Friday

Ahhh now THIS is a classic. Android Psycho Shocker...Jinzo is one of those cards that still sees play occasionally, and is actually better than the environment continues to say. 2400 attack is obviously standard for a one Tribute Monster, and the negation of all Traps is wonderful. Being Dark is a bonus for sure, and he's a Machine, so you can sneak a Limiter Removal in there, if necessary. Jinzo is very splashable, as opposed to being the Beatdown Monster who locked down back in the days of Pharoh's Servant. I'd say he at least deserves a side-deck spot. You won't be able to fully use him in every Deck, but where you can, he still shines.

Ratings:

Traditional: 2.85/5
Advanced: 3.85/5
Art: 5/5

Jinzo
DARK/Machine/Effect/Level 6/2400/1500
Trap Cards, and their effects on the field, cannot be activated. Negate all Trap Card effects on the field.

Wrapping Up ye olde card week is Jinzo. Statwise Jinzo is a DARK/Machine, so there is nothing wrong there with 2400 ATK and 1500 DEF which are what you expect for a level 6 monster.

We all know Jinzo’s effect while he is face up all Trap Cards on the field are useless. Of course it doesn’t stop any that activate in the graveyard or have secondary graveyard effects. Back in the day Jinzo was on dangerous monster, and he still is, but not as dangerous as he used to be. For one thing, hardly anyone tribute summons anymore, so it doesn’t get as much play and ironically 2 Trap Cards are favoured over him, Royal Decree and Trap Stun, both which do the same thing as Jinzo but don’t require you to summon a monster.

Overall, a solid monster but his trap version is better in many ways.

Traditional: 3/5
Advanced: 3/5

Happy Friday everyone!  We conclude old school week with one of the most famous monsters in the game, almost certainly the most famous machine...  Of course I am talking about Jinzo.

When Jinzo came out back in Pharoh's Servant, he was limited to one, and for good reason.  Only Solemn Judgment could stop his summon, and with Witch of the Black Forest legal at as many as two copies at times, it was very easy to get Jinzo and put him on the field.  Once he hit the field, your options were limited a far as what you would do to him.  A lot of people still played Man-Eater Bug, Hane-Hane, and Wall of Illusion.  But what else came out in Pharoh's Servant?  Another classic card, Nobleman of Crossout.  Nobleman cleared the way for Jinzo's onslaught, further powered by a quick-play spell out of the same set: Limiter Removal.

But is he good today?  Well, while he's now an unlimited card, there are a lot more ways to get around him than there were ten years ago.  Solemn Warning is played in every deck, Effect Veiler is played all over the place, Book of Moon makes him a nobody, and then there are attack-modifying monsters that are seeing more and more play.  Kalut, Honest, Bujingi Crane, even Gem Merchant all make a weak monster capable of crushing the Jinzo.  Furthermore, requiring a tribute in today's game is too slow for most decks, with many preferring to XYZ or Synchro summon quickly rather than use a normal summon to stop traps.  Royal Decree and Trap Stun existing also hurts Jinzo, since you can spring them at an inconvenient time for your opponent; not too easy to accomplish with Jinzo.

Sadly, the Jinzo's use has deteriorated over the past decade.  He's still a great card in the right place; with Lance and Dress you can protect him pretty well from battle and card effects, though of course your opponent can use the same cards on him.  If you're playing Monarchs, you may consider using or siding a Jinzo or two.  He's not a bad card by any means, but he has a hard time fitting in with the new era of the game.

Traditional: 1/5
Advanced: 2.5/5
Art: 5/5

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Jinzo

Before Jinzo came out in Pharaoh's Servant (2003), Summoned Skull was the king of single-tribute monsters at a burly 2500 ATK. Jinzo, weighing in at a slightly smaller 2400 ATK comes with a really powerful effect, one of the best monster effects in the game in that era. It negates trap cards. It really excelled in both control and aggressive play.

His dominance was challenge years after his release. Monarchs opened the question of “destroy vs. negate” and with archetypes summoning 2400+ ATK monsters today with ease, Jinzo's strength has been undermined a bit. Also, Jinzo support cards like Jinzo Lord, Amplifier and Jinzo Returner didn't pan out like they were supposed to.

Jinzo still has some place today, but Royal Decree is usually the better option because it is easier to bring out. Still, it could definitely work in Monarch decks that can afford the tribute and Machine decks that can support it with cards like Limiter Removal.  And it's decent side-deck material for decks that won't have a hard time summoning it.

Jinzo will always have a place because it is an inherently good card. Even though he's not as powerful as he used to be.

Traditional: 2.0 (Mediocre)
Advanced: 3.0 (Good)

Jinzo used to dominate, but has long since become outclassed. Being trap negation on a body used to be a benefit, but now this only makes Jinzo vulnerable compared to Royal Decree. On top of being more vulnerable to destruction, you need a tribute to bring Jinzo out. Using a tribute on a monster that doesn't generate you any immediate advantage (think Caius or Raiza) is usually a bad idea. The monster you summon would have to create a powerful lockdown to compensate, which Jinzo just doesn't do against most decks.

In most situations, Royal Decree is simply better. At best, Jinzo is worth considering in the side deck of Monarch decks (considering they can't run Decree).

Rating: 1.5/5 (Very Bad)