Spell
EquipSalamandra
View:
4008
Equip only to a FIRE monster. It gains 700 ATK.
31± 8/ 100
Power Score
Intrinsic
32
Deck
34
Salamandra — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 31 ± 8 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 32 · Deck: 34 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Utility
Why it scores here
Salamandra is a passive ATK-boost equip with no intrinsic synergy beyond its +700 buff to FIRE monsters. Zero recorded combos and zero opponent interaction mean the card converts only into raw offense on an already-present board state, and equip spells are inherently fragile targets that vanish if their equipped monster leaves the field. While it appears as a tech option in 39 decks (Fire King, Infernoble Knight, Red-Eyes), the low average copies (1.13) and absence from combo boards confirm it is a niche support card, not a pillar of FIRE strategies.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 35 | Spell card with no direct search route; playable only if a FIRE monster is already on board (verified: text restriction). |
| Combo & Conversion | 25 | Pure passive buff; no combo potential on its own as a spell card, and 0 recorded combo appearances confirm zero combo integration (observed: combo data.appearances = 0). |
| Resource Economy | 30 | Trades 1 card (the equip) for +700 ATK on an existing monster; loses both resources if the monster is removed, yielding negative or neutral card math (inferred: equip spell economics). |
| Effect & Interaction | 5 | No disruption, negation, removal, or opponent-facing interaction; purely offensive boost (verified: card text is effect-only, no opponent interaction). |
| Material Utility | 0 | Spell card cannot be used as material for Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, or Link summons, and effect-negation changes nothing (verified: spell card type). |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 25 | Equip spells are destroyed if the equipped monster leaves the field; one s/t destruction removes both resources; requires pre-existing FIRE monster (inferred: equip spell vulnerability). |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 50 | Clean spell card with no deck locks; average 1.13 copies across 39 decks suggests tech slot usage, not core inclusion (observed: deck data.copies per deck.avg = 1.13). |
Calculation
Weight profile: Utility / no clear role (default). Intrinsic ≈ 32, Deck ≈ 34, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: zero_opponent_interaction (-2). Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Flexible tech card that appears across 16 distinct archetypes, particularly Fire King and Infernoble Knight
- Simple, clean equip spell with no deck locks or build restrictions
- +700 ATK is a meaningful offensive boost to FIRE monsters in combat-focused strategies
Weaknesses
- Zero synergy with combo lines; recorded combo evidence shows 0 appearances across any board
- Extremely fragile: discarded if equipped monster leaves the field, destroyed by any s/t removal
- Dead in hand without a FIRE monster already on board; requires pre-existing board state to activate
- FIRE-only restriction severely limits splashability despite appearing in multiple archetypes
- No card advantage, search, refuel, or opponent interaction beyond raw stat boost
Counters / choke points
- Any s/t destruction effect (Mirror Force Redirect, Twin Twisters, etc.)
- Monster removal or bouncing the equipped monster (Monster Reborn, Teleport effects)
- Equip-negation effects (if any exist for this card type)
Best use
Offensive tech support in FIRE-focused strategies. Decks: Fire King, Infernoble Knight, Red-Eyes, Archfiend. Suggested copies: 1.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Equip spell; text: 'Equip only to a FIRE monster. It gains 700 ATK.'; Appears in 39 decks across 16 distinct archetypes (Fire King 15.4%, Infernoble Knight 15.4%, Red-Eyes 10.3%); Average 1.13 copies per deck; most run 1 copy, few run 2–3; Top partners are FIRE monsters: Flame Swordsman (38.5%), Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Phoenix Gearfried
- Observed: Zero recorded combos; 0 appearances in combo boards across all recorded plays; Zero appearances as starter, material, or payoff piece in any combo; Present in gameplay type 7 (69.2% of Salamandra decks), type 4 (20.5%), type 3 (10.3%); Consistently low deck inclusion despite multi-archetype presence suggests tech slot role
- Inferred: FIRE-only restriction limits splashability; card is tech for FIRE-focused decks, not generic; +700 ATK provides moderate offensive boost but no card advantage, search, or refuel; Spell card format means zero potential as combo material (Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, Link); Equip vulnerability means loss of both card and monster value if removal occurs; Dead in opening hand without pre-existing FIRE monster on board
- Data gaps: No combos supplied — combo conversion and synergy are text-only inferences; zero recorded boards limit confidence in deck role No guides supplied — cannot verify guide writers' assessment of Salamandra's role in FIRE strategies No banlist information — assumed unlimited copies (3 legal) No usage statistics (StatisticsCard) — cannot calibrate archetype inclusion % beyond the 39-deck sample