It’s Yugi-Mail time!

For the next few weeks, we will be looking at mailings I have received about various cards and game mechanics. We will also take a look at aspects of the game that you may be uncertain about or have not been exposed to. The game has grown quite vast, with a wide array of card interactions that continue to build with every new release.

This week we’ll look at a classic question involving Jinzo and Call of the Haunted. Then we’ll take a look at two new cards: Masked Beast Des Gardius and The Mask of Remnants.

A Certain Classic

Every year I receive a variation of the following question, and every year I am more than happy to explain it.

“I play Call of the Haunted and choose Jinzo. My opponent uses Dust Tornado on my Call of the Haunted. Do I still get my Jinzo?”

This question is a classic example for anyone learning how continuous spell and trap cards function in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. It is also very good at demonstrating how the ordering of effects on a chain can sometimes completely alter the outcome. Let’s look at both variations of this chain, beginning with the question as it’s written. This chain begins with Call of the Haunted as chain link 1 and ends with Dust Tornado as chain link 2.

Call of the Haunted à Dust Tornado

As always, chains resolve last to first. The last effect on the chain is the first effect that will be applied. Dust Tornado gets this honor, and when it resolves it destroys Call of the Haunted. At this time, the player can decide to set a spell or trap card from his or her hand, if that player so desires. Call of the Haunted is next, but it has a problem.

Continuous spell and trap cards need to remain on the field in order to apply their effects. If a continuous spell or trap card is destroyed before it can resolve, its effects disappear and it will not resolve. For Call of the Haunted, this means it will not special summon the monster it had selected as its target. Jinzo won’t even touch the field.

The alternate version of this question is just as likely to occur. Sometimes Dust Tornado is activated first and selects a face-down spell or trap card. Sometimes that face-down spell or trap card is chained, and it might just be Call of the Haunted . . . which might in turn choose Jinzo. If so, the chain would look like this:

Dust Tornado à Call of the Haunted

This time, Call of the Haunted has the honor of resolving first, which it does by special summoning Jinzo in attack position. At this time Jinzo begins applying his continuous effect, negating the effects of all trap cards on the field. Unlike spell and trap cards, monsters with continuous effects can begin applying their effects between the links in a chain and don’t even have to use the chain. This puts Dust Tornado out, because it tries to resolve but ends up being negated by Jinzo.

What if Dust Tornado were replaced with Mystical Space Typhoon? The end result would essentially be the same, although in this case Call of the Haunted would be destroyed. Jinzo wouldn’t care because he would be negating Call of the Haunted at the time he was destroyed, allowing Jinzo to safely remain on the field.

Masks of Light and Dark

The Tactical Evolution Special Edition packages include two cards we haven’t seen in many years: Masked Beast Des Gardius and The Mask of Remnants. They work together as a pair, but getting started requires the use of two monsters from Labyrinth of Nightmare—a booster conveniently included with the Special Edition.

Masked Beast Des Gardius says, “This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by Tributing 2 monsters, including at least 1 ‘Grand Tiki Elder’ or ‘Melchid the Four-Face Beast’. When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, equip 1 ‘The Mask of Remnants’ from your Deck to 1 monster on the field.”

Masked Beast Des Gardius only requires the tribute of two monsters, but at least one of the two must be Grand Tiki Elder or Melchid the Four-Face Beast. Des Gardius has no active effects while on the field. It’s pretty content to serve as a 3300 ATK squasher of the small and defenseless. The real fun begins whenever Des Gardius bids farewell to the action and steps into the graveyard. At that time, its trigger effect activates. When it resolves, you will search your deck for one copy of The Mask of Remnants and equip it to a face-up monster on your opponent’s side of the field. Then The Mask of Remnants takes over.

The Mask of Remnants says, “Shuffle this card into its owner’s Deck, OR if this card was put into play by the effect of ‘Masked Beast Des Gardius’, this card is treated as an Equip Card. Control of the equipped monster is switched.”

The Mask of Remnants has two separate effects, only one of which is applied when it is put into play by Masked Beast Des Gardius. It essentially functions like Snatch Steal, but without that pesky life point bonus for your opponent. The Mask of Remnants shares Snatch Steal’s mechanics, so playing with it won’t be anything new. Its first effect, however, may seem a bit odd.

The Mask of Remnants is nearly useless when it is in your hand. When you consider that Masked Beast Des Gardius makes you take copies and play them from your deck, the first effect of The Mask of Remnants becomes clear. Activating The Mask of Remnants from your hand serves only to place it back into your deck, for later use with Masked Beast Des Gardius. Any other means used to activate the effect of The Mask of Remnants—aside from Des Gardius itself—produces the same results.

Until next time, send all comments and questions to Curtis@Metagame.com