Chains

by tbones9119

    A chain is a series of cards played in response to each other that is then resolved starting with the last card played, and going back to the first card played.  Anytime a player activates a magic card, trap card, or monster effect, he/she must allow the opponent the chance to respond and form a chain.  If the opponent does not respond, the first person may then choose to chain to his/her own card, in which case the opponent is then given the chance to respond again.  Or, the first player may choose to resolve the card they played.

    You ARE allowed to chain to your own cards, as stated earlier.  Your opponent must always be given the chance to respond first, and if they choose not to or cannot respond, you can then chain to your own card if you wish.  If you choose not to chain to your own card, then the card you played would then resolve.

    It is important to note that in resolving chains, you always start with the last card played, and no other cards in the chain are resolved until the chain gets back to them during resolution.  For example, let’s say Player A activates a magic card, and Player B responds with Imperial Order.  Player A chooses not to respond to Imperial Order, and Player B then chooses not to chain any more cards.  The chain is now over, and begins to be resolved, starting with the last card played, Imperial Order.  Imperial Order becomes active, negating all magic cards, then Player A’s magic card becomes active, but since Imperial Order is active, the magic card is negated.

    Now, using the same example, let’s say that Player A decides to respond to Imperial Order by activating a Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Imperial Order.  Player B does not further respond, and Player A also does not chain any other cards.  Now, the chain resolves backwards.  Mystical Space Typhoon resolves first, since it was the last card activated.  Mystical Space Typhoon destroys Imperial Order.  Mystical Space Typhoon is NOT negated by Imperial Order in this case, because Imperial Order is not in effect yet when Mystical Space Typhoon resolves.  The next “link” in the chain is Imperial Order.  However, since Imperial Order is a continuous trap, its effect lasts only while it is on the field, and since it has been destroyed by Mystical Space Typhoon, its effect is gone.  The final link is the magic card activated by Player A.  The magic card then resolves normally, and is NOT negated by Imperial Order, because the effect of Imperial Order is no longer on the field.

    For another example of a chain, let’s say Player A activates Heavy Storm, destroying all magic and trap cards on the field.  Player B can then choose to respond by activating any of his/her face-down magic/trap cards if the activation timing is correct.  Cards such as Mirror Force and Magic Cylinder cannot be activated in this case, because they require a certain “trigger,” namely an attack by an opponent’s monster.  However, cards such as Waboku and Ring of Destruction, which have no “trigger,” can be activated and form a chain with Heavy Storm.  Assuming Player B has a set Waboku, he/she may activate it in response to the Heavy Storm.  If no other cards are added to the chain, then Waboku resolves, blocking all damage from opponent’s monsters during that turn.  Then Heavy Storm resolves, destroying all magic and trap cards on the field.  Since Waboku is a normal trap card, it is destroyed after activation, and the effect lasts for the entire turn.  Note that Waboku is NOT destroyed by Heavy Storm before it can activate, because Heavy Storm does not resolve until Player B has had a chance to respond and form a chain.

    Once a chain begins to resolve, no other cards can be activated in the chain.  The cards that have been activated in the chain resolve in reverse order of when they were played, and no other cards can be activated until the chain is completely resolved.

    There are two basic requirements for a card being able to chain.  The first is spell speed.  In order for a card to chain to another card, it must be of equal or greater spell speed than the card it is responding to.  The exception is spell speed 1 cards, which cannot chain to each other.  A spell speed 2 or spell speed 3 card can, however, chain to a spell speed 1 card.  The following types of cards are spell speed 1:

        -All magic cards except quick-play magic cards
        -Effect monsters (cost, trigger, and flip)

The following types of cards are spell speed 2:

        -Quick-play magic cards
        -Normal trap cards
        -continuous trap cards
        -Multi-trigger effect monster cards

The following types of cards are spell speed 3:

        -Counter trap cards

***It should be noted that continuous effect monsters, such as Jinzo, do not have a spell speed, and are not “activated,” and therefore cannot be chained to.   This is a mistake in the rulebook, and it has been clarified by Upperdeck and Konami officials that the rulebook is incorrect in this instance.  Continuous effects “turn on” the instant a monster has been successfully summoned (even in the middle of a chain, since the effect is not “activated.  An example of this is negating a non-counter trap card by activating Call of the Haunted in a chain and reviving Jinzo.  Since Call of the Haunted resolves first, it puts Jinzo on the field, and Jinzo’s effect immediately becomes active, negating the other trap card that was activated.  This IS legal).  This is the reason Trap Hole and Torrential Tribute cannot destroy a Jinzo, and the reason you cannot chain a card such as Waboku to Jinzo’s effect.  You can, however, destroy Jinzo using Horn of Heaven or Solemn Judgment, because those cards negate the summon, and since Jinzo was never successfully summoned, its effect never came into play.

    The second requirement for a card to be activated in a chain is that the activation timing must be correct.  Some cards do not have a specific activation timing, such as Waboku and Imperial Order.  These cards can be activated anytime.  Other cards have a specific requirement, but no specific activation timing, such as Backup Soldier (can be activated anytime you have at least 5 monsters in your graveyard) and Ring of Destruction (can be activated anytime there is a face-up monster on the field).  Other cards have a specific activation timing, such as Mirror Force (opponent’s monster attack) and Magic Jammer (opponent’s magic card just activated).

    Although the effects of cards do not resolve until “their turn” in the chain, two things always happen upon activation of the card.  First, any activation costs the card has must be paid immediately.  Activation costs are always paid, even if the card is negated.  An activation cost will usually be in the form of discarding a set number of cards, or in paying some amount of life points, and the cost will be the first thing listed on the card.  Also, the cost will be specific to the player activating the card (Example: Card Destruction’s discarding the whole hand is NOT a cost to the card, since it applies to both players).  Examples of cards with costs are Premature Burial (“Pay 800 Life Points”), Solemn Judgment (pay half of your life points), and Magic Jammer (discard one card from your hand).  Cards such as Graceful Charity have a discard as part of the card effect, so you don’t discard unless you get the whole card effect (you can tell because the discarding is not the first thing listed).

    The other thing that must be done immediately upon card activation is selecting a target if the card requires.  Cards such as Change of Heart or any equip card require that you choose a target for the card when the card is activated.  If, after a chain is formed and resolved, the target you chose is no longer where it needs to be for your card to work, your card “fizzles” and is destroyed without getting the effect.  You do not get to choose a new target.  Examples of causing a card to “fizzle” include the following:

1.    Player A activates Change of Heart and targets the opponent’s Jinzo.  Player B chains with Monster Recovery, shuffling Jinzo back into the deck.  Jinzo is no longer a legal target of Change of Heart since it is not on the field, so Change of Heart is destroyed and does not get its effect.

2.    Player A activates Monster Reborn (note: Monster Reborn is not considered a “targeting effect” when applied to cards such as Lord of D., but it still requires that you select a monster upon activation), and selects the Jinzo in Player B’s graveyard.  Player B chains Call of the Haunted to Monster Reborn, reviving his Jinzo.  Since Jinzo is no longer a legal “target” of Monster Reborn, Monster Reborn is destroyed and does not get the effect.

    Chains are probably the most difficult thing to understand in the game of Yu-Gi-Oh, but hopefully this essay is helpful in understanding how they work.  Any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail me at tbones9119@yahoo.com.

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