Sometimes a Trigger Effect says that "when" a condition happens, you "can" activate its effect. In this case, you are only allowed to activate the effect when the condition being met was the last thing to happen in the game (activating cards & effects that haven't resolved yet doesn't count).
If the triggering condition happened for an optional Trigger Effect, but something else has happened after that, then you have "missed the timing" and you cannot activate it. For example, this can happen if the optional Trigger Effect monster was Tributed for a Tribute Summon or to activate a card effect, or if the triggering condition happened in a chain and wasn't Chain Link 1, or if another card effect or game effect has happened since then. The triggering condition has to be the very last thing that happened in order for a "when… you can" optional Trigger Effect to activate.
If the triggering condition for an optional Trigger Effect happens as Chain Link 2 or higher, it will still "miss the timing", even if all of the effects lower on the chain resolve with no effect (disappear), or are negated by a Continuous Effect.
EXAMPLE 1: Player A controls a face-up "Skilled Dark Magician" and a face-down "Magical Dimension."
Player B has four cards in their hand, including "Dragon Ice" and "Tribute to the Doomed." He activates "Tribute to the Doomed" and targets Player A's "Skilled Dark Magician."
Player A chains "Magical Dimension". "Magical Dimension" resolves, and Player A Tributes his "Skilled Dark Magician" and Special Summons "Dark Magician" from his hand.
Player B has four cards in their hand, including "Dragon Ice" and "Tribute to the Doomed." He activates "Tribute to the Doomed" and targets Player A's "Skilled Dark Magician."
Player A chains "Magical Dimension". "Magical Dimension" resolves, and Player A Tributes his "Skilled Dark Magician" and Special Summons "Dark Magician" from his hand.
Player B's "Tribute to the Doomed" now does nothing, because the target isn't on the field any more. (Its effect disappears.)
Player A cannot Special Summon "Dragon Ice" from his hand. Even though the effect of "Tribute to the Doomed" disappeared, its resolution is still considered to be the last thing that happened.
EXAMPLE 2: Player A has a "Solar Flare Dragon" face-up on the field, and its effect activates during his End Phase. He also has a "Dragon Ice" in his hand.
Player B chains "Call of the Haunted", targeting a "Prime Material Dragon" in his Graveyard.
Player A chains "Skill Drain". "Skill Drain" resolves, then "Call of the Haunted" resolves, Special Summoning "Prime Material Dragon". "Solar Flare Dragon's" effect is negated by "Skill Drain".
Player A cannot Special Summon "Dragon Ice" from his hand. Even though the effect of "Solar Flare Dragon" was negated by "Skill Drain", its resolution is still considered to be the last thing that happened.
For some good specific examples of "missing the timing", see the rulings for "Pinch Hopper", "Peten the Dark Clown", or "Dark Magician of Chaos".
-- Otto Beutelspacher H. ______________________________________ Mail: ottobh@gmail.com Mail: eventospremiermexico@gmail.com Foro: http://www.zonaforo.com/bisonte Blog: http://dragonsduel.blogspot.com/ ______________________________________ Player Management: Level 1 Rules Knowledge - Yu-gi-oh!: Level 3 Tournament Organizer: Level 1 ______________________________________ |
