There aren't many decks out there today that don't include any effect monsters. Most of the heavily played monsters have at least one kind of effect, while normal monsters rely on a high ATK or DEF, a useful level, or a specific attribute to worm their way into a deck. Understanding what kind of effect you’re dealing with and how and when to resolve it will help you get the most out of your monsters. I’m going to go over the different types of monster effects, how they work, and how and when to use them. Of particular interest will be the new terminology change—the introduction of the term “Ignition Effects,” which were previously known as “Cost Effects.” The new clarification of this type of effect will make it a lot easier to understand how and when effects can happen. If you’ve got a copy of the current rulebook handy, you’ll notice it lists the following types of monster effects.

1. Flip Effects

2. Continuous Effects

3. Cost Effects

4. Trigger Effects

5. Multi-Trigger Effects

Familiar terms, right? Well, let’s have a quick rundown anyways.

Flip effects are effects that activate when a monster is flipped face up. This could be a flip summon, a flip in response to an attack, or a flip in response to another card effect. The effect text for flip effect monsters are prefaced with the word FLIP and a colon. Some monsters specify in their effect text that their effects will only work for a specific kind of flip. For example, Swarm of Scarabs’s effect will only activate in response to a flip summon.

Not all monsters with effects that activate when they’re flipped face-up are considered flip effect monsters. For example, Nightmare Penguin has an effect that activates when it’s flipped face-up, but it lacks the FLIP: text, so its effect isn’t considered a flip effect. This makes a difference when it interacts with a card like Nobleman Of Crossout. Flip effects are mandatory. When they’re activated, they are going to happen unless they’re negated by another effect. Flip effects are spell speed 1.

Continuous effects are effects that are active as long as the card is face up on the field. Cards like Jinzo, Perfect Machine King, or Legendary Fisherman are all continuous effect monsters. The text on the card describes the effect and when it can be used. If the monster is turned face down, the effect will disappear until the monster is turned face up once again. Continuous effects are spell speed 1.

Cost effects are a thing of the past. Before you get confused, realize that this type of effect is still part of the game. The name has been changed to clear up some possible confusion. The term “cost effect” was occasionally a bit misleading. Many effects that are defined as cost effects don’t always actually have a cost associated with them. To clear it all up, cost effects are now known as ignition effects. This change was made to reflect an update in the Japanese rule book, and the next version of the official English rulebook will feature the new term, so let’s do away with “cost” and embrace “ignition.”

Ignition effects (previously known as cost effects) are effects that a duelist chooses to activate. They are normally activated during a main phase, and since a duelist decides whether or not to activate the effect, they are optional and don’t automatically happen. Some ignition effects have a cost associated with them—discarding a card, like Tribe-Infecting Virus, or paying life points, such as Ryu Senshi. Others, such as Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning or Barrel Dragon only need to be activated by the duelist controlling the card. These two monsters are actually good examples of why this change was made. The term “cost effect” implies that a cost must be paid, and since not all of these effects have a cost, the term led to a lot of confusion about how these effects work. “Ignition effect” was selected as the new term, because it is a close translation of the Japanese term for effects that the duelist chooses to activate. Ignition effects are spell speed 1.

Trigger effects are effects that activate in response to another game effect. Attacks, summons, activation of spell or trap cards are all possible “triggers” for these effects. Some trigger effects are mandatory, like those on Witch of the Black Forest or Sangan, while others are optional, like D. D. Warrior Lady’s effect. They have the words “can” or “may” in their effect text, which enables the duelist to choose whether or not to resolve the effects.

However, if a trigger effect activates as part of a chain, then timing can be everything in determining whether or not that trigger effect will successfully resolve. Cards like Peten the Dark Clown and Pinch Hopper must have their triggers be the last resolved effect in the chain in order to actually trigger. In respect to timing, some trigger effects are more forgiving than others. It’s important to read the cards carefully in order to understand how they work. Trigger effects are spell speed 1.

Multi-trigger effects are effects that can be activated in response to another game effect during either duelist’s turn. Yu-Gi-Oh! features few multi-trigger effect monsters. Of these, Injection Fairy Lily is probably the most widely known, along with Ryu Senshi and Dark Balter the Terrible. One thing you’ll need to remember about multi-trigger effects is that they’re spell speed 2, since they can be used during your opponent’s turn.

We’ve refreshed our knowledge of monster effects. Knowing what kind of effect you’re dealing with will help you know how to resolve chains and card interactions, since the kind of effect a monster has determines how and when it will activate.

All the effects apart from the multi-trigger effects are spell speed 1, so how do duelists decide where to place effects that trigger simultaneously? It can get pretty complicated, and probably deserves an article on its own, but here’s a general overview.

First, when a flip effect is triggered, either in or out of the battle phase, that flip effect’s activation forms the first link of a new chain. After that chain fully resolves, any trigger effects that didn’t resolve during the chain’s resolution form a new chain, following the guidelines of SEGOC (Simultaneous Events Go On Chain).

SEGOC works like this. If there are several triggered effects that are trying to happen at once, they are placed on a chain. Mandatory effects—effects that are not optional and must happen—will be the first links in this chain. If there are several mandatory effects triggering at once, then the duelist controlling the cards will decide the order in which they will resolve. If both duelists have mandatory effects to resolve, then the turn player’s effects will go on the chain first, followed by the opponent’s mandatory effects. Once the mandatory effects have gone on the chain, then the optional effects are added—turn player’s first, if any, then opponent’s, if any. Then, resolve the chain backwards as normal. Remember, continuous effects are part of the game state and do not go on the chain. The upshot of this is that the turn player is usually going to come off second best, as his or her effects will be the last to resolve. Determining which effect goes off when can get complicated, since the triggers often involve specific steps in a given phase. Careful study of rulings will help clear up confusion on specific cards.

On a final note, remember that some monsters have multiple types of effects. Guardian Sphinx has both an ignition effect (you may flip this card into face-down defense position once during your main phase) and a trigger effect (when this card is flip summoned, return all monsters on your opponent’s side of the field to the owner’s hand). Marauding Captain has a continuous effect (as long as this card remains face-up, your opponent may not choose another Warrior-type monster as an attack target) and a trigger effect (when successfully normal summoned, you may special summon a level 4 or lower monster from your hand).

There’s an overview of the effect types, and general guidelines about how they work both independently and as parts of a chain. Organized play for Yu-Gi-Oh! is really stepping up this year. The more secure you are with basic game mechanics, the quicker and better your judgment becomes, so make a point of gaining a solid understanding of how the game works. Knowing what to do and when to do it can make or break a duel—and when there are prizes and rankings on the line, make sure you’re bringing your best game.