EARTH
4The Trojan Horse
ATK:
1600
DEF:
1200
View:
2609
When Tribute Summoning an EARTH monster, you can treat this 1 monster as 2 Tributes.
The Trojan Horse — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 44 ± 8 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 44 · Deck: 44 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Combo enabler · Secondary: Material body
Why it scores here
The card's only function is to count as 2 Tributes when it is Tribute Summoned for an EARTH monster, so its value depends on having an EARTH 2-Tribute monster and a live Tribute Summon. It has no search, draw, or interaction, so its 1600 ATK earns nothing. The 4 decks across 3 archetypes confirm a real tech slot, but the sample is small and there are no combo boards to show it converting, so the score stays in the mid-40s.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 25 | No searcher or draw in the text, and it is dead in hand unless an EARTH 2-Tribute monster is also present (inferred from text; present in 4 decks at 2.5 avg copies, observed). |
| Combo & Conversion | 40 | Its effect turns one Tribute into two for EARTH Tribute Summons, a real but conditional upgrade (verified text; no combo examples, so text-only inference). |
| Resource Economy | 25 | No card advantage or refuel; it saves a body from being a Tribute rather than generating value (verified text). |
| Effect & Interaction | 5 | No negation, removal, or hand-trap effect (verified text). |
| Material Utility | 50 | A Level 4 EARTH Beast body that stays usable as material even when its effect is negated (verified text; inferred from stats). |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 30 | One negate removes the effect and leaves only a plain Level 4 body; it works in few zones (inferred from text). |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 70 | A single generic body with no garnet, lock, or brick cost, and 2-3 copies are typical (observed from deck copies; no banlist token, assumed 3 copies). |
Calculation
Weight profile: 0.7 Combo enabler + 0.3 Material body. Intrinsic ≈ 44, Deck ≈ 44, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: none. Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Turns one Tribute into two for EARTH Tribute Summons
- Generic Level 4 EARTH Beast body that is still useful as material when its effect is negated
- Cheap to run with no garnet or lock cost; 2-3 copies per deck observed
- Played across 3 archetype homes, so the slot is real
Weaknesses
- Effect only applies to EARTH monsters and only on Tribute Summon
- No search, draw, or interaction
- No recorded combo boards, so conversion is unproven
- Negated, it is a vanilla-like Level 4 body
Counters / choke points
- Effect negation removes the Tribute bonus; the body remains as material
Best use
Tribute enabler for 2-Tribute EARTH monsters. Decks: Ancient Gears. Suggested copies: 2.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Effect: when Tribute Summoning an EARTH monster, treat this as 2 Tributes; Level 4 EARTH Beast, 1600/1200; Formats: TCG, OCG, MasterDuel, DuelLinks
- Observed: In 4 of the sampled decks, 2-3 copies each (avg 2.5); Distinct archetypes: 3 (Ancient Gears 2 decks; two unnamed); Top partners: Ancient Gear Golem, Ancient Gear Beast, Ancient Gear Soldier (2 of 4 decks each)
- Inferred: Its real function is a conditional Tribute enabler, not a searcher or interaction piece; Effect negation leaves a Level 4 body that still serves as material; Generic text means portability across homes is moderate
- 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 meta sample — meta_power left null