Gold Sarcophagus

I have no idea why this was returned to 3 in the recently released restricted list. I can only assume it was to sell zombies, since the Shiranui theme crushes people with 3 Gold Sarcs and its main bad boy, Shiranui Solitaire, was just released. But this is why it should never have come back.

With the ability to thin the deck and add any card to your hand at the cost of a 2-turn delay, it was thought for some time (rightfully so) that this spell was too slow and it didn’t catch up with the speed increase since its release in the TCG in 2007. But then players realized along the way that it’s not really about adding the card to the hand. Much like Foolish Burial, it’s just about transporting one card to another place and earning an effect by doing so. But this just makes Gold Sarcophagus better, since you get to add the card to your hand in the end! It’s absolutely devastating to Gold Sarc into a Spiritmaster, pop any card you want, and then receive extra benefit two turns later. So why is Foolish Burial at 1 while Sarc is at 3? Doesn’t make any sense and players are already taking advantage of it. And I haven’t even mentioned the full-blown revival of Necroface decks.

Zombies and Necroface decks aren’t the only decks this spell can be beneficial to, however. While this game is super fast, two turns is hardly brutal when key cards are so necessary to many themes. And while there was nothing game-breaking about the Sarc at 1, it’s a much different beast when something returns to 3 (see: Allure of Darkness). This spell should not be at 3, and it will definitely return to restricted status down the road.

Advanced: 4.5/5

Future Potential: 2/5

Gold Sarcophagus

In the original anime, this card allowed the player to put a card from their deck into the sarcophagus and if the player activated that same card, it was negated.  That would be a cool effect, but it is slow and situational.  Ultimately, the version of the card we have is better. 

Putting this at 3 was long overdue.  Usually after a broken format, many of prevalent cards in that format get hit.  In the case of Dragon Rulers, it instantly triggered their effects and generated too easy of a +1.  However, the Dragon Rulers have been banned.  Not only that but Gold Sarc wasn't really broken before their release.  I think a lot of it has to do with mental association.  People associated Gold Sarc with the Dragon Rulers, so having it at 3 seemed frightening. 

The big advantage this card has over Different Dimension Capsule is that it does not remain on the field (so the opponent cannot negate/disrupt/destroy it).  I'd rather let the opponent see what I'm getting than risk a card's reliability.  This is a balanced card overall because it is a universal searcher, but it also requires patience.  Two turns is a long time in an intense duel, especially early on when you need to use your resources to build an early-game advantage.  It's consistently a 1-for-1 overall, but it's a temporarily a -1.  With that same 1 card you're giving up, you could've had a removal option to deal with a pressing threat or trap card to protect your field. 

Gold Sarc is unfortunately in a catch 22.  High tier decks have faster search options and don't need this card.  Slower low tier decks can use this card (especially ones that benefit from banishing), but it won't make them high tier.  It's not unlikely that there would be an archetype in the future that has the ability to defend itself early game, but need a universal searcher.  It's not competitive right now, but it is a balanced well designed card with potential. 

2.5/5 

Hello Pojo Fans,
 
Gold Sarcophagus was once a prized card sought after by many, but as the format changed it has lost its playability over the years.
 
It doesn't really matter that “Gold Sarc” is unlimited. I never ran into someone who played three in any sort of deck, even for fun. Banish a card face-up and get it on your 2nd Standby Phase. It's a great card to start a game with, and it can help you hunt out any card that you may run one of in your deck. Unlike Different Dimension Capsule, this card doesn't need to stay on the field to complete the effect. You can also gain off this card if the card you banish activates when being banished.
 
Two turns is long to wait, and with an abundance of searching cards this card doesn't hold much water in the current Meta. It can be played in any deck, anyone can use it, it won't cost you Life Points, only time. It is up to the duelist to decide if this card will mesh well in their deck.
 
Advanced-3/5
Art-4/5
 
Until Next Time

From 1 to 3. That's a joke. Anyway, Gold Sarcophagus became less powerful without big bad Dragon Rulers, so it was time to unleash their full potential. Getting any card to the hand is good, but this gives it to you two turns after you activate Gold Sarcophagus. There are a number of tricks and combos to pull off with this card, so for sheer versatility, it scores well. Also, Magical Explosion still exists, and these cards make sweet OTK babies. This card keeps getting reprinted so own 3 and watch what happens. 
 
Score: 4/5
Art: 4/5
 
-WarlockBlitz