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Pojo's Yu-Gi-Oh! Card of the Day
Daily Since 2002!

Pot of Dichotomy
- #SHSP-EN065

At the start of your Main Phase 1: Target 3 monsters with different Types in your Graveyard; Shuffle all 3 into the Deck, then draw 2 cards. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase the turn you activate this card.

Card Ratings
Traditional: 2.15
Advanced: 3.30 

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


Date Reviewed - Nov. 21, 2013

Back to the main COTD Page

 

Dark

Paladin

Thursday
 
Today we look at Pot Dichotomy, a Normal Magic card, one that may at least vaguely remind you of Pot of Avarice.  Avarice, while Banned, lets you shuffle five Monsters from your Graveyard into your Deck to Draw two cards.  Dichotomy lets you take three Monsters from your Graveyard, of different types, and add them back to the Deck, also to Draw two cards.  However, you sacrifice your Battle Phase in order to do so.  This is a +1, if you still consider it so, I suppose, despite giving up said Battle Phase.  There are few to no conditions where I would volunteer to give up my Battle Phase.  Maybe it the card said Draw until you hold six cards or something, but despite the shot at being able to reuse the Monsters you recycle, I don't see this as all that worthwhile.  Just too costly.
 
Ratings:

Traditional:  1/5  No need at all 
Advanced:   2.25/5 
Art:  4/5 


John Rocha

Pot of Dichotomy is not a bad little card. Like most “Pot” cards, you get to draw and drawing is a good thing in our game. Pot of Dichotomy is a plus 1 advantage as well and card advantage wins games. The other thing Pot of Dichotomy does for you is to put monsters back into your deck so you can reuse them. It is like a Pot of Avarice except that in only takes three monsters to activate instead of five. The down side is that you have to use it at the start of your main phase 1 and that you can not conduct your battle phase that turn. All that means is that you will need to play defense with your extra card for that turn.
 
In the right deck, Pot of Dichotomy can be a great card. There are numerous top tier decks in play today that can benefit from this card. Decks like Lightsworn, Evilswarm, Madolche, Mermail, and Wind-ups all run at least three different types of monsters. Even decks that run one dedicated type like Elemental Dragons and Prophecy decks could run this pot if they ran hand trap cards like Maxx “C”, Effect Veiler, Trageodia, and Gorz. Realistically, any deck that can Xyz or Synchro summon can run Dichotomy.
 
Pot of Dichotomy works well with certain cards. Destiny HERO – Diamond Dude can mill it and let you draw two cards on your next turn without the nasty side effect of missing your chance to attack as only the effect is being activated, not the card. Once you use Rescue Rabbit, you can send the normal monsters back to your deck and use Leviair to reuse Rescue Rabbit. If you are under the effect of one of your destroyed Elemental Lords (Pot is a good way to control your grave) or use a card like Soul Exchange (Monarch Deck), using Pot of Dichotomy does you no harm as you have to skip your battle phase anyways.
 
Unless you need monsters in your graveyard, there is no reason not to run Pot of Dichotomy in most decks. I run it in my Psychic/TG deck and can use it by turn two most of the times. With Pot of Avarice banned, it makes perfect sense to replace it with this card.
 
Traditional: 4/5
Advanced: 5/5

Leo
Kearon

Pot of DichotomyNormal Spell Card
At the start of your Main Phase 1: Target 3 monsters with different Types in your Graveyard; Shuffle all 3 into the Deck, then draw 2 cards. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase the turn you activate this card.

Next up we have a new draw card Pot of Dichotomy. Pot of Dichotomy basically wants to be the new Pot of Avarice as the basic effect is similar, in other words recycle monsters from your grave and draw 2 cards.

The main difference is that Pot of Dichotomy has a lot more conditions, first of this has to be activated at the start of your Main Phase 1, second the monsters have to be of different types and finally you skip your Battle Phase. Still you do draw two cards and recycle monsters which is always a good thing. This card only works if you do use a lot of different types, so decks with multiple types like Lightsworns shouldn’t have to much problem using this, that or you have a variety of types in your extra deck.

Overall if your deck uses a lot of different types then this card is a must, other than that there is no point trying to mess with your deck in order to try and use this card.

Traditional: 3.5/5
Advanced:  3.5/5


Fungal
Paranoia

Pot of Dichotomy

Howdy there, today's card is one of the sought after secrets from Shadow Specters. The effect is pretty simple return 3 different types from your graveyard draw 2 afterwards. Now most decks cannot abuse this effect, but a few can. Naturias, Firefist, and a couple other. What increases its playability is really the function to grab staples back, veiler/maxx C + whatever the deck is running is the 3 so it can work in a multiple of decks as long as you run a variety of techs. My personal opinion though it has some major drawbacks, the one people I believe are overlooking is the fact it has to be used at the start of main phase 1, that is the first drawback which means you cannot set up a graveyard during main phase 1 then activate Pot. The battle phase is also a drawback, not as serious as you can probably use it as an advantage and use cards that cannot attack during a turn they activate an effect, Big Eye, Coach King Giantrainer, etc. Overall a card that might allow some decks to gain better draw power, but I believe is going to be a tech in the end, one for mid-late game.

Traditional: 1/5 (You need your Battle Phase here)
Advanced: 3.5/5 (I would give it more if it wasn't for the Main Phase 1 ordeal.)

Art: 4/5 It is a good representation of dichotomy, I would have liked to see the darker side a bit more, might have made it look like evil is trying to push the good out or something I don't know.

Cyberplum

Happy Thursday everyone.  Today we look at Pot of Dichotomy, a secret rare from the new set.
 
Normal Magic Card
 
At the start of your Main Phase 1: Target 3 monsters with different Types in your Graveyard; Shuffle all 3 into the Deck, then draw 2 cards. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase the turn you activate this card.
 
This is going to be quick folks.  It's a utility card with a limited span of decks it can be played in.  It's not like Pot of Avarice where it can be played anywhere; this has a small number of decks it can be used in, and more than one of those decks has a better option.
 
Constellars, Evilswarm, Anti-Meta, and Lightsworns all come to mind for this.  However, Constellars have Constellar Star Chart, which puts two monsters back in your hand for the same no battle-phase cost, meaning you're guaranteed a Sombre, Pollux/Kaus combo, whatever you want.  Anti-Meta doesn't need it, and Lightsworns already have a themed draw card that works much better for them.
 
This leaves us with Evilswarms.  There is a niche for it here if you want to, but honestly with Thunderbird's survivability, Kerikion (sp) existing, and the fact that they don't summon as many crucial monsters as other decks, whether or not you run it is up to preference.  Granted you have a high trap count to keep you safe while you skip your battle phase, so you should be okay.
 
Like I said, you can't use it anywhere.  If you can protect yourself during that turn you don't get a battle phase, great.  Just think it through before you put it in your deck.
 
Traditional: 1/5, there are other pots to use
Advanced: 2.5/5, limited usability hurts its rating
Art: 4/5
 
Thanks for reading!


Christian
Moss

Today's card of the day, Pot of Dichotomy, is a card with many requirements and a steep cost, and it allows you to add key cards back to your deck and +1 at the same time, though Is it worth it?
 
Remember when pot of avarice was a thing? It was really good, this is kind of like that, but worse.. much worse. This card must be used at the very start of your main phase 1. That means no other plays this turn except during your main phase 2, because you will also be skipping your battle phase!
 
There just simply aren't many decks currently that are able to utilize this in this format. At the start of your main phase 1 isn't an unforgivable offense, but skipping your battle phase is a critical handicap much more turns than not in this meta. 

BTW, I have been hearing people saying Constellar's could play this, which is true. But I think Constellar Star Cradle is a much better option in that case. It's a +1 and you get exactly what you want and need to your hand, where you can utilize immediately.
 
Overall, this card isn't terrible, but it just isn't really entirely necessary or practical for most decks around right now.
 
Ratings:
Traditional: 1/5  (better draw power and monster replenishing galore in this format)
Advanced: 2.5/5 
Mechanic Design: 3/5 (3 for the fact it isn't broken, it has unique requirements, though they are a bit too steep. I think they could of done better with this one)


Kingof
Lullaby

Hello Pojo Fans,
 
Today we're reviewing a Spell Card, Pot of Dichotomy, from the newest set: Shadow Specters. “At the start of your Main Phase 1: Target 3 monsters with different Types in your Graveyard; Shuffle all 3 into the Deck, then draw 2 cards. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase the turn you activate this card.”.
 
Another “Pot of” card, Dichotomy is unique. Unlike Duality, Dichotomy takes after Avarice and targets the Graveyard, allowing you to recycle monsters you may have lost during the duel. Not conducting your Battle Phase isn't always a bad thing. Activate Dichotomy, and, after resolving it's effect, use an effect that would stop you from conducting your Battle Phase (Chaos Sorcerer). Sometimes you aren't in position to even conduct a Battle Phase, which makes the no Battle Phase drawback not really one at all. Dichotomy. With the variety of Synchro and XYZ monsters available to any player as well, the drawback of three Types in the Graveyard can go either way.
 
“At the start of your Main Phase 1” is the biggest drawback to Pot of Dichotomy. This means that a player can only play one per turn. If a player wanted to run two or more Dichotomy, their deck would have to have reliable access to at least three Types of monsters. Synchro and XYZ monsters helps fulfill that requirement, but running one Type of monster in the Main Deck takes the effectiveness of Dichotomy down. Decks like Blackwings and Gravekeepers can still play this card, but they may have to work harder to get to the effect. Decks that run cards that can combo with this card (Card Trooper), or have multiple Types currently in the Deck (Lightsworn, Mermails, Wind-Ups) have a better chance of getting to play this card quicker. While most players main Maxx C and Effect Veiler, not everyone does, and waiting to get three Types in the Graveyard may end up costing a player.
 
Pot of Dichotomy is a good card. Everyone has the ability to run one, running more than one may be best suited for decks that regularly have three or more Types of monsters piling up in their Graveyard.
 
Traditional-2.5/5- More consistent draw power gives it a better chance, Painful Choice combination allows for a possible first turn play. There's just better draw cards, there may not be a spot for it.
Advanced-3.5/5- Adds draw power to any deck that can get three Types into the Graveyard. Hand traps, Synchro and XYZ monsters aid this card.  
Art-3.5/5- Though Duality is this cards counterpart, this is Avarice and Benevolence. 
 
Until Next Time,
 
KingofLullaby 


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