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* The Damage Step can be thought of as being made up of 'substeps', but this is not strictly true. It is a continuum, with several actions happening in sequence.
====[[Start of the Damage Step]]====
As soon as the Damage Step is entered, apply the [[Continuous Effect]]s of any monsters that apply "during the Damage Step (only)", such as “[[Steamroid]]” and “[[Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger]]”.
Next, the Trigger Effects of monsters that activate "'''at the start of the Damage Step'''" activate now (if triggered appropriately), such as “[[Neo-Spacian Grand Mole]]” and the “[[Mystic Swordsman]]” cards. The effects of "[[Nanobreaker]]" and "[[Disciple of the Forbidden Spell]]" would also activate now.
* Note that the monster has not been flipped face-up at this point:
** If the effect requires the opponent's monster be face-up, either directly or indirectly (such as "[[Ally of Justice Catastor]]") then it will not activate to destroy a face-down monster.
Players may start 1 manual Chain at this point before the next act of the Damage Step:
====[[Flip the face-down monster face-up]]===='''The face-down monster being attacked is now flipped face-up''' at this point (if necessary).
* 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 generally apply the Continuous Effect. This includes the [[Continuous Effect]]s of monsters like “[[Star Boy]]” and “[[Jinzo]]”, that apply as long as the monster is face-up on the field.
Players may start 1 manual Chain before the next act of the Damage Step:
====[[Before damage calculation]]====The Trigger Effects of monsters that activate "'''before damage calculation'''" activate now, such as the effects of "[[Drillroid]]" and "[[Ehren, Lightsworn Monk]]". Also, cards like "[[Blast Sphere]]" and "[[Ancient Lamp]]" have effects that activate when they are flipped face-up by an attack and their effects are activated at this time. These cards typically have effects that state that they are activated 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.)
This is the latest (and most typical) point at which general ATK/DEF modifiers may be used. Players may start MULTIPLE manual Chains at this point.
*Example: If you activate “[[Rush Recklessly]]” and it is negated by your opponent’s “[[Magic Jammer]]”, you can start another Chain by activating “[[Rising Energy]]”.
====[[During damage calculation]]====After both players have finished activating effects before damage calculation, we now move to damage calculation. However, before the monsters' ATK/DEF are actually compared, any effects that can activate "'''during damage calculation'''" will apply first, such as the ATK modifying Trigger Effect of "[[Moon Mirror Shield]]" or the Quick Effect of "[[Honest]]".
Only certain ATK/DEF modifiers may be activated at this point.
* If one player activates "[[Honest]]" during damage calculation, the other player could not activate their own "[[Honest]]" in a new Chai.
====[[Damage calculation]]====At this point, damage is calculated. '''Damage calculation''' involves comparing the monsters' ATK/DEF to determine what the battle damage should be and which monsters (if any) are destroyed by the battle.
* Both monsters need to be face-up at this point. If a monster is destroyed by a card effect during the Damage Step before this point (eg. because of "[[Divine Wrath]]"), any remaining effects on the Chain finish resolving, and damage calculation is not performed. The remainder of the Damage Step continues as normal.
====[[After damage calculation]]====
The Battle Damage is now dealt, but monsters that are destroyed by the battle do not leave the field at this point.
* If a monster destroyed by the battle has a [[Continuous Effect]] that is applied while the monster is face-up on the field ("[[Jinzo]]", "[[Spell Canceller]]", etc.), the [[Continuous Effect]] is no longer applied.
* If the attacked monster was flipped face-up and it had a "self-destruct" effect ("[[Giant Kozaky]]", "[[Zombie Mammoth]]" etc.) and it has survived the battle, it is destroyed by its effect at this time if its proper field conditions are not met. If it is destroyed by the battle, this will not occur, as its Continuous Effect would stop applying.
* Monsters destroyed are still on the field at this point, but they cannot be targeted by their own effects or returned to the hand or Deck. However, their effects can still be negated, and they can still be targeted, destroyed, or banished by other card effects.
* It also cannot be used as a cost for an optional effect. For example, a "[[tellarknight]]" monster that has been destroyed at this point cannot be Tributed to activate "[[Stellarnova Alpha]]" at this point. A destroyed "[[Koa'ki Meiru Guardian]]" could not be Tributed to activate its own effect.
* A destroyed "[[Doomcaliber Knight]]" would Tribute itself to negate a monster effect at this time.
* A destroyed "[[Light and Darkness Dragon]]" would activate its effect at this point if appropriate, but could not reduce its ATK and DEF upon resolution, but
Players may start one manual Chain before the next action:
====[[End of the Damage Step]]===='''Monsters that have been destroyed by battle are now sent to the Graveyard'''. Any effects that are triggered by this activate now, such as "[[Mystic Tomato]]" and "[[Blackwing - Shura the Blue Flame]]". This includes effects that activate "'''at the end of the Damage Step'''", such as "[[Chainsaw Insect]]".
*Some effects are given specific allowance 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.
*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.
Players may start one manual Chain before the turn player returns to the Battle Step.
===[[End Step]]===
* The effects of monsters that activate at the end of the Battle Phase activate here, such as the effect of "[[Tiras, Keeper of Genesis]]" and the effects of "[[Gladiator Beast]]" monsters.
* As usual, fast effects may be activated here, and activations follow the rules of Fast Effect Timing.
