Psi-Blocker is a great card in a lot of different situations. You can read about the basics of using it, here. Since you won’t always know which cards your opponent has in his hand or on the field, and there won’t always be a single card that completely ruins your strategy, it won’t always be obvious which card you should name with Psi-Blocker’s effect. If you’re playing Psi-Blocker in your Deck, it’s important to have a basic plan for naming cards against each of the most popular Decks.

Plant Synchro was the most popular Deck in the Top 32 of YCS Atlanta, and like so many other Decks, it can be crippled by an inability to play certain cards. Quickdraw and Plant Synchro Decks can wipe the field clear by Synchro Summoning the Level 7 Synchro Monster, Black Rose Dragon. This play is usually enabled by Debris Dragon, a Level 4 Tuner that can Special Summon a Level 3 non-Tuner like Dandylion or Lonefire Blossom from the Graveyard when it’s Summoned. Naming Black Rose Dragon or Debris Dragon with Psi-Blocker’s effect after you’ve accumulated a big field will tighten the safety of your position and stop your opponent from making one of his Deck’s strongest plays.

When you don’t have a big field and you know that your opponent probably won’t make a play with Black Rose Dragon, you’ll usually want to name a different card. If your opponent has a face-down monster that you don’t know the identity of, naming Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter is usually the best play. Since most Plant Synchro Decks run 3 copies of Ryko, it’s the most likely card that you’ll hit when you attack a face-down monster with Psi-Blocker. Plus, if you hitSuper-Nimble Mega Hamster instead, the Ryko it Summons to the field won’t be able to use its effect. Since Plant Synchro Duelists rely on Ryko to destroy your field and fill their Graveyard with monsters, stopping Ryko can prevent your opponent’s Deck from ever taking off.

X-Saber Duelists Set lots of monsters too, including XX-Saber Darksoul and XX-Saber Emmersblade. Before attacking a face-down monster in an X-Saber Deck, XX-Saber Darksoulis usually the best card to name with Psi-Blocker’s effect.

When you name XX-Saber Darksoul with Psi-Blocker’s effect and successfully stopDarksoul’s effect from activating, you’ll deprive your opponent of a critical search for an X-Saber. Even if a face-down monster that you attack with Psi-Blocker ends up being an Emmersblade, your choice with Psi-Blocker won’t go to waste. Your opponent’s won’t want to Special Summon Darksoul from his Deck with the effect of Emmersblade, since Darksoul’s effect won’t be able to activate.

In other situations, when your opponent doesn’t have any monsters face-down, you may want to use your Psi-Blocker’s effect to name an X-Saber Deck’s typical attackers, including XX-Saber Fulhelmknight and XX-Saber Boggart Knight. This will slow down your opponent and help keep your Psi-Blocker safe.

Lots of other popular Decks also have key cards that will stand out as an imminent threat in certain situations. Lightsworn and Blackwing Decks, for instance, may block your attacks withHonest and Blackwing – Kalut the Moon Shadow any time you attack an Attack Position monster. These cards may be obvious choices to name with Psi-Blocker before you declare an attack with one of your monsters. Big monsters that your opponent can Summon at will to tear down your field, like Judgment Dragon, are also good choices to name with the effect of Psi-Blocker when you don’t have any Trap Cards to protect you.

Against Gravekeeper’s Decks, naming Necrovalley before your opponent gets it onto the field will stop your opponent’s Deck from taking off. Once Necrovalley is out there, namingGravekeeper’s Recruiter or Gravekeeper’s Descendant will limit the plays your opponent can make. Infernity Decks rely on Infernity Archfiend to create a loop of plays that create a stranglehold on the Duel, so naming it with the effect of Psi-Blocker will prevent an Infernity opponent from accomplishing what his Deck was built to do.

The more you use Psi-Blocker, the better you’ll become at naming the right cards with its effect. Remember, if you know that your opponent has a card, and your opponent is planning to use that card against you, it’ll usually be better to name that card, than to name a card your opponent might have. But when you don’t know which cards your opponent is holding, or which card would be the most damaging to your planned play, having a default plan to fall back on will put you ahead of the competition!