Breakdown of the Battle Phase

From Yugipedia
Revision as of 00:31, 13 April 2010 by 161.216.173.242 (talk) (Start Step)
Jump to: navigation, search

Template:Contradict

You may not enter the Battle Phase if you are the starting player. Entering your Battle Phase is optional, except where special conditions apply (like if you control a face-up Attack Position "Berserk Gorilla"). If you do not wish to enter the Battle Phase, you must immediately proceed to your End Phase, without proceeding to Main Phase 2. You may enter the Battle Phase even if you do not control any monsters, or if all monsters you control are in Defense Position.

TCG Battle Phase

Start Step

  • The Turn player now declares that he/she is entering the Battle Phase.
  • The Turn player has priority to activate Spell Speed 2 cards now.
  • Decide if conducting battle. Note: entering Battle Phase doesn't mean you have to declare attacks. If you do not, go straight to End of Battle Phase

Battle Step

  • The Turn player must declare that he/she is entering the Battle Step.

Start/Attack Declaration

Before Damage Step

  • Cards that don't need to be activated in direct response to the attack declaration, but before the Damage Step, can/may be activated here. Note, that several different chains can be created before both players agrees to enter Damage Step.

Damage Step

  • The Damage Step is comprised of a series of events. The start of the Damage Step, flipping the face-down attacked monster face-up, damage calculation, inflicting Battle Damage, activating the Flip Effect of the flipped monster, and sending a monster destroyed by battle to the Graveyard are seperate events that all happen during the Damage Step.
  • The Damage Step has specific rules that govern what can or cannot be activated. Some cards can't be activated at all, while others can only be activated during very specific events that occur within the Damage Step:

Substep 1: Start of the Damage Step

Substep 2: Flipping the Face-Down Monster Face-Up

  • If the monster being attacked is face-down, it is flipped face-up at this time. If the monster has a Flip Effect or a Trigger Effect that activates when it is flipped face-up, the effect will not activate at this time unless otherwise stated by the card text.
  • If a monster is flipped and it has a Continuous Effect, then you apply the Continuous Effect. This includes the Continuous Effects of monsters like “Star Boy”, “Hoshiningen”, “Jinzo”, and “Spell Canceller” that apply as long as the monster is face-up on the field.
    • Effects that would prevent the flipped monster from being attacked, like “Command Knight’s” effect, are not applied at this time, because the monster is already being attacked. If the monster survives the battle, its effect will be applied against any following battles.
    • If the flipped monster has a Continuous Effect that causes it to destroy itself under certain conditions ("Giant Kozaky", "Zombie Mammoth", "Thunder Nyan Nyan", etc.), then the monster is not immediately destroyed and Damage Calculation is still conducted. If the monster is destroyed by the battle, its effect is not applied. If the monster survives the battle, it is destroyed by its effect after damage calculation.
  • Effects that increase, decrease, halve, or double the ATK and/or DEF of a monster can be activated at this time.

Substep 3: Before Damage Calculation

  • The effects of cards like “Drillroid” and “Ehren, Lightsworn Monk” activate at this time, after the face-down monster has been flipped face-up and before damage has been calculated. Sometimes these effects will state something similar to “without applying Damage Calculation”, which means that damage calculation will not occur and will actually be skipped over. (The remainder of the Damage Step that occurs AFTER damage calculation will continue as normal.)
  • Effects that increase, decrease, halve, or double the ATK and/or DEF of a monster are typically activated at this time.
  • You are allowed to have multiple Chains for the use of activating these types of effects.

Substep 4: "During Damage Calculation"

  • Some effects in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG are applied "during damage calculation". Damage Calculation is a specific event in the Damage Step during which we compare the ATK and/or DEF of the monsters in battle and inflict Battle Damage, if appropriate, following the rules on Pages 35-36 of the rulebook (Version 7.0). Some effects are applied during this very specific event, like "Injection Fairy Lily" and "Kuriboh", begin a Chain, while Continuous Effects that are applied during damage calculation do not.

We only get one Chain with which to activate effects that are activated "during damage calculation". Only effects that are activated "during damage calculation" and effects that negate them, such as Counter Trap Cards and the effects of cards like "Herald of Orange Light" and "Light and Darkness Dragon", can be activated at this time. Effects that increase, decrease, halve, double, etc. the ATK and/or DEF of a monster cannot be activated at this time, unless they are specifically allowed to be activated "during damage calculation". This means that cards like "Shrink", which are not specifically activated "during damage calculation", cannot be activated, while "Injection Fairy Lily's" effect can be activated.

Any Continuous Effects specific to damage calculation are applied (turn on) before the "during damage calculation" Chain begins, but some can be applied or disappear during the Chain's resolution if the conditions of the battle change (ATK/DEF change, Life Point change, etc.) After the "during damage calculation" Chain has finished resolving and all appropriate Continuous Effects have been applied, the results of the attack are determined and any resulting Battle Damage is inflicted.

If a monster is destroyed by a card effect during damage calculation ("Divine Wrath", etc.), any remaining effects on the Chain finish resolving. After the Chain finishes resolving, damage calculation stops. No battle damage is inflicted and neither monster is destroyed by the battle. The monster that is destroyed by a card effect is not considered to have been destroyed by battle, because damage calculation stopped and this determination wasn't made. The remainder of the Damage Step continues as normal.

Honest Issues
  • "Honest" is a bit odd, because it can be activated anytime from the start of the Damage Step up to and including damage calculation. A player's ability to respond to its effect will depend on when "Honest's" effect is activated. Some card texts do not indicate that a card can be activated during damage calculation, but their card rulings do, like "Injection Fairy Lily" and "Honest". Be sure to check the FAQ and Judge Forum if you are uncertain. (Keep in mind that a very, very small number of cards use this specific portion of the Damage Step.)
  • Example 1: Injection Fairy Lily and Rising Energy
    Player A has "Dark Magician" in Attack Position and "Rising Energy" set in his/her Spell and Trap Card Zone. His/her opponent has "Injection Fairy Lily" in Attack Position. Player A attacks "Injection Fairy Lily" with "Dark Magician". During damage calculation, Player A's opponent activates "Injection Fairy Lily's" effect. Player A cannot chain "Rising Energy" to increase the ATK of "Dark Magician".
  • Example 2: Injection Fairy Lily and Divine Wrath
    Player A has "Goyo Guardian" in Attack Position and "Divine Wrath" Set in his/her Spell and Trap Card Zone. His/her opponent, Player B, has "Injection Fairy Lily" in Attack Position. Player A attacks "Injection Fairy Lily" with "Goyo Guardian". During damage calculation, "Injection Fairy Lily's" effect is activated. Player A chains "Divine Wrath" to negate the effect of "Injection Fairy Lily" and destroy it. Damage calculation stops, no Battle Damage is inflicted to Player B's Life Points, and "Goyo Guardian's" effect does not activate because "Injection Fairy Lily" was destroyed by the effect of "Divine Wrath" and not by battle. The remainder of the Damage Step continues as normal.
  • Example 3: Injection Fairy Lily and Skyscraper
    Player A has "Skyscraper" in his/her Field Spell Card Zone and "Elemental Hero Wildedge" in Attack Position. He/she attacks her opponent's Attack Position "Injection Fairy Lily". During damage calculation, his/her opponent activates "Injection Fairy Lily's" effect, increasing its ATK to 3400. After "Injection Fairy Lily's" effect resolves, "Skyscraper's" Continuous Effect is applied to increase the ATK of "Elemental Hero Wildedge" to 3600.
  • Example 4: Honest Vs. Honest
    Player A has "Honest" in his/her hand and "D.D. Warrior Lady" in Attack Position. His opponent, Player B, has "Honest" in his/her hand and "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" in Attack Position. Player A attacks the "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" with "D.D. Warrior Lady". During damage calculation, he activates the effect of "Honest". If Player B wants to activate the effect of their "Honest", they would need to chain it. They cannot wait until after Player A's "Honest" resolves and start another Chain, because when the current Chain finishes resolving damage will be calculated and the timing to activate the effects of cards like "Honest" will have passed. Thus if Player B activates his "Honest", his "Honest's" effect would resolve first. Then Player A's "D.D. Warrior Lady" would have 1500 more ATK than "Blue-Eyes White Dragon", destroying "Blue-Eyes White Dragon".

Substep 5: Battle Damage - After Damage Calculation

  • If the flipped monster had a "self-destruct" effect ("Giant Kozaky", "Zombie Mammoth", "Thunder Nyan Nyan", etc.) and it has survived the battle, it is destroyed by its effect at this time if its proper field conditions are not met.
  • Immediately after inflicting Battle Damage, "Flashbang" can be activated before any other effects activate. If "Flashbang" is activated and resolves properly, then other effect that activate when Battle Damage is inflicted will not activate.

Substep 6: Resolve effects

  • The Flip Effect of the monster flipped face-up by the attack activate at this time. If the flipped monster had a Trigger Effect that activates when the monster is flipped face-up (“Royal Keeper”, “Nightmare Penguin”, etc.), it will be activated at this time.
  • If the Flip Effect of the flipped monster targets, you cannot select a target that has been destroyed during damage calculation.

Substep 7: End of the Damage Step - Monster(s) Destroyed by Battle are Sent to the Graveyard

  • Monsters that have been destroyed by battle are now sent to the Graveyard (or removed from play if "Macro Cosmos" is active).
    • If the monster destroyed by battle has an effect that activates when it is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, its effect starts a Chain.
    • Effects that can be activated when a monster is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard (“Tualatin”, "Desrook Archfiend", “Time Machine”, “Destiny Signal”, “Domino Effect”, etc.) may be activated/chained at this time.
    • A monster that activates its effect when it destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard (“Hydrogeddon”, “Elemental Hero Flame Wingman”, etc.) are also activated at this time.
    • Monsters like “Apprentice Magician” whose effects activate when “destroyed by battle” will activate at this time. If "Apprentice Magician" is removed from play instead (by "Macro Cosmos"), then its will still activate because it does not need to be “destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard”.
    • Monsters with effects that activate when they destroy a monster by battle, without the additional requirement of “sending it to the Graveyard” (“Fenrir”, etc.), will also activate at this time.
  • A Counter on a “B.E.S.” monster or on “Big Core” is removed. If “Des Mosquito” was destroyed by the battle, 1 counter is removed. If “Spacegate” is active, 1 Gate Counter is placed upon it if the opponent’s monster attacked or was attacked.
  • Some effects are given specific allowanced by Konami that allow them to be activated at this time, like “Michizure” and “Chthonian Blast”. Cards such as these will typically have a ruling on the FAQ mentioning that they may be activated during the Damage Step, and they usually apply at this time.

OCG Battle Phase

Start Step

  • The Turn player now declares that he/she is entering the Battle Phase.
  • The Turn player has priority to activate Spell Speed 2 cards now.
  • After both players pass Priority, you enter the Battle Step or the End Step, at the Turn Player's discretion.

Battle Step

  • At the start of the Battle Step, the Turn Player can act first. Before the opponent can respond, the Turn Player may attack with a monster or activate a Spell Speed 2+ effect.
  • If the Turn Player declares an attack, only one Chain can be used in response to the attack.
  • Multiple Chains are allowed during this Step. After both players pass Priority, you enter the Damage Step (if a monster is attacking) or the End Step (if no monster is attacking).

Damage Step

Substep 1: Start of Damage Step

Substep 2: After Starting the Damage Step

Substep 3: At Damage Calculation

  • You can activate effects that activate at Damage Calculation, like "Injection Fairy Lily" or "Kinetic Soldier".
  • Effects which increase/decrease ATK/DEF CANNOT be activated.
    • "Honest" is an exception, due to his rulings.
  • After resolving cards, you move onwards. Cards cannot be activated in response to the chain. Only one Chain is allowed during this Substep.
  • After the chain, apply Continuous Effects like "Skyscraper", "The Wicked Avatar", "The Wicked Dreadroot".

Substep 4: Inflict Battle Damage

  • Inflict Battle Damage, and decide whether the monster is destroyed by Battle.
  • Apply Continuous Effects like those of "Amazoness Swords Woman" and "Susa Soldier".
  • You can activate the effects of "Kuriboh", "Defense Draw", and "Nutrient Z".
  • Damage has already been calculated and the monsters have already considered to have battled. If a monster is removed from the field or has its ATK/DEF altered, then do not recalculate the damage.

Substep 5: After Damage Calculation

  • Cards and effects cannot be activated.
  • Determine if the monster is destroyed by battle.

Substep 6: Immediately After Inflicting Battle Damage

Sub-Step 7: Damage Result; Flip Effects; Destroyed by Battle

Substep 8: At the End of the Damage Step