Final Justice

Duelist Pack: Yusei 3 brings us 8 new Cards used by the main character of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. Let's take a look.

First, we have Boost Warrior:

If you control a face-up Tuner monster, you can Special Summon this card from your hand in face-up Defense Position. All Warrior-Type monsters you control gain 300 ATK.

Boost Warrior has a Summoning Condition that allows you to Summon it through an Inherent Special Summon if you control a face-up Tuner Monster. Other than that, it has a Continuous Effect that provides an ATK boost to Warriors on your side of the Field.

Next, we have Justice Bringer:

Once per turn, when a Special Summoned monster your opponent controls activates its effect, you can negate the activation.

Justice Bringer has an Optional Quick Effect. It negates the activation of a Monster Effect. The effect must have originated from a monster your opponent controlled, and that monster must have been Special Summoned to the Field. This effect doesn't target and it can be activated during the Damage Step. It can only negate effects activated on the Field, so even if your opponent Special Summoned Sangan, its effect activates in the Graveyard, so Justice Bringer can't negate it. However, Justice Bringer can negate effects that activate on the Field even if the opponent's monster is no longer on the Field by the time the effect is activated, for example, if your opponent controls a Special Summoned Exiled Force and activates its effect.

Then, we have Bri Synchron:

If this card is sent to the Graveyard as a Synchro Material Monster, until the End Phase of this turn, the Synchro Monster that used this card as a Synchro Material Monster gains 600 ATK but its effects are negated.

Bri Synchron has a Continuous Effect. You simply apply it as soon as the Synchro Monster is face-up. Using multiple copies of Bri Synchron gives more ATK to the monster. The effect negation lasts until the End Phase, and it negates any effects activated on the Field. Flipping the monster face-down gets rid of the ATK bonus but also gets rid of the negation.

And then, the last monster is Big One Warrior:

During your Main Phase, you can send 1 Level 1 monster, except this card, from your hand to the Graveyard to Special Summon this card from your hand.

Big One Warrior has an Ignition Effect. Sending a monster to the Graveyard is a cost, so it can't be activated if Macro Cosmos is face-up on the Field.

As for Spell Cards, we have Battle Waltz:

Select 1 face-up Synchro Monster you control. Special Summon 1 "Waltz Token" with the same Type, Attribute, Level, ATK and DEF as that monster. Players take no Battle Damage from battles involving this Token.

Battle Waltz targets a Synchro Monster on your side of the Field to Special Summon a Token with the same Type, Attribute, Level, ATK and DEF. If the target is missing at the time of this Card's effect's resolution, you don't Special Summon the Waltz token. The ATK and DEF are considered to be the token's Original ATK and DEF.

The other Spell Card is Synchro Gift:

Select 2 face-up monsters you control (1 Synchro Monster and 1 non-Synchro monster). Until the End Phase of this turn, reduce the ATK of the Synchro Monster to 0, and the other monster gains ATK equal to the Synchro Monster's original ATK.

Synchro Gift targets two monsters you control. It sets the ATK of the Synchro Monster to zero, and the non-Synchro Monster gains ATK equal to the Original ATK of the Synchro. Notice the terminology used in the ATK variations. Furthermore, if the non-Synchro monster is no longer face-up by the time Synchro Gift resolves, your Synchro Monster still has its ATK reduced to zero.

And then, we have two Trap Cards, one is Card of Sacrifice:

Draw 2 cards, if the combined ATK of all your face-up Attack Position monsters (minimum 2) is less than the ATK of your opponent's face-up monster with the lowest ATK. You cannot Summon or change Battle Position the turn you activate this card.

Card of Sacrifice basically has a ton of requirements for you to draw Cards. If you already performed a Summon or if you changed the Battle Position of a monster manually during this turn, you cannot activate it. If you have less than 2 monsters, their total ATK is higher than the opponent's monster, or the opponent no longer has monsters, you don't draw 2 Cards. This Card doesn't target.

The last Card for today is Synchro Material:

Select 1 face-up monster your opponent controls. If you Synchro Summon this turn, you can use the selected monster as a Synchro Material Monster. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase during the turn you activate this card.

Synchro Material targets an opponent's monster. It doesn't perform a Synchro Summon by itself, so if you are outside of your Main Phases, you'll need another Card's effect to perform the Synchro Summon. If you target your opponent's Formula Synchron, you cannot activate its effect to perform a Synchro Summon, but if you control Formula Synchron during your opponent's Main Phase, and you activate Synchro Material, you can later use Formula's Quick Effect to perform a Synchro Summon with that monster. If the targeted monster is flipped face-down, you can no longer use it as a Synchro Material. If you target your opponent's Tuningware, you can treat it as a Level 2 monster, but it will be your opponent who draws a Card.

That's all for this Duelist Pack. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me an e-mail at ness00[at]gmail[dot]com.

STBL Part 4: That's no moon...

Like any set, Starstrike Blast includes some Cards used in the anime. Let's take a look:

First, we have Swift-Attack Scarecrow:

When your opponent's monster declares a direct attack, you can discard this card to negate that attack and end the Battle Phase.

Scarecrow has an Optional Trigger Effect that you activate upon Attack Declaration. Discarding it is a cost. This effect doesn't target, and you can only activate one Scarecrow in response to the attack.

Next, we have Mirror Ladybug:

If you control at least 1 face-up monster and have no monsters in your Graveyard, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. When this card is Special Summoned this way, this card's Level becomes equal to the total Levels of all other monsters you control. If the Level of this card is higher than 12, destroy this card.

Ladybug has a Summoning Condition that gives it an Inherent Special Summon. Then, it has a Mandatory Trigger Effect activated upon its successful Special Summon using that method, which can be negated by Swallow Flip. This effect counts the Levels of the other monsters you control when it resolves. Finally, it has a Continuous Effect which will destroy Mirror Ladybug if its Level ever exceeds 12. This isn't limited to its own Trigger Effect. Anything that would cause its Level to be too high will result in Mirror Ladybug being destroyed.

Then, we have Reed Butterfly:

If your opponent controls a face-up Synchro Monster(s) and you control no face-up Synchro Monsters, you can Special Summon this card from your hand.

Reed Butterfly's Summoning Condition gives it an Inherent Special Summon. It has no further Monster Effects.

Moving on, we have Needle Soldier:

If this card is used as a Synchro Material Monster for a Synchro Monster, during battle between that Synchro Monster and a Defense Position monster whose DEF is lower than the ATK of that Synchro Monster, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent.

Needle Soldier has a Continuous Effect. It is applied as soon as the Synchro Summon is successful, and it doesn't depend on Soldier remaining in the Graveyard (or wherever it's sent after the Synchro Summon). It sets a Condition on the Synchro Monster which gives it a trampling effect that doesn't use the chain. If the Synchro Monster is flipped face-down or is Removed from the Field, it will lose this effect.

Then, we have Necro Linker:

You can Tribute this card to select 1 "Synchron" Tuner monster in your Graveyard. Special Summon that monster. It cannot be used as a Synchro Material Monster during the turn it is Special Summoned by this effect.

Necro Linker has an Ignition Effect. You tribute Linker as a cost, and it targets a monster in your Graveyard. Then, it sets a Condition on the Summoned monster, preventing it from being used as a Synchro Material this turn. Flipping the monster face-down will get rid of this Condition.

The last regular Yusei monster is Rescue Warrior:

You take no Battle Damage from battles involving this card. If this card is destroyed by battle, select 1 face-up monster your opponent controls that you own, and take control of it.

Rescue Warrior's first effect is a Continuous Effect that prevents Battle Damage. Then, it has a Mandatory Trigger Effect activated at the End of the Damage Step when Rescue Warrior is destroyed in battle. It targets a face-up monster that you originally own, and that your opponent has taken control of. This will override the effect that gave control of that monster to your opponent, so even if your opponent has used Creature Swap, Snatch Steal or Mind Control, you will regain control of your monster "permanently" (or at least until another effect takes control of it). Note that you must target a face-up monster, so if your opponent controlled your monster and turned it into a Spell Card (such as an Equip Card with Relinquished, or a Continuous Spell Card in the case of a Crystal Beast), then you cannot target it.

Now let's look at Jack's Cards, starting with Power Giant:

You can send 1 Level 4 or lower monster from your hand to the Graveyard to Special Summon this card from your hand, and decrease this card's Level by the Level of that monster. If this card attacks or is attacked, until the end of the Damage Step any effect damage you take becomes 0.

Power Giant's Summoning Condition gives it an Inherent Special Summon. You must send the monster to the Graveyard, so you cannot Special Summon Power Giant if Macro Cosmos is active. Modifying Power Giant's Level is part of this Inherent Special Summon, and so, it doesn't start a new chain. If Power Giant has its effects negated, its Level will return to normal. In addition, Power Giant has a Continuous Effect that starts applying since Attack Declaration, which will reduce any Effect Damage you take to 0.

Then, we have Vice Berserker:

If this card is sent to the Graveyard as a Synchro Material Monster, inflict 2000 damage to the player that Synchro Summoned, and the Synchro Monster that used this card as a Synchro Material Monster gains 2000 ATK until the End Phase.

Vice Berserker has a single Mandatory Trigger Effect activated upon the successful Synchro Summon of the Synchro Monster. It inflicts Effect Damage to the player that used it as a Synchro Material, and gives an ATK increase to the Synchro Monster. If the player doesn't receive the Effect Damage, such as if that player controls Black-Winged Dragon, then the ATK increase is still applied. If the Synchro Monster is flipped face-down, the ATK increase is lost.

Next, we have Lancer Archfiend:

Once per turn, when a monster you control declares an attack targeting a Defense Position monster your opponent controls, you can activate this effect. If you do, during this battle, if the ATK of the attacking monster is greater than the DEF of the Defense Position monster it battles, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent.

Lancer Archfiend has an Optional Trigger Effect. You activate it upon Attack Declaration. When the effect resolves, it sets a Condition that will grant the attacking monster the ability to trample during this battle. This effect doesn't target.

Moving on, we have Power Breaker:

When this card is destroyed by your opponent's attack or card effect and sent to the Graveyard, select 1 face-up Spell/Trap Card your opponent controls, and destroy it. If this card attacks, it is changed to Defense Position at the end of the Damage Step.

Power Breaker's first effect is a Mandatory Trigger Effect. You activate it at either the End of the Damage Step after it's destroyed in battle, or after the chain in which it was destroyed by a Card Effect. It targets the opponent's Card that you will destroy. Much like other monsters that depend on the opponent destroying this Card, if your opponent controls Power Breaker and it is destroyed, then it can't activate its effect. Its second effect is a Continuous Effect.

Then, we have Extra Veiler:

When your opponent Special Summons a monster(s), you can Special Summon this card from your hand. During the turn this card is Special Summoned by this effect, your opponent takes any effect damage you would have taken from their card effects, instead.

Veiler has an Optional Trigger Effect to Special Summon itself from the Hand in response to the successful Special Summon of an opponent's monster. You cannot activate this effect during the Damage Step, and you cannot Special Summon more than one Veiler off a single Special Summon. When this effect resolves properly, Veiler sets a Condition that will reflect all Effect Damage you take this turn from your opponent's effects. This Condition doesn't depend on Veiler, so if Veiler has its effects negated or it's no longer face-up before the End Phase, your opponent will still take the reflected damage.

Next, we have Synchro Soldier:

Once per turn, during your Main Phase 1, you can select 1 face-up Synchro Monster you control. Remove that face-up Synchro Monster you control from play and inflict 600 damage to your opponent. If you use this effect, during your next Standby Phase the removed from play monster returns to the field.

Synchro Soldier has an Ignition Effect. It targets one of your Synchro Monsters. Removing the Synchro Monster from Play and inflicting damage are considered to be simultaneous events. If you cannot Remove the Synchro Monster from Play, damage isn't inflicted. Returning the monster to the Field doesn't use the chain, and doesn't depend on Synchro Soldier remaining on the Field.

And finally, some Tuners, one being Creation Resonator:

If you control a face-up Level 8 or higher Synchro Monster, you can Special Summon this card from your hand.

Creation Resonator's Summoning Condition gives it an Inherent Special Summon. Nothing else.

The other Tuner being Attack Gainer:

If this card is sent to the Graveyard as a Synchro Material Monster, select 1 face-up monster your opponent controls. The selected opponent's monster loses 1000 ATK until the End Phase.

Attack Gainer has a Mandatory Trigger Effect. It activates upon the successful Summon of the Synchro Monster, and it targets an opponent's monster.

Now, let's look at some of Crow's Cards, starting with Blackwing - Etesian of Two Swords:

If a "Blackwing" monster you control battles an opponent's monster, and that opponent's monster is still on the field at the end of the Damage Step, you can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard to inflict 1000 damage to your opponent.

Etesian has an Optional Trigger Effect that you activate at the End of the Damage Step. Sending this Card to the Graveyard is a cost, so you can't activate this effect if Macro Cosmos is active. Your Blackwing monster doesn't need to remain on the Field, but your opponent's monster must.

Next, we have Blackwing - Aurora the Northern Lights:

This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by removing from play 2 face-up monsters you control (1 "Blackwing" Tuner and 1 non-Tuner). Once per turn, you can remove from play 1 "Blackwing" Synchro Monster from your Extra Deck. This card's name, ATK, and effects become the same as that monster's, until the End Phase.

Aurora has a Summoning Condition which gives it an Inherent Special Summon. Then, it has an Ignition Effect. Removing from Play the Blackwing Synchro Monster for this Ignition Effect is not a cost. If Aurora has its effects negated after gaining the effects of the Synchro Monster, only the effects of the Synchro Monster will be negated, and it will keep the ATK and name of that monster. Having an ATK of "?", Aurora cannot be added to the Hand via Black Whirlwind or Against the Wind.

And finally, we have Blackwing - Abroholos the Megaquake:

This card cannot be Special Summoned. Any monsters that battles with this card is not destroyed by that battle, and returns to the hand after damage calculation. Once per turn, during your Main Phase 1, you can have this card lose 1000 ATK, and return all cards in your opponent's Spell and Trap Card Zone to the hand.

Abroholos has a Summoning Condition that prevents it from being Special Summoned. Then, it has a Continuous Effect that prevents the monsters it battles with from being destroyed in battle. It also has a Mandatory Trigger Effect that will return any monster it battles with to the owner's Hand After Damage Calculation, even if Abroholos is destroyed in battle. Additionally, Abroholos has an Ignition Effect. Reducing its ATK is part of the effect, and if Abroholos isn't face-up at the time of the resolution, the effect resolves without effect, as Abroholos cannot reduce its ATK. Note that Abroholos cannot return Field Cards to the opponent's Hand. The ATK loss remains as long as Abroholos remains face-up.

And the last regular monster is one of Aki's mosters, Glow-Up Bulb:

You can send the top card of your Deck to the Graveyard and Special Summon this card from the Graveyard. Each player can only use the effect of "Glow-Up Bulb" once per Duel.

Bulb has an Ignition Effect. Sending the top Card of the Deck to the Graveyard is part of the effect, so you can activate this effect even if Macro Cosmos is active. If Bulb isn't in the Graveyard at the time the effect resolves, you still send the top Card to the Graveyard, but if you run out of Cards to send to the Graveyard, Bulb isn't Summoned. Sending the Card to the Graveyard and Special Summoning Bulb isn't considered to be simultaneous, so a monster like Jinzo - Returner will miss the timing.

Bulb's effect has a restriction of only being able to activate its effect once per Duel, similar to Spore. And similar to Spore, even if the activation of this effect is negated, the effect is negated, or if Bulb leaves the Graveyard and later returns, you still cannot activate this effect more than once per Duel. Lately, a common question regarding both Spore and Bulb is about the wording of their restriction. "Each player" means that a single player can only activate the effect of these monsters once per Duel. Activating the effect of your Bulb won't prevent the opponent from activating the effect of his/her Bulb.

There's only one Spell Card from the anime, and that is Tuning:

Add 1 "Synchron" Tuner monster from your Deck to your hand. Then send the top card of your Deck to the Graveyard.

Tuning adds a monster from your Deck to your Hand, so it doesn't target. Sending the top Card to the Graveyard is not considered to be simultaneous with adding the monster to your Hand. Also, sending the top Card to the Graveyard is part of the effect, so you can activate this Card while Macro Cosmos is active. If you fail to find a monster to add to your Hand, you do not send the top Card to the Graveyard.

Now, let's look at some Trap Cards, starting with D2 Shield:

Select 1 face-up Defense Position monster you control. Its DEF becomes double its original DEF.

D2 Shield targets a monster you control. It can be activated during the Damage Step, before Damage Calculation. It works similarly to Shrink, only that it doubles the value instead of halving it (and it works with DEF). Unlike Shrink, this modification lasts as long as the monster remains face-up. Much like Shrink, activating multiple copies of D2 Shield won't double the DEF twice. It will only set the DEF at a value equal to the original DEF's double, twice.

Next, we have Red Screen:

Your opponent's monsters cannot declare attacks. This card's controller must pay 1000 Life Points during each of their End Phases (this is not optional), or this card is destroyed. If "Red Dragon Archfiend" is face-up on the field, you can select 1 Level 1 Tuner Monster in your Graveyard, then destroy this card and Special Summon that monster.

Red Screen has a Continuous Effect that stops your opponent's monsters from declaring attacks. It has a Maintenance Cost that forces you to pay 1000 Life Points during your End Phases. Finally, it has an Optional Quick-like Effect that you can activate if either player controls a Red Dragon Archfiend, which doesn't need to be a monster (it could be equipped to Relinquished or similar). This effect targets a Tuner in your Graveyard, and Red Screen is destroyed as part of the effect. This effect cannot be activated during the Damage Step. You also cannot activate this effect if you don't have the Tuner monster in your Graveyard (to avoid losing Life Points) or if Imperial Custom is face-up.

Then, we have Blackback:

Activate only during your turn. Select 1 "Blackwing" monster with 2000 or less ATK in your Graveyard, and Special Summon it. You cannot Normal Summon or Set the turn you activate this card.

Blackback targets a monster in your Graveyard. As usual, you cannot Normal Summon/Set, and then activate Blackback later during the turn.

Moving on, we have Defenders Intersect:

Activate only during the Battle Phase. Defense Position monsters your opponent controls are changed to face-up Attack Position, and their effects are negated.

Intersect can be activated during the Battle Phase, outside of the Damage Step. It only affects the monsters that your opponent controls when this Card resolves, not those placed on the Field afterwards. The effect negation is only applied for effects that are applied on the Field, so it won't negate the effect of Sangan and similar monsters.

Next, we have Gravity Collapse:

Activate by sending 1 face-up Synchro Monster you control to the Graveyard when your opponent Summons a monster. Negate the Summon and destroy that card. Your opponent cannot Summon a monster until the End Phase of this turn.

Gravity Collapse sends a Synchro

Then, we have Blackwing  - Boobytrap:

When this Set card is destroyed by your opponent's card effect while you control a face-up "Blackwing" monster, inflict 1000 damage to your opponent and draw 1 card.

Boobytrap has a Mandatory Trigger-like effect that is activated when it is destroyed while face-down. You cannot activate this Trap Card like other Normal Trap Cards, you must meet its triggers. You must control the Blackwing Monster upon this effect's activation and its resolution. The damage and drawing a Card are considered to be simultaneous events, but if you cannot inflict the damage to your opponent, you do not draw a Card.

Moving on, we have Star Siphon:

Activate only when a Synchro Monster is Special Summoned, by selecting it. Special Summon 1 "Siphon Token" (Spellcaster-Type/DARK/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0). Its Level is that of the selected monster, and the selected monster is now Level 1.

Siphon is activated upon the successful Special Summon of the Synchro Monster, and it targets that monster. A Level 1 token is Special Summoned, and it has its Level modified to become the Level of the target Synchro Monster, while the target Synchro Monster has its Level reduced to 1. It the Synchro Monster is no longer face-up by the time this effect resolves, the token remains a Level 1 monster, and the Synchro Monster never has its Level modified by this effect. Siphon cannot be activated during the Damage Step.

And finally, we have Half Counter:

Activate only during damage calculation if a monster you control is being attacked. The attack target monster you control gains ATK equal to half the original ATK of the attacking monster, until the End Phase.

Half Counter is activated during Damage Calculation. It only targets your monster.

Now, let's look at the Synchros, starting with Red Nova Dragon:

2 Tuners + "Red Dragon Archfiend"
This card gains 500 ATK for each Tuner monster in your Graveyard. This card cannot be destroyed by the effects of your opponent's Spells, Traps, or monsters. When your opponent's monster declares an attack, you can select it, then remove this card from play and negate the attack. During the End Phase, Special Summon this card that was removed from play by this effect.

Red Nova Dragon uses exactly 2 Tuners along with a specific monster. You can use a monster that has gained Red Dragon Archfiend's name, but you must still add up its 12 stars with the Synchro Materials. Nova's first effect is a Continuous Effect that gives it an ATK boost. Then, it has a second Continuous Effect that prevents it from being destroyed by your opponent's effects, but it still can be destroyed by yours (like your own Dark Hole). Its third effect is an Optional Trigger Effect that you activate upon Attack Declaration. It allows you to negate one attack by Removing from Play Nova Dragon as part of the effect. This effect targets the attacking monster. Even if the attacking monster is Removed from the Field before this effect resolves, Nova is still Removed from Play. Finally, it has a Mandatory Trigger Effect activated at the End Phase that Special Summons Nova back to the Field if you Removed it from Play with its own effect.

Next, we have Formula Synchron:

1 Tuner + 1 non-Tuner Monster
When this card is Synchro Summoned, you can draw 1 card. During your opponent's Main Phase, you can Synchro Summon using this face-up card you control as a Synchro Material Monster.

Formula Synchron is the first Synchro Monster that is also a Tuner Monster (and vice-versa). It is also an Effect Monster, even though it's not listed as one and it lacks the characteristic orange border. It has an Optional Trigger Effect activated upon its successful Synchro Summon that allows you to draw a Card. It can be negated by Swallow Flip. Other than that, it has an Optional Quick Effect that you can activate during your opponent's Main Phases. It allows you to perform a Synchro Summon with this effect, much like Urgent Tuning. You must still meet all the requirements for a Synchro Summon, so the Levels of the monsters must add up those of an eligible Synchro Monster in your Extra Deck. Since the Synchro Summoned is performed when the effect resolves, sending the Synchro Materials to the Graveyard is not performed while activating the effect, and you don't have to announce which Synchro Monster you are Summoning or which Synchro Materials you will use while activating the effect. Once the effect is activated, you must perform a Synchro Summon as long as you have eligible Synchro Materials, even if it is no longer possible to Summon the Synchro Monster you intended to Summon (for example, if you wanted to Synchro Summon Arcanite Magician and your Spellcaster-type non-Tuner monster disappears, but you still have other face-up monsters).

Regarding its activation timing, you can activate it when your opponent wants to end the Main Phase (and proceed to the Battle Phase or End Phase), but this doesn't force your opponent to proceed to the next Phase. You can chain Formula's effect to any Spell Speed 2 or lower effect, but you cannot activate Formula's effect more than once per chain. This is because otherwise you would be able to chain Formula's effect to itself infinitely.

The last Card for today is the cover Card of the set: Shooting Star Dragon:

1 Tuner Synchro Monster + "Stardust Dragon"
Each of these effects can be activated once per turn: ● Reveal the top 5 cards of your Deck. Shuffle them back in, and this card's maximum number of attacks this turn is equal to the number of Tuner monsters revealed. ● Negate the activation of an effect that would destroy a card(s) on the field, and destroy that card. ● When your opponent's monster declares an attack you can select it, then remove this card from play and negate the attack. During the End Phase, Special Summon this card that was removed from play by this effect.

Much like Red Nova Dragon, Shooting Star Dragon asks you to use a monster named Stardust Dragon, but you can also use a monster that has gained Stardust's name. You can also use a Synchro Monster that has been turned into a Tuner Monster by a Card Effect. In either case, you have to add up Shooting Star Dragon's 10 stars while Synchro Summoning it. As for its effects, note that the first sentence sets a restriction for each individual effect, meaning  all three effects can be used in a single turn, but each can only be used once.

The first effect is an Ignition Effect. Revealing 5 Cards is part of the effect. Being an Ignition Effect, this effect is completely optional. That is to say, you don't need to activate it in order for Shooting Star Dragon to attack. You only activate it to try to obtain more attacks. If you don't activate it, Shooting Star Dragon can attack once like any regular monster. This effect determines the maximum number of attacks that SSD can perform this turn, so if you reveal 0 Tuner monsters, SSD cannot declare any attacks, even if it gains the ability to attack twice with another Card's effect like Wonder Clover. Similarly, if the maximum number of attacks gained by SSD's effect is 3 or higher, an effect like Wonder Clover won't override it: It's already able to attack twice, and even more times.  You cannot activate this effect if you don't have at least 1 Tuner Monster in your Deck or 5 Cards to reveal, but if you don't meet either requirement when the effect resolves, you resolve the effect as much as possible, trying to reveal 5 Cards on the top of your Deck. You do the same if SSD is no longer face-up too.

The second effect is an Optional Quick Effect. It's similar to the Quick Effect of Stardust Dragon, only that it doesn't have a cost. Much like Stardust Dragon, it cannot negate effects that aren't certain to destroy a Card on the Field like Snipe Hunter. The third effect is an Optional Trigger Effect, and it works exactly as that of Red Nova Dragon's. And much like Red Nova, it also has a fourth effect that is a Mandatory Trigger Effect that Special Summons SSD after the third effect Removes it from Play.

That's all we have on STBL for today. Stay tuned for more Starstrike Blast!

Do Not Back Up

In case you were keeping track, last time we were talking about Yusei's Monster and Spell Cards. So let's move on into the Trap Cards, which are the largest type of Card used by him. Most of them are simple, but some have some annoying extra effects that cause some annoying rulings of course.

Let's start with Defense Draw:

Activate only during damage calculation during your opponent's turn. The Battle Damage you would receive becomes 0. Draw 1 card.

In order to activate Defense Draw, you must be about to take Battle Damage, and you must be able to draw Cards. Defense Draw is activated at the "Damage Calculation" Sub-Step. In order to determine if you are going to take Battle Damage, Defense Draw is activated after comparing the ATK of the monsters battling (and determining the Battle Damage), but before inflicting the Damage and moving into the "After Damage Calculation" Sub-Step. This means that if your Tragoedia is attacked, activating Defense Draw won't increase its ATK and help it win the battle.

Next we have Remote Revenge:

Activate only when a monster you control is targeted by a Spell, Trap, or Effect Monster's effect that destroys 1 monster on the field. Switch the target to an appropriate monster your opponent controls.

Remote Revenge basically re-targets a monster that is going to be affected by another effect. This, of course, means that Remote Revenge itself targets. Since Remote Revenge asks that the effect destroys "1" monster, the effect cannot target more than one Card (not even Spell and Trap Cards). An additional burden is that the target must be appropriate. For example, if your opponent uses Nobleman of Crossout on your face-down Defense Position monster, then you must target a face-down monster your opponent controls  (because Nobleman can only destroy face-down monsters). Remote Revenge also cannot be activated during the Damage Step against effects like Man-Eater Bug.

As a quick break, let's look at the simple Graceful Revival:

Select 1 Level 2 or lower monster from your Graveyard and Special Summon it in Attack Position. When this card is removed from the field, destroy that monster. When that monster is removed from the field, destroy this card.

Graceful Revival is very similar to Call of the Haunted: It targets a monster in the Graveyard, and continues targeting it once it has been successfully Summoned. It also has the classic "doom clauses" of Removing either Card from the Field will destroy the other one. Flipping the monster face-down will stop the targeting, so if one Card is gone, the other one will stay.

Now, let's take a look at Equip Shot:

Activate only during the Battle Phase. Select 1 Equip Card equipped to a face-up Attack Position monster you control, and select 1 face-up Attack Position monster your opponent controls. Equip that monster with the selected Equip Card. Then, conduct battle between your previously equipped monster and the selected monster (other effects cannot be activated during this battle).

Equip Shot has many small details that may end up being overlooked. First, it can only be activated during the Battle Phase, but only outside of the Damage Step. You then target an Equip Card you control and an opponent's monster (which must be a legal target for the Equip Card). The Equip Card is re-targeted to the opponent's monster. You then have both monsters battle each other. 

This battle is not your usual attack. Instead, you immediately move into Damage Calculation and begin comparing the ATK of the monsters. This disrupts most effects that activate while battling (Ally of Justice Catastor, Mirror Force, etc.) because no monster is declaring an attack. This is also a loophole that allows you to attack while you can't declare an attack. For example, if you have just used the effect of Chaos Sorcerer, you can enter the Battle Phase, and use Equip Shot to have Chaos Sorcerer battle a monster. Additionally, since this doesn't count as declaring an attack, the monster can perform it's usual once-per-turn attack aside from this battle.

Next, we have Synchro Strike:

Target Synchro Summoned monster gains 500 ATK for each Synchro Material Monster used to Summon it, until the End Phase.

Synchro Strike targets a Synchro monster on the Field. It can be activated during the Damage Step, before Damage Calculation. If the Synchro monster stopped being face-up after it was Synchro Summoned, then it will "forget" how many Synchro Materials it has used, so you cannot use Synchro Strike on it. Also, note that if you use a Synchro Monster as a Synchro Material for a new Synchro, then Synchro Strike won't count the first materials for the ATK bonus. That is to say, if you use Junk Synchron and Speed Warrior for Junk Warrior, then use Junk Warrior and Nitro Synchron for Nitro Warrior, when you target Nitro Warrior with Synchro Strike you would only count two Synchro Materials: Junk Warrior and Nitro Synchron. Do not count Junk Synchron and Speed Warrior.

Moving on, we have Urgent Tuning:

Activate only during the Battle Phase. Synchro Summon 1 Synchro Monster. (Send the appropriate Synchro Material Monsters to the Graveyard.)

Urgent Tuning is one of those Cards we all know and love: Short text, long implications. As its text suggests, you activate it during the Battle Phase (outside of the Damage Step) and then you Synchro Summon a Synchro monster. However, this follows all of the other rules of Synchro Summoning: You must use the appropriate Synchro Materials, they must be face-up, they are sent to the Graveyard, etc. The Synchro Summon is performed when Urgent Tuning resolves. If Urgent Tuning is link 2 or higher, then neither player can respond to the Summon with Cards like Torrential Tribute or Bottomless Trap Hole. Finally, since this is a proper Synchro Summon, the Synchro Monster can be Special Summoned later with effects like Monster Reborn and the like.

Now, let's look at Battle Mania:

Activate only during your opponent's Standby Phase. All face-up monsters your opponent controls are changed to Attack Position, and cannot change their battle positions this turn. All monsters your opponent currently controls must attack this turn, if able.

Battle Mania first switches your opponent's face-up monsters to Attack Position. Then, it sets a number of Conditions on them, forcing them to battle this turn and making them unable to switch positions (even if they already were in Attack Position). Monsters that appear face-up on the Field after Battle Mania resolves are not affected by it. If you control a monster affected by Battle Mania, it simply means that you cannot end your turn without attacking with it. If the monster is not able to attack (due to Swords of Revealing Light or similar), then this is void, of course. The monster's position can still be changed by Card effects.

Then, we have Confusion Chaff:

Activate only when your opponent declares a second direct attack during the same Battle Phase. Conduct battle between the attacking monster and the first monster that attacked directly (other effects cannot be activated during this battle).

Chaff is activated upon attack declaration. It forces two monsters to battle each other, similar to Equip Shot (moving into Damage Calculation immediately as well). If a monster has its attack negated, it is not considered to have attacked directly, but if the attack is stopped (Book of Moon, Gravity Bind, etc.), then the monster is eligible to battle with the other one.

Backtracking a lot, we have Scrap-Iron Scarecrow:

Activate only when an opponent's monster declares an attack. Negate the attack, and Set this card face-down again instead of sending it to the Graveyard.

Scarecrow is activated upon Attack Declaration and it targets (because of its Japanese text). It negates an attack, and after activation, it sets itself on the Field again. Like all Trap Cards, it cannot be activated during the turn it is set on the Field, so you cannot activate the same copy of Scarecrow more than once per turn. In order to set itself on the Field, Scarecrow itself must remain on the Field until it resolves. If it is destroyed by Dust Tornado or similar, it will stay in the Graveyard.

Now, let's look at Give and Take:

Special Summon 1 monster from your Graveyard to your opponent's side of the field in Defense Position, and increase the Level of 1 monster you control by the Level of the Special Summoned monster, until the End Phase.

Give and Take targets two monsters, one in your Graveyard, and one on your side of the Field (which must be face-up). You Special Summon the one in the Graveyard, and increase the Level of the one on the Field, only if the Summon is successful. These two actions are considered to be simultaneous, so either player can respond to the Summon. The Summon is considered to be performed by the player activating Give and Take, so his/her opponent can use Bottomless Trap Hole on the Summoned monster, even if the Summoned monster is on the same side of the Field as BTH.

We then have Limiter Overload:

When this card is sent to your Graveyard, Special Summon "Speed Warrior" from your hand, Deck or Graveyard.

Overload has a Trigger-like effect that is activated at the Graveyard, when it's sent to the Graveyard by any means from any location. Overload itself cannot be "activated" like a regular Normal Trap Card. It must meet its trigger. This effect doesn't target, as it can Summon a Speed Warrior from the Hand and Deck. Overload cannot activate its effect under Cold Wave. Overload can activate its effect during the turn it is set, because you aren't activating the Trap Card itself (much like Dark Coffin).

Let's go with CRMS now, starting with Shining Silver Force:

Activate only when your opponent activates a Trap Card that inflicts damage. Negate the activation of that card and destroy it and all face-up Spell and Trap Cards your opponent controls.

Force  must be chained directly to the activation of a Trap Card that will inflict effect damage when it resolves. Its rulings list pretty much everything it cannot respond to (uncertain damage and no damage when it resolves). It also cannot negate the effect of an already-active Trap Card like Backfire. Silver Force can be activated during the Damage Step.

We then have Spirit Force:

Activate only during damage calculation during your opponent's turn. You take no Battle Damage from that battle. Then, you can add 1 Warrior-Type Tuner monster with 1500 or less DEF from your Graveyard to your hand.

Spirit Force is very similar to Defense Draw, only that instead of drawing a Card, you search for a monster. This search is optional, so Force can be activated even if you can't perform it (such as if Thunder King Rai-Oh is face-up on the Field).

Now, let's look at Descending Lost Star:

Select 1 Synchro Monster in your Graveyard and Special Summon it in face-up Defense Position. Its effect is negated, its Level is reduced by 1 and its DEF becomes 0. Its battle position cannot be changed.

Lost Star targets a Synchro Monster. Then, it sets a pile of conditions on the monster, negating any effects that activate or are applied while on the Field (much like Forbidden Chalice), reducing its Level, setting its DEF to 0, and preventing it from changing positions. Flipping it face-down or Removing it from the Field will get rid of all of these conditions.

Raging Battle brings us Miracle Locus:

Select 1 face-up Attack Position monster you control. Your opponent draws 1 card. The selected monster gains 1000 ATK until the End Phase and can attack up to 2 monsters during this turn's Battle Phase. When it attacks or is attacked this turn, your opponent takes no Battle Damage.

Locus targets one of your monsters. When it resolves, your opponent draws a Card, your monster gains 1000 ATK, and the ability to attack two monsters, but becomes unable to inflict Battle Damage to your opponent. Locus can be activated during the Damage Step before Damage Calculation. Being able to attack two monsters is similar to the effect of Chimeratech Overdragon or Asura Priest: You can attack multiple monsters, but you cannot proceed to attack directly afterwards.

Ancient Prophecy brings us Reinforce Truth:

Special Summon 1 Level 2 or lower Warrior-Type monster from your Deck. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase the turn you activate this card.

Reinforce Truth doesn't target. Other than that, you cannot "cheat" its activation requirement by conducting your Battle Phase and activating it later, as usual. You can, however, activate it during your opponent's turn.

Then we have Skill Successor:

Select 1 face-up monster you control. It gains 400 ATK until the End Phase. You can remove from play this card in the Graveyard to give 1 face-up monster you control 800 ATK until the End Phase. This effect cannot be activated the turn this card is sent to the Graveyard, and can only be activated during your turn.

Both of these effects target and both can be activated during the Damage Step before Damage Calculation. The second effect is a Quick-like effect. If you are under the effect of Cold Wave, the second effect cannot be activated.

Stardust Overdrive brings us Slip Summon:

Activate only when your opponent Summons a monster. Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower monster from your hand in face-up Defense Position. Return it to the owner's hand during the End Phase.

Slip Summon responds to the successful Summon of an opponent's monster. Then, it sets a condition on the monster that returns it to the Hand without using the chain. If the monster is no longer face-up, then it won't return to the Hand.

Then, we have Synchro Barrier:

Tribute 1 Synchro Monster you control. You do not take any damage until the End Phase of the next turn.

Synchro Barrier tributes a Synchro Monster as a cost. Then, you do not take any Battle Damage or Effect Damage for two turns. Other than that, this Card works very similarly to Hallowed Life Barrier.

The now not-so-recent Starter Deck brought us Wild Tornado:

Select 1 face-up card in the Spell & Trap Card Zones and destroy it. The controller of the destroyed card can then Set 1 Spell or Trap Card from their hand. If this Set card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, select and destroy 1 face-up card on the field.

Both of Tornado's effect target. The first effect has an additional clause in which a player can set an additional S/T Card, which is completely optional. The second effect is a Trigger-like effect that will activate even if Tornado is destroyed during the turn it is set (much like Limiter Overload).

Finally, the Duelist Pack Yusei 2 brings us two more Trap Cards. First we have Scrubbed Raid:

During the Battle Phase, you can send 1 card you control to the Graveyard, except this card, to end the Battle Phase.

This Continuous Trap Card has a Quick-like effect. Sending a Card to the Graveyard is a cost. You can send a Normal Trap Card or Quick-Play Spell Card that you have just activated to the Graveyard in order to activate Raid's effect. However, you cannot use a Card that cannot go to the Graveyard as a cost, such as a Battle Fader or Plaguespreader Zombie that were Summoned through their effects, or an Archlord Krystia. This obviously means that you cannot pay this effect's cost if Macro Cosmos is active. Being a Continuous Trap Card, Scrubbed Raid must remain face-up in order to resolve properly. Raid cannot activate its effect during the Damage Step, but it can be activated during either player's Battle Phase. If you end the Battle Phase in response to an attack, the attacking monster is no longer considered an attacking monster for the purpose of Cards like Dimensional Prison or Magic Cylinder (so it becomes an illegal target).

The last Card for today's article is Tuner's Barrier:

Select 1 face-up Tuner monster you control. That monster cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects, until the End Phase of the next turn.

A simple effect. It targets a Tuner monster, and that monster receives a condition that prevents its destruction for about two turns. If the monster is no longer face-up, this condition is removed. This protection does not save the monster from being destroyed by Game Mechanics such as not paying a Maintenance Cost.

Well, that's all for today. A very long article after a very long wait Q_Q

Magical Motorcycles

It's time for some Yusei Spell Cards. Most of them are really straight-forward, so this probably won't be a very nice article T_T

Let's start with Advanced Draw and Cards of Consonance:

Tribute  1 face-up  Level 8 or higher monster you control. Draw 2 cards.

Discard  1 Dragon-Type Tuner monster with 1000 or less ATK to draw 2 cards.

Both are Normal Spell Cards with a cost, and an effect that draws two Cards. Not much else can be said. Using Diamond Dude along either of them skips the cost, but that's about it.

Another equally boring Spell Card is Card Rotator:

Send 1 card from your hand  to the Graveyard. Change the battle positions of all monsters  your opponent controls. (Face-down  Defense Position monsters  are flipped  to face-up  Attack Position.)

Sending a Card to the Graveyard is a cost, which means that Card Rotator can't be activated if Macro Cosmos is active. It changes the position of your opponent's monsters. Since it affects "all" monsters, it doesn't target.

Next, we have Domino Effect:

When a monster your opponent controls  is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can send 1 monster  you control  to the Graveyard to destroy 1 monster your opponent controls.

Domino Effect has an Optional Trigger-lik effect that you can activate at the End of the Damage Step. Sending a monster to the Graveyard is a cost once again, so you can't activate the effect if Macro Cosmos is active, pay the cost with a token, etc. This effect targets.

Onto something more juicy, we have Double Summon:

You can Normal Summon 1 additional time this turn. You can only gain this effect once per turn.

Normal Summon allows you to have an additional Normal Summon this turn. This additional Normal Summon is completely optional, much like the usual Normal Summon that you get to perform during your turns. Note that Double Summon doesn't actually Summon anything by itself, unlike Ultimate Offering. The second sentence is a little bogus: You cannot gain Double Summon's effect more than once per turn, but you can still gain the effects of other similar Cards like Swap Frog or Chain Summoning. The latter actually overrides Double Summon, but that's a different story.

Back to boring Cards, we have One for One:

Send 1 Monster Card from your hand to the Graveyard. Special Summon 1 Level 1 monster from your hand or Deck.

Sending a monster to the Graveyard is a cost, which as usual is prevented by Macro. This effect doesn't target, because you can choose to Special Summon a monster from the Deck. With Diamond Dude, you simply Special Summon the monster.

Next, we have Release Restraint Wave:

Select 1 face-up Equip Spell Card you control. Destroy it and all Set Spell and Trap Cards your opponent controls.

Release Restraint Wave has no cost. It targets one Equip Card you control, and when it resolves, the equip Card and your opponent's face-down S/T Cards are destroyed simultaneously. The targeted Equip Card must remain on the Field until RRW resolves, but it doesn't need to be destroyed by this effect in order to destroy the opponent's Cards.

Let's move into Variety Comes Out:

Return 1 face-up  Synchro Monster you control to the Extra Deck to select and Special Summon a Tuner monster(s) from your Graveyard, whose total Levels  equal the Level  of that Synchro Monster. You cannot Synchro Summon the turn you activate  this card.

Variety returns a Synchro Monster as a cost, and targets a number of Tuner Monsters depending on how many you want to Special Summon. This Card cannot be used along Diamond Dude, because you won't pay its cost, so there's no reference on which Tuners you can target.

Now for the Equip Cards we have Fighting Spirit:

The equipped monster  gains 300 ATK  for each monster your opponent controls. If it would be destroyed by battle, you can destroy this card instead.

Neither effect uses the chain, and both are very simple. One is an ATK boost, and the other is the usual substitution effect we have reviewed numerous times.

Next, we have Junk Barrage:

When the equipped  monster destroys a monster  by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, inflict damage to your opponent equal to half the destroyed  monster's ATK.

Junk Barrage has a Mandatory Trigger-like effect that you activate at the End of the Damage Step. The value is half of the monster's ATK in the Graveyard. Note that the equipped monster and Junk Barrage must be face-up at the End of the Damage Step in order to activate and resolve this effect.

Moving on, we have Prevention Star:

Equip only to a monster you control, if it was changed from face-up Attack Position to face-up Defense Position this turn. Select 1 monster  your opponent controls. That monster  cannot attack  or change its battle position. When the equipped monster is destroyed  and this card is sent to the Graveyard, remove from play the selected monster.

Prevention Star has some really weird effects. First of all, the opponent must control a monster, and you must control a monster that has switched positions. When you activate Prevention Star, you target your monster (as usual, Equip Cards target the equipped monster), and you also target the opponent's monster. The "prevention" in its name that stops the opponent's monster is a Continuous Effect. After that, it has an additional Mandatory Trigger-like that will only activate if the equipped monster is destroyed, and this causes Prevention Star to be sent to the Graveyard by Game Mechanics.

The last equip Card is Silver Wing:

Equip only to a Level 8 or higher Dragon-Type Synchro Monster. Up to twice per turn, if it would be destroyed by battle, it is not destroyed. If it would be destroyed by a card effect, you can destroy this card instead.

Silver Wing has two protective effects. As usual, these do not use the chain. Nothing too surprising.

Our last Card is the new Quick-Play Spell Card, Half Shut:

Select 1 face-up monster on the field. That monster cannot be destroyed by battle this turn, and its ATK is halved until the End Phase of this turn.

Half Shut targets a monster. After it resolves, it sets two Conditions that can't be negated. Flipping the monster face-down will get rid of them. Since it modies the ATK, it can be activated during the Damage Step, but not during Damage Calculation.

That's all for Yusei's Spell Cards. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me an e-mail at ness00[at]gmail[dot]com.

The Forgotten Dust

Sigh...now I forgot two Stardust Dragons. Silly me.

One is Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode:

This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except with its own effect or with "Assault Mode Activate". You can Tribute this card to negate the activation of a Spell Card, Trap Card, or Effect Monster's effect, and destroy that card. If you negate an effect this way, you can Special Summon this card from your Graveyard  during the End Phase. When this card on the field is destroyed, you can Special Summon 1 "Stardust Dragon" from your Graveyard.

Stardust Assault has a Summoning Condition that restricts every possible method to Summon it, other than Assault Mode Activate or its Trigger Effect. Speaking of which, Stardust/Assault is very similar to Stardust Dragon: It has an Optional Quick effect that negates other effects, and an Optional Trigger Effect to Summon itself. Every rule on Stardust also works for Stardust/Assault Mode: The negation effect can be activated during the Damage Step, the tribute is a cost, and so on. In addition, much like the other Assault Mode monsters, Stardust/Assault has an Optional Trigger Effect that Summons its previous form. This effect targets, and will activate even if Stardust/Assault is destroyed and Removed from Play (such as with Bottomless Trap Hole). Note that the target must have been properly Synchro Summoned, so if you used Starlight Road, you cannot Special Summon a Synchro Stardust Dragon with this effect.

The other dusty dragon is the upcoming JUMP Promo, Malefic Stardust Dragon:

This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by removing from play 1 "Stardust Dragon" from your Extra Deck. There can only be 1 face-up "Malefic" monster on the field. Field Spell Cards cannot be destroyed by card effects. Other monsters you control cannot attack. If there is no face-up Field Spell Card on the field, destroy this card.

Malefic Stardust has the staple abilities and restrictions of Malefic monsters: A Summoning Condition that prevents its Summon except by Removing from Play the original monster, a Condition that allows you to control only one Malefic monster, a Continuous Effect that restricts your other monsters from attacking, and a Continuous Effect to explode if you don't have a Field Spell Card. Other than that, Malefic Stardust Dragon has a Continuous Effect that prevents Field Spell Cards from being destroyed by Card Effects. Note that activating a new Field Spell Card is not a Card Effect, so they can still be destroyed by this method.

So yeah, a very short article T_T If you have any questions, feel free to drop me an e-mail at ness00[at]gmail[dot]com.

Biker Dragons From Mars

As usual, some of the most prominent monsters in the anime are Dragon monsters, and Yusei makes use of them in the form of Stardust Dragon and a number of variations of it.

The first monster we'll look at is Debris Dragon:

When this card is Normal Summoned, you can Special Summon 1 monster  with 500 or less ATK  from your Graveyard in Attack Position. That monster's  effect(s) is negated. This card cannot be used as a Synchro Material Monster, except for the Synchro Summon of a Dragon-Type Synchro Monster. The other Synchro Material Monster(s) cannot be Level  4.

Debris Dragon has an Optional Trigger Effect that you activate upon its successful Normal Summon. It targets a monster in the Graveyard, and it can be negated by Pulling the Rug. After the target monster is successfully Special Summoned, a Condition is set on it negating its effects. This Condition works exactly as Junk Synchron's. Other than that, Debris Dragon has two Conditions on itself, regarding its use as a Synchro Material. The first Condition restricts you to only being able to Synchro Summon Dragon-type Synchro monsters with Debris. The Synchro must be a Dragon while in the Extra Deck. The second Condition stops you from using a Level 4 monster as Synchro Material. This means that you can use a Level 1 and Level 3 monster along Debris to Summon a Level 8 Synchro, but you cannot use Debris, a Level 4 monster, and a Level 2 Dragon to Summon Trident Dragion (one of the monsters is Level 4). Both Conditions (only Dragons and no Level 4) cannot be negated.

Now, into the main dish, the ever-popular Stardust Dragon:

1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
You can Tribute this card to negate the activation of a Spell Card, Trap Card, or Effect Monster's effect that destroys a card(s) on the field, and destroy that card. If you negate an effect this way, you can Special Summon this card from your Graveyard during the End Phase.

Stardust Dragon has two effects. The first is an Optional Quick Effect. Tributing Stardust Dragon is a cost. Despite its wording, Stardust Dragon negates effects not Cards (Card activations). This means that the effect can negate the effect of already-active S/T Cards. This effect doesn't target, and must be chained immediatly to the activation of the effect. Being a Quick Effect that negates activations, it can be activated during the Damage Step, and even during Damage Calculation.

The second effect is an Optional Trigger Effect that you activate during the End Phase. This second effect depends on the first one, as you must succeed in negating an effect with the first effect. If the second effect is negated for any reason, it won't activate again, because you need to negate an effect once again. Despite its wording ("you" negate...), it doesn't matter which player controlled Stardust Dragon at the time of the negation. This means that if your opponent used Brain Control on your Stardust Dragon, and activated its negation effect, then, during the End Phase, YOU can activate its effect to Special summon itself.

In order to evolve to a next stage, there are two monsters to help Stardust. The first one is Majestic Dragon:

This card cannot be used as a Synchro Material Monster, except for the Synchro Summon of a "Majestic" monster.

Which only has a lame Condition, similar to Debris Dragon's. The other monster is Stardust Xiaolong:

When you Synchro Summon "Stardust Dragon", you can Special Summon this card from your Graveyard  in face-up  Attack Position. Once per turn, if this card would be destroyed by battle, it is not destroyed.

Xiaolong's first effect is an Optional Trigger Effect that you can activate upon Stardust Dragon's successful Synchro Summon. It can be negated by Swallow Flip. You can activate the effect of multiple copies of Xiaolong upon the same Summon. The second effect is a Continuous Effect, your usual protection effect.

These two monsters help Summoning Majestic Star Dragon:

"Majestic Dragon" + "Stardust Dragon" + 1 non-Tuner monster
You can Tribute this card to negate the activation of an opponent's Spell Card, Trap Card, or Effect Monster's effect and destroy all cards your opponent controls. Once per turn, you can negate the effect(s) of 1 face-up monster your opponent controls until the End Phase. Also, if the negated effect can be activated, you can activate it once as this card's effect. During the End Phase, return this card from the field to the Extra Deck, and Special Summon 1 "Stardust Dragon" from your Graveyard.

Let's look first at the required Materials. Majestic Dragon is a Tuner by default, but Stardust Dragon can also be treated as a Tuner. Furthermore, if you have a non-Tuner monster named "Majestic Dragon", but Stardust is a Tuner, then you can still Synchro Summon this Card.

As for the effects itself, the first effect is an Optional Quick Effect that tributes Stardust as a cost. This time, the doesn't need to destroy anything. Note that it only destroys Cards in the Field, so if you negate an effect that activates in the Hand (such as Tragoedia or Battle Fader), that Card won't be destroyed. Other than that, it's very similar to the regular Stardust Dragon. 

The second effect is an Ignition Effect. It targets a monster, and it negates that monster's effects. The negation is similar to Junk Synchron's. Seriously, reviewing that guy has been convenient, huh?

The third effect can only be activated during the same turn that you negate a monster's effect with Majestic Star, and only if one of the monster's effects can be "activated". That is to say, it uses the chain, meaning its either Ignition, FLIP, Trigger or Quick. Of course, it's kinda hard to mimic a FLIP Effect, because flipping Majestic Star face-down would reset its effect, but you can mimic some others. Note that it can't copy Continuous Effects, Maintenance Costs, or Conditions. You still have to meet every cost and activation requirement to activate an effect, so if you copy something like Judgment Dragon, you have to pay 1000 Life Points to activate the effect, and if you copy Infernity Mirage, you must have zero Cards in Hand in order to activate its effect.

The fourth effect is a mandatory Trigger Effect that activates during the End Phase. It targets a Stardust Dragon. Even if Stardust isn't there, or if it's impossible to Summon it, Majestic Star still returns to the Extra Deck. You only Special Summon Stardust if Majestic Star returns to the Extra Deck. Even so, the actions are considered to be simultaneous.

Ugh, too much star dust for me. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me an e-mail at ness00[at]gmail[dot]com.

ACME Roadrunners

So apparently I did forget a few Warriors in the other article T_T

Anyway, let's review some more Yusei Cards. Let's start with Rockstone Warrior:

You take no Battle Damage from battles involving this card. When this attacking card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon 2 "Rockstone Tokens" (Rock-Type/EARTH/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0). These Tokens cannot be Tributed  for a Tribute Summon.

Rockstone has two effects. The first effect is a Continuous Effect that prevents Battle Damage. The second is a Mandatory Trigger Effect that activates at the End of the Damage Step. Probably the most important thing to notice is that the first effect is applied if Rockstone attacks or is attacked, but the second effect requires Rockstone to attack a monster with equal or more attack. It doesn't work if it is attacked. As usual, remember that the tokens have no effects, and the restriction on being tributed is a Condition set on them.

The other Warrior I missed was Fortress Warrior:

You take no battle damage from battles involving this card. Once per turn, if this card would be destroyed by battle, it is not destroyed. (Damage calculation is applied normally.)

Both effects are Continuous. More notably, the second effect is applied automatically the first time Fortress Warrior would be destroyed in battle. You cannot choose not to apply it.

There are two more Warriors that don't fall into the Warrior theme. One is Zero Gardna:

You can Tribute  this card to activate its effect. If you do, monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle, and you take no Battle Damage, during this turn. This effect can be activated  during either player's turn.

Gardna has an Optional Quick Effect. Tributing it is a cost. The effect can be activated during most part of the turn, but not during the Damage Step.  The effect sets a Condition similar to that of Waboku. It will also protect monsters that are Summoned after the effect resolves. Note that you do not need to control any monsters in order to activate the effect.

The other remaining Warrior monster is Ghost Gardna:

When a face-up  monster you control is selected as an attack target, you can change the target to this card. When this card is destroyed  and sent to the Graveyard, 1 face-up monster  your opponent controls loses 1000 ATK, until the End Phase.

This Gardna has two effects. The first is an Optional Trigger Effect. It is activated upon Attack Declaration, and it doesn't target Gardna itself or the opponent's monster. The second effect is a mandatory Trigger Effect that activates regardless of how, when or where Gardna is destroyed. This effect does target a monster.

Moving into weirder Cards, we have Level Eater:

If this card is in the Graveyard, you can activate its effect by selecting 1 face-up Level 5 or higher monster you control. Reduce that monster's Level by 1. Special Summon this card from the Graveyard. This card cannot be Tributed except for a Tribute Summon.

Level Eater's first effect is an Ignition Effect. It targets a high Level monster on your side of the Field. The Level is reduced as part of the effect. Note that there are no restrictions on how many times you can activate this effect, so you can activate it more than once per turn if Level Eater remains in the Graveyard. The second effect is a Continuous Effect, and it can be negated by Skill Drain.

Another random monster is Hanewata:

You can discard  this card to make any effect damage you take this turn 0. This effect can be activated  during either player's turn.

Hanewata has an Optional Quick Effect. Discarding it is a cost. Hanewata sets a Condition that reduces Effect Damage. You can chain it to an effect that inflicts Effect Damage, but it's not necessary.

Speaking of weird random Cards, we have Eccentric Boy:

When using this card as a Synchro Material Monster, the other Synchro Material Monsters is 1 monster in your hand. The Synchro Monster that used this card as a Synchro Material Monster cannot activate  its effects, its effect(s) is negated, and is removed from play when removed from the field.

Eccentric Boy's strange set of rules are Conditions that cannot be negated. You must still fulfill any requirements that the Synchro Monster may have (such as a Spellcaster non-Tuner for Arcanite Magician), and you can only use 1 Non-Tuner monster, so you cannot Synchro Summon a monster like Mist Wurm. The effect prevention and negation only lasts while the Synchro Monster is face-up on the Field.

No Duelist is complete without a set of chickens. Yusei has two, and both have similar effects. One is Sonic Chick:

This card cannot be destroyed by battle with a monster  that has 1900 or more ATK.

And Shield Wing:

Up to twice per turn, if this card would be destroyed by battle, it is not destroyed.

Both have Continuous Effects that prevent destruction in battle. The only note to add is that for Sonic Chick, the monster must have 1900 ATK at the Damage Calculation Sub-Step.

One more monster batch to go! If you have any questions, feel free to drop me an e-mail at ness00[at]gmail[dot]com.

Going Nuts

Other than the various Synchrons and Warrior-named Warriors, Yusei mostly uses low-Level Machine-type monsters in his Deck. Just to avoid being too obvious, he also uses some random monsters deemed "warriors" and some chickens too.

Let's start with Healing Wave Generator:

Once per turn, you can select another face-up monster  you control  to gain Life Points equal to that monster's  Level x 100.

Generator has an Ignition Effect. It targets, and its target must be face-up when it resolves. Nothing too surprising.

Then, we have Quillbolt Hedgehog:

If you control  a face-up  Tuner monster, you can Special Summon this card from your Graveyard. If this card was Summoned this way, remove it from play when it is removed from the field.

Hedgehog has an Ignition Effect. In order to Special Summon it, you must control at least 1 Tuner monster when the effect resolves. When it succeeds, it will set a Condition on itself that will Remove it from Play when it leaves the Field. Flipping Hedgehog face-down removes this Condition. If Imperial Iron Wall is active, Hedgehog is sent to the Graveyard. Note that there is no limit to how many times you can activate Hedgehog, so if Light and Darkness Dragon negates the activation of this effect, you can simply activate it again. Similarly, if Iron Wall is active, you can activate its effect again, as it will be sent to the Graveyard instead of being Removed from Play.

Other Machines are the "vehiclers" monsters. Unicycular is a Normal Monster, and the other two, Bicular and Tricular, work exactly the same:

When this card is destroyed by battle, you can Special Summon 1 "Unicycular" from your hand  or Deck.

When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can Special Summon 1 "Bicular" from your hand  or Deck.

Both vehiclers are your average recruiters: Optional Trigger Effects, activated at the End of the Damage Step. The key difference between each other is the Bicular activates if destroyed in battle and Removed from Play while Tricular must go to the Graveyard.

The next Machine is Turbo Booster:

If you have Normal Summoned a monster  this turn, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. You can Tribute  this card to destroy 1 monster  your opponent controls that battled one of your monsters  this turn.

Turbo Booster has a Summoning Condition, and an Ignition Effect. The Summoning Condition is an Inherent Special Summon that you can only perform during your Main Phases. The Ignition Effect tributes Booster as a cost, and targets 1 monster. This effect can only be activated during your Main Phase 2 (in order to be able to determine which monsters have battled this turn). Remember that in order to "battle", monsters have to go through Damage Calculation, so the opponent's monster must have battled with yours and survived this Sub-Step.

There are still more Machines. Let's look at Tuningware:

If this card is used for a Synchro Summon, you can treat it as a Level 2 monster. If this card is sent to the Graveyard  for a Synchro Summon, draw 1 card.

Tuningware has two effects. The first effect is a Continuous Effect that you can apply while Tuningware is face-up on the Field. If Tuningware has its effects negated, such as if it was Summoned by Junk Synchron, this effect cannot be applied. The second effect is a Mandatory Trigger Effect that you activate upon the successful Synchro Summon of the Synchro Monster. Being mandatory, it will cause you to lose the Duel if you have no Cards in your Deck.

The last Machine-type monster is a very small Synchro: Armory Arm:

1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
Once per turn, you can equip this card to a monster OR unequip it to Special Summon this card in face-up Attack Position. While equipped to a monster by this effect, that monster gains 1000 ATK. When the equipped monster destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the destroyed monster's ATK.

The first thing to notice is that, despite having similar effects to a Union Monster, Armory Arm is not a Union, so you can't target it with Formation Union, but you can equip it to a monster that already has a Union. The first effect is an Ignition Effect that targets, and unequipping is an Ignition-like effect of a Spell Card, much like Unions. The ATK bonus is a Continuous effect, of the Equip Spell Card, of course. The last effect is a Mandatory Trigger-like effect (Spell Card) that activates at the End of the Damage Step. Armory Arm and its target must be face-up in order for the effect to resolve properly. Regardless of who owns the equipped monster, Armory Arm inflicts damage to whoever is the opponent of Armory Arm. That is to say, the player that doesn't have Armory Arm in his/her S/T Zone.

That covers some more Yusei monsters, but there are still a few more. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me an e-mail at ness00[at]gmail[dot]com.

Road Rash

Since we are dealing with Cards used by Yusei (and mostly because it's a cheap excuse to review the new 5DS3 Cards). This time we'll look at other random "Warrior" monsters that aren't Synchro Monsters.

The first one is the infamous Speed Warrior:

During the Battle Phase of the turn you Normal Summon this card, you can double its original ATK until the end of the Battle Phase.

Speed Warrior has an Ignition Effect. Oddly enough, this effect is activated during the Battle Phase instead of the Main Phases. It's a very strange exception. Other than that, the effect itself is very simple. It takes the Original ATK of Speed Warrior, doubles that value, and sets that value as the Current ATK. In other words, it works much like Shrink (*thunder*), only that it doubles the value instead of halving it.

Then, we have Max Warrior:

When this card attacks an opponent's monster, it gains 400 ATK  during damage calculation only. If this card destroys  an opponent's monster by battle, this card's Level becomes 2 and its original ATK and DEF are halved until your next Standby Phase.

Gaining ATK is a Continuous Effect. The effect that weakens Max Warrior, on the other hand, is a Mandatory Trigger Effect. It activates at the End of the Damage Step. Max Warrior actually does modify its Original ATK/DEF, instead of setting a new Current ATK value. If multiple monsters are destroyed by Max Warrior, then the ATK/DEF is halved once again for each monster destroyed.

Moving on, we have Shield Warrior:

During damage calculation, you can remove from play this card from your Graveyard  to prevent monsters you control from being destroyed by this battle.

Shield Warrior has an Optional Quick Effect that you activate at the "Damage Calculation" Sub-Step. Removing it from Play is a cost. Probably the most common question about its effect is how long it lasts, as its wording is somewhat ambiguous. The key term here is the end of the sentence: "by this battle". This means that Shield Warrior only prevents the destruction of your monsters in battle from this single attack.

Another member of the Warriors is Turret Warrior:

You can Tribute  1 Warrior-Type monster to Special Summon this card from your hand. If you do, it gains ATK  equal to the Tributed monster's original ATK.

Turret Warrior only has a Summoning Condition. Note that it's not restrictive in any way: You can still Normal Summon it, Set it, or Special Summon it with other Card Effects. The Inherent Special Summon itself is self-explanatory. If Turret Warrior has its effects negated (Skill Drain), the gained ATK disappears.

Speaking of Inherent Special Summons, we have Level Warrior:

If there are no monsters on the field, you can Normal Summon this card from your hand as a Level 2 monster. If your opponent controls  a monster and you control no monsters, you can Special Summon this card from your hand as a  Level 4 monster.

Both abilities are Summoning Conditions. However, Level Warrior's Level is modified in the Hand, not on the Field. This means that it will not reset to Level 3 if Level Warrior has its effects negated. Not much can be said, other than the Level 4 Summoning Condition is an Inherent Special Summon.

One more Warrior is Gaunlet Warrior:

 

You can Tribute  this card to have all face-up Warrior-Type monsters you control  gain 500 ATK  and DEF until the end of the next Damage Step they battle. This effect can be activated  during either player's turn.

 

Gaunlet Warrior has an optional Quick Effect. It can be activated during the Damage Step, but not at the "Damage Calculation" Sub-Step. Tributing Gaunlet Warrior is a cost, and this affect boots the ATK of the Warriors that are face-up when the effect resolves (not those Summoned afterwards). The effect lasts until the End of the Damage Step in which monster battles, meaning it entered the Battle Step.

And finally, we have the new Warrior monster: Rapid Warrior:

During your Main Phase 1, you can activate  this card's effect. If you do, it can attack your opponent directly this turn. Other monsters cannot attack during the turn your activate  this effect.

Rapid Warrior has an Ignition Effect. It allows it to attack directly. Even if Skill Drain is activated later, it's still allowed to attack directly. Other than that, the effect is very simple.

That covers another share of Yusei's Cards. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me an e-mail at ness00[at]gmail[dot]com.