“Nice attempt, but you lose points for the landing.”

The Monarchs and the Gadgets had their run of things, and not much stood in their way. It often seemed that the cards that could stop them were quite fickle and just as likely to bite the hand that fed them. You could use Skill Drain, but some of your effect monsters don’t like it much. You could use Mask of Restrict to prevent the Monarchs from being tribute summoned, but by doing so you prevent yourself from tribute summoning as well. Cards like Trap Hole could destroy the summoned monster, but they don’t do anything to stop its effect.

Of course, you could negate the summon with Solemn Judgment or Horn of Heaven. They worked great, as long as you didn’t mind spending half of your life points or tributing a monster. Doing so could be costly and wouldn’t always result in anything advantageous.

Strike of Neos shook things up with the release of Pulling the Rug. It succeeded where other counter cards had failed because its effect is intended to stop monsters just like the Monarchs and the Gadgets without paying any cost. It follows a strict guideline that determines what effects it can and cannot negate, which has caused a good deal of confusion. So this week we unravel the mysteries of Pulling the Rug.

Oopsie-Daisy

For this article, be sure to read the errata posted on the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG website, posted here for quick reference.

“Negate the activation and effect of an Effect Monster whose effect activated when a monster was Normal Summoned (even itself), and destroy that Effect Monster.”

Pulling the Rug’s effect refers to monster effects that activate because a monster is successfully normal summoned. This often means negating trigger effects generated by monsters like the Monarchs and the Gadgets. When the monster is successfully normal summoned and its effect is activated, Pulling the Rug is chained to negate the effect and destroy the effect monster that activated the effect.

Example: Lightning Rod

Jeremy begins his first main phase by tribute summoning Zaborg the Thunder Monarch. Its effect activates and Jeremy selects his opponent’s face-down monster as the target. His opponent, Thuyen, chains Pulling the Rug. When the chain resolves, Pulling the Rug negates the effect of Zaborg the Thunder Monarch and destroys him. Thuyen’s face-down monster survives.

Monsters with optional effects that can be activated when they are successfully normal summoned (like Marauding Captain) can only be negated with Pulling the Rug if the player who normal summoned the monster actually decides to activate the effect. For example, if your opponent tribute summons Mobius the Frost Monarch and decides that he or she doesn’t want to activate his effect, it isn’t possible to chain Pulling the Rug. If he or she doesn’t activate the effect, Pulling the Rug has nothing to negate. Counter trap cards are picky about that sort of thing.

The text “even itself” may seem strange until you consider the full reach of Pulling the Rug’s effect. Pulling the Rug can negate the effect of a monster that activates when a different monster is normal summoned. These effects typically activate because a monster has been normal summoned onto the field . . . which endangers the plans of monsters like King Tiger Wanghu and Mysterious Puppeteer.

Example: Raviel, the Fallen

Deidre has Raviel, Lord of Phantasms face up on his side of the field. Her opponent, Jasmine, normal summons a monster. This causes Raviel’s effect to activate, with the intention of special summoning a Phantasm Token.

Since Raviel’s effect activated in response to the successful normal summon of a monster, it is possible for Jasmine to activate Pulling the Rug. By doing so, she can negate Raviel’s effect and destroy him.

Slip-Resistant Tiling

You won’t always be able to activate Pulling the Rug when a monster activates an effect at the time it is summoned. Continuous effects, for example, don’t use the chain and thus will not properly meet the requirement for Pulling the Rug. So even though a monster’s continuous effect may depend on it successful normal summons, there is no activation and no opportunity to negate the effect with Pulling the Rug.

When Jinzo is successfully summoned, it begins applying its effect to prevent the activation of trap cards and also negate the effects of any trap cards that are already active on the field. Players don’t like being on the receiving end of this, and that set Pulling the Rug is very inviting, but it just isn’t possible to activate it. Jinzo’s effect is continuous and therefore out of Pulling the Rug’s range.

The other stickler that really got chatter flaring in online forums is the attempt to respond with Pulling the Rug when a player retains priority to activate the effect of a monster when he or she successfully normal summons it. Players reasoned that Pulling the Rug should be a legal activation because it takes place “when the monster is normal summoned.” That may be close to what is happening, but it isn’t enough for Pulling the Rug.

Pulling the Rug is looking for an effect monster that thinks, “I can activate this effect because a monster was normal summoned” or “I can activate my effect because I was successfully normal summoned.” Retaining priority to activate the ignition effect of a monster doesn’t do this. An ignition effect doesn’t have to be activated right away, but the kind of effects Pulling the Rug negates only get that one chance to activate.

Let’s use Exiled Force as an example. If a player normal summons Exiled Force and decides to retain priority and activate its effect, Pulling the Rug cannot be activated. Exiled Force’s effect doesn’t say “when this card is successfully normal summoned” or anything like that. It is an ignition effect with a cost, and it has nothing to do with the successful normal summon of a monster. The timing is merely a product of circumstance.

What does this mean? It means you can forget about using Pulling the Rug when your opponent normal summons Snipe Hunter, Card Trooper, or Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude. Pulling the Rug is useful, but just remember that it’s no help here. As long as you know how it works, you’ll find it to be a very powerful tool in the current environment.

Until next time, send all comments and questions to Curtis@Metagame.com