Card Rulings:Skill Drain

"Skill Drain":

• Gallery
• Rulings
• Errata
• Artworks
• Tips
• Trivia
• Appearances

• "Skill Drain" can be destroyed by cards such as "Mystical Space Typhoon" and "Heavy Storm".

• Paying 1000 Life Points is a cost.

• "Skill Drain" negates the effects of face-up Effect Monsters on the field, but does not negate effects that activate in the Graveyard, such as "Witch of the Black Forest", "Sangan", "Mystic Tomato", "Giant Rat", "Sinister Serpent", and "Vampire Lord".

• If your "Dark Flare Knight" is sent to the Graveyard while "Skill Drain" is active, its effect activates in the Graveyard so you can Special Summon "Mirage Knight" (but "Mirage Knight"'s effects will be negated once it is in play).

• If your "Neko Mane King" is sent to the Graveyard by your opponent's card effect while "Skill Drain" is active, its effect is activated.

• If your "Twin-Headed Behemoth" is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard while "Skill Drain" is active, its effect activates and it is Special Summoned.

• "Skill Drain" will not negate an Ignition Effect or Trigger Effect if the Effect Monster is not face-up on the field when the effect resolves.

• "Skill Drain" does not stop you from activating Ignition Effects, but it does negate their effects as long as the Effect Monster remains on the field.

• If you Tribute "Cannon Soldier" to itself while "Skill Drain" is active, "Cannon Soldier"'s effect is not negated because "Cannon Soldier" is in the Graveyard, but if you Tribute a different monster for "Cannon Soldier"'s effect, then the effect is negated and your opponent takes no damage. Likewise, if you activate "Winged Minion"'s effect while "Skill Drain" is active, "Winged Minion" is no longer on the field and its effect resolves.

• If you activate "Exiled Force"'s effect while "Skill Drain" is active, "Exiled Force" is no longer on the field and you can select and destroy 1 monster on the field. If you Tribute "Paladin of White Dragon" to activate its effect while "Skill Drain" is active, it is no longer on the field and you can Special Summon "Blue-Eyes White Dragon". If you Tribute "Great Dezard" while "Skill Drain" is active, it is no longer on the field and you can Special Summon "Fushioh Richie".

• "Skill Drain" will negate Flip Effects, and you can chain the activation of "Skill Drain" to the activation of a Flip Effect, but you cannot activate "Skill Drain" in the Damage Step because it does not specifically modify ATK or DEF, so you cannot chain "Skill Drain" to a Flip Effect that is activated because a monster was attacked while face-down.

• If you Flip Summon "Spear Cretin" while "Skill Drain" is active, "Spear Cretin"'s effect is negated when it is sent to the Graveyard because it is a Flip Effect and "Skill Drain" negates Flip Effects.

• "Skill Drain" negates Multi-Trigger Effects such as "Dark Paladin" and "Ryu Senshi".

• While "Skill Drain" is active you cannot Tribute a face-up "Kaiser Sea Horse" to Tribute Summon a Level 7 or higher LIGHT monster. However, you can Tribute a face-down "Kaiser Sea Horse".

• While "Skill Drain" is active, "maintenance costs" are not negated (see the Advanced Gameplay FAQ) so you still have to pay for "The Unfriendly Amazon", "Armor Exe", Archfiends, etc. However, all other costs are negated, so you do not have to pay to attack with "Dark Elf" or "Jirai Gumo".

• Restrictions are also lifted, so you can attack with "Ultimate Obedient Fiend" even if you have other cards on your side of the field.

• Spirit Monsters are not returned to the owner's hand while "Skill Drain" is active.

• Toon Monsters' effects are negated while "Skill Drain" is active and the Toon Monster is on the field, so they can attack the same turn they are Summoned, you do not have to pay 500 Life Points to attack with them, and they are not destroyed if "Toon World" is destroyed, but they cannot attack your opponent directly.

• "Jinzo" cannot negate Trap Cards while "Skill Drain" is already active, because "Skill Drain" is negating "Jinzo"'s effect. But if "Jinzo" is already on the field, you cannot activate "Skill Drain" because "Jinzo"'s effect prevents you from doing so.

• When a monster's ATK or DEF are changed by its own effect, like "Slate Warrior" or "Berserk Dragon", and "Skill Drain" is activated, that monster's effect is negated and the ATK/DEF are returned to normal. Even if "Skill Drain" is then destroyed, the old adjustment to ATK/DEF does not come back. Any bonuses or penalties are lost when "Skill Drain" effect is applied, and you have to start over from the beginning.

• If your opponent uses "Bazoo the Soul-Eater"'s effect to increase its ATK, and you use "Skill Drain", "Bazoo the Soul-Eater"'s ATK returns to normal, even if "Skill Drain" is destroyed after resolving. If "Skill Drain" is negating "Bazoo the Soul-Eater"'s effect, you can still pay the cost and remove monsters in your Graveyard from play, but "Bazoo the Soul-Eater"'s ATK will not increase.

• "Goblin Attack Force" and "Spear Dragon" do not change their battle position after attacking while "Skill Drain" is active. If "Goblin Attack Force" attacks and changes battle position, then on your next turn you activate "Skill Drain", you can change "Goblin Attack Force" back to Attack Position because its effect that prevents this is negated.

• Monsters equipped to "Relinquished" while "Skill Drain" is active are negated and destroyed because "Relinquished" no longer has an effect that allows it to be equipped with a monster, and "Relinquished"'s ATK and DEF are returned to normal.

• Monsters that can hold Spell Counters, like "Skilled Dark Magician", no longer have that effect while "Skill Drain" is active, so they cannot gain more Spell Counters and all Spell Counters already placed on them are removed.

• If a face-down "Kiseitai" is attacked while "Skill Drain" is active, the effect of "Kiseitai" is negated, damage calculation is performed, and "Kiseitai" will not equip itself to the attacking monster. But if "Kiseitai" is already an Equip Spell Card, and "Skill Drain" is activated, "Kiseitai" is unaffected because it is no longer an Effect Monster.

• The effects of "Zombyra the Dark" are negated while "Skill Drain" is active, so "Zombyra the Dark" can attack your opponent directly, and its ATK is not decreased because of its effect. If "Skill Drain" is destroyed, "Zombyra the Dark"'s ATK is not changed.

• The ATK and DEF of "Gradius' Option", the ATK of "Maju Garzett", and similar monsters is 0 while "Skill Drain" is active, and is not restored even if "Skill Drain" is destroyed.

• If "Skill Drain" is activated after "Hayabusa Knight"'s first attack, "Hayabusa Knight" does not get its second attack.

• You can Special Summon]] "Gilasaurus" while "Skill Drain" is active, but its effect is negated so your opponent does not get to Special Summon.

• Do not roll dice for Archfiends while "Skill Drain" is active.

• A Union Monster that attached itself to another monster before "Skill Drain" became active is unaffected by "Skill Drain". If "Skill Drain" is active, you can activate a Union Monster's effect to attach it to another monster, but nothing happens and it remains a monster.

• "Skill Drain" will not affect lingering effects or conditions that are left over from a previous effect. For example, if you Special Summon a Fusion Monster with "Summoner of Illusions", and then "Skill Drain" is activated afterwards, the Fusion Monster is still destroyed in the End Phase. If you Special Summon a Fusion Monster with "Magical Scientist", and then "Skill Drain" is activated, the Fusion Monster cannot attack your opponent's Life Points directly, and is returned to the Fusion Deck at the end of the turn.

• When Jowls of Dark Demise's effect is activated and resolves, and then "Skill Drain" is activated afterwards, it has no effect on "Jowls of Dark Demise"'s effect, so control of the monster does not change until it is returned to the original controller at the end of the turn.

• If "Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi"'s effect is activated, and then "Skill Drain" is activated later, "Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi"'s effect is not negated and the opponent must discard his/her hand during their next Draw Phase. But if "Skill Drain" is active at the time "Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi"'s effect activates, then the effect is negated.

• Conditions for Summoning monsters is not negated by "Skill Drain", so you still must remove 1 DARK and 1 LIGHT monster to Special Summon "Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End.

• Summoning "Terrorking Archfiend" if there are no Archfiends on the field.

• You can have 2 "Gravekeeper's Chiefs" on the field while "Skill Drain" is active, but if "Skill Drain" is destroyed, select 1 of the "Gravekeeper's Chiefs" and destroy it.

Mentions in Other Rulings

• Alien Hypno: If you take control of your opponent’s monster with “Alien Hypno” and “Skill Drain” is activated, control of the selected monster is returned to the opponent. If “Skill Drain” is later negated or removed from the field, the selected monster is returned to your control.

• Amplifier: You cannot activate a card that would cause an infinite loop because its effect cannot resolve completely...Example #2: you control "Jinzo" equipped with "Amplifier" and "Skill Drain". Your opponent cannot activate "Royal Decree".

• Ancient Lamp: If "Skill Drain" is active on the field, the effects of "Ancient Lamp" will be negated. (Attacks will not be re-directed.)

• Anteatereatingant: If you activate the effect of "Anteatereatingant", then activate "Skill Drain", "Anteatereatingant" still can't attack that turn. (Even if "Skill Drain" was chained to the effect.)

• Armor Exe: If "Skill Drain" is active and "Armor Exe" is Summoned, or if "Skill Drain" is activated after "Armor Exe" is Summoned, in both cases "Armor Exe" CAN attack the same turn it was Summoned.

• Atomic Firefly: "Atomic Firefly"'s effect activates in the Graveyard when "Atomic Firefly" is sent to the Graveyard at the end of the attack, so "Skill Drain" will not negate its effect.

• Balloon Lizard: While "Skill Drain" is active, you can't put new counters on "Balloon Lizard".

• Behemoth the King of All Animals: If you Tribute Summon "Behemoth the King of All Animals" with 1 Tribute, and "Skill Drain" is activated, its ATK becomes 2700 points. Even if "Skill Drain" is destroyed, the ATK remains at 2700 points.

• Berserk Dragon: While "Skill Drain" is active, "Berserk Dragon"'s effects are negated. But "Berserk Dragon"'s effect doesn't count turns, so if "Skill Drain" was active for 4 turns, and is then destroyed, do not reduce "Berserk Dragon"'s ATK for those 4 turns.

• Big Shield Gardna: "Skill Drain" only negates the effects of monsters that are face-up on the field, so a face-down "Big Shield Gardna" may still negate a Spell Card that targets it while "Skill Drain" is active on the field. It will still be flipped to face-up Defense Position, and now its effect that changes its battle position when it is attacked will be negated.

• Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning: If you activate "Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning"'s first effect, and "Skill Drain" is chained to it to negate the effect, or if "Skill Drain" was active before you activated the effect, you cannot attack with "Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning" that turn because the activation of the effect was not negated and the condition that is included will not be negated by "Skill Drain".

• Burning Algae: "Burning Algae"'s effect cannot be negated by "Skill Drain".

• Chainsaw Insect: If "Skill Drain" is active, your opponent will not get to draw, unless "Chainsaw Insect" is destroyed in the battle, then its effect will activate in the Graveyard and your opponent will draw 1 card.

• Chiron the Mage: The restriction that you can only activate this effect once per turn is a condition, not an effect. So if "Skill Drain" is on the field, you can pay the cost once per turn (for no effect), but not pay the cost continuously in the same turn.

• Combo Fighter / Combo Master: If a chain occurred, then "Skill Drain" was activated, but then "Skill Drain" was destroyed, this monster can attack twice. (This monster's perception that a chain occurred is not reset.)

• D.D. Survivor: If "Skill Drain" is active when "D.D. Survivor" is removed from play, it is still Special Summoned because its effect activates during the End Phase while it is removed from play.

• Darkblaze Dragon: If "Skill Drain" is face-up on the field when "Darkblaze Dragon" is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, or if "Skill Drain" is activated after "Darkblaze Dragon" is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, "Skill Drain" will negate "Darkblaze Dragon's" effect that doubles its original ATK and DEF to create a new current ATK and DEF. If "Skill Drain" is later negated or removed from the field, the original ATK and DEF are not doubled again.

• Dark Catapulter: If "Skill Drain" is activated, all counters on "Dark Catapulter" are removed for no effect.

• Dark Magician of Chaos: While "Skill Drain" is active, the first and second effects of "Dark Magician of Chaos" are negated, but the 3rd effect is not negated.

• Dark Paladin: "Dark Paladin"'s +500 ATK effect is a Continuous Effect. While "Skill Drain" is active, the effects of "Dark Paladin" are negated.

• Destiny Hero - Captain Tenacious: If "Skill Drain" is active during the Standby Phase when this effect resolves, this effect will be negated, even if "Skill Drain" was activated after your "Destiny Hero" monster was destroyed.

• Elemental Hero Neo Bubbleman: If "Skill Drain" is active, this card is no longer treated as "Elemental Hero Bubbleman".

• Elemental Hero Wildheart: For "Elemental Hero Wildheart" vs. "Skill Drain", whichever effect was active on the field first takes precedence. So if "Elemental Hero Wildheart" is on the field and "Skill Drain" is activated, his effect is not negated. But if "Skill Drain" is on the field and "Elemental Hero Wildheart" is Summoned, his effect is negated by "Skill Drain" as long as "Skill Drain" remains on the field.

• Exodia Necross: While "Skill Drain" is active, "Exodia Necross"' ATK is returned to its original 1800 points. Even if "Skill Drain" then leaves play, "Exodia Necross" does no regain any ATK increases it had because of its effect, but it will begin to accumulate ATK points again.

• Exodia Necross: While "Skill Drain" is active, "Exodia Necross" is not destroyed if Exodia pieces are removed from the Graveyard, but it will be destroyed if the effect of "Skill Drain" disappears.

• Felgrand Dragon: If "Skill Drain" is face-up on the field when "Felgrand Dragon" is Special Summoned, or if "Skill Drain" is activated after "Felgrand Dragon" is Special Summoned, "Skill Drain" will negate "Felgrand Dragon's" ATK gaining effect. If "Skill Drain" is later negated or removed from the field, the ATK gain is not reapplied.

• Fox Fire: While "Skill Drain" is active, you can Tribute "Fox Fire" for a Tribute Summon.

• Fusilier Dragon, the Dual-Mode Beast: If you Summoned this card without Tribute, and then "Skill Drain" is later activated, the ATK and DEF are no longer halved. If "Skill Drain" is later destroyed, the ATK and DEF still remain 2800/2000.

• Gear Golem the Moving Fortress: If you activate & resolve this card's effect and then "Skill Drain" is activated, you can still attack directly because "Gear Golem the Moving Fortress"'s effect is already applied and it's still applied even if "Skill Drain" is activated.

• Giant Kozaky: The effect of "Giant Kozaky" that inflicts damage to the controller activates in the Graveyard or the "removed zone", wherever "Giant Kozaky" goes to after being destroyed. "The End of Anubis" will negate the effect of "Giant Kozaky" if it was [[]destroye]d and sent to the Graveyard, but "Banisher of the Light" will not (because "Giant Kozaky" does not have to be "destroyed and sent to the Graveyard"). Nor will "Skill Drain" negate the damage if "Giant Kozaky" is destroyed.

• Gladiator Beast Dimacari: If "Gladiator Beast Dimacari" is Special Summoned by the effect of a "Gladiator Beast" monster, it can attack twice during the Battle Phase. If "Skill Drain" is later activated, this effect is negated and "Gladiator Beast Dimacari" will no longer be able to attack twice with its effect. Even if "Skill Drain" is later negated or removed from the field, "Gladiator Beast Dimacari's" effect to attack twice during the Battle Phase will not be reapplied.

• Gladiator Beast Hoplomus: If "Gladiator Beast Hoplomus" is Special Summoned by the effect of a "Gladiator Beast" monster, its original DEF becomes 2400. If "Skill Drain" is later activated, this effect is negated and "Gladiator Beast Hoplomus" original DEF will return to 2100. Even if "Skill Drain" is later negated or removed from the field, the original DEF of "Gladiator Beast Hoplomus" will remain at 2100.

• Gladiator Beast Laquari: If "Gladiator Beast Laquari" is Special Summoned by the effect of a "Gladiator Beast" monster, its Original ATK and DEF|original ATK]] becomes 2100. If "Skill Drain" is later activated, this effect is negated and "Gladiator Beast Laquari's" original ATK will return to 1800. Even if "Skill Drain" is later negated or removed from the field, the original ATK of "Gladiator Beast Laquari" will remain at 1800.

• Gora Turtle of Illusion: ...if "Skill Drain" is activated, then "Gora Turtle of Illusion"'s effect is negated, and "Snatch Steal"'s effects will resolve properly.

• Light and Darkness Dragon: If "Light and Darkness Dragon" is Summoned or flipped face-up while "Skill Drain" is active, "Light and Darkness Dragon's" first effect will be negated. Its second effect will still activate whenever a Spell, Trap, or effect of an Effect Monster is activated, but the effect of “Light and Darkness Dragon” will be negated so the activation of the Spell, Trap, or effect of an Effect Monster will not be negated and "Light and Darkness Dragon" will not lose ATK or DEF. Its third effect that activates when it is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard will not be negated because this effect activates and resolves while "Light and Darkness Dragon" is not on the field.

• Magical Scientist: If "Skill Drain" is activated after a Fusion Monster is Special Summoned with "Magical Scientist", the effect of "Magical Scientist" (that makes the Fusion Monster unable to attack directly and have to go back to the Fusion Deck) has been applied already, and is not negated, so the Special Summoned Fusion Monster still cannot attack directly and must go back to the Fusion Deck.

• Majestic Mech - Goryu / Majestic Mech - Ohka / Majestic Mech - Senku: If "Skill Drain" is active during the End Phase, it will negate the effects of a "Majestic Mech" so the "Majestic Mech" will not send itself to the Graveyard.

• Maju Garzett: If "Skill Drain" is active, "Maju Garzett"'s ATK is reset to 0 even if "Skill Drain" is later destroyed.

• Man Beast of Ares: If "Man Beast of Ares" gains ATK, but then "Skill Drain" is activated, the ATK increase is wiped out. Even if "Skill Drain" is later destroyed, the ATK increase is not restored. (Although new ATK can be gained.)

• Mataza the Zapper: While "Skill Drain" is active, you can take control of "Mataza the Zapper" from your opponent.

• Megarock Dragon: If "Skill Drain" is active while "Megarock Dragon" is in play, the effect of "Megarock Dragon" is negated and its original ATK and DEF are treated as zero. Even if "Skill Drain" is destroyed later, the original ATK and DEF of "Megarock Dragon" will remain zero.

• Mirage Knight: "Mirage Knight" can be Special Summoned by "Dark Flare Knight"'s effect even if "Skill Drain" is active, because "Dark Flare Knight"'s effect activates in the Graveyard. However, "Mirage Knight"'s effects are negated by "Skill Drain".

• Neo-Spacian Dark Panther: If "Skill Drain" is activated after "Neo-Spacian Dark Panther's" effect has resolved, the effects that the "Dark Panther" copied will be negated, but it will still keep the copied card name until the end of the turn.

• Neo-Spacian Glow Moss: If "Neo-Spacian Glow Moss" attacks directly with its effect and "Skill Drain" is activated in response, "Neo-Spacian Glow Moss" can no longer attack directly and (another) replay will occur.

• Power Bond: If you Fusion Summon "UFOroid Fighter" with 3000 ATK, and then later in the turn "Skill Drain" is activated, reducing its ATK to 0, you will still take 3000 points of damage during the End Phase. If you send "UFOroid Fighter" to the Graveyard so that its effect resets and its original ATK becomes zero, you still take damage equal to its original ATK at the time it was Special Summoned by "Power Bond".

• Power Capsule: You can activate and resolve "Power Capsule" even if "Skill Drain" is on the field.

• Proto-Cyber Dragon: If "Skill Drain" is active, this card is no longer treated as "Cyber Dragon". You could not use it for "Attack Reflector Unit", etc.

• Raviel, Lord of Phantasms: If "Skill Drain" is activated, any "Phantasm Tokens" on the field still cannot attack. (Also, while "Skill Drain" is active, "Raviel, Lord of Phantasms" will not generate any more "Phantasm Tokens".)

• Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys: If "Skill Drain" is active on the field, the effect of "Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys" that Special Summons it from the Graveyard is still activated, because it is activated in the Graveyard. However, the effect that destroys Spell and Trap Cards on the field is negated because it activates on the field (so "Skill Drain" and other Spell and Trap Cards on the field are not destroyed in this case).

• Sand Moth: Even if "Skill Drain" is active when "Sand Moth" is Special Summoned by its own effect, its ATK and DEF will remained switched. (2000 ATK / 1000 DEF).

• Silent Insect: If "Silent Insect" is face-up on the field, you can activate "Skill Drain" by paying 1000 Life Points, but its effect will be negated. If "Skill Drain" is active on the field when you Normal or Flip Summon "Silent Insect", its effects are negated and it will remain in Attack Position.

• Skilled Dark Magician / Skilled White Magician: When "Skill Drain" is active, and you or your opponent activates a Spell Card, do not place Spell Counters on this monster. Any Spell Counters that are on this monster are removed when "Skill Drain" is activated.

• Sonic Jammer: If "Skill Drain" is activated after "Sonic Jammer"'s effect has resolved, the effect of "Sonic Jammer" is not negated because "Skill Drain" was not active when "Sonic Jammer" was flipped, activated its effect, and applied its effect.

• Spirit Reaper: If "Skill Drain" is active, "Spirit Reaper" can be equiped with Equip Cards, but if "Skill Drain" is later removed from the field "Spirit Reaper" will be destroyed.

• Spirit Reaper: "Spirit Reaper" can be destroyed as a result of battle while "Skill Drain" is active.

• Super Double Summon: You can activate "Super Double Summon" and select a Gemini Monster that is having its effect negated by "Skill Drain". The Gemini Monster will be treated as having been Normal Summoned while face-up on the field, but the effects it gains will be negated by "Skill Drain". If "Skill Drain" is negated or removed from the field later in the turn, the selected Gemini Monster’s effects will be active and can be used.

• Terrorking Archfiend: While "Skill Drain" is active, you still need to have an Archfiend Monster Card on your side of the field in order to Normal Summon or Flip Summon "Terrorking Archfiend".

• The Agent of Wisdom - Mercury: When the effect of "The Agent of Wisdom - Mercury" is negated by "Skill Drain", and you have no hand at the end of your opponent's End Phase, and you destroy "Skill Drain" before your Standby Phase (such as with "Mystical Space Typhoon" during your Draw Phase), you CAN draw because "Skill Drain" was destroyed. This is because the "when you have no cards in your hand during your opponent's End Phase" is a condition, not an effect, so it is not negated by "Skill Drain". As long as you can make it so that "Skill Drain" is not negating "The Agent of Wisdom - Mercury"'s card-drawing effect by the time the Standby Phase begins, you can draw.

• Card Rulings:The Creator: If you activate the effect of "The Creator", and it does not resolve because the opponent chains "Skill Drain", or removes the targeted monster from the Graveyard with "Disappear", you've still used the effect. So you cannot activate its effect again that turn (even if you destroy "Skill Drain").

• The Six Samurai - Kamon / The Six Samurai - Yaichi: If "Kamon's" effect is used, then "Skill Drain" is activated later, "Kamon" still cannot declare an attack that turn.

• The Unhappy Girl: If "The Unhappy Girl" applies her effect to a monster, and "Skill Drain" is then activated and resolves, and "Skill Drain" is then destroyed afterwards, then "The Unhappy Girl"'s effect is re-applied and the monster that battled with her before "Skill Drain" was activated cannot attack or change battle position once again.

• UFOroid Fighter: If "UFOroid Fighter" is on the field, and then "Skill Drain" is activated, the original ATK & DEF will be zero, and will remain zero even if "Skill Drain" is destroyed or negated.

• Winged Kuriboh: Because the effect of "Winged Kuriboh" activates in the Graveyard, it will not be negated by "Skill Drain"...

• Winged Kuriboh LV10: You can activate the effect of "Winged Kuriboh LV10" if "Skill Drain" is on the field, and its effect will resolve normally and not be negated, because it is no longer a face-up monster on the field.