EARTH
4Masked Chameleon
ATK:
1600
DEF:
1100
View:
3295
Cannot be Normal Summoned if you control a Level 5 or higher monster. When this card is Normal Summoned: You can target 1 monster with 0 DEF in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target in face-up Defense Position. Its effects are negated. You cannot Special Summon any other monsters, except from the Extra Deck, during the turn you activate this effect.
Masked Chameleon — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 49 ± 6 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 53 · Deck: 52 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Material body · Secondary: Combo enabler
Why it scores here
Masked Chameleon is a Tuner body that primarily enables Synchro summons in control-oriented decks like Yang Zing, where it appears in nearly half of sampled lists. Its Level 4 and clean EARTH Reptile type make it solid material even when effects are negated, but its Normal Summon restriction—cannot summon if you control Level 5+ monsters—and severe lock effect sharply limit both accessibility and flexibility. With zero recorded combo board appearances despite 17-archetype splashability, it functions as a conditional role-filler rather than a power driver.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 50 | Cannot Normal Summon if you control Level 5+ monster, creating awkward timing windows; however, appears in 54 decks averaging 1.24 copies, confirming it is playable when board state permits (verified) |
| Combo & Conversion | 35 | Zero appearances in combo boards across tracked database; revival effect is highly situational (requires 0-DEF GY targets) and activating it locks all non-Extra Deck Special Summons, yielding minimal independent combo value (observed) |
| Resource Economy | 40 | Uses Normal Summon slot and locks non-Extra Deck Special Summons that turn, creating net resource cost that mostly neutralizes any revival advantage (verified) |
| Effect & Interaction | 15 | Revival effect does not disrupt opponent (revived monsters have negated effects); lock effect reduces player flexibility but provides no direct opponent interaction or removal (verified) |
| Material Utility | 65 | Level 4 Tuner with 1600 ATK body functions cleanly as Synchro material; EARTH Reptile attributes stay usable even when main effect is negated or inappropriate (verified) |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 35 | Vulnerable to Normal Summon interruption from handtraps; lock effect prevents using other Special Summons that turn; survives only as material body (verified) |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 50 | Requires 0-DEF monsters in GY to enable the main effect; cannot summon alongside high-level monsters; Tuner role is borderline splashable but constraints limit broader adoption (verified) |
Calculation
Weight profile: 0.7 Material body + 0.3 Combo enabler. Intrinsic ≈ 53, Deck ≈ 52, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: Severe Normal Summon restriction + lock effect (-4). Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Clean Level 4 Tuner material for Synchro decks
- Splashes into 17+ distinct archetypes with similar Tuner needs
- Survives as body even when main effect is negated
- EARTH Reptile type aligns with some control and Synchro strategies
Weaknesses
- Cannot Normal Summon if you control Level 5+ monster—incompatible with high-level Synchro boards
- Revival effect is highly situational (requires 0-DEF monsters in GY)
- Lock effect blocks all non-Extra Deck Special Summons that turn, severely limiting turn flexibility
- No combo board appearances suggest minimal real-world combo depth beyond basic Tuner role
Counters / choke points
- Handtraps that negate Normal Summon (Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring)
- Decks that already control high-level monsters or need diverse Special Summons in one turn
- Board breakers that remove the summoned 0-DEF monster
Best use
Tuner body for Synchro summons; situational revival effect. Decks: Yang Zing, Ogdoadic, Traptrix, Control-focused Synchro decks.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Level 4 Tuner, EARTH Reptile with 1600 ATK 1100 DEF (card text); Cannot Normal Summon if you control Level 5+ monster (card text); Revival effect requires 0-DEF monsters in GY; revived monsters have negated effects (card text); Lock effect prevents non-Extra Deck Special Summons that turn (card text); Present in 54 recent decks across 17 distinct archetypes (deck evidence); 48.2% combined co-occurrence with Yang Zing cards (deck evidence)
- Observed: 54% of decks are Control gameplay type (deck evidence); 1.24 copies average per deck; 87% run exactly 1 copy (deck evidence); Paired with Yang Zing staples (Jiaotu, Suanni, Baxia) and board wipes in top partners (deck evidence); Zero appearances in combo board database (combos evidence); Guide describes as tech improving Yang Zing flexibility and combo (guides evidence)
- Inferred: As Level 4 Tuner, enables Synchro summons in target decks (text analysis); 0-DEF requirement severely limits revival effect utility outside specific lines (text analysis); Lock effect on activation reduces deck's turn flexibility significantly (text analysis); Accessibility is moderate, not high, due to summoning restrictions (text + deck evidence); Functions primarily as Tuner body rather than effect-centric play (text + guide evidence)
- Data gaps: No combo board data (0 appearances)—combo conversion inferred from text only, high uncertainty No StatisticsCard rows (usage statistics unavailable)—archetype inclusion % extrapolated from 54-deck sample alone No banlist information—assumed unlimited; significant score impact if Limited or Forbidden No rulings on edge cases (e.g., revival target eligibility for Synchro same turn as summon)