Trap
NormalHero Barrier
Archetype:
Elemental HERO
View:
4795
Negate 1 attack from an opponent's monster. You must control a face-up "Elemental HERO" monster to resolve this effect.
Hero Barrier — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 44 ± 8 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 44 · Deck: 44 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Removal / Negation
Why it scores here
Hero Barrier is a Normal Trap that negates one attack, but only while you control a face-up Elemental HERO, so its power is conditional and confined to one archetype family. It converts no resources into card advantage and has no combo evidence, so it scores mainly on its interaction value and its cheap single-slot cost. High deck counts (33 of the sample, with strong co-occurrence with Sparkman and Miracle Fusion) confirm it is a routine HERO playset, not that it is strong; the score does not rise for that.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 60 | Set as a Trap and usable from the field once a HERO is out; 33 of 33 sampled decks run it at 1.33 copies on average, but it cannot be used the turn it is set (verified text plus deck count). |
| Combo & Conversion | 25 | No combo boards were recorded and it does not build anything on its own; the attack negation only preserves existing board state (inferred from text, no combo evidence). |
| Resource Economy | 20 | Trap with no draw, search, or refuel, so it is a -1 card that trades one-for-one against an attack (verified from text). |
| Effect & Interaction | 45 | Negates one attack from an opposing monster, which is soft interaction limited to attacks and blocked by the HERO-control requirement (verified from text). |
| Material Utility | 5 | Traps cannot be used as Fusion or Link material, so the body provides no material value (verified from card type). |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 30 | Face-down Trap that can be destroyed or negated; no recursion or multi-zone presence (inferred from text). |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 60 | A single-copy-friendly Normal Trap with an average of 1.33 copies per deck and no garnet or lock cost, though its HERO condition limits it to HERO shells (verified from deck stats plus text). |
Calculation
Weight profile: Removal / Negation primary; no secondary role blended. Intrinsic ≈ 44, Deck ≈ 44, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: none. Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Cheap, single-slot negation of one attack from an opposing monster
- Routinely included across Elemental HERO and Heroic shells in the sample
- Clear, unambiguous text with no rulings-dependent timing
Weaknesses
- Requires a face-up Elemental HERO to resolve
- Only negates attacks, not effects, and does not stop direct attacks
- Gives no card advantage and no material value
Counters / choke points
- Monsters that are not Elemental HERO leave it unusable
- Effect negation or removal of the face-down trap before it is needed
- Direct attacks or effects that bypass attack negation
Best use
Single-slot attack negation for HERO boards. Decks: Elemental HERO shells, Heroic decks. Suggested copies: 1.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Card text: negates one attack from an opponent's monster, requires a face-up Elemental HERO; Card type is Normal Trap; not usable as material; 33 sampled decks run it, 1.33 copies on average, all in the main deck
- Observed: Co-occurs with Elemental HERO Sparkman in 87.9% of sampled decks and Miracle Fusion in 84.8%; Distributed across Heroic, Elemental HERO and gameplay types 4, 6, 7 and 3
- Inferred: Negation is limited to attacks and cannot stop direct attacks or effects; Its value depends on keeping a HERO on the field, which limits it to HERO shells; Resilience is limited because a face-down trap can be removed or negated before it is used
- Data gaps: no combos supplied, so combo conversion is text-only inference no guides supplied no banlist token; assumed 3 copies (unlimited) no usage statistics (StatisticsCard); archetype inclusion inferred from the 33-deck sample only archetype labels are inconsistent (12 decks unlabelled, 'Elemental Hero' and 'Elemental HERO' listed separately)