Stats                : Millennium Scorpion is a Level 5 Monster.  This is fairly reasonable: it is obviously harder to Summon than something smaller as it requires one Tribute for a Normal Summon, but that isn’t too hard.  It can also be dumped and revived like many other Monsters.  Being a Level 5 also gives it some nice options with Metamorphosis.

Millennium Scorpion is an Earth/Insect.  The downside to this is that many of the best Insect Monsters are not Earth.  The good news is that there are some that are, and they can be fairly useful.  Earth itself is a strong element that boasts probably the strongest beatstick in the present game, Berserk Gorilla, plus some other useful cards.  Being an Insect also has advantages I’ll touch upon in the Uses and Combinations section.

Sadly, we do hit a low point for the card when we look at the ATK of 2000.  The DEF of 1800 isn’t horrid, but it isn’t overly useful: most dedicated beatsticks are over 1800 ATK and thus it will merely protect against the majority of support Monsters.  The DEF isn’t technically bad though, as sneaking a peek at the effect, anything a lot higher would usually be a waste.

Effect(s)            : For every Monster on your opponent’s side of the field this Monster destroys, you get to add 500 points to the ATK score.  So if you summon this and can run over at least one actual Monster card (since tokens wouldn’t count as they don’t go to the graveyard), you’ll be at a very nice 2500 ATK, which point this goes from “meh” to “w00t”!  A second successful kill puts this at 3000, meaning Black Luster Soldier-Envoy of the Beginning has to remove it from play too get by it.

Uses and

Combinations  : This card is basically another solid Level 5 Monster, and that can work in a few different decks, but especially Earth, Insect, and of course, Earth/Insect.  Howling Insect can fetch Pinch Hopper from the deck (as can Giant Rat, but not in DEF mode).  Insect Imitation makes this card friendly to most decks: trade any Level 4 Monster for this.  Looks like being an Insect is finally starting to pay off.  Plus, you can use Metamorphosis to summon a Dark Balter the Terrible.  Another bonus: a 2000 ATK lets it perform a fake suicide run against Berserk Gorilla: attack or be attacked, then activate good old Waboku.  There are a lot of Monsters that are either used for effects or that get hit for negative effects after serving their purpose (like Goblin Attack Force).  Great cards to use for fodder.

Ratings

Traditional       : 3/5-Summon Breaker, use his counter, then Insect Imitation into a 2000 ATK beatstick you have the option of “morphing” into Dark Balter the Terrible.  Note, this is complex, but useful, hence the 3/5 rating.  Remember, that score encompasses a small “bonus” for being useful in certain specific deck themes… that aren’t that great here.

Advanced        : 3.65/5-Still a great general card, it scores higher as it becomes more effective here.

Limited                        : 4/5-If you can get it out and kill one or two Monsters, you’ll build up a near unstoppable juggernaut.

Summary

There would be no doubt that this would be played if it were a Light or Dark Monster.  Since it is Earth, though, it has potential, especially for non-Chaos decks.  I may be over-estimating the potency of the ATK increase, and the difficulty in adding Insect Imitation to decks, but even if I am, we still get a very solid Monster for Insect and Earth decks.