DARK
8Red Dragon Archfiend
Archetype:
Archfiend
ATK:
3000
DEF:
2000
View:
10774
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters After damage calculation, if this card attacks a Defense Position monster your opponent controls: Destroy all Defense Position monsters your opponent controls. During your End Phase: Destroy all other monsters you control that did not declare an attack this turn. This card must be face-up on the field to activate and to resolve this effect.
Red Dragon Archfiend — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 62 ± 6 · Confidence: High
- Intrinsic: 63 · Deck: 68 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Boss/End-board · Secondary: Board breaker, Removal
Why it scores here
Red Dragon Archfiend is a Level 8 Synchro that serves as the end-board payoff in Resonator and Archfiend combos, appearing in 100% of recorded combo chains at power index 100. Its 3000 ATK and destruction effects provide board control, but the mandatory End Phase effect—destroying all unattacked monsters—severely restricts field flexibility and forces a narrow attack pattern to avoid self-destruction. It excels in its homes (79–100% inclusion) but lacks direct search or material conversion paths, making it a strong situational finisher rather than a universal power card.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 72 | Accessed only as the end state of synchro summons in Resonators/Archfiends (79–100% inclusion there), not via search or direct summon (0% searched-for role in combos). (observed) |
| Combo & Conversion | 70 | Completes power-100 combos as the 60% payoff piece but does not extend further; 4-body end boards in examples show it is the capstone, not a starter. (observed) |
| Resource Economy | 55 | Costs 2+ cards to summon (1 Tuner + materials) and grants a net board of 1 body, then the End Phase effect destroys unattacked monsters unless they all attack. (verified) |
| Effect & Interaction | 58 | Destroys opponent's Defense Position monsters and unattacked own monsters, providing removal but no hard negation or proactive interaction. (verified) |
| Material Utility | 62 | Level 8 DARK Dragon body serves as generic material if negated, but 0% use as material in combos suggests the card is too central to repurpose once summoned. (verified) |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 45 | The End Phase effect creates a forced attack requirement; unattacked monsters are destroyed, severely limiting field preservation and recovery options. (verified) |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 75 | Splashes across 51 archetypes with no garnet risk in synchro homes; 1–2 copies typical and multiple copies are acceptable. (observed) |
Calculation
Weight profile: Boss/End-board primary role. Intrinsic ≈ 63, Deck ≈ 68, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: Self-locking End Phase effect (-4). Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck, then -4 for self-locking End Phase effect
Strengths
- Completes high-power (100-index) synchro combos reliably
- Removes opponent's Defense Position monsters automatically on attack
- Splashable across 51 distinct archetypes with primary homes at 79–100% inclusion
- Legal in all four major formats (TCG, OCG, MasterDuel, DuelLinks)
Weaknesses
- Mandatory End Phase self-destruction forces all-out attack or complete board wipe
- No search access; only summoned as the end result of multi-card synchro lines
- Effect interaction is removal-only; provides no negation or hard disruption
- Reliant on synchro materials; not directly searchable or recursible from graveyard
Counters / choke points
- Negation of synchro summon prevents field access entirely
- Targeting removal during opponent's turn (if unattacked on End Phase)
- Board-wipes or field-wide removal that trigger before End Phase
- Deck-building constraints that prevent all-monsters-attack patterns
Best use
End-board boss, DEF monster removal. Decks: Resonator, Archfiend, Bystial/Byssted. Suggested copies: 2.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Level 8 Synchro, requires 1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters (card text); Destroys all opponent Defense Position monsters after damage calculation (card text); Destroys unattacked own monsters during End Phase; must be face-up to activate (card text); Legal in TCG, OCG, MasterDuel, DuelLinks (card.formats); ATK 3000, DEF 2000, DARK Dragon attribute (card properties); Appears in 400 decks with 51 distinct archetypes (deck data); Appears in 5 recorded combos as 60% payoff piece (combo data)
- Observed: 100% inclusion in Resonators (deck 17), 79% in Resonator (642), 69% in Archfiend (799) (usage statistics); Average 1.53 copies per deck; 196 decks run 1 copy, 196 run 2 copies, 8 run 3 copies (deck data); Top co-deck partners are The Crimson King (89.2%), Crimson Call (77%), Soul Resonator (75.5%) (deck data); All 5 combos featuring this card have power index 100 (combo data.examples); Mentioned in 6 guides as Extra Deck core and boss piece (guide data); Never appears as starter (0%), never searched (0%), never used as material (0%) in recorded combos (combo data)
- Inferred: End Phase effect severely restricts board flexibility, requiring all monsters to attack or be destroyed (card text + game rules); Level 8 body serves as generic Synchro/Xyz/Link material if negated (card properties + game rules); Synchro requirement (not search/summon) limits accessibility compared to boss monsters with direct summon routes (combo evidence); Broad 51-archetype usage indicates generic synchro compatibility, though primary homes are Resonators and Archfiends (combined evidence)
- Data gaps: Limited combo sample (5 total) compared to deck sample (400); larger dataset would strengthen payoff-role confidence No banlist information provided; assumed unlimited (3 copies legal) Guide context primarily Vietnamese; English-language archetype documentation would strengthen meta understanding Top-card ranking data absent; card is not flagged top-card status in any format