing from each other.
Toon support arrives with Magnificent Maestros in mid-November and is expected to change the format.