Traps in depth.

Normal Trap Cards (Japanese: 通つう常じょう罠トラップカード Tsūjō Torappu Kādo) are Spell Speed 2, and can be used in response to the effects of everything that is classified as Spell Speed 1, such as Effect Monsters, and Spell Cards, or Spell Speed 2, which include Quick Effects, most other Trap Cards, and Quick-Play Spell Cards. Trap Cards have to be Set face-down and can be activated after the turn you Set it (starting from the opponent's Draw Phase). Some Trap Cards, like "Delta Crow - Anti Reverse," have conditions in which they can be activated the turn they are set, or even directly from the hand. In addition, the effects of other cards, such as "Makyura the Destructor," can enable you to activate Trap Cards in such ways.

Some Normal Trap Cards, like "Blast with Chain" and "Horn of the Phantom Beast" become Equip Cards after activation; in this case, they remain on the field after activation.

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Continuous Trap Cards (Japanese: 永えい続ぞく罠トラップカード Eizoku Torappu Kādo) are Trap Cards that stay on the field after activation. The effect(s) of these cards will remain active until the owner cannot maintain the cost or condition(s) indicated on the card (if any) OR it is destroyed. One example of a Continuous Trap Card is "Spellbinding Circle", which effectively freezes an enemy monster on the field, so it can neither change battle position nor declare an attack.

Most Continuous Trap Cards require a cost to maintain or possess a condition under which the card is destroyed if said cost/condition is not met. Two examples of these are "Imperial Order" and "Call of the Haunted". "Imperial Order" requires a cost of 700 Life Points to maintain, but "Call of the Haunted" is destroyed when the monster used with it is destroyed. Continuous Trap Cards are also the only kind of Trap Card that can be used to summon "Uria, Lord of Searing Flames", with the exception of cards such as "Blast with Chain" and "Kunai with Chain", which are not Continuous Trap Cards, but remain on the field after activation.

Another example of a Continuous Trap Card is "Royal Decree", which negates Trap Cards' effects. However, since it is still Spell Speed 2, it cannot be used against cards like "Magic Drain", "Seven Tools of the Bandit", "Negate Attack", or "Trap Jammer", since they are all Counter Trap Cards, and thus Spell Speed 3.

Cards such as "Chain Burst" and "Curse of Darkness" have to be face-up on the field before the card it inflicts damage against is activated; you cannot chain these cards to the activation of the card type mentioned and still maintain the effect of inflicting damage. This is because the timing has been missed; the card in question has already been activated.

Trap Monsters.

Some Continuous Trap Cards become monsters when activated, known as Trap Monsters. An example of a Trap Monster is "Metal Reflect Slime", which has high DEF. A Trap Monster is considered both a Continuous Trap Card and a monster simultaneously, so it can be affected by both cards that affect monsters and cards that affect Continuous Trap Cards.

Activating the card and effect in the same Chain Link

As long as they both meet their activation timings, a Continuous Trap Card and exactly one of its Trigger-like Effects or Quick-like Effects can be activated during the same Chain Link. For example, when your opponent activates "Monster Reborn", you can activate "Royal Oppression" and activate its effect in the same Chain Link.

If a Continuous Trap Card has an optional Trigger-like Effect or Quick-like Effect that can be activated during the Damage Step and that can be activated in the same Chain Link as the card itself, that Continuous Trap Card can also be activated during the Damage Step as long as the effect and card are activated in the same Chain Link. However, mandatory Trigger-like Effects and Quick-like Effects cannot be activated in the same Chain Link as the card during the Damage Step.

A Continuous Trap Card cannot activate its Trigger-like Effect in the same Chain Link as the card itself if that effect sends the Continuous Trap Card to the Graveyard as a cost, because the Continuous Trap Card is not face-up on the field at the time it is activated. If the activation timing includes "while this card is face-up on the field" (such as the Trigger-like Effect of "Predaplanet" and the first effect of "Shinobird Salvation"), that effect cannot meet its activation timing before the Continuous Trap Card is activated, so that effect cannot be activated in the same Chain Link as the card itself. Additionally, the Trigger-like Effects of the cards "All-Out Attacks", "Coffin Seller", "Cyber Summon Blaster", "Light Spiral", "Natural Disaster", "Overdoom Line", "PSY-Frame Accelerator", "Spirit's Invitation","Swiftstrike Armor", and "Unpossessed".cannot be activated in the same Chain Link as the card itself.

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Counter Trap Cards (Japanese: カウンター罠トラップカード Kauntā Torappu Kādo) are a unique Trap card type that are of Spell Speed 3. Being the only cards/effects that are Spell Speed 3, only other Counter Trap Cards can be activated in response to them. Most of them can only be activated to negate or punish the activations of other cards, or Summons of monsters. Although there are some that can be used to start a Chain on their own by the mechanic, such as "Intercept" and "Drastic Drop Off", their activation requirements is against an action that does not start a chain.

Counter Trap Cards can be activated during the Damage Step.[1]

Play style

At least a few Counter Trap Cards are vital in most Decks—without the ability to prevent an opponent's card effect from activating, there is little guarantee of being able to prevail against an opponent, especially if the player has no idea what the opponent's strategy is or what cards they may be playing. Many of the more powerful Counter Traps have a cost or downside to using them so attempting to rely on a very large number of them may result in greatly diminished resources for the player to use. Other than that, most Counter Traps can only negate the activation of a Spell/Trap Card, or Monster Effects; they cannot negate Spell/Trap effects that are already face-up on the field or in the GY.

A group of Fairy-Type monsters, usually referred to as Counter Fairies, support Counter Trap Cards. An example of a non-Fairy-Type monster that supports Counter Trap Cards is "Van'Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord", which Summons itself and and applies several effects after a Counter Trap is activated.