Critical Analysis - Did you consider everything?

[Seanoow]

This card may seem powerful at first, but it does have two major drawbacks: you have to be in a bad position to gain the full benefit of this card, and depending on what you choose to use this card for, it might end up costing you the duel.

Flip all set cards your opponent controls face-up (card effects are not activated) you can banish any number of cards flipped by this card's effect by paying 1000 lifepoints for each. Then, cards that were flipped but not banished are set face-down. If your opponent still controls 5 or more cards than you, you can draw 1 card for every 2 cards they control more than you (rounded down).

[Trebuchet MS]

Would it make a little more sense to look/reveal the cards instead of flipping them face-up? Or is there a reason for turning them face-up due to dodging anything that wants to be banished while Set?

[Seanoow]

I wanted to make sure that the set cards could not be activated unless they would specifically respond to it (like dark bribe etc) maybe it could prevent all cards except counter trap cards from being activated... I'm not totally sure what the best way to word this card would be. I remember a psychic spell card that had pretty much the same 1000 lifepoints to banish a card effect, but this card should be able to hit more. I don't think I'm the only duelist that thinks 1000lp to banish a card is ok but 2000 to banish 2 is pushing it. In a way this card should be self destructive but have a "better effect" than that psychic spell card since this card allows you to see what your banishing first.

[Trebuchet MS]

Here, let me clean this up a little.

 

Flip Look at all Set cards your opponent controls, then face-up (card effects are not activated) you can banish any number of Set cards your opponent controls, and if you do, you lose flipped by this card's effect by paying 1000 LP for each card banished by this effect. Then, cards that were flipped but not banished are set face-down. if your opponent still controls 5 or more cards than you do, you can draw 1 cards equal to half your current card deficit for every 2 cards they control more than you (rounded down). Cards and effects, except Counter Trap Cards, cannot be activated in response to this card's activation.

Remember that looking at Set cards is still a thing, which removes a lot of clutter that would be otherwise expressed if you used "flip face-up". Because you don't really turn the cards face-up, Flip Effects don't get activated, and anything left untouched is still face-down on the field.

 

You can't pay costs in the middle of and effect's resolution, so I changed LP payment to LP loss.

[~~~~]

This card is partly a worse "Judgement Scales" but it also packs a powerful removal effect. With enough LP you can easily remove any unknown threat, while not wasting LP on benign cards. I can imagine this card being rather useful in O/FTK decks, either getting some draw power to speed the OTK along, or assuring the OTK with the banishing effect.

 

Asking about the term "card deficit": Doesn't that include cards in the hand? The activation requirement of Judgement Scales implies so. If not then this card could be useless if your opponent controls 1 or no cards, but generally speaking, this is still a really good card, so your OCG fix may have changed the effect, Gadjiltron.

 

About getting the "full" benefit of this card: While it is possible to use both effects well in one use of this card (if you are in a bad situation card advantage-wise but doing well LP-wise), this card is particularly good for its versatility. Not only do you have two quite different effects, but you can use them both as much or as little as you want, in a sort of inversely proportional way. Because of this, as I alluded to above, this card is always going to be useful as long as your opponent has a good field.

 

Although using this card's effect just for draw power would be nearly always worse than Judgement Scales, this card could be slightly better in decks that tend to have good hand advantage but poor/no field advantage, plus you do get to look at your opponent's face-downs, and can banish a few if necessary. (eg: using this card in an Exodia deck, and you discover your opponent has Mind Crush.)

 

Gadjiltron, about your OCG fix "you can banish any of Set cards your opponent controls" doesn't make sense, also in "if your opponent still controls 5 or more cards than you", is the word "still" necessary? Also, as I pointed out earlier, your use of the word "deficit" would probably change the effect. Sorry if I am wrong, and I am also sorry that I can't produce a full OCG fix, but I am not sure about too many things to do it.

 

As for "I wanted to make sure that the set cards could not be activated unless they would specifically respond to it (like dark bribe etc)", you could use "Cards and effects, except cards or effects that include an effect that negates a card or effect, cannot be activated in response to this card's activation."

[Trebuchet MS]

Asking about the term "card deficit": Doesn't that include cards in the hand? The activation requirement of Judgement Scales implies so. If not then this card could be useless if your opponent controls 1 or no cards, but generally speaking, this is still a really good card, so your OCG fix may have changed the effect, Gadjiltron.

 

Although using this card's effect just for draw power would be nearly always worse than Judgement Scales, this card could be slightly better in decks that tend to have good hand advantage but poor/no field advantage, plus you do get to look at your opponent's face-downs, and can banish a few if necessary. (eg: using this card in an Exodia deck, and you discover your opponent has Mind Crush.)

 

Gadjiltron, about your OCG fix "you can banish any of Set cards your opponent controls" doesn't make sense, also in "if your opponent still controls 5 or more cards than you", is the word "still" necessary? Also, as I pointed out earlier, your use of the word "deficit" would probably change the effect. Sorry if I am wrong, and I am also sorry that I can't produce a full OCG fix, but I am not sure about too many things to do it.

For anything involving "deficit", it changes depending on what the card wants you to compare. Judgment Scales' deficit considers the cards in your hand because its activation condition compares them too. So this card's "card deficit" will only compare the cards on the field.

 

My bad, accidentally deleted "number" in earlier draft but forgot to undo the deletion. The card will only do the deficit check if the opponent controls 5 or more cards after you are done banishing, meaning you get no draws if the difference is 4 cards or fewer. I believe the original version of this card also intends to do so.

[Seanoow]

Just to confirm, yes the card draw/deficit check effect will only occur if you have a 5 card deficit. Though I will admit that I have been pondering whether or not the deficit check should occur before or after this card is sent to the graveyard. Something like "during your end phase, if your card deficit is 5 or more..." because the way the card works now, your opponent would have to control 6 cards and this be the only card you control, and you would have to not banish any cards... wow this actually seems like an exceptionally rare situation. But just to clarify would this card count toward (or I guess it would be against) your card deficit?

[Trebuchet MS]

Yes, it will still count towards your deficit. Cards don't leave the field mid-Chain until they finish resolving, unless they actually got destroyed.