PSY-Framegear Alpha

PSY-Framegear Alpha — Power Evaluation

Final Score: 64 ± 5 · Confidence: Medium

• Intrinsic: 60 · Deck: 63 · Meta: provisional
• Primary role: Searcher/Tutor · Secondary: Combo enabler, Synchro material body, Responsive interactive

Why it scores here

PSY-Framegear Alpha scores as a specialized tutor and enabler within the PSY-Frame archetype, where it reliably tutors other PSY-Frame cards while generating two bodies that enable Synchro plays. The 64 reflects its strong mechanical fit (Level 1 Tuner, card advantage on activation, 70% adoption at 3 copies in PSY-Frame), moderated by a narrow trigger window (requires opponent summon while board is empty) and zero intrinsic disruption. Its high splashability across 40 distinct archetypes confirms accessibility, but the absence of combo data prevents a higher score; the card is an engine piece in a known ecosystem rather than a high-ceiling standalone engine.

Axis scores

Calculation

Weight profile: 0.7 Searcher/Tutor + 0.3 Combo enabler. Intrinsic ≈ 60, Deck ≈ 63, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: Tuner synergy in Synchro metagame (2). Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck

Strengths

• Reliable tutor mechanic adds any PSY-Frame card from deck to hand, generating immediate card advantage
• Level 1 Tuner body enables Synchro summons and material generation for end boards
• High splashability across 40 distinct archetypes and gameplay styles, not limited to pure PSY-Frame
• 70% of dedicated PSY-Frame decks run 3 copies, indicating strong consistency and inclusion ceiling
• Synergizes cleanly with PSY-Frame Driver (96.1% co-deck rate) and archetype engine partners

Weaknesses

• Narrow activation window: requires opponent summon AND empty board, limiting frequency of access
• Zero inherent disruption or negation; purely value generation, not defensive
• Low stat body (500 ATK, 0 DEF) has minimal impact even as temporary board presence
• End Phase banish limits multi-turn utility; single-use-per-trigger by design
• Dead hand when opponent doesn't summon or you already control monsters
• Zero combo database evidence prevents confirmation of actual combo conversion ceiling

Counters / choke points

• Hand trap effects or summon negation prevent the opponent's summon trigger
• Your own preemptive board setup prevents the empty-board activation condition
• Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring or similar tutor negation shut down the card-search portion
• Banishing effects that remove PSY-Frame Driver from deck break the combo line
• Effect negation (Skill Drain, Breakthrough Skill) blanks the special summon and tutor

Best use

Reactive tutor enabler; generates Synchro material while tutoring other PSY-Frame cards. Decks: PSY-Frame (primary home, 50.9% of sample), Synchro-based decks (74.6% of sample), Bystial/Byssted (5.5%), Primite (3.9%), Sky Striker (3.9%). Suggested copies: 3.

Evidence & gaps

• Verified: Card text: Special Summons self + PSY-Frame Driver from hand/deck/GY, tutors PSY-Frame card from deck; Tuner Level 1, LIGHT attribute, Psychic race; Archetype: PSY-Frame; Legal in TCG, OCG, MasterDuel, DuelLinks; Activation condition: opponent Normal or Special Summons while you control no monsters (except Damage Step); Effect resolution: End Phase banish of monsters Special Summoned by this effect; Cannot be Normal Summoned; must be Special Summoned by card effect only
• Observed: Appears in 181 recent decks; 100% run in main deck; 70% of decks run 3 copies (127/181); 19% run 2 copies (34/181); 11% run 1 copy (20/181); Average 2.59 copies per deck; PSY-Frame archetype homes: 50.9% of decks (cumulative); Synchro gameplay type: 74.6% of decks; Distinct archetypes: 40 (spans PSY-Frame, Bystial, Primite, Sky Striker, Numeron, Time Thief, Rescue-ACE, Evil Twin, Synchron, and others); Top co-deck partner: PSY-Framegear Gamma (99.4%); Second partner: PSY-Frame Driver (96.1%)
• Inferred: Primary role: Searcher/Tutor (text tutors PSY-Frame cards from deck); Secondary roles: Combo enabler (generates multiple bodies for board building), Synchro material (Level 1 Tuner type); Accessibility (62): high in dedicated PSY-Frame with 3-copy adoption; moderate in techs due to narrow trigger window; Combo conversion (55): activation generates 2 bodies + 1 tutored card, but ceiling unverified without combo data; Resource economy (60): +1 net permanent advantage (the tutored card) per activation; efficient but single-use per trigger; Effect interaction (0): no negation, removal, or opponent disruption text; Material utility (72): Tuner type is valuable for Synchro decks; low stats limit temporary board impact but material role is clean; Resilience (38): narrow activation window and banish mechanics limit flexibility; deck-level redundancy (3 copies) provides partial offset; Deckbuilding efficiency (72): clean package in PSY-Frame archetype; splashable into other Synchro decks without major garnet/lock risk
• Data gaps: No combos supplied — combo conversion is text-only inference; cannot verify actual board generation ceiling or combo power index No guides supplied — no human guide context or role explanations No banlist data — assumed 3 copies unlimited; Limited status in any format would reduce score No usage statistics (StatisticsCard) — archetype inclusion percentages inferred from 181-deck sample only, not from broader historical data No detailed rulings or edge-case interactions — card text is clear, but timing or recovery interactions uninvestigated