Closing the week, we come to the best card of the week, in my opinion. Forbidden Scripture is a very handy Quickplay Magic card, that seems innocent enough, but can really cause some trouble. When a Monster Battles your opponent's Monster, all other card effects on the Field are negated, albeit during Damage Calculation, but neutralization is still nice. Also, during Damage Calculation, each Monster uses its original attack and defense. That second effect might not come up quite as often, but this is still a handy piece of tech. I like this, and you should be seeing it more than on occasion.

Ratings:

Traditional: 3/5
Advanced: 4/5
Art: 5/5

Forbidden Scripture

Wrapping up this week we have a new addition to the ever increasing list of Forbidden Object Quick-Play Spell cards, this case dare you read the Forbidden Scripture?

Forbidden Scripture is a one battle card which can only be used during damage calculation and only if two monsters are battling. So this card is a one shot deal, but is it worth it? Well first it negates all other card effects on the field until the end of the Damage Step, a blanket negation is a nasty effect even if it only works for cards on the field. Also for this battle both monsters can only rely on their original stats. This essentially makes cards like Honest and Shrink pointless and can be a great way of bouncing back from what could have been a doomed battle.

Overall a solid card, but other Forbidden Objects had longer lasting effects and are easier to use.

Traditional: 2/5
Advanced: 2.5/5

Hello Pojo Fans,

TGIF everyone. Today we're reviewing another of the “Forbidden” Spell Cards: Forbidden Scripture. A Quick-Play Spell Card you can only activate when a monster battles an opponents monster. During damage calculation: Negate all other card effects on the field until the end of the Damage Step, also damage calculation for this battle uses each monster's original ATK and DEF.

Scripture stops anything that alters the ATK of a monster. Honest, Kalut, Bujingi Crane become useless when Scripture is activated. Not only that, but any card that boosts the ATK of monsters will be negated until you return to the Battle Step after this cards activation (trouble for Fire Fists). Scripture also can wreak havoc on monsters that make their original ATK something different upon their Summon to the field (Chimeratech Overdragon, Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, Endless Decay, etc.). Any monsters affected permanently by ATK changes (Gale, Starliedge Paladynamo) has their ATK changed back to their original ATK until the end of the damage calculation this card was activated in.

Only lasting until the end of the damage calculation of the battle it was activated in hurts Scripture, as all other “Forbidden” cards lasted until the End Phase of the turn they were activated. Though it can be versatile, Scripture isn't for use in all decks. It is more of a side deck card in case you come across a deck that runs cards that alter your monsters ATK. Still good for a situational card. One in the side deck couldn't hurt if you have the room.

Traditional-2/5
Advanced-3/5
Art-3/5- Ever get the feeling you're being watched?

Until Next Time
KingofLullaby

Forbidden Scripture

I think this is a card that former COTD reviewer Lord Tranorix would've called "rentsy".  Scripture initially got a lot of hype.  Maybe it was the secret rare status or the fact that its a sequel to the popular card Forbidden Lance, but it's really nothing special.

This is one of the cards you can conclude is good by overanalyzing its potential without seeing the bigger picture.

Due to the idiosyncratic nature of this card, I could spend hours looking for specific examples but the point is that there are an equal amount of counter examples.  It doesn't stop cards like Mirror Force, for example.  It could negate a card like Skill Drain or Dimensional Fissure thats bothering your monsters for a moment, but why not destroy antagonistic cards outright?

It stops cards like Bujin Crane, Honest and Kalut.  But these are specific decks we're talking about.  If you main it, this card will be a dead draw a lot of the time.  50% of the time, you won't be up against a deck that requires this.  And against those specific decks there are floodgate cards (which shut down the opponent rather than annoy for a second).

Negating stat-boosting isn't huge either.  The biggest stat increases you'll see is 500 ATK, unless you include the now tier-2 Fire Fists.

Basic Math

By activating this card, like any Spell, you start off with a -1.  Whether you recoup this -1 depends on lots of factors.  The best you can do with this card is destroy a monster in battle or perhaps negate an effect that would negate the effect of a card you control that you're counting on to assist the battle.  It's a small-scale victory that really gives you little progress in the duel after that turn.

I don't see anyway to +1 off of this.  At best (granted: oftentimes, at worst) this card is a 1-for-1 but with little context or strategy.  MST is a 1-for-1 that gets floodgates off your back.  Nobleman of Crossout is a 1-for-1 that slows down search engines.  This card is just a more situational version of Forbidden Lance.

Verdict

This card is a catch-22.  Its not versatile enough to be a main deck card, but not devastating enough against certain archetypes to be a good side option.

Yes, this card hits certain spots that Forbidden Lance doesn't, but overall, Lance is better in most ways. 

Just use Forbidden Lance.

Ratings

Traditional – 1 (This format isn't where monsters attack each other with nests of trap cards to protect them.  This is the format of clearing the field and OTK'ing.)

Advanced – 2.25 (To write a flattering review of this card would be like writing a 30 second commercial for a toy that is only fun for 30 seconds.)

Mechanic Design – 3.75 (It's an idiosyncratic card that will take a lot of strategy to use correctly.)

Art – 3.25 (Simple and aesthetically pleasing.  Not sexist, which is unfortunately an accolade for Konami's standards.) 

The surprising secret rare of PRIO could have easily found it's way into many side decks, and it still could, depending on the way the meta goes. Its utility is limited only to the damage step and it turns off all other effects on the field as well as deactivating any battle modifiers. What a lot of players don't seem to realize is that turning off card effects until the end of the Damage Step means ANYTHING.

Hypothetically, a Mermail player could turn off a Dimensional Fissure, Vanity's Emptiness, or a Soul Drain allowing Abysslinde to trigger and summon a Pike, Turge or even something bigger like a Megalo. And in the case of the former two, discard an Atlantean to set up further plays.

Predominantly though, it's likely going to be used as a modifier stopper and that pretty much hits 1 deck: Bujins. With Honest, Crane, the lesser-used Sinyou, Tenki, Forbidden Lance, and the occasional-but-unlikely Horn of the Phantom Beast, it just wipes the floor with them. The problem, of course, lies in the fact that they don't need all of that to get over a lot of threats, which basically leaves Forbidden Scripture in the dust.

Advanced 2.0/5.0 Not completely a lost cause, but as of right now, not the best choice in cards for the limited number of decks that it could reasonably be used against.

Traditional 1.0/5.0 Doesn't fuel or stop any otks/ftks and battle modifiers are almost useless