Trap
CounterSaber Hole
Archetype:
Hole
View:
3400
Activate only while you control a face-up "X-Saber" monster. Negate the Summon of a monster, and destroy it.
55± 8/ 100
Power Score
Intrinsic
54
Deck
55
Saber Hole — Power Evaluation
Final Score: 55 ± 8 · Confidence: Medium
- Intrinsic: 54 · Deck: 55 · Meta: provisional
- Primary role: Removal / Negation · Secondary: Floodgate / Control
Why it scores here
Saber Hole is a narrow removal piece that negates Summons and destroys the attempted monster while you control an X-Saber. Its effect interaction (negation plus destruction) is strong, but the activation condition locks it to X-Saber decks primarily, limiting accessibility and resilience outside that archetype. While it appears in 183 decks, most are X-Saber builds (55.7%) where the condition is consistently met. The complete absence of combo board evidence and inability to generate advantage beyond a 1-for-1 trade keep the score moderate despite its focused effectiveness in X-Saber.
Axis scores
| Axis | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | 50 | The card is reliably drawable and settable as any trap, but activation requires a face-up X-Saber monster, making it dead in non-X-Saber archetypes and situational within them (verified from card text and deck distribution: 55.7% X-Saber, 44.3% other archetypes). |
| Combo & Conversion | 15 | Zero combo board appearances; the card is purely reactive negation that does not build boards or drive multi-card sequences on its own (verified from combo data: 0 total appearances). |
| Resource Economy | 50 | Trading one trap activation for one negated Summon and destroyed monster is roughly even, with no card advantage, hand refuel, or graveyard benefit (inferred from card text and standard trap mechanics). |
| Effect & Interaction | 72 | Negating a Summon and destroying the monster is strong, hard interaction; however, it only responds to opponent actions and requires continuous X-Saber field presence to activate (verified from card text: 'Activate only while you control a face-up X-Saber monster'). |
| Material Utility | 0 | Trap cards cannot be used as Synchro, Xyz, Fusion, or Link material and have no special material properties; this card remains entirely unusable as material even if blanked (verified from card type: Trap). |
| Resilience & Flexibility | 35 | Once activated, the effect resolves immediately; if your X-Saber is removed or the trap is negated, the card has no backup value; no recursion, recovery, or multi-turn utility (inferred from trap mechanics and card text). |
| Deck-Building Efficiency | 58 | Efficient in X-Saber decks where the activation condition is reliably met; becomes a dead card in non-X-Saber decks despite appearing across 26 archetypes, with low redundancy (avg 1.25 copies per deck) limiting deck flexibility (observed from deck distribution and copy rates). |
Calculation
Weight profile: 0.75 Removal / Negation + 0.25 Floodgate / Control. Intrinsic ≈ 54, Deck ≈ 55, Meta = provisional. Modifiers: none. Final formula: 0.40*Intrinsic + 0.60*Deck
Strengths
- Strong negation effect that destroys the negated monster
- High synergy with X-Saber decks (55.7% of observed 183 decks)
- Appears in 26 distinct archetypes, suggesting niche but broad appeal beyond primary home
- Efficient trap that requires no graveyard setup or special conditions beyond X-Saber presence
Weaknesses
- Activation condition (face-up X-Saber monster required) locks the card to archetype-specific decks
- No combo board evidence; purely reactive control, not a combo enabler or extender
- Trap card cannot serve as material or advance board state on its own
- Low redundancy (avg 1.25 copies per deck); not a staple that can be run in multiples
- Loses all utility if your X-Saber is removed before activation or if the trap itself is negated
Counters / choke points
- Removing your X-Saber monster before activation negates the trap's effect
- Negating the trap activation prevents the disruption
- Out-of-archetype decks find it often dead due to activation requirement
Best use
Reactive Summon negation and board disruption. Decks: X-Saber, Elementsaber, X-Saber hybrid engines. Suggested copies: 1.
Evidence & gaps
- Verified: Card text: 'Activate only while you control a face-up X-Saber monster. Negate the Summon of a monster, and destroy it.'; Appears in 183 decks with average 1.25 copies per deck; 55.7% of observed decks are X-Saber archetype (102 of 183); Top deck partners are all X-Saber cards: XX-Saber Ragigura 97.3%, XX-Saber Faultroll 89.6%, XX-Saber Gottoms 86.3%; Trap card type prevents use as any form of monster material; Zero combo board appearances in supplied evidence
- Observed: Appears in 26 distinct archetypes despite X-Saber activation requirement; Copy distribution: 1 copy in 153 decks (83.6%), 2 copies in 14 decks (7.7%), 3 copies in 16 decks (8.7%); Usage statistics show 100% inclusion in Elementsaber with typical 1 copy; Not ranked as a top card in any format (top-card status: false)
- Inferred: Activation condition makes accessibility dependent on maintaining X-Saber monster presence each turn; 1-for-1 trade of trap activation for negated Summon and destroyed monster equals even resource economy; Purely reactive negation effect suggests minimal combo conversion capability; Lack of recursion, protection, or multi-turn utility indicates low resilience; X-Saber-specific activation requirement limits true splashability despite 26-archetype spread
- Data gaps: No combo board evidence supplied; combo conversion is text-only inference without observed practice data No guides supplied; no human context on metagame role, optimal sequencing, or format-specific usage No banlist token provided; assumed unlimited (3 copies legal across all formats) Unclear why card appears in 26 archetypes when activation condition is X-Saber-specific; suggests either these archetypes run X-Saber as a secondary engine or the activation condition is met differently than surface text suggests