This week we’ll be looking at Blast Held by a Tribute. While Blast was not popular before the Advanced format came along, some players are now using the trap card to pinch-hit for the forbidden Mirror Force. This can be a problem because some inexperienced duelists don’t know how to use Blast Held by a Tribute. If you need to brush up on your Blasting skills, read on!

Let’s start with . . .

The Basics

Blast Held by a Tribute is a powerful answer to an attack by a monster that was tribute summoned or set. Blast destroys all face-up attack position monsters on your opponent’s side of the field, and then smashes your opponent with 1000 points of damage. With the Advanced format featuring lots of high-level monsters, Blast Held by a Tribute can decide the game.

Most duelists know about (and love) Blast’s ability to wreak havoc. While the trap is similar to Mirror Force, two important differences need to be remembered. The first difference is that, in addition to destroying some of your opponent’s monsters, Blast can rain down 1000 points of direct damage. However, the extra damage only happens if Blast destroys a monster. In other words, no damage is dealt if Blast can’t find a victim. Opponents might foil Blast with a quick-play spell and save themselves 1000 points of pain.

The second difference is a bit more confusing.

Tribute Summoned or Set?

Blast Held by a Tribute can only be activated when an opponent declares an attack with a monster that has been tribute summoned or set. Blast saves itself for big, fearsome monsters that were summoned or set through tribute. It doesn’t waste its time with low-level monsters that were set and then flip summoned. In addition, Blast only works against monsters that most recently entered the field through tribute setting or summoning. Let’s say that you tribute summoned Summoned Skull and your opponent destroyed it with Trap Hole. If you then special summoned Skull with Premature Burial and attacked, your opponent couldn’t respond with Blast Held by a Tribute.

Here’s another thing to keep in mind—Blast Held by a Tribute can’t be activated when attacked by a special summoned monster, even if that monster needed tributes to be summoned, such as Lava Golem. This is because the attacker was special summoned and not tribute summoned or set.

Like Mirror Force, Blast Held by a Tribute’s effect doesn’t target specific monsters. Your opponent won’t be able to negate the Blast with Tyrant Dragon’s effect, because the trap is an equal-opportunity destroyer.

Blast Held by a Tribute vs. The Legion of Monsters

Let’s look at some examples.
Example: The Tribute Summon
Lindsey has three monsters in face-up attack position on her side of the field. She tributes one of them to tribute summon Airknight Parshath. When she attacks with her Airknight, her opponent responds with Blast Held by a Tribute, which destroys all three of Lindsey’s face-up attack position monsters. On top of that, she takes 1000 points of damage.

Example: The Tribute Summon, Part Two

This time, Lindsey has two monsters in defense position and two monsters in face-up attack position. She tributes one of her defense position monsters to tribute summon Dark Ruler Ha Des, so now she has three face-up monsters in attack position and one face-down monster in defense position. She attacks with Dark Ruler Ha Des and her opponent responds with Blast Held by a Tribute. Blast Held by a Tribute destroys three of her monsters and inflicts 1000 points of damage to her life points. However, her face-down, defense-position monster is fine (and relieved!).

Example: Set and Flip Summon

This time, Lindsey has two face-up, attack-position monsters. She tributes one of them to set Mystic Swordsman LV6. During her next turn, she flip summons Mystic Swordsman LV6 and attacks. Again, her opponent responds with Blast Held by a Tribute and destroys both of her face-up attack position monsters. Lindsey also takes 1000 points of damage.

Doesn’t it sound simple so far? Let’s suppose you run into something a bit trickier.

Example: Unexpected Returns

Lindsey has a face-down Compulsory Evacuation Device and a face-down defense position monster. She tributes her monster to summon Dark Ruler Ha Des. When she attacks with Dark Ruler, her opponent activates Blast Held by a Tribute. Dark Ruler Ha Des can’t be special summoned from the graveyard and Lindsey would rather save the monster for a later turn, so she activates Compulsory Evacuation Device and targets Dark Ruler Ha Des.

Chain: Blast Held by a Tribute à Compulsory Evacuation Device

Compulsory Evacuation Device resolves first and returns Dark Ruler Ha Des to Lindsey’s hand. When Blast Held by a Tribute resolves, it has no face-up attack position monsters to destroy. Because it fails to destroy a monster, Blast doesn’t inflict any damage to Lindsey’s life points.

Trouble Begins

Now I’m going to throw you some curve balls.

Example: The Fiend Megacyber

Lindsey is in a jam. Her opponent has two copies of Mad Dog of Darkness ready to run through her empty side of the field. She draws The Fiend Megacyber and special summons it by using its effect. When she attacks with the Fiend, her opponent tries to activate Blast Held by a Tribute. However, Lindsey is in good shape. She reminds her opponent that The Fiend Megacyber was special summoned, not tribute summoned. Her attack continues while the Blast sits on the sidelines.

A similar situation can happen with Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast. It has an effect that allows it to be normal summoned or set without offering any tributes. If it is summoned or set this way, the opponent will not be able to activate Blast Held by a Tribute when Fusilier Dragon attacks.

Example: Lava Golem is Mean

Let’s say Lindsey is playing against a duelist with Lava Golem. Lindsey’s opponent tributes two of her own monsters to special summon Lava Golem onto her side of the field. Her opponent sets a card in his spell or trap zone and ends his turn. Lindsey doesn’t have a way to stop Lava Golem from hurting her and she’s eager for revenge. She decides to attack her opponent with the massive monster. Her opponent responds by flipping up his face-down Blast Held by a Tribute. Then, the debate begins. Lindsey says Blast can’t be activated, but her opponent disagrees, arguing that Lava Golem was summoned with tributes and is therefore fair game.

Is Lindsey’s opponent right? Well . . . in part. While it’s true that he tributed monsters to summon Lava Golem, the summon was a special summon rather than a tribute summon, so Blast can’t be activated.

Example: Stolen Monster

This time, Lindsey is out of monsters. Her opponent has a face-up attack position The End of Anubis that was tribute summoned during the last turn. Lindsey isn’t out of options, however, as she draws Snatch Steal to begin her turn.

She activates Snatch Steal and takes control of The End of Anubis. When Anubis attacks, her opponent responds with Blast Held by a Tribute and wipes out the attacker while dealing 1000 points of damage. Because The End of Anubis was tribute summoned, it was legal for Lindsey’s opponent to activate Blast Held by a Tribute. It doesn’t matter that control of the monster was shifted to another player.

I hope that you now have a better understanding of how Blast Held by a Tribute works. Happy Blast-ing!