Ever since its initial release in Duelist Revolution, Effect Veiler has been an incredibly useful card. The simplicity of its effect and the ease at which you can use it means that you can play it at almost any time. But just because you can play it whenever you like (within your opponent’s Main Phase of course) doesn’t mean you should. Timing is everything with Effect Veiler, and knowing when and where it’ll cause the most damage to a strategy is the key to playing it effectively.

Effect Veiler’s effect is a simple one; send it from your hand to the Graveyard during your opponent’s Main Phase and negate the effect(s) of one of their monsters. Since it’s a monster effect that activates from the hand and never hits the field, it can’t be pre-empted or responded to in the ways that most Trap Cards can. It’s also harder for your opponent to predict when you’ll use it, as it doesn’t need to be Summoned or Set on the field. If you’re holding Effect Veiler in your hand, you’ve got the element of surprise on your side, and using it at the right time can easily swing a Duel in your favour.

The most common way to use Effect Veiler’s effect is to prevent your opponent’s strongest monster from activating its effects, keeping you safe for the turn. This could be Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning banishing your monster (or getting ready to attack multiple times), Grandsoil the Elemental Lord reviving a monster from either Graveyard, or Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon destroying your strongest monster. If your opponent is capable of winning the Duel because of the effect of the monster they just Summoned, that’s the monster you want to zap with Effect Veiler.

The important thing to remember is that you don’t always have to negate the effect of the first monster you see. Holding back on using Effect Veiler until you absolutely must if you want to have a chance to win the Duel creates the maximum chance for a comeback. Using Effect Veiler on your opponent’s Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress might seem like a good idea if it’s about to destroy your Mirror Force, but you’ll wish you held on to that Effect Veiler when they Summon Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon and pull back Lightpulsar Dragon from their Graveyard. Generally, if your opponent isn’t about to use a monster effect that swings the Duel massively in their favour, it’s best to keep that Effect Veiler handy for when they play something stronger.

Another popular way to use Effect Veiler is as a wrench in the works of an opposing. If you use your Veiler on the right monster, you can completely shut down your opponent’s plans for a turn, while also ensuring they’ve wasted their strongest cards for nothing.

Let’s say you’re playing against Wind-Ups, and your opponent Summons Wind-Up Magician, following it up with Wind-Up Shark. They use Shark’s effect and change its Level. Now would be the perfect time to use Effect Veiler. Specifically, you want to use it on the Magician, not the Shark. Now, not only have you stopped your opponent from Summoning a third monster, but your opponent’s used up both of his effects and has 2 different-Levelled monsters on his field, preventing him from Xyz Summoning. That leaves him wide open for an attack next turn, having played one of the strongest combos in his Deck for no gain.

Knowing which point in a combo, and which card, you should shut down with Effect Veiler will come with experience; the more you see a combo in action, the more you’ll learn about which cards are key to that strategy. It’s something that takes time to learn and identify, but using Effect Veiler in this way can be a very powerful tool in your arsenal. Think carefully about the best time to play your strongest cards (including Effect Veiler) and you’ll be rewarded with more chances to win closely-fought Duels. Good luck!