DARK
4Red Familiar
ATK:
1600
DEF:
0
View:
3642
You can Tribute 1 Fiend monster, then target 1 DARK Dragon Synchro Monster in your GY; Special Summon it in Defense Position, but negate its effects. You can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 DARK Dragon Synchro Monster you control and declare a Level from 1 to 8; that monster becomes that Level until the end of this turn. You can only use each effect of "Red Familiar" once per turn.
Red Familiar — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 61 ± 5 · Confidence: High
- Intrinsic: 60 · Deck: 62 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Recovery/Recursion · Secondary: Combo enabler, Utility
Why it scores here
Red Familiar scores as a reliable but cost-intensive support piece for DARK Dragon Synchro decks, particularly Resonators. Its recovery effect tributes a Fiend to summon a negated Synchro from the GY, enabling board reconstruction and disruption recycling rather than pure card advantage. The card's 100% inclusion in Resonators and 100% appearance in high-power combos (100 index) confirm tight deck integration, but its role as enabler rather than driver, combined with resource costs (tributes and banishes), limits its independent power ceiling. Splashability across 22 archetypes and comfortable multiple-copy inclusion provide deck efficiency gains.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 70 | Appears in 100% of 400 sampled Resonator decks with 99.5% co-appearance to core Resonator monsters, confirming reliable access within its primary home despite no direct search route (verified). |
| Combo & Conversion | 65 | 100% appearance across all 3 recorded combos with 100 power index, contributing to boards with 4 monsters and 6–7 net card advantage, but 0% as starter/payoff role indicates support rather than driver status (observed). |
| Resource Economy | 50 | Both effects carry meaningful costs (tribute and banish) with modest returns (GY recovery is negated, level change generates no new cards); the recorded combos show 6–7 net advantage but derive primarily from the full combo line rather than this card alone (inferred). |
| Effect & Interaction | 45 | Enables recovery of DARK Dragon Synchro disruption pieces but negates their effects, providing a body instead of direct removal or negation; level modification is situational and lacks opponent interaction (verified from card text). |
| Material Utility | 55 | Level 4 DARK Fiend body with 1600 ATK serves as Synchro material and tribute fodder, but deck synergies prioritize effect usage over body contribution; moderate utility as a generic support piece (inferred). |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 55 | Both effects are once-per-turn with GY-reliant access; the card improves resilience through 1–3 copy distribution across 100% of Resonator decks and multi-archetype portability, but combo lines show tight avg starter count of 1 (observed). |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 75 | Efficient inclusion in Resonators (no brick risk, tributes abundant Fiends, targets core boss Synchros) and splashable to 22 distinct archetypes including Archfiend (22.5%) and DARK Dragon homes; low slot cost relative to synergy (verified from deck distribution and archetype reach). |
Calculation
Weight profile: Recovery/Recursion (primary role). Intrinsic ≈ 60, Deck ≈ 62, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: none. Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Core support piece in Resonators (100% inclusion, 99.5% co-appearance with key monsters)
- Enables GY recovery of Synchro disruption monsters for board reconstruction
- Supports high-power combo lines (100 power index in all recorded appearances)
- Flexible level modification for Synchro summoning contingency
- Splashable across 22 archetypes, particularly other DARK Dragon Synchro decks
Weaknesses
- Cost-intensive (requires Fiend tribute or banish from GY for modest returns)
- First effect negates the summoned Synchro, limiting immediate impact
- Not a combo starter; enables but does not drive lines
- Level manipulation situational and only useful in Synchro strategies
- Tight combo lines (avg starter count 1) reduce resilience in off-meta adaptations
Counters / choke points
- Effect negation (blocks both effects)
- GY disruption (eliminates access to Synchro targets)
- Hand trap interference (prevents tribute costs from resolving)
Best use
Enabler for GY recovery and Synchro-based combo lines. Decks: Resonators, Archfiend, DARK Dragon Synchro. Suggested copies: 2.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Card text: tributes 1 Fiend to summon 1 DARK Dragon Synchro from GY in Defense with negated effects; Second effect: banish from GY to declare Level 1–8 for target DARK Dragon Synchro until end turn; Both effects once-per-turn; 100% main-deck inclusion in 400 sampled Resonator decks; 1–3 copy distribution (310 at 1 copy, 40 at 2, 50 at 3)
- Observed: 100% appearance in 3 recorded combos with 100 power index boards; 99.5% co-appearance with Soul Resonator, Crimson Resonator, and Red Dragon Archfiend; Average starter count when present: 1 (tight combo lines); 0% as starter, payoff, or end-board piece (support role, not driver); Inclusion across 22 distinct archetypes (Resonators 54%, Archfiend 22.5%, others ≤5%); Recorded net card advantage in combos: 6–7 (from full lines, not card alone)
- Inferred: Primary role is Recovery/Recursion based on GY-recovery effect text and 0% as starter/payoff; Negated Synchro suggests strategic use as board body rather than immediate negation source; Material utility exists (Level 4 DARK Fiend) but secondary to effect-based usage; Garnet risk is low in Resonators (tributes abundant, Synchro summons frequent in archetype); Level manipulation is situational and primarily enables Synchro summoning by level adjustment
- Data gaps: Combo combo role field is empty for all 3 examples (inferred from stats instead of explicit role labeling) No banlist status provided (assumed 3-copy unlimited) Per-format legal copy counts not specified (assumed universal across TCG, OCG, MasterDuel, DuelLinks)