Imperial Iron Wall is the continuous trap card that prevents any card from being removed from play. While it is active, most cards that would remove themselves or other cards from play cannot be activated. If removing a card from play is a cost, the cost cannot be paid, so the effect cannot be activated. If the effect of the card intends to remove itself or other cards from play, it’s likely that it cannot activate.

In the case of Destiny Hero - Malicious, it isn’t possible to activate his effect while Imperial Iron Wall is active, because removing Destiny Hero - Malicious from play is a cost, and this cost cannot be paid while Imperial Iron Wall is active. Allure of Darkness also cannot be activated, because it involves removing a Dark monster from play when it resolves.

The interactions between these cards changes if Imperial Iron Wall is chained to the effect of either card, instead of already being active on the field. If Destiny Hero – Malicious’s effect is activated and Imperial Iron Wall is chained, Malicious’s effect resolves normally: he only needed to remove himself to activate his effect, so the effect of Imperial Iron Wall doesn’t matter. Allure of Darkness has a more interesting interaction, because chaining Imperial Iron Wall actually alters how Allure of Darkness resolves. In this case, the Dark monster that would normally be removed from play is revealed to your opponent instead.

If I attack Miracle Flipper on my opponent’s side of the field and Flipper goes to my graveyard, whose side of the field does Flipper get special summoned onto? When I finally destroy Miracle Flipper on my opponent’s side of the field with a spell or trap card’s effect, what happens?"

When your opponent normal or special summons a monster while Black Garden is active, the ATK of the monster your opponent summoned is halved and a Rose Token is special summoned onto your side of the field. This Rose Token is considered to be special summoned by your opponent, even though it has been placed onto your side of the field. Because of this, it is possible to start a new chain by activating Dragon Ice’s effect. However, it is good to remember that Black Garden will go after Dragon Ice when it is special summoned, so it will also be weakened. Miracle Flipper is a bit different. When I activate the effect of Miracle Flipper and special summon it onto my opponent’s side of the field, I am the player who special summoned, even though it went to my opponent. I cannot activate Dragon Ice’s effect, but my opponent could if he or she has one available.

Whenever a copy of Miracle Flipper you own is destroyed by battle, it will be special summoned onto your opponent’s side of the field at the end of the battle phase. This effect always activates in your graveyard or removed zone, because you are Miracle Flipper’s owner and because this effect activates after Miracle Flipper arrives at its destination at the end of the damage step. The effect that activates when Miracle Flipper is destroyed by a spell or trap card doesn’t care who is responsible. It only cares that the destruction has occurred. This effect also activates when Miracle Flipper reaches its destination—either the graveyard or removed zone—so its owner will activate this effect and select the target of his or her choice.

The effects of Gladiator Beast Murmillo and Gladiator Beast Retiari are trigger effects that activate when they are special summoned by the effect of a Gladiator Beast monster. Both effects activate at the same time because both monsters were special summoned at the same time. Our submitter was free to choose the order in which the effects would be added to the chain. He could put Retiari as chain link 1 and Murmillo as chain link 2, or vice-versa.

By putting Murmillo at chain link 2, he allows his opponent the opportunity to activate Stardust Dragon’s effect. When you want to use that ability, it must be directly chained to the effect it will negate. If Retiari’s effect were placed at chain link 2, it wouldn’t be possible for the Stardust Dragon to negate Murmillo’s effect. Our submitter intentionally placed Murmillo’s effect at chain link 2 so his opponent would activate the Dragon’s effect, or at least be more likely to.

What he can’t do is target the Stardust Dragon with Gladiator Beast Retiari’s effect. When Retiari’s effect activates, it must select a card in your opponent’s graveyard to be its target (not when it resolves). When Retiari’s effect is activated in the provided scenario, Stardust Dragon is still on the field. The targets for Retiari’s and Murmillo’s effects must be selected before the opponent decides if he or she wants to activate Stardust Dragon’s effect. If that effect is activated, it will be placed into the graveyard, but Retiari won’t remove it from play because it chose its target earlier.

—Curtis Schultz