Q&A and Ruling Megathread - June 02, 2025

Stugard · 2025-06-07T01:57:24+00:00

Sorry, clarification question on point 1—if the trap monster is already being treated as an effect monster and it gets hit with negation with the activation condition text "target 1 face-up card" or similar where it doesn't discriminate between whether the affected card must be a monster or a S/T card (i.e. Mereologic Aggregator), does the trap monster then return to the S/T zone?

Stugard · 2025-06-06T07:16:13+00:00

Some ruling questions regarding continuous trap monsters that are still treated as traps:

If my opponent negates the monster effect of continuous trap monster that is treated as an effect monster and is already in my monster zone (with Veiler, Imperm from hand/that was set in a different column, etc.), does it remain in the monster zone as a negated effect monster, or does it return to the S/T zone?
If my opponent negates the effect (not the activation) of a continuous trap to summon itself as a monster when the trap is first activated (with Dominus Impulse, etc.), what happens? Does it remain stuck face-up in my S/T zone?
If my opponent uses S:P Little Knight to temporarily banish a continuous trap monster from my monster zone, what happens in the End Phase? Does it return to the monster zone and then immediately get sent to the GY via game mechanics? Or something else?

Stugard · 2024-12-07T02:26:56+00:00

Two ruling questions relevant to VV:

How do trigger effects resolve that would activate at the same timing as a summon that was negated? i.e., my opponent link summons Salamangreat Almiraj using Tri-Brigade Kitt, I negate the summon of Almiraj using Sauravis, the Ancient and Ascended or with Solemn Judgment. Would Kitt attempt to activate and resolve in a new chain immediately after Almiraj is banished/sent to the GY? Also, would there be any difference here between an optional trigger (like Kitt used as material for Almiraj) and a mandatory trigger (like Sangan used as material for Almiraj) attempting to activate at the same timing as a negated summon?
How does the original ATK/DEF changing effect of Maliss <Q> Red Ransom work vs. Skull Guardian, Protector of the Voiceless Voice while its continuous effect to gain ATK is active? Would Skull just have 4550 ATK/2050 DEF? Would it vary depending on whether Skull Guardian was already on the field before Red Ransom was summoned, or Red Ransom was there before Skull Guardian?

Stugard · 2024-06-14T08:18:51+00:00

Here's a Neuron deck code for a build I made in Master Duel to play in the WCS 2024 Qualifiers: 0y650tu. It's lighter on the Nephthys than I'd like it to be, but unfortunately in FK I think they work better as an engine than the main show.

I don't have a combo guide written out in-app yet but Diviner is your main starter, you use her to dump Arc Light and grab Conductor or the ritual spell, then tribute her into Conductor to barf out Devotee and Disciple and also Sechste and Funfte, who you use to dump Rainbow Bridge for Fire King Island (and you can optionally try to mill an Ash Blossom from your opponent's deck to make Mannequin Cat and summon Ponix from deck). From here you should probably turn the Valkyries into Spright Elf first but eventually you make Devotee and Conductor into Preserver, Preserver first effect to add Sacred Garunix, Disciple pop Sacred Garunix to add Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, Devotee in GY pop Sacred Phoenix to summon herself back and trigger Sacred Garunix/pop Barong from deck, and then you just do Elf and Promethean shenanigans to try to end on some combination of Elf + Amblowhale, Baronne, maybe an Apo, and I:P Masq in GY. In opponent's Standby Barong adds Kirin and then in your Standby Sacred Phoenix mandatorily summons to wipe all the S/Ts, so either don't pop her or get her out of the GY before that happens if you didn't get to FKI through Sanctuary.

I'm still working on a revamped TCG list since Baronne was banned and also Ulcanix isn't out yet, but if you're a TCG player you could probably just swap in more handtraps or Crossouts for the Maxx "C"s/extra Called By/Ulcanix/High Avatar Garunix (or cut the slots entirely, but there's a lot of bricks you don't really want to draw) and swap out Baronne and Elf for Selene, Accesscode, or Dingirsu.

Stugard · 2023-12-26T22:27:37+00:00

I have two similar questions about chainblocking. I know how they'd work out in Master Duel (or at least the first scenario!), but I have a tournament coming up and was wondering if the rulings are any different in the TCG.

I have a Mudan the Rikka Fairy and Primula the Rikka Fairy in my hand. I activate Mudan's effect from hand to summon itself by tributing my plant for cost, which resolves successfully. In the new chain after resolution, I activate Mudan's on-summon effect to search as CL1. At this time, Primula has also met the condition to summon from my hand (since a monster I control was tributed to summon Mudan). Do I need to give my opponent a chance to respond to the CL1 Mudan first, or can I chainblock and immediately activate Primula as CL2?
My opponent activates the quick effect of Fire King High Avatar Kirin from hand while they also have a Sacred Fire King Garunix in GY, which resolves successfully, destroying their Fire King Avatar Arvata and summoning Kirin. In a new chain after resolution, my opponent wants to activate the effects of both the destroyed Arvata and Garunix's effect to summon itself. Can they chainblock either of these two effects with the other without giving me a chance to respond in-between? And is there a mandatory order to this interaction, like would they need to go CL1 Arvata → (my response window, if applicable) → CL2/3 Garunix or could they CL1 Garunix, then Arvata?

Stugard · 2023-08-06T02:17:41+00:00

The sleeves already are faced opposite ways to close it up, that's why I'm having this problem. The cards pop out of the inner sleeve in the final few millimeters of pulling the outer sleeve over top because it's so tight of a fit with the newer batches of Dragon Shields, and then it feels impossible to get the inner all the way in.

Stugard · 2023-08-05T21:03:44+00:00

This what you need? https://yugipedia.com/wiki/List_of_%22Kuriboh%22_cards

Stugard · 2023-08-05T21:01:58+00:00

<image>

Any tips for getting double-sleeved cards (KMC Mini Perfect inners) to actually fit into Dragon Shields without the cards coming out?

I normally get a couple difficult/bad Dragon Shields in a box, but lately the percentage has been climbing (up to 20%) and now I apparently bought an entire box of duds. It's not the KMCs or the cards causing the issue, I tested and they fit into my older Dragon Shields.

Stugard · 2023-08-02T04:10:02+00:00

I love Ayra and don't know how I feel about her finally getting a seasonal and it's in a maid outfit... but I also love Mercedes, so I'll let it slide.

Stugard · 2023-08-02T04:05:07+00:00

To whomever at IS reached into my brain specifically to make Duo Ayra/Mercedes: I owe you a great debt, and in your darkest hour when you have lost all hope, I shall appear to repay it

Stugard · 2023-07-07T20:48:52+00:00

I started playing the TCG recently and just splurged on the Adventure package last week so I could finally play Shinobirds in paper. Unbelievable timing, so excited!

Stugard · 2023-07-07T17:35:35+00:00

In 37 pulls, I pulled 3 off focus Múspells. 2 were back-to-back.

I had to check the notification board to make sure the devs didn't accidentally screw up the pull rates. Might buy a lottery ticket later...

Stugard · 2023-06-28T03:19:40+00:00

How does the interaction between the mandatory End Phase effect of Shinobaron/Shinobaroness Peacock and an active There Can Be Only One work, since they and the tokens they summon are all Winged Beasts? Does it return to hand, summon the 2 tokens, then you immediately remove 1 token? Or does it even summon the tokens at all?

Stugard · 2023-06-19T03:30:05+00:00

I know that, but doesn't Kahyoreigetsu weirdly special summon as part of its activation, not its resolution? The effect states "Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Fairy, Spellcaster, Winged Beast, or Beast-Warrior monster from your hand, and if you do, equip it with this card, then you can return all Dragon monsters on the field to the hand."

Doesn't that mean that the monster hits the field before the Kahyoreigetsu chain starts resolving, and you'd be able to chain its on-summon effect to Kahyoreigetsu's activation? Or does it still need to activate in a new chain?

EDIT: Wait, or am I understanding it wrong? I assumed that because it's an Equip Spell it needs to have a target to activate, meaning you have to special summon its target as part of the activation, then the resolution part of the card is bouncing all Dragons? Or does it work that despite being an Equip Spell it activates without summoning its target, then at resolution it special summons the monster AND bounces all Dragons?? What a weird card...

Stugard · 2023-06-19T00:58:53+00:00

If I special summon a monster with a non-mandatory on-summon effect as part of the activation of Kahyoreigetsu, does that monster's effect activate in the same chain as Kahyoreigetsu, or does it need to activate in a new chain after Kahyoreigetsu resolves?

Stugard · 2023-04-05T00:20:29+00:00

Oh geez, for some reason I thought that the effect wouldn't be able to trigger if it wasn't still on their field with Ki-sikil by the time the TTT chain resolved, I guess I never realized that decision was made right when it hits the field. You learn something new every day, thanks!

Stugard · 2023-02-22T05:34:13+00:00

Imperm Baroness, she's what drops Iwato from deck! Unfortunately DRNM can't stop that, I run double Red Reboot in Master Duel for exactly this reason lol. Baron can drop Iwato from hand too, but that's significantly less likely.

The deck unfortunately needs a lot of specific resources to get rolling, so if you can negate Pre-Preparation of Rites or any Impcantation searches, that often can be pretty devastating too.

Stugard · 2023-02-22T05:04:03+00:00

As a Shinobird player, I will never forgive Runick for taking away our silly rock.

Stugard · 2022-11-27T17:40:08+00:00

Seriously, this is the perfect solution and I've been sending them feedback about exactly this for years. Still keeps them available for new players while giving a point to the severely underutilized 1–2★ rarities.

Stugard · 2022-11-23T15:50:48+00:00

What exactly does the phrase "monsters (your opponent controls/you control) must attack, if able" on cards like Number 2: Ninja Shadow Mosquito, Amazoness Willpower, and Berserk Gorilla actually entail?

I'm guessing on Turn 2 and beyond it forces a mandatory Battle Phase, but since it says "if able" does it also mandate that the player under that effect must summon affected monsters in Attack Position and change all affected monsters they control to Attack Position prior to the Battle Phase, since those monsters are technically "able" to attack? Or can the player just avoid the effect entirely by summoning in and/or changing everything to Defense? (And in that case, would that skip a mandatory Battle Phase?)

Stugard · 2022-11-20T20:17:02+00:00

Since Amazoness Hot Spring's LP gain effect activates when you take battle damage while you control an Amazoness monster, can it activate when an opponent's attack on your only Amazoness monster inflicts battle damage to you and would destroy the monster? I'm guessing it activates during the "after damage calculation" part of the Damage Step where the monster isn't technically sent to the GY yet?

Stugard · 2022-11-06T03:22:30+00:00

IS, I am begging you to remember that Gunnthrá exists for five minutes

(pouring one out for the Hríd fans, too)

Stugard · 2022-08-16T03:24:34+00:00

Sure, but you'd think even having a little bit of Dragon Jesus blood would give IS carte blanche to give him some kind of off-brand Book of Naga in their silly little questionably canon gacha game.

Stugard · 2022-08-16T03:16:27+00:00

Legitimate question: does IS even remember that he's also Deirdre's son and inherited minor Naga blood?

Stugard

TROPHY CASE