DARK
Number 68: Sanaphond the Sky Prison
ATK:
2100
DEF:
2700
View:
7932
2 Level 8 monsters Gains 100 ATK and DEF for each monster in the GYs. Once per turn: You can detach 1 material from this card; until the end of your opponent's next turn, this card cannot be destroyed by card effects, also neither player can Special Summon monsters from the GYs.
61± 5/ 100
Power Score
Intrinsic
62
Deck
60
Number 68: Sanaphond the Sky Prison — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 61 ± 5 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 62 · Deck: 60 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Boss / End-board · Secondary: Floodgate / Control
Why it scores here
Sanaphond is a splashable Rank 8 XYZ that combines board presence with situational disruption. Its primary value comes from the GY lock effect, which is strong against GY-dependent archetypes like Therion and Fire King, and the self-protection clause ensures it survives targeted removal. However, it is purely a payoff monster—not a combo starter, driver, or extender—and generates no card advantage on its own. The high accessibility and clean deckbuilding cost earn points, but the lack of combo generation and temporary lock duration limit its overall power.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 75 | Sanaphond requires 2 Level 8 monsters and appears in 100% of recent decks (400/400) across 105 distinct archetypes, confirming reliable access via established Rank 8 summoning lines. (verified) |
| Combo & Conversion | 35 | The card appears as a payoff in 50% of recorded combos and in end board in 50%, with an average power index of 65.5, indicating it is a destination piece rather than a combo driver (0% as starter, 0% as searched). (observed) |
| Resource Economy | 30 | Sanaphond generates no card advantage, performs no searches, and offers no refuel; it only scales passively with GY population (100 ATK/DEF per GY monster), a negligible boost, while consuming materials for effect activation. (inferred) |
| Effect & Interaction | 68 | The GY lock effect is strong disruption against GY-reliant strategies (Therion 6.5%, Fire King 3.2%, Horus 3.2% of deck sample), but the effect is mutual and temporary (until end of opponent's next turn), reducing peak impact against resilient matchups. (observed) |
| Material Utility | 40 | Sanaphond is a Rank 8 body with generic DARK/Rock typing; it never appears as material in recorded combos and has no special material properties, making it a terminal board piece that does not enable further summons. (observed) |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 55 | The once-per-turn self-protection (detach 1 material, cannot be destroyed until end of opponent's next turn) provides solid single-turn resilience against removal, though it requires material availability and active activation to function. (verified) |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 80 | Sanaphond is an Extra Deck XYZ with zero main deck brick risk and consistent 1-copy inclusion (399 of 400 decks), making it a clean, splashable slot with no redundancy strain across all 105 homes. (observed) |
Calculation
Weight profile: 0.7 Boss/End-board + 0.3 Floodgate/Control. Intrinsic ≈ 62, Deck ≈ 60, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: none. Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Splashable Rank 8 XYZ with no main deck brick risk and clean 1-copy slot allocation
- Strong disruption through GY lock effect, particularly against GY-reliant archetypes like Therion, Fire King, and Horus
- Self-protection effect grants reliable resilience against removal-focused opposition for one full turn cycle
- Consistent 100% deck inclusion (400 of 400) across 105+ distinct archetypes demonstrates mature accessibility
Weaknesses
- Pure payoff monster with zero combo extension or generation capability (not a starter, driver, or material piece)
- Effect duration is temporary (until end of opponent's next turn), limiting sustained lock pressure
- Mutual GY lock affects both players, creating potential self-damage in certain matchups or deck compositions
- No resource economy; generates no card advantage, searches, or refuel mechanisms
- Material-limited (requires material detachment per activation), constraining effect frequency and resilience uptime
Counters / choke points
- Instant-speed removal (bounce, banish) before material activation
- Hand traps targeting the XYZ summon itself (Ash Blossom, Nib the Wight)
- Mirror matches where mutual GY lock provides no competitive advantage
- Decks with light or zero GY reliance (pure combo-to-board strategies unaffected by the lock)
Best use
End-board XYZ disruption and GY lock floodgate. Decks: Ancient Gears, Galaxy Photon, Horus, Blue-Eyes. Suggested copies: 1.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Card text and all effect mechanics present and clear (Rank 8 requirement, self-protection until end of opponent's next turn, mutual GY lock until end of opponent's next turn); 100% deck inclusion (400 of 400 recent decks run Sanaphond); Consistent 1-copy allocation (399 of 400 decks run exactly 1 copy, 1 deck runs 2 copies); Unlimited legal status (no banlist token supplied, assumed 3 copies allowed per format defaults)
- Observed: Appears in 100% of combos in sample (2 combos total): as payoff in 50%, in end board in 50%; Average power index when present: 65.5 (moderate disruption value); Top 3 homes by inclusion: Ancient Gears (100% historical inclusion), Galaxy Photon (75%), Horus (54.5%); Splashes across 105 distinct archetypes with no archetype lock in card text; Top partners are staple hand traps (Ash Blossom, Droll & Lock Bird, Called by the Grave) and peer XYZ bosses (Dingirsu 48.8%, Number 90 32.5%)
- Inferred: Primary role is Boss/End-board placement via established Rank 8 summoning lines (not a combo starter, driver, or searched piece); Secondary role is Floodgate/Control via mutual GY lock effect, strong against Therion, Fire King, Zombie, and other GY-dependent strategies; Self-protection effect provides resilience against removal-focused opposition but is time-limited and material-dependent; Summoning line is mature and reliable (105 archetypes confirm consistent Rank 8 accessibility across metagame); Terminal board piece with zero re-usability as material in combos (0% material role in recorded boards)
- Data gaps: No banlist status token supplied; assumed unlimited (3 copies per format defaults). Score would decline 2–10 points if Limited or Forbidden in major formats. Thin combo sample (only 2 combos in evidence set) limits board-building analysis; larger sample might reveal additional roles or edge-case synergies. No tournament rankings or dated metagame results supplied; top-card data shows top-card status: false but no ranked position or recent competitive data. Format-specific data incomplete; Duel Links listed as available format but no format-specific inclusion % or metagame context for that format. No specific rulings clarifications for edge cases (e.g., what if a player has 0 GY monsters when scaling passive effect resolves).