Questions don’t just generate spontaneously. Many times, something happens in a duel that neither player can resolve. This can come from a disagreement over what the outcome should be, a deficit of knowledge, or confusion from something neither player has ever seen before. We judges are called into service to resolve these scenarios and rule as best we can on their outcome.

Sometimes, this requires analysis on multiple levels, utilizing knowledge of game mechanics and card-specific rules to come to our conclusion. This week, we begin a series of game scenarios that we will examine and solve using game mechanics and rulings.

Disappearing Act

Scenario: Where’d He Go?

Carson has one face-down monster on his side of the field. His opponent, Kelly, has a face-down monster and a face-up Gemini Elf.

Carson tributes his monster to summon Zaborg the Thunder Monarch. He activates its effect and selects Kelly’s face-down monster as the target. Kelly responds by activating Enemy Controller. She selects its second effect and states that she will tribute her face-down monster for the cost and then select Zaborg the Thunder Monarch as her target.

Players can be confused by the outcome of this situation when they are unfamiliar with targeting and the selection of targets. In the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, the target of a targeted effect is selected when the effect is activated. If something changes in the game, the target is not reselected.

When Kelly tributes her face-down monster to pay Enemy Controller’s activation cost, she removes the target of Zaborg’s effect from the field. Zaborg is not allowed to select a different target. Carson selected his target already, and it’s just his bad luck that the target happened to get spirited away.

In order to determine how this is resolved, we should build the chain:

Zaborg the Thunder Monarch’s effect à Enemy Controller

Chains always resolve in reverse order (last to first). Enemy Controller resolves first and takes control of Zaborg the Thunder Monarch, placing it onto Kelly’s side of the field. At this point, Zaborg’s effect attempts to resolve but fails because its target is no longer on the field. Zaborg’s effect does not select another target. It fails and disappears, accomplishing nothing.

Surprise, It’s Goldd!

Scenario: Unintended Consequence

Rodney has Pyramid Turtle in face-up attack position on his side of the field and an active copy of Robbin’ Goblin. His opponent, Radek, has Cyber Dragon in face-up attack position.

Rodney activates Creature Swap. It resolves, and Pyramid Turtle and Cyber Dragon are exchanged. Rodney enters his battle phase and attacks the Pyramid Turtle with Cyber Dragon. This destroys Pyramid Turtle and also activates the effect of Robbin’ Goblin, causing Radek to discard Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World.

Neither player disagrees that Goldd would be special summoned. The debate is over when it would do so. Going further, what cards could it destroy? Both of Goldd’s effects activate in this case because it has been discarded by an opponent’s card effect. This occurs during the damage step, after it is discarded but before the destroyed Pyramid Turtle is sent to the graveyard.

Since Pyramid Turtle is still on the field, could it be selected with Goldd’s effect? It may be in Radek’s best interests to destroy Pyramid Turtle with Goldd’s effect, but it is not possible for him to do so. Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World says, “You can select up to 2 cards on your opponent’s side of the field and destroy them.” Radek cannot select Pyramid Turtle because it is currently under his control. He can select Cyber Dragon and Robbin’ Goblin, so he does have viable alternatives from which to choose.

After completing Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World’s effect, we proceed to the end of the damage step. Pyramid Turtle is, at last, sent to its owner’s graveyard. The owner will control this effect because the effect activates in his or her graveyard. This gives Rodney control of Pyramid Turtle’s effect, and he can use it to special summon a Zombie-type monster from his deck. He can also attack with his newly special summoned monster if he special summons it in attack position.

Welcome to Your Volcanic Doom

Our next scenario involves a card from Force of the Breaker: Volcanic Doomfire.

Scenario: Sucker Punch

Ronon has Volcanic Doomfire in face-up attack position on his side of the field. His opponent, John, has Pyramid Turtle in attack position and Spirit Reaper in defense position.

John enters his battle phase and his Pyramid Turtle is forced to attack Volcanic Doomfire.

In this example, we have two effects that will both activate because of a single event: Pyramid Turtle being destroyed and sent to the graveyard by Volcanic Doomfire. When this happens, the players want to know when a Zombie will be special summoned, because John doesn’t want to throw out a Zombie that’ll just get cremated. Some would say that the turn player’s effect is placed onto the chain first because the effects activate simultaneously. Looking at it this way ignores one important detail, though.

Volcanic Doomfire’s effect is a mandatory trigger effect. When the proper event occurs, you have no choice but to activate it. Pyramid Turtle, conversely, is an optional trigger effect. When its proper event occurs, you are given the choice to activate the effect or not. When these two variations of trigger effects come head to head as a result of the same event, the mandatory trigger effect is placed on the chain first.

Volcanic Doomfire à Pyramid Turtle

This leaves John in a spot of trouble. If he chooses to activate Pyramid Turtle’s effect, whatever Zombie he summons is toast. For most Zombies, this would certainly not be in their best interests, but if John has Vampire Lord in his deck, then he it could at least make another go at the field. This leaves Volcanic Doomfire’s effect, which will destroy whatever monsters John has on his side of the field and inflict damage accordingly. Whether it inflicts 500 or 1000 damage in this situation depends upon John’s decision to activate or pass on Pyramid Turtle’s effect.

Next week: more problems, more solutions. Until then, send all comments and questions to Curtis@Metagame.com.