DARK
6Puppet Master
ATK:
0
DEF:
0
View:
4319
When this card is Tribute Summoned: You can pay 2000 LP, then target 2 Fiend monsters in your GY; Special Summon those targets, but they cannot attack this turn.
Puppet Master — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 36 ± 6 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 35 · Deck: 40 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Recovery/Recursion · Secondary: Extender, Utility
Why it scores here
Puppet Master is a niche Fiend recursion tool that recovers 2 monsters from the GY for 2000 LP, but its Tribute Summon requirement and 0/0 stats severely limit accessibility and independent value. While it appears consistently as a 1-copy in 10 diverse Fiend decks (Sacred Beast, Yubel, Mask) with synergistic partners like Dark Necrofear and Sangan, it never appears in recorded combo boards and cannot attack the turn it summons, making it a situational utility piece rather than a power engine. The LP cost and activation requirement mean this card only generates value in late-game or pre-filled GY scenarios, and the 0/0 body offers no defensive or offensive presence on board.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 35 | Requires Tribute Summon (2 tributes for Level 6) but appears in 7 distinct Fiend archetypes suggesting some deck support exists despite the high cost (verified from text and decks evidence). |
| Combo & Conversion | 30 | Card does not appear in any recorded combo boards (0 appearances), and its 0/0 body with attack restriction means it builds no independent board state (observed from zero combos evidence). |
| Resource Economy | 40 | Recovers 2 Fiend monsters from GY for 2000 LP cost, netting +1 card but at significant LP expense; recovery requires pre-filled GY (verified from text and cost analysis). |
| Effect & Interaction | 5 | Pure utility recursion with no disruption, negation, or opponent interaction whatsoever (verified from effect text). |
| Material Utility | 20 | 0/0 stats offer no ATK/DEF value; DARK/Fiend type restricts to Fiend strategies only; card is most useful as the Tribute cost itself (verified from stats and type). |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 15 | One-time effect that completely blanks if Tribute Summon is negated; no recovery routes or alternate uses; attack restriction further limits turn-of-activation value (verified from effect text). |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 35 | Appears as 1-copy tech in 10 decks, suggesting marginal slot utility; Fiend restriction and 0/0 body create high garnet potential if drawn without GY setup (observed from deck distribution). |
Calculation
Weight profile: 0.7 Recovery/Recursion + 0.3 Extender. Intrinsic ≈ 35, Deck ≈ 40, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: 0/0 brick potential (-2). Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Recovers up to 2 Fiend monsters from GY in dedicated strategies
- Appears across 7 distinct archetypes despite Tribute Summon requirement
- Synergizes with common GY-centric partners (Dark Necrofear, Sangan, Morphing Jar)
Weaknesses
- Requires expensive Tribute Summon (Level 6 requires 2 tributes)
- 2000 LP cost is heavy activation price in modern formats
- 0/0 body offers zero board presence or defensive value
- Special Summoned monsters cannot attack, limiting immediate impact
- Zero appearances in recorded combo boards despite 10-deck sample
Counters / choke points
- Tribute Summon negation (Solemn Warning, Solemn Strike, Solemn Judgment)
- GY disruption (Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, Lancea, Droll & Lock Bird)
- Monster effect negation (Synchro negates, Effect Veiler)
Best use
Late-game Fiend recovery tool in GY-centric strategies. Decks: Sacred Beast, Yubel, Mask, Koa'ki Meiru. Suggested copies: 1.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Requires Tribute Summon (Level 6) to activate effect; Effect costs 2000 LP as activation requirement; Targets and Special Summons 2 Fiend monsters from GY; Special Summoned monsters cannot attack this turn; 0/0 ATK/DEF body with no independent board value
- Observed: Appears as 1-copy in all 10 decks that run it (100% inclusion when chosen); Present in 7 archetypes: Solemn (20%), Sacred Beast (20%), Mask (20%), Yubel (10%), Koa'ki Meiru (10%), and 2 unlabeled (20%); Top partners are GY-centric cards: Dark Ruler Ha Des, Dark Necrofear, Sangan, Morphing Jar all at 70-80% co-deck rate; Never appears in any recorded combo boards (0 total combo appearances)
- Inferred: Primary role is Recovery/Recursion given it Special Summons from GY and creates no independent board state; Accessible via dedicated Fiend strategies (Sacred Beast, Yubel) that support Tribute Summon engines; LP cost of 2000 limits practical activation to mid-to-late game or pre-prepared GY scenarios; Appearance across 7 archetypes suggests real demand in GY-focused strategies despite high activation cost
- Data gaps: No combos supplied — cannot assess real-world combo conversion or activation in winning sequences No guides supplied — cannot confirm player rationale for inclusion across archetypes No banlist token — assumed 3 copies (unlimited) across all formats No usage statistics (StatisticsCard data) — archetype inclusion % inferred from 10-deck sample only No top card ranking data — card does not appear in ranked results