Breakthrough Skill
Normal Trap
Target 1 face-up Effect Monster your opponent controls; negate the effects of that opponent's face-up monster, until the end of this turn. During your turn, except the turn this card was sent to the Graveyard: You can banish this card from your Graveyard to target 1 face-up Effect Monster your opponent controls; negate that target's effects until the end of this turn.
 
Number 8 on our countdown of the Top 10 cards of 2013 is Breakthrough Skill; the only trap card on the list. Breakthrough Skill has an effect that is popular with card designers and players alike; negate the opponent’s effects. Breakthrough negates the effects of 1 face up monster until the end of the turn and will do so if the monster in question remains face up on the field. But that’s not all, when this is in your graveyard during your turn you can banish it to negate 1 face up monster your opponent controls. So this has the ability to negate 2 monsters; effects on two turns for only 1 card. It is easy to see why this card is at number 4, a reusable trap card (in a way) is great, it almost wishes there were more Normal Traps with this feature….
 
Overall Breakthrough Skill is a very good card which will (like all negation effect cards) be the subject of many ruling questions to come.
 
Traditional: 4/5
Advanced:  4/5

Breakthrough Skill

Howdy there, today's card is Breakthrough Skill, one of the better tech trap cards of 2013, sadly fiendish chain ultimately outshined Breakthrough Skill, but never the less still a good card. I believe without the restriction of not being able to use the graveyard effect the same turn and the fact the graveyard effect can only be used during your turn hinders it completely.

Traditional: 4/5 (Still good)
Advanced: 3/5 (Just too many holes)

Art: 4/5 RAWR let me out!!!

Happy Friday folks.  Our last review for the day is the #8 card on the top 10 list, Breakthrough Skill.
 
First off, you might say to yourself, "why not just use fiendish chain?"  Well, if not for the secondary effect, you'd be right in your logic.  However, it's that effect that makes it what it is.  You can remove it on your own turn to disable a monster's effect on the field.  Use it on something like a Fossil Dyna to allow yourself to special summon.  Nail a Thunder King to stop it's no-search effect.  Hit Dracossack and blow it up.  Use it on a Fallen Nurse Reficule so your opponent can't burn you to death in the draw phase.
 
This card is not for every deck though.  It's lovely in anything that mills, like Lightsworn or anything that played Sixth Sense.  However, since that card will never see the light of day again, don't count on making that a regular combo.  But anyway, go ahead and pay a cost with it.  Drop it in the grave to pay your Monster Reincarnation cost and save it for later.  It's really up to you how you want to use it.  If you're not milling, chances are you're better off with Fiendish Chain, because of its more powerful effect.  If you have random cards headed to the grave though, in whatever way it might happen, you might want to give this a shot.  If you're dealing with annoying monsters like Fossil Dyna, Thunder King, even Jinzo, you can side this in and use it to your advantage.
 
So yeah.  Great utility card in the right deck.  I still prefer Fiendish Chain and Effect Veiler first, but this certainly has its place.  Give it a shot if you can; I don't think you'll be disappointed.
 
Traditional: 3/5, because it DOES stop the big boys of this format
Advanced: 3/5
Art: 4/5
 
Thanks for reading and have a great Christmas everyone!

Breakthrough Skill is an outstanding choice to be considered when looking at options for effect negation. It  shares the same ability of  other cards including Forbidden Chalice, Skill Drain, Fiendish Chain, and Effect Veiler, which prevent your opponent from gaining critical monster effects, but it negates in such a way that you can use the effect a second time once it is in the grave, during your turn. 
Monster effects in this current meta influence the tide of the battle. This means monsters effects often dictate the outcome of a duel.  If you can prevent your opponent from setting up  correctly, it's worth almost any sacrifice, right?
 
Having the ability to shut down your opponent's monster effect twice through one resource is an extremely powerful play, although there are some limitations.
 
You cannot activate Breakthrough Skill's second effect on the same turn as the first effect, therefore, you must wait until an effect is activated by your opponent during your turn. This limits the over all effectiveness of this card, because a majority of power plays will be during your opponents turn. 
 
However, Breakthrough Skill is still a great tech choice because you can negate critical effects that certain archetype's need in order to gain advantage. If you time the activation appropriately, it will most likely win you the game. Plus the ability to use effect negation once again later in the duel at no extra resource cost is a big advantage of Breakthrough Skill, thus earning it's spot at #8 on our top 10 cards of 2013!

Traditional: 2/5
Advanced: 3.5/5
Mechanic Design: 4.5/5 (Even though there are similar effect negation cards, it operates entirely in its own unique way, providing 2 uses out of one resource)
Art: 3.5/5 (solid design of a creature breaking through a surface, could have easily been more detailed)

Breakthrough Skill

To call this the Trap Card version of Effect Veiler that can negate monster effects twice is the easiest way to describe this card. The first effect can negate a monster's effects during the opponent's turn. You could choose to use it during your turn, but you probably wouldn't want to.

This is because it's the opponent's turn, they can choose to activate their effects as they please and they are able to inflict damage to you. The second effect of Breakthrough Skill limits you to only your turn. It could be good for crippling a Mecha Phantom monster or the card could just sit in your graveyard waiting for meaningful use.

Since this activates in the graveyard, it could be to your benefit for it to serendipitously be milled but chances are you would rather want a monster in the graveyard instead. And, it's graveyard effect hardly justifies a discard either.

In the end, this card isn't bad, but in my view, it lacks a sense of place. In Traditional Format, it sure has it's uses, but is too slow. Effect Veiler is more versatile, reliable, harder to predict and can work as a Tuner for a Synchro. Fiendish Chain also protects you from attacks and the negation lasts longer.

For what it's worth, though, it's a good side deck option.

Advanced Format: 3/5 (Good)
Traditional Format: 2/5 (Okay) 
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