DARK
4Shadow Delver
ATK:
1500
DEF:
500
View:
2897
This card is treated as a Normal Monster while face-up on the field or in the Graveyard. While this card is face-up on the field, you can Normal Summon it to have it be treated as an Effect Monster with this effect: ● Once per turn, you can select 1 face-up Level 4 or lower DARK monster you control. It can attack your opponent directly this turn.
Shadow Delver — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 34 ± 7 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 41.7 · Deck: 33.8 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Material body · Secondary: Utility
Why it scores here
Shadow Delver converts almost nothing into winning value: it is a Level 4 DARK Fiend that functions mainly as a Normal-Monster-treated body, and its only effect (granting one face-up Level 4 or lower DARK monster a direct attack) needs a second Gemini Normal Summon and never interacts with the opponent. Its 1500 ATK and any raw stats earn no points here. The score reflects real but modest generic material value (Level 4, DARK, Fiend, Normal-treated in the field/GY) offset by essentially zero combo evidence (0 recorded boards, 1 deck) and the standing Gemini Summon tax on its effect.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 48 | Normal-Summonable Level 4 DARK Fiend with no evidenced searcher route, and its effect is live only after a second Gemini Normal Summon (verified). |
| Combo & Conversion | 12 | 0 combo appearances recorded and no text that builds a board beyond a small direct-attack buff (observed). |
| Resource Economy | 30 | The body self-deploys roughly card-neutral, but the Gemini re-summon spends the turn's Normal Summon for no added advantage (inferred). |
| Effect & Interaction | 8 | The only effect grants a direct attack and provides no disruption, negation, or removal (verified). |
| Material Utility | 55 | Level 4 DARK Fiend treated as a Normal Monster on the field and in the Graveyard, so it is a clean Link/Xyz/Fusion material and Normal-support name (inferred). |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 28 | One-shot effect with no recovery or protection; if interrupted it degrades to a plain 1500-ATK body (inferred). |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 46 | Occupies a single slot with no locks or garnets, but the low ceiling makes extra copies pointless (observed). |
Calculation
Weight profile: 0.7 Material body / Normal + 0.3 Utility. Intrinsic ≈ 41.7, Deck ≈ 33.8, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: Gemini re-summon tax (-3). Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Level 4 DARK Fiend body that is generic and easy to summon.
- Treated as a Normal Monster while on the field and in the Graveyard, widening its use as material and as a Normal-support name.
- No locks, no garnets, and legal at (assumed) unlimited copies across all listed formats.
Weaknesses
- Its only effect requires a second Normal Summon (Gemini Summon) to activate.
- The effect only grants a direct attack to a Level 4 or lower DARK monster; it provides no removal, negation, or advantage.
- No recorded combo presence and only a single incidental deck inclusion.
- 1500 ATK is low and contributes no combat value.
Counters / choke points
- Any effect negation or disruption after the Gemini Summon blanks the card entirely.
- Removal on the chosen DARK monster removes the direct-attack target.
- Battle-phase or attack prevention effects nullify the direct-attack plan.
Best use
Level 4 DARK material body / Normal-treated body. Decks: Vanquish Soul. Suggested copies: 1.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Gemini Monster: treated as a Normal Monster while face-up on the field or in the Graveyard.; While face-up on the field, it can be Normal Summoned again to become an Effect Monster with the direct-attack effect.; Effect: once per turn, select 1 face-up Level 4 or lower DARK monster you control; it can attack directly this turn.; Level 4 DARK Fiend, 1500 ATK / 500 DEF; legal in TCG, OCG, MasterDuel, DuelLinks.
- Observed: deck data: 1 deck runs it, 100% mained, average 1 copy, all within the Vanquish Soul sample.; combo data: 0 appearances, 0 as starter/searched/material/payoff (no recorded combo centrality).; guide data: 0 guides mention the card.
- Inferred: Its Normal-treated status makes it usable as Link/Xyz/Fusion material and as a Normal-Monster-support name.; The Gemini re-summon consumes the turn's Normal Summon for a marginal buff, making the effect a net tempo cost.; Effect is non-interactive, so resilience is limited to the plain body.
- Data gaps: no combos supplied — combo conversion is text-only inference no guides supplied no banlist token — assumed 3 copies (unlimited) no usage statistics (StatisticsCard) — archetype inclusion % inferred from deck sample only