Card Rulings - Effect Veiler

Effect Veiler holds a lot of quality in decks, and has been known to mess up a lot of large plays. With the return of the Chaos popularity this format thanks to Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning coming back to Limited after six years, having another Light monster in your deck (which is a Tuner, to boot) is always a good thing.

Effect Veiler

Lv1 - LIGHT - Spellcaster/Tuner - 0/0

During your opponent's Main Phase, you can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard to select 1 face-up Effect Monster your opponent controls. Negate the effects of that monster until the End Phase.












The qualities this card holds are easy to spot. It can be chained to the effect of important cards such as Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, Judgment Dragon, Chaos Sorcerer, and many others to name. But let's have a look at some of the rulings behind popular questions for this card.

Effect Veiler will negate effects that apply or activate on the field. These include Continuous effects (Jinzo, Thunder King Rai-oh), Trigger effects (Monarchs, Trishula), and most Ignition effects. But one major advantage to this card is held in the difference between it and Skill Drain.

Rescue Rabbit and Stardust Dragon are popular examples of cards that remove themselves from the field as a cost to activate their effect. Stardust tributes as a cost, and Rescue Rabbit banishes. Effects are treated as being activated wherever the card is before costs are paid - This means that both Rescue Rabbit and Stardust Dragon's effects activate on the field.

Example: During your Main Phase 1, you Synchro Summon Stardust Dragon. You then pass priority to me at the end of your Main Phase, where I activate Effect Veiler's effect on Stardust Dragon. You proceed into your Battle Phase, and declare a direct attack with Stardust Dragon. I respond with Mirror Force. You, of course, tribute Stardust Dragon to activate its effect. But, this effect activates on the field, meaning Stardust Dragon's effect is negated. Mirror Force still resolves, destroying any Attack Position monsters you control. During your End Phase, Stardust Dragon's effect would usually activate. But, because you failed to actually negate an effect with Stardust Dragon, the effect to Special Summon itself does not activate.

Now let's look at Turn Player Priority very quick. During your Main Phase, you Normal Summon Rescue Rabbit. I declare that the summon is successful. As a monster has just been summoned successfully, you have Priority - You can choose to start a chain by activating the effect of Rescue Rabbit, banishing itself as a cost, before any other responses are made to this summon. All this time I had an Effect Veiler in my hand - But as soon as Rescue Rabbit is declared to exist on the field, you (the Turn Player) had priority to banish Rescue Rabbit as a cost for his effect. There was no time during which I could have used Effect Veiler targeting your Rescue Rabbit.

This is where the key difference between Effect Veiler and Skill Drain comes in. Skill Drain negates the effects of a monster as long as it remains face-up on the field, and still allows effects to be activated and costs to be paid. If Skill Drain is active, and I Normal Summon Rescue Rabbit, I am still able to banish Rescue Rabbit as a cost for his effect. At the time Rabbit's effect would resolve, he is no longer on the field, meaning Skill Drain is not applying to him and the effect resolves.

Now let's look at a complicated situation: Effect Veiler vs Lightsworns or Spirit Monsters.Let's say, during your Main Phase, you Special Summon Judgment Dragon through his own effect. I declare the summon is successful, and you choose to activate his effect by paying 1000 Life Points. I chain Effect Veiler, targeting Judgment Dragon. The effect of destroying all other cards is negated. During your End Phase, Judgment Dragon's effect to mill 4 cards activates. At the same time, Effect Veiler should be wearing off. The situation here is as follows:

The Turn Player (controller of Judgment Dragon) has Priority at the beginning of the End Phase. He can choose to activate the effect of Judgment Dragon (mill 4) before Effect Veiler wears off. As these effects do not chain together, they resolve seperately, this means that if you do retain priority, your effect to mill 4 is negated. If you pass priority to me, I have 2 choices: I can choose to have Effect Veiler wear off immediately, meaning Judgment Dragon would mill 4 cards. I could also choose to pass priority back to you, where your Judgment Dragon tries to mill 4, but is still under the influence of Effect Veiler. To sum up:

If a monster with a Trigger Effect during the End Phase (Lightsworns, Spirits, Wind-Up Zenmaines) is being negated by Effect Veiler or Forbidden Chalice, the Turn Player can choose to have their effect negated. If not, the decision of whether the effect is negated or not relies on the Opponent.