DARK
2Mask of Darkness
Archetype:
Mask
ATK:
900
DEF:
400
View:
3842
FLIP: Target 1 Trap in your GY; add that target to your hand.
Mask of Darkness — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 50 ± 6 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 49 · Deck: 51 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Recovery / Recursion · Secondary: Material body, Utility
Why it scores here
Mask of Darkness is a solid Trap recovery tool in strategies that run heavy trap lines, converting graveyard cards into hand advantage with no cost when flipped. However, its power is severely constrained by its Flip requirement—it needs to be set first, requires opponent interaction or an effect to activate, and only works if you have traps in your graveyard. The card's broad adoption across 37 archetypes (especially Flip-effect synergy decks running Sangan and Magician of Faith at 77–78% co-occurrence) confirms accessibility in the right shells, but the lack of combo data and guides suggests it fills a specific niche rather than driving winning lines. Its 900 ATK and Level 2 body offer modest material utility, but provide no opponent disruption.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 52 | The card appears in 122 decks (avg 1.37 copies) across 37 archetypes, primarily Black Luster Soldier (17.2%), D/D/D (10.7%), and Jinzo (9%), confirming adoption in Trap-heavy strategies, though the Flip requirement and GY-trap condition limit live accessibility (observed). |
| Combo & Conversion | 28 | Zero combo boards recorded; the card is purely a recovery/utility piece that returns a trap to hand when flipped, neither generating nor extending a combo (verified). |
| Resource Economy | 62 | The effect provides +1 card advantage (trap from GY to hand) with zero activation cost when the Flip condition is met, delivering solid recovery efficiency in Trap-heavy decks that maintain GY depth (inferred). |
| Effect & Interaction | 7 | The card has zero opponent interaction—it neither negates, destroys, nor disrupts opponent plays; it only recovers your own trapped spells and traps (verified). |
| Material Utility | 58 | As a Level 2 DARK Fiend, it qualifies as usable material for Synchro, Xyz, Link, and Fusion mechanics, though the 900 ATK stat is underwhelming for material purposes (inferred). |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 37 | The card is vulnerable to destruction before flipping and relies entirely on opponent attack or an effect to trigger, remaining fragile and dependent on the target trap surviving in the GY (inferred). |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 58 | It appears in 37 distinct archetypes at an average of 1.37 copies, with 69.7% of decks running exactly 1 copy, indicating efficient slot usage in Trap-heavy strategies without excessive garnet risk (observed). |
Calculation
Weight profile: Recovery / Recursion (primary role). Intrinsic ≈ 49, Deck ≈ 51, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: none. Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Reliable +1 card advantage when activated in Trap-heavy decks
- Broad adoption across 37 archetypes confirms accessibility in the right strategies
- Strong synergy with Flip-effect monsters (Sangan 77.9%, Magician of Faith 77%)
- Zero activation cost—purely a resource recovery tool
- Level 2 DARK Fiend provides flexible material value for multiple mechanics
Weaknesses
- Requires being set on field and flipped to activate (multi-step setup)
- Depends entirely on opponent attack or effect to trigger flip
- Only works if you maintain at least one trap in your graveyard
- Zero opponent interaction or disruption capability
- Mostly run as single copy (69.7% of decks), indicating niche utility rather than core engine
- 900 ATK and Level 2 body are underwhelming for material purposes
Counters / choke points
- Destruction before flip (Lightning Storm, Raigeki, etc.)
- Graveyard removal before activation (D.D. Crow, Macro Cosmos, Lightsworn effects)
- Decks running insufficient trap density to justify the recovery slot
Best use
Recovery / Recursion utility in Flip-effect synergy decks. Decks: Black Luster Soldier, D/D/D, Jinzo, Mask, Greed, Relinquished, Trap-heavy Control, Umi Control. Suggested copies: 1.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Card text: FLIP: Target 1 Trap in your GY; add that target to your hand; Appears in 122 decks with detailed archetype breakdown; Legal in TCG, OCG, MasterDuel, and DuelLinks formats; Strongest co-appearances are Sangan (77.9%) and Magician of Faith (77%); 37 distinct archetypes run it with average 1.37 copies per deck
- Observed: Broad adoption across 37 archetypes indicates accessibility within Trap-heavy decks; Predominantly run as 1 copy (69.7%), with 23.8% running 2 copies and 6.6% running 3 copies; High co-occurrence with other Flip-effect recovery pieces signals intentional synergy; Umi Control statistics show 100% inclusion at 1 typical copy; Recent decks span from 2023 to 2026, showing sustained usage over time
- Inferred: Flip mechanic requires being set on the field and flipped by opponent attack or effect; Card only functions if at least one trap card exists in the graveyard; Level 2 DARK Fiend body serves as material for Synchro, Xyz, Link, and Fusion summons; Primary strategic role is enabling repeated trap recursion in control-oriented decks; Vulnerability to monster removal or graveyard disruption before activation
- Data gaps: No combos recorded—cannot verify actual combo conversion or board-building potential No guides mentioned—cannot confirm detailed strategic applications or win-rate context No banlist token—assumed legal at 3 copies (unlimited) across all formats Usage statistics available only for Umi Control (1 archetype)—limited broader sample