Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship Tournament 2004 really brought Creature Swap into mainstream play. Before then, you would see it the occasional deck, like Zombie decks with Pyramid Turtle, but it wasn’t a common card in every deck.

With the rise of Creature Swap’s use in Advanced Format came the inevitable rise of related questions as well. Players were confused about when they chose their monsters, if the effect targeted, and how it would work against a variety of effect monsters.

Judges were expected to handle it, but if the players haven’t seen it, then the Judges will also not have seen it. This week, we will explain the ol’ switcheroo card and settle the issues related to Effect monsters.

Forcing the Transfer

“Both players select 1 monster from their respective sides of the field and switch control of those monsters with each other.”

The confusion starts right here. Let’s get the basics down first:

1. This card does not target.
2. Neither player chooses a monster until the effect is resolved.
3. Each player must have at least one eligible monster for Creature Swap to be activated.
4. Only eligible monsters can be selected for the effect.

So let’s think about what this means. If I have two monsters on my side of the field, and I activate Creature Swap, my opponent does not know with any certainty which monster I will be giving him or her. He or she will have to try to plan ahead.

It also means that monsters with issues related to targeting have no impact on Creature Swap or what it does. This is important for monsters like Spirit Reaper.

“The selected monsters cannot change their battle positions this turn.”

After exchanging monsters, the monster each player receives cannot have its battle position manually changed for the remainder of that turn. It is still possible to have the battle position changed with card effects, like Book of Moon or Book of Taiyou.

One catch, though: it is possible to change the monster’s battle position manually before you activate Creature Swap. Players often take a Sheep token, change it to attack position, and then use Creature Swap to give it to the opponent. This leaves the opponent with a vulnerable monster.

One last issue: If either player has no legal monster choices (also known as eligible monsters) when Creature Swap resolves or if a player has no monsters at all, the effect of Creature Swap disappears.

Un-Swappable

Most monsters don’t offer any problems for Creature Swap, but there are a few that can really confuse players. Dealing with them can be a bit tricky, but with the right examples, it should all make sense.

Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV4 and Mataza the Zapper

Both monsters share a similar effect: “As long as this card remains face-up on the field, control of this card cannot switch.”

This is where the Creature Swap problem begins. Due to this effect, it is not possible to select a face-up Horus LV4 or Mataza the Zapper when resolving the effect of Creature Swap, because they are not eligible monsters. Going further, if the only monster(s) a player has on the field are face-up copies of these cards, it is not possible to activate Creature Swap. This is because each player must have a monster he or she can legally swap (eligible monster) in order to legally activate Creature Swap.

But what if Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV4 and Mataza the Zapper are face down? In that case, you would be fine if you wanted to activate Creature Swap. If they are face down, their effects don’t work.

Example:
Let’s say I have two monsters on my side of the field, a face-up Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV4 and a face-down monster. My opponent activates Creature Swap.

When Creature Swap resolves, I only have 1 monster I can choose to give to my opponent, the face-down monster. Horus LV4 is off-limits because of its effect that prevents it from having control switched. (Horus LV4 is not an eligible monster.)

Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6

A face-up Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6 is also off-limits to Creature Swap. This is because Horus LV6 is unaffected by spell cards and thus cannot be switched with the effect of Creature Swap. It is not possible to select a face-up Horus LV6 as the monster you will swap with your opponent.

This is true for any monster that has immunity to spell cards while face up on the field. Monsters like The Legendary Fisherman with Umi face up on the field, The Agent of Force – Mars, Deepsea Warrior, and Guardian Kay’est are off-limits to Creature Swap while they are face up on the field.

If either player controls only face-up monsters, and they all have the “unaffected by spell cards” effect, Creature Swap cannot be activated. This is because each player needs one eligible monster, and that player would not have one.

Example:
On my side of the field I have a face-up Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6 and a face-up Guardian Kay’est. My opponent has a face-up Gemini Elf. Neither player can activate Creature Swap because I do not have any eligible monsters.

Bait and Switch

Let’s get into some common questions about Creature Swap.

“If I have a face-up Spirit Reaper and I choose it with Creature Swap, is it destroyed?”

Nope, Spirit Reaper is fine. Remember that Creature Swap does not target, so choosing Spirit Reaper with its effect will not cause the Reaper to self-destruct.

Feel free to do this as a combo. Change your Spirit Reaper to attack position manually and then give it to your opponent with Creature Swap. After this, use Magical Scientist to special summon Fusion monsters from your Fusion deck and then use the Fusion monsters to beat the Reaper senseless.

“If I use Creature Swap, can I give my opponent my Silent Swordsman LV5?”

Sure . . . if you want to. You can give your opponent Silent Swordsman LV5 because it is being swapped by the effect of your own Creature Swap. If it was your opponent’s Creature Swap, you would not be able to select the Swordsman for the exchange because its effect would prohibit it (it would be ineligible).

“What if I only have one monster when I play Creature Swap and my opponent uses Ring of Destruction to destroy it?”

If this happens, you will have no monsters when Creature Swap tries to resolve. Since you have no monsters, Creature Swap is unable to perform the exchange and the effect disappears.

Until Next Time . . . commence transfer.