Monday, June 25, 2012

Card Review: Mind Control

Earlier today I've had the pleasure of testing my patience with what might have been the most annoying person I have ever dueled, via Dueling Network. I probably would have written a noteworthy story for the duel, but the only that would have been interesting, or mindlessly amusing rather, is how this inexperience child freaked out over how I operated the dueling simulator, given he had the impression that he knew how to actually play. Beside the point, in that duel that I was just waiting to end quickly, the card that helped me finish off my opponent was a Spell Card called Mind Control.

So lets examine this useful card. Mind Control is a Normal Spell Card that allows you to gain control of one monster that your opponent controls until the end of the turn. Like any card, Mind Control has its advantages as well as its disadvantages. Its disadvantages include being a Spell Card and the fact that the Monster you gain control of cannot be Tributed or declare an Attack. Inherently, not much is lost especially considering that Mind Control is a great card for any tactical Duelist. (I say that Mind Control being a Spell Card is a disadvantage because it can easily be negated, will only be used once, only has Spell Speed 1, and you'd have to undergo a totally different card in order to use Mind Control in your Deck. If there is one thing I have learned in my Economics class, it is that "The Opportunity Cost is the next best thing lost"). The advantages that Mind Control has are not directly listed on the card, contrary to the draw backs the card carries.

In the original season of Yu-gi-oh!, that so many people remember from a decade ago, there was a card that was capable of taking control of an opponent's monster called Change of Heart. That card has long since been added to the Forbidden List due to it's potency and lack of restrictions/drawbacks other than lasting only one turn. Brain Control was a slightly watered-down version of Change of Heart, but it only required a cost of 800 Life Points. Mind Control was made to sort of emulate the effect of Change of Heart or Brain Control, but its restrictions, such as the monster card affected being unable to declare an attack balance it out for fair play. Although Mind Control cannot match the power of Change of Heart, it does have certain advantage over another card that manipulates your opponent's monsters to shift over to your command, Creature Swap. Mind Control does not require you to have a Monster on your side of the Field in order to use, and best of all (my favorite part of the card is that,) Mind Control is not restricted to only targeting Face-Up Monsters, unlike Brain Control, the Battle Position does not matter when using this card! Creature Swap does not allow the Monster Cards affected to change their Battle Position, but since Battle Position does not really matter, you can Flip Summon a Monster card that you gained control of through the use of this spell.



So what makes Mind Control so useful? For starters, sometimes all that stands in your way would be just one monster, one that might even have immunity to destruction by battle. Mind Control will allow you to move one of your obstacles out of your way in order to deal attacks. The Monster that you gain control of can even be used as Materials for a Fusion Summon, Ritual Summon, Synchro Summon, and even an Xyz Summon; so, although the monster cannot be tributed (for a tribute summon or for the cost of a card effect) it  can still be used as a resource to build your arsenal. In the case of my duel Earlier today, I gained control of my opponents only monster, which was in Face-Down Defense Position, I Flip Summoned and used it as Synchro Material, and then I had an extra monster to attack with to finish the Duel; with that one play, I got rid of a monster and gained another in return.

Because of its potency, Mind Control is currently on the Limited List, which means only 1 Copy is allowed per Deck in the Advanced Format for tournament use. Mind Control is available in Gold Series 2 Booster Packs and is included along with the Warrior's Strike Structure Deck. I would consider this card a "Staple".



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