Sadly, my schedule isn’t permitting me the time for a full, in depth review, but this is a well known Quick-Play Spell, Scapegoat, which is now on its third CotD review.  This repeat, like the last one, is indeed well deserved.  As stated, it is a Quick-Play Spell, which contributed to its ability to be [ab]used frequently.  This card is the best token creating card – at least in terms of quantity.  I think it’s also the “fastest”, since as I stated, it is a Quick-Play Spell and thus can Spell Speed 2 can be played from hand on your own turn.

I explained some things in my last review of the card.  Aside from a small but embarrassing mistake with the effect (just go read – its easy to find) and apparently being completely unaware of the true combo potential (leading to a lower score than it deserved), it had some useful information in it.

Scapegoat was restricted to one, and for good reason: it was the focus of a deck type (Goat Control) that was able to be fused with almost any deck (even easier than Chaos Control I believe).  The number of cards it could be abused with is scary: Metamorphosis (instant Thousand-Eyes Restrict), Enemy Controller (not heavily played during the end of the last Ban List), Creature Swap… and all this was in addition to its general use as a defensive card unaffected by Jinzo and Royal Decree.  On paper, Scapegoat doesn’t look so powerful, but once you see it, you realize that Quantity + Synergy = Broken.  I am not even going to mention its use in more specific deck types (like Burn).

Oh, the card had its downsides: couldn’t be activated if you didn’t have enough open Monster slots, you can’t have Summoned any Monsters (though Setting a Monster is okay), and position change/Trample essentially rendered at least one token null and void.  Due to all the combos, this didn’t matter, as it would usually take at least a turn to ready such options, and by then I’ve probably brought out Thousand-Eyes Restrict.

Ratings

Traditional       : 4/5-Just hits the borderline for a “must have” card.  With all the mass removal available, it becomes much more useful: at worst, all the tokens die at once.  Often, your opponent will have just one Monster plucking away at you while they try to draw into more Monsters… and you’ll be holding onto your own removal card waiting for that time.

Advanced        : 3.75/5-Just shy of being a staple, mainly because it clashes with aggressive decks.  Decks that Swarm or that find stalling almost useless.  In the buck of decks, though, even with its best stalling combo at one card a piece, it’s still very, very potent.

Limited            : 4/5-Though I think it only can be used in a Starter deck based event, which isn’t sanctioned.  Be careful not to lock down your own field with it.