Spell
NormalShield & Sword
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3863
Switch the original ATK and DEF of all face-up monsters currently on the field, until the end of this turn.
Shield & Sword — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 37 ± 6 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 38 · Deck: 35 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Utility · Secondary: Board breaker / Going-second
Why it scores here
Shield & Sword is a fully generic, costless Normal Spell that swaps the original ATK and DEF of all face-up monsters for the turn, so it is trivially live when drawn but converts to almost no structural value: it builds no board, replaces no card, and only matters during one battle phase. Its only genuine use is a retro battle trick that flips high-DEF monsters into attackers or shrinks an opponent's high-ATK, low-DEF monster — and it is symmetric, so it can just as easily upgrade the opponent's board. The 48 decks that run it (avg 1.17 copies) are old-school lists whose partners are Monster Reborn, Raigeki, Swords of Revealing Light and Trap Hole, confirming a nostalgic utility role rather than a competitive engine. Zero combo appearances and the absence of any search route mean the flat ATK/DEF numbers being swapped earn the card nothing here.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 55 | Normal Spell with no cost, condition, or once-per-turn lock is live whenever drawn and unlimited in every listed format, but there is no demonstrated search route (verified text; inferred search). |
| Combo & Conversion | 12 | Text builds no board and combo data records 0 appearances (0 starter role/material/payoff), so it converts a realistic start into nothing structural (observed). |
| Resource Economy | 25 | It is a flat -1 from hand with no draw, recursion, or GY refuel in the text and no search evidence in decks (verified text; inferred). |
| Effect & Interaction | 25 | The swap can shrink an opponent's high-ATK/low-DEF monster for the turn, but it is symmetric, one-turn, and easily played around (inferred from text). |
| Material Utility | 8 | As a Spell it provides no body, Level, Attribute, or Type material and cannot be used as material even when its effect resolves (verified). |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 22 | It is dead in most board states, depends on the exact ATK/DEF profile of both fields, and can be negated by any Spell/Trap answer such as Solemn Judgment, a top partner in 39.6% of its decks (inferred; observed partner). |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 50 | One near-free slot with no garnet, lock, or extra-deck demand, and unlimited copies are legal, though it is a niche inclusion rather than a staple (verified; inferred). |
Calculation
Weight profile: 0.7 Utility (default) + 0.3 Board breaker / Going-second. Intrinsic ≈ 38, Deck ≈ 35, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: Fully generic, no garnet or lock (1). Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Completely generic Normal Spell: no cost, no condition, no once-per-turn clause, unlimited copies in TCG/OCG/MasterDuel/DuelLinks.
- Live whenever drawn, so it never creates a structural garnet or brick beyond its own slot.
- In retro/Goat-style boards it can flip high-DEF monsters into attackers for a battle-phase push and reduce an opponent's high-ATK, low-DEF threat.
Weaknesses
- Produces no board, no card advantage, and no lasting resource — a flat -1 for a one-turn stat change.
- Symmetric: it also swaps the opponent's monsters' ATK/DEF, which can strengthen their board or their retaliation.
- No search route in the evidence; you must naturally draw it, and it is useless outside the correct board state.
- Zero combo appearances and no presence in any Top-Card ranking — no practical competitive line uses it.
Counters / choke points
- Solemn Judgment / Spell negation or removal before it resolves
- Destroying or removing the high-DEF monster you intend to convert into an attacker
- Monsters whose value does not depend on ATK or DEF (their stat profiles make the swap irrelevant)
- Holding the battle phase or winning before combat, denying the card its only window
Best use
Utility battle trick to convert DEF-based bodies into attackers for one turn. Decks: Old-school / retro (Goat-style) decks, High-DEF low-ATK battle builds. Suggested copies: 1.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Card text: 'Switch the original ATK and DEF of all face-up monsters currently on the field, until the end of this turn.'; It is a Normal Spell with no cost, no condition, and no once-per-turn clause.; Listed as legal in TCG, OCG, MasterDuel and DuelLinks with no banlist token supplied.
- Observed: 48 decks run it in the sample, 48 in main deck and 0 in side, at an average of 1.17 copies (44 decks at 1 copy, 4 decks at 3).; 30 distinct archetypes appear, most tagged 'Không có' (no archetype), with gameplay types 4/6/7 dominating.; Top partners are old-school cards (Monster Reborn 72.9%, Swords of Revealing Light 60.4%, Raigeki 58.3%, Dark Hole 52.1%, Solemn Judgment 39.6%).; combo data records 0 appearances, 0 starter role, 0 material role, 0 payoff role.; Not a Top Card in any format (top-card status false, no rankings).
- Inferred: Best functional fit is retro/old-school decks where high-DEF bodies can be converted into attackers for one battle phase.; Because the swap is symmetric, it can also upgrade the opponent's board, lowering its reliability as a disruption tool.; No archetype search route is evidenced, so access is limited to natural draws or generic Spell tutors.
- 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 no dated metagame sample, so meta power is null/provisional