2000 powered backups have been considered the baseline in terms of early played backups for the longest while. Traditionally costing a single stock at the beginning of the game, conditions have changed to allow for free backups, costless 2000 powered backups to exist now. However, in the current game, are they worth the slots?
TL/W37-010U “リボンでラッピング”芽亜 (center)
NM/S24-062C 朝の光景 阿良々木月火 (right)
Backups have been an essential part of the game since launch. Having the power to deny your opponent the ability to reverse and preserve the field for the cost of one hand was a great advantage. But nowadays, with how decks just generally gain advantage so easily, cards are expected for the most part to lose during your opponent’s turn and be replaced during your turn.
The standard baseline of 2000 power in the early game is debatable in value. 2000 power is a lot of power. However, as most combos that require reverse are hitting some enormous amount of power beyond a backup’s defendable scope, these cards feel as if they are losing value as a slot. Keep in mind that even if you have a strong defender, tying your opponent is still a loss since you lose both one field and a hand for a single opponent’s reverse. Furthermore, modern offensive power can reach absurd levels where 2000 power can far trump any defences in the early game.
Backups are essentially more so tied to their secondary effects rather than their backup power assistance, making pure power backups much less valued overall.
Funny enough, in contrast, some of these “cousins” to the pseudo 1/0 2000 counters do see more use from time to time. Although both these cards essentially accomplish the same thing, the 1/1 2000 pseudo costless counters come with the benefit of acting as a secondary mill (the stock used to pay for the backup is refunded from the top of your deck) while having a soul trigger for extra damage if triggered.
Given the scope of the current game, I feel that 1/0 2000 counters are, for the most part, rather rare and niche simply due to how cards have changed over time. During their prime, when Shimakaze combos and other reverse combos were rampant, these counters were very great cards at denying your opponent advantage. But given the size of current advantage gaining cards, these cards feel rather obsolete and weak in comparison. Although, that’s not to say, you can sometimes have the nice feeling of “sneaking” in an unexpected backup against an unprepared opponent.