Trap
NormalPerformapal Call
Archetype:
Performapal
View:
3823
When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack: Target that attacking monster; negate the attack, and if you do, add up to 2 "Performapal" monsters from your Deck to your hand, whose total DEF is less than or equal to the ATK of the targeted monster. Until the end of your next turn after this card resolves, you cannot Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck.
Performapal Call — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 49 ± 5 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 49 · Deck: 49 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Removal/Negation · Secondary: Searcher/Tutor
Why it scores here
Performapal Call generates modest card advantage—negating an opponent's direct attack while searching up to 2 Performapal monsters from the Deck for a net +1. However, this reactive defense only activates when the opponent declares a direct attack, a condition that may not occur reliably. The card carries a severe cost: a 1-turn Extra Deck lockdown that cripples Pendulum decks, which depend on Extra Deck access to function. The narrow trigger window and self-imposed summoning restriction, despite solid synergy with Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer, prevent this from reaching higher power levels.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 55 | Trap card searchable via Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer (100% co-deck rate), but activation requires opponent's direct attack declaration, a situational condition that may not occur reliably. (verified) |
| Combo & Conversion | 35 | No recorded combo boards present; standalone effect generates +1 card advantage via searching 2 monsters for the trap cost, but produces no board progression toward a disruptive end state. (inferred) |
| Resource Economy | 50 | Nets +1 card (2 searched minus 1 trap), but severely offset by 1-turn Extra Deck lockdown—a particularly costly restriction in Pendulum-heavy Performapal builds. (verified) |
| Effect & Interaction | 45 | Soft negation that blocks only direct attack declarations, excluding attacks into your own monsters and other opponent actions, with a trigger dependent on opponent behavior. (verified) |
| Material Utility | 5 | Trap card with no ATK/DEF, level, or type attributes; cannot serve as combo material and retains minimal utility when its effect is negated. (verified) |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 40 | Single-activation trap vulnerable to trap destruction before use, with no redundancy or recovery; activation is inflexible and tied solely to opponent's direct attack declaration. (inferred) |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 55 | One-trap-slot cost is modest, but the 1-turn Extra Deck lockdown is a severe deckbuilding penalty in Pendulum archetypes that rely on Extra Deck summoning for consistency. (verified) |
Calculation
Weight profile: 0.7 Removal/Negation + 0.3 Searcher/Tutor. Intrinsic ≈ 49, Deck ≈ 49, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: none. Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Searches up to 2 Performapal monsters per activation, generating card advantage in hand
- Negates direct attacks, providing defensive value when the trigger occurs
- Consistently included in Performage decks (43% of sample) and appears in all 7 decks alongside Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer (100% co-deck rate)
- Card text is clear and unambiguous; no complex rulings required
Weaknesses
- Activation requires opponent to declare direct attack—a narrow, unreliable trigger that may not occur most turns
- Imposes a 1-turn Extra Deck lockdown, severely crippling Pendulum decks that depend on Extra Deck summoning for their primary lines
- Trap card is vulnerable to destruction via Mystical Space Typhoon or Cosmic Cyclone before activation
- Search scope is DEF-constrained by the attacked monster's ATK, reducing flexibility in target selection
Counters / choke points
- Trap removal (Mystical Space Typhoon, Cosmic Cyclone) destroys the card before it can activate
- Decks that deal damage primarily through effects rather than attacks bypass the card entirely
- Aggressive opening hands that reduce opponent's direct attack opportunities
Best use
Defensive search engine and direct-attack negation. Decks: Performage, Pendulum-Performapal. Suggested copies: 1.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Negates opponent's direct attack declaration when a monster declares it (card text); Searches up to 2 Performapal monsters from Deck with total DEF ≤ attacked monster's ATK (card text); Applies 1-turn Extra Deck lockdown after card resolves (card text); Included in 100% of 7 running decks as a 1-copy main deck card (deck statistics); Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer is in 100% of decks running this card (top-partner statistics); 86% of running decks are Pendulum gameplay type (deck statistics)
- Observed: 7 total decks run this card, with Performage as primary archetype (43%); Card appears in 5 distinct archetypes: Performage, Supreme King, Performapal, Odd-Eyes, and unspecified; All 7 decks run exactly 1 copy; no variation in deck counts
- Inferred: Generates +1 net card advantage: −1 (trap used) +2 (searched monsters); Direct attack trigger is situational and may not occur on many turns depending on game state; DEF constraint on search targets limits which Performapals can be tutored based on opposing monster's ATK; Extra Deck lockdown is particularly restrictive in Pendulum archetypes that build through Extra Deck chains; Trap card design makes it vulnerable to trap-removal effects before activation; No redundancy built into the card; typically run at 1 copy only
- Data gaps: No combos supplied—combo conversion is text-only inference with no data on practical board progression or synergy chains No guides supplied—no human strategy context on optimal usage, builds, or meta positioning No usage statistics (StatisticsCard)—archetype inclusion rates inferred from small deck sample (7 total) rather than historical aggregate data Limited recency—latest deck entry is June 2025, earliest August 2023; unclear if card remains actively played in current meta Small sample size—7 decks is insufficient to establish meta-wide inclusion or competitive viability