Rulebook Extension

[DarkSkull256]

Yu-Gi-Oh! Rulebook, Part 2

A treatise on what you’re f***ing up

By Darkmayr (Yeah, this is a pseudonym)

 

Author’s Note/Disclaimer: Anything written in this document is to be considered a guide. While it is [most likely] correct at the time of publication, rules can change, and, in that case, this document will become outdated. Also, this document is mostly written in an informal way, in an attempt to make it easier to read and understand. Don’t take any of my insults or rudeness to heart – it’s not directed at you, but rather, at Konami for making the TCG so goddamn annoying. Also, this guide only applies as an effective rulebook for the TCG – the Japanese and Korean OCG had different rules.

Also, please note that I am not a certified Yu-Gi-Oh! judge. The reason for this is that the Judge Test is super outdated and I’m boycotting it because they test us on rules that have changed since I was 10, but expect us to answer as if I was still 10. I consistently get a 75% and because it’s so consistent, I’m pretty sure it’s because the test is old and I’m sticking to new rules.

This document is typeset in MatrixBook, the same font that is used for the text of Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. I found it for free online. Also, I may be calling the game yugioh from here on out. No promises.

 

Part One: Monster Effects

There are a few different types of monster effect, and I’m not getting into all of them here because the Yu-Gi-Oh! Official Rulebook does a pretty good job with some of them. I’m going to talk about Ignition, Trigger, Continuous and Flip/Flip-like effects here.

Note that all effect are written in the following format, in PSCT:

Condition(s): costs and designation of target(s); effect

That is conditions, followed by a colon : costs and designation of targets followed by a semicolon ; the actual effect

Older cards may not be written in PSCT and thus may be more difficult to interpret. Usually, if an old card sounds like it targets, it does. If you need help, find a nearby judge or judge-like entity.

Conditions

A condition is something that must be met before an effect can be activated. Conditions are usually something like “If you control a “Shaddoll” monster,” or the most common condition, “Once per turn.”

 

Once per turn: and/or During either player’s turn:

“Once per turn” on its own indicates that an effect is Spell Speed 1 and can be activated once and only once per turn, per copy of that monster you control, and only during your own Main Phase. Therefore, these effects cannot be chained to anything.

An effect that starts with “During either player’s turn” or the rarer “During your opponent’s turn” indicates that it is Spell Speed 2, and thus can be chained to anything except a Counter Trap Card, as long as it’s the right turn (if applicable). These conditions are often prefaced by “Once per turn” which indicates that the effect can only be activated once per turn, but it can still be activated as Spell Speed 2, during any Phase.

Costs and declaration of targets

A cost is something you have to do to activate an effect. Common costs include “Discard 1 card” and “Pay 1000 Life Points” (in current PSCT, Life Points is now shortened to LP). If your cards allow it, it is possible to turn a cost into a bonus for yourself; this is in no way against the rules, and is in fact encouraged unless you’re using a Burning Abyss Deck.

Costs are paid before the effect resolves, at activation. This means that if your opponent chains a card of effect to yours, even if it specifically negates the activation of your effect, you don’t get the cost back. What’s paid is paid.

The same is true for declarations of targets. Once you declare a target for an effect, you cannot change targets (unless your opponent allows it, and has not yet activated any cards/effects in response). If your opponent takes away your target, you don’t get a new one. That’s how the cookie crumbles.

Effects

This is the actual meat of the effect. It’s what you get to do, assuming you paid the costs and your target, if applicable, is still there. If an effect says to destroy/banish/bounce/whatever cards in the effect, without declaring a target beforehand, that effect does not target (unless it’s an old card that’s not in PSCT – if it is, trust your gut or ask a judge).

Ignition Effects

An Ignition effect is initiated by the possessor of the monster who has the effect. An Ignition Effect is any effect you activate yourself, on purpose, and you get to choose when/how. This includes effect like Honest that activate in the hand. If an Ignition Effect is activated, only cards that negate the effect can stop it. Destroying the monster, flipping it face-down, etc. will not stop the effect, unless it is labeled with “this card must be face-up on the field to activate and to resolve this effect”.

A monster that says “you can Special Summon this card (from your hand)” is not activating an Ignition Effect with this Summon. In fact, that’s not an effect at all; it’s an Inherent Summon. Keep that vocab word in the back of your mind for later. If the Summon is written with a condition and/or cost before the words “Special Summon,” it is an effect.

An Ignition Effect activates, and it is activated by the card’s possessor.

Trigger Effects

A Trigger Effect activates on its own when a certain condition is met. For examples, ask to see someone’s Lightsworn or Lightsworn Ruler Deck, and have them explain an effect or two for you; the Deck is full of them. The best example is the effect of all the Lightsworn monsters:

“During each of your End Phases: send the top # cards of your Deck to the Graveyard.”

This effect automatically activates during each of the controller’s End Phases, whether they want it to or not (unless it is negated).

Trigger Effects that say “you can” are choice effects; you don’t have to activate them, but probably should. Those without “you can” are mandatory and must be activated, even if it loses you the Duel.

On missing the timing:

An effect that says “if” something happens can always/must always be activated. It never misses timing.

An effect that is mandatory also never misses the timing.

A “When… you can” effect is the only kind that misses timing. An effect misses the timing if something happens in between its condition being met and its activation. For example, if your monster is being destroyed by Bottomless Trap Hole, you cannot chain to that destruction, or if you did, your effect would miss the timing because your monster is being banished right after it is destroyed. (If this confuses you… just ask a judge. It annoys us too.)

Missing timing is now officially referred to as “resolving without effect.” The same term applies to a card that has had its target taken away. No one will fault you for using the old term, and they’ll probably know what you mean, but if they’re douchey they might correct you on it.

Trigger effects activate, but they are not activated by the card’s possessor.

Flip/Flip-like Effects, and other s*** with face-down monsters

Flip Effects are a special type of Trigger Effect, indicated by “FLIP:” in the monster’s text, and more recently, also by a Flip monster subtype. A monster with a Flip Effect is called a Flip Effect Monster.

A Flip-like Effect is a Flip Effect reworded to be a plain Trigger Effect. Ghostrick Jiangshi and Doll are good examples. (All rules are the same for both types of flipping-triggered effect.)

A Flip Effect activates when a monster is flipped face-up; either by Flip Summon or when attacked, during the Damage Step. If a Flip Effect Monster is losing a battle when its effect activates, and would be destroyed, it is already destroyed and would no longer be a legal target for its own effect. For this reason, Mecha Phantom Beast Hamstrat dies in battle.

Continuous Effects

Continuous effects used to be worded with “As long as this card remains face-up on the field,” and this is still implied in their effects. They are now just written in the following fashion: “EARTH monsters gain 500 ATK” instead of “As long as this card remains face-up on the field, EARTH monsters gain 500 ATK.”

In any case, Continuous Effects are unique because they do not activate. Some cards have effects that activate, then are applied continuously, like the effect of one of the Wicked God cards, which no one uses so we don’t need to worry about it.

Author’s Note: Some Continuous Effects of monsters that protect themselves are written almost exactly like Trigger Effects. Wind-Up Zenmaines is a good example. When in doubt, ask a judge.

The Damage Step

During the Damage Step, which takes place after an attack is declared and then allowed to continue (i.e. not negated), no effects can activate unless the effect:

1.          Any effect that specifies that it activates or can be activated during the Damage Step

2.        Directly (but not indirectly) changes ATK or DEF values (even if it doesn’t win the battle for you, you can still do it)

3.        Is a Counter Trap

4.        Is a monster effect that negates another effect that has activated (So, Spell/Trap effects don’t work in the Damage Step, not for this purpose).

5.        There is a list of other stuff on yugioh.wikia.com, on its Damage Step page. That page is all-inclusive about every rule, but the three above types are most important.

Part Two: MSTs and Summon Negations (Spell/Trap)

Many Spell/Trap effects are similar to, and kind of “fit in” with, aforementioned monster effect types. Generally, they work effectively the same, except that ALL Trap effects (this is most important for those on Continuous Traps) are Spell Speed 2. Even if it doesn’t say “during either player’s turn,” that is implied just by the card being a Trap. Have at it.

MSTs:

A Mystical Space Typhoon, or a similar card that targets, then destroys a Spell/Trap card on the field without specifying that it negates, cannot negate Normal, Quick-Play or Ritual Spell/Trap cards.

It CAN “negate” a Continuous, Equip, or field Spell/Trap, however, because implied in the continuous/field symbol is the card text "This card must be face-up on the field to activate and to resolve its effects." Because of the way chains work, if an MST is chained to a card's activation it is destroyed and leaves the field before its effects can resolve. This does not outright negate the effect; instead it causes it to resolve without effect. However, it essentially negates it and only douchey nitpickers really care.

However, other kinds of spells do not need to be on the field for their effects to resolve, and thus if you hit them with an MST it’s not going to do you any good, unless you needed the zone the MST was in.

This also applies for non-destructive effects!!! Bouncing, spinning, and banishing DO NOT negate!!!

Obviously, this also applies to similar cards like Dust Tornado, and also monster effects like that of Mobius the Frost Monarch.

Also, a reminder: if a Set Spell/Trap you have is being MST’d, you can chain it. Always chain it as long as it has any amount of positive effect for you. Even if you don’t think it will help, as long as it won’t hurt you (Threatening Roar comes to mind), CHAIN IT!!!  It pains me to see people lose because they didn’t do this.

Summon Negations:

It is very important to remember that Solemn Warning exists for a reason. It has 2 clauses:

“When a monster(s) would be Summoned”

“When a Spell Card, Trap Card, or monster effect is activated that includes an effect that Special Summons a monster(s)”

If your card has only one of those, it can only negate that one. Sorry.

For example, Horn of Heaven (and Black Horn) only has the first clause. Thus, it can only negate Inherent Summons (see the monster effects/ignition effects section if you forgot what those are). Inherent Summons also include Extra Deck Summons and Pendulum Summons, but not Ritual Summons or Fusion Summons.

Thus, a card like Soul Charge cannot be negated by Horn of Heaven. However, it can negate a whole Pendulum Summon – and every monster so Summoned – in one fell swoop. So that’s fun.

Part Three: If All Else Fails

Talk to a judge or a judge-like entity, or ask the Internet.

 

If all else fails: send me a private message (or tag me in a post), and if you do, please include either exact names of the cards, or their exact texts.

 

Yes, I wrote that last sentence like an effect. And if you didn’t notice that, you’re a scrub and you have to read this guide all over again. Sorry. I don’t make the rules.

 

So, how’d I do? If you have a general idea that you think I should add, please leave a comment. I’d love to make this document better. If you notice a mistake I made, please fact-check it before you call me on it. I want this guide to be accurate, so please help me with that noble goal instead of wasting my time and pissing me off.

[Trebuchet MS]

In the PSCT format, Continuous effects don't have colons or semicolons. This also means they don't start a Chain, meaning they can't be responded to with a card effect activation. This feature sets them apart from similar-looking Trigger effects.