Scrap Rage is the final Scrap card we look at this week.  It is a Normal Trap.  Normally being granted Spell Speed 2 status in this matter introduces a certain element of versatility into the card’s effect(s), but not in this case: it begins with a restrictive clause stating it can only be activated during damage calculation, and when a Defense Position Scrap monster on the field is being attacked.  If you meet both of those conditions, said monster will get a fat 2000 bonus to its DEF, which is actually enough to matter half the time.  Lastly, said Scrap monster will be destroyed at the end of the Battle Step.  This is actually good in many cases since we are destroying a Scrap monster with a Scrap effect, likely triggering its own Scrap themed effect.

 

In theory, this could be handy: you possibly inflict some solid “reflection” damage while still blocking an attack and triggering a Scrap effect, when without this card your Scrap monster would die and said effect wouldn’t trigger.  Realistically, that isn’t going to happen as often as you’ll like nor will it be a better option than simple destruction or more versatile ATK changing cards.  Do you really want to waste deck resources “surprise shifting” your Scrap monsters into DEF position after your opponent has declared an attack?  No?  So your opponent has to want to attack your DEF position Scrap monsters and/or run the appropriate cards to shift your Scrap monsters for you (like Enemy Controller).  Again, this is possible but extremely unlikely.  Instead you’d have to try to bait them into running into this, and they’ll see it coming a mile away.  Lastly, the most likely Scrap monsters your opponent is likely to risk attacking when they are in Defense Position already blow themselves up.  Scrap Goblin even protects itself from being destroyed in Battle; so much of Scrap Rage feels redundant.  Unless we see a lot more Scrap Rock monsters to enable a Scrap Rock deck where Shrink and Canyon could set up for mad damage, just run Waboku for general protection from death-by-battle or Sakuretsu Armor, Dimensional Prison, Bottomless Trap Hole, etc. to blow up opposing monsters instead.

 

Due of the hit and miss nature of Yu-Gi-Oh names, this is at least as appropriate as rating the artwork.  This isn’t about the technical merits of a cards name.  Things like being part of a theme are part of the card’s actual score.  I am so tired of good cards getting bad names, bad cards getting good names, and random cards getting random names that I must draw attention to it.  In this case, Scrap Rage fits fairly well.  The art feels a tad off (the legs just don’t look right to me) and cards with “Rage” in the name are usually based on piercing effects, making this feel a tad misleading.  If the card was better, this wouldn’t feel like such a waste.

 

Ratings (In Scrap decks)

 

Traditional: 1/5

 

Advanced: 1.5/5

 

Art: 3/5

 

Name: 3/5

 

I am still selling my former collectables on eBay.  I’ve had a lot of hobbies over the years, so at various times I’ll have comic books, manga, action figures, and video games on the auction block.  You can take a look at what’s up for bids here.  Just a reminder, Pojo is in no way responsible for any transactions and was merely kind enough to let me mention the auctions here. ;)