Spell
NormalBait Doll
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Target 1 Set card in the Spell & Trap Card Zone; reveal that target, force its activation if it is a Trap Card, then negate its effect if the activation timing is incorrect, and if you do, destroy it. (If it is not a Trap Card, return it face-down.) When this card resolves, shuffle it into the Deck instead of sending it to the Graveyard.
Bait Doll — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 64 ± 6 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 62.7 · Deck: 65.6 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Removal/Negation · Secondary: Recovery/Recursion
Why it scores here
Bait Doll converts its access into a reusable answer to set backrow: it targets a Set card in the Spell & Trap Zone, forces a Trap to activate, and destroys it when activation timing is wrong, otherwise returning it face-down. Because it shuffles back into the Deck instead of the Graveyard, the same copy can be drawn and used again, which is why resource_economy and resilience score above a one-shot removal spell. High deck inclusion (16 of 16 sampled decks, about 1.4 copies each, with Mirror Force and other traps as partners) confirms it is a practical, cheap staple, but the frequency is not counted as extra power. Its ceiling is low: it cannot touch face-up cards, hand, or the board, it creates no board, and it has no material value, so combo_conversion and material_utility stay near the floor.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 68 | Normal Spell live in hand and included in 16/16 sampled decks at about 1.4 copies each, but no combo data shows how often it is drawn or started (observed deck inclusion, inferred accessibility). |
| Combo & Conversion | 25 | Text-only: it removes one set backrow card and does not build a board or extend a line; no combo examples exist to show otherwise (inferred from text). |
| Resource Economy | 62 | Repeated 1-for-1 that returns to the Deck rather than the Graveyard, so the card can be reused, but it spends a card each time it is used (verified from text, inferred scoring). |
| Effect & Interaction | 70 | Strong against set Traps: it forces their activation or destroys them on wrong timing, which is hard to play around; its reach is limited to set Spell/Trap cards (verified from text, observed by partner frequency). |
| Material Utility | 3 | Spell card with no material, level, or attribute value, so it contributes nothing as material (verified from text). |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 55 | Recurs to the Deck and is spread across 7 archetypes, which gives some redundancy, but it can be answered by a single Spell negation and has no multi-turn presence (inferred from text and deck spread). |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 85 | Normal Spell at about 1 to 2 copies with no garnets, locks, or self-restriction; it is cheap to run and splashable (verified from deck copy counts and card type). |
Calculation
Weight profile: 0.7 Removal/Negation + 0.3 Recovery/Recursion. Intrinsic ≈ 62.7, Deck ≈ 65.6, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: none. Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Targets set Spell/Trap cards and can force Trap activation before the Trap resolves
- Shuffles back into the Deck, so one copy can be reused
- Cheap to run at 1 to 2 copies, with no garnets or locks
- Included in 16 of 16 sampled decks, spread across 7 archetypes
Weaknesses
- Only hits set Spell/Trap cards in the Spell & Trap Zone, not face-up cards, hand, or the board
- Timing-dependent: the negate-and-destroy branch needs the right activation window
- Creates no board presence and has no material value
- Can be answered by a single Spell negation before it resolves (inferred from rules, not in evidence)
Counters / choke points
- Spell negation in response to activation (inferred from rules; not tabled in the evidence)
Best use
Anti-trap / set-backrow removal. Decks: Machina, Ancient Gears.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Card text: targets a Set Spell/Trap in the S/T Zone, forces Trap activation, negates timing and destroys, returns face-down for non-Traps, shuffles into Deck instead of the Graveyard; Normal Spell with 1 to 2 copies per deck (avg 1.44, max 2); Formats: TCG and OCG
- Observed: Included in 16 of 16 sampled decks, 7 distinct archetypes; Frequent partners: Mirror Force 87.5%, Heavy Storm and Mystical Space Typhoon 68.8%
- Inferred: Reliable answer to set traps, with reuse via the Deck; Low combo conversion because the card creates no board
- Data gaps: no combos supplied — combo conversion is text-only inference no guides supplied no banlist token — assumed 3 copies (unlimited) no usage statistics (StatisticsCard) — archetype inclusion % inferred from deck sample only