FIRE
4Red Gardna
Archetype:
Archfiend
ATK:
0
DEF:
2000
View:
4552
During either player's turn, when your opponent activates a card or effect while you control a "Red Dragon Archfiend" monster: You can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard; this turn, monsters you control cannot be destroyed by your opponent's card effects.
62± 5/ 100
Power Score
Intrinsic
60
Deck
64
Red Gardna — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 62 ± 5 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 60 · Deck: 64 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Hand trap · Secondary: Negation/Interaction, Resilience/Protection
Why it scores here
Red Gardna scores as a specialized hand trap that provides meaningful destruction protection in Red Dragon Archfiend decks. Its strong effect interaction (negating destruction) is highly relevant in homes where it appears in 91%+ of decks with key synergy partners, but the card's narrow activation condition (requiring RDA on field) and lack of combo generation limit its overall versatility. As a pure reactive defense tool with no card advantage generation or deck extension capability, the score reflects its role as a solid tech piece rather than a format powerhouse.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 65 | Accessible in specific archetype homes (Resonator 31.4%, Archfiend 24.3%) that naturally generate Red Dragon Archfiend, but requires both card in hand and field condition to function (verified via deck evidence). |
| Combo & Conversion | 15 | Minimal combo generation as a hand trap; no combo data supplied and text shows no board-building capability (inferred from card text and zero combo appearances). |
| Resource Economy | 40 | Pure −1 resource (send from hand to GY) with no direct card advantage, only indirect preservation of existing board through destruction protection (inferred from card text). |
| Effect & Interaction | 65 | Strong soft interaction against destruction effects, protecting entire board for one turn when activated; effective in relevant matchups but does not stop other removal types (verified via card text). |
| Material Utility | 25 | 0 ATK and placement in GY after activation limit usefulness as material; generic Level-4 body but not practically applied in this card's intended role (inferred from card text and deck strategy). |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 55 | Reactive effect triggered by opponent's action makes it hard to interrupt before activation; requires specific field condition (RDA) but resolves reliably when conditions met (inferred from effect structure). |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 70 | No deck locks or garnet risk in target archetypes; runs 1-3 copies with no reported brick issues, making it a clean tech inclusion (observed from deck distribution). |
Calculation
Weight profile: 0.7 Hand trap + 0.3 Negation/Interaction blend. Intrinsic ≈ 60, Deck ≈ 64, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: none. Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Strong destruction protection in Red Dragon Archfiend-centric decks
- 91%+ inclusion rate with Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Bane shows tight archetype synergy
- Reactive effect is difficult to preempt; resolves when opponent activates
- Runs multiple copies without brick risk in intended homes
- Searchable synergy through archetype support cards (Crimson Resonator, Resonator Call)
Weaknesses
- Narrow activation condition requires controlling specific Red Dragon Archfiend boss
- No card advantage generation; pure −1 play with only resource preservation
- Ineffective against non-destruction removal (negation, bounce, banishing)
- Placement in GY after activation makes it dead to direct recursion strategies
- 0 ATK makes it poor material even when summoned; intended use consumes it from hand
Counters / choke points
- Negation effects that stop the activation (e.g., Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring if activated in response)
- Removal methods other than destruction (banishing, bounce effects, send to deck)
- Cards that remove Red Dragon Archfiend before opponent's activation window
Best use
Defensive hand trap for protection against destruction-based board wipes. Decks: Resonator, Archfiend, Red Dragon Archfiend variants. Suggested copies: 2.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Card requires controlling Red Dragon Archfiend to activate (card text); Sends from hand to GY as activation cost (card text); Protects all controlled monsters from destruction for this turn (card text); Included in 70 documented decks with clear primary homes in Resonator (31.4%) and Archfiend (24.3%); 91.4% co-deck occurrence with Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Bane indicates primary archetype synergy
- Observed: 90% average co-deck inclusion with Crimson Resonator (observed from deck statistics); 87.1% average co-deck inclusion with Synkron Resonator and Resonator Call (observed from deck statistics); 1.33 average copies per deck with distribution spanning 1-3 copies (observed from deck evidence); Appears across 18 distinct archetypes in the sample, though concentrated in primary homes (observed from archetype breakdown)
- Inferred: Reactive activation structure makes effect difficult to counter before resolution (inferred from effect timing and activation method); Pure resource-negative play (−1 card sent to GY) with no direct card advantage generation (inferred from card text); Level-4, FIRE Fiend body is generic material in theory but impractical when sent to GY as activation cost (inferred from deck strategy and typical Resonator/Archfiend use patterns); Narrow activation window (opponent must activate while RDA controls) limits flexibility but increases reliability when condition met (inferred from effect requirements)
- Data gaps: No combo evidence — combo conversion is text-only inference; cannot verify board-building from practical game sequences No guide context — no human player insights into the card's tactical application or positioning within deck strategy No banlist token — legal status and copy limits inferred as unlimited (TCG/OCG/MasterDuel/DuelLinks assumed 3-copy legal) No usage statistics (StatisticsCard) — archetype inclusion percentage and historical trends inferred from 70-deck sample only, not confirmed against larger historical database No top-card ranking data — cannot confirm competitive metagame performance or format-wide adoption