We close out 2007 with a few questions I have received by mail.

Imprisoning Mirrors

After Gladiator’s Assault was released, players took an interest in the Imprisoning Mirrors of Light and Shadow. The two elements of Chaos are dealt a wicked blow by the Mirrors, and it didn’t take much to make players curious.

“I have some questions regarding Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror. If this card is active on the field and you bring out Jinzo, would it negate Jinzo’s effect or would he negate the trap? What about Light and Darkness Dragon? Does it work the same way? And does the Mirror negate effects during the damage step like Mystic Tomato, Sangan, and Gravekeeper’s Spy?

How does this card affect stuff like Snipe Hunter, Zombie Master, and Breaker the Magical Warrior that I could normally activate with priority upon successful summoning? If you summon Snipe Hunter or Zombie Master and use either one’s effect, and then I chain Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror, would you still discard as the cost and then have your effect negated? I'm pretty sure it’s self explanatory, but I just want to clarify before I start ruling it like that. I think this card is extremely playable in this format.”

Light-Imprisoning Mirror and Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror negate the effects of Light or Dark monsters that activate on the field or in the graveyard. Each card essentially functions like Skill Drain, but the specific situation described by the text prevents it from having any involvement with continuous effects. Ignition, trigger, flip effects, etc. typically “activate” and place their effect onto the chain. Continuous effects do not use the chain, and instead apply their effects whenever required to do so. The Light- and Shadow-Imprisoning Mirrors cannot stop continuous effects because they never “activate.” A Dark monster like Jinzo would not have his “I negate trap cards” continuous effect negated by the Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror and a Light monster like Marshmallon would not have its “I cannot be destroyed in battle” continuous effect negated by Light-Imprisoning Mirror.

Light and Darkness Dragon’s first effect is a continuous effect that changes its type to both Light and Dark while face up on the field. This effect will not be negated by either Imprisoning Mirror, but the Dragon’s second effect can. While the Light or Shadow Mirror is face up on the field, the second effect of Light and Darkness Dragon will be negated when it tries to resolve. The Dragon will not negate the effect it responded to and will not lose 500 ATK and DEF. The Dragon’s first effect no longer applies while it is in the graveyard, so if it is destroyed it will revert to a Light monster and only the Light-Imprisoning Mirror will negate its third effect.

Light-Imprisoning Mirror and Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror do not have to be face up at the time the Light or Dark monster’s effect is activated. When a Light or Dark monster activates its effect on the field or in the graveyard, the Mirrors can be chained and will negate the Light or Dark monster’s effect when it resolves. When your opponent summons Snipe Hunter and activates its effect, he or she must discard one card to pay its cost and select a target for the effect. At this time, you could activate Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror. When the chain resolves, Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror will resolve first and begin applying its effect, followed by the effect of Snipe Hunter, which is promptly negated.

Card of Samurai Return

“If I have Card of Safe Return face up on the field and I activate my face-down Double-Edged Sword Technique and special summon two Six Samurai Monsters, do I get to draw only one card or do I draw two?”

Double-Edged Sword Technique allows you to special summon two Six Samurai monsters from your graveyard simultaneously. While Card of Safe Return rewards you whenever a monster is special summoned from your graveyard, it will only place its effect onto the chain once. It doesn’t matter how many monsters are special summoned from your graveyard because the effect of Card of Safe Return only allows you to draw one card. If you want to draw more cards, you will need to have more copies of Card of Safe Return. With two copies of Card of Safe Return, you would be able to draw two cards: one for each copy.

Our next question involves using Cunning of the Six Samurai to reset the effect of The Six Samurai - Yaichi:

“Can I use Yaichi’s effect to destroy set cards, play Cunning of the Six Samurai to send him to and return him from the graveyard, and activate his effect again?”

When playing Cunning of the Six Samurai, you can use the same Six Samurai monster for both the activation cost and the target of the effect. Under ordinary circumstances this can be rather pointless, but in some situations this strategy can disrupt a card effect or allow the Six Samurai monster to use his “once per turn” effect twice in the same turn. The process begins with the activation of Yaichi’s effect. Then the player controlling him uses Cunning of the Six Samurai to send him to the graveyard and special summon him right back onto the field. Yaichi’s effect is reset and can be activated one more time during that same turn.

Cunning of the Six Samurai allows you to disrupt cards that target specific monsters because it removes the selected Six Samurai monster from the field. Even if you return that very same Six Samurai monster back onto the field, the effect that targeted it will see it as a different monster and not as the monster it had chosen. Non-targeting effects, however, still apply because they rarely bother to look at the field until they are resolved. These can be a bit trickier.

Example: Saku-Fail

Ron declares an attack with The Six Samurai - Irou. His opponent Tina responds to the attack by activating Sakuretsu Armor. Ron chains Cunning of the Six Samurai and sends the attacking The Six Samurai - Irou to the graveyard to pay the cost and then selects the same Irou as the target for the effect.

When the chain resolves, The Six Samurai - Irou is special summoned to the field. Sakuretsu Armor’s effect disappears because Irou was removed from the field and Sakuretsu Armor no longer recognizes him as the original selected target. The declared attack does not proceed to the damage step. If Irou was special summoned in attack position, it would now be possible for Ron to declare an attack with Irou because he is treated as a different monster that has not declared an attack this battle phase.

Example: Smashing Success

Ron has The Six Samurai - Zanji and Grandmaster of the Six Samurai face up on his side of the field. His opponent Tina activates Smashing Ground. Ron chains Cunning of the Six Samurai and sends Zanji to the graveyard to pay its cost. He then selects Zanji as the target of the effect.

Smashing Ground is a non-targeting effect that will destroy Ron’s monster with the highest DEF when it resolves. It doesn’t even consider who it will destroy until its effect is resolved. Cunning of the Six Samurai will resolve first, special summoning The Six Samurai - Zanji. Smashing Ground resolves next and determines which monster should be destroyed. The Six Samurai - Zanji has the highest DEF, so he is threatened with destruction. Removing Zanji from the field and bringing him back again doesn’t change this.

The resolution of Smashing Ground will go one of two ways. Either Zanji will be destroyed or Zanji will destroy Grandmaster of the Six Samurai to save himself. If Zanji destroys the Grandmaster, Grandmaster’s effect will not activate because he is destroyed by Zanji’s effect and not by the effect of the opponent’s Smashing Ground.

I hope everyone enjoys the holidays. Be sure to meet us here in 2008! Until then, send all comments and questions to Curtis@Metagame.com.