Stats                : Magical Dimension is a Quick-Play Spell.  Whatever this card does, it doesn’t get any better than that.  Well, maybe Counter Trap, but this is definitely the best Spell category: Spell Speed 2 and if you set it, you can activate it on your opponent’s turn.  The only downside is that if you are “forced” to Set it on your turn (you don’t want to discard it with a Card Destruction or Morphing Jar flip, for example), then you’ll have to wait until your opponent’s turn to activate it, like you would a Trap.

 

Effect(s)            : First and foremost, you must have a Spellcaster in play to even activate the card.  Then, you must offer a Monster on your side of the field as Tribute to Special Summon a Spellcaster from your hand.  Finally, you then have the option of destroying an opponent’s Monster.  This is a good effect; at worst, you burn a card to get a useful Spellcaster into play.  Even if it’s not even as good as the sacrificed Monster, you can still use it in your Battle Phase for an “extra” attack.  You would be “down” two cards, but if it’s for the win, or at least knocks the opponent into an LP range where they must be careful (Magic Cylinder or Ceasefire can wipe out their remaining LP pretty easily), it is well worth it.  Still, with proper use, you will rarely be coming up shy.

 

Uses and

Combinations  : This is meant, of course, for a more or less dedicated Spellcaster deck.  This is why it references them twice (requiring at least one Spellcaster in play in order to Special Summon another Spellcaster).  A Sangan is probably the best, realistic Tribute fodder, but an expended Magician of Faith or Breaker the Magical Warrior even an Apprentice Magician that either the opponent is going for or else has nothing left in deck to search for.  As for targets for Summoning, generally you’ll want a big Spellcaster that would be harder to Summon on its own, like Dark Magician or Dark Magician of Chaos.  Obviously, with a Level 7 or better Monster, it’s nice since the card expenditure (two) is what you’d have given up for a Normal Tribute Summon.  Just remember that an optional “triggers when Summoned” effect, like Dark Magician of Chaos’ Spell retrieval effect, will miss their timing if you use Magical Dimension’s Monster destroying effect.  If you don’t use Magical Dimension’s Monster destroying effect, then optional effects like Dark Magician of Chaos’ Spell retrieval effect can still be used.

 

It can also be used to “dodge” targeted effects.  Things that aren’t considered “targeted” in the Yu-Gi-Oh sense, like Creature Swap and Smashing, will still do their thing but Snatch Steal, Sakurestu Armor, etc. will fizzle.

 

Now, some may feel that this card isn’t so great “card advantage”.  Of course, mostly these will be people who just count cards and ignore some of the intangibles, or who forget that a Monster in play’s worth two in the hand.  Well, barring certain Effect Monsters.  I’ve had a hard time seeing this problem, and I think it is because I look at this card as a way of Special Summoning as opposed to Monster removal.  I mean the Monster removal aspect appears to have been given to this card just so that players wouldn’t be scared away by losing a Monster in play and two cards from hand for a simple Special Summon.

 

Ratings (for use in a Spellcaster themed deck)

 

Traditional       : 2/5-It can work, but for this format, I am just not seeing it being really useful.  Removal up the wazoo and all.

 

Advanced        : 4/5-A must have for Spellcaster decks.

 

Limited            : N/A-This is currently a Structure Deck only card and I don’t know of any Limited events for them in Yu-Gi-Oh (though they exist in other games).

 

Summary

An excellent example of compensating for the hand disadvantage a Special Summon generates (by destroying an opponent’s Monster as well) and of a double “Type” restriction built in so it is not very profitable to use this outside of its intended Spellcaster theme.