Yu-Gi-Oh! The 10 Best Hand Destruction Cards, Ranked

Being on the receiving end of a hand destruction card can be devastating in Yu-Gi-Oh! Today, we're counting down the best hand destruction cards.

Hand Destruction is an unofficial term in Yu-Gi-Oh! (sometimes referred to as Hand Looping) in which a card takes cards out of the opponent's hand and either shuffles it into the deck or sends it to the Graveyard (or occasionally Banishes it). Cards that have Hand Destruction effects have been around since some of the earliest Sets of the game.

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Card advantage in Yu-Gi-Oh! is incredibly important, so losing cards from your hand can be game-ending. As such, plenty of Hand Destruction cards are hated, so much so that plenty of them currently reside on the banlist. They're incredibly powerful, so whenever a deck can utilize Hand Destruction it will.

10. Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin

Neo-Spacians as an Archetype are pretty awful. However, some of the cards saw plenty of play outside of their main deck. One of these is Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin. It can be Summoned from the deck with Neo Space Connector and then can use its effect to look at the opponent's hand and destroy a card from it.

Since Hand Traps are so present in Yu-Gi-Oh!, the ability to get rid of them before you start your main plays is fantastic. In addition, this combo can lead to a Summon of Isolde, Two Tales Of The Noble Knights to keep the combos going without worrying about Hand Traps.

9. Card Destruction

Card Destruction is one of the oldest cards in the game, first released in the original Yugi Starter Deck in 2002. Currently, the card is Limited, meaning only one copy can be played in a deck. When used, both players discard all cards in their hand and draw that many cards.

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While it affects both players when you have the knowledge of the cards in your opponent's hand it's potentially devastating, as being able to force those out of the hand is amazing. It can even act as a mulligan as well, allowing you to refresh your hand to try and find a better one.

8. Royal Tribute

Royal Tribute is one of the few Archetype cards that has a Hand Destruction effect. This Archetype is the Gravekeeper's and their field Spell Necrovalley. It can only be activated when Necrovalley is on the field, and when it is, Royal Tributes sends all Monsters in both hands to the Graveyard.

Royal Tribute can be used at any point during your turn, meaning you can get rid of all the Monsters in your hand before activating it. This means only the opponent suffers the negative effect of Royal Tribute, and it's potentially game-ending with how Monster-heavy Yu-Gi-Oh! is.

7. Topologic Gumblar Dragon

Topologic Gumblar Dragon is an incredibly powerful Link-4 Monster that's currently banned from play. It had the potential to force the opponent to discard four cards before they even start playing. If a Monster is Special Summoned to a zone any Link Monster points to, then you can discard one or two cards to make the opponent discard that many.

If Topologic Gumblar Dragon is Extra Linked, you can force the opponent to discard up to two cards. Since there are plenty of ways to Special Summon on the opponent's turn, you can utilize both these effects before the opponent's Main Phase even begins, leaving them with only two cards to play with.

6. Trishula, Dragon Of The Ice Barrier

Trishula, Dragon Of The Ice Barrier has gone around various places on the banlist, and is currently Limited. On its Synchro Summon requiring a Tuner and two non-tuner Monsters, it can Banish a card from the opponent's hand, field, and Graveyard.

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Unlike other Hand Destruction effects, this Banishes, which very few relevant cards can do anything there (unlike the Graveyard where plenty can). Its ability to take care of problem cards from the field and Graveyard is an added bonus to an already fantastic effect. It has a great Attack stat as well, making it hard to get rid of. The effect isn't once per turn either, meaning it can be looped.

5. Chaos Dragon Levianeer

Chaos Dragon Levianeer is a fantastic Dragon-Type Monster, and one of the many Chaos Monsters in the game (as well as one of the best). Its Hand Destruction effect can be used when only Dark Monsters are used to Summon it, in which it can randomly shuffle a card from the opponent's hand into the deck.

Shuffling a card into the deck is the best way to get rid of cards in the hand, as they become completely unusable. Chaos Dragon Levianeer has fantastic stats as well, making it a powerful Monster on top of having a fantastic effect.

4. Trap Dustshoot

Trap Dustshoot is one of the few Normal Trap cards that are currently banned. It can only be activated when the opponent has four or more cards in their hand. As long as those conditions are met, Trap Dusthoot lets you look at the opponent's hand and shuffle a Monster from there back into the deck.

Not only does this make the opponent start with one less card, but you also gain complete info on the opponent's hand so you know what to expect during the turn. Trap Dustshoot is so good going first, it's unlikely to ever come off the banlist.

3. Confiscation

Confiscation was a part of the three major Hand Destruction cards that were released in 2002's Spell Ruler. All of them are banned, and have no real activation requirement — which is what makes them so good.

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Confiscation, in particular, has you pay 1000 Life Points in order to look at your opponent's hand and discard it. Confiscation gives you knowledge of the opponent's hand and lets you take out a major card from it. It can be any card as well, and unlike other cards it does not require a Monster to be sent.

2. The Forceful Sentry

Another card in the Spell Ruler Hand Destruction trio, The Forceful Sentry is the best card that deals gets rid of one card from the hand. It's the only one that requires no commitment and has no activation required to use.

The Forceful Sentry lets you look at your opponent's hand and shuffle a card from it into the deck. This prevents them from utilizing Graveyard effects and can get rid of cards that would hurt the field you set up or stop an opponent's combo before it starts essentially for no cost.

1. Delinquent Duo

The last of the Spell Ruler Hand Destruction Spells, Delinquent Duo also sits as the best Hand Destruction card of not just that Set, but the entire game. At the simple cost of 1000 Life Points, Delinquent Duo lets you discard a card randomly from the opponent's hand.

Afterward, the opponent discards a card of their choice. Delinquent Duo was the easiest way to Hand Loop cards, as it didn't require any kind of combo to set up. All you had to do was activate it and the opponent was forced to lose two cards.

Source: thegamer.com