DARK
8Masked HERO Anki
Archetype:
Masked HERO
ATK:
2800
DEF:
1200
View:
5900
Must be Special Summoned by "Mask Change". This card can attack directly, but when it does so using this effect, the battle damage inflicted to your opponent is halved. When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the GY: You can add 1 "Change" Quick-Play Spell Card from your Deck to your hand. You can only use this effect of "Masked HERO Anki" once per turn.
Masked HERO Anki — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 50 ± 5 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 46 · Deck: 52 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Boss / End-board · Secondary: Searcher / Tutor
Why it scores here
Masked HERO Anki scores around 50 as a reliable finisher with utility in Hero decks, but lacks opponent interaction. Mask Change appears in 95.2% of the decks that run it, confirming strong accessibility within the Hero archetype family. The searcher effect (adding a Change Spell after destroying a monster) and direct attack option provide tempo value, but the half-damage reduction and conditional search limit resource generation. With zero disruption, zero negation, and no built-in resilience, the card's value depends entirely on the Hero support infrastructure; high ATK (2800) earns no points since power is measured by conversion efficiency, not raw stats.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 72 | Searchable via Mask Change (95.2% co-deck rate) and multiple Hero tutors (Stratos, Shadow Mist, Vyon) in the sample; appears in 31 distinct archetypes, mostly Heroic (36.2%) and mixed Hero decks. (verified) |
| Combo & Conversion | 62 | Converts a Mask Change + Hero monster into Anki + a conditional search over two cards; guides describe it as a key winning piece and finisher, but no combo data confirms the consistency or power of the line. (inferred) |
| Resource Economy | 52 | Roughly neutral when it destroys a monster (search from Anki's effect), but −1 if it doesn't; direct attack is utility rather than pure advantage generation. (inferred) |
| Effect & Interaction | 10 | Zero opponent interaction in card text—no negation, removal, hand trap capability, or disruption; direct attack and search are utility only. (verified) |
| Material Utility | 38 | Level 8 Warrior Fusion; can be used as Rank-8 Xyz overlay material, but not a natural combo piece; already a Fusion so awkward as material for other Fusions. (inferred) |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 40 | No floating, no recovery, vulnerable to single removal; once-per-turn search limits multi-turn value; direct attack leaves it exposed if the opponent has interaction. (verified) |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 72 | Clean inclusion at 1–1.5 copies with low garnet/brick risk; Mask Change requirement is restrictive but not self-locking; takes one Extra Deck slot (Fusion). (observed) |
Calculation
Weight profile: Primary role Boss / End-board (weights A=.14, C=.18, R=.08, E=.26, M=.10, F=.18, D=.06). Intrinsic ≈ 46, Deck ≈ 52, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: none. Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Consistent searchability via Mask Change and Hero tutors (Stratos, Shadow Mist, Vyon)
- Dual utility: direct attack + conditional searcher for follow-up spells
- Strong synergy with Hero archetype ecosystem (31 homes, 95.2% Mask Change co-rate)
- Clean Extra Deck inclusion with low garnet/brick risk (1–1.5 copies standard)
- Established role as finisher in multiple Hero variants per guides
Weaknesses
- No intrinsic opponent interaction (zero negation, removal, or disruption)
- Vulnerable to single removal with no floating or recovery effect
- Searcher effect is conditional on destroying a monster by battle (unreliable)
- Direct attack at half damage reduces pressure vs. full damage
- Locked to Mask Change summon route (no flexibility in summoning methods)
Counters / choke points
- Forbidden Droplet and other point removal (no recovery)
- Ash Blossom targeting Mask Change (blocks summon)
- Kashtira and Swordsoul negations (blanks the card)
- Early removal of Hero monsters before Mask Change activation
- Battle-damage denial effects
Best use
Finisher / board closer with spell search utility. Decks: Heroic, Elemental HERO, Masked HERO, Destiny HERO, Vision HERO. Suggested copies: 1.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Card text is clear: Mask Change summon, direct attack, conditional search on destruction; Mask Change appears in 95.2% of decks running Anki, confirming primary enabler; Runs at 1–1.5 copies per deck (mostly 1 copy); Primary role is finisher in Hero variants
- Observed: 400-deck sample shows 31 distinct archetype homes (all Hero-variants); Top partners confirm Hero support infrastructure (Stratos, Shadow Mist, Vyon, Polymerization); 44.5% of sample is Combo gameplay type; Guides describe it as core Extra Deck card and key winning piece
- Inferred: Can be used as Rank-8 Xyz material (Level 8 + Warrior type); Search effect is conditional on destroying a monster by battle (resource economy depends on outcomes); Direct attack at half damage is utility rather than pure pressure; Hero search ecosystem makes consistent summon via Mask Change + tutors; Zero opponent interaction (no negation, removal, or disruption)
- Data gaps: No combos supplied — combo conversion is text-only inference No banlist token — assumed unlimited (3 copies) No Top-Card ranking — cannot confirm metagame prevalence beyond the 400-deck sample No combo examples — cannot verify searcher effect hitting rate or board quality