From: A.
Sent: Friday, March 24, 2006 6:48 PM

Subject: One Extremely Underused Card, and Some Thoughts on the Game - Alaric Chinn

Okay Ladies and Gentleman,

I would like to introduce everyone to a card that has been seeing little or no play since it came out in Labryinth of Nightmare. That's right, folks.
LON, one of the older sets in the game. Please, give a warm welcome to...

(Drum Roll)

Bait Doll, Spell Card
LON-096

Effect:
Force the activation of 1 face-down Trap Card. If the timing of the activation of the Trap Card is incorrect, negate the effect and destroy it. If it is not a Trap Card, it is returned to its original position. After this card is activated, it is placed into the Deck (not the Graveyard). The Deck is then shuffled.

This card came out at around the same time as the Pegasus Starter Deck, which meant that MST was available in droves. To this card's dishonor, it was seen as an inferior card. Now, I know it's not Quickplay, but look at its effect (then come back here).

At best, it's a 1:1/2 trade. That's right, a 1:1/2 trade. Why? Because it gets shuffled back into the deck after usage. This is the ultimate form of trap destruction that we have ever had to combat what people are playing against us. This card kills the following (which may be some, not all of the traps it can kill, I'm sure there are many):

1. Torrential Tribute
Want to see the look on your opponent's face when they can no longer clear your field?

2. Sakuretsu Armor
Oh, let me destroy the card that you wanted to kill my monster with.

3. Widespread Ruin
Hmm... killed, nailed.

4. Just about every card that waits for a monster to be summoned or special summoned.

5. Any and all combo traps, this thing kills counter traps as well. A solemn judgment's forced activation against this thing? That sounds pretty good.

You see, my wonderful colleagues. This card is the ultimate response to the thirty thousand traps that your opponent uses against you. You activate their trap for them, and if it isn't a trap, then at least you got a look at it. Really people, I'm surprised at the lack of enthusiasm around this card, this beautiful card. This card forces your opponent to
either:

A. Negate it to save a trap.
B. Let it go through and laugh at you if its a spell (but you can laugh at them because it'll be recycled, and you get a free look) C. Form them to activiate a premature Gravity Bind or Royal Decree D. Slowly begin to control the duel, by focusing your Bait Dolls to find targets for other cards.

Now, I'm not saying for this card to replace MST (which is broken) or any other S/T Destruction, but I think, that if there is a facedown that is worrying you, play this guy, get a free shuffle of the deck, and hopefully destroy a trap card. If you get them in the wrong timing, it's destroyed. It's true that a continuous may survive, but I think that Bait Doll is a good tech against the current metagame. After all, Waboku is another card that hasn't received much play...

Everyone says that destroying a monster is a good thing. Well, it's time that we take their S/T bait and use it against them. I think, it's time to run Bait Doll.

I for one, run two in my deck. Having two not only adds a great amout of power to my deck, but it also allows me to gain control of the situation. Sure, a Gravity Bind may hurt me, but then, by controlling the back field of your opponent, they're forced to rely on monsters. In my personal style of dueling, I like to make it so that I control my oppenent's decisions.
It's amazing once you're able to get the hang of it.
As their traps disappear, their monsters come up...
and that's when you use your own traps.

-Kaiser Poet

Question, Comments?