The Genesys format for the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game (TCG) is a continuously developing frontier. The point-buy system installed by Konami forces players to reassess their priorities. A lot of staple hand traps used in the advanced format are under such restrictions. For this list, we’ll be looking at some of the best hand traps in the Genesys format that currently don’t have a point cost associated with them.
Graveyard Deterrents
D. D. Crow and Skull Meister
D. D. Crow
(Quick Effect): You can discard this card to the GY, then target 1 card in your opponent's GY; banish that target.
Skull Meister
When a card effect is activated in your opponent's GY (Quick Effect): You can send this card from your hand to the GY; negate that effect.
D. D. Crow and Skull Meister are possibly the simplest forms of hand traps on this list. They’re a one-for-one effect; D.D. Crow for graveyard removal, Skull Meister for graveyard effect negation. There’s also the fact that both D.D. Crown and Skull Meister can potentially be a turn-zero response if a player is going second, unlike the more prevalent Called by the Grave.
Curiously, both D.D. Crow and Skull Meister falter where the other excels. D.D. Crow can remove a card from the graveyard, but can’t negate the effect. Skull Meister can negate a graveyard effect, but the card will still be in the graveyard to be reused at a later time.
These lacking aspects are why people still see Called by the Grave as the superior hand trap. If ever you just need graveyard removal or a one-time graveyard effect negation, then either of these cards can fill in the slot and save some points along the way.
The Other “C”s
Retaliating “C” and Flying “C”
Retaliating “C”
During either player's turn, when your opponent activates a Spell Card that includes an effect that Special Summons a monster(s): You can Special Summon this card from your hand. If Summoned this way, while this card is face-up on the field, any card sent to the Graveyard is banished instead. If this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: You can add 1 EARTH Insect-Type monster with 1500 or less ATK from your Deck to your hand, except "Retaliating "C".
Flying “C”
When your opponent Normal or Special Summons a monster(s), except during the Damage Step: You can Special Summon this card from your hand to the opponent's field in Defense Position. The controller of this card cannot Xyz Summon.
There are other members of the “C” family that can potentially function in the Genesys format. They may not be the card advantage powerhouse that is Maxx “C” or the extra deck lock that is Contact “C”, but they can function as alternative side deck options.
Retaliating “C” is a conditional Macro Cosmos on legs as long as it sticks the landing after being special summoned. The opponent will have no choice but to burn an interaction point, whether it’s through targeted destruction, a bounce, or otherwise, to get rid of Retaliating “C” and safely open the graveyard for seeding again.
Retaliating “C” continues to be a bother, as it can potentially bring out another body if the search parameters are met. This may not be the best use of points, but a player could potentially use Retaliating “C” to find that one-of copy of Maxx “C”. This plan could potentially reveal the controlling player’s bag of tricks, but knowingly playing into a Maxx “C” could force the opponent to slow down their tempo.
Flying “C” comes in as the more niche tool. There’s also the fact that Flying “C” also becomes a material for the opponent to use. Depending on the match-u,p though, Flying “C” could potentially lock the opponent out of the extra deck if all they have are XYZ monsters.
Gnomaterial
If your opponent Special Summons a monster(s) while you control no cards: You can discard this card, then target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; this turn, that monster cannot be Tributed, or used as material for a Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, or Link Summon. You can only use this effect of "Gnomaterial" once per turn.
Gnomaterial comes in as a pretty devious side deck option. When going second, the controlling player could potentially shut down one path into the extra deck for the first turn.
Gnomaterial may not be as far-reaching with its effects in terms of deterring full combos, but it can still stall out the opponent. At the very least, the opponent would still need to make up for the temporarily lost resource if they want to access one of their extra deck monsters.