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Pojo's Yu-Gi-Oh Card of the Day

Creature Swap
Normal

Both players select 1 monster from their respective sides of the field and switch control of those monsters with each other. The selected monsters cannot change their battle positions this turn.

Type - Spell Card
Card Number - SD4-EN021

Card Ratings
Traditional: 2.80
Advanced: 3.67

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale 1 being the worst.
3 ... average. 5 is the highest rating.


Date Reviewed - 01.24.06

 

ExMinion OfDarkness
Creature Swap

It's good in some ways, bad in others, but still not as good as it used to be.

In the last Advanced Format, Creature Swap saw much play; nothing was more satisfying than sticking an opponent with a Scapegoat while taking their real monster and tributing it for Airknight Parshath (except maybe, chaining Scapegoat to your opponent's Swap and sticking THEM with a sheep...)

In this format, there are several reasons to play this semi-limited card...and several NOT to.

The pros:
Card advantage is everything now; getting a two-card swing in your favor can be devastating. Nothing would be sweeter than playing Swap (-1) and getting your opponent's powerful monster and hitting your Mystic Tomato, killing it (back to 0), fetching a Don Zaloog, Spirit Reaper, or Sangan (+1) and either attacking with Don/Reaper to knock out another card (+2) or getting that extra piece of advantage later with the furry critter.

The cons:
I already mentioned the biggest con in the last paragraph -- it's a -1. Also, if you don't have a monster to swap over, it's a dead draw. As much as a +2 in your favor is great, we all know that topdecking occurs in almost every Duel, and topdecking this is pretty much a death sentence.

Basically...if you use enough good, swappable monsters, and your deck is stable, this isn't a bad card to run. But don't depend on it, because it would suck if your opponent was thinking the same thing and you ended up getting one of THEIR weak monsters in return.

1.75/5 Traditional
3.25/5 Advanced

sHecKii
Creature Swap

hRmm, I remember when this new banlist was first introduced. Everyone believe that Cyber Dragons, Mystic Tomato, D.D. Assailants, Don Zaloog/Spirit Reaper, Confiscation, Creature Swap, Reinforcement of the Army, and Royal Decree were going to be the most popular cards in this metagame.

Well let's pat ourselves on the back *pat pat* because we got most of them right! Now i'd like to talk about all of these cards but today is Creature Swap's lucky day!

Well Creature Swap (introduced to me by David aka f00b Simon) has been one of my favorite Spell cards to play for as long as I can remember. Now when you first read the card, it doesn't seem like an advantage card; you're only exchanging Monsters...what good does that do? Plus what if you already have a better Monster than your opponent? That's no good.

EVERYONE THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX (not the VS card) WITH ME! Let's say you Creature Swap...ooh I don't know...a Mystic Tomato for....hRmm...a D.D. Survivor. First thought is "Okay, so the Survivor is Stronger than the Mystic Tomato; Creature Swap into a stronger creature, not so bad." Then you realize "oOh, if I attack my Mystic Tomato, I GET TO SEARCH MY OWN DECK for a Monster and bring it onto the field! That means if I attack with a stronger monster (already a good plus for me) and bring out another monster DURING battle, that seems like advantage for me! hRmm, what Monster should I bring out though?" Then it hits you, Spirit Reaper and Don Zaloog are both searchable with Tomato. "oOOoOh!!! So that means even after the benefits I already got with Creature Swap, now I get to maximize it with a discarding effect against my opponent. This is a REALLY nifty combo!"

Wow, I sounded like an idiot but I'm sure I got the point across ^^.

Creature Swap is a very good combo card and has been for the longest time. Before this new banlist, Creature Swap was comboed heavily with Sinister Serpent and Scapegoats. Sinister gave you a weak creature to swap over to your opponent side of the field; most likely Sinister Serpent was weaker than your opponent's monster. Also, since Scapegoat tokens are...well just that, tokens...it was a perfect fit for Creature Swap:

a) A creature to give to your opponent's side
b) Most likely generating advantage
c) Most likely getting through damage or "1for1"ing with an opponent's card effect

So it seems like the perfect card for this format...why isn't anybody doing anything about it?

Well, let's not forget what I called Creature Swap: a great COMBO card. This card HEAVILY depends on YOU having a creature, or a form of a creature, at ALL times. The banishment of Sinister Serpent and the restriction of Scapegoats, led to most players finding out that it's too "inconsistent." I explained yesterday how this format is all about the QUALITY 1for1s and "top-decking" situations. Well Creature Swap is only good when a) you have the combo pieces and b) YOU HAVE THE COMBO PIECES. By no means am I saying Creature Swap's combos are limited to Sinister Serpent, Scapegoat, Mystic Tomato, etc... but I AM saying there is a reason why most duelists are turned "off" by this card.

I believe that ALL Yu Gi Oh cards need to be played with to understand its full potential and consistency. I encourage everyone out there to try EVERY card you wanted to, EVERY combo you thought about, and SEE for yourself if it's good or bad, not just by what someone said. Don't always put everything into +1, +2, -1, -2 terminology that most players cloud their minds with. Sure it's a good guideline but don't mistake yourself, sometimes -2 in cards could equal +2 in the duel. Have you noticed games have been won by a person with 3 cards on to an opponent of 8 (minus the "top decking luck" factor)? Exactly...moral is, TRY everything, don't just take someone's word/advice.

Ratings -
Current Meta: 2.5/5 [ only because of the inconsistency of this card/METAGAME =\ ]
My Heart: 5/5 ^^
 

Leon

 
Creature Swap

I'd like to think that I'm one of the biggest proponents for the continued abuse of this card in the format. Last format people dropped it in fear of chained Scapegoats. But this format just screams Green Light for abuse.

Most searchers, with the exception of Apprentice Magician, grant you their effects upon dieing regardless of which side of the field it was on. This is

because they are graveyard activating (Apprentice isn't) and they end up in your graveyard still. This allows a solid abusable line of monsters to use with this card. You take their field presence and give them your searcher.
Pull through the attack and gain swarm/toolbox/advantage further.

That's not all. Two very popular spirit monsters come with the mechanic to scream abuse: Tsukuyomi and Asura Priest. Both are still excellent format choices and both allow you to essentially steal the opponent's monster for absolutely free.

Chain Scapegoat is something legit to look out for. Even a chained Call of the Haunted on something else can disrupt you significantly. As a matter of taste many people still may shy away from it because of its ability to be a bad topdeck. Many may stick with only one. But if you run with two then you need to run with the abuse, such as I've already listed. Try it if you haven't already.

Advanced: 4/5
Traditional: 3.5/5 - I remember this guy got some sick play with Yata at Worlds 04.

Coin Flip
Creature Swap is seeing a revival in play.  See, people are beginning to play Mystic Tomato again, and some people are looking at Zombies, and further yet, people are playing Nimble Momonga again.  So, with reluctance, people are checking out this nifty Spell card.

Way back when I won the contest that got me this little CotD reviewer position, my opinion on this card was that it was the second most powerful combo card out there…  Or rather, the second most combolicious card out there.  The first was Tsukuyomi, of course.  :)  But back to this card…  It's insane.  It's a -1 for you, yeah, but it's so powerful as a combo card that it actually more than makes up for that.  See, it disrupts your opponent's defense/offense.  If they were hoping to set up some uber-combo with their face-down Dekoichi where they tributed it for Mobius the Frost Monarch, hey, it would be really screwed up if you gave them a Sangan or a Giant Germ (especially Giant Germ, and I'll show you why in a second) and then took it, giving you one card that gives you one more card.  And because of the low frequency of searchers like Nimble Momonga and Mystic Tomato (they are experiencing a resurgence, but not all players are playing them), chances are you only have to worry about those three cards when playing this.  You give them your Mystic Tomato and take their D. D. Assailant, and suddenly it's very painful for them.  They lose 300 and then you pull out a Don or Spirit Reaper or something and you end having gained excessive card advantage and a more-than-decent amount of LP advantage.

So this card is good.  Just use it carefully…  Please…

General:
2.1/5 Traditional (Eh, it works with Yata and Tomato, but who uses Tomato?)
3.6/5 Advanced
 

dawnyoshi Do not mistake Creature Swap for guaranteed advantage, like Snatch Steal. This spell card is the center of many advantage-generating combos, as you would simply love to give your opponent one of your Mystic Tomatoes, Sangans, Morphing Jars if you’re running Dark World, etc.
Hitting these monsters when your opponent controls them gives you a +1 or better in terms of tracking net advantage, which has always made Creature Swap a solid option to explore in every new advanced format. But if you don’t combo it with any of these effects, it’s just a -1 that will probably screw over your game’s situation. Use with caution.

In traditional, this card will never work. Too many faster (first turn) decks out there and too many board wipes are legal in this format.

Advanced: 3/5
Traditional: 1/5

Otaku

Stats                : This is a “normal” Spell card.  Not much else I can say about it-if it were an Equip or a Permanent, it’d be worse (unless the effect was re-useable), if it were a Quick-Play it’d have a good Defensive application, and as a Trap it’d be just a little worse (Trap hate/delay versus use on opponent’s turn).

 

Effect(s)            : The effect of this card is pretty spiffy.  You chose one of your monsters, your opponent chooses one of their monsters, and you swap them.  Note that Battle Positions can’t be changed the turn of the swap (so you can’t pull a lot of Change of Heart tricks like nabbing a seemingly spent Goblin Elite Attack Force or activating a Flip Effect Monster you just swiped).  Still, the effect, on its own, is solid.  It can hurt you, but usually it will help.  Note that the actual choosing occurs when the card resolves.  This is bane and a blessing.  Why?  You can chain a lot of cards to Creature Swap that will ruin the card’s effect.  If your opponent chains something like a Call of the Haunted, your opponent can stick you something less damaging or even advantageous for them, instead of your expected target.  Be careful since you can’t select a “target” (the card isn’t considered targeting, just using it for want of a better term) that would be immune to the effect.

 

Uses and

Combinations  : Here’s why it will usually help.  For what will probably be the tenth time, this card has some simple but effective rules and combos to make it work great.  Rule number one is to make sure your opponent only has one monster on the field.  This means you know what you’ll be getting.  Rules number two and on are… well, all the normal stuff you must do: make sure your opponent can’t take advantage of what you give them, carefully consider your move, make sure you don’t waste it unless you think your opponent has some hand destruction that will “waste it” for you, etc.  Okay, now for the combos:

 

  1. Trade a Sangan, as you will get their effect when you kill them, and if you have it in ATK mode, you will also score some damage.
  2. Trade a search and summon Monster like a Mystic Tomato and not only can you attack Mystic Tomato (and probably for damage if you have it in ATK mode), you will end up with an extra Monster to attack with who was Special Summoned more or less safely in the Damage Step.  It’s fantastic if you have your own Tomato ram into the one you just Swapped: double Don Zaloog.
  3. Trade them something like Giant Germ or Nimble Momonga to get some extra monsters on the field and do some burn damage or healing, respectively.
  4. Summon a Spirit Monster like Tsukuyomi and trade it.  This is a mixed bad though-you can’t attack it without killing it, so unless they had something else that was puny, you effectively spent your Battle Phase on getting a Monster.
  5. Send over some stupid tokens like Scapegoat.
  6. Use something that either Summons a Monster only temporarily (Return from the Different Dimension?) or else just give them something that is not longer all that useful to you (and won’t be to them), like a spent Breaker the Magical Warrior or an Injection Fairy Lily when their LP is already 2000 points or less.
  7. Use another control card and then give them back their own monster.  This is really only effective with Brain Control though, as say Snatch Steal would still give them LP gain while it existed.

 

There are probably some I have forgotten, but just read the other reviews. ;)

 

Ratings

 

Traditional       : 2/5 – I am possibly going out on a limb here.  I am really uncertain, and if it wasn’t required I submit a score here, I wouldn’t.  Still, I think with Snatch Steal and more importantly, Change of Heart combined with the incredibly short lifespan of Monsters, it doesn’t matter that it isn’t limited to one turn.  Moreover, top is such a common occurrence.  Even with all the added combo possibilities, I just think it would be limited to specialized (and thus likely not so strong) decks.

 

Advanced        : 4/5 – This is what I like to think of as the “one staple too many”.  In terms of effect, it really belongs in any deck in this format.  It actually is a broken card, and I’ll explain later how.  It is just that there simply isn’t room in most decks for it.  Those that need it the most though run it and abuse it like mad.

 

Limited            : 3.5/5 – Mixed bag here.  If you are losing, your opponent probably has multiple monsters out: doubtful they can’t spare one of them or that they are low enough on LP that the attack you get will matter.  If you are winning, it’s only good if you can summon something bad, swap it for something better, and if you couldn’t do better just summoning what you had in hand.

 

Summary

Creature Swap is a broken card, but not one that every deck has room for.  Why is it broken, you ask?  The entire mechanic of “I get your guy” has long been overpowered.  Change of Heart was broken because for that immediate turn, you not only removed what is likely your opponent’s only Monster, but get something to hurt them more.  After all, you only get one Normal Summon a turn.  Moreover, with Change of Heart, you could “steal” a flip effect.  One of the reasons Magician of Faith had fallen out of favor, at least in my meta, back in the pre-Advanced days was it always seemed like she’d be summoned in one of two situations: you have no Spell (or at least useful Spell) she can fetch, or the opponent uses Change of Heart, Flip Summons her and reclaims Change of Heart at worst, and at best uses her as Tribute for Jinzo, Airknight, etc.

 

Given many recent cards, I think Konami has learned that shifting Monster control for more than a turn (even Snatch Steal with its LP gain for opponents isn’t enough) or being able to do anything more than remove a Set Monster is too much.  Set Monsters are supposed to be a safety net.  Finally, given how many key decks can combo with the secondary effect (swapping Sangan, Mystic Tomato, etc.) and turn it into a significant advantage instead of a slight drawback, it’s just too much.  Compare this with my last review: the list is shorter for really exploiting it, but its still there with so many other cards Banned or Restricted.

 

-Otaku


Dark Paladin
Today we look at Creature Swap a handy magic card that I really am glad to review. Creature Swap is Semi-Restricted, and with good reason.
For starters, let me say, you might as well run the two you are allowed. Or, at least run one, and side the other.

Keep a couple of things in mind. Change of Heart is gone...the fact we have Brain Control is irrelevant. We have Snatch Steal for permanent monster stealing in Snatch Steal, and this. It's a good way to destroy a Spirit Reaper also.

However, use Creature Swap intelligently. Don't use it obviously when you are in control or whatnot. This card can and has been a game finisher before, so beware.

Ratings:

Creature Swap earns a dilligent 4.35/5 all around

Art: 3/5 meh

You stay classy, Planet Earth :)

Dark Maltos

 

Creature Swap

A card that can set up many infamous combos and until recently virtually a staple.

Creature Swap is a useful card, permanent Change of Heart is always nice, especially if you can abuse the monster you give them. But it’s not without it’s restrictions.

The best way to take advantage of Creature Swap is to either give them a searcher ( preferably mystic tomato, etc) so when you destroy the monster another takes it’s place on your side of the field for another direct hit. This is a pure evil combo, which I myself have pulled a number of times killing not only my tomato, but their Don, then attacking with the 3rd tomato directly. Thems were the days.

Or give them a weak monster, and steal their big boy ( eg my Kuriboh for their Cyber Dragon - Versatility in a nutshell)

However , this card can work against you. Since the opponent decides which monster to give you, they could select a Sangan for instance, and gain some advantage over you .

Another problem is that the monsters cannot change their positions until after the turn this effect was used. If you take their strongest defense, they could attack it next turn and you’d be none the better.

There are ways around these downsides though. I suggest only activating Creature Swap when the opponent only has one monster on the field. That way they have no choice but to give it to you.

Also, you can change the battle position of the monster before you activate the card, so have fun with that . ( goat tokens anyone?)

Just watch out for opposing scapegoat, as that can lay a hurting on you.

Traditional : 3/5 , Not bad, but we got Change of Heart

Advanced ; 4/5 Much better here, but it isn’t always that useful.

Art : 3/5 That poor guy, they’re trying to recycle his armour !!!
Rj Creature Swap

Oh gosh, this card is cool.

Creature swap is an ultra rare in LoD, and it was reprinted in Db2, I think. Despite it being an ultra rare, it only sells for about 4 bucks, less now because of reprints.

Creature swap is pretty simple at first, but after that it gets kinda crazy. Reason? Because it functions awkwardly with some cards, like yesterdays card Strike Ninja.

This card was not so popular last format, even when we had Tsukuyomi and Goats x3. It was ran alot, but it wasnt ran like it is now. I see a ton of people running this in Tomato control, chaos control, The pot of avarice deck etc...

It work in the pot deck so well though. Flip Merchant, dump monsters, play pot, draw into stuff, and then swap the tiny little fella over to your opponents monster and beat it down with what they have.

Swap is so good though, people just need to realize it. It can be a dead draw, and that is a con, but its pros OWN its cons.

Looking back, I wish I would have considered this card last format as much as I consider it for decks in this format. With the Tsukus, Goats, and MoF's it was great then. Its still great now.

Traditional: 1/5
Constructed: 3/5 Very solid

Satisfaction
Creature Swap has always been one of those cards that can work but than can't depending on your deck build.

Creature Swap is a Normal Spell that switches one of your monsters with the opponents monster. Each player choses his or her own monster to swap over to the other side.

Point 1: Loses the activator a card advantage by activating and losing Creature Swap and keeping in place the same card advantage after Creature Swap is activated.

The tricky part comes in with lots of combos. Searchers are extremely popular in this game giving the player speed, excess to his or her monster cards, and a devastating way to mass your opponent.

Mystic Tomato, Pyramid Turtle, Giant Rat, Sangan, etc., any of these is great with Creature Swap. Here is an example: Player A summons Mystic Tomato, Player A activates Creature Swap. Player B has no choice but to give Player A his Cyber Dragon.

Player A gives the Mystic Tomato to Player B. After Player A attacks his Mystic Tomato, Player A searches Don Zaloog or Spirit Reaper to attack directly and gain card advantage.

Point 2: Gains card advantage back, gives field presence, and control of the game.

If used right, Creature Swap can be game breaking but if used wrong it can leave a dent in your defense and card advantage.

Remember Creature Swap does not target and cards such as Spirit Reaper will not be destroyed.

Traditional: 2.9/ 5.0 you can do some creative stuff in this format, chaos and all ; )
Advanced: 4.0/5.0

Tomato Control : 4.7 / 5.0
Art : 4.8/ 5.0 ??? wut its good.......
_______________________
SATISFACTION is back

Bob Doily
Creature Swap

Today we look at Creature Swap, a potentially deadly spell, who has always been that, potential. Depending on the format this card can be good or bad, for example in the last format it was good for even more goat abuse, meanwhile in traditional there is so much removal that this card serves little to no purpose. This situational aspect of Creature Swap carries over to during the actual game as well.

Right now it has solid synergy with Tomato and Rat Control decks, where swapping them your elemental searcher for their monster can lead you to advantage. This is especially true for Tomato decks when you swap them (-1), kill the tomato through battle (+1), and get out Don Zaloog or Spirit Reaper whose effect will give you a +1 for a total of +1 overall.

The main problem is that Creature Swap is that, situational, and in the current format where topdecking happens in almost every game, you really can’t afford a situational card in your deck to be truly competitive. This is the fundamental reason why it doesn’t see as much play as it potentially has.

Traditional: 1.75/5
Advanced: 2.75/5
 

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