Trap
NormalBranded Sword
Archetype:
Branded
View:
9034
Banish any number of "Branded" Spells/Traps from your GY; Special Summon that many "Iceblade Tokens" (Dragon/DARK/Level 8/ATK 2500/DEF 2000). You can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 of your banished monsters that is "Fallen of Albaz" or mentions it; add that monster to your hand. You can only use 1 "Branded Sword" effect per turn, and only once that turn.
Branded Sword — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 61 ± 6 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 58.7 · Deck: 63 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Extender · Secondary: Searcher/Tutor
Why it scores here
Branded Sword converts Branded Spells/Traps already in the graveyard into Iceblade Tokens, which turns a dead graveyard into a multi-body board, and its second graveyard effect adds Fallen of Albaz to hand, giving it two uses from one copy. The combo evidence shows it on 100% of recorded boards with an average power index of 46.5, and the top examples reach 4-6 end monsters with positive net card advantage. Its 400-deck presence and single-copy usage confirm it is played, but that popularity earned no points beyond accessibility and synergy. It has no opponent interaction and its value depends on a Branded-specific graveyard, which keeps the score in the low 60s.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 62 | Single-copy staple in 400 of 400 decks across 26 archetypes, but the evidence records zero as_starter or as_searched appearances, so the live route is inferred from text and the graveyard second use (inferred). |
| Combo & Conversion | 72 | Top example boards show 4-6 end monsters and 2-3 boss monsters, and the card appears in all 19 combos with an average power index of 46.5 (observed). |
| Resource Economy | 70 | Banishing Branded S/T from the graveyard converts spent resources into bodies, and the self-banish adds a card to hand, with examples at netCardAdvantage 6-7 (verified from text, observed in examples). |
| Effect & Interaction | 10 | The text grants no negation, removal, or disruption of the opponent's cards; any interaction is indirect (inferred). |
| Material Utility | 45 | Iceblade Tokens are Level 8 DARK Dragons at 2500/2000, which may be useful as material, but the evidence gives no material-usage data and the card's tokens are not confirmed as material in any combo (inferred). |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 60 | The graveyard self-banish effect gives a second use after the card leaves the field, but the text is limited to once per turn for one of its effects and gives no protection against negation (verified from text). |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 65 | Costs one slot at 1 copy in almost every deck and needs no garnets, but it is archetype-bound to Branded resources and needs them in the graveyard, which limits splashability (verified from text, observed in decks). |
Calculation
Weight profile: 0.7 Extender + 0.3 Searcher/Tutor. Intrinsic ≈ 58.7, Deck ≈ 63, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: none. Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Converts Branded S/T in the graveyard into Iceblade Tokens, producing multiple bodies from spent resources
- Second graveyard effect adds Fallen of Albaz to hand, giving one copy two uses
- Present in 400 of 400 recent decks and 100% of recorded combos, with 100% partner rate for Fallen of Albaz and Mirrorjade
- Net positive card advantage in the top example boards
Weaknesses
- No opponent interaction (no negation, removal or disruption)
- Requires Branded Spells/Traps in the graveyard, which restricts the card to Branded-style decks
- Once-per-turn restriction on one effect limits repeated use
- Evidence records zero starter, searched, material or payoff roles, so its exact function in boards is unconfirmed
Counters / choke points
- No counter evidence is supplied in the pack; opponent graveyard banish or hate effects would reduce its fuel (inferred from text)
Best use
Extender: token generation from graveyard Branded S/T, plus Fallen of Albaz search. Decks: Branded, Despia. Suggested copies: 1.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Card text: banish Branded Spells/Traps from GY to Special Summon Iceblade Tokens (DRAGON/DARK/Level 8/2500/2000); Card text: GY banish to add Fallen of Albaz or a monster that mentions it to hand; Card text: one Branded Sword effect per turn and only once that turn; Present in 400 of 400 recent decks, 1 copy in 396 decks
- Observed: Appears in 19 of 19 recorded combos (100%); Average power index 46.5 when present; top examples at 100; Partner rates: Fallen of Albaz 100%, Mirrorjade 100%, Albion the Branded Dragon 98.5%
- Inferred: Live route is graveyard-based after the card is sent to the graveyard; Iceblade Tokens are usable as material in some lines; Score depends on Branded-specific graveyard fuel
- Data gaps: No banlist token; assumed 3 copies (unlimited) Combo role tags (as_starter, as_searched, as_material, as_payoff) are all zero, so the role split is unconfirmed Activation location (hand or Spell/Trap zone) is not stated in the card text No material-usage data for Iceblade Tokens No counter or hate-card evidence in the pack