Broken as Hell - Spellbook Judgment Day

Lord of the Tachyongalaxy has now been released for a few weeks in the OCG, so the effects of this new booster set should be visible in the OCG tourneys. So I started checking the new tourney lists.

And for crying out loud, everybody’s playing prophecies. Not the Phantom Plane Beasts, PROPHECY. And all this happened because of ONE card: Spellbook Judgment Day (name may vary upon TCG release).

What does the card do?

The effect of this spell goes as follows:

"During the End Phase of the turn you activated this card, add "Spellbook" Spell Cards from your Deck to your hand, except "Spellbook Judgment Day", up to the number of Spell Cards activated this turn after this card resolved, then you can Special Summon 1 Spellcaster-Type monster from your Deck, whose Level is less than or equal to the number of cards you added to your hand this way. You can only activate 1 "Spellbook Judgment Day" per turn."

Error or not?

When the card was first revealed, I suspected a translation error, in the same way Reaper of Prophecy had a fan-translation error (you know, the 5 DIFFERENT spellbook spell cards part).

With the first tournament results being crammed with Prophecy players, I know this is NOT a translation error. The effect does NOT specify SPELLBOOK spell cards. It does NOT specify DIFFERENT spell cards. I'm a Prophecy player and even I can admit: This card is just plain unfair for any opponent to face.

As a result of this Konami BLUNDER (seriously, this is a blunder), a prophecy deck that took some skill to play (because you lose if you make a mistake and your opponent doesn't), now has become a brainless plus-machine.

OCG-Prophecy decks now consist of 3 Toon Table of content + Toon Gemini Elf, 3 Upstart Goblins and any possible spell that lets you draw cards, because during the end phase, for each spell you activated, you can search a Spellbook card from your deck (WTF?) AND Special summon a Spellcaster from your deck (depending on how many cards you activated, you might even summon High Priestess). You can activate cards and effects until your hand is empty and during the end phase, your hand is completely refilled and you get a free monster. And don’t forget, because everyone uses 3 Spellbook of secrets & 3 Spellbook Magicians, this annoying card is so easy to search you can basically activate 1 EACH turn (including the recycle power of Eternity & Fate I literally mean EVERY turn).

Can it be stopped?

Well, first things first. You need to know, Macro Cosmos does NOT stop this deck. Stop trying to side it in, because it’s not going to save you. Seriously, I've faced several opponents trying to side Macro Cosmos against me. While it slows me down or cuts off the book-of-life possibilities, it doesn't stop the terror of Judgment Day.

But what can stop or slow the deck? The following cards:

• Thunder King Rai-oh: Stops all searching, but with the boost of Spellbook of Power & the special summon effect of High Priestess (yeah, Rai-Oh can’t negate it), it’s sooo easy to get over him.
• Number 16: Shock Master: Shock Lock is a bitch. If you can, put it in your extra deck. The only thing that can get over Shocker is High Priestess’s special summon effect. If you're able to protect him, you can have free reign over spellbooks.
• Also, there’s a reason why Mind Crush is at 3 nowadays. Prophecies is the master at searching cards, so their greatest weakness is Mind Crush. If it’s not already main decked, at least side-deck a few copies, because you are going to need it, believe me.
• Droll & Lock Bird: This hand trap is they key in stopping Exchange FTK, Gishki FTK and is thus also the key in stopping the Prophecies' new bomb. It just causes your opponent to stop adding cards to their hand.
• Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Spell: This counter trap card is becoming more and more live each day. It permanently stops the activation of a certain spell and the opponent can no longer activate cards with the same name (primary targets: Book of Secrets and Judgment Day). Yes, it costs you a spell. But you can block a Prophecy player completely with this card. And hey, it’s a useful side-deck against Fire Fists and Fire Kings as well.
• Anti-Spell Fragrance: Your opponent must set his spell cards and cannot activate them the same turn. Though be aware that this card is a favorite target for High Priestess and Breaker.

Personally, I advice Droll & Lock Bird and Cursed Seal for most decks (unless you can play the shock master+Roach or Beast+Roach combo). But Anti-Spell Fragrance works wonders as well.

"You activated Judgment Day?
It would be a real shame if you wouldn't be able to use its effect, eh?"

What should've been the better card text?

“During the End Phase of the turn you activated this card, add "Spellbook" Spell Cards from your Deck to your hand, up to the number of different Spellbook Spell Cards activated this turn after this card resolved, then you can Special Summon 1 Spellcaster-Type monster from your Deck, whose Level is less than or equal to the number of cards you added to your hand this way. You can only activate 1 "Spellbook Judgment Day" per duel.”

Look, I added/changed 3 words. Still a frigging plus-machine, but it's less broken and easier to stop, since it's only a once per duel-effect.

Afterword

I'm kind of sad with this card. I love spellcasters and I simply love it that a pure spellcaster deck has become competitive. But Judgment Day is broken and wrong on so many levels. It could've been a more balanced card, but now it's just a card waiting to get a permanent ban.

Until next time, V out.