I’ve decided to look into the reader mail bag for more questions that could use some discussion!
Royal Oppression meets Stardust Dragon
". . . Concerning your Synchro article—I was wondering about Stardust Dragon’s interaction with a very popular card: Royal Oppression. Since Oppression negates the summon before Stardust ever hits the field, if you chain Oppression, it doesn’t seem like Stardust would be able to chain its own—it isn’t 
actually on the field yet. Could you verify this?
Also, the ruling on Synchros says that if a Synchro summon is negated, the Synchro monster still goes to the graveyard, yet its summons is "improper" and it can’t be revived with something like Monster Reborn. Does this also extend to contact Fusions? If my opponent contact Fuses for Gladiator Beast Gyzarus and I negate the summon with Royal Oppression, can it be special summoned with Reborn or Darius?"
The rulings for Stardust Dragon on the FAQ include an entry explaining that Stardust’s effect cannot be chained to "Royal Oppression" if it is attempting to negate the special summon of a monster with an "inherent" special summon ability. A monster like Cyber Dragon, Gladiator Beast Heraklinos, Dark Armed Dragon, or Judgment Dragon is not considered to be "on the field" until its special summon is successful. A special summon is only considered successful if neither player decided to negate the summon. When Royal Oppression’s effect is activated to negate the summon, it isn’t successful yet so the monster card is not yet "on the field." As a result, it is not possible to activate Stardust Dragon’s effect, because no card on the field is being destroyed.
The problem is essentially the same when Stardust Dragon itself is special summoned. It is not "on the field" until its special summon is successful, and going further it can’t even activate its effect until it is "on the field." Royal Oppression will do a number on it, and there’s nothing the Dragon can do about it.
The contact Fusion of a Fusion monster like XYZ-Dragon Cannon, Elemental Hero Air Neos, or Gladiator Beast Gyzarus needs to be successful if it hopes to be special summoned from the graveyard or removed zone. This means that the special summon cannot be negated. It is okay if the monster is destroyed after it is special summoned with something like Torrential Tribute or Bottomless Trap Hole because these cards don’t prevent the summon from being successful. Only effects that can negate a monster’s summon have the power to make the summon unsuccessful.
Colossal Fighter Vs. Goyo Guardian—Round 1 . . . Ready . . . FIGHT!
Colossal Fighter’s effect is a mandatory trigger effect. Goyo Guardian’s effect is an optional trigger effect. Both effects activate at the same time, when Goyo Guardian destroys Colossal Fighter by battle and sends it to the graveyard. The effects form a chain following the rules for simultaneous effects. Colossal Fighter, the mandatory trigger effect, is placed first onto the chain (Chain Link 1). If Goyo Guardian’s effect is activated, it will be next on the chain (Chain Link 2).
When Colossal Fighter’s effect activates, a Warrior-type monster in the graveyard must be selected as the target. Colossal Fighter, as we discussed in the previous Synchro monster article, can select itself . . . but it won’t want to do it this time. When the chain resolves, Goyo Guardian will resolve first and special summon the Colossal Fighter in defense position. If Colossal Fighter chooses itself, it won’t special summon anyone. Not a good use of the Colossal Fighter’s talents.
Bad Medicine
"I’ve been told that when you have Nurse Reficule the Fallen One face up and†you activate two copies of Gift Card, the damage somehow doubles and†the opponent takes 12000 damage. Is this true?†How about if I control two copies of†Nurse Reficule, and I activate two copies of Gift Card: will the damage inflicted to my opponent be 12000 total?"
Nurse Reficule the Fallen One doesn’t actually inflict damage on her own, nor can she double the damage inflicted by a card. She alters the intentions of effects from other cards. When an effect would cause a player to gain life points, Nurse Reficule alters the effect so that it inflicts damage instead. Whatever that player would have gained now becomes damage.
Controlling two copies of Nurse Reficule would be redundant. Since the Nurse herself does not inflict damage, having two doesn’t alter the damage conversion any further. When Gift Card resolves, the 3000 life points the opponent would have gained becomes 3000 damage instead. Having two or more Nurse Reficule cards around won’t change this.
You’re Finished, Laddie
"I have Bountiful Artemis in attack position, with Torrential Tribute and Divine Wrath set. My opponent†summons Light and Darkness Dragon and I activate Torrential Tribute. The Dragon attempts to negate as Chain Link 2, so I then activate 
(Chain Link 3). The Dragon is destroyed by Divine Wrath and sent to the graveyard.
Does the monster that gets special summoned become part of this chain (with the Torrential still unresolved) and do I draw my card even though Artemis gets destroyed?"
When Light and Darkness Dragon is destroyed by Divine Wrath, its third effect wants to activate but cannot yet do so, because the chain is still resolving. It must wait until this chain finishes resolving: it then begins a new one with its effect. At this time, our submitter also draws one card for Bountiful Artemis, because its effect is applied immediately after the counter trap card resolves without using the chain. Next, Light and Darkness Dragon’s effect is negated, so Torrential Tribute resolves and destroys Bountiful Artemis.
Now that the chain has finished, Light and Darkness Dragon starts a new chain with its third effect.
Until next time, send all comments and questions to Curtis@Metagame.com!
—Curtis Schultz