Classic COTD Reviews – Magic Ruler (2002)

Card Name

Pojo Avg

My Rating

Notes

Axe of Despair

3.8

3

It can make Witch and Sangan get over LV4 beaters, but outside of that, it’s a -1 if your monster gets hit with removal cards.

A good equip, but Equip cards in general are unreliable.  You could side 1 against beatdown, but it’s not essential.

Megamorph

3.7

3

Similar review as Axe.  Creative and well designed effect, but same weaknesses of being a -1.

It can be lethal and deal high damage in the right scenario.  But also less consistent; what if your LP is lower when you need the ATK boost?

Cyber Jar

4.3

3.5

Viable, but risky.  This is just my opinion but If you’re confident that you’re better than your opponent you want to reduce the game-state.  You want a more predictable game, less volatility, less chance of them drawing into a some really powerful cards. 

Has a usecase for empty jar, burn or alt win decks that just need to draw into their cards.

Confiscation  

4

4.75

It is a hard-staple, but I also see the apprehension about the cost.  Information and being able to predict what the opponent will do is just really powerful.

The Forceful Sentry

3.9

5

This was a hard-staple for years until its ban.  I don’t understand the low score.  There are no costs, restrictions or drawbacks.  It’s free information and you send back their best cards.

Upstart Goblin

2.2

3.5

Reviewers were a bit harsh on this.  I get that life points are important and it’s not hard-meta.

But it could work in control decks, thinning your deck so you draw into Pot/Raigeki/Reborn/etc. faster.

Griggle

1.3

1

Darkness Approaches

1.7

1

Fairy’s Hand Mirror

2.5

2

House of Adhesive Tape

1.5

1

Delinquent Duo

4.1

5

Staple.  Even if it’s not great late-game when opponent has 1 card in hand, it’s still a 1 for 1 and you discarded their only card.

Maha Vailo

3.5

1.5

Was the ultimate noob bait of its time. 

It’s not self-sufficient.  Without equips, its stats are weak and it has no effect.  And if this is being equipped, it likely already has the ATK it needs to win battles and the 500 is redundant.

Also forces you use equip cards which are -1’s against monster removal for this to work.  Players overrated raw ATK power back then, and undervalued utility.

Messenger of Peace

3.5

2.5

Good for stall burn decks, but there needs to be a win condition.  Stopping enemy creatures from attacking in itself isn’t enough, so most decks shouldn’t use this.

Toon World

2.6

1

WHHHHYY a 2.6!!!  It’s a -1.  Costs 1000 life points.  Has literally no effect.  Vulnerable to removal.

The Toon archetype has a very small pool of monsters.  None of them have utility effects.  There’s no Toon support cards at all, and none of them are searchable.

Relinquished

~3

3.5

I probably would’ve thought this card was bad at the time, but Relinquished decks have seen some play in retro formats.  The ratio seems to be 2 Senju, 2 Sonic Bird, 2 Ritual and 2 Relinquished.

Chain Energy

~3

3.5

This may have the highest burn damage potential of any card.  For dedicated burn decks only.  Avoid everywhere else.

Rush Recklessly

~3.5

3.5

700 ATK isn’t enough for Witch and Sangan to kill beaters.  However, it gets recruiters like Mystic Tomato and Giant Rat up to 2100 to kill both LV4 beaters and 2000 DEF walls.  Great for recruiter decks, average in general.

Spear Cretin

~3.5

3.5

Alt win con decks  🙁

Toon Summoned Skull

2.7

1

Reviewers??!?!  Why?  Can’t be used without Toon World (which is a bad card).  If the enemy has MST (which is legal at 3), this dies instantly.

Painful Choice

2.7

5

How did this staple card get the same avg as the Toon cards…

It takes skill to use properly, but thinning your deck is always good because you’re clearing out the so-so cards so you can draw into your power cards (i.e. Pot, Raigeki, Reborn sooner)

Invader of the Throne

~3

1

Why a 3??  It goes -1 against beaters.  It does nothing if its attacked into.  If the opponent already has a powerful monster worth stealing, it will certainly attack this thing.

Blue Eyes Toon Dragon

~2.6

1

See comments on other Toon cards.  Plus this requires a 2nd tribute making it even worse.

Snatch Steal

~3.6

4.75

Staple.  The downsides were overstated.  At worst this is a 1-for-1 if the opponent destroys it with removal.  At best, you make the enemy -1 if they have to use removal to clear their own monster.  1000 healing is nothing; if you’re playing correctly, you will be able to damage the opponent to make up for that.  And this card can be a game-ending play.

Banisher of the Light

~2.5

4

Underrated.  Sangan, Witch and Mystic Tomato are cornerstones of the early Yugioh formats.  The opponent attacks into this with Tomato, then next turn you run over it with your LV4 beater to +1 against them.  Plus its a 2000 DEF wall the opponent has to spend removal on. 

Mystical Space Typhoon

~4.3

4.75

Staple staple staple. Decks at the time used 3.  In some respects it was better than Heavy Storm because it can destroy cards the turn they’re set.

Giant Trunade

~3.4

3.5

I rated it 3.5 as a side deck card against burn or stall decks.   (But I wouldn’t main it since it’s a -1 and there’s not much spell/trap cards to synergize with it yet).

Penguin Knight

~2

1

Would later become viable with deckout/mill decks getting Needle Worm and Morphing Jar 2.  But not viable at release.

Black Pendant

3

1

It never had a niche.  For Burn decks, 500 damage isn’t enough and they don’t care about ATK power.  For beatdown or aggro, it’s worse than Axe of Despair.

Spellbinding Circle

n/a

1

Horrible.  Noob bait.  -1.  It doesn’t clear the threat. 

Malevolent Nuzzler

n/a

2

Axe of Despair makes this completely obsolete, but if you were a player in 2002 on a budget, this was a common and would’ve been useful.   700 ATK

Horn of the Unicorn

n/a

1

Horrible.  Worse than Nuzzler because mandatory return to deck effect makes you take longer to draw into you power cards.

Hiro’s Shadow Scout

n/a

1

-1 that could potentially be a -4.  Why does this card exist?

Mystic Tomato

n/a

4.5

Staple card, hard meta.  Searches out Sangan and Witch.  Helps you retain field presence even if it’s destroyed in battle.  Thins your deck.

Giant Rat

n/a

3

Not as many good targets as Tomato.  But similar benefits.  There’s Giant Soldier of Stone.  Viable in recruiter decks.

Mother Grizzly

n/a

3

Same points as Rat.  There’s Aqua Madoor, and maybe Catapult Turtle if you’re feeling spicy.