WATER
4Nightmare Penguin
Archetype:
Penguin
ATK:
900
DEF:
1800
View:
3508
All face-up WATER monsters you control gain 200 ATK. When this card is flipped face-up: Target 1 card your opponent controls; return that target to the hand.
Nightmare Penguin — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 59 ± 6 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 60 · Deck: 59 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Utility · Secondary: Material body, Removal
Why it scores here
Nightmare Penguin is a solid utility body in WATER and Penguin decks, providing consistent passive ATK boosts to the archetype while its flip effect adds occasional bounce removal. Its 900 ATK body and lack of inherent combo generation prevent it from reaching higher power tiers; it functions as a supplementary piece rather than an engine. Strong deck inclusion (90 decks, 42.2% Penguin home) confirms accessibility and practical fit, but zero combo evidence limits proof of real board impact beyond archetype synergy.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 70 | Appears in 90 decks with avg 1.54 copies as a standard main-deck inclusion in WATER/Penguin homes via normal draw. (Observed) |
| Combo & Conversion | 35 | 900 ATK body with no inherent combo generation; passive +200 ATK boost and conditional flip bounce provide supplementary value only. (Inferred) |
| Resource Economy | 45 | Normal Summon investment with zero card advantage; passive boost and situational bounce are minor value adds without hand refuel or recursion. (Inferred) |
| Effect & Interaction | 50 | Flip-triggered bounce is soft removal but lacks hard negation or destruction; situational disruption against tempo-based plays only. (Verified) |
| Material Utility | 65 | Level 4 Aqua/WATER body usable as Xyz/Fusion/Synchro material but not a premier material piece; functional but not specialized. (Inferred) |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 40 | 900 ATK makes it vulnerable to spot removal; flip effect is one-time only; lacks built-in protection or recovery. (Inferred) |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 70 | Splashable across 26 archetypes with no severe brick risk (avg 1.54 copies); WATER-focused but not lock-in restrictive. (Observed) |
Calculation
Weight profile: 0.7 Utility + 0.3 Material body. Intrinsic ≈ 60, Deck ≈ 59, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: none. Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Strong in dedicated Penguin archetype (42.2% inclusion)
- Splashable across 26 archetypes without severe brick risk
- Passive +200 ATK benefit to WATER decks with partners
- Level 4 body with flexible Xyz/Fusion/Synchro material utility
Weaknesses
- 900 ATK is fragile to spot removal and battle
- Flip effect is one-time, conditional, and requires face-down setup
- Zero card advantage generation or refuel
- No combo or multi-card synergy proof; archetype-dependent utility only
Counters / choke points
- Spot removal targeting monsters
- Negation of flip trigger
- Bounce or return of Nightmare Penguin itself
Best use
Utility body with passive ATK support. Decks: Penguin, WATER-focused midrange/control.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Card text: +200 ATK passive to all face-up WATER monsters you control; flip-triggered bounce to return 1 opponent card to hand; Deck inclusion: 90 decks, 42.2% Penguin archetype home, 26 total archetypes; No banlist restrictions; unlimited copies
- Observed: 26 distinct archetypes running the card; Top partners all Penguin-focused cards (92.2%–90% co-deck rate); Average 1.54 copies per deck; distribution: 53 at 1x, 25 at 2x, 12 at 3x; 75.6% in gameplay type 7, 22.2% in type 4
- Inferred: Flip effect is soft removal (bounce) rather than destruction or negation; Level 4 Aqua/WATER body usable as Xyz, Fusion, or Synchro material; Passive +200 ATK provides minor resource boost in WATER-heavy decks with multiple WATER bodies; Splashability (26 archetypes) suggests accessibility in dedicated homes where WATER synergy exists
- Data gaps: No combos supplied — combo conversion is text-only inference from card text No guides supplied — no human context on practical role or win-condition contribution No specific search routes evidenced — accessibility inferred from deck inclusion rate only No clear signal whether 26-archetype splashability is strategic synergy or incidental WATER colour-fixing