EARTH
4Performapal Bowhopper
Archetype:
Performapal
ATK:
1500
DEF:
1000
View:
3087
You can Tribute 1 "Performapal" monster; inflict damage to your opponent equal to the Level it had on the field x 100 (original Level, if face-down). You can Tribute 1 "Performapal" monster, then target 1 "Performapal" monster in your Graveyard other than the Tributed monster; add it to your hand. You can only use each effect of "Performapal Bowhopper" once per turn.
Performapal Bowhopper — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 48 ± 5 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 47 · Deck: 49 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Recovery/Recursion · Secondary: Utility
Why it scores here
Performapal Bowhopper is a recursion engine for Performapal decks: its primary role is tributing Performapals to recycle other Performapals from the Graveyard or deal scaling damage. However, both effects require Performapal monsters already in play or hand, limiting accessibility and requiring a full engine to function. The card shows consistent inclusion in 15 Performapal and Odd-Eyes decks but zero combo appearances, confirming its role as a utility/resource manager rather than a combo multiplier. Its resource trades are roughly neutral (−1 board, +1 hand), and it lacks opponent interaction or disruptive value.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 40 | The card requires a Performapal already on-field to tribute, limiting it to mid-combo or late-turn plays; it is not a starter or immediate-use effect (inferred). |
| Combo & Conversion | 30 | Zero recorded combos feature this card despite 15 deck appearances, and both effects consume resources rather than multiply them; the card builds no boards on its own (observed). |
| Resource Economy | 45 | Both effects trade −1 board presence for value: the recursion effect provides card-neutral conversion (−1 tribute, +1 hand), and the damage effect is −1 with no material return (inferred). |
| Effect & Interaction | 20 | The card has no negation, removal, or disruption; damage and recursion do not interact with opponent plays (verified). |
| Material Utility | 50 | As a Level 4 Insect body with 1500 ATK, the card serves as generic non-Tuner material but has no special attributes or synergies (inferred). |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 45 | The card survives only as a Graveyard piece for the recursion effect; once tributed it is used up, and as a field presence it offers no resilience (inferred). |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 60 | All 15 sampled decks run exactly 1 copy, and the card is run exclusively in Performapal/Odd-Eyes home decks; it is moderately restrictive but not a severe garnet given Performapal archetype redundancy (observed). |
Calculation
Weight profile: Recovery/Recursion primary role. Intrinsic ≈ 47, Deck ≈ 49, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: none. Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Recursion effect provides reliable Graveyard replenishment in Performapal-heavy decks.
- Consistent inclusion in all 15 sampled decks suggests solid archetype fit.
- Straightforward text with no complex timing or rulings.
Weaknesses
- Both effects require tributes, limiting accessibility and requiring board setup.
- Zero combo appearances indicate no role as a combo multiplier or starter.
- Resource trades are neutral to negative; the card does not generate card advantage.
- Archetype-locked to Performapal, limiting portability across the meta.
Counters / choke points
- Graveyard banishment effects (e.g., Macro Cosmos, D.D. Crow) prevent recursion.
- Board wipes eliminate the Performapal tributes needed for both effects.
- Hand traps (e.g., Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring) can interrupt the recursion setup if the archetype relies on specific searchers.
Best use
Recursion engine and resource manager. Decks: Performapal, Odd-Eyes. Suggested copies: 1.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Performapal Bowhopper runs in 15 Performapal and Odd-Eyes decks at 1 copy per deck (deck evidence).; Both effects require Performapal tributes and have once-per-turn clauses (card text).; The card is a Level 4 Insect with 1500 ATK/1000 DEF (card text).
- Observed: 100% of sampled decks (15/15) run this card in main deck (deck evidence).; All top partners are Performapal or Odd-Eyes monsters (deck evidence).; The card does not appear in any recorded combos (0 appearances) (combo data).
- Inferred: The card functions as a resource manager: tributing Performapals to recycle or deal damage (from card text).; Both effects are resource-neutral or negative, suggesting a utility/tech piece rather than a power engine (from card text).; Accessibility is limited by the need for Performapal monsters already in play or hand (from card text).
- Data gaps: No combos supplied — combo conversion is text-only inference. No guides supplied — no human context on role/usage. No banlist token — assumed 3 copies (unlimited). No usage statistics (StatisticsCard) — archetype inclusion % inferred from 15-deck sample only. No top-card ranking — assumed not a meta-defining piece.