Saturday, July 30, 2011

Xyz Summon

Number 20: Gig-Anto Brilli-Ant

Hey, guys! Today I would like to update some of the details regarding Xyz summon. Xyz monster has been released to TCG not long ago and their rule books regarding Xyz summon haven't updated yet. As a result, I share the Yugioh Wiki rulings regarding Xyz monster to you guys so that you guys can understand it more well.
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FAQ regarding Xyz monster:
Q: If Xyz monster have gone through the proper procedure of summon and it is send to the graveyard, can I special summon it? If it is possible, would the Xyz material still overlay under it?
A: Special summon is allowed, however Xyz material is not overlay on it.

Q: If Xyz monster is in defense position, would its Xyz material also become horizontal position?
A: No, it is remains as vertical position.

Q: If Xyz monster is return to hand and deck, where should it go?
A: Return to Extra deck.

Q: Can I use Xyz monster with the Xyz materials as tribute for Ritual Summon?
A: No, cannot.

Q: Can I use Gale Dogra's effect to send Xyz monster to the graveyard? If possible, can I special summon it?
A: Yes, possible. Because of the Xyz monster have not gone through proper procedure of summon, you cannot special summon it.

Q: Can I use the monster name that targeted by Prohibition as Xyz materials?
A: No, cannot.

Q: Can I use the Xyz monster name that targeted by Prohibition to perform Xyz summon?
A: No, cannot.

Q: The monster name that targeted by Prohibition already become Xyz material, can I activate the Xyz monster's effect and detach it as the cost for activating the Xyz monster effect?
A: When the monster targeted by Prohibition is Xyz material of the Xyz monster, the monster can be used as the cost for activating Xyz monster's effect and detach from the Xyz monster.

Q: When Xyz monster is targeted by Temple of the Kings, can it be special summon?
A: Under regulation/To be confirmed.

Q: Xyz monster is chosen by the effect of Magical Hats. All those cards chosen by the effect of Magical Hats will be shuffle and place in face-down defense position randomly, would its Xyz materials not longer exist, how should we solve it?
A: After the face-down defense position cards have been shuffle randomly, stacked the Xyz material underneath the Xyz monster. Your opponent can recognized which card is Xyz monster through the existence of Xyz material.

Q: When Xyz monster effect is activate while Cross Porter is one of the Xyz materials and it is send to the graveyard, can I activate the effect of Cross Porter?
A: This card effect have varies of answers. For further understand of it, please contact Yugioh OCG Executive Office. (In my understanding, this is due to its effect is not compulsory effect, unlike Dandylion)

Q: If Cross Porter is used as the cost for the effect of Gachi Gachi Gantetsu, can I activate Cross Porter's effect?
A: Can.

Q: If Cross Porter is used as the cost for the effect of Grenosaurus, can I activate Cross Porter's effect?
A: Cannot.

Q: If Cross Porter is used as the cost for the effect of Number 39: Utopia, can I activate Cross Porter's effect?
A: Cannot.

Q: If Cross Porter is used as Xyz material while overlay under Xyz monster and the Xyz monster is battle destroyed, can I activate Cross Porter's effect?
A: Can.

Q: If Cross Porter is used as Xyz material while overlay under Xyz monster and Xyz monster is destroyed by the effect of Soul Taker, can I activate Cross Porter's effect?
A: No, after the Xyz materials that is Cross Porter is send to the graveyard you need to resolve the effect of increase 1000 LP thus you will miss the timing to activate the effect of Cross Porter.

Q: When Xyz monster is battle destroyed, can I activate the effect of Infernity Avenger to special summon itself?
A: Cannot.

Q: Can I activate spell, trap or effect of the effect monster card that can change the level of the monster such as Level Returner, Delta Flyer or etc and targeted to Xyz monster?
A: No, cannot.

Q: Can I activate spell, trap or effect of the effect monster that consists of the effect of changing the level of the monster such as Synchro Boost, Give and Take, Scanner or etc and targeted to Xyz monster?
A: No, cannot.

Q: Can I activate spell, trap or effect of the effect monster that referred to the level of the monster such as Double Attack, Dora of Fate, Healing Wave Generator or etc and targeted to Xyz monster?
A: No, cannot.

Q: When Xyz monster is battle destroyed by cards such as Greed Quasar, Stygian Street Patrol, KA-2 Des Scissors or etc, the effect of referring to the level of the monster would it be triggered? If it is activate, how should we solve it?
A: The effect will not activate, because Xyz monster did not have level but they have rank, thus the effect will not applied.

Q: Can I activate spell, trap or effect of the effect monster that have the effect of referring to the level of the monster such as Insect Imitation, Crop Circles, Dark Strike Fighter or etc and use Xyz monster as the cost?
A: No, you cannot use Xyz monster as cost.

Q: When you have Naturia Strawberry while your opponent Xyz summon, would Naturia Strawberry effect activate? Besides, if there is other monster being summon would Naturia Strawberry effect activate?
A: Yes, the effect of increasing its attack is not applied. Then even the same turn other monster is summon, its effect will not activate anymore.

Q: Opponent activate Harmonic Waves and targeted my monster. Then I chain it by activating Shift, can I change the target to Xyz monster?
A: Cannot.

Q: When there is only Xyz monster on my field and opponent synchro summon Locomotion R-Genex, how should we solve it?
A: Since there is no any level monster, thus your opponent cannot take control of your monster.

Q: When Morphing Jar #2 effect activates and returned the Xyz monster from the field to the Extra deck, would its Xyz materials return to the deck? If does so, do we count them in the number of monster returned to the deck?
A: No return to deck, all Xyz materials send to the graveyard.

Q: When Interdimensional Matter Transporter is activate and target Xyz monster on the field, should I banish the Xyz materials too?
A: No, the Xyz materials will not stay on the field and they are send to the graveyard.

Q: When Compulsory Evacuation Device is activate and target Xyz monster on the field, should I return the Xyz materials to hand too?
A: No, the Xyz materials will not return to hand and they are send to the graveyard.

Q: When Relinquished's effect activate and "absorb" the Xyz monster to become Equip card, what should we do to the Xyz materials?
A: Since Xyz monster is no longer treated as Xyz monster card and it is an Equip card, the Xyz materials will be send to the graveyard.

Q: When Book of Moon is activate and target face-up Xyz monster on the field, would its Xyz materials also change to face-down position?
A: In this case, Xyz materials will be stay on the field and its Xyz materials no need to change to face-down position.

Q: When Mind Control is activate and target Xyz monster on the field, would its Xyz materials also change control?
A: Yes, Xyz monster and its Xyz materials will be switch to the opponent's field.

Q: When Skill Drain is applying while Xyz monster is on the field, what would happen to its Xyz materials?
A: Its Xyz materials remain stacked with Xyz monster.

Q: If I special summon Plaguespreader Zombie from the graveyard through its own effect, can I use it as Xyz materials for Xyz summon? If it can be used, would it stay on the field? Or it is banish?
A: You can use Plaguespreader Zombie as Xyz materials although you have used its special summon effect. Besides, when Plaguespreader Zombie is used as Xyz materials, it is not longer treated as monster card, it will only treated as Xyz material thus it will not be banish and stay on the field. Furthermore, when Xyz monster is leaving the field, Plaguespreader Zombie that used as Xyz material will be sent to the graveyard.

Q: When Xyz monster battle with Satellite Cannon or Reese the Ice Mistress, are them(Satellite Cannon / Reese the Ice Mistress) cannot be battle destroyed?
A: Either Satellite Cannon or Reese the Ice Mistress, if they are able to be destroy by Xyz monster, their effect of cannot be destroyed by battle will not be applied.

Q: Would Xyz monster affected by the effect of Level Limit - Area A and Level Limit - Area B?
A: Their star is rank and not level, thus the effect will not applied on Xyz monster.
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Quite a long post for Xyz monster FAQ and I have took several hours just to translate it. Anyways, hope it is useful to you guys! Apart from that, a lot of bloggers started predicting the September 2011 ban list and I can see that some of the ban list prediction is not the style that Konami would did. Some of the players forecast that Formula Synchron will be limit but from my point of view, the biggest effort Konami would do is only semi-limit it. I have use Junk Doppel deck without the existence of T.G. Hyper Librarian. Without it running in the deck, the deck is far more slow. Yet Formula Synchron is just letting me gain back same amount of hand card that I have used for synchro thus I did not see any point of limiting Formula Synchron for this moment.

Apart from that, I can see that Xyz monster will have far more support cards than synchro in the upcoming booster pack and even duelist packs. The introducing of Dark Deep Trap Hole is to let us against Dark World, Synchro theme, Agent Fairy and etc deck. Konami want us to use it to against these popular decks thus it will be the one of the good side cards to be used. Furthermore, I can see that Xyz monster is gonna have new Xyz summon engine soon and I think that we may see Light Beat more frequently after the applied of September ban list.

One more news to tell you guys, the real September 2011 ban list would only released between 17 to 20 August 2011. Thus please do not trust those fake ban list that post before this period and I will post the real ban list in this blog as soon as possible once I have confirmed its source. Okay, that's all for today. Thanks for your precious time and wish you guys have nice day.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Usefulness Evolkaiser Ragia and Concepts You Should Understand

 Evolkaiser Ragia

Hey, guys! Today I would like to share with you guys some thoughts regarding Evolkaiser Ragia that released in the latest booster pack, Photon Shockwave(PHSW). This is a great card that almost similar with the effect of Solemn Judgment but with almost no cost to activate its effect. It cannot negate flip summon of a monster and it is hard to gain advantage when you Xyz summon it in the early of the game.

Why I would say so? It is due to early of the game, your opponent may have a lot of cards to against it for example your opponent can activate Card Destruction to force Evolkaiser Ragia to negate its activation. If you did not negate its activation, your Evolkaiser Ragia may be destroyed by the effect of Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World. Thus, you should Xyz summon Evolkaiser Ragia during middle or later part of the game. According to latest FAQ of Yugioh Wiki, you can activate its effect in the Damage Step and even during Damage Calculation.
Momentary Truce

I think some of us still does not understand what will caused a monster battle destroy. In simple term, if your monster did not enter Damage Step, your monster will not be battle destroy. This is applied to all monsters except monster with 0 ATK. If you perform a battle between a monster with 0 ATK to another monster with 0 ATK, they will not be battle destroy. Thus cards with the effect of 0 damage such as Momentary Truce included the effect damage and battle damage, however it did not prevent your monster from being battle destroyed. As a result, please don't take it as the replacement of Waboku.
Fragment of Greed

In my opinion, Fragment of Greed is a good card for you to gain hand card advantage while wasting your opponent card to negate its activation. It is useful in the environment without those massive spell or trap destruction period (basically is Heavy Storm). If it is stand on the field for 3 turns then you can draw 2 more cards from you deck to your hand. It is a lower version of Pot of Greed/Pot of Avarice and it may be can be used as a combination with Pot of Duality to have massive hand card drawing.

I think most of us tends to/have organized or judging a game but you have no idea of what kind of penalty you should gave to those that misbehave, cheating or violate the rules during the game. Therefore, I share some of the penalty that Konami referees would do when they faced those situation to you guys so that you guys have more idea of what should you do when these situations occurred. The penalties are as below:

(a) Act that violate decks rule(Main, Side and Extra)
  1. Cards in Main deck less than 40 or above 60 pieces
    Penalty: Lose 1 duel for the respective player
  2. A card in decks is above 3 copies
    Penalty: Lose 1 duel for the respective player
  3. Cards is not found in the decks
    Penalty: Lose 1 duel for the respective player
  4. Number of copies of a card exceeds the number of copies stated in ban list
    Penalty: Lose 1 duel for the respective player
  5. Cards in the decks is incorrect compare with the deck list
    Penalty: Lose 1 duel for the respective player
(b) Act that violate the rules of game
  1. Purposely, act that mislead to the card play
    Penalty: Attention given to the respective player. If the cards that play would not much affected the game, then reset back the cards that have play else destroy the cards that have play.
  2. Purposely draw extra number of cards
    Penalty: Give warning to the respective player. Any repeated misdraw of cards may lead you to lose 1 duel.
  3. Purposely look through your Main deck
    Penalty: Give warning to the respective player. If the cards that been see would not much affected the game, then put back the cards to the top of main deck else judge the violator lose 1 duel.
  4. Purposely misplay of cards effect/ruling
    Penalty: Disqualify respective player's title and prizes
(c) Late for game/match
  1. Does not present to his/her seat in the given of time
    Penalty: Give warning to the respective player
  2. Late for 5 minutes when the game has started
    Penalty: Lose 1 duel for the respective player
  3. Late for 10 minutes when the game has started
    Penalty: Lose the match for the respective player
(d) Unnecessary usage of extra time to play during the duel/match
  1. Purposely, unnecessary time taken to play (*create an unnecessary lock down of cards)
    Penalty: Attention given to the respective player.
  2. Purposely, unnecessary time taken to think strategy (*time taken for thinking max. is 3 minutes)
    Penalty: Lose the match for the respective player
(e) Act that would result to an inappropriate duel result
  1. Win the game without any duel for example use Scissors to determine the who will win the game
    Penalty: Disqualify respective player from the game
  2. Bribe your opponent or manipulating the match result
    Penalty: Disqualify respective player's title and prizes
(f) Fraud
  1. Give fake match result
    Penalty: Disqualify respective player's title and prizes
(g) Personal chat during the match
  1. Received advices from the third parties such as spectators or other players during the duel
    Penalty: Give warning to the respective player
  2. Talking to the third parties such as spectators or other players during the duel
    Penalty: Give warning to the respective player
  3. Player or player's supporters that carries out the action of hustles, abusive languages or etc
    Penalty: Give warning to the respective player
If any actions that have made in section (g) would affected the game result, further penalties can be added. [Translated from Yugioh Wiki]

Okay, that's all I wanna share today. Thanks for your precious time and wish you guys have a nice day. Please stay tuned for my next post.

Friday, July 15, 2011

New Rulings toward Effect that Helps in Synchro Summon or Normal Summon

Hey, guys! Today I will share some of the new cards that released in the latest booster pack, Photon Shockwave (PHSW). Overall, this booster pack boost some of the current existing theme such as Wind-up, Naturia, Watt, Ice Barrier and also introduce the new theme monster, Evoldo and Evoldar. This booster also try to promote the usage of normal monster by introducing Rescue Rabbit, Death Bunny, Thunder-End Dragon, Triwight Zone, Ruler's Penetrating Gaze, Tyrant's Desperation and more.


Extra Gate is a card that can use to stop the synchro/fusion summon of opponent and remove from play the opponent's synchro/fusion monster. Monster's Slot is another draw engine with the ability to special summon the card if the card is a monster card same level as the selected monster. Shattered Pot of Greed is archtype of pot of greed but it requires 2 or above Greed counter and send it to the graveyard so that you can draw 2 cards.
Momentary Truce is a new card that almost have the same effect as Upstart Goblin and I can see that Konami want the Six Samurai players use it to gain their Gateway of the Six more faster. This card can be used to increase the speed of adding key card to hand and it is almost costless. This card also suit to use in Exodia, FTW or Final Count Down deck. Apart from that, Dark Flash is a card used to against special summon theme deck such as Dark World, Junk Doppel, Blackwing, Karakuri Machina Plant, Six Samurai and others. Deep Dark Trap Hole is an archtype of trap hole that can against Dark World and special summon theme decks. For more details of PHSW, please visit here.

Once again I will re-discuss the new rulings of effect that aids in normal summon or synchro summon due to some of my friends did not understand what I had mentioned in the previous post. To make you fully understand of it, I try to explain it in much simpler way. Cards effect that enable you to normal summon are Ultimate Offering, Mausoleum of the Emperor and Cry Havoc!. Cards effect that enable you to synchro summon others than turn player's turn are Formula Synchron, T.G. Hyper Librarian and Urgent Tuning.

Before this, if a player use Ultimate Offering, Mausoleum of the Emperor and Cry Havoc! to normal summon their monster and no other cards chain to its activation thus it is resolve as chain 1, we can negate it through Solemn Judgment, Solemn Warning, Horn of Heaven or etc. However, this rule is undergoing regulation from now on and this means you are prohibited to do the negation until the result of new regulation is published. Apart from that, as we know, the activation of effect for synchro summon such as Formula Synchron, T.G. Hyper Librarian and Urgent Tuning is not a cost and it is similar to Blackwing - Vayu the Emblem of Honor. So your opponent can only negate it before its effect resolve and not after the whole chain is resolve.

However, there are some change in this rulings nowadays. Now we can negate the chain 1 synchro summon effect through 2 ways and this can be applied according to several situations. Before I explain the techniques in detail, let me explain the whole procedures/flows of the cards effect that helps in normal summon or synchro summon to you guys so that you guys understand how these cards works and resolve it.


FAQ of Effect that Helps in Synchro Summon or Normal Summon
Q1: Formula Synchron or Urgent Tuning that activate as chain 1, can I activate Solemn Judgment or Horn of Heaven to negate "the action of synchro summon"?

A1: Yes, you can. The actual activation timing for negate is before the effect of Formula Synchron/Urgent Tuning resolve to perform the synchro summon (*1). If you use Solemn Warning/Royal Oppression to negate their effect, you can performing your action in the two timing belows:
1. Chain to the activation of effect that have special summon ability, for example, chain 1 Urgent Tuning chain 2 Solemn Warning
2. During the resolve of action that performing special summon (*2), for example, chain 1 during the effect of Urgent Tuning resolving chain 1 Solemn Warning [This resolve is a special case]

Q2: Fusion Gate or Infernity Launcher that activate as chain 1, can I activate Solemn Judgment or Horn of Heaven to negate "the action of special summon"?
A2: No, you cannot.

Hereby, I would like to apologize for giving a wrong information regarding the Fusion Gate or Infernity Launcher in the previous post. Fusion Gate, Infernity Launcher or Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen that activate from hand or flip to face-up from the field can be negate with Solemn Warning but not face-up Fusion Gate, Infernity Launcher or Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen that activate its effect. However, Royal Oppression can negate the activation of effect of face-up Fusion Gate, Infernity Launcher and Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen.

Okay, that's all I wanna share today. Thanks for your precious time and wish you guys have a nice day. Please stay tuned for my next post.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Foresee of September 2011 Ban List

Hey, guys! Now left with a month and 2 more weeks, the new September 2011 ban list will be revealed. With the released of Structure Deck 21 Devil's Gate into OCG, Dark World once again made a massive hit to the OCG environment within a week. The new Dark World was similar to Agent Fairy and they are very competitive with those new support cards. However, Konami also dislike decks that have conquer or majoring the OCG and TCG environment for a long time thus Konami will make some changes to it.

Without wasting your time, we directly go to my prediction ban list. Below is my forecast of September 2011 ban list.

Ban:
Dark Hole
Future Fusion

Limit:
T.G. Hyper Librarian
Archlord Kristya
Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning
Rescue Rabbit
Royal Tribute
Crush Card Virus
Deck Devastation Virus
Eradicator Epidemic Virus
Solemn Warning
Ultimate Offering

Semi-limit:
Dewloren, Tiger King of the Ice Barrier
Junk Synchron
Marshmallon
Night Assailant
Destiny Draw
Pot of Duality
Super Polymerization
Double Edge Sword Technique
Skill Drain

No longer limit:
Spirit Reaper
Magic Cylinder
Ojama Trio

I listed Dark Hole to the ban list according to the analysis from last year September ban list and the reprint of Dark Hole in GS2011. As you guys can see, Elemental Hero deck is much more powerful with the release of Elemental Hero Escuridão because they can fusion to any of the Elemental Hero as they like and Future Fusion act as a tool for FTK. They will re-use Future Vision effect by bounce it back to hand with the effect of Blackwing - Zephyros the Elite and Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier. Thus Future Fusion might be in the new ban list as I predicted.

The reason I listed Eradicator Epidemic Virus and Deck Devastation Virus into the prediction ban list because most of the Dark World monster compatible to be the virus activation material and they can destroy most of the deck through these viruses. In my opinion, the release of Crush Card Virus from the ban list is needed so that most of the main stream decks can be slow down. With the reprint of Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning in GLD4, I predicted it will be free from the new ban list soon. Apart from that, Gravekeeper Recruiter is gonna release in EXP4 thus Konami might limit Royal Tribute so that Gravekeeper become weak.

The unlimited of Dewloren, Tiger King of the Ice Barrier caused the FTK combo still occur thus I predict that it will again back to semi-limit. Nowadays, Ojama Trio have very little impact to the environment due to the popularity of synchro summon thus it might be back to unlimited soon. The overwhelming of Junk Doppel in OCG might be affected by this ban list due to the semi-limit of Junk Synchron and limit of T.G. Hyper Librarian. Agent Fairy is stable due to the effect of special summon restriction from Archlord Kristya and this make the opponent hard to regain their advantage towards Agent Fairy's player.

Some of us may not agree with the limit of Rescue Rabbit because they have not see how broken this card can be. Rescue Rabbit can be used in lot of the decks such as Cloudian, Fishborg, TCG Gladiator Beast and much more deck. With this ban list, the environment of OCG might become much more balance due to the limit of these powerful monsters and support cards. Apart from that, the new ruling of priority will apply in TCG soon and the rulings of most of the cards in TCG will have the same ruling results as OCG soon.

One more information to share with you guys is there is a change in the OCG ruling for effect synchro summon(including Formula Synchron, T.G. Wonder Magician and Urgent Tuning) and Ultimate Offering. Previously, if you activate the effect of Ultimate Offering/Mausoleum of the Emperor/Cry Havoc! and it is only chain 1, your opponent can negate the action of normal summon through Solemn Judgment or Horn of Heaven but recently it is under regulation. For the effect synchro summon, now it is no longer unstoppable. If you activate the effect of Formula Synchron or Urgent Tuning and it is as chain 1, your opponent can negate the action of synchro summon through Solemn Judgment or Black Horn of Heaven. Normal synchro summon is unaffected by this new ruling.

To explain the new ruling of effect synchro summon, let me use an example to explain it. Eg, you activate the effect of Formula Synchron or Urgent Tuning and it is as chain 1, your opponent can have 2 options for negating your effect synchro summon if they are having Solemn Warning or Royal Oppression on the field. First, they can negate it before you send the synchro material to the graveyard that is before the effect synchro summon is resolving. Second, they can negate it after you send your synchro material to the graveyard that is during the effect synchro summon is resolving but before your synchro monster is landed to the field.

The actual flow of effect resolving for Ultimate Offering/Formula Synchron/Urgent Tuning or etc is as below:
Chain 1 Activate of effect normal summon/synchro summon including paying cost(Urgent Tuning and etc) --> Initial of effect resolving --> Released monster for Advanced Summon/Sending synchro materials to the graveyard --> Action of normal summon/synchro summon --> End of effect resolving --> End of chain resolving. [Your opponent can negate the effect synchro summon in the two red highlighted timing by using Solemn Warning or Royal Oppression]. If your opponent having Solemn Judgment or Black Horn of Heaven then they can only negate the chain 1 effect synchro summon during the timing of activation of effect synchro summon including paying cost.

Apart from that, if you special summon your monster through the effect of Infernity Launcher or Fusion Gate, your opponent cannot negate its effect and activation of special summon through Solemn Warning or Royal Oppression. Same judging also made for the Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen. Thus, these cards are unstoppable if you have Solemn Warning or Royal Oppression on the field. Okay, that's all I wanna share today. If you have any comments or opinions, please leave your comments here so that we can discuss it together. Thanks for your precious time and wish you guys have a nice day! Please stay tuned for my next post.