Trap
NormalBlack Illusion
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4559
Until the end of this turn, all DARK Spellcaster-Type monsters with 2000 or more ATK you currently control cannot be destroyed by battle, their effects are negated, also they are unaffected by your opponent's card effects.
Black Illusion — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 40 ± 8 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 40 · Deck: 41 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Utility
Why it scores here
Black Illusion is a protection Trap, not a removal or negation card: it makes DARK Spellcaster monsters with 2000+ ATK immune to battle destruction and opponent card effects for one turn. It converts nothing on its own and never touches the opponent's board or hand, so its value depends entirely on already having a qualifying monster. The 24 sampled decks (mostly Dark Magician shells, with Apprentice Illusion Magician, Dark Magician and Mirror Force as top partners) confirm it is a real, practical pick, but that is frequency, not power, and no combo data supports a higher score. High ATK on the target monsters earns nothing here; the score reflects a narrow, conditional, one-turn protection effect.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 45 | A set Trap that needs no searcher, but it is dead without a qualifying DARK Spellcaster at 2000+ ATK on the field (deck sample only; deck data, inferred). |
| Combo & Conversion | 25 | No recorded combo boards and no combo examples; the card only protects existing monsters and creates no board on its own (text, inferred). |
| Resource Economy | 40 | A 1-for-0 trap with no draw, search or refuel; it is card-neutral at best (card text, verified). |
| Effect & Interaction | 30 | Gives protection against opponent effects and battle, but does not negate or remove any opposing card (card text, verified). |
| Material Utility | 10 | A Trap card, so it cannot be used as material and provides no body value (card frame, verified). |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 30 | Set Trap that is exposed to the usual trap negation and works only for one turn, on a narrow DARK Spellcaster target set (text, inferred). |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 45 | Costs one slot at 1-2 copies with no garnet restriction, but its narrow target set makes it a brick in non-Spellcaster decks (deck data and text, observed/inferred). |
Calculation
Weight profile: Utility default profile (no dominant role); no secondary blend. Intrinsic ≈ 40, Deck ≈ 41, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: Narrow conditional target (brick risk) (-2). Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Protects qualifying DARK Spellcaster monsters from battle destruction and opponent card effects in one turn
- Run in 24 sampled decks across 9 archetypes, so it has a real home in Dark Magician-style lines
- Cheap to run: 1-2 copies, no garnet or self-lock restriction
Weaknesses
- Conditional on controlling a DARK Spellcaster with 2000+ ATK; dead otherwise
- Protection lasts only until the end of the turn, so it gives no lasting board value
- Effects of the protected monsters are negated, which is a real cost on the monsters it saves
- No combo, starter or searcher evidence to support any conversion value
Counters / choke points
- Trap negation or hand traps that stop the Trap from resolving
- Board breakers and non-battle removal that ignore the one-turn protection (e.g., effects that do not target the protected monster)
Best use
One-turn protection Trap for qualifying DARK Spellcaster monsters. Decks: Dark Magician-based decks with DARK Spellcaster 2000+ ATK monsters, Apprentice Illusion Magician and Dark Magician shells. Suggested copies: 1.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Card text: until end of turn, DARK Spellcaster monsters with 2000+ ATK you control cannot be destroyed by battle, have effects negated, and are unaffected by opponent card effects; Card type: Normal Trap, not a monster, so it cannot be material; Copies per deck: average 1.42, max 2
- Observed: Present in 24 sampled decks, 9 distinct archetypes, most often Dark Magician archetypes; Top partners: Apprentice Illusion Magician and Dark Magician (66.7% each), Mirror Force (58.3%)
- Inferred: Accessibility depends on drawing the Trap and already controlling a qualifying DARK Spellcaster; Protection effect is for one turn and does not stop the opponent's removal that does not use card effects or battle
- 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