Spells and Traps can be quite cumbersome if they are left on the field for too long. InYu-Gi-Oh!, players need ways to get rid of these one way or another. Luckily, with thousands of cards to choose from, there are plenty that can get the job done right.
Some cards are great for older formats, while others allow you to pop cards on the go without having to use up main deck space. It’s all a matter of what you need to deal with at the moment and how critical to victory getting rid of one specific back row can be.
10Galaxy Cyclone
Two Uses In One Card
Cards that have effects on the field and in the grave can be quite useful since using them doesn’t immediately mean the end of their possible effects. Its first use allows you to target a face-down Spell or Trap and destroy it. Then, while it is in the graveyard, you can banish Galaxy Cyclone to destroy a face-up Spell or Trap.
This card could be useful in the right meta, though it does make you wait till the next turn to activate its secondary effect. All in all, this is a good removal card to have a set of.
9Evenly Matched
Banish The Back Row Face Down
The problem with many Spells and Traps is that they can sometimes continue to do things in the graveyard. So destroying them doesn’t necessarily stop their impact during a game.Evenly Matched can cause a nearly complete board wipe, including Spells or Traps.
The good thing about this is that it also banishes the cards instead of sending them to the graveyard. This way, anything they could have done while in the graveyard is no longer a threat to you. The only downside is that your opponent chooses what gets sent away.
8Night Beam
Preventing Your Opponent From Responding
One of the saddest things that can happen to you is that you have a card that can destroy some back row, but your opponent manages to activate those Traps in response. Night Beam can stop that by making your opponent unable to activate whatever you intend to destroy with it.
The only downside is that you’re able to only destroy one Spell or Trap on the field. However, against the right decks, it can stop a critical card from being able to get its effect out.
7Cosmic Cyclone
Deal With Pesky Field Spells
Cosmic Cyclone is the go-to choice for removing Field Spells. All you need to do is pay 1000 life points, and you’re able to banish a Spell or Trap on the field. This comes in useful against decks that have a killer Field Spell that provides too much value for their strategy.
Aside from banishing it and preventing any graveyard effects from going off, this is also a Quick Play Spell. You can set it going first and activate it whenever your opponent tries to activate a Spell that would otherwise remain on their field.
6Mystical Space Typhoon
A Classic Staple
In older formats, Mystical Space Typhoon is a staple for being able to destroy Spells and Traps on your turn or your opponent’s turn thanks to being a Quick-Play Spell. While it has been power crept by the meta, it doesn’t require you to discard cards or pay life points to activate.
This card is also a reason many players are urged to read the text on their Spells. Since destroying doesn’t negate any effects that might be activated in response to using Mystical Space Typhoon.
5Harpie’s Feather Duster
Clean Your Opponent’s Spell And Trap Zones
Any deck that can squeeze in a Harpie’s Feather Duster is automatically made better. This card can destroy your opponent’s entire back row, including anything they might have on the Field Spell Zone.
This card also forces your opponent to react to it if they can, since it will destroy everything. If they can’t outright negate it, this could mean setting off Traps they had in store for you, much earlier than they would have liked. Harpie’s Feather Duster can prove fatal against Trap-focused decks.
4Twin Twisters
Two For The Price Of One
Twin Twisters is an effective way of getting rid of not one, but two cards at the same time. However, it comes at the cost of discarding a card from your hand. This isn’t always bad, since some decks like having certain cards in the graveyard.
This card is also a Quick Play Spell, giving plenty more options whether you want to use it on your opponent’s turn, in response to other cards, or as you normally would any other Spell Card.
3Heavy Storm
A Hard Reset For Both Players
Heavy Storm isone of the best Duel Monsters era forms of removal. This is because it can wipe every Spell and Trap on the field, including your own. This may sound like a downside, but this can be incredibly useful when you need to remove your own floodgates.
So, when you have cards that block both you and your opponent’s actions, you want this to affect mostly your opponent. When it comes around to your turn, on the other hand, you want to lift the floodgates so you’re able to have free rein. This makes Heavy Storm the perfect tool for that.
2Lightning Storm
Multiple Options For Removal
Lightning Storm is an incredibly powerful going second option. This is because it can wipe out your opponent’s attack position monsters, or their Spells and Traps. This dual use comes with certain conditions though.
First off, you need an empty field to use this card. This means your options for baiting out interactions before using it are limited. You can also only use this card once per turn, so drawing into multiple isn’t as good. Luckily,its effects are well worth a side deck placement.
1Knightmare Phoenix
A Generic Extra Deck Removal Effect
If you’re coming up withcards to put in your extra deckthen Knightmare Phoenix is always worth a spot if you can spare it. This is because Knightmare Phoenix can destroy a Spell or Trap without having to be drawn directly from the deck.
This makes it a useful generic extra deck monster that can still help you climb into other Link plays. If Knightmare Phoenix is co-linked while using this effect, you can also draw a card which can come useful for reloading your hand.
