Welcome to Gaia! ::

do what job though??? loosly throw away cards and make little to no difference on the field? and how doesnt merchant do its job? free draw duh.

You have to factor in the possibility of Merchant also simply becoming a draw one card. You won't mill s**t if the top card is an S/T. Ryko secures that mill and secures the trade off. Remember, in an even or advantageous scenario, it's usually best to simplify the game as much as possible.

So undermining the opponent's built field and forcing them to reconstruct/recommit due to a change on the field is not worth it? Ryko does more than a simple mill three and destroy one. It forces your opponent to adapt, maybe even forcing them to take a very specific path. Also, on your turn, Ryko enables you to undermine what they have prepared for your turn while following up with your own commitment to the field.

Ryko's pressure on the opponent is what makes it hundreds of times better than Magical Merchant. Magical Merchant and Ryko are both random, there's no doubt about that. Magical Merchant and Ryko both have the chances to mill what you'd prefer not to mill. No doubt there.

BUT, Ryko's opponent forcing destruction is what makes it ridiculously superior.

"I have always not really favored the mill of any card unless he deck build benefits from having more cards in the graveyard I usually shy away from it.
On the Magical Merchant/ Ryko debate.
Who cares it's his deck.
Ryko has a good effect, but it doesn't really get you much if you don't have the cards to back it up.
Magical Merchant gets you something, but the cost you pay to get it varies. It all depends on what he wants to do.
Yes Ryko is a cool card that's been established, but it's not right for everyBODY.*"

*Emphasis on body because it's ultimately his decision no matter what you all say.

Herp derp, bad player alert.

Yes, adapt to a single missing card. Since you OBVIOUSLY don't understand the game theory I'm talking about, let's give a suitable example.

Let's say I went into the turn with only a set Solemn Warning and BTH and Bora in hand to your set Ryko. You have a Cyber Dragon in hand and a Doomcaliber Knight. So, I summon Bora and attack your facedown monster.

I hit Ryko! Ryko crushes what? My Bora? Why would you do that? You have two answers to Bora in your hand. Ryko, instead, smashes Solemn Warning. So now, because I have to worry about you summoning something bigger than a 1700, I have to set BTH.

Your turn comes up, you draw a Solemn Warning of your own. What should you do? Summon Cyber Dragon, of course. Cyber Dragon hits and I'm forced to use BTH on it because I don't have any answers to that Dragon, nor will a typical BW deck draw one. So, boom, Cyber Dragon just baited out BTH and you follow up with Doomcaliber Knight and a set Solemn Warning. You now have your two to my zero. Topdecking is next to impossible now for me.

What if you had had Magical Merchant? Let's say you would have gotten Solemn Warning to hand and maybe drawn and answer to my two back row. Because -I- would have set the BTH with the Warning since this is obviously game two. So with Merchant you now have to face BTH, Warning and Bora with Cyber Dragon, Doomcaliber Knight, Solemn Warning and something random. It better be an answer to my Bora because I'll be even with you next turn instead of down two cards.

This isn't just a single event either. Ryko does this CONSISTENTLY. Magical Merchant does not.

Again, Ryko CONSISTENTLY forces your opponent to act. Thinking otherwise is bad.

Getting rid of a "small bit of the field" is a VERY good effect. Forcing your opponent to commit to the field when there are a plethora of field sweepers in today's meta is a DAMN good thing.

Another example, let's go...

Debris Plants vs X-Sabers

Again, Debris Plants passes to Sabers with a Ryko set, but this time they have Book of Moon and Caius in hand.

Sabers have BTH, and Emmersblade in hand with a Solemn Warning set. Sabers summon Emmersblade and swing into the FD. Why not just set it? Debris Plants as an opponent usually promises the fd is a Ryko. Well, Emmers hits Ryko and Ryko kills Solemn Warning. Sabers sets the BTH, having to back up the Emmersblade.

Debris Plants draws into Monster Reborn. There's an opening, immediately. Monster Reborn hits Ryko who is tributed for Caius. Caius targets the Emmersblade. BTH hits Caius and Sabers lose their BTH and Emmersblade. Debris Plants sets their single Book of Moon and pass to Sabers. Sabers are now topdecking against a -1 set.

If you had used Magical Merchant that Warning would still be there and you'd be losing.

This is a universal principle, I've simply used Solemn Warning twice as its the most dramatic situation.

Ryko > Magical Merchant

Yay strategy.

Her point was that the owner of the thread could run what he wants. neutral

Way to show your ignorance.

...

Ok, let me get this straight, because she was defending a person's right to run whatever the hell they please and stating that she would prefer having neither Ryko nor Merchant... she's ignorant? Stating an opinion without engaging in the actual debate, which is what she's doing there, is perfectly fine.

She DIDN'T engage in debate because she recognized both sides have their ups and downs and stated in the end that she PREFERRED to have neither. She wasn't adding to the debate outside of her personal preference. It's not ignorance, it's preference.

Take your own advice, stop posting ignorance.