Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir ———————————————— 2 Level 4 monsters Once per turn, during your Standby Phase, detach 1 material from this card. If you cannot, destroy it. This Attack Position card cannot be destroyed by your opponent's card effects. Your opponent cannot target this Attack Position card with card effects. While this card is in face-up Defense Position, change all face-up monsters on the field to Defense Position, also negate the activated effects of monsters that were in Defense Position when that effect was activated. ———————————————— Can Be Found In: Circuit Break (CIBR-EN097)
The battle position of a monster became more a main choice depending of the build itself. Due how friendly the card game goes about offense with high ATK creatures and removal options, in most Duels we'll barely see Defense Position creatures unless a player is in a pinch. Defending with our monsters will mostly come from stalling mechanics, relying more on effects and alternative options to achieve a win. But in some rare cases monsters will remain effective no matter their battle position, either by having solid stats or having unique effects depending of their position on the field.
"Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir" can become a troublesome Xyz Monster to whoever has to face it due its two effects activating by its battle position. While in Attack Position "Bagooska" will completely ignore removal and targetting effects, forcing the opponent to rely on attacks to take it down. If "Bagooska" goes into Defense Position, all other face-up monsters will also turn into defense as well negating their activation abilities in the process when that happens. With either a invulnerability towards most effects or a temporal lock down of the board "Bagooska" has a catch, as must detach one of its material during our Standby Phase or else will destroy itself. However, despite "Bagooska" staying alive for at most three turns, it can become either a bothersome attacker or a way to shut down most offenses and abilities to break through opponent's setups.
By just requiring two Level 4 monsters, "Bagooska" easily becomes available for the vast majority of Decks out there. From effects like "Summoner Monk" and "Rescue Rabbit" summoning materials from the Deck to Graveyard options like "Debris Dragon" and "Masked Chameleon", the availability of "Bagooska" is more than assured from the start of a Duel to the late game. Obviously that includes archetypes, with some like Six Samurai some arround Pendulum Monsters swarming with Level 4 creatures as soon they start their turn. Overall all we have to worry about is the battle position we wanna bring out "Bagooska", as depending of the situation of the board one will benefit more than the other.
The efficiency of "Bagooska" will depend of various circumstances as soon it lands on the field with the battle position we chose. In Attack Position "Bagooska" can become quite the annoyance due its many vulnerabilities, and by forcing the opponent to use attacks to take it down we can easily predict them with cards like "Forbidden Lance" and "Shrink" among others. However, its Defense Position effect will show the most in many Duels as affects the entire field, and in proper timing we can completely ruin entire boards as soon "Bagooska" is summoned. Although "Bagooska" also affects our side of the field, if we bring it along Link Monsters we can keep our offense and activation effects safe due these creatures not having DEF and therefore unable to change battle position. Combined with Link Monsters such as "Ib the World Chalice Priestess" and "Proxy Dragon" and their linked abilities, "Bagooska" will become hard to take down even by its own maintenance cost and keep affecting the entire field. Alternatively, "Bagooska" can easily fit among the Superheavy Samurais thanks to their gamestyle of staying defensive yet still able to attack in that position.
"Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir" is a card that its mere summon can crumble entire setups by being summon in Defense Position. With many dominating activated effects to be negated and the sinergy along Link Monsters, is obvious that its Attack Position effect will have not many uses if we manage our field properly. However, even if "Bagooska" gives a big advantage arround Link Monsters the opposite will happen against them, becoming a pointless Xyz Summon to invest on in a gradually dominant kind of monster. In resume, "Bagooska" is not a monster we shouldn't blindly depend on specially since relies on its materials to stay alive, but rather a creature that requires the right field to either shut down the opponent's field and/or take the lead along Link Monsters and others.
Personal Rating: A
+ Gains protection against targetting and destructive effects while in Attack Position + If in Defense Position forces all monsters to the same position and negates their activation effects at that moment + Great sinergy arround Link Monsters to shut down the opponent's field
- Its Attack Position effect won't have many uses - Must spend a material during our Standby Phases or will destroy itself - Not useful against Link Monsters