Trap
NormalMirror Force
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1841
When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Destroy all your opponent's Attack Position monsters.
Mirror Force — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 60 ± 5 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 59 · Deck: 62 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Board Breaker / Going-Second · Secondary: Removal
Why it scores here
Mirror Force is a classic defensive trap that destroys all attacking monsters, making it a reliable going-second tool and board wipe against aggressive decks. Its strength lies in consistent accessibility across 123 different archetypes with 100% inclusion in many, plus clean deckbuilding efficiency as a stable 1-copy staple. However, it doesn't build advantage by itself and is conditional on opponent behavior; without combo data and being purely reactive, it scores as a solid but not exceptional defensive tool.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 45 | Unsearchable trap card requiring Set on field and opponent attack trigger; accessible but less reliable than searchable monsters or hand traps (inferred) |
| Combo & Conversion | 15 | Does not build combos or generate boards; purely reactive destruction with zero combo appearances supplied (data gap) |
| Resource Economy | 60 | Destroys 1-N opponent Attack Position monsters per activation; net swing of +1 to +3 in resources destroyed but generates no card advantage (verified) |
| Effect & Interaction | 65 | Removes attacking monsters during Battle Step instead of negating attacks; strong board-wipe disruption but only on Attack Position monsters (verified) |
| Material Utility | 5 | Trap cards cannot serve as monster material and retain zero utility when negated or off-field (verified) |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 55 | Persists on field until opponent attacks or destroyed by spell/trap removal; vulnerable to MST/Heavy Storm and limited to one activation trigger type (verified) |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 75 | Generic trap appearing in 123 distinct archetypes with 100% inclusion in many; averages 1.17 copies per deck with no locks or restrictions (observed) |
Calculation
Weight profile: 0.7 Board Breaker + 0.3 Removal. Intrinsic ≈ 59, Deck ≈ 62, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: Conditional garnet risk (-3); Exceptional splashability (2). Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Destroys multiple opponent monsters in single activation; effective board wipe against aggressive decks
- Generic and splashable across 123 archetypes with 100% inclusion in many
- Stable 1.17 copies per deck with no archetype-specific locks
- Consistent option across TCG, OCG, Master Duel, and Duel Links formats
Weaknesses
- Conditional activation requires opponent attack; dead weight if opponent doesn't attack
- Vulnerable to spell/trap removal before activation (MST, Heavy Storm)
- Only targets Attack Position monsters; setup monsters and Pendulum zones unaffected
- Generates no card advantage; at best 1-for-1 trade
- Doesn't negate; opponent effects resolve before destruction
- No combo generation or board building capability
Counters / choke points
- Mystical Space Typhoon - destroys Mirror Force before activation
- Heavy Storm - competing board wipe with similar timing
- Solemn Judgment - negates Mirror Force activation
- Any spell/trap removal during Battle Step
Best use
Defensive board wipe for going-second walls. Decks: Control, Trap-heavy strategies, Going-second decks, Gravekeeper's, Monarch, Blackwings. Suggested copies: 1.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Card text: Destroys all opponent Attack Position monsters when opponent declares attack; Card type: Normal Trap, unsearchable, no once-per-turn clause; Legal copies: 1 (TCG/OCG/MasterDuel), 2 (DuelLinks); Deck inclusion: Found in 400 main-deck lists across 123 distinct archetypes; Guide 529 clarification: Does NOT negate attacks; removes monsters during Battle Step resolution
- Observed: Average 1.17 copies per deck; 347 decks run 1, 38 run 2, 15 run 3; 100% inclusion rate in 14 archetypes per usage_statistics; Top partners are defensive/removal cards (MST 64%, Torrential 62.5%, Heavy Storm 62.2%); Dominant in gameplay type 7 (80.8% of decks)
- Inferred: Primary role is reactive board wiper for going-second strategies based on text and deck context; Accessibility lower than searchable cards due to Set + opponent trigger requirement; Material utility zero; trap cards cannot serve as monster material; Resilience moderate; spell/trap removal and conditional trigger limit flexibility
- Data gaps: No combos supplied - cannot evaluate real-world board synergy or starting hand power No top-card ranking data - cannot confirm if card is meta-active in current format No archetype-specific performance data - generic inclusion rate masks tailored utility No rulings on edge cases - timing with chains, Setup monsters, Pendulum zones not addressed