Skill
A Skill (スキル, Sukiru) is a special rule characteristic of Speed Duels, which are featured in Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links, the Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS anime, and as a variant of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game.
In the anime, it is also possible to use a Skill during a Master Duel under certain circumstances, the specifics of which are currently unknown, as shown when Bohman and Windy used Storm Access during their respective Master Duels with Playmaker and Varis.
Contents
TCG Speed DuelEdit
In Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game Speed Duels, Skills are represented by Skill Cards. Each player can include one Skill Card with their Deck, which is set aside face-down at the start of the Duel. When the Skill Card is activated, it is turned face-up.
The Skill Card backing depicts the character the Skill is associated with, and includes the activation condition for the Skill Card.
Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINSEdit
In Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS, Skills are special effects that each player can use only once per Duel. They may possess a number of effects, like improving a draw, increasing one's LP or enhancing a monster's ATK.[1] They can be used during either player's turn.[2] Skills appear to be procedurally generated, though rather than being generated randomly like they would be in real-world video games, they appear to be generated to fit a Duelist's Deck and/or Dueling style. As seen with Playmaker and Varis, Skills are not necessarily unique to their users, and multiple Duelists can share a given Skill. As seen with the Gore and Skye Zaizen a Duelist may utilize different Skills between different Decks.
If two or more Duelists combine their LINK VRAINS avatars into one and play a Duel as that combined avatar, their avatar will have access to each of those players' Skills during that Duel and can use each Skill once. This technically enables a single Duelist within that Duel to use multiple Skills, beyond the normal "once per Duel" limit. (This is because the game considers each player to be using their own individual Skill once per Duel.) For example, Bit and Boot were able to use Marker's Portal twice during their Duel with Soulburner, since their avatars were combined into BitBoot.[3]
Skills can be hacked to do previously unheard-of abilities, such as the Double Draw Skill used by Number 10.
List of SkillsEdit
| Skill | User | Effect | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double Draw | Number 10 | During your Draw Phase, draw 2 cards instead of 1 for your normal draw. | 002 |
| Storm Access | Yusaku Fujiki Bohman Roken Kogami Windy | If your LP are 1000 or less, you can add 1 random Link Monster appropriate for the current game state from a nearby Data Storm to your Extra Deck. The more intense the Data Storm, the stronger the monster will be. | 002 005 007 009 010 015 017 028 031 042 048 054 058 070 073 089 |
| Pain and Gain | George Gore | Special Summon all "Gouki" monsters that were destroyed by battle this turn. | 004 023 108 |
| Trickstar Trick | Skye Zaizen | During your opponent's turn, discard 1 "Trickstar" card to make your opponent draw until they have 3 cards in their hand. During the End Phase of this turn, your opponent must banish a card from their hand for each "Trickstar" monster in your GY. | 007 026 |
| Secret Cure | Emma Bessho | Excavate cards from the top of your Deck until you excavate a monster and add it to your hand, then each player gains LP equal to its ATK. Send the rest to the GY. | 031 107 015 |
| Minus Mitosis | Dr. Genome | Halve the ATK of 1 face-up monster your opponent controls and their LP. | 024 |
| Malevolent Malpractice | Klarissa Turner | Banish 2 Level 2 or lower monsters with the same name from your GY and Special Summon 2 monsters from your Deck with the same name as each other and a Level equal to the banished monsters'. | 026 |
| Double Bite | Alec | During your Battle Phase, 1 Insect monster you control can make a second attack during this Battle Phase. | 028 |
| Marker's Portal | Bohman Bit Boot Harlin | If you have less LP than your starting amount, activate 1 Link Spell Card directly from your Deck. It cannot be negated, or destroyed, by your opponent's card effects. | 047 049 085 |
| Burning Draw | Theodore Hamilton | Reduce your LP to 100 and draw 1 card for every 1000 LP you lost. | 049 052 056 |
| Dinowrestle Revolution | George Gore | Activate "World Dino Wrestling" from your Deck. | 051 |
| Drone Force | Kenneth Drayden | One monster your opponent controls loses 200 ATK for each "Drone" card in your GY until the end of this turn, then 1 "Drone" Link Monster you control gains the same amount of ATK until the end of this turn. | 054 077 106 |
| Trickstar Gig | Skye Zaizen | Send cards from the top of your Deck to the GY equal to the number of "Trickstar" monsters you control. Then, add 1 "Trickstar" card from your GY to your hand. | 056 |
| Neo Storm Access | Yusaku Fujiki | If your LP are 1000 or less, you can add 1 random Cyberse monster appropriate for the current game state from a nearby Data Storm to your Extra Deck. If you could not, and your LP are 100 or less, you can use this Skill again, then draw 1 card. | 073 082 |
| Anti Skill | George Gore | Can be used when your opponent activates their Skill. Negate that Skill and draw 2 cards. | 075 082 |
| Stalactite Spear | Earth | When your EARTH monster destroys an opponent's monster by battle, inflict damage to them equal to the destroyed monster's Level x 100. | 075 |
| Shape of Sea | Skye Zaizen | When you take battle damage, Special Summon 1 WATER monster from your Graveyard whose ATK is less than or equal to the damage you took. | 085 |
| Master Storm Access | Bohman | Once per turn, during either player's turn, you can add 1 random Cyberse monster appropriate for the current game state from a nearby Data Storm created by the Neuron Link to your Extra Deck. | 099 100 101 |
| Power Possession | Queen | When you take battle damage from a direct attack, you can gain LP equal to the damage you took and Set 1 Trap Card from outside your Deck. It can be activated this turn. | 104 |
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel LinksEdit
In Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links, each character can use up to one Skill with their Deck. The Skills that can be used depend on the character—each character has a unique pool of Skills, but some Skills are available to multiple different characters.
Skills provide some effect during the Duel. Certain Skills can create cards on the field or in a player's Deck, change one card into another, or remove cards from the game entirely. (Monsters played to the field, or added to the Graveyard from outside of the deck, by Skills are treated as having been properly Special Summoned. Additionally, monsters played in face-down Defense Position by a Skill can be Flip Summoned in the same turn, and Trap Cards played face-down by a Skill can be activated during the same turn.) Along with the game's Forbidden and Limited lists, Skill effects are subject to change to maintain balance.
To use a Skill, it must first be unlocked for that character. Even if multiple characters can use the same Skill, it must be unlocked for each character individually.
There are two types of Skills that can be set to a Deck: Legendary Skills and Archive Skills.
Legendary Skills are only available to Legendary Duelists who possess that Skill. They enhance cards and Decks that are closely related to that Legendary Duelist.
Archive Skills can be used by all Legendary Duelists. They enhance cards that are not associated with a particular Legendary Duelist or have generic effects.
Non-player characters normally do not use Skills, but they occasionally do during special events. Additionally, Jaden/Yubel's Level 40 Deck at the Gate includes the Skill "Neo-Spacian Onslaught".
Obtaining SkillsEdit
Skills can be obtained in a variety of ways:
- Level-up Skills:
- Unlocking a character
- Level-up rewards
- Drop Skills:
- Duel Rewards from Duels against Legendary Duelists or in Ranked Duels
- Spending 100 Skill Chips at the Card Trader
- Skill Tickets
- Special Skills:
- Events and campaigns
- Lifetime Missions
- Trader
- Mission Bingo (Joey Wheeler's "Fields of the Warriors" only)
Each character has 3 level-up Skills, one of which may be obtained when the character in unlocked (listed as a Level 1 reward).
Each character has a set of several drop Skills. They are primarily obtained as random drops when defeating Legendary Duelists (originally the only way to obtain them) or Dueling in Ranked Duels. These are the only Skills that can be obtained using Skill Chips or Skill Tickets. Originally, it was possible obtain Skills the player already has as drops, but they would be automatically converted into Gems (originally always 15 Gems, but later 5, 10 or 15 Gems at random); in the current version of the game, this is no longer possible.
Some characters additionally have special Skills, which can only be obtained from events, campaigns, Lifetime Missions, or other ways. Some time after an event or campaign has finished (and usually after it has been run twice in the case of events), the previously exclusive Skills from that event or campaign are made available as Lifetime Missions. For character unlock events, these Skills are usually made available when the character is added to the Gate. Some Skills are made available as Lifetime Missions without first being event rewards, often to promote new BOX cards.
List of SkillsEdit
This is a list of Skills that players can obtain for their characters (Skills that are exclusive to non-player opponents are not listed).
| Skill | Lore | Duel Links characters |
|---|---|---|
| "Destroy Them All" | You can only use this Skill's second effect once per Duel. 1: At the beginning of your first turn, send 1 LIGHT Machine monster from your Deck to the Graveyard, then place 1 "Boss Parade" card from outside your Deck face-up on your field. During all of your turns, you can Normal Summon 2 times, but you cannot Normal or Special Summon (excluding Special Summons from the Extra Deck) any monsters, except LIGHT Machine monsters with 1200 ATK and 1000 or less DEF, "Gradius' Option", and Tokens. 2: During your Main Phase, you can add monsters to your hand up to the number of LIGHT Machine monsters you control + 1, choosing among the LIGHT Machine monsters in your Deck and/or "Gradius' Option" cards from outside your Deck. | Duke Devlin (Duel Links) Noah Kaiba (Duel Links) |
| 1: Dueling Is Ramen | [REQUIREMENT] Can be activated from turn 2 onward by revealing 1 Level 7 or 8 monster from your hand during a turn in which you have not Fusion Summoned a monster, if all of the monsters in your constructed Deck are FIRE Attribute Pyro Type monsters, and all of the Level 5 or higher monsters have 0 DEF. [EFFECT] Add up to 2 monsters from your Deck and/or Graveyard to your hand that are either Normal Monsters, "The Noodle Art of Flavor Shift", or "Fusion" cards. ("The Noodle Art of Flavor Shift" can only be added once per Duel.) Then, send 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard. This turn, you can only Fusion Summon once. | Saburamen (Duel Links) |
| A Bond Illuminates the Future | Each of the following effects can only be used once per Duel. (You can change the battle position of Set monsters)
| Yusei Fudo (Duel Links) |
| A Burning Roar | Add 1 "Salamangreat Heatleo" and 1 "Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf" to your Extra Deck at the beginning of the Duel. The following effect can be used once per turn. Until the end of this turn, all monsters on your field gain 100 ATK for each monster on your field. This Skill can only be used/applied if your Deck/Extra Deck contains 10 or more "Salamangreat" monsters including at least 1 "Salamangreat Heatleo". | Soulburner (Duel Links) |
| A Card Entrusted | At the beginning of the Duel, add 1 "Fiend's Sanctuary" to your Deck. | Yami Yugi (Duel Links) |
| A Cosmic Scourge: Galaxy-Eyes | At the beginning of the Duel, add 1 "Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon" to your Deck. Can be used if you control 2 or more monsters with 2000 ATK or higher. Return 1 "Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon" from your Graveyard to your hand. This Skill can only be used once per Duel. | Kite Tenjo (Duel Links) |
| A Duelist of Your Talent Is What Our Company Needs | You can only use this Skill's first and second effects once per turn. 1: Apply 1 of the following effects.
| Akira Zaizen (Duel Links) |
| A Galactic Battle | Can be used when a "Galaxy-Eyes" Xyz Monster exists on either field. During your Draw Phase, instead of conducting your normal draw, send all cards but "Galaxy-Eyes" Xyz Monsters on both fields to the Graveyard. After using this Skill, this turn will end. This Skill can only be used once per Duel. | Mizar (Duel Links) |
| A New Power! | At the beginning of the Duel, add 2 "Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin" to your Deck. Then, add 1 "Elemental HERO Aqua Neos" to your Extra Deck. | Jaden/Yubel |
| A Trick up the Sleeve | Your starting hand will include 1 Level 7 or higher DARK Spellcaster-Type monster, randomly selected from your Deck. This Skill will not activate if your Deck does not contain any Level 7 DARK Spellcaster-Type monsters. You cannot Special Summon effect monsters during your first turn. | Arkana (Duel Links) |
| ... further results | ||
List of Archive SkillsEdit
This is a list of Archive Skills that all characters can use.
| Skill | Lore | Duel Links characters |
|---|---|---|
| Advance Burst Draw | [REQUIREMENT] Can be activated before your normal draw on turn 4 onward, if your LP is lower than your opponent's and you have no monsters on your field (once per Duel). [EFFECT] One of the cards from your normal draw will be a random Level 7 or higher Normal Monster with the highest ATK in your Deck. If you activated this Skill on turn 10 or later, you can also add 1 "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" from outside of your Deck to the Deck. | All Rush Duel characters |
| Ancestral Arts of Gusto | You can only use this Skill's second and third effects once per Duel. 1: At the beginning of the Duel, add 3 "Gusto" monsters with different names to your Extra Deck. During all of your turns, you cannot Normal or Special Summon (excluding Special Summons from the Extra Deck) any monsters, except "Gusto" monsters and WIND Tuners. 2: Reveal 1 "Gusto" monster in your hand and send 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard, then add up to 2 "Gusto" cards and/or WIND Tuners from your Deck to your hand. 3: If you control "Daigusto Sphreez" or your opponent has activated an effect this turn, play 1 "Gusto" monster from your Deck in face-down Defense Position. (Its battle position can be changed.) | All Speed Duel characters |
| Awakening of the Charmers | Reveal 1 "Charmer" monster or "Familiar-Possessed" monster in your hand, return 1 card from your hand to the Deck, and Set 1 "Awakening of the Possessed" from outside of your Deck to the field. This Skill can only be used if you begin the Duel with a Deck (excluding Extra Deck) that has "Familiar-Possessed - Aussa", "Familiar-Possessed - Eria", "Familiar-Possessed - Hiita", and "Familiar-Possessed - Wynn". This Skill can only be used once per Duel. | All Speed Duel characters |
| B.E.S. Rush | You can only use this Skill's second and third effects once per Duel. 1: During your turn, you cannot Special Summon any monsters, except "B.E.S." monsters (excluding Special Summons from the Extra Deck) 2: Send "Boss Rush" or 1 Spell/Trap Card that mentions it from your hand or face-up field to the Graveyard, and then add 1 "B.E.S." monster from your Deck to your hand. 3: Can be activated from turn 2 onward. If you control no cards in your Field Zone, Set 1 "B.E.F. Zelos" card from your Deck, otherwise draw 1 card or add 1 "Super B.E.S. Metal Slave" card from your Deck to your hand. | All Speed Duel characters |
| Beetrooper Raid | You can only use this Skill's second effect once per Duel. 1: At the beginning of your first turn, Set 1 "Beetrooper Formation" from outside your Deck, then send 2 Insect monsters, including "Beetrooper" monsters, from your Deck to the Graveyard. For the rest of this Duel, you cannot Special Summon any monsters, except Insect monsters. 2: If you control an Insect monster with 3000 or more ATK, or your opponent controls a monster, gain 3000 LP. Then, add 1 Level 5 or higher Insect monster from your Deck or Graveyard to your hand, or Set 1 "Beetrooper" Spell/Trap card from your Deck or Graveyard. (This card can be activated the same turn.) | All Speed Duel characters |
| Black Dragon Rising | This Skill can be used if you have at least 7 Level 5 or higher monster in your Deck. [REQUIREMENT] Can be activated on turn 2 onward by returning 1 card from your hand to the Deck. [EFFECT] Reveal 1 "Black Dragon's Chick" in your hand, and add 1 "Red-Eyes Black Dragon" from your Deck or Graveyard to your hand. Then, you can decrease the ATK of 1 face-up monster on your opponent's field by 400 until the end of the turn. Your Level 7 Effect Monsters cannot attack this turn. | All Rush Duel characters |
| Black Skull Rising | [REQUIREMENT] Reveal 1 "Red-Eyes Black Dragon", "Summoned Skull", or "Change Slime - Skull Dragon Mode" from your hand from turn 2 onward if all the Level 5 or higher monsters in your constructed Deck are "Red-Eyes Black Dragon" and "Showdown Skull Archfiend". [EFFECT] Add 2 Level 7 monsters from among "Red-Eyes Moon Dragon" and/or "Change Slime - Skull Dragon Mode" from your Deck or Graveyard to your hand, then send 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard. | All Rush Duel characters |
| Blue-Eyes Reign | This Skill can be used if your Deck contains 7 or more Level 5 or higher monsters and no Level 7 or higher Dragon Type monsters with 1900 DEF or lower. [REQUIREMENT] From turn 2 onward, if there are no face-up Level 8 or higher monsters on your field, shuffle 1 card from your hand into the Deck and reveal 1 "Kaibaman" in your hand. [EFFECT] Add 1 "Blue-Eyes Bright Dragon" from your Deck to your hand. | All Rush Duel characters |
| Branded Journey | You can only use this Skill's second and third effects once per Duel. 1: You cannot Normal Summon any monsters, except "Fallen of Albaz" and LIGHT Spellcaster monsters with 1500 ATK. 2: Reveal 1 "Fallen of Albaz", 1 Dragon monster that mentions it, or 1 "Dogmatika" card in your hand, shuffle 1 card from your hand into the Deck, then send 1 "Fallen of Albaz" and 1 monster that mentions it from your hand and/or Deck to the Graveyard. Then, you can add 1 "Albion the Shrouded Dragon" or 1 "Branded in White" from your Deck to your hand. 3: If only your opponent controls a monster, add 1 "Branded Bond" from outside of your Deck to your hand. | All Speed Duel characters |
| Chivalrous Celerity | [REQUIREMENT] Can be activated from turn 2 onward if all of the monsters with 1600 or more ATK in your constructed Deck and Extra Deck are monsters with 2300/2600 ATK and 2100 DEF and/or Level 5 or lower Dragon Type Normal Monsters. [EFFECT] Send 1 level 5 or 7 Normal Monster from your Deck to your Graveyard and make 1 face-up Level 5 or 7 monster on your field gain 300 ATK until the end of this turn. Then, you can add 1 Normal Monster and 1 "Polymerization" from your Graveyard to your hand. (Once per Duel.) | All Rush Duel characters |
| ... further results | ||
Event-exclusive SkillsEdit
| Skill | Lore | Events | Duel Links characters |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Skill for You | You can only use this Skill's first and second effects once per Duel. 1 : At the beginning of your turn, if your LP are 4000 or less, play 1 "Water Dragon" from outside of your Deck. 2: At the start of your Battle Phase, if your LP are 2000 or less, all monsters on your field gain 500 ATK. | Tag Duel Tournament XXIII Tag Duel Tournament XXIV | Bastion Misawa (Duel Links) |
| Abyss Actors, Ready to Action! | At the beginning of the Duel, add Pendulum Zones to your field. In addition, if you do not have cards in your Pendulum Zones at the beginning of the turn, place 1 "Abyss Actor - Mellow Madonna" and 1 "Abyss Actor - Comic Relief" to your Pendulum Zones from outside of your Deck. | Tag Duel Tournament Tag Duel Tournament XXII Tag Duel Tournament XXIII | Sylvio Sawatari (Duel Links) |
| Accomplish the Mission, No Matter What! | You can only use this Skill's first and second effects once per Duel. 1: At the beginning of your turn, if your LP are 4000 or less, play 1 "Volcanic Doomfire" from outside of your Deck. 2: At the start of your Battle Phase, if your LP are 2000 or less, all monsters on your field gain 500 ATK. | Tag Duel Tournament XXIV | Axel Brodie (Duel Links) |
| Action Card | Activates once per turn after obtaining 1 Action Card from the Action Field for which you have fulfilled the Dueltain Meter conditions. You can choose from a maximum of 6 different cards set by you and your opponent. Each card can be selected only once more after the Dueltain Meter reaches 150%. | A Soldier from the Fusion Dimension: Sora Perse | Sora Perse (Duel Links) |
| Advance Drive | Can be used twice per Duel. During this turn, you can perform 1 Tribut Summon during your Main Phase in addition to your regular Normal Summon/Set. | Legacy Duels | Yami Yugi (Duel Links) Seto Kaiba (Duel Links) Joey Wheeler (Duel Links) Mai Valentine (Duel Links) Weevil Underwood (Duel Links) Yami Marik (Duel Links) Marik Ishtar (Duel Links) Yami Bakura (Duel Links) Bandit Keith (Duel Links) Ishizu Ishtar (Duel Links) Odion (Duel Links) Maximillion Pegasus (Duel Links) Mokuba Kaiba (Duel Links) Espa Roba (Duel Links) Rebecca Hawkins (Duel Links) Serenity Wheeler (Duel Links) Noah Kaiba (Duel Links) |
| Alternative White Dragon Advent | If your Life Points are at 2000 or below, play 1 "Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon" from outside of the Deck at the beginning of your turn. You can only activate this Skill once per Duel. | Tag Duel Tournament IX | Seto Kaiba (DSOD) (Duel Links) |
| Amazoness Tactics | At the beginning of your first turn, add "Amazoness Queen" to your hand from outside your Deck. Then, play "Amazoness Onslaught." | Tag Duel Tournament VIII Tag Duel Tournament Tag Duel Tournament XXII Tag Duel Tournament XXIII Tag Duel Tournament XXIV | Mai Valentine (Duel Links) |
| Ancient Fairy Rescue | If your Life Points are at 3000 or below, add 1 "Forest" to your hand from outside your Deck at the beginning of your turn. Then, play 1 "Ancient Pixie Dragon" in Defense Position from outside of your Deck. You can only activate this Skill once per Duel. | Tag Duel Tournament IX Tag Duel Tournament X Tag Duel Tournament Tag Duel Tournament XXIV | Luna (Duel Links) |
| Armored Xyz | The ATK of monsters you control is multiplied by 5 until the end of the turn. In addition, Equip "Black Ray Lancer" from outside of your Deck to 1 Xyz Monster you control as an Equip Card. While "Black Ray Lancer" is equipped with this effect, that monster can attack twice during each Battle Phase. This Skill can only be used once per Duel. | Raid Duel - Giant Grinder: The Meet-And-Greet of Nightmares | Reginald "Shark" Kastle (Duel Links) |
| Arrival of the Earthbound Immortal | This Skill will be activated at the beginning of a Duel. Add 1 Field Spell Card and 1 "Earthbound Immortal" monster card from your Deck to your hand. | Duelist Chronicles 5D's: Attack of the Dark Signers! | Earthbound Immortal Cusillu (Duel Links) Earthbound Immortal Chacu Challhua (Duel Links) Dark Signer Kalin Kessler Earthbound Immortal Uru (Duel Links) Dark Signer Carly Carmine Earthbound Immortal Ccarayhua (Duel Links) Dark Signer Rex Goodwin |
| ... further results | |||
Duel Links Legend Deck GuideEdit
The Duel Links Legend Deck Guide listed certain Skills as suggestions for casual play using the Legend Decks in the guide. It included three different sets of three skills: Yami Yugi skills, Seto Kaiba skills, and generic skills.
Differences between the anime and Duel LinksEdit
In the anime, if the use of a certain Skill would cause a certain effect to meet its activation requirement, that effect can be activated normally after the Skill has finished being applied. For example, discarding "Trickstar Mandrake" in order to use her "Trickstar Fraud" Skill allowed Skye Zaizen to activate Mandrake's Trigger Effect afterward.
In Duel Links and Speed Duels, Skills are designed not to interact with any card effects that would be triggered by the Skill's usage. As such, immediately after a Skill is applied, the game proceeds to an open game state, leaving no chance for any effects to be activated in response to the Skill (even mandatory Trigger Effects). Originally, "Last Gamble" was an exception to this, and cards could be activated in response to drawing cards with the Skill, but this was changed in a later update. Additionally, in the current version of Duel Links, the effects of cards can be activated in response to a card being sent to the Graveyard by the effect of "Phantom Strategy".
ReferencesEdit
- ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 2: "Seize the Wind!"
- ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 4: "Pain and Gain"
- ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 49: "Bring the Heat"