Spirit Reaper is legendary for being one of the most confusing cards in the game. The Reaper also happens to be one of the most played cards in the game. Because of this, there’s bound to be trouble. This week, I’ll explain how Spirit Reaper works and give examples showing you how to use it. After reading this article, you’ll no longer fear the Reaper.

We’ll begin with the first part of the card’s effect.

Battle Protected

This monster is not destroyed as a result of battle.

Spirit Reaper can’t be destroyed due to damage calculation resulting from battle Even if a monster with a higher ATK than Spirit Reaper’s ATK or DEF (depending on its battle position) attacks the Spirit Reaper, the Reaper will not be destroyed by the battle. However, the Reaper’s effect doesn’t mean that you won’t lose life points. If your Spirit Reaper is in attack position and it’s attacked by a monster with a higher ATK, you will lose life points as usual, but Spirit Reaper will survive the battle because of its effect.

If Spirit Reaper is attacked while it’s face down, it will be flipped face up and its effect will save it from being destroyed in battle. The Reaper’s effect works well for most attacks, but there are some monsters that have ways around it. Sasuke Samurai has an effect that allows it to destroy any face down monster it attacks without having to worry about damage calculation. This means that the monster is not flipped face up. Any effects it might have while face up, or any flip effects that would activate when it is flipped by the attack, will not activate. Therefore, if a face-down Spirit Reaper is attacked by Sasuke Samurai, the Reaper will be destroyed. Sasuke Samurai’s effect does not involve damage calculation, and Spirit Reaper has no protection from it.

Dark Ruler Ha Des often comes up when discussing Spirit Reaper. When Dark Ruler is on the field, many players think that a Fiend-type monster can destroy Spirit Reaper in battle, because Dark Ruler negates the Reaper’s effect. This theory isn’t entirely accurate. In order for Dark Ruler Ha Des or any other Fiend-type monster in its company to negate the effect of the monster it destroys in battle, it must be able to destroy the monster due to damage calculation. Spirit Reaper is protected from this effect, and as a result it's not possible for Dark Ruler Ha Des and friends to destroy it. Because they cannot destroy it in battle, they cannot negate its effect. 

“Targeted” has been Terminated

Destroy this card when it is specifically targeted by the effect of a spell, trap, or effect monster.

This part of Spirit Reaper’s effect is usually where the confusion really begins. The Reaper will be destroyed when targeted by an equip spell card even if that card doesn’t have an effect that would normally destroy a monster. The Reaper’s vulnerability to targeted effects is the monster’s primary weakness, and works as a balance to its protection from being destroyed in battle.

Example: Axe the Reaper

Let’s say I have a face-up Spirit Reaper in defense position. My opponent, Sarah, has three monsters on her side of the field, but hasn’t gotten past my Spirit Reaper because of its protection from being destroyed in battle. However, Sarah has a surprise in store for me. She activates Axe of Despair and equips it to Spirit Reaper. Unfortunately, I have no way to stop the effect, so Spirit Reaper is destroyed, leaving me vulnerable to attacks.

Keep in mind that Spirit Reaper isn’t destroyed as soon as it’s targeted. As you can read in the Official FAQ, Spirit Reaper isn’t destroyed until after you resolve the effect of the targeting card. Spirit Reaper’s effect does not start a new chain, so if Spirit Reaper is targeted by an effect in a chain, the Reaper will be destroyed in the same chain after the targeting effect resolves.

Example: Control the Reaper

Let’s say I have two face-up monsters, Spirit Reaper and Magical Scientist. My opponent has a face-down monster with an identity I’m withholding to protect the innocent. Of course, I have a plan. I’m going to activate Creature Swap and give the attack-position Spirit Reaper to my opponent. Then I’m going to use Magical Scientist’s effect to summon a few Fusion monsters to use Spirit Reaper as a punching bag.

I start the chain by activating Creature Swap. However, my opponent figures out my plan and has an answer ready. She activates Enemy Controller in response to Creature Swap and targets Spirit Reaper so the card will change battle positions. She’d rather have her face down monster remain on the field.

Creature Swap à Enemy Controller

Enemy Controller’s effect resolves first, switching Spirit Reaper to defense position. Once Enemy Controller resolves, Spirit Reaper realizes that it has been targeted and that the targeting effect has resolved. It’s destroyed and is sent to the graveyard. Then Creature Swap resolves, and I have to exchange Magical Scientist for my opponent’s face-down monster.

You have an opportunity to save Spirit Reaper in this scenario. If you can negate the activation of a card targeting Spirit Reaper, the Reaper won’t be destroyed. However, if you only negate the effect of a targeting card with a trap like Imperial Order, the targeting effect will still resolve, and Spirit Reaper will be destroyed. If my opponent used Change of Heart to target my face-up Spirit Reaper, and I negate its activation with Magic Jammer, my Spirit Reaper would not be destroyed. However, if I were to use Imperial Order instead, Spirit Reaper would still be destroyed, because Change of Heart would still resolve. It just won’t take control of Spirit Reaper because its effect is negated by Imperial Order.

Spirit Reaper won’t be destroyed by a targeting effect if the Reaper is face down when it’s targeted, or if the Reaper isn’t face up on the field when the targeting effect resolves. This is why Book of Moon doesn’t destroy Spirit Reaper, because the spell turns the Reaper face down when it resolves. Similarly, Book of Taiyou won’t destroy Spirit Reaper either, because the spell targets the Reaper while it’s face down.

In addition, Penguin Soldier’s effect won’t destroy Spirit Reaper, even if the Reaper is targeted while it’s face up. When Penguin Soldier’s effect resolves, it bounces Spirit Reaper to its owner’s hand. Spirit Reaper isn’t destroyed, because the card is no longer face up on the field when Penguin Soldier’s effect resolves.

Pay the Reaper

If this card successfully attacks your opponent's life points directly, your opponent discards one card at random from his or her hand.

This is the part of Spirit Reaper’s effect that causes the least confusion. The Reaper forces your opponent to discard if it attacks him or her directly and deals at least one point of battle damage to your opponent’s life points.

Clearing up Myths

“Can Raigeki destroy Spirit Reaper , or is the Reaper protected by its effect?”

I’m still not sure how this confusion began, but let me set the record straight: Spirit Reaper doesn’t have any special protection from effects. If anything, the Reaper is weaker against effects, because the card self-destructs when it’s targeted by an effect. Raigeki, Dark Hole, Torrential Tribute, Tribe-Infecting Virus, Fissure, and other non-targeting effects can certainly destroy Spirit Reaper.

“If I take my opponent’s face-down Spirit Reaper with Change of Heart and then flip summon the Reaper, is it destroyed?”

Nope. Spirit Reaper was targeted while it was face down, so it won’t be destroyed. It doesn’t matter that you flip summoned the card afterward.

I hope that this article has helped clear up how to understand and use Spirit Reaper’s effect. Until next week, show the Reaper who’s the boss.