The best handtraps in Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel (2022)

Spells and Traps, as well as Monsters, can shut down opposing cards from getting effects off in Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel. However, it’s sometimes best to use a handtrap, which doesn’t need to be set on the field and is generally safe from being popped by the opposition. Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel offers a plethora of handtrap options, but which ones should you prioritize? We have our picks, so let’s go over them.

D.D. Crow

Let’s start off with a card from the D.D. archetype: D.D. Crow. This Level 1 Monster has a very simple effect: discard this card to the Graveyard (GY), and target one card in the opponent’s GY. If no cards negate this effect, that targeted card is banished.

Since so many Monsters, as well as Spells and Traps, in today’s game have secondary effects that go off in the GY, D.D. Crow is a nice way — outside of a card like Called to the Grave — to neutralize said effects. Examples of how to use D.D. Crow includes banishing Eldlich the Golden Lord from the GY once its effects get triggered or banishing big monsters like the Blue-Eyes Dragon or Cyber Dragon Infinity should the opponent try to pull them out of the GY.

Droll & Lock Bird

We now move to Droll & Lock Bird, a Level 1 Monster with 0 ATK and 0 DEF. This card can be sent to the GY when the opponent adds a card to hand from the Main Deck. Upon sending this card to the GY, no player can add another card from the Main Deck to the hand.

Whether it’s with Cyber Emergency with Cyber Dragons and Drytrons, to Cursed Eldland with Eldlich builds, to even Reinforcement of the Army in Sky Strikers, so many cards in Yu-Gi-Oh! add additional cards from the Main Deck to the hand. And because card advantage is very important in the early stages of any Yu-Gi-Oh! game, Droll & Lock Bird has quite a useful effect in Master Duel.

Maxx “C”

Maxx “C’ is one of the most controversial cards to ever be introduced in Yu-Gi-Oh! This card is banned in the TCG, although that can’t be said in the OCG or Master Duel. At any point during any turn, while this card is in the hand, the user can discard Maxx “C” to the GY. Once the effect resolves, the individual who did so can draw one card for each Monster that the opponent has Special Summoned on to the field.

Since this card does not appear on the Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel Forbidden/Limited list, Maxx “C” plays a large role in the meta landscape. It puts a litany of decks, including Drytron, HERO, Thunder Dragon, and Tri-Brigade players, amongst others, in a very tricky position once it is activated, as the archetypes listed above are builds that rely very heavily on swarming the field via Special Summons. Sure, Maxx “C” doesn’t stop players from doing so, but it does make players think twice. After all, all of those extra cards added to the hand could pose a major problem later on in the duel.

Related: The best meta decks to use in Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel (2022)

Effect Veiler

Effect Veiler is a UR rarity card in Master Duel that can stop an opposing player from making a big play. This card, once sent from the hand to the GY, can target one Monster on the opponent’s side of the field. The effects of that targeted face-up Monster is negated for the remainder of that turn.

Shutting down Monster effects that go off on the field is just as important, if not more important in some instances, than handling the ones in the GY. And, it’s also important to note that this Spellcaster Monster is also a Tuner. That means it can be used as a target for the effects of popular Link Monsters, Crystron Halqifibrax, and Selene, Queen of the Master Magicians.

Evenly Matched

Monster cards are not the only ones that can be used as handtraps. In some cases, Trap Cards can also be used as handtraps, and one that makes this list is Evenly Matched. Evenly Matched is an SR Trap that must be activated at the end of the Battle Phase, as long as the opponent controls more cards than you. If you control no other cards, it can be used straight from the hand. Upon activation, it will force opponents to select and banish cards on their side of the field, up to the number of cards that you control on the field.

This Trap is great for decks that like to go second in duels, and used in situations in which the opposition has already set up the board well. Evenly Matched, unless negated, can essentially wipe out the opponent’s board, making it much easier for you to set up.

Nibiru, The Primal Being

If you thought Evenly Matched is a good board wipe, wait until we tell you about Nibiru, The Primal Being. This 3,000 ATK Monster Card can be Special Summoned on your side of the field during the opponent’s Main Phase 1 or 2. So, what’s the catch? Nibiru can only be Special Summoned if the opponent Normal or Special Summons a Monster five or more times during a turn. Once activated, Nibiru wipes all Monsters off the field, and it is Special Summoned on your side of the field. The opposition meanwhile receives a Token that has the ATK/DEF equal to the ATK/DEF of all the Monsters tributed to activate its effect.

Since Nibiru does not need five or more Monsters on the field to be Special Summoned and can be brought out at any time during the opponent’s Main Phase, it’s usually advantageous to bring it out once the opponent has finished setting up the board and brought out its big Monsters. And once it is brought out on the field, it could pose a major problem for the opponent.

Infinite Impermanence

Infinite Impermancence is a rarity in Master Duel. Not only did this card make our top Trap Cards list, but it’s also one of the best handtraps that can be found in the metagame today. When activated from the hand, Infinite Impermanence can target and negate the effects of one Monster on the field until the end of the turn. However, you must control no cards to activate it right from the hand.

Infinite Impermanence might not look as good as Effect Veiler, at least as a handtrap. However, negating effects on the field is important, so having a backup option is key. Plus, Infinite Impermanence is worth crafting, thanks to its other ability that can shut down Spells and Traps, as well.

PSY-Framegear Gamma

PSY-Framegear Gamma has a similar effect to Effect Veiler, but with a twist. This card can only be activated when an opponent activates a Monster effect while you control no Monsters. Upon activation. PSY-Framegear Gamma will negate that effect, and destroy the card. Additionally, Gamma, as well as a copy of PSY-Frame Driver will be Special Summoned from the hand, deck, or GY, will be Special Summoned on the field.

Since this card requires PSY-Frame Driver in its effect, you must have at least one copy of it in your Main Deck should you use Gamma. And, should you use it during your turn, these two Monsters can be used as Link Material — or even Synchro material for PSY-Framelord Omega — should you have that Monster in your Extra Deck.

Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion

Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion is a versatile card, since it can, upon being discarded, negate several different card effects. Here is what Ghost Belle can shut down:

• Add a card(s) from the GY to the hand, Deck, and/or Extra Deck.
• Special Summon a Monster Card(s) from the GY.
• Banish a card(s) from the GY.

Ghost Belle deals mainly with cards that have effects go off in the GY. If you’re having problems with these, then Ghost Belle is worth a look.

Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring

We now move to the final handtrap on our list: Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring. A popular card in Master Duel, Ash Blossom can shut down a multitude of effects, much like the Ghost Belle. Here is what Ash Blossom can prevent the opponent from doing, once per turn:

• Add a card from the Deck to the hand.
• Special Summon from the Deck.
• Send a card from the Deck to the GY.

Because Ash Blossom shuts down adds and Special Summons from the deck, this card is much more valuable than Ghost Belle, which really is more suited for a slower meta. Ash Blossom can be a great neutralizer against decks like Drytrons, Eldlich, and Tri-Brigades, as all depend to varying degrees on the bullet points listed above. Plus, Ash Blossom is also a tuner, making it something that can be used for Crystron Halqifibrax.