C.G.'s Goat Thoughts: Equips
This article analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of Equip cards in Goat Format, highlighting their strategic use in specific archetypes and their synergy with cards like Jinzo.
Often considered mechanically inferior to other options for managing combat, there is a strong case to be made for certain Equip cards beyond the standard Premature Burial and Snatch Steal.
Most decks mainboard these cards, and both of them increase your access to another card type entirely: Monsters. Neither of them act as a traditional Equip card, which modifies the ATK and/or DEF of the Monster it is equipped to or grants it another effect.
Why Not Equips?
First, let's go through mechanical weaknesses that prevent Equips from being seen as a successful card type. Equips by default are combo cards that depend on you having a face-up monster you can attach it to, this makes for weaker topdecking and easier disruption of your strategy. Equips must remain attached to your monster to remain impactful, their effects disappear when they leave the field. Equips also usually rely on the Battle Phase to earn their keep. The phrase "MST on attack declaration." sends chills down the spine of the Equip user. Book of Moon and Tsukuyomi have a presence in the format and flipping a monster face-down always destroys the Equips attached due to mechanics, rather than card effects, meaning Blast With Chain will not trigger. Unless you win two battles, Equips are at best an even trade and at worst a net minus in terms of card advantage. In most cases, "one-for-one" removal cards like Smashing Ground are more reliable. Yet, there are decks that succeed using them, mainly Warrior variants like Ben Kei OTK or Double Tap Warriors. These decks typically succeed by condensing damage into fewer turns through the use of multiple attacks per battle phase, empowered by Equip cards. These attacks are features of specific monsters, like Armed Samurai - Ben Kei and Mataza the Zapper.
