Trap
NormalGrinning Grave Virus
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4491
Tribute 1 DARK monster with 3000 or less ATK; your opponent destroys 1 card (of their choice) in their hand or Deck for every 500 ATK that monster had on the field. If you Tributed a monster with 2000 or more ATK to activate this card, look at all cards your opponent draws until the end of their 3rd turn after this card's activation, and destroy all monsters among them. Cards destroyed and sent to the GY by this card's effects cannot activate their own effects that same turn.
Grinning Grave Virus — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 55 ± 6 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 56 · Deck: 55 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Removal / Negation · Secondary: Floodgate/Control
Why it scores here
The card converts a DARK tribute into multi-card hand and Deck destruction, scaling by 500 ATK per card, and the 2000+ ATK clause adds a three-turn monster-draw punisher. Its score is held down by the DARK-on-field requirement, the opponent choosing which cards are destroyed, and the absence of combo or timing evidence. High deck counts and partner co-occurrence confirm it is a real, portable pick, but they did not raise the score (guardrail 3). The 1-3 copy spread and 69 archetypes support deckbuilding flexibility.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 55 | A set Trap that needs a DARK monster on the field to tribute; Dark World and Eradicator Epidemic Virus shows it is reachable in practice, but no starter role or searched-for role evidence exists (inferred from text plus deck stats). |
| Combo & Conversion | 45 | Text-only conversion: a 2500-ATK tribute yields about five destructions, but the opponent picks the cards and no combo boards were supplied (inferred). |
| Resource Economy | 65 | Spends a monster and the Trap for a multi-card destruction of the opponent's hand or Deck, which is a net card-advantage swing when it resolves (inferred from text). |
| Effect & Interaction | 60 | Strong hand and Deck disruption with a real monster-draw clause, but the timing is not stated in the evidence and a set Trap can be negated (inferred). |
| Material Utility | 5 | A Trap card is not a material body, so the axis is near zero (verified from card type). |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 40 | Set-Trap vulnerability and reliance on a DARK tribute on the field leave it fragile to a single interruption (inferred). |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 60 | Runs 1-3 copies with no garnet, present in 69 archetypes; the DARK-on-field requirement is a mild restriction (observed from decks, inferred from text). |
Calculation
Weight profile: 0.7 Removal / Negation + 0.3 Floodgate / Control. Intrinsic ≈ 56, Deck ≈ 55, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: Self-restriction (DARK tribute on field) (-2). Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Destruction scales with tributed ATK: 500 ATK per card destroyed
- The 2000+ ATK clause adds a three-turn monster-draw punisher
- Hits both hand and Deck, so it disrupts more than one resource pool
- Runs in 69 distinct archetypes, so it is portable across homes
Weaknesses
- Opponent chooses which cards are destroyed and can pick low-value Deck cards
- Requires a DARK monster of 3000 ATK or less on the field to tribute
- Being a set Trap, it is exposed to trap negation
- Timing and activation window are not stated in the evidence
Counters / choke points
- Trap negation on the set card
- Boards with no DARK monster of 3000 ATK or less to tribute
- Opponent Deck thinning or cards that make the chosen destructions cheap
Best use
Hand and Deck disruption with tribute-scaled destruction, paired with DARK tribute bodies such as Eradicator Epidemic Virus. Decks: Dark World, Danger!, Bystial/Byssted, Labrynth.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Tribute 1 DARK monster with 3000 ATK or less as the activation cost (card text); Destruction count is 1 per 500 ATK of the tributed monster (card text); Clause for 2000+ ATK tribute: monster draws destroyed until end of opponent's 3rd turn (card text); Card is a Trap Card with formats TCG, OCG and MasterDuel (card evidence)
- Observed: Present in 400 of 400 sampled decks; 1 copy in 258, 2 in 43, 3 in 99 (deck data); Top partner Eradicator Epidemic Virus co-occurs in 90.8% of decks (deck data); Dark World holds 31.8% of decks, with 69 distinct archetypes (deck data); Lady of Lament usage row: 100% inclusion, 1 copy (usage statistics, single row)
- Inferred: Opponent-chosen destruction limits the card to disruption rather than guaranteed card advantage; Set-Trap status exposes it to trap negation; Real-world value depends on how often a DARK tribute is on the field
- Data gaps: No combos supplied, so combo conversion is text-only No guides supplied No banlist token, so unlimited copies are assumed Attribute field is empty in evidence; the DARK requirement comes from card text Timing and ruling information is missing for the Trap activation window All 400 sampled decks run the card (decks running it in the Main Deck equals total decks), so the sample likely was selected on this card and the 100% figure is not a representative inclusion rate usage statistics has a single archetype row, too thin to calibrate inclusion