As recently as one year ago, many people claimed that Snatch Steal would forever remain banned from Yu-Gi-Oh TCG tournaments around the world due to how easy it made exploiting certain game mechanics which would end up being game-breaking. Although some claimed that it deserved an unban, they were in the clear minority—but they were right. Snatch Steal was unbanned outside Japan and Asia-Pacific in January 2024 after a ban of more than eight years. It will now be unbanned in Japan and Asia-Pacific following a prohibition of a staggering 17 years.

About Snatch Steal (Beginner’s Edition 1 BE1-JP021)

The changes that the metagame had experienced over the past decade had turned the current meta into one in which Snatch Steal wouldn’t be obviously overpowered. This is the case for several reasons. First off, it’s now become a card which is very difficult to search for. On top of that, if the player goes second, Snatch Steal doesn’t do anything to unaffected or untargetable monsters.

There’s also the fact that Super Polymerization, a card originally from Phantom Darkness, has developed a more prominent role in the meta. In multiple ways, Super Polymerization’s functions are similar to Snatch Steal’s but enhanced. This is because Super Polymerization can’t be responded to, gets rid of multiple opposing cards, and adds a body to the player’s field.

Between 2000 and 2011, a total of 11 versions of the Snatch Steal card were released. The pick of the bunch is the only Ultra Rare version of the card. The Ultra Rare Snatch Steal card was part of Beginner’s Edition 1, a reprint set from 2004. The card’s long-standing banned status is perhaps its biggest claim to fame, even for collectors. Its ban duration of 17 years is one of the longest in the history of the Yu-Gi-Oh TCG.

Release Details

This card has been released in English.

A copy of an Ultra Rare Snatch Steal (Beginner’s Edition 1 BE1-JP021) card costs 1,780 JPY (~US$12).

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