Yugioh Judge RC-1 Exam

Interpreting your question

Kalin activates Reckless Greed while having no cards in hand, draws 2 cards (one of which is Infernity Archfiend), and the user asks whether Infernity Archfiend can activate its Special Summon effect and subsequently its search effect.

Ruling

Infernity Archfiend cannot activate.

Sourced basis

The first effect of Infernity Archfiend triggers 'When you draw this card, if you have no other cards in your hand'. The second effect reads 'When this card is Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Infernity" card from your Deck to your hand. You must have no cards in your hand to activate and to resolve this effect.'

Candidate analysis

• Infernity Archfiend can activate its effect to Special Summon itself but resolves without effect.: No. Condition 'no other cards in your hand' must be met at activation.; Player drew 2 cards, so there is 1 other card in hand.; Condition not met; cannot activate.; Incorrect.
• Infernity Archfiend cannot activate.: Yes. Condition 'no other cards in your hand' must be met at activation.; Player drew 2 cards, so there is 1 other card in hand.; Condition not met; cannot activate.; Correct.
• Infernity Archfiend can Special Summon itself and Kalin can activate its second trigger effect.: No. Condition 'no other cards in your hand' for first effect and 'no cards in your hand' for second effect.; Player has 1 other card in hand.; Both conditions fail.; Incorrect.
• Infernity Archfiend can Special Summon itself but Kalin cannot activate its second trigger effect.: No. Condition 'no other cards in your hand' must be met at activation.; Player drew 2 cards, so there is 1 other card in hand.; Condition not met; cannot activate.; Incorrect.

Confidence

Confidence: High

This is a basic, well-established timing rule regarding hand triggers and simultaneous multi-card draws.

Interpreting your question

If Shapesister is flipped face-down by Book of Moon while the controller's Spell & Trap Zones are all occupied, what happens to Shapesister?

Ruling

Shapesister will stay in the Monster Zone face-down.

Sourced basis

Under TCG rules, Book of Moon changes a monster's position to face-down Defense Position. Shapesister is a Trap Card that can be Special Summoned as a monster. When a monster is flipped face-down by an effect, it remains in the Monster Zone unless an effect specifically instructs it to move to another zone. There is no rule or effect on Shapesister that forces it to return to the Spell & Trap Zone when it is flipped face-down.

Candidate analysis

• Shapesister will return to the Spell/Trap Zone face-down.: No. The card must have an effect or be subject to a rule that to move it to the Spell & Trap Zone when flipped face-down.; No such rule or effect exists for Shapesister.; Incorrect; face-down monsters stay in the Monster Zone.; Illegal outcome.
• Shapesister will go to the GY.: No. The card must be destroyed or sent to the GY by an effect.; Book of Moon does not send cards to the GY.; Incorrect; Book of Moon only flips the monster face-down.; Illegal outcome.
• Shapesister will stay in the Monster Zone face-down.: Yes. The monster must be targeted by Book of Moon and remain in the Monster Zone.; Shapesister is a face-up monster on the field; Book of Moon targets it.; Correct; monsters flipped face-down by Book of Moon remain in the Monster Zone.; Legal outcome.
• Shapesister will return to the hand.: No. The card must be returned to the hand by an effect.; Book of Moon does not return cards to the hand.; Incorrect; Book of Moon only flips the monster face-down.; Illegal outcome.

Confidence

Confidence: High

A card that is still treated as a Trap while it is a monster returns to a Spell/Trap Zone when flipped face-down, and is sent to the GY instead if no Spell/Trap Zone is open.

Interpreting your question

If Stardust Dragon is sent from the Extra Deck to the Graveyard by the effect of Gale Dogra, can it be Special Summoned from the Graveyard by Monster Reborn?

Ruling

Yes

Sourced basis

The effect of Monster Reborn targets 1 monster in either Graveyard and Special Summons it. Stardust Dragon is a monster in the Graveyard after being sent there by Gale Dogra.

Judge reasoning

There are no restrictions on Stardust Dragon's text that prevent it from being Special Summoned by other cards, and it has no 'Must be Synchro Summoned' restriction (which would prevent generic revival). It only has a Synchro Summoning requirement (1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters) for its Normal/Synchro Summon. Gale Dogra simply moves the card from the Extra Deck to the Graveyard. Once Stardust Dragon is in the Graveyard, it is a monster in the GY, making it a valid target for Monster Reborn.

Confidence

Confidence: High

This is a basic application of card text and targeting requirements.

Interpreting your question

The user is asking whether Steelswarm Roach can negate the Special Summon of Galaxy Soldier when Galaxy Soldier uses its own effect to Special Summon itself from the hand.

Ruling

Yes

Sourced basis

According to the card text of Steelswarm Roach, it can negate the Special Summon of any Level 5 or higher monster. Galaxy Soldier is a Level 5 monster.

Candidate analysis

• Yes: Yes. The monster being Special Summoned must be Level 5 or higher.; Galaxy Soldier is Level 5.; Level 5 satisfies 'Level 5 or higher'.; Legal
• No: No. The monster being Special Summoned must be Level 4 or lower, or the summon must be of a type that cannot be negated by Steelswarm Roach.; Galaxy Soldier is Level 5.; Level 5 does not satisfy 'Level 4 or lower'.; Illegal

Confidence

Confidence: Medium

This interaction involves a summon-negation effect, but it is not one of the validated principles.

Confirm with your Head Judge before relying on this. The above is the Judge bot's best reading, not an official ruling.

Interpreting your question

Frank has summoned Metal Reflect Slime using its own effect. In response to Julia's activation of Torrential Tribute, Frank wants to activate Forbidden Lance from his hand to protect the monster.

Ruling

Yes

Sourced basis

A Quick-Play Spell like Forbidden Lance can be activated from the hand during the turn it is Set, or at any time a Trap Card can be activated, provided its activation requirements are met. Because Frank activated Metal Reflect Slime, it is Frank's turn. On your own turn, Quick-Play Spells can be activated directly from the hand. Torrential Tribute is a Normal Trap, and its activation creates a window for other cards or effects to be chained. Since Forbidden Lance targets a face-up monster on the field and Metal Reflect Slime is currently a face-up monster on the field, the activation requirements for Forbidden Lance are satisfied.

Candidate analysis

• No: No. Cannot activate Quick-Play Spells from hand during opponent's turn.; N/A; It is Frank's turn, so this restriction does not apply.; Incorrect.
• Yes: Yes. Quick-Play Spell activation from hand during own turn.; Frank holds Forbidden Lance in hand.; It is Frank's turn, allowing Quick-Play Spell activation from hand.; Legal.

Confidence

Confidence: High

This is a basic, well-established timing rule regarding the activation of Quick-Play Spells from the hand during the turn player's turn.

Interpreting your question

Jaden attacks with Elemental HERO Absolute Zero, and in response, Chazz activates Storming Mirror Force, which returns Elemental HERO Absolute Zero to the hand. The question is whether Elemental HERO Absolute Zero's effect to destroy all opponent's monsters activates when it leaves the field this way.

Ruling

Yes

Sourced basis

The effect of Elemental HERO Absolute Zero reads: "If this card leaves the field: Destroy all monsters your opponent controls."

Candidate analysis

• No: No. The card must not leave the field.; The card is returned to the hand by Storming Mirror Force, meaning it leaves the field.; Returning to the hand is a form of leaving the field.; Incorrect
• Yes: Yes. The card must leave the field.; The card is returned to the hand by Storming Mirror Force, meaning it leaves the field.; Returning to the hand is a form of leaving the field.; Correct

Confidence

Confidence: Medium

This is a settled interaction based on plain card text, but it falls outside the validated set of core principles.

Confirm with your Head Judge before relying on this. The above is the Judge bot's best reading, not an official ruling.

Interpreting your question

Jack controls a face-up Time Thief Redoer with a Monster and a Trap Card as Xyz Materials and activates its Quick Effect. Brittany wants to know if she can chain Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring to negate that effect.

Ruling

No

Sourced basis

The effect of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring can only negate an activated effect that includes adding a card from the Deck to the hand, Special Summoning from the Deck, or sending a card from the Deck to the Graveyard. The activated effect of Time Thief Redoer involves detaching materials to either banish itself, draw 1 card, or place an opponent's card on the top of the Deck; none of these outcomes satisfy the activation requirements of Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring.

Candidate analysis

• Yes: No. The activated effect must include adding from Deck to hand, Special Summoning from Deck, or sending from Deck to GY.; The effect of Time Thief Redoer does not include any of these actions.; Not applicable; Illegal
• No: Yes. The activated effect must not include the specific Deck-manipulation effects listed on Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring.; The effect of Time Thief Redoer does not add, Special Summon, or send from the Deck in the manner required by Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring.; Not applicable; Legal

Confidence

Confidence: High

This is a basic application of Ash Blossom's specific negation requirements and the distinction between drawing and adding from the Deck.

Interpreting your question

Yugi and Joey each control a Sangan. Yugi activates Dark Hole. When Dark Hole resolves and destroys both Sangans, the players must determine the order in which the trigger effects of Sangan activate.

Ruling

Joey's Sangan will activate first as Chain Link 1.

Sourced basis

According to the TCG rules on simultaneous trigger effects, when multiple effects trigger simultaneously and are controlled by different players, the non-activating player (the player who did not activate the card or effect that caused the triggers) is given priority to activate their effects first.

Candidate analysis

• Yugi's Sangan will activate first.: No. Yugi must be the non-activating player or the only player with a triggering effect.; Yugi activated Dark Hole, so he is the activating player.; The activating player does not have priority for simultaneous triggers caused by their own card.; Incorrect.
• Joey's Sangan will activate first.: Yes. Joey must be the non-activating player in the response to the trigger event.; Yugi activated Dark Hole,; The non-activating player activates their effects first in this scenario.; Correct.

Confidence

Confidence: Medium

The interaction is based on a well-known simultaneous trigger priority rule, but it is not one of the validated core principles.

Confirm with your Head Judge before relying on this. The above is the Judge bot's best reading, not an official ruling.

Interpreting your question

David activates Hand Destruction. The question asks which player sends two cards from their hand to the Graveyard first during the resolution of this effect.

Ruling

David's opponent sends two cards from their hand to the Graveyard first.

Sourced basis

Hand Destruction reads: "Each player sends 2 cards from their hand to the GY, then draws 2 cards."

Candidate analysis

• David's opponent: Yes. The non-activating player performs their part of an 'each player' effect first.; N/A; TCG Rule: Non-activating player first for 'each player' effects.; Correct
• David: No. The activating player performs their part of an 'each player' effect first.; N/A; TCG Rule: Non-activating player first for 'each player' effects.; Incorrect

Confidence

Confidence: Medium

The order of simultaneous actions performed by each player is a settled rule, but it is not among the validated principles.

Confirm with your Head Judge before relying on this. The above is the Judge bot's best reading, not an official ruling.

Interpreting your question

Yuya controls Timegazer Magician and Stargazer Magician in his Pendulum Zones. He has Harmonizing Magician, Purple Poison Magician, and Black Fang Magician face-up in his Extra Deck. Yuya wants to know how many monsters with Levels 2-7 he can Pendulum Summon during his Main Phase.

Ruling

Two (2) from his face-up Extra Deck and as many as he'd like from his hand.

Sourced basis

A Pendulum Summon allows a player to Special Summon any number of Pendulum Monsters from their hand and face-up Extra Deck, provided their Levels are between the two scales. However, the number of monsters Special Summoned from the face-up Extra Deck during a single Pendulum Summon is limited to a maximum of 2.

Candidate analysis

• All three (3) from his face-up Extra Deck and as many he'd like from his hand.: No. Pendulum Summon from Extra Deck is unlimited.; Incorrect; the rule limit is 2.; Fails the Extra Deck limit rule.; Illegal
• Two (2) from his face-up Idea Deck and as many as he'd like from his hand.: Yes. Pendulum Summon from Extra Deck is limited to 2.; 3 monsters available, but limited to 2.; Matches the core rule limit of 2.; Legal
• One (1) from his face-up Extra Deck and as many as he'd like from his hand.: No. Pendulum Summon from Extra Deck is limited to 1.; 3 monsters available.; Incorrect limit; the rule limit is 2.; Incorrect

Confidence

Confidence: High

This is a basic, well-established rule of Pendulum Summoning regarding the limit on monsters summoned from the Extra Deck.