Twister is the more or less “fair” version of Mystical Space Typhoon.  Why is it fair?  One card for one card may sound fair, but as we’ve learned from cards like Book of Moon, “card advantage” is only part of the “real” advantage a card generates.  Most games I know, you never get anything close to a “one for one”: they’ll always be some sort of resource requirement to meet.  This is one of Yu-Gi-Oh’s big flaws: generic cards that give a return of one or more cards.  Oh, there are times when that won’t be a problem at all in a game, but usually it’s when the one card of advantage is something specific (at least Ojamagic hasn’t caused any problems yet to my knowledge).  In most games, it’s the combos all the time building advantage, and if you try to just “throw your cards” at the opponent, you’ll quickly falter against a skilled player who will take the hits, but in a few turns deliver a true combo for serious advantage.  For the most part, cards that “kill” another card should be restricted in their usage (not as in a list, but the effect only targeting certain other cards) and/or some sort of cost.  Twister has both: it can only kill face-up Spell/Traps and requires a 500 LP payment, but it is still a Quick-Play Spell.  If we saw more play of Continuous Spells and Traps, Field Spells, and Equips… well, then Heavy Storm would just be thought of as that much better.  If I throw that out, there are a few other cards.  I’ve said more than once there’s too much removal in this format, though I try to paint a picture of the kinds that would be okay and usually people don’t like the words I’ve chosen.  “Easy”, “generic”, “simple”, basically I mean that if it’s something any deck can use it better have some sort of cost.  Even 500 LP matters when it’s on almost everything you use.  That is to say,  if that cost were slapped onto all the like Spells, Traps, and Effect Monsters that lack such a cost and people favor now for any deck, you can bet they’d be looking for more “themed” alternatives (though Suicide Beatdown would probably return as a viable deck type).

 

If Twister hit face down cards, I wouldn’t like it: Mystical Space Typhoon is too good, and even with that cost it’d be too good.  The LP cost will be mostly negligible, so it isn’t much of a safety net but I’d rather it was on there then it wasn’t if it means slowly building the card base that we can Ban many of the older cards that have been trouble.

 

Realistically, you still might consider this in your deck.  If you’ve got Chiron the Mage in your deck, it’s a guilt free discard.  Without Chiron, it still can take out pesky cards like Premature Burial, Call of the Haunted, and somewhat random cards that are important to specific decks but just not all of them (like Necrovalley).  I’ve tested it a bit and while obviously inferior to Mystical Space Typhoon, it can be a decent alternative to Dust Tornado or Nobleman of Extermination.  It’s not a bad card, but it won’t do much in the current format.  Hopefully it’s the foundation for a brighter future.

 

Ratings

 

Traditional: 1/5 – Yeah, we got options hear, and don’t need it.

 

Advanced: 2/5 – Right now, there are still too many better options, but I don’t think those options should remain.