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Trigger-like Effects are a type of card effect for Spell/Trap Cards that activate when their activation requirement is met. Trigger Effects are the parallel type of card effect for Monster Cards. Some Pendulum Monsters have Trigger-like Effects as part of their Pendulum Effect.

Trigger-like Effects are Spell Speed 1 effects that make a Chain Link when activated. In general, Trigger-like Effects can be activated during any phase, although many individual Trigger-like Effects have restrictions on the phases in which they can be activated as part of their activation timing. Trigger-like Effects can be either mandatory or optional.

Identifying Trigger-like Effects[]

For cards with Problem-Solving Card Text, Trigger-like Effects can be identified by looking for a timing or event-related condition, followed by a colon.

Optional effects with the activation timing "Once per turn: You can..." or "During your Main Phase: You can..." are Ignition-like Effects on Spell Cards and Quick-like Effects on Trap Cards, rather than Trigger-like Effects. Trigger-like Effects may use the phrase "once per turn" in their activation timing, but not on its own.

Effects with the phrase "during either player's turn" in their activation timing are Quick-like Effects rather than Trigger-like Effects.

Effects with the activation timing "When this card resolves:" or "When this card is activated:" are card effects that apply during the resolution of the Spell/Trap Card itself, rather than Trigger-like Effects.

Mechanics[]

Missing the timing[]

Optional Trigger-like Effects that use the word "when" in their activation timing can miss the timing. This occurs when an optional Trigger-like Effect that uses "when" meets its activation timing, but another action is performed before it has a chance to activate.

If an optional Trigger-like Effect that does not miss the timing or a mandatory Trigger-like Effect meets its activation timing at an instant that Spell Speed 1 effects cannot be activated, such as when a Chain already exists, then it will start a Chain at the next possible opportunity. "If" and "during" are commonly used in place of "when" for effects that cannot miss the timing.

For example, "Amazoness Village" has a "when" optional Trigger-like Effect. If an "Amazoness" monster is targeted by "Soul Taker", when "Soul Taker" resolves first the "Amazoness" monster is destroyed, then the opponent of the player that activated "Soul Taker" gains 1000 LP. While the effect of "Amazoness Village" would have met its activation timing when the "Amazoness" monster was destroyed by a card effect, because a player gained LP before it had a chance to activate, it cannot.

In contrast, "Yang Zing Creation" has an "if" optional Trigger-like Effect and "Supply Squad" has a mandatory Trigger-like Effect. If an "Amazoness" monster is destroyed by "Soul Taker", the Trigger-like Effects of "Yang Zing Creation" and "Supply Squad" can be activated.

Simultaneous Effects Go On Chain[]

If multiple Trigger or Trigger-like Effects would activate at the same time, they are all be placed on the same Chain without any of them missing the timing.

The order these effects are added to the Chain depends on whether the effect is mandatory or optional, whether it is activated by the turn player or non-turn player, and (in the TCG only) the order in which they met their activation timing.

Activating the card and effect in the same Chain Link[]

As long as they both meet their activation timings, a Continuous Trap Card and exactly one of its Trigger-like Effects or Quick-like Effects can be activated during the same Chain Link. For example, when the opponent declares an attack, the player can activate "Cybernetic Hidden Technology" and its effect in the same Chain Link.

If a Continuous Trap Card has an optional Trigger-like Effect or Quick-like Effect that can be activated during the Damage Step and that can be activated in the same Chain Link as the card itself, that Continuous Trap Card can also be activated during the Damage Step as long as the effect and card are activated in the same Chain Link. However, mandatory Trigger-like Effects and Quick-like Effects cannot be activated in the same Chain Link as the card during the Damage Step.

A Continuous Trap Card cannot activate its Trigger-like Effect in the same Chain Link as the card itself if that effect sends the Continuous Trap Card to the Graveyard as a cost, because the Continuous Trap Card is not face-up on the field at the time it is activated. If the activation timing includes "while this card is face-up on the field" (such as the Trigger-like Effect of "Predaplanet" and the first effect of "Shinobird Salvation"), that effect cannot meet its activation timing before the Continuous Trap Card is activated, so that effect cannot be activated in the same Chain Link as the card itself. Additionally, the Trigger-like Effects of the cards "All-Out Attacks",[1][2] "Coffin Seller",[3] "Cyber Summon Blaster",[4] "Light Spiral",[5] "Natural Disaster",[6] "Overdoom Line",[7] "PSY-Frame Accelerator",[8] "Spirit's Invitation",[9] "Swiftstrike Armor",[10] and "Unpossessed"[11] cannot be activated in the same Chain Link as the card itself.

This only applies for Continuous Trap Cards, and does not apply for any other type of Spell/Trap Card.

Example[]

The effect of "Eisbahn" is a mandatory Trigger-like Effect.

Eisbahn-PHSW-EN-R-1E

List of OCG/TCG cards with Trigger-like Effects[]

Note: This list is incomplete
 Japanese namePrimary typeSecondary typeAttributeTypeLevel/ RankATKDEF
Abyss Actor - Leading Lady魔界劇団-プリティ・ヒロインEffect Monster
Pendulum Monster
DARKFiend415001000
Abyss Actor - Trendy Understudy魔界劇団-ダンディ・バイプレイヤーEffect Monster
Pendulum Monster
DARKFiend2700700
Acrobatic Magician曲芸の魔術師Effect Monster
Pendulum Monster
DARKSpellcaster58002300
All-Eyes Phantom Dragonゴッドアイズ・ファントム・ドラゴンEffect Monster
Pendulum Monster
LIGHTDragon1030002500
Armor Breakerアーマー・ブレイカーEffect MonsterUnion monsterEARTHWarrior3800800
Armory Armアームズ・エイドEffect Monster
Synchro Monster
LIGHTMachine418001200
Blast Sphereスフィア・ボム 球体時限爆弾Effect MonsterDARKMachine414001400
Brain Jackerブレイン・ジャッカーEffect MonsterFlip monsterDARKFiend2200900
Burning Beast灼岩魔獣Effect MonsterUnion monsterFIREPyro415001000
Buster Blasterバスター・ショットマンEffect MonsterUnion monsterEARTHMachine100
... further results (92 more)
 Japanese nameCard typeProperty
"A" Cell Breeding Device「A」細胞増殖装置Spell Card
Continuous Spell Card
Continuous Spell Card
"A" Cell Incubator「A」細胞培養装置Spell Card
Continuous Spell Card
Continuous Spell Card
"Infernoble Arms - Durendal"『焔聖剣-デュランダル』Spell Card
Equip Spell Card
Equip Spell Card
"Infernoble Arms - Hauteclere"「焔聖剣-オートクレール」Spell Card
Equip Spell Card
Equip Spell Card
"Infernoble Arms - Joyeuse"「焔聖剣-ジョワユーズ」Spell Card
Equip Spell Card
Equip Spell Card
7Spell Card
Continuous Spell Card
Continuous Spell Card
A.I. Challenge You果たし-Ai-Trap Card
Continuous Trap Card
Continuous Trap Card
A.I. ShadowAiシャドーTrap Card
Continuous Trap Card
Continuous Trap Card
A.I.dle RebornAiドリング・ボーンSpell Card
Quick-Play Spell Card
Quick-Play Spell Card
Abominable Chamber of the Unchained破械雙極Trap Card
Normal Trap Card
Normal Trap Card
... further results (732 more)

References[]

  1. "Individual Card Rulings [A-C]". UDE. All-Out Attacks. Archived from the original on 17 February 2009. http://web.archive.org/web/20090217182013/http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/yugioh/en/gameplay/faqs/cardfaqs/default.aspx?first=A&last=C. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  2. "Q&A » 召喚制限-猛突するモンスター [Q&A » All-Out Attacks]" (in Japanese). Konami. 1 September 2016. http://www.db.yugioh-card.com/yugiohdb/faq_search.action?ope=4&cid=7474&request_locale=ja. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  3. "Q&A » 棺桶売り [Q&A » Coffin Seller]" (in Japanese). Konami. 9 March 2017. http://www.db.yugioh-card.com/yugiohdb/faq_search.action?ope=4&cid=5492&request_locale=ja. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  4. "Q&A » サイバー・サモン・ブラスター [Q&A » Cyber Summon Blaster]" (in Japanese). Konami. 28 July 2016. http://www.db.yugioh-card.com/yugiohdb/faq_search.action?ope=4&cid=6737&request_locale=ja. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  5. "Q&A » ライト・リサイレンス [Q&A » Light Spiral]" (in Japanese). Konami. 14 January 2016. http://www.db.yugioh-card.com/yugiohdb/faq_search.action?ope=4&cid=7643&request_locale=ja. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  6. "Q&A » ナチュラル・ディザスター [Q&A » Natural Disaster]" (in Japanese). Konami. 24 September 2015. http://www.db.yugioh-card.com/yugiohdb/faq_search.action?ope=4&cid=7272&request_locale=ja. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  7. "Q&A » オーバー・デッド・ライン [Q&A » Overdoom Line]" (in Japanese). Konami. 31 March 2016. http://www.db.yugioh-card.com/yugiohdb/faq_search.action?ope=4&cid=8218&request_locale=ja. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  8. "Q&A » PSYフレーム・アクセラレーター [Q&A » PSY-Frame Accelerator]" (in Japanese). Konami. 9 July 2016. http://www.db.yugioh-card.com/yugiohdb/faq_search.action?ope=4&cid=12664&request_locale=ja. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  9. "Q&A » スピリットの誘い [Q&A » Spirit's Invitation]" (in Japanese). Konami. 7 July 2016. http://www.db.yugioh-card.com/yugiohdb/faq_search.action?ope=4&cid=5402&request_locale=ja. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  10. "Q&A » 神速の具足 [Q&A » Swiftstrike Armor]" (in Japanese). Konami. 14 January 2016. http://www.db.yugioh-card.com/yugiohdb/faq_search.action?ope=4&cid=7322&request_locale=ja. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  11. "Q&A » 憑依解放 [Q&A » Unpossessed]" (in Japanese). Konami. 15 November 2014. http://www.db.yugioh-card.com/yugiohdb/faq_search.action?ope=4&cid=11596&request_locale=ja. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
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