WIND
4Shinobird Crane
Archetype:
Shinobird
ATK:
1500
DEF:
1500
View:
3619
Cannot be Special Summoned. Once per turn, if another Spirit monster is Normal or Special Summoned while this monster is on the field: You can draw 1 card. Once per turn, during the End Phase, if this card was Normal Summoned or flipped face-up this turn: Return it to the hand.
Shinobird Crane — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 52 ± 6 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 51 · Deck: 53 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Utility · Secondary: Recovery/Recursion, Material body
Why it scores here
Shinobird Crane is a low-investment Spirit engine piece: for a single normal summon it repeatedly draws a card each turn another Spirit monster is summoned, then bounces back to hand to be reused. It converts that into steady card advantage plus a reusable Level 4 body, but it makes no board on its own, provides zero disruption, and the 0 recorded combos mean its conversion is text-only inference. Its 1500/1500 stats and its 177 deck appearances earn it nothing here; the score reflects modest, archetype-locked utility rather than raw power.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 55 | It is a Level 4 WIND normal-summonable monster and the Spirit engine partners (Aratama at 98.9%, Nikitama at 98.3%) can search Spirit monsters, though it is run at an average of only 1.18 copies, mostly as a 1-of (observed). |
| Combo & Conversion | 35 | It only draws when another Spirit is summoned while it sits on the field, making no board by itself, and 0 combos were recorded for it (observed). |
| Resource Economy | 60 | Its repeatable 'draw 1 card' each turn another Spirit hits the field is genuine card advantage, and the End-Phase bounce keeps the draw live for later turns (inferred). |
| Effect & Interaction | 8 | The card text offers no disruption, negation, or removal against the opponent (verified). |
| Material Utility | 52 | It is a Level 4 WIND Winged Beast usable as material, but 'Cannot be Special Summoned' limits it to a normal-summon body, and frequent Rank-4/link partners (Abyss Dweller at 90.4%, Knightmare Phoenix at 89.8%) show supportive material usage (observed). |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 58 | The 'Return it to the hand' End-Phase clause lets it recur and re-trigger across turns and zones, resisting permanent removal (inferred). |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 72 | As a cheap 1-off with no locks, no garnet cost, and a low slot burden it fits cleanly into its deck (observed). |
Calculation
Weight profile: 0.7 Utility + 0.3 Recovery/Recursion. Intrinsic ≈ 51, Deck ≈ 53, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: none. Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Repeatable +1 card draw each turn another Spirit monster is summoned while it is on the field
- Self-bounces to hand in the End Phase, letting it recur and re-trigger
- Cheap 1-of with no locks or garnet cost
- Level 4 WIND Winged Beast body usable as material
Weaknesses
- Provides no board, disruption, negation, or removal on its own
- Cannot be Special Summoned, so it is a normal-summon-only body
- Draw requires another Spirit monster to be summoned while it stays on the field
- Run almost exclusively as a 1-of, so it is a low-redundancy support piece
Counters / choke points
- Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring can negate the draw trigger
- Droll & Lock Bird limits draw-heavy turns
- Effect negation or removal on the Level 4 body before another Spirit is summoned denies the draw
- Banish/return-to-Deck removal bypasses its hand recursion
Best use
Repeatable draw engine / normal-summon Spirit body. Decks: Shinobird. Suggested copies: 1.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Card text: 'Cannot be Special Summoned.'; Card text: 'Once per turn, if another Spirit monster is Normal or Special Summoned while this monster is on the field: You can draw 1 card.'; Card text: 'Once per turn, during the End Phase ... Return it to the hand.'; Level 4 WIND Winged Beast Spirit Monster, 1500 ATK / 1500 DEF.
- Observed: 177 decks run it, 89.3% in the Shinobird archetype, at an average of 1.18 copies (mostly 1).; 100% co-deck partners include Shinobaron Peacock, Shinobaroness Peacock and Shinobird's Calling; Aratama 98.9% and Nikitama 98.3%.; 0 recorded combos — it appears as neither starter, material, nor payoff in combo data.; Rank-4/link partners Abyss Dweller 90.4%, Knightmare Phoenix 89.8%, Knightmare Unicorn 87.6% suggest supportive material use.
- Inferred: The repeatable draw plus the End-Phase bounce makes it a recurring card-advantage engine within the Spirit deck.; Searchable through the Spirit engine (Aratama/Nikitama), but the draw is conditional on another Spirit being summoned.; 'Cannot be Special Summoned' limits its material utility to a normal-summon body.
- Data gaps: no combos supplied — combo conversion is text-only inference no banlist token — assumed 3 copies (unlimited) no usage statistics (StatisticsCard) — archetype inclusion % inferred from deck sample only