DARK
Number 84: Pain Gainer
ATK:
0
DEF:
0
View:
4409
2 Level 11 monsters You can also Xyz Summon this card by using a Rank 8, 9, or 10 DARK Xyz Monster you control with 2 or more Xyz Materials as the Xyz Material. (Xyz Materials attached to that monster also become Xyz Materials on this card.) This card gains DEF equal to the combined Ranks of all Xyz Monsters you control x 200. While this card has Xyz Material, each time your opponent activates a Spell/Trap Card, inflict 600 damage to your opponent immediately after it resolves. Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; destroy all face-up monsters your opponent controls with DEF less than or equal to this card's.
Number 84: Pain Gainer — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 49 ± 6 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 51 · Deck: 47 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Boss / End-board · Secondary: Board breaker, Negation/Interaction
Why it scores here
Pain Gainer is a conditional board-ender that scales defensively and provides soft Spell/Trap taxation in Xyz-heavy decks. Its 0 printed ATK/DEF means it contributes nothing on its own; value accrues reactively through opponent interaction and pre-existing board states. The destruction effect is situational (dependent on DEF matching), the damage tax requires opponent cooperation, and lack of recovery limits turn count. While accessible via rank-up in 123 archetypes and slotting naturally into Xyz shells, its dependency on board state, low independent value, and situational effectiveness cap its power ceiling at a solid but unremarkable utility finisher.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 65 | Summonable via rank-up from any Rank 8–10 DARK Xyz with 2+ materials; consistent inclusion across 123 distinct archetypes in the 400-deck sample confirms practical accessibility. (observed) |
| Combo & Conversion | 35 | No combo evidence supplied; card text shows 0 ATK/DEF and no intrinsic value generation, functioning only as an end-board piece within an existing Xyz state. (inferred) |
| Resource Economy | 40 | The card detaches materials for a once-per-turn removal effect and offers only conditional damage tax (opponent S/T-dependent), with no built-in refuel or card advantage. (verified) |
| Effect & Interaction | 55 | Provides soft Spell/Trap taxation (600 damage post-resolution) and situational hard removal (destruction effect tied to matching opponent's DEF value). (verified) |
| Material Utility | 25 | As a 0/0 monster with no archetype restriction, it functions as a generic Xyz endpoint rather than intermediate material; effect negation leaves an inert body. (inferred) |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 35 | Field-only, lacks recovery mechanics, and loses effectiveness as materials deplete; no multi-zone or multi-turn redundancy; vulnerable to removal. (inferred) |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 50 | Occupies one Extra Deck slot with modest cost; 387 of 400 decks run exactly one copy, suggesting minimal garnet risk in Xyz-centric shells. (observed) |
Calculation
Weight profile: Primary role: Boss / End-board. Intrinsic ≈ 51, Deck ≈ 47, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: none. Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Accessible finisher via rank-up in existing Xyz lines
- Defensive scaling rewards building multiple Xyz monsters on field
- Spell/Trap tax provides ongoing soft interaction and board pressure
- Broad archetype spread (123 archetypes) with no archetype restriction
- Minimal deckbuilding cost (one Extra Deck slot, typically one copy)
Weaknesses
- Entirely dependent on existing board state (0/0 base printed stats)
- Destruction effect is situational and depends on opponent's DEF values
- Spell/Trap tax is reactive and opponent-dependent (opponent must activate S/T)
- Materials are finite resource (detachment limits turns of utility)
- No recovery or recursion mechanism
- Effect negation leaves an inert 0/0 body
- Requires Rank 8–10 DARK Xyz setup (not a standalone card)
Counters / choke points
- Monster removal targeting Pain Gainer itself
- Material manipulation (effects that detach or steal Xyz materials)
- Effect negation (Veiler, Impermanence, etc.)
- Opponent playing few Spell/Traps (tax effect doesn't trigger)
- Monsters with very high DEF or 0 DEF (evade destruction effect)
Best use
End-board finisher with defensive scaling and soft Spell/Trap taxation. Decks: Horus, Millennium, Nemleria, Gimmick Puppet, Xyz-centric strategies. Suggested copies: 1.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Card text is complete and clear (two summon routes, DEF scaling formula, S/T tax, once-per-turn removal); 400 decks run it with high consistency (1.04 copies average); Appears in 123 distinct archetypes with no archetype restriction; Legal in all 3 formats (TCG, OCG, MasterDuel); Destruction effect is hard removal (face-up monsters only, DEF-gated); Spell/Trap tax activates immediately after resolution while card has materials
- Observed: Co-appears with Number 77 in 71.2% of decks (strongest partner correlation); Hecahands: 100% inclusion rate, 1 copy typical; Archfiend, Timelord, Ogdoadic: 66.7% inclusion rate, 1 copy typical; Appears only in main deck across all 400 samples (0 in side deck); Most common copy count is exactly 1 (387/400 decks; 10 run 2; 3 run 3); Gameplay distribution: 73.2% type 7, 19.2% type 4, 7.5% type 6
- Inferred: Rank-up accessibility makes it a natural finisher in Xyz decks already making Rank 8–10 DARK monsters; DEF scaling provides defensive utility that increases with board density; S/T tax incentivizes opponent caution around spell/trap usage when card has materials; Destruction effect serves as situational board-breaking tool when DEF threshold matches opponent's monsters; The 0/0 base means card contributes no value on its own (requires pre-existing board state to function)
- Data gaps: No combos supplied — combo conversion is text-only inference with no real-world verification No combo evidence of damage tax effectiveness (opponent S/T frequency per turn is variable and deck-dependent) Limited guide coverage (4 guides, mostly list mentions in staple sections, no strategic detail) No evidence of actual impact on win rates, kill path reliability, or game outcomes No interaction data (what commonly negates, removes, or manipulates this card in competitive play) No banlist history or restrictions listed — assumed unlimited (3 copies legal in all formats)