Card # SOI-EN055
Card Name Generation Shift
Card Type Trap
Is Continuous No
Is Counter No
Text
Destroy 1 face-up monster on your side of the field. Add 1 card from your Deck to your hand with the same name as the destroyed card.
Rulings
Destroying your monster for "Generation Shift" is not a cost. It's part of the effect.
You can target a Limited monster with "Generation Shift", but after destroying the monster you don't search or shuffle your Deck.
You can target a Token Monster with "Generation Shift" and it will be destroyed, but you do not search or shuffle your Deck (this part of the effect is not resolved).
If you target "Proto-Cyber Dragon" or "Elemental Hero Neo Bubbleman" with this effect, you must add "Proto-Cyber Dragon" or "Elemental Hero Neo Bubbleman" to your hand. You cannot add "Cyber Dragon" or "Elemental Hero Bubbleman".
You can target "Embodiment of Apophis" with "Generation Shift". It will be destroyed and a copy of "Embodiment of Apophis" from your Deck will be added to your hand.
Now the obvious, intended use of this card is for monsters that get benefits from having other copies of themselves in the graveyard. e.g. Chain Thrasher, Disciple of the Forbidden Spell, Divine Dragon - Excelion etc
There are other uses of course
1. T.A.D.P.O.L.E. -having copies of this will help with Des Frog decks.
2. King of the Skull Servants -helps boost the attack
3. tribute fodder -any special summon by removing X attribute/type monsters from the graveyard will be benefitted by this
4. deck thinning -ok, you lose a card on the field but you do thin by one card.
5. 'used up flip monsters'- if you flip up Magician of Faith, then realise that you have a hugely vulnerable 300 attack in attack position, use Generation Shift, remove your problem and pull out a replacement.
6. using up your opponents cards. If you Brain Control/Snatch Steal your opponents card, and you have a copy of it in your deck, you can use Generation Shift to both destroy your opponents monster whilst searching out your own copy. And as the monster is not tributed, then Mind Control can also be used. Enemy Controller (2nd function) could be used with Generation Shift also, especially when facing off against similar decks.
Imagine- you have a monster on the field, opponent declares an attack. Activate Enemy Controller, tributing your own monster to gain control of theirs. Then activate Generation Shift (in a new chain), destroying their monster (which would have reurned to them anyway) and fetching a replacement from your deck.
7. monster destruction. Sometimes you have a need to destroy your monster, either to clear space or to get an effect (Sangan?). Generation Shift will help with this, as well as potentially bringing out a replacement. The best example of this I have seen is in an exodia deck on Emissary of the Afterlife- destroy the card, fetch an exodia piece and search a replacement emissary...
There is potential here I think.
