EARTHLink Spider
ATK:
1000
LINK-1
View:
10642
Link Arrow:
Bottom
1 Normal Monster Once per turn: You can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from your hand to your zone this card points to.
Link Spider — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 56 ± 5 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 57 · Deck: 56 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Utility · Secondary: Material body
Why it scores here
Link Spider functions primarily as a generic extra deck support piece and material body rather than a core combo enabler. While it appears in 100% of sampled decks across 87 archetypes, its zero role assignment in combo data (despite appearing in 31 combos) indicates it serves as filler or situational support rather than driving power directly. The card's ability to summon Level 4 or lower Normal Monsters provides limited practical value in modern Yu-Gi-Oh!, where Normal Monsters are rare, and its 1000 ATK contributes nothing to the score. Its strength lies in being an easy-to-summon Link-1 body that fills extra deck slots across diverse strategies.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 70 | Summoned as Link-1 from 1 Normal Monster, included in 100% of 400 sampled decks with 1.07 average copies (verified) |
| Combo & Conversion | 35 | Appears in 31 combos at 90.6 average power index but with zero role assignments (starter/material/payoff), indicating minimal contribution to combo structure (verified) |
| Resource Economy | 45 | One-card Link summon with single monster special summon effect generates no card advantage or refuel (verified) |
| Effect & Interaction | 15 | Card text contains no disruption, negation, or opponent interaction capabilities (verified) |
| Material Utility | 68 | Clean generic Link-1 Cyberse body usable as material for higher Link monsters; broad archetype inclusion confirms material value (observed) |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 55 | Once per turn effect provides some flexibility; body remains on field after use and resists single negation (inferred) |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 62 | Included universally at high rate but requires Normal Monster material (rare in modern decks), creating mild constraint (verified) |
Calculation
Weight profile: Utility / no clear role (primary). Intrinsic ≈ 57, Deck ≈ 56, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: none. Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Summoned easily as a Link-1 from just 1 Normal Monster
- Generic extra deck option included across 87+ distinct archetypes
- Provides Cyberse attribute and material body for Link chains
- Listed as Staple in multiple deck-building guides
Weaknesses
- Effect requires Level 4 or lower Normal Monsters, which are rare in modern Yu-Gi-Oh!
- Zero documented role in combo lines despite universal deck inclusion
- 1000 ATK provides no board presence or defensive value
- Once per turn summon effect has limited impact on game state
Counters / choke points
- Negation of effect (blocks summoning without removal)
- Any removal spell or trap before effect resolution
- Decks running no Normal Monsters render the effect completely useless
Best use
Extra deck generic Link-1 support and material provider. Decks: Magikey, Scrap, Ogdoadic, Jester, Maliss. Suggested copies: 1.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Card requires 1 Normal Monster to summon as Link-1; Effect summons Level 4 or lower Normal Monsters from hand once per turn; Included in 400/400 (100%) of sampled decks; Appears in 31 combos with 90.6 average power index; Found in 87 distinct archetypes; Average 1.07 copies per deck
- Observed: Zero role assignment across all combo roles (starter/searched/material/payoff/end_board) despite 100% appearance in combos; Listed as Staple in 6 deck-building guides; Top partner cards are all staple hand traps and interaction pieces; Consistent 1-copy inclusion rate across most archetypes
- Inferred: The card functions as a generic extra deck filler option due to universal inclusion; Zero role assignment indicates the card provides support rather than direct combo contribution; Normal Monster requirement creates a deck-building constraint for Normal Monster availability; Cyberse attribute may provide synergy in Cyberse-based decks
- Data gaps: No banlist data available (assumed 3-copy unlimited) Unclear why role assignments are 0% despite 100% combo appearance—role tracking may be incomplete No specific combo lines documented showing how the card's effect is used Limited guidance on optimal situations to activate the card's summoning effect