Trigger Effect Trigger Effects ( Japanese : 誘発効果 " Yūhatsu Kōka " ) are a type of card effect for Monster Card s that activate when a certain condition is met . Trigger - like Effect s are the parallel type of card effect for Spell / Trap Card s . Trigger Effects are Spell Speed 1 effects that make a Chain Link when activated . In general , Trigger Effects can be activated during any phase , although many individual Trigger Effects have restrictions on the phases in which they can be activated as part of their activation timing . Trigger Effects can be mandatory or optional . Trigger Effects activate only once each time their condition is met . For example , if you control " Solemn Wishes " and draw 2 cards at once , you will only gain 500 LP because you performed only one act of drawing cards ; and if you control " Aromage Jasmine " and gain 1000 LP , you will draw 1 card ( not 1000 ) . Identifying Trigger Effects . For cards with Problem - Solving Card Text , Trigger Effects can be identified by looking for a timing or event - related condition , followed by a colon . For example , the text " " During the Standby Phase : You can . . . " " or " " If this card is destroyed by battle : You can . . . " " indicates that the effect is a Trigger Effect , as they identify a specific phase or event during which the effect activates . Optional effects with the activation timing " " Once per turn : You can . . . " " or " " During your Main Phase : You can . . . " " are Ignition Effect s rather than Trigger Effects . Trigger 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 Effect s rather than Trigger Effects . Mechanics . Missing the timing . Optional Trigger Effects that use the word " when " in their activation timing can miss the timing . This occurs when a optional Trigger Effect that uses " when " meets its activation timing , but another action is performed before it has a chance to activate . If an optional Trigger Effect that does not miss the timing or a mandatory Trigger 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 , " Peten the Dark Clown " has a " when " optional Trigger Effect . When a monster is Tribute Summon ed using " Peten the Dark Clown " as Tribute , first the Tribute " Peten the Dark Clown " is sent to the Graveyard , then a monster is Tribute Summoned . The effect of " Peten the Dark Clown " would have met its activation timing when it was sent to the Graveyard , but because a new monster was Summoned before its effect had a chance to activate , its effect cannot activate . In contrast , " Mermail Abysshilde " has an " if " optional Trigger Effect and " Flowerbot " has a mandatory Trigger Effect . If " Mermail Abysshilde " or " Flowerbot " is Tributed for a Tribute Summon , its Trigger Effect 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 . Example . The effect of " Zaborg the Thunder Monarch " is a mandatory Trigger Effect that activates when it is Tribute Summon ed . This effect target s 1 monster on the field , then destroy s that target when it resolves .