Trigger - like Effect Trigger - like Effects are a type of card effect for Spell / Trap Card s that activate when their activation requirement is met . Trigger Effect s are the parallel type of card effect for Monster Card s . Some Pendulum Monster s have Trigger - like Effects as part of their Pendulum Effect . Trigger - like Effects are Spell Speed 1 effects that make a Chain Link when activated . In general , Trigger - like Effects can be activated during any phase , although many individual Trigger - like Effects have restrictions on the phases in which they can be activated as part of their activation timing . Trigger - like Effects can be either mandatory or optional . Identifying Trigger - like Effects . For cards with Problem - Solving Card Text , Trigger - like Effects can be identified by looking for a timing or event - related condition , followed by a colon . Optional effects with the activation timing " " Once per turn : You can . . . " " or " " During your Main Phase : You can . . . " " are Ignition - like Effect s on Spell Card s and Quick - like Effect s on Trap Card s , rather than Trigger - like Effects . Trigger - like Effects may use the phrase " once per turn " in their activation timing , but not on its own . Effects with the phrase " " during either player ' s turn " " in their activation timing are Quick - like Effect s rather than Trigger - like Effects . Effects with the activation timing " " When this card resolves : " " or " " When this card is activated : " " are card effects that apply during the resolution of the Spell / Trap Card itself , rather than Trigger - like Effects . Mechanics . Missing the timing . Optional Trigger - like Effects that use the word " when " in their activation timing can miss the timing . This occurs when an optional Trigger - like Effect that uses " when " meets its activation timing , but another action is performed before it has a chance to activate . If an optional Trigger - like Effect that does not miss the timing or a mandatory Trigger - like Effect meets its activation timing at an instant that Spell Speed 1 effects cannot be activated , such as when a Chain already exists , then it will start a Chain at the next possible opportunity . " If " and " during " are commonly used in place of " when " for effects that cannot miss the timing . For example , " Amazoness Village " has a " when " optional Trigger - like Effect . If an " Amazoness " monster is targeted by " Soul Taker " , when " Soul Taker " resolves first the " Amazoness " monster is destroyed , then the opponent of the player that activated " Soul Taker " gains 1000 LP . While the effect of " Amazoness Village " would have met its activation timing when the " Amazoness " monster was destroyed by a card effect , because a player gained LP before it had a chance to activate , it cannot . In contrast , " Yang Zing Creation " has an " if " optional Trigger - like Effect and " Supply Squad " has a mandatory Trigger - like Effect . If an " Amazoness " monster is destroyed by " Soul Taker " , the Trigger - like Effects of " Yang Zing Creation " and " Supply Squad " can be activated . Simultaneous Effects Go On Chain . If multiple Trigger or Trigger - like Effects would activate at the same time , they are all be placed on the same Chain without any of them missing the timing . The order these effects are added to the Chain depends on whether the effect is mandatory or optional , whether it is activated by the turn player or non - turn player , and ( in the " TCG " only ) the order in which they met their activation timing . 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 Effect s can be activated during the same Chain Link . For example , when the opponent declare s an attack , the player can activate " Cybernetic Hidden Technology " and 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 . This only applies for Continuous Trap Cards , and does not apply for any other type of Spell / Trap Card . Example . The effect of " Eisbahn " is a mandatory Trigger - like Effect .