WIND
1Slower Swallow
ATK:
100
DEF:
100
View:
3384
If 2 or more monsters with the same Level are on the field, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). You can only Special Summon "Slower Swallow" once per turn this way. You can Tribute this card; draw 2 cards instead of 1 for your normal draw during your next Draw Phase.
Slower Swallow — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 64 ± 5 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 63.6 · Deck: 62.66 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Material body · Secondary: Extender, Utility
Why it scores here
Slower Swallow scores here as a cheap, generic Level 1 WIND Winged Beast that Special Summons itself from the hand once 2 or more monsters with the same Level are already on the field, giving Rank-1 and Winged Beast strategies an extra body at no cost and with no lock. 278 recorded decks run it (148 Lyrilusc lists, 44 SPYRAL), and it is almost always a 1-of (167 of 278 decks), which confirms it works as a flexible extender rather than a card you build around. Its 100 ATK/DEF and short effect text earn nothing; the value is the free body, the clean Level 1 / Winged Beast / WIND fit for Rank-1 Xyz material, and the option to Tribute it for a 2-card normal draw. The absence of any combo evidence and its conditional, non-starter nature keep it well below the top bands.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 60 | Special Summons itself from hand once 2+ same-Level monsters are on the field, and is reachable through One for One (57.9% co-deck) and Where Arf Thou? (55.4%), but the board condition means it is never a true opening-hand starter (verified). |
| Combo & Conversion | 52 | Text-only conversion: it adds one Level 1 body to a board that already exists rather than starting a line, and combos_evidence contains 0 appearances, so nothing is measured here (inferred). |
| Resource Economy | 48 | The Tribute effect turns the body into a 2-card normal draw on the next Draw Phase (roughly +1), but it costs the material, so the trade is close to even and slow (verified). |
| Effect & Interaction | 8 | It provides no disruption, negation, removal, or any other interaction with the opponent's board or hand (verified). |
| Material Utility | 74 | Level 1 / WIND / Winged Beast with no summon or material restriction is clean fodder for Rank-1 Xyz such as Lyrilusc - Assembled Nightingale, and it still converts even if its effect is irrelevant (verified). |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 55 | It is live from hand and from field with two distinct uses, but a single negate on the summon plus the once-per-turn self-Summon clause caps it (inferred). |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 74 | It is played as a 1-of in 167 of 278 decks with no garnet, no archetype requirement, and no self-lock, so the slot cost is minimal (observed). |
Calculation
Weight profile: 0.7 Material body + 0.3 Extender. Intrinsic ≈ 63.6, Deck ≈ 62.66, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: Exceptional compactness / splashability (1). Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Free Special Summon from hand with no cost, once 2+ same-Level monsters are on the field
- No archetype lock or material restriction — generic Level 1 / WIND / Winged Beast material
- Clean fit for Rank-1 Xyz lines (Lyrilusc - Assembled Nightingale) and Winged Beast support such as Harpie's, Simorgh, Tri-Brigade
- Optional Tribute effect converts the body into a 2-card normal draw on the following Draw Phase
- Very low deck cost: 1-of in the large majority of recorded lists
Weaknesses
- Not a starter — it cannot be the first body, it needs 2+ same-Level monsters already on the field
- 100 ATK / 100 DEF gives it no combat or defensive presence
- Provides zero disruption or interaction with the opponent
- Draw effect is slow (next Draw Phase) and costs the body, so it is rarely the correct line
- Conditional self-Summon and the once-per-turn clause make it a low-impact play in isolation
Counters / choke points
- Deny the condition: remove or prevent the 2+ same-Level monsters from staying on board
- Summon negation on the self-Special Summon (Solemn Strike, Solemn Judgment)
- Type/Level floodgates such as There Can Be Only One, which stop a Winged Beast/Lyrilusc swarm from co-existing
- Hand traps aimed at the Level 1 engine (Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring on Where Arf Thou? or Lyrilusc - Bird Call) cut off the bodies it relies on
- Board wipes after the swarm is committed devalue the extra body it provides
Best use
Free Level 1 extender used as Rank-1 Xyz material. Decks: Lyrilusc, Lyrilusc Tri-Brigade, SPYRAL, Harpie, Simorgh. Suggested copies: 1.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Card text: Special Summons itself from hand if 2 or more monsters with the same Level are on the field, once per turn; Card text: can Tribute itself to draw 2 cards instead of 1 on the next Draw Phase; Card identity: Level 1, WIND, Winged Beast, 100 ATK / 100 DEF, Effect Monster, no archetype, legal in TCG/OCG/Master Duel; No built-in interaction, negation, or removal in the text
- Observed: 278 recorded decks run the card, all in the main deck, averaging 1.62 copies; 167 of 278 decks run exactly 1 copy, 60 run 3 and 51 run 2; 148 recorded lists are Lyrilusc and 44 are SPYRAL; 45 distinct archetypes appear overall; Observed partners include Lyrilusc - Recital Starling (83.8% co-deck) and One for One (57.9%); combos_evidence contains 0 appearances, 0 as_starter, 0 as_material, 0 as_payoff
- Inferred: Its practical role in Lyrilusc decks is an extra Level 1 body to be used as Rank-1 Xyz material; The self-Summon condition is live in any deck fielding multiple same-Level monsters, making it an extender rather than a starter; Search access through One for One and Where Arf Thou? explains part of its inclusion; The 1-copy norm indicates it is a flexible filler slot, not a required combo piece
- 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