WATER
2Penguin Soldier
Archetype:
Penguin
ATK:
750
DEF:
500
View:
5296
FLIP: You can target up to 2 monsters on the field; return those targets to the hand.
Penguin Soldier — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 64 ± 5 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 64.5 · Deck: 65.45 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Removal/Negation · Secondary: Board breaker, Combo enabler
Why it scores here
Penguin Soldier is a splashable removal tool with strong deckbuilding appeal—it appears across 74 distinct archetypes and averages 1.63 copies per deck, confirming clean integration. The bounce effect provides flexible disruption (up to 2 monsters) without locking the deck, and Level 2 WATER Aqua body serves as usable material. However, the flip mechanic imposes setup cost (requiring the card to be set then flipped), and temporary removal to hand is less powerful than destruction or banish, keeping the disruption value moderate. No recorded combos limit combo-conversion inference to text alone, introducing uncertainty about its role in multi-turn lines.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 70 | Penguin Soldier runs in 400/400 sampled recent decks with average 1.63 copies and appears across Penguin, Icejade, Tindangle and 70+ other archetypes, confirming strong availability once committed to the strategy (observed). |
| Combo & Conversion | 40 | As a flip effect with no recorded combo appearances and no inherent card advantage on activation, the card generates disruption rather than card draw or board extension; value is text-based inference only (inferred). |
| Resource Economy | 50 | Bouncing up to 2 monsters returns them to hand (temporary removal, not advantage) after the resource cost of setting the card; net is roughly neutral when both bounces land but negative otherwise (verified). |
| Effect & Interaction | 65 | The flip bounce effect is flexible (any monster, up to 2 targets), disrupts established boards, and works universally across formats, but operates only once per copy and lands temporarily rather than permanently (verified). |
| Material Utility | 60 | Level 2 WATER Aqua with 750 ATK/500 DEF can serve as material for Synchro, Link and Penguin-specific strategies even when effect-negated, though low stats limit inherent body value (inferred). |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 45 | Flip effect activates once per copy and is vulnerable while set (can be destroyed before flipping); no multi-turn recursion or secondary activation paths strengthen resilience (verified). |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 75 | The card appears in 66–100% of decks per archetype statistical sample, does not lock the deck into a strategy, and runs cleanly at 1–3 copies with no garnet/brick liability (observed). |
Calculation
Weight profile: Primary role Removal/Negation. Intrinsic ≈ 64.5, Deck ≈ 65.45, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: Flip setup tax (-1). Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Flexible targeting bounces up to 2 monsters to hand
- Splashable across 74+ distinct archetypes
- Clean deckbuilding—runs 1–3 copies with no garnet/lock
- Level 2 WATER Aqua provides usable material synergy
- Strong in dedicated Penguin and Icejade homes (28.5% and 14% of deck sample)
Weaknesses
- Requires setup: must be set, then flipped to activate
- Single-activation flip effect limits recycle potential
- Vulnerable while face-down to destruction/removal
- Temporary removal (bounce to hand) weaker than destruction/banish
- Low ATK/DEF (750/500) reduces inherent body value
Counters / choke points
- Cards that destroy set monsters before flip (e.g., Dust Tornado, Twin Twisters)
- Non-targeting removal that destroys Penguin Soldier itself
- Broad flip-effect negation (rare but exists in some tech cards)
- Cards that bounce or shuffle your own set cards back to deck
Best use
Disruption / temporary board removal via bounce. Decks: Penguin, Icejade, Ice Barrier, Tindangle, Adamancipator. Suggested copies: 2.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Flip Effect Monster—WATER/Aqua, Level 2, 750 ATK / 500 DEF; Effect: targets up to 2 monsters on field; returns them to hand on flip; Part of Penguin archetype; legal in TCG, OCG, MasterDuel, DuelLinks; Appears in 400 recent decks (latest 2026-09-26); average 1.63 copies per deck; Appears in Penguin (28.5%), Icejade (14%), Ice Barrier (7%) and 70+ other archetypes; Top partners are Penguin cards and staples (Penguin Brave 81% co-deck rate)
- Observed: 66% of decks running Penguin Soldier are going-first strategies; 26.5% going-second; Most decks run 1–2 copies (177 decks at 1 copy, 194 at 2 copies, 29 at 3 copies); No recorded combo appearances (0 combos) in the combo corpus; Usage statistics show Penguin archetype (gameplay-type 4) at 50–100% inclusion with 1–2 copies
- Inferred: Flip mechanic requires setup (set then flip), reducing activation reliability vs. instant-speed effects; Bounce is temporary removal, less disruptive than destruction/banish in most game states; Level 2 body usable as material even when effect-negated, with natural Penguin synergy; Multi-archetype presence (74 distinct) suggests generic bounce effect has broad utility across water/control strategies
- Data gaps: No combos supplied—combo conversion is text-only inference; cannot verify combo-conversion value or starter/payoff roles No banlist status provided—assuming 3 copies legal (no known restriction) No flip-search interaction details—unclear if Penguin cards trigger this for redundant value Card text uses 'can target'—not specified whether targeting can be declined mid-resolution