Talk:Activate

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Can a card be activated when there are no valid targets for the card's effect?
Example situation: Can Enemy Controller be activated when there are no face-up monsters to use on with its effect?
I know that the video games' mechanics prevent this from happening, but is there any ruling stating about a card's activation when no valid targets are present? Gadjiltron 09:03, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

Similar as above, can we activate Rising Energy if Elemental Hero Wildheart is the only monster we have on our Field? J0V1 09:11, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

• This situation is a little different. Wildheart is unaffected by Traps, but still can be targetted by them. Hence you still can trigger Rising Energy, targetting Wildheart, but nothing will happen.Gadjiltron 09:16, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

• • Hooo, thanks, G. J0V1 09:20, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

• If there is no valid target for a card, it cannot be activated. This is a "common sense" ruling. You can't activate Nobleman of Crossout if there are no face-down monsters, similarly, you can't activate Heavy Storm if there are no other Spell or Trap Cards on the field.--TwoTailedFox (My Talk Page) 12:13, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

Activation times

once a card is flipped face up or an effect monster is summoned already is that considered its only activation? example would be Coffin Seller and Lava Golem. does it count as a separate activation each time they do damage to my opponent or is the only time there considered "activated" is when they are used

Activating if not real target

You can activate cards that dont target if there is no defined card so you can activate Heavy Storm if its the only S/T card on the field. —This unsigned comment was made by ANDELE3025 (talk • contribs) 22:11, January 29, 2010

Targeting has nothing to do with it - you can't activate something if its effect will do nothing. In that case, "Heavy Storm" will do nothing, so you can't activate it. --Deus Ex Machina (Talk) 18:05, January 30, 2010 (UTC)

Costs and Payment

I know that costs are paid before effects can activate, but is the cost of a Trap Card or Quick-Play Spell Card paid before the card is flipped face-up or after? 207.233.120.2 (talk) 15:16, April 25, 2011 (UTC)

It's paid after you flip up the card. That means even if your cost would eventually end up as a valid target (e.g. discarding a Zombie monster for Zombie Master's effect), if you don't have any valid affected cards you can't even flip up the card, or even pay the effect cost. --Gadjiltron (talk • contribs) 12:25, April 20, 2012 (UTC)