Here's a much-requested article - Priority. Here I will be explaining what Priority is, who has it (and when), and what it allows you to use. Examples will also be given, to make this clearer.
Priority is, in essence, a player's right to activate an effect as Chain Link 1 whenever they have priority. As a rule, the Turn Player has Priority when they have successfully summoned a monster, or at the beginning of a Phase or Step. The Opponent has Priority whenever the turn player sets a card, or at the end of a Phase or Step.
Example 1: I Normal Summon The Agent of Creation - Venus. After we agree the summon is successful, I retain priority to activate her effect, by paying 500 Life Points. Since the last action that happened was Venus's successful summon, you are still able to activate your Bottomless Trap Hole, which is Chain Link 2 following Venus's effect. In this case, Bottomless resolves, banishing by Venus, and then Venus's effect resolves, Special Summoning a Mystical Shine Ball from my hand or deck.
Example 2: I enter my Standby Phase, after drawing what is the 4th card in my hand. As a phase of my turn has just begun, I retain my priority to activate Mystical Space Typhoon, from my hand, targeting my opponent's set Spell or Trap. It was Trap Dustshoot - Score! Since I need to have 4 or more cards in my hand for Dustshoot to be activated, he has no time during which Dustshoot can be activated.
Example 3: During my Battle Phase, I declare an attack with my Magical Android (2400) on your Judgment Dragon (3000). You declare no response to the attack. At the beginning of the Damage Step (substep 3, to be precise, but that hardly matters here), I retain priority to activate the effect of Honest, which would increase Magical Android's attack to 5400. As there can only be one Chain during this substep, you still have the option to chain your own Honest, increasing Judgment Dragon's attack to 5400... But it would chain to my Honest, meaning when my Honest resolves I would gain that lovely 5400 attack on my Android, still destroying Judgment Dragon and dealing 2400 battle damage. You, good sir or madam, just wasted an Honest.
Example 4: During my Main Phase, I normal summon Rescue Rabbit. We agree the summon is successful, so I activate Rescue Rabbit's effect, banishing itself as a cost. At no time here are you able to target Rescue Rabbit with Book of Moon, Compulsory Evacuation Device, or Effect Veiler, as he leaves the field before responses can be made to the successful summon.
The common misconception about Priority is that a monster has it in response to its successful summon. The next time somebody claims that a monster has priority, or that they "activate" Priority, I will scream at them. It's tantamount to claiming Bottomless Trap Hole negates a summon.
I'm renowned for my long posts, so here's a quick summary:
The turn player has priority in response to every action they perform that does not start a chain. Setting a card, starting a phase or step, declaring an attack, summoning a monster, or a chain resolving. If you do not use your priority at any of these times, you pass priority to your opponent, allowing them to start a chain. You also pass priority to your opponent at the end of each phase. Priority does not allow you to resolve an effect first, it merely allows you to start a chain. No part of priority stops your opponent responding to an action.
Thursday, 8 December 2011
Card Rulings - Effect Veiler
Effect Veiler holds a lot of quality in decks, and has been known to mess up a lot of large plays. With the return of the Chaos popularity this format thanks to Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning coming back to Limited after six years, having another Light monster in your deck (which is a Tuner, to boot) is always a good thing.
Effect Veiler
Lv1 - LIGHT - Spellcaster/Tuner - 0/0
During your opponent's Main Phase, you can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard to select 1 face-up Effect Monster your opponent controls. Negate the effects of that monster until the End Phase.
The qualities this card holds are easy to spot. It can be chained to the effect of important cards such as Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, Judgment Dragon, Chaos Sorcerer, and many others to name. But let's have a look at some of the rulings behind popular questions for this card.
Effect Veiler will negate effects that apply or activate on the field. These include Continuous effects (Jinzo, Thunder King Rai-oh), Trigger effects (Monarchs, Trishula), and most Ignition effects. But one major advantage to this card is held in the difference between it and Skill Drain.
Rescue Rabbit and Stardust Dragon are popular examples of cards that remove themselves from the field as a cost to activate their effect. Stardust tributes as a cost, and Rescue Rabbit banishes. Effects are treated as being activated wherever the card is before costs are paid - This means that both Rescue Rabbit and Stardust Dragon's effects activate on the field.
Example: During your Main Phase 1, you Synchro Summon Stardust Dragon. You then pass priority to me at the end of your Main Phase, where I activate Effect Veiler's effect on Stardust Dragon. You proceed into your Battle Phase, and declare a direct attack with Stardust Dragon. I respond with Mirror Force. You, of course, tribute Stardust Dragon to activate its effect. But, this effect activates on the field, meaning Stardust Dragon's effect is negated. Mirror Force still resolves, destroying any Attack Position monsters you control. During your End Phase, Stardust Dragon's effect would usually activate. But, because you failed to actually negate an effect with Stardust Dragon, the effect to Special Summon itself does not activate.
Now let's look at Turn Player Priority very quick. During your Main Phase, you Normal Summon Rescue Rabbit. I declare that the summon is successful. As a monster has just been summoned successfully, you have Priority - You can choose to start a chain by activating the effect of Rescue Rabbit, banishing itself as a cost, before any other responses are made to this summon. All this time I had an Effect Veiler in my hand - But as soon as Rescue Rabbit is declared to exist on the field, you (the Turn Player) had priority to banish Rescue Rabbit as a cost for his effect. There was no time during which I could have used Effect Veiler targeting your Rescue Rabbit.
This is where the key difference between Effect Veiler and Skill Drain comes in. Skill Drain negates the effects of a monster as long as it remains face-up on the field, and still allows effects to be activated and costs to be paid. If Skill Drain is active, and I Normal Summon Rescue Rabbit, I am still able to banish Rescue Rabbit as a cost for his effect. At the time Rabbit's effect would resolve, he is no longer on the field, meaning Skill Drain is not applying to him and the effect resolves.
Now let's look at a complicated situation: Effect Veiler vs Lightsworns or Spirit Monsters.Let's say, during your Main Phase, you Special Summon Judgment Dragon through his own effect. I declare the summon is successful, and you choose to activate his effect by paying 1000 Life Points. I chain Effect Veiler, targeting Judgment Dragon. The effect of destroying all other cards is negated. During your End Phase, Judgment Dragon's effect to mill 4 cards activates. At the same time, Effect Veiler should be wearing off. The situation here is as follows:
The Turn Player (controller of Judgment Dragon) has Priority at the beginning of the End Phase. He can choose to activate the effect of Judgment Dragon (mill 4) before Effect Veiler wears off. As these effects do not chain together, they resolve seperately, this means that if you do retain priority, your effect to mill 4 is negated. If you pass priority to me, I have 2 choices: I can choose to have Effect Veiler wear off immediately, meaning Judgment Dragon would mill 4 cards. I could also choose to pass priority back to you, where your Judgment Dragon tries to mill 4, but is still under the influence of Effect Veiler. To sum up:
If a monster with a Trigger Effect during the End Phase (Lightsworns, Spirits, Wind-Up Zenmaines) is being negated by Effect Veiler or Forbidden Chalice, the Turn Player can choose to have their effect negated. If not, the decision of whether the effect is negated or not relies on the Opponent.
Effect Veiler
Lv1 - LIGHT - Spellcaster/Tuner - 0/0
During your opponent's Main Phase, you can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard to select 1 face-up Effect Monster your opponent controls. Negate the effects of that monster until the End Phase.
The qualities this card holds are easy to spot. It can be chained to the effect of important cards such as Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, Judgment Dragon, Chaos Sorcerer, and many others to name. But let's have a look at some of the rulings behind popular questions for this card.
Effect Veiler will negate effects that apply or activate on the field. These include Continuous effects (Jinzo, Thunder King Rai-oh), Trigger effects (Monarchs, Trishula), and most Ignition effects. But one major advantage to this card is held in the difference between it and Skill Drain.
Rescue Rabbit and Stardust Dragon are popular examples of cards that remove themselves from the field as a cost to activate their effect. Stardust tributes as a cost, and Rescue Rabbit banishes. Effects are treated as being activated wherever the card is before costs are paid - This means that both Rescue Rabbit and Stardust Dragon's effects activate on the field.
Example: During your Main Phase 1, you Synchro Summon Stardust Dragon. You then pass priority to me at the end of your Main Phase, where I activate Effect Veiler's effect on Stardust Dragon. You proceed into your Battle Phase, and declare a direct attack with Stardust Dragon. I respond with Mirror Force. You, of course, tribute Stardust Dragon to activate its effect. But, this effect activates on the field, meaning Stardust Dragon's effect is negated. Mirror Force still resolves, destroying any Attack Position monsters you control. During your End Phase, Stardust Dragon's effect would usually activate. But, because you failed to actually negate an effect with Stardust Dragon, the effect to Special Summon itself does not activate.
Now let's look at Turn Player Priority very quick. During your Main Phase, you Normal Summon Rescue Rabbit. I declare that the summon is successful. As a monster has just been summoned successfully, you have Priority - You can choose to start a chain by activating the effect of Rescue Rabbit, banishing itself as a cost, before any other responses are made to this summon. All this time I had an Effect Veiler in my hand - But as soon as Rescue Rabbit is declared to exist on the field, you (the Turn Player) had priority to banish Rescue Rabbit as a cost for his effect. There was no time during which I could have used Effect Veiler targeting your Rescue Rabbit.
This is where the key difference between Effect Veiler and Skill Drain comes in. Skill Drain negates the effects of a monster as long as it remains face-up on the field, and still allows effects to be activated and costs to be paid. If Skill Drain is active, and I Normal Summon Rescue Rabbit, I am still able to banish Rescue Rabbit as a cost for his effect. At the time Rabbit's effect would resolve, he is no longer on the field, meaning Skill Drain is not applying to him and the effect resolves.
Now let's look at a complicated situation: Effect Veiler vs Lightsworns or Spirit Monsters.Let's say, during your Main Phase, you Special Summon Judgment Dragon through his own effect. I declare the summon is successful, and you choose to activate his effect by paying 1000 Life Points. I chain Effect Veiler, targeting Judgment Dragon. The effect of destroying all other cards is negated. During your End Phase, Judgment Dragon's effect to mill 4 cards activates. At the same time, Effect Veiler should be wearing off. The situation here is as follows:
The Turn Player (controller of Judgment Dragon) has Priority at the beginning of the End Phase. He can choose to activate the effect of Judgment Dragon (mill 4) before Effect Veiler wears off. As these effects do not chain together, they resolve seperately, this means that if you do retain priority, your effect to mill 4 is negated. If you pass priority to me, I have 2 choices: I can choose to have Effect Veiler wear off immediately, meaning Judgment Dragon would mill 4 cards. I could also choose to pass priority back to you, where your Judgment Dragon tries to mill 4, but is still under the influence of Effect Veiler. To sum up:
If a monster with a Trigger Effect during the End Phase (Lightsworns, Spirits, Wind-Up Zenmaines) is being negated by Effect Veiler or Forbidden Chalice, the Turn Player can choose to have their effect negated. If not, the decision of whether the effect is negated or not relies on the Opponent.
Card Rulings - Pot of Duality
Pot of Duality, since its release, has quickly become one of the most commonly played cards. Behind it, however, are a batch of rulings that are either misunderstood, or just not common knowledge. This article hopefully will serve to clear these rulings up.
Pot of Duality
Normal Spell
Reveal the top 3 cards of your Deck, add 1 of them to your hand, then shuffle the rest back into your Deck. You can only activate 1 "Pot of Duality" per turn. You cannot Special Summon a monster(s) during the turn you activate this card.
Reading it, it's easy to see why a lot of people opt to run 3 of this card. But as I've noticed, a few people seem to not be fully aware of the rulings behind it, so here we are. Conditions are usually the rules behind what you can and can't do regarding any particular card or effect. Pot of Duality has 2 of these: "You can only activate 1 "Pot of Duality" per turn." and "You cannot Special Summon a monster(s) during the turn you activate this card." Let's go in depth around a high rank of rulings behind Activation and Effects.
There's two ways to negate a card or effect. The first one is to negate the activation, using cards such as Solemn Judgment or Divine Wrath. The second is to negate the effect, with cards like Effect Veiler or Royal Decree. Let's say, during my turn, I were to activate Call of the Haunted targeting a monster in my Graveyard. And let's say you have 3 options available to respond: You have a Solemn Warning already set, as well as a set Trap Stun, and a D.D. Crow in your hand. If you were to respond with Trap Stun, then my Call of the Haunted would resolve without effect. Same thing for if you chained the effect of D.D. Crow, banishing my target. In these cases, Call of the Haunted (an effect that Special Summons a monster) resolved - There was simply just no monster Summoned. I am still considered to have attempted to Special Summon, meaning that I cannot activate Pot of Duality this turn. However, if you negated my Call of the Haunted with your Solemn Warning, the activation of my Call of the Haunted is negated. The game state doesn't recognise that I tried to Special Summon a monster this turn, meaning I am able to activate Pot of Duality.
Another example: I have a Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon that I have summoned from a previous turn. I activate its effect, and you have 2 possible responses: Either your set Divine Wrath, or that Effect Veiler in your hand. If you used Effect Veiler targeting my Red-Eyes, then only my effect is negated, meaning I'm not able to use Pot of Duality this turn. If you used Divine Wrath, the activation was negated, meaning I can use Duality.
This has so far only covered one way to Special Summon. What about Inherent summons, such as Synchro Summons, or the summon of Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning? In these cases, if the Special Summon is negated by a card like Black Horn of Heaven, then Duality cannot be used. Inherent Special Summons do not use the chain in any way, so they fall into a different category of rulings than the above. Simply put, if an Inherent Special Summon is negated, then the Game State recognises that a Special Summon was attempted, therefore Pot of Duality cannot be activated.
Similarly, let's say I activate Pot of Duality. You have 2 possible responses: Dark Bribe, or Imperial Order. If you respond with Dark Bribe, then the activation of my Pot of Duality was negated - The conditions of Duality no longer apply. I am able to Special Summon this turn, or I am able to activate a second copy. Imperial Order, on the other hand, only negates the effects of Spell Cards. As Pot of Duality still resolves (even if the effect was negated), the conditions still apply.
Now let's look at Pot of Duality vs Thunder-King Rai-oh. If Rai-oh is on the field and his continuous effect is active (Neither players can add cards from their Deck to their hand except by drawing them), then Duality just flat-out can't be activated. If, however, I activate Pot of Duality, and you respond with Call of the Haunted to summon Rai-oh, then a different thing happens. Pot of Duality's activation and effect still resolve, although the effect is treated differently. I would still reveal the top 3 cards of my deck. I would still select 1 of them to add to my hand. But, because I am currently not able to add cards from my deck to my hand, it is sent to the Graveyard instead. The other two cards are still shuffled into the deck, and the conditions of Pot of Duality still apply.
Pot of Duality
Normal Spell
Reveal the top 3 cards of your Deck, add 1 of them to your hand, then shuffle the rest back into your Deck. You can only activate 1 "Pot of Duality" per turn. You cannot Special Summon a monster(s) during the turn you activate this card.
Reading it, it's easy to see why a lot of people opt to run 3 of this card. But as I've noticed, a few people seem to not be fully aware of the rulings behind it, so here we are. Conditions are usually the rules behind what you can and can't do regarding any particular card or effect. Pot of Duality has 2 of these: "You can only activate 1 "Pot of Duality" per turn." and "You cannot Special Summon a monster(s) during the turn you activate this card." Let's go in depth around a high rank of rulings behind Activation and Effects.
There's two ways to negate a card or effect. The first one is to negate the activation, using cards such as Solemn Judgment or Divine Wrath. The second is to negate the effect, with cards like Effect Veiler or Royal Decree. Let's say, during my turn, I were to activate Call of the Haunted targeting a monster in my Graveyard. And let's say you have 3 options available to respond: You have a Solemn Warning already set, as well as a set Trap Stun, and a D.D. Crow in your hand. If you were to respond with Trap Stun, then my Call of the Haunted would resolve without effect. Same thing for if you chained the effect of D.D. Crow, banishing my target. In these cases, Call of the Haunted (an effect that Special Summons a monster) resolved - There was simply just no monster Summoned. I am still considered to have attempted to Special Summon, meaning that I cannot activate Pot of Duality this turn. However, if you negated my Call of the Haunted with your Solemn Warning, the activation of my Call of the Haunted is negated. The game state doesn't recognise that I tried to Special Summon a monster this turn, meaning I am able to activate Pot of Duality.
Another example: I have a Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon that I have summoned from a previous turn. I activate its effect, and you have 2 possible responses: Either your set Divine Wrath, or that Effect Veiler in your hand. If you used Effect Veiler targeting my Red-Eyes, then only my effect is negated, meaning I'm not able to use Pot of Duality this turn. If you used Divine Wrath, the activation was negated, meaning I can use Duality.
This has so far only covered one way to Special Summon. What about Inherent summons, such as Synchro Summons, or the summon of Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning? In these cases, if the Special Summon is negated by a card like Black Horn of Heaven, then Duality cannot be used. Inherent Special Summons do not use the chain in any way, so they fall into a different category of rulings than the above. Simply put, if an Inherent Special Summon is negated, then the Game State recognises that a Special Summon was attempted, therefore Pot of Duality cannot be activated.
Similarly, let's say I activate Pot of Duality. You have 2 possible responses: Dark Bribe, or Imperial Order. If you respond with Dark Bribe, then the activation of my Pot of Duality was negated - The conditions of Duality no longer apply. I am able to Special Summon this turn, or I am able to activate a second copy. Imperial Order, on the other hand, only negates the effects of Spell Cards. As Pot of Duality still resolves (even if the effect was negated), the conditions still apply.
Now let's look at Pot of Duality vs Thunder-King Rai-oh. If Rai-oh is on the field and his continuous effect is active (Neither players can add cards from their Deck to their hand except by drawing them), then Duality just flat-out can't be activated. If, however, I activate Pot of Duality, and you respond with Call of the Haunted to summon Rai-oh, then a different thing happens. Pot of Duality's activation and effect still resolve, although the effect is treated differently. I would still reveal the top 3 cards of my deck. I would still select 1 of them to add to my hand. But, because I am currently not able to add cards from my deck to my hand, it is sent to the Graveyard instead. The other two cards are still shuffled into the deck, and the conditions of Pot of Duality still apply.
Blogspot Update - Rules Queries
I've come to a major decision regarding my game planning. I am going to do my best to program in automatic gameplay. This doesn't mean the game will play itself - It is merely the opposite of Manual Gameplay. Manual is the style Dueling Network uses, where there are no game mechanics programmed in - All of the gameplay is done manually by the players, with no input from the server. Automatic Gameplay, however, is the style that Tag Force uses - All game mechanics and rulings are already programmed in, and it only lets you do actions that a card effect actually specifies. This has a sizable number of benefits over Manual Gameplay:
1) There is absolutely a 0% chance of mistakes, misplays, and cheating.
2) It is possible to create a fully-functional AI that already knows the rulings, that you are able to play against.
There, is of course, one major downside... This will take a LOT more time. It's not something I'd have a problem with doing, however.
Following this decision, I have also decided to start a new thing on this blogspot - Rules Queries. Every now and then, while adminning on Dueling Network, I'll come across yet another user who is not sure about the specific rulings behind cards like Pot of Duality or Effect Veiler, or want to know more about Priority. While Wikia often provides a lot of help to these people, I will also be posting the rulings on here so that it is quicker and easier to link to people.
1) There is absolutely a 0% chance of mistakes, misplays, and cheating.
2) It is possible to create a fully-functional AI that already knows the rulings, that you are able to play against.
There, is of course, one major downside... This will take a LOT more time. It's not something I'd have a problem with doing, however.
Following this decision, I have also decided to start a new thing on this blogspot - Rules Queries. Every now and then, while adminning on Dueling Network, I'll come across yet another user who is not sure about the specific rulings behind cards like Pot of Duality or Effect Veiler, or want to know more about Priority. While Wikia often provides a lot of help to these people, I will also be posting the rulings on here so that it is quicker and easier to link to people.
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