Last week on Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s, we Yusei play Effect Veiler to get out of a tight jam!  And while we might not all have a Duel Runner and dragon tattoos, Effect Veiler can work just as well for you in real life, as it does for Yusei on TV.  When your back’s to the wall and your opponent unleashes a big play, Veiler shatters their strategy so you can make your comeback!

First up, Effect Veiler is great for negating the abilities of Flip Effect monsters.  Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter and Gravekeeper’s Spy both have powerful effects that compensate for their low ATK, but if your opponent Flip Summons either monster and you Chain Effect Veiler, they’re stuck with a weak monster in Attack Position and nothing to show for it.

A lot of monsters have powerful effects when they’re Normal or Tribute Summoned, too.  When your opponent Summons Debris Dragon, and you Chain Effect Veiler to negate the Dragon’s effect, your opponent won’t have anything to Tune it to: that lets you attack over it on your next turn.  And while a 2400 ATK Caius the Shadow Monarch is nothing to sneeze at, negating its effect can keep your defensive cards on the field so you can ward off the Monarch’s attacks.  Remember – some of the best Effect Veiler plays are the ones that create an opening for you to take advantage of, either costing your opponent cards that they invested in a Tribute Summon, or allowing you to make high-damage attacks on low ATK monsters.

The bigger the play, the better it is to negate!  All of the above monsters require your opponent to trade several Synchro or Fusion Materials to Summon just 1 monster from their Extra Deck: normally that’s worth it, because these monsters have field-wrecking effects that more than make up for their cost.  But Effect Veiler can negate all of those effects, saving your cards and ruining your opponent’s plans!  By letting your opponent play some of their best cards and then stopping them, you can create a big opportunity for a counterattack.

While protecting your cards with Effect Veiler is always useful, Decks with powerful Continuous Spell and Trap Cards get even bigger benefits.  When you control something likeRoyal Decree or Necrovalley, your opponent is going to try and use monsters like the ones we discussed to destroy those cards.  Effect Veiler ensures that your Continuous and Field cards are safe, even when you have nothing else Set. Veiler will even work when Cold Waveor Trap Stun have been activated, so you can protect your Royal Oppression when your opponent tries to destroy it with an Effect Monster.

Some Decks are so dependent on monster effects that you’ll want to Side Deck Effect Veilersfor them.  Gravekeepers have a hard time controlling the field if they can’t use Gravekeeper’sDescendant and Gravekeeper’s Spy; Gadget Decks need to search monsters with their Gadgets and Machina Gearframe to keep up their steady stream of attackers; Quickdraw and Debris Plant Duelists rely on Ryko, Debris Dragon, and more to gather Synchro Materials; and Gladiator Beasts can’t tag out, or control the Duel with Gladiator Beast Heraklinos, if they don’t have their effects.  If you’re not playing Effect Veilers in your Main Deck, you should definitely consider them for your Side.

When Effect Veiler isn’t saving you from big plays, you can use it as a Level 1 Tuner to make Synchro Summons and keep the pressure on your opponent.  Veiler is one of Yusei’s best cards, and it fits into almost any Side Deck, so think about what it might do for you.  Tomorrow is the big finish of Yusei and Kalin’s Duel against Lawton, so don’t miss it!