Stats                : Mind Crush is a Normal Trap.  So you’ll have to wait to activate it, but once it’s been Set through an End Phase, you can activate it at almost any time in response to assorted cards and effects (unless they are Spell Speed 3).

 

Effect(s)            : Okay, the meat of the card: declare a card name.  If it’s in the opponent’s hand, it’s discarded.  If there are multiple copies of it, they are all discarded.  If there are no copies of it in their hand, you have to discard a card, randomly, from your own hand.  Pretty sweet effect and even I think it is fairly balanced.

 

Uses and

Combinations  : I would think this a decent counter for assorted aspects of the game.  Break the Gadget loop.  Once Golden Chest of Sealing (or whatever it’s called) comes out, if it wasn’t a Quick-Play Spell you can safely nail it in their hand.  Obviously it’s great if you can follow up Confiscation, the recently released Crush Card Virus, the well known Deck Devastation Virus, etc. with this.  If you are feeling particularly daring, you could even risk saving them up and attempting to wipe the opponent’s hand out at once: if they Heavy Storm or the like to get rid of them, just activate them all: the first one might miss, but you’ll know what to say for the next two.

 

Oh wait, it’s down to one.  Why?  A nasty, re-usable upcoming bouncer (already Restricted to one as well) and all the above.

 

Ratings

 

Traditional       : 1/5 – Given that it’s at one and can be a dead draw… is it worth the risk to maybe counter Yata or power up a Confiscation or Forceful Sentry?  I don’t think so.

 

Advanced        : 3/5 – Still solid for control decks, but its ability to counter some of the popular decks was lost with the restriction, but thankfully so was it’s super nasty combo.

 

Summary

I had a spazztastic moment when I first typed this, and forgot it was down to one.  Here, I commented on how balanced it seemed, but Konami would probably release some nasty new card and prove me wrong.  Then I remembered they already had.

 

-Otaku