Meteor of Destruction is a Normal Spell card with a built in restriction: it can’t be used if the opponent’s LP is less than 3000.  Why does this matter?   The rest of the card’s effect is to inflict 1000 LP damage to the opponent.  Talk about over compensation; not only does this prevent you from using it to finish off your opponent, but if it doesn’t show up early game, there is a good chance you won’t be able to use it at all!  Now, there is one good thing about it: they realized they had set a precedent.  As of yet, I don’t think any “burn” Spell does a flat 1000 damage.  Tremendous Fire has a 500 LP kick back to it.  Ookazi does only 800 with no draw backs.  Sadly, yes there are more Normal Spell cards that just do a flat amount of “burn” damage that is less than 800.  Still, if I must have a normal Spell that inflicts straight burn damage for a deck, I think you’re better off hitting myself with 500 damage from Tremendous Fire or settling for Ookazi.  If you have the option of using something other than a Normal Spell for burn damage, try Wave-­Motion Cannon (Continuous Spell), any of a number of Traps, or perhaps the best replacement: Poison of the Old Man: it’s a Quick-Play that does your choice of 800 damage to the opponent or giving you 1200 LP.

 

If you insist on running this, try combining it with a lot of Quick-Play burn cards and Traps.  Why?  Because according to the rulings, this card only checks your opponent’s LP when you activate it: should the opponent’s LP drop below 3000 after you use it, it still resolves.  Also consider Serial Spell.  That way if they show up and your opponent still has around 3001-4000 LP, you can make the damage actually matter.  Toss in a Trap like Ceasefire, Ring of Destruction and/or Quick-Play Spell like Poison of the Old Man or triggered effect like Dark Room of Nightmare and you might barely be able to justify running it.

 

Ratings

 

Traditional: 1/5-No.  I can think of no reason to run it here, especially given the more chaotic nature of the game; odds are this will be a dead draw unless it shows up in the opening hand.

 

Advanced: 2/5-Barely, since I suppose a single copy wouldn’t be bad for a Burn oriented deck.  Just remember that since you have to use it early on and it can’t chain to anything, your opponent will be more prepared to deal with the damage.

 

Limited: 3/5-First, it’s always nice to have a Spell or Trap just to set and bluff with it.  Also, 1000 damage is just more apt to be useful, especially since LP loss will be gradual unless it is a shut out.