Rule Book: Part 7: "IF" and "WHEN"

Rule Book: Part 7: "IF" and "WHEN"

Today I will post an article for you newbies that will also talk in depth about the "if" or "when" topic that you often encounter in activating card effects! If you are currently having difficulty with this problem, please follow the article to the end!




What is the cause of miss timing?

Miss timing is your inability to activate cards or effects at will when it meets the activation time because something else (or another action, another thing, another card,...) takes up the time. time to activate and only occurs with optional activation effects when the word "WHEN" is present.

Basic rules of "WHEN":

Effects containing "WHEN" can only be activated when its activation condition is "one of the last things to happen" .

This rule says that you really need to trigger the ''WHEN'' effect exactly when it meets the trigger condition. The difficulty is in telling when something is 'one of the last things to happen'. ' based on the game's mechanics.

Note: This mechanic does not apply to mandatory effects or effects that use "IF" instead of "WHEN".

Example 1

R Rarity
Fire Hand
R Rarity
Fire Hand
Fire Hand
FIRE 4
Fire Hand
  • ATK:

  • 1600

  • DEF:

  • 1000


When this card in your possession is destroyed by your opponent's card (by battle or card effect) and sent to your Graveyard: You can target 1 monster they control; destroy that target, then you can Special Summon 1 "Ice Hand" from your Deck.


R Rarity
Raigeki Break
R Rarity
Raigeki Break
Raigeki Break
Trap Normal
Raigeki Break

    Discard 1 card, then target 1 card on the field; destroy it.


    R Rarity
    Ice Hand
    R Rarity
    Ice Hand
    Ice Hand
    WATER 4
    Ice Hand
    • ATK:

    • 1400

    • DEF:

    • 1600


    When this card in your possession is destroyed by your opponent's card (by battle or card effect) and sent to your Graveyard: You can target 1 Spell/Trap Card they control; destroy that target, then you can Special Summon 1 "Fire Hand" from your Deck.


    R Rarity
    Mystical Space Typhoon
    R Rarity
    Mystical Space Typhoon
    Mystical Space Typhoon
    Spell Quick
    Mystical Space Typhoon

      Target 1 Spell/Trap on the field; destroy that target.


      Situation:

      Player A controls the Fire Hand . Player B activates Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy a set of cards, then Chain Raigeki Break , targeting Fire Hand to destroy it.

      1. Chain Link 1: Mystical Space Typhoon
      2. Chain Link 2: Raigeki Break
      Resolve Chain:

      1. Chain Link 2: Raigeki Break destroys Fire Hand.
      2. Chain Link 1: Mystical Space Typhoon destroys its target.
      Fire Hand's effect is a "WHEN" effect and being destroyed is not the last thing that happens . Therefore, its effects cannot now be activated .

      Example 2

      N Rarity
      Bottomless Trap Hole
      N Rarity
      Bottomless Trap Hole
      Bottomless Trap Hole
      Trap Normal
      Bottomless Trap Hole

        When your opponent Summons a monster(s) with 1500 or more ATK: Destroy that monster(s) with 1500 or more ATK, and if you do, banish it.


        UR Rarity
        Upstart Goblin
        UR Rarity
        Upstart Goblin
        Upstart Goblin
        Spell Normal
        Upstart Goblin

          Draw 1 card, then your opponent gains 1000 LP.


          SR Rarity
          Call of the Haunted
          SR Rarity
          Call of the Haunted
          Call of the Haunted
          Trap Continuous
          Call of the Haunted

            Activate this card by targeting 1 monster in your GY; Special Summon that target in Attack Position. When this card leaves the field, destroy that monster. When that monster is destroyed, destroy this card.


            UR Rarity
            Blue-Eyes White Dragon
            UR Rarity
            Blue-Eyes White Dragon
            Blue-Eyes White Dragon
            LIGHT 8
            Blue-Eyes White Dragon
            • ATK:

            • 3000

            • DEF:

            • 2500


            This legendary dragon is a powerful engine of destruction. Virtually invincible, very few have faced this awesome creature and lived to tell the tale.


            The "WHEN" effect will apply to cards that must be based on the right situation and at the right time

            Situation:

            Player A activates Upstart Goblin , and Player B decides to Chain Call of the Haunted to Special Summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon . Player A has a Bottomless Trap Hole set up.

            1. Chain Link 1: Upstart Goblin
            2. Chain Link 2: Call of the Haunted
            Resolve Chain:

            1. Chain Link 2: Blue-Eyes is Special Summoned
            2. Chain Link 1: Player A draws a card.
            Bottomless Trap Hole uses the "WHEN" effect , Spell/Trap activation is optional, and Monster Summoning is not "one of the last things to happen" , so it cannot be activated .

            Geartown and Mystical Space Typhoon (Example 3)

            UR Rarity
            Geartown
            UR Rarity
            Geartown
            Geartown
            Spell Field
            Geartown

              Both players can Normal Summon "Ancient Gear" monsters for 1 less Tribute. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard: You can Special Summon 1 "Ancient Gear" monster from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard.


              R Rarity
              Mystical Space Typhoon
              R Rarity
              Mystical Space Typhoon
              Mystical Space Typhoon
              Spell Quick
              Mystical Space Typhoon

                Target 1 Spell/Trap on the field; destroy that target.


                There will be cases when a card has just been activated and you miss timing by another card. That causes your valuable effects and advantages to be lost just because of missed timing...

                Situation:

                Player A activates Field Spell Geartown .
                Player B Chains Mystical Space Typhoon while Player A activates Geartown on the field.

                1. Chain Link 1: Activate Geartown on the field.
                2. Chain Link 2: Mystical Space Typhoon targets Geartown.
                Resolve Chain:

                1. Chain Link 2: Mystical Space Typhoon destroys Geartown.
                2. Chain Link 1: Geartown resolves on the field (but it resolves without any effect because it was just destroyed) .
                Note that Geartown has been destroyed, but its effects on the field still attempt to resolve ON THE FIELD at Chain Link 1 . In this situation, trying to resolve is the last thing that happens and destroying Geartown is not. Therefore, Geartown's trigger effect missed its chance to activate .



                In case "WHEN" is met the activation condition

                And we will have cases where "When" meets the correct conditions

                Geartown and Magic Jammer (Example 1)

                UR Rarity
                Geartown
                UR Rarity
                Geartown
                Geartown
                Spell Field
                Geartown

                  Both players can Normal Summon "Ancient Gear" monsters for 1 less Tribute. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard: You can Special Summon 1 "Ancient Gear" monster from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard.


                  R Rarity
                  Magic Jammer
                  R Rarity
                  Magic Jammer
                  Magic Jammer
                  Trap Counter
                  Magic Jammer

                    When a Spell Card is activated: Discard 1 card; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy it.


                    Situation:

                    Player B Chains Magic Jammer , to disable Geartown activation.

                    1. Chain Link 1: Geartown's activation on the field.
                    2. Chain Link 2: Magic Jammer.
                    Chain Resolve:

                    1. Chain Link 2: Magic Jammer negates Geartown's activation and destroys it.
                    2. Chain Link 1: (disappears).
                    Because Magic Jammer negates activation, Geartown 's effects on the field cannot be resolved. Therefore, we can see that Geartown's destruction was in fact one of the last things to happen , so its trigger effect can trigger as usual.

                    Dark Hole, Bixi, Water of the Yang Zing and Card Trooper (Example 3)

                    SR Rarity
                    Dark Hole
                    SR Rarity
                    Dark Hole
                    Dark Hole
                    Spell Normal
                    Dark Hole

                      Destroy all monsters on the field.


                      N Rarity
                      Bixi, Water of the Yang Zing
                      N Rarity
                      Bixi, Water of the Yang Zing
                      Bixi, Water of the Yang Zing
                      WATER 2
                      Bixi, Water of the Yang Zing
                      • ATK:

                      • 0

                      • DEF:

                      • 2000


                      When this card you control is destroyed by battle or card effect and sent to your Graveyard: You can Special Summon 1 "Yang Zing" monster from your Deck in Attack Position, except "Bixi, Water of the Yang Zing". You can only use this effect of "Bixi, Water of the Yang Zing" once per turn. Once per turn, during your opponent's Main Phase or Battle Phase, you can: Immediately after this effect resolves, Synchro Summon 1 Synchro Monster, using only "Yang Zing" monsters you control (this is a Quick Effect). A Synchro Monster that used this card as a Synchro Material is unaffected by Trap effects.


                      R Rarity
                      Card Trooper
                      R Rarity
                      Card Trooper
                      Card Trooper
                      EARTH 3
                      Card Trooper
                      • ATK:

                      • 400

                      • DEF:

                      • 400


                      Once per turn: You can choose a number from 1 to 3, then send that many cards from the top of your Deck to the GY; this card gains 500 ATK for each card sent to the GY this way, until the end of this turn. If this card you control is destroyed and sent to your GY: Draw 1 card.


                      Situation:

                      Player A activates Dark Hole , destroying Player B's Bixi, Water of the Yang Zing , and Card Trooper .

                      • Chain Link 1: Dark Hole.
                      Chain Resolve: Dark Hole destroys Bixi and Card Trooper at the same time .

                      First we must consider the effects we want to activate. Bixi and Trooper's effects have been activated , so both can trigger .

                      Now, we will check to see if either of them has missed timing or not . Killing Bixi and killing Card Trooper are both final (and Card Trooper's effect is required ), so both effects can trigger .

                      Now that you have decided what to enable, it's time to look at the order in which it needs to be enabled . Card Trooper is a mandatory effect for turn-based players and Bixi is an optional effect for turn-based players, so according to SEGOC (Simultaneous Effects Go On Chain) rules, they activated in the next Chain in the following order:

                      1. Chain Link 1: Card Trooper
                      2. Chain Link 2: Bixi.
                      The important thing to take away here is that activating Card Trooper does not negate the activation of Bixi. The game state checked to see if its trigger condition was the last thing to happen after the Chain was resolved, then put everything into the Chain.



                      Epilogue

                      Cre: Yu-Gi-Oh! Rule Book v10, YGOrganization, Yu-Gi-Oh! Official Website, Yugipedia, MasterDuelMeta

                      I'm still waiting for Kashtira to come into the game so I can make a long guide about this line. At least there will be many variations on that line to respond to the Tear. Now with this article, hopefully newbies can understand the reason why their cards cannot be activated! Now say goodbye and see you next time!




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