Swap Frog

Swap Frog — Power Evaluation

Final Score: 67 ± 6 · Confidence: Medium

• Intrinsic: 68 · Deck: 69 · Meta: provisional
• Primary role: Starter / Combo enabler · Secondary: Material body, Extender

Why it scores here

Swap Frog reliably converts its text into engine value: it Special Summons itself from hand for the cost of discarding another WATER monster, then on Summon sends a Level 2 or lower WATER Aqua monster from Deck or face-up field to the GY, and once per turn grants an extra Normal Summon of a "Frog" monster. That package makes it a low-commitment Level 2 starter that appears in 400/400 sampled decks at 2.8 average copies (343 decks run three) and at 100% inclusion in Frog, Nimble and Spright statistical samples, which is why accessibility, conversion and material scores carry the card. Its 1000 ATK / 500 DEF earns nothing here — the score comes from the self-summon, the GY setup and the Level 2 WATER Aqua body, not its stats. The score is held down by zero opponent-facing interaction and by missing combo data, which caps confidence at Medium.

Axis scores

Calculation

Weight profile: 0.7 Starter/Combo enabler + 0.3 Material body. Intrinsic ≈ 68, Deck ≈ 69, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: Discard-a-WATER summon condition (-2). Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck

Strengths

• Special Summons itself from the hand without using the Normal Summon, so it starts plays at low cost.
• On-Summon effect sends a Level 2 or lower WATER Aqua monster from Deck or face-up field to the GY, setting up GY-based follow-ups.
• Once per turn it returns a monster you control to hand to gain an extra Normal Summon of a "Frog" monster (except "Swap Frog").
• Level 2 WATER Aqua body fits Rank 2 / Spright material requirements cleanly, including when its effects are negated.
• Extremely consistent presence: 400/400 sampled decks main it, average 2.8 copies, and 100% inclusion with 3 copies across Frog, Nimble and Spright statistical samples.

Weaknesses

• No interaction with the opponent on their turn — it is purely setup.
• Self-Summon requires discarding another WATER monster, so it is dead without a second WATER in hand.
• The extra Normal Summon is restricted to non-"Swap Frog" Frog monsters and is once per turn.
• 1000 ATK / 500 DEF make it a poor combat body and a thin field presence if its trigger is negated.
• Twelve-plus Spright Frog builds still need the rest of the engine; the card alone does not produce a full board.

Counters / choke points

• Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring negating the on-Summon send-to-GY trigger.
• Infinite Impermanence / effect negation on the Summon trigger, leaving only a 1000 ATK Level 2 body.
• Droll & Lock Bird to choke deck-searching and deck-to-GY lines.
• Called by the Grave to remove the monster sent to the GY before it can be used.
• Hand disruption that strips the second WATER monster needed as discard fodder.

Best use

Level 2 engine starter that self-Summons, dumps a Level 2 WATER Aqua and grants an extra Frog Normal Summon. Decks: Frog, Spright, Nimble, Ice Barrier. Suggested copies: 3.

Evidence & gaps

• Verified: Card text: Special Summon from hand by discarding 1 other WATER monster.; Card text: on Summon, send 1 Level 2 or lower WATER Aqua monster from Deck or face-up field to the GY.; Card text: once per turn, return 1 monster you control to hand to gain an extra Normal Summon of a "Frog" monster except "Swap Frog".; Card identity: Level 2, WATER, Aqua, 1000 ATK / 500 DEF, Effect Monster, Frog archetype.; Deck sample: 400/400 decks run it in the main deck, average 2.8 copies, 343 decks at 3 copies.
• Observed: 43 distinct archetypes use the card, led by Frog (21.8%), Spright (16.2%), Nimble (11%) and Ice Barrier (9.2%).; Usage statistics show 100% inclusion at 3 copies in Frog, Nimble and Spright samples, 75% in a second Frog sample, 64.7% in Ice Barrier and 54.5% in a Spright gameplay-4 sample.; Top partners are Level 2 engine cards: Gigantic Spright (65%), Nimble Angler (64.5%), Spright Sprind (64%), Nimble Beaver (63.5%), Spright Jet/Red/Blue/Carrot/Starter (~63.2%).; Guides list it under Staple/Tech/Frog Monsters/Combo sections for Ice Barrier, Spright (MD and TCG), Evil Twin Spright, Paleozoic and Marincess.; No combos_evidence rows exist for this card (appearances 0).
• Inferred: Its Level 2 WATER Aqua body is a natural Rank 2 / Spright material even when its effects are negated.; The on-Summon send is effectively a GY-setup tutor for Level 2 WATER Aqua monsters, enabling the deck's GY-based follow-up plays.; The extra Normal Summon converts the card into a second engine body in Frog-centric builds.; Holding a second WATER monster is the practical bottleneck for the free self-Summon.
• Data gaps: no combos supplied — combo conversion is text-only inference no banlist token — assumed 3 copies (unlimited) no official starter-count, board-size or power_index data for lines containing this card no explicit evidence of in-archetype searcher routes to Swap Frog (inference only from card text)