Stats: Mecha-Dog Marron is a Level 4 Light/Machine Effect Monster with an ATK/DEF of 1000 each.  There are some good benefits from these Stats:

1. Light has decent support and is Chaos Food
2. Machine’s have some great support
3. Good synergy between Attribute/Type (many “good” or better Light/Machines exist)
4. This card can be searched from the deck and Special Summoned via Shining Angel
5. This card can be searched from the deck and added to your hand by the effects of Sangan and Witch of the Black Forest.
6. Small enough to slip under Messenger of Peace

 

The main draw back of the card at this point is its rather puny ATK/DEF of 1000.  Most supporting Monsters are strong enough to put this dog down.  Then again, this is an Effect Monster, and it is Burn Week, so the stats are probably secondary.

 

Effect(s): Simply put, one way or another, if this card is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, your opponent is taking 1000 points of damage.  Thing is, if it’s through battle, then you also take it.  This isn’t too great an effect on its own, but it is much more predictable than yesterday’s, so it is fairly solid.  Since it is concrete damage, Barrel Behind the Door can be used with it.  The other main benefit is that it discourages your opponent from doing anything but attacking it (so that you both take the damage).

 

Too bad players love what is left of their mass removal: Lightning Vortex, Mirror Force, Torrential Tribute, and Tribe Infecting Virus.  This basically adds a 1000 LP “cost” (not in the literal game sense) to using those cards effect.  It also can make a Cyber Jar a lethal weapon.

 

Uses and

Combinations: Here is this card’s chance to shine.  First, it is “Chaos Compatible”.  That helps immensely.  Second, as stated, your opponent will either have to suck up the LP loss or waste an attack on killing it if s/he wants both of you to take the damage.  What also helps is that the effect doesn’t state who has to destroy it.  If either player uses Ring of Destruction or similar cards on it, your opponent ends up taking an extra 1000 points of damage.  Probably the sweetest thing is that, unless I missed a ruling or errata, this effect should trigger when Limiter Removal has been used and you reach the End Phase.  So in addition to turning this pup into a decent 2000 (or great 4000, or sick 8000) ATK Machine, you’ll get an extra 1000 points of direct damage to the opponent.

 

Summary

 

Traditional: 3/5-Machine/Chaos can be done, and this is decent enough to consider for “normal” Chaos too.  I wouldn’t expect it to carry your deck, but it probably won’t need the rest of the deck to carry it.

 

Advanced: 3.75/5-This is more a composite rating: I’d consider it a staple for a Machine Chaos deck, for example, and a solid choice for a burner.  I can’t think of any decks where it would horribly clash (barring the obscure), though it’s probably not too helpful to a handful (like Exodia).

 

Limited: 3/5-It’s probably going to die in battle, so it basically becomes a guaranteed 1000 points of damage to each player.  This doesn’t seem to support any real themes found in the cards, but as long as you are already ahead in LP, that’s useful.