diff --git a/routes/combine.route.js b/routes/combine.route.js
index 84306c4..20e9696 100644
--- a/routes/combine.route.js
+++ b/routes/combine.route.js
@@ -110,29 +110,26 @@ router.post("/cards/combine", requireLogin, async (req, res) => {
       });
     }
 
-    /* ── 8. Ausgabe-Karte bestimmen ── */
+    /* ── 8. Gleiche Karte mit Rarity+1 suchen ── */
     const targetRarity = parseInt(inputCard.rarity) + 1;
     const maxRarity    = getMaxRarity(playerLevel);
-    const outputRarity = Math.min(targetRarity, maxRarity);
 
-    // Karte mit outputRarity suchen (nicht dieselbe Karte)
-    const [pool] = await db.query(
-      "SELECT id, name, image, rarity, attack, defends, cooldown FROM cards WHERE rarity = ? AND id != ?",
-      [outputRarity, card_id]
-    );
-
-    // Fallback: gleiche Rarity falls keine höhere vorhanden
-    const [fallbackPool] = await db.query(
-      "SELECT id, name, image, rarity, attack, defends, cooldown FROM cards WHERE rarity = ?",
-      [parseInt(inputCard.rarity)]
-    );
-
-    const finalPool = pool.length ? pool : fallbackPool;
-    if (!finalPool.length) {
-      return res.status(500).json({ error: "Keine passende Karte gefunden." });
+    if (targetRarity > maxRarity) {
+      return res.status(400).json({
+        error: `Dein Spielerlevel erlaubt keine Karten über Rarity ${maxRarity}.`,
+      });
     }
 
-    const reward = finalPool[Math.floor(Math.random() * finalPool.length)];
+    const [[reward]] = await db.query(
+      "SELECT id, name, image, rarity, attack, defends, cooldown FROM cards WHERE name = ? AND rarity = ?",
+      [inputCard.name, targetRarity]
+    );
+
+    if (!reward) {
+      return res.status(400).json({
+        error: `Keine höhere Version von "${inputCard.name}" (Rarity ${targetRarity}) in der Datenbank gefunden.`,
+      });
+    }
 
     /* ── 9. Belohnungskarte gutschreiben ── */
     await db.query(