Trap
NormalRed Cocoon
Archetype:
Archfiend
View:
4048
Target 1 Dragon-Type Synchro Monster you control; equip this card to it. While it is battling an opponent's monster, until the end of the Damage Step, negate the effects of all face-up monsters your opponent controls. During the End Phase, if this card is in the Graveyard because it was sent there this turn: You can target 1 "Red Dragon Archfiend" in your Graveyard; Special Summon it.
Red Cocoon — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 57 ± 5 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 53 · Deck: 59 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Recovery/Recursion · Secondary: Negation/Interaction
Why it scores here
Red Cocoon delivers practical but situational value as Dragon Synchro support. The equip effect provides a hard negate during one battle window, while the GY recovery effect Special Summons Red Dragon Archfiend when sent to the graveyard—the primary draw for its near-universal inclusion across Synchro homes. However, the card's effectiveness depends entirely on an existing Synchro in play and favorable board positioning; it neither generates advantage independently nor builds combos. Accessibility and resilience are constrained by its trap card nature and single-use mechanics, preventing a higher score despite strong deck integration.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 45 | Trap cards require hand access and cannot be searched; Red Cocoon further needs a Dragon Synchro already in play to equip, limiting live opening-hand value (inferred) |
| Combo & Conversion | 40 | Text provides one negate during battle plus one Special Summon from GY, but no independent board-building capability without existing Synchro setup; no combo evidence to confirm practical chains (verified + inferred) |
| Resource Economy | 62 | GY recovery effect yields card value by returning Red Dragon Archfiend when sent to graveyard, offsetting the trap's cost; roughly neutral to +1 economy in Synchro decks (verified) |
| Effect & Interaction | 58 | Equip negation is a hard interrupt but limited to one battle window and requires the equipped Synchro to be actively battling; conditional scope reduces flexibility (verified) |
| Material Utility | 15 | Trap cards provide minimal material utility; Red Cocoon has no tuner/level/attribute value and becomes consumed when its GY effect resolves (verified) |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 35 | Single-use effects (one battle negation + one GY recovery) with no multi-turn play or alternative activation routes; vulnerable to equipment removal before triggering (inferred) |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 68 | Cleanly fits into Dragon Synchro decks (Resonator 34.1%, Archfiend 32.4%) with 1–2 copies per deck across 18 distinct archetypes; no locking or garnet concerns in dedicated Synchro shells (observed) |
Calculation
Weight profile: 0.7 Recovery/Recursion + 0.3 Negation/Interaction. Intrinsic ≈ 53, Deck ≈ 59, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: none. Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Hard negate during battle disrupts opponent's effects on the damage step
- GY recovery effect refuels Red Dragon Archfiend and other discarded Synchros
- Broad compatibility across 18 distinct Dragon Synchro archetypes
- Clean slot efficiency in dedicated Synchro decks with 1–2 copies
Weaknesses
- Trap card nature prevents searching or tutoring in most decks
- Equip effect limited to one battle window per activation
- Requires existing Synchro in play to equip; dead if no synchro available
- No independent combo-building capability or multi-turn play
- Material utility nearly non-existent as a trap card
Counters / choke points
- Trap negation and equipment removal prevent equip or GY activation
- Monster hand traps can negate the GY Special Summon effect
- Banishing instead of sending to GY blocks the recovery line
Best use
Synchro support: battle-line negation + Red Dragon Archfiend recursion. Decks: Resonator, Archfiend, Dragon Link, Buster Blader, Labrynth.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Equip condition requires Dragon-Type Synchro Monster target (card text); Equip negation activates during battle, negating opponent effects until end of Damage Step (card text); GY effect activates End Phase if card was sent to GY this turn, Special Summoning 1 Red Dragon Archfiend (card text); Card appears in 182 recent player decks with recency 2022–2026 (deck sample); Appears in Resonator (34.1%) and Archfiend (32.4%) as primary homes (deck statistics); Included 1–2 copies per deck (distribution: 1 copy in 128 decks, 2 copies in 54 decks)
- Observed: Appears in 18 distinct archetypes across Dragon Synchro and adjacent builds (deck evidence); 98.4% co-occurrence with Red Dragon Archfiend and Synkron Resonator (deck partnerships); 91.8% appear in Gameplay Type 7 decks (assumed going-first Synchro-heavy format); Zero combo appearances across recorded boards (combo data)
- Inferred: Combo conversion limited to one negate + one special summon (text-only, no boards); Equip negation scope confined to single battle window (text mechanics); GY recovery is the primary value driver justifying high deck inclusion (from RDA partnership dominance); Accessibility moderate due to trap nature and Synchro dependency (text + format mechanics); Suited to Synchro-focused deckbuilding; not a generic staple (archetype clustering)
- Data gaps: No combo boards supplied—combo conversion and synergy are text-only inference No guide mentions—community strategy role is unknown No usage statistics (StatisticsCard rows)—archetype inclusion % derived from 182-deck sample only, not historical average No banlist tokens—assumed unlimited (3 copies)