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Psct — Colons And Semicolons

01_psct_colon_semicolon_cost_target_activation_timing.md

PSCT — Colons and Semicolons

Problem-Solving Card Text uses punctuation to mark chain blocks and resolution structure.

Colon ( : )

A colon separates the activation condition from the effect. Anything before the colon is checked when the card or effect is activated. Anything after the colon happens during resolution.

Example — Bottomless Trap Hole: "When your opponent Summons a monster(s) with 1500 or more ATK: Destroy that monster(s), and if you do, banish it."
- Activation requirement: opponent just Summoned a 1500+ ATK monster.
- Resolution effect: destroy and banish.

Semicolon ( ; )

A semicolon separates a cost or targeting requirement from the rest of the resolution. Everything before the semicolon is paid/declared/applied on activation. Everything after happens on resolution.

Example — Raigeki Break: "Discard 1 card, then target 1 card on the field; destroy that target."
- Activation: discard 1 card, target 1 card on the field. Both happen on activation.
- Resolution: destroy the targeted card.

"Before the semicolon" is not limited to discards, banishes, and Tributes. Any action written before the semicolon happens on activation, including a state change to the card itself — most notably flipping a face-down monster face-up.

Example — Enneacraft - Asta.PIXEA (Quick Effect): "…You can change this face-down card to face-up Defense Position; negate that effect, then you can banish 1 random card from your opponent's hand."
- Activation: the monster is changed to face-up Defense Position. The flip is immediate, the moment the effect is put on the chain — it does not wait for resolution.
- Resolution: negate the targeting effect, then the optional banish.

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Consequence: by the time this card's own Chain Link resolves it is already face-up, so a "flips on resolution" reading is wrong. This also fixes earlier-chain targetability questions — a card that was still face-down when an earlier Chain Link was activated could not have been that link's "face-up" target.

"Then" vs "And if you do"

  • then — the second action only happens if the first action resolved as written. If the first part fails, the second is skipped, but the chain block still resolved.

- The first action happens before the second one.

  • and if you do — the second action only happens if the first action succeeded fully. If anything was substituted, negated, or partially failed, skip the rest.

- Despite the wording, the two actions happen simultaneously.

  • also — both happen independently and simultaneously; failure of one does not stop the other.

Quick rule of thumb

If a judge call is about what was paid vs. what resolved, look for the semicolon. If it's about when you can activate, look for the colon.

Sources

What's new

  • Added to corpus.