In celebration of Crush Card Virus’ release in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Gold Series collection, this week we examine the mechanics of its effect and how it interacts with other cards.
See Ya, Saggi!
For quick reference, here is Crush Card Virus’ text:
"Tribute 1 DARK monster with 1000 or less ATK. Check all monsters on your opponent’s side of the field, your opponent’s hand, and all cards they draw (until the end of your opponent’s 3rd turn after this card’s activation), and destroy all monsters with 1500 or more ATK."
As the original Virus, Crush Card Virus takes out the big monsters Deck Devastation Virus can’t touch. The two cards work in a very similar manner, so if you are familiar with one, you pretty much know what to expect from the other. Each card interacts with a different range of monsters, and this can cause each card to create situations that are similar, but different.
Tributing one Dark monster with 1000 or less ATK is a cost you must pay just to activate Crush Card Virus. It seems like a limiting factor, but players have found plenty of reliable ways to meet this payment. Sangan, Spirit Reaper, Destiny Hero - Malicious, and Destiny Hero - Disk Commander have fed the Virus many a time. If it comes down to it, you can reduce the ATK of your Dark monster to 1000 or less with card effects and then tribute it to pay for Crush Card Virus. You can even use face-down Dark monsters if they have an original ATK of 1000 or less. Keep all of these methods in mind, because you always want to know when you can activate your Crush Card Virus.
Since the Dark monster’s ATK needs to be 1000 or less when you tribute it to pay the cost, you can’t rely on the chain to put it into this range and also activate Crush Card Virus.
Marie has Vorse Raider in attack position, with Crush Card Virus and Shrink set in her spell and trap card zone. Her opponent Anton tribute summons Raiza the Storm Monarch and targets Vorse Raider with his effect. Marie would like to tribute Vorse Raider for Crush Card Virus, but its ATK is too high. She could chain Shrink and it would halve Vorse Raider’s ATK to 950, but only when its effect is resolved. After Shrink resolves, it would not be possible to activate Crush Card Virus because you can’t interrupt the chain’s resolution.
Destroy Them All!
When Crush Card Virus resolves, you examine every monster card on your opponent’s side of the field (face up and face down) and every card in his or her hand, destroying any monster card with 1500 or more ATK. This mass destruction only occurs when resolving Crush Card Virus’ effect and is not applied to monsters summoned to the field afterward. The only monster cards destroyed after this mass-destruction is applied are the ones your opponent draws.
When Crush Card Virus resolves, it checks every monster on Rashaun’s side of the field and in his hand. Darknight Parshath and Exarion Universe are destroyed, along with Vampire Lord and Snipe Hunter from his hand. Doomsday Horror is ignored, no matter how many Dark monsters are removed from play, because its ATK is "?". This completes the "mass destruction" portion of Crush Card Virus’ effect. Monsters summoned afterward, with Call of the Haunted or the Vampire Lord when he returns to the field, are not destroyed by its effect. Monster cards Rashaun draws until the end of his third turn will be destroyed if they have 1500 or more ATK.
Hand Destruction
After you’ve resolved Crush Card Virus, when your opponent draws cards with a card effect or for the start of his or her turn, he or she must show you the card to verify if it is a monster card that should be destroyed, or if it something that player gets to keep. When multiple cards are drawn from the same effect, every drawn card must be shown. Drawing cards isn’t usually the only thing our effects do these days, and the other effects must be dealt with before the drawn monster card is destroyed.
Crush Card Virus doesn’t have anyone like Exodia to deal with, but there are instances in which a player may want to activate an effect when he or she draws a monster. The destruction applied to drawn cards by Crush Card Virus doesn’t start a chain. It is applied when the drawn card is revealed. Deck Devastation Virus had a bit more interaction with Exodia, but Crush Card Virus’ interactions tend to be simple. Since its effect doesn’t start a chain, other effects must wait until it has completed its "pass or destroy" inspection before they can proceed with their own effects.
Example:
Maya has a
Destiny Hero - Dasher in her graveyard that her opponent destroyed with Crush Card Virus during the previous turn. Maya begins her turn and draws
Dark Horus. Normally she would want to activate
Destiny Hero - Dasher’s effect at this time, but Crush Card Virus wants to see what she’s drawn before she gets the chance to activate effects. Crush Card Virus destroys
Dark Horus and sends it into the graveyard.
Destiny Hero - Dasher never gets a chance to special summon the
Dark Horus.
Veil of Darkness and Heart of the Underdog can fall into the same trap. Yeah, you reveal the card you draw because Crush Card Virus makes you, but you need it to survive if you want to then activate the effects of the Veil or Underdog. You can’t combine revealing the drawn card for Crush Card Virus with revealing the drawn card to activate the Veil or Underdog.
Until next time, send all comments and questions to Curtis@Metagame.com.