Today I will post an article for you newbies that will also talk in depth about the "if" or "when" topic that you often encounter in activating card effects! If you are currently having difficulty with this problem, please follow the article to the end!
Rule Book: Part 7: "IF" and "WHEN"
Sections covered in this guide:
What is the cause of miss timing?
Miss timing is your inability to activate cards or effects at will when it meets the activation time because something else (or another action, another thing, another card,...) takes up the time. time to activate and only occurs with optional activation effects when the word "WHEN" is present.
Basic rules of "WHEN":
This rule says that you really need to trigger the ''WHEN'' effect exactly when it meets the trigger condition. The difficulty is in telling when something is 'one of the last things to happen'. ' based on the game's mechanics.
Note: This mechanic does not apply to mandatory effects or effects that use "IF" instead of "WHEN".
Basic rules of "WHEN":
Effects containing "WHEN" can only be activated when its activation condition is "one of the last things to happen" .
This rule says that you really need to trigger the ''WHEN'' effect exactly when it meets the trigger condition. The difficulty is in telling when something is 'one of the last things to happen'. ' based on the game's mechanics.
Note: This mechanic does not apply to mandatory effects or effects that use "IF" instead of "WHEN".
Example 1
FIRE
4Fire Hand
ATK:
1600
DEF:
1000
When this card in your possession is destroyed by your opponent's card (by battle or card effect) and sent to your Graveyard: You can target 1 monster they control; destroy that target, then you can Special Summon 1 "Ice Hand" from your Deck.
Trap
NormalRaigeki Break
Discard 1 card, then target 1 card on the field; destroy it.
WATER
4Ice Hand
ATK:
1400
DEF:
1600
When this card in your possession is destroyed by your opponent's card (by battle or card effect) and sent to your Graveyard: You can target 1 Spell/Trap Card they control; destroy that target, then you can Special Summon 1 "Fire Hand" from your Deck.
Situation:
Player A controls the Fire Hand . Player B activates Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy a set of cards, then Chain Raigeki Break , targeting Fire Hand to destroy it.
Player A controls the Fire Hand . Player B activates Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy a set of cards, then Chain Raigeki Break , targeting Fire Hand to destroy it.
- Chain Link 1: Mystical Space Typhoon
- Chain Link 2: Raigeki Break
- Chain Link 2: Raigeki Break destroys Fire Hand.
- Chain Link 1: Mystical Space Typhoon destroys its target.
Example 2
Trap
NormalBottomless Trap Hole
When your opponent Summons a monster(s) with 1500 or more ATK: Destroy that monster(s) with 1500 or more ATK, and if you do, banish it.
Trap
ContinuousCall of the Haunted
Activate this card by targeting 1 monster in your GY; Special Summon that target in Attack Position. When this card leaves the field, destroy that monster. When that monster is destroyed, destroy this card.
LIGHT
8Blue-Eyes White Dragon
ATK:
3000
DEF:
2500
This legendary dragon is a powerful engine of destruction. Virtually invincible, very few have faced this awesome creature and lived to tell the tale.
The "WHEN" effect will apply to cards that must be based on the right situation and at the right time
Situation:
Player A activates Upstart Goblin , and Player B decides to Chain Call of the Haunted to Special Summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon . Player A has a Bottomless Trap Hole set up.
Player A activates Upstart Goblin , and Player B decides to Chain Call of the Haunted to Special Summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon . Player A has a Bottomless Trap Hole set up.
- Chain Link 1: Upstart Goblin
- Chain Link 2: Call of the Haunted
- Chain Link 2: Blue-Eyes is Special Summoned
- Chain Link 1: Player A draws a card.
Geartown and Mystical Space Typhoon (Example 3)
Spell
FieldGeartown
Both players can Normal Summon "Ancient Gear" monsters for 1 less Tribute. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard: You can Special Summon 1 "Ancient Gear" monster from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard.
There will be cases when a card has just been activated and you miss timing by another card. That causes your valuable effects and advantages to be lost just because of missed timing...
Situation:
Player A activates Field Spell Geartown .
Player B Chains Mystical Space Typhoon while Player A activates Geartown on the field.
Player A activates Field Spell Geartown .
Player B Chains Mystical Space Typhoon while Player A activates Geartown on the field.
- Chain Link 1: Activate Geartown on the field.
- Chain Link 2: Mystical Space Typhoon targets Geartown.
- Chain Link 2: Mystical Space Typhoon destroys Geartown.
- Chain Link 1: Geartown resolves on the field (but it resolves without any effect because it was just destroyed) .
In case "WHEN" is met the activation condition
And we will have cases where "When" meets the correct conditions
Geartown and Magic Jammer (Example 1)
Spell
FieldGeartown
Both players can Normal Summon "Ancient Gear" monsters for 1 less Tribute. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard: You can Special Summon 1 "Ancient Gear" monster from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard.
Trap
CounterMagic Jammer
When a Spell Card is activated: Discard 1 card; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy it.
Situation:
Player B Chains Magic Jammer , to disable Geartown activation.
Player B Chains Magic Jammer , to disable Geartown activation.
- Chain Link 1: Geartown's activation on the field.
- Chain Link 2: Magic Jammer.
- Chain Link 2: Magic Jammer negates Geartown's activation and destroys it.
- Chain Link 1: (disappears).
Dark Hole, Bixi, Water of the Yang Zing and Card Trooper (Example 3)
WATER
2Bixi, Water of the Yang Zing
ATK:
0
DEF:
2000
When this card you control is destroyed by battle or card effect and sent to your Graveyard: You can Special Summon 1 "Yang Zing" monster from your Deck in Attack Position, except "Bixi, Water of the Yang Zing". You can only use this effect of "Bixi, Water of the Yang Zing" once per turn. Once per turn, during your opponent's Main Phase or Battle Phase, you can: Immediately after this effect resolves, Synchro Summon 1 Synchro Monster, using only "Yang Zing" monsters you control (this is a Quick Effect). A Synchro Monster that used this card as a Synchro Material is unaffected by Trap effects.
EARTH
3Card Trooper
ATK:
400
DEF:
400
Once per turn: You can choose a number from 1 to 3, then send that many cards from the top of your Deck to the GY; this card gains 500 ATK for each card sent to the GY this way, until the end of this turn. If this card you control is destroyed and sent to your GY: Draw 1 card.
Situation:
Player A activates Dark Hole , destroying Player B's Bixi, Water of the Yang Zing , and Card Trooper .
First we must consider the effects we want to activate. Bixi and Trooper's effects have been activated , so both can trigger .
Now, we will check to see if either of them has missed timing or not . Killing Bixi and killing Card Trooper are both final (and Card Trooper's effect is required ), so both effects can trigger .
Now that you have decided what to enable, it's time to look at the order in which it needs to be enabled . Card Trooper is a mandatory effect for turn-based players and Bixi is an optional effect for turn-based players, so according to SEGOC (Simultaneous Effects Go On Chain) rules, they activated in the next Chain in the following order:
Player A activates Dark Hole , destroying Player B's Bixi, Water of the Yang Zing , and Card Trooper .
- Chain Link 1: Dark Hole.
First we must consider the effects we want to activate. Bixi and Trooper's effects have been activated , so both can trigger .
Now, we will check to see if either of them has missed timing or not . Killing Bixi and killing Card Trooper are both final (and Card Trooper's effect is required ), so both effects can trigger .
Now that you have decided what to enable, it's time to look at the order in which it needs to be enabled . Card Trooper is a mandatory effect for turn-based players and Bixi is an optional effect for turn-based players, so according to SEGOC (Simultaneous Effects Go On Chain) rules, they activated in the next Chain in the following order:
- Chain Link 1: Card Trooper
- Chain Link 2: Bixi.
Epilogue
Cre: Yu-Gi-Oh! Rule Book v10, YGOrganization, Yu-Gi-Oh! Official Website, Yugipedia, MasterDuelMeta
I'm still waiting for Kashtira to come into the game so I can make a long guide about this line. At least there will be many variations on that line to respond to the Tear. Now with this article, hopefully newbies can understand the reason why their cards cannot be activated! Now say goodbye and see you next time!
Companion unit:
Trap
NormalBottomless Trap Hole
When your opponent Summons a monster(s) with 1500 or more ATK: Destroy that monster(s) with 1500 or more ATK, and if you do, banish it.
Spell
FieldGeartown
Both players can Normal Summon "Ancient Gear" monsters for 1 less Tribute. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard: You can Special Summon 1 "Ancient Gear" monster from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard.
WATER
2Bixi, Water of the Yang Zing
ATK:
0
DEF:
2000
When this card you control is destroyed by battle or card effect and sent to your Graveyard: You can Special Summon 1 "Yang Zing" monster from your Deck in Attack Position, except "Bixi, Water of the Yang Zing". You can only use this effect of "Bixi, Water of the Yang Zing" once per turn. Once per turn, during your opponent's Main Phase or Battle Phase, you can: Immediately after this effect resolves, Synchro Summon 1 Synchro Monster, using only "Yang Zing" monsters you control (this is a Quick Effect). A Synchro Monster that used this card as a Synchro Material is unaffected by Trap effects.
FIRE
4Fire Hand
ATK:
1600
DEF:
1000
When this card in your possession is destroyed by your opponent's card (by battle or card effect) and sent to your Graveyard: You can target 1 monster they control; destroy that target, then you can Special Summon 1 "Ice Hand" from your Deck.
Trap
NormalRaigeki Break
Discard 1 card, then target 1 card on the field; destroy it.
Trap
CounterMagic Jammer
When a Spell Card is activated: Discard 1 card; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy it.
WATER
4Ice Hand
ATK:
1400
DEF:
1600
When this card in your possession is destroyed by your opponent's card (by battle or card effect) and sent to your Graveyard: You can target 1 Spell/Trap Card they control; destroy that target, then you can Special Summon 1 "Fire Hand" from your Deck.
EARTH
3Card Trooper
ATK:
400
DEF:
400
Once per turn: You can choose a number from 1 to 3, then send that many cards from the top of your Deck to the GY; this card gains 500 ATK for each card sent to the GY this way, until the end of this turn. If this card you control is destroyed and sent to your GY: Draw 1 card.
Trap
ContinuousCall of the Haunted
Activate this card by targeting 1 monster in your GY; Special Summon that target in Attack Position. When this card leaves the field, destroy that monster. When that monster is destroyed, destroy this card.
Spell
QuickMystical Space Typhoon
Target 1 Spell/Trap on the field; destroy that target.
LIGHT
8Blue-Eyes White Dragon
ATK:
3000
DEF:
2500
This legendary dragon is a powerful engine of destruction. Virtually invincible, very few have faced this awesome creature and lived to tell the tale.
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