Trap
NormalS-Force Specimen
Archetype:
S-Force
View:
3333
If your opponent controls a monster: Target 1 of your "S-Force" monsters that is banished or in your GY; Special Summon it to your field in the same column as an opponent's monster. You can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 "S-Force" monster you control; move that target to another of your Main Monster Zones. You can only use 1 "S-Force Specimen" effect per turn, and only once that turn.
S-Force Specimen — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 54 ± 6 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 53 · Deck: 58 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Recovery / Recursion · Secondary: Extender, Utility
Why it scores here
S-Force Specimen provides solid recursion for its archetype, recovering banished or GY monsters and offering column-based repositioning — both useful S-Force mechanics. The trap card inherently survives removal and cycles naturally to the GY, enabling repeated plays in longer games. However, it lacks any direct opponent interaction or disruption, generates zero value without opponent monsters for the first effect, and remains entirely archetype-locked with 95% of its 275-deck presence in S-Force homes. Without combo evidence showing actual winning conversion of its recursion and positioning, the evaluation reflects its role as archetype-specific support rather than broadly influential power.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 60 | First effect requires opponent monster control (common condition); trap cards naturally cycle through GY; no search route mentioned in partner cards, giving standard trap accessibility. (inferred) |
| Combo & Conversion | 55 | Recursion and positioning enable plays in S-Force's column mechanics per top partners like S-Force Chase and S-Force Justify; zero combos supplied, so value is text-only inference. (inferred) |
| Resource Economy | 68 | First effect nets +1 card advantage (monster from GY/banish to field); second effect is 0 advantage but uses GY banish cost; overall slight positive, especially in grind. (text) |
| Effect & Interaction | 28 | Trap card type allows natural chaining; both effects are pure recursion and repositioning with zero negation, removal, or opponent disruption. (text) |
| Material Utility | 8 | Trap card with no stats (0 ATK/DEF), no level, no link arrows, cannot serve as material for Synchro/Xyz/Fusion/Link. (text) |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 62 | Trap card inherently survives removal; dual effects provide flexibility (recursion or repositioning); once banished from GY for effect 2, copy is consumed. (text + inferred) |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 72 | Runs in 275 main decks averaging 1.25 copies with max 3; 69.8% in primary S-Force archetype, 95%+ in all S-Force variants; minimal spillover to other archetypes. (observed) |
Calculation
Weight profile: Primary role: Recovery/Recursion. Intrinsic ≈ 53, Deck ≈ 58, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: Archetype-lock (-2). Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck (decks present, combos absent)
Strengths
- Clean recursion recovers banished or GY S-Force monsters, enabling refueling in drawn-out games
- Trap card resilience and natural GY cycling provide durability
- Column repositioning is S-Force-specific utility that synergizes with partner cards
- Fits naturally in home archetype without garnet or slot tension; up to 3 copies viable per deck
- Requires common activation condition (opponent controls monster)
Weaknesses
- Zero direct opponent interaction, negation, or disruption
- Archetype-locked to S-Force with 95%+ presence there
- Positioning effect generates zero card advantage
- Trap card with no material utility (no stats, no level, no link)
- No combo data; actual winning conversion of effects is unverified
- Requires GY/banish setup or existing field presence to function
Counters / choke points
- Effect negation (Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring, hand-trap negates)
- GY disruption (Macro Cosmos, Dimensional Fissure)
- Column lockdown or monster removal preventing repositioning utility
Best use
Archetype recursion and column-based positioning utility. Decks: S-Force.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Card text is full and clear: two effects (recursion and repositioning), one-per-turn restriction; 275 decks run the card, all in main deck; 69.8% in primary S-Force archetype (archetype_id 1313), 95%+ across all S-Force variants; Top 3 partners (Rappa Chiyomaru, Pla-Tina, Bridgehead) are S-Force core monsters at 100% co-deck rate; Trap card type with 0 ATK, 0 DEF, no level/rank/link (no material utility)
- Observed: 1.25 copies per deck on average, distribution: 223 decks run 1 copy, 34 run 2, 18 run 3; Minimal spillover: Fiendsmith 1.5%, Code Talker 1.1%, Firewall 0.7% (rest <0.5%); All top 10 partners are S-Force cards except Knightmare Phoenix/Unicorn/Cerberus and generic support (Reinforce Truth, ROTA); Consistent main-deck placement across all 275 decks; 0 side-deck runs
- Inferred: Column-based positioning is S-Force-specific mechanic evident from partner cards (S-Force Chase, S-Force Justify) and archetype name pattern; Trap card inherent resilience to monster removal; natural GY cycling allows repeated plays; Recursion enables durability in drawn-out games given S-Force's board maintenance focus; GY setup costs are manageable in S-Force given tutors in partner list (S-Force Lapcewell 93.5%, S-Force Retroactive 92.4%)
- Data gaps: no combos supplied — combo conversion is text-only inference; cannot measure how recursion/positioning translate to board advantage or wins no guides supplied — human context on the card's metagame role and impact is missing no usage statistics (StatisticsCard) — archetype inclusion percentage inferred from 275-deck sample only, not larger historical dataset no Top Card ranking — cannot gauge competitive viability tier or whether the card sees high-level play