DARK
Number 96: Dark Mist
ATK:
100
DEF:
1000
View:
4126
3 Level 2 monsters Once per battle, during either player's turn, when an attack is declared involving this card and an opponent's monster: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; halve the ATK of the opponent's monster, and if you do, this card gains that same amount of ATK.
Number 96: Dark Mist — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 48 ± 6 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 53 · Deck: 47 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Removal / Negation · Secondary: Utility
Why it scores here
Number 96: Dark Mist is a niche defensive tool that halves opponent's ATK during battle and gains the reduction, confirming soft negation value across 42 distinct archetypes. While broadly accessible—confirmed by 100 decks showing multiple Level-2 sources—it generates zero board advantage, appears in zero recorded combos, and is almost always a 1-of flex pick rather than a synergy engine. Its high summoning cost (3 Level 2 monsters), 100 base ATK, and dependence on defensive situations severely limit resilience and resourcefulness. The card earns its modest score through situational utility and broad archetype splashability, not through power generation.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 55 | Accessible across 42 archetypes including Spright, Cyber Dragon, and Ojama, confirming multiple Level-2 summon routes despite the restrictive 3-monster cost (observed). |
| Combo & Conversion | 20 | Zero recorded combos with 0 appearances across all boards; no combo lines or board acceleration beyond standalone ATK reduction (verified). |
| Resource Economy | 25 | Each activation costs 1 Xyz Material from a maximum of 3, providing no refuel or card advantage—pure resource burn with situational tempo benefit (verified). |
| Effect & Interaction | 60 | Halves opponent's monster ATK during attack declaration on either player's turn, offering soft negation that reduces threats; limited to once per battle (verified). |
| Material Utility | 50 | 1000 DEF body is usable as Rank 3+ Xyz material; 100 ATK is minimal but serviceable when blanked (inferred). |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 30 | Requires field presence and opponent attack to function; no protection, recovery, or multi-turn utility; limited to 3 activations before depletion (verified). |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 65 | Run as 1-of in 95/100 sample decks; splashable across 42 archetypes without deck-building locks or restrictions; minimal slot cost but no tutoring (observed). |
Calculation
Weight profile: Primary Removal / Negation. Intrinsic ≈ 53, Deck ≈ 47, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: High summoning cost vs. limited impact (-1). Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Splashable across 42 diverse archetypes confirming genuine accessibility
- Soft negation during opponent's turn adds defensive flexibility
- Serviceable Xyz material for higher-rank summoning
- Minimal deck-building lock—run as 1-of flex pick without restriction
Weaknesses
- High summoning cost (3 Level 2 monsters) limits reliability
- Only 100 base ATK; fragile in contested boards
- No combo generation or board acceleration—zero recorded combo appearances
- Resource burn (Xyz material per use) with maximum 3 activations per game
- Defensive-only utility; no proactive board development
Counters / choke points
- Any effect that destroys/tributes this card before an attack is declared
- Board wipes that clear field before combat
- Decks that avoid attacking into this card (anti-combat strategies)
Best use
Tech / defensive combat trick. Decks: Spright, Cyber Dragon, Ojama, Armed Dragon. Suggested copies: 1.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Card requires 3 Level 2 monsters for Rank 2 Xyz summon (card text); ATK-halving effect activates when attack is declared involving this card and opponent's monster (card text); Limited to once per battle; costs 1 Xyz Material per activation (card text); Base 100 ATK, 1000 DEF (card text); Appears in 100 main-deck slots across sample with average 1.1 copies per deck (deck evidence); Zero appearances in any recorded combo board (combos evidence)
- Observed: Broad distribution: 42 distinct archetypes including Spright (11%), Cyber Dragon (6%), Ojama (6%); Strong co-deck presence with hand traps: Ash Blossom 37%, Infinite Impermanence 36%, Called by Grave 33%; 95 of 100 decks run exactly 1 copy; only 5 run 3 copies (deck evidence)
- Inferred: Multiple Level-2 sources in 42 archetypes confirm genuine accessibility beyond Spright-specific homes; Soft negation effect useful as defensive combat tool in contested board states; Tech/flex classification supported by 1-of majority and broad splashability without deck locks; Material utility depends on Xyz overlay availability in home archetype
- Data gaps: No combos supplied—combo conversion is text-only inference; cannot corroborate starter/enabler roles No guides supplied—external validation of tactical utility in real play patterns missing No banlist token—assumed 3 copies (unlimited) per format No usage statistics (StatisticsCard rows)—archetype inclusion percentage inferred from 100-deck sample only No top-card ranking—cannot confirm meta relevance or competitive performance