A quick note: I had some difficulties this week so while I reviewed all cards but Kycoo, Monday I submitted my old review instead of the new one, and the rest were late, so go back and check them out now that they are [hopefully] up. ;)

 

Today we look at the Trap card Return from the Different Dimension.  I reviewed this when it was still relatively new (as did several other staffers).  This card gets re-reviewed due to how the metagame has changed since then… if I read and recollect properly, it was reviewed when the Ban List was Japanese only (my original view mentions the bans as an aside, since some used it in unsanctioned, local tournaments).  Anyway, with so many people running Chaos decks or the nature of many “counter-Chaos” strategies; removing the opponent’s Monsters from play so they can’t use them for Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning.  At certain times under both the current and former Ban Lists, players have experimented with Dimension Fusion.  This had some nifty tricks, but often back fired due to a) most opponent’s also running Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, b) most players running cards that remove their opponent’s Monsters from play and thus sometimes giving their opponent a better force and c) a set Life Point cost that mean late game, when such an assault would likely finish off an opponent, you could afford to activate it.

 

Enter Return from the Different Dimension.  It only lets you Special Summon removed from play Monsters, so you don’t have to worry that while you are just getting Blade Knight and Don Zaloog, your opponent is getting back their Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning and Dark Magician of Chaos.  Then there is the cost that, while steep early on, will almost always be worth it provided you are using the card with any skill: if you are crazy enough to use it when the opponent has set S/Ts and neither Torrential Tribute nor Mirror Force is in their Graveyard, you deserve to lose LP. ;) Seriously though, if early game you have Monsters removed from play and reviving and attacking once would win you the game… that is so worth half your LP, even if you haven’t taken any damage.  More importantly, late game where it might cost you as little as… well… free if you are at one Life Point, but usually 2000 or less.

 

Now, in addition to spicing up Chaos decks, this can be useful for defense as well-if the damage you’d take or effects triggered are nasty enough, paying half your LP to throw up a defensive wall is worth it.  When one moves to the realm of specific decks, you can use it with Last Turn or Suicide Beatdown decks, though I am not sure I’d recommend it for Last Turn.  Deck’s build around old Bazoo the Soul Eater definitely should consider this, and I can even see it being used (along with Dimension Fusion) and Catapult Turtle (again, in a very tailored deck) for a massive burn assault.  That last one is unlikely, but sounds fun.

 

Ratings

 

Traditional       : 1.75/5-Seems too risky.  Better S/T destruction makes it harder to get off offensively, and if you go for the kill and somehow fail, you’re that much more vulnerable to Chaos Emperor Dragon.

 

Advanced        : 3.5/5-Looks good here, at least for some sideboards (and of course a few specific decks other than Chaos)