How it works#
Every effect carries a Spell Speed.
| Speed | What has it | What it can respond to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Most monster effects, Normal / Field / Equip / Continuous / Ritual Spells | Nothing — cannot be chained to anything |
| 2 | Quick Effects, Quick-Play Spells, most Traps | Speed 1 and Speed 2 |
| 3 | Counter Traps only | Speed 1, 2 and 3 |
The single rule that follows from the table: you may only chain an effect of equal or higher Spell Speed to the current Chain Link.
Spell Speed 1 effects can only ever be Chain Link 1. They start chains; they never join one.
Worked example#
Your opponent activates Raigeki, a Normal Spell — Spell Speed 1, Chain Link 1.
You may respond with Solemn Judgment (Speed 3) or with Infinite Impermanence (Speed 2). Both are equal to or higher than Speed 1.
Your opponent now wants to respond to your Infinite Impermanence at Chain Link 2. Another Speed 2 Trap works. A Normal Spell does not — Speed 1 can never be added in response.
If you had used a Counter Trap at Chain Link 2, your opponent could only answer with another Counter Trap.
Common misconceptions#
Are all Traps Spell Speed 2?#
Almost. Normal and Continuous Traps are Speed 2; Counter Traps are Speed 3. That difference is what Counter Traps are for: once one is on the chain, only another Counter Trap can answer it.
Can a Quick-Play Spell be activated from the hand during your opponent's turn?#
No. Quick-Play Spells are Spell Speed 2, but from your hand you can only activate them during your own turn. To use one on your opponent's turn it must have been Set on a previous turn.
Is a Quick Effect the same as Spell Speed 2?#
Effectively yes. "Quick Effect" is the label for a monster effect with Spell Speed 2. Infinite Impermanence, Effect Veiler and Ash Blossom are all Quick Effects, so they work on your opponent's turn.
Does higher Spell Speed beat lower Spell Speed?#
No. Spell Speed governs what may join the chain, not which effect prevails. A Counter Trap does not overpower the card it answers; it simply gets to be added above it, and so resolves first. Once both are on the chain, each does exactly what its text says.
Interactions and rulings#
- Mandatory trigger effects are Spell Speed 1 unless stated to be Quick Effects, so most cannot interrupt an opponent's chain.
- Counter Traps form their own layer at the top of a chain. Once a Counter Trap is Chain Link 3, the chain almost always ends there.
- Spell Speed is a property of the effect, not the card. A single card can hold effects at different speeds.
