With the recent releases of Cross Duel and Master Duel, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links has a lot to compete with right now. Despite that, it remains a popular game with a thriving fan community and player base. The most recent update, in fact, added an entirely new game world with a ton of new mechanics!

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Like any card game, the meta (most effective tactics available) constantly shifts and evolves, making it difficult to figure out exactly which strategies are worthwhile. The best meta cards are versatile and lack any particular archetype in order to be the most useful in the most decks, and should be resilient enough to stick around for a long time.

7 Enemy Controller

Yu-Gi-Oh card 'Enemy Controller' on a blurred blue background. Card depicts a video game controller on a red background.
  • Rarity: SR
  • How to Get: Seto Kaiba (DM) drop, Seto Kaiba (DSoD) drop, SR Ticket, SR Ranked Ticket, Choose Your Own Gift Campaign

Remember when Kaiba literally summoned a video game controller in the Battle City Finals? That was Enemy Controller, a versatile, old-school spell card that allows you to take back control.

Enemy Controller can change the battle position of your opponent’s monster, allowing you to easily avoid an attack, or its secondary effect allows you to take control of your opponent’s monster by tributing one of your own. It can interact with different decks in unique ways, so you’ll have to do your own experiments to find out the best way for you!

6 Floodgate Trap Hole

Yu-Gi-Oh! card 'Floodgate Trap Hole' on a blurred blue background.
  • Rarity: UR
  • How to Get: MAIN Box Generation Next, UR Dream Ticket

Floodgate Trap Hole is one of a number of trap hole cards, a subtype of Trap Cards that have a vice grip on the meta. When your opponent summons a monster, you can trigger Floodgate Trap Hole to permanently change it to face-down defense position.

While this doesn’t stop them from tributing later on (though tribute summoning isn't particularly popular right now), it can be an effective way to block attacks from high-level monsters. It can also help you avoid flip effects, or counter Synchro/XYZ summons that would otherwise lose you the game.

5 Mystical Space Typhoon

Mystical Space Typhoon, a Yu-Gi-Oh spell card, on a blurred blue background.
  • Rarity: UR
  • How to Get: MAIN Box Antinomic Theory, Selection Box Mini Vol. 03, UR Dream Ticket

Mystical Space Typhoon is a meta favorite for a reason. It's simple, and it does the trick! There are a ton of situations where destroying a spell card can come in handy, just make sure you don't waste it on a spell card that's already been activated, because it won't negate the effect.

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This card works best against decks that rely on continuous spells/traps like Dark Magician, including field spells. Using it on these cards reduces the chance that your opponent will be able to activate their set card anyway, though it can be used to force them to activate it earlier than optimal.

4 Book of Moon

Book of Moon, a Yu-Gi-Oh Card with a blue book on it, on a blurred background.
  • Rarity: UR
  • How to Get: MAIN Box Chaotic Soldiers, Selection Box Vol. 04, UR Dream Ticket

There are many Yu-Gi-Oh! cards that flip monsters back to face down defense position, and Book of Moon is one of the most popular ones. It's incredibly useful as it can be deployed at any time, or even used on your own monsters. Like Floodgate Trap Hole, it allows you to block opponents attacks or Synchro/XYZ summons if played correctly.

You can also use it to sneakily negate the permanency of Floodgate Trap Hole! By targeting the same card with Book of Moon and chaining its effect, you'll be able to flip summon your card on the next turn.

3 Treacherous Trap Hole

Yu-Gi-Oh card Treacherous Trap Hole on a blurred blue background.
  • Rarity: SR
  • How to Get: MINI Box Visions of Ice, Selection Box Mini Vol. 02, SR Dream Ticket

Another Trap Hole card, Treacherous Trap Hole allows you to choose two face-up monsters and destroy them! It's best run in a deck that doesn't have any other trap cards, as it can't be activated if there's any other traps in your graveyard.

There are several ways to use Treacherous Trap Hole to its maximum potential! You can use it to block attack damage by destroying your monster and your opponents before they attack. It can also be very satisfying to destroy two of your opponents monsters at once, especially if it blocks a Synchro/Xyz summon.

2 Paleozoic Candidia

Paleozoic Candidia, a Yu-Gi-Oh card, on a blurred blue background.
  • Rarity: UR
  • How to Get: MAIN Box Valiant Souls, UR Dream Ticket

Here's another card that flips your opponent's monster face down! Similarly to Floodgate Trap Hole, that flip is permanent. But what Floodgate Trap Hole doesn't have is a secondary monster effect!

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As well as blocking your opponent's summon, Paleozoic Candidia can be summoned as a monster card from the graveyard if another trap is activated. Paleozoic Candidia works best in decks with multiple traps, as that allows it to activate its secondary monster effect. The monster you summon can also be useful for defense or summoning costs!

1 Forbidden Lance

Yu-Gi-Oh! Card Forbidden Lance on a blurred blue background.
  • Rarity: UR
  • How to Get: MAIN Box Valhalla Calling, Selection Box Mini Vol. 02, UR Dream Ticket

Aside from having some pretty stunning card art, Forbidden Lance is also incredibly useful! It's first effect that reduces the targeted monsters attack by 800 can be used in a pinch to destroy your opponents monsters if they attack you with a less than 800 attack point difference.

The second effect, which states that the targeted monster is unaffected by the effects of other spells/traps, can be used in a number of ways. You can use it on an opponent's monster to negate the effects of any buffs they might have, or on your own to avoid being targeted by harmful effects.

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