Effect(s)            : Yes, I am leading off with the effect today, as it is needed to explain why the stats are good for this card.  Trap Jammer, as the name implies, negates a Trap when activated in response to said Trap’s activation.  There is but one restriction: it only works during the Battle Phase.  Still, that is often when many played Traps are activated, so it is not entirely a bad thing.

 

Stats                : Part of what makes Trap Jammer nice is that it is a Counter-Trap; that is, it is Spell Speed 3.  This means when you activate it, it will likely be the last link in the Chain.  It can also be activated in the Damage Step, should your opponent actually try to spring a Trap then.

 

Uses and

Combinations  : There are two things that hurt this card: the availability of easy Spell/Trap removal and a questionable ruling I cannot locate currently but am fairly certain exists.  I will explain each briefly: what is better, negating a Trap, or just destroying it?  Well, it generally depends upon the Trap: if it is highly chainable, like the classic Waboku, destroying it without it proving useful to the opponent is tricky.  Not impossible, but usually it will require using a Dust Tornado during your opponent’s End Phase of the turn they set said Trap.  However, at the moment, such Traps are getting rare.  The usual Trap set up seems to be mostly Traps that can’t be activated except in response to an attack (Sakuretsu Armor, Widespread Ruin) or to a Summon (Torrential Tribute, Bottomless Trap Hole).  Dust Tornado can take care of either: Trap Jammer can’t.

 

Unfortunately, due to one of those “I don’t care if it makes no sense, we say so” rulings, you can have multiple chains occur before the Battle Step ends and you enter the Damage Step.  In terms of game play, it is confusing and makes Spell Speed 3 matter less… just let the current chain resolve then try again.  In terms of “story”, it still makes little sense: guess all that stupid posturing in the animé gives extra times to cast Spells and utilize Traps.  Lame jokes aside that means that even after ruining their first attempt at defending… they get as many other attempts as they have cards.  Guess duelists are at one with The Matrix or something…

 

Ratings

 

Traditional       : 1.5/5 – It’s just better to destroy the Traps that get regularly played here; easier too.

 

Advanced        : 2/5 – Useful, but outshone due to better options (that probably shouldn’t exist) and another example of questionable rulings.

 

Limited                        : 3.5/5 – It can only be utilized if the opponent gets a Trap that can be activated in the Battle Phase… but if they do get one, it’s great to ruin their plans.

 

Summary

Drunken rules makers are annoying.  Sorry, this card represents two of those things about the game that drive me to distraction and make me want to quit: a card ruined because they aren’t properly balancing the game and a ruling that is simply “because we say so” and also is counter-intuitive.