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Trap Monsters Flipped Face Down

27_trap_monster_face_down_spell_trap_zone_monster_zone.md

Trap Monsters Flipped Face-Down

Trap Cards Special Summoned as monsters do not all behave the same when an effect like `Book of Moon` would flip them face-down. The key distinction is whether the card is still treated as a Trap while it is a monster.

Relevant card text

Book of Moon

"Target 1 face-up monster on the field; change that target to face-down Defense Position."

Shapesister

"Special Summon this card as a Normal Monster (Fiend/Tuner/EARTH/Level 2/ATK 0/DEF 0). (This card is also still a Trap.) You can only activate 1 'Shapesister' per turn."

The Phantom Knights of Shade Brigandine

"Special Summon this card in Defense Position as a Normal Monster (Warrior/DARK/Level 4/ATK 0/DEF 300) (this card is NOT treated as a Trap). If you have no Traps in your GY, you can activate this card the turn it was Set. You can only activate 1 'The Phantom Knights of Shade Brigandine' per turn."

Still treated as a Trap

If a Trap Card that is still treated as a Trap is Special Summoned as a monster, and it would be changed to face-down Defense Position, it is Set in its current controller's Spell & Trap Zone instead.

The current controller chooses which usable Spell & Trap Zone to Set it in. It does not have to return to the zone it originally occupied.

If there are no usable Spell & Trap Zones when the effect resolves, the card is sent to the GY. This is not treated as being sent to the GY by a card effect.

Examples that follow this rule:

  • Shapesister
  • Embodiment of Apophis
  • Apophis the Swamp Deity
  • Angel Statue - Azurune
  • Statue of Anguish Pattern
  • Swamp Mirrorer
  • Quantum Cat
  • Tiki Curse
  • Tiki Soul
  • Metal Reflect Slime
  • Zoma the Spirit
  • The First Monarch
  • Shaddoll Core
  • Copy Knight
  • Conquistador of the Golden Land
  • Huaquero of the Golden Land
  • Guardian of the Golden Land

Not treated as a Trap

If a Trap Card Special Summoned as a monster is not treated as a Trap, and it would be changed to face-down Defense Position, it stays in the Monster Zone face-down. It is not Set in the Spell & Trap Zone.

Examples that follow this rule:

  • Paleozoic Marrella
  • Paleozoic Canadia
  • Paleozoic Dinomischus
  • Paleozoic Olenoides
  • The Phantom Knights of Shade Brigandine
  • The Phantom Knights of Shadow Veil
  • The Prime Monarch
  • Traptrix Holeutea
  • Speedroid Dupligate

For `Paleozoic` monsters Special Summoned by their own GY effect, if they later become face-up again, they are still treated as Normal Monsters with their listed stats. However, the extra applied effect from that summon, such as being unaffected by monster effects and being banished when leaving the field, no longer applies.

Worked examples

"If Odion's Shapesister is flipped face-down by Book of Moon while Odion has cards in all five of his Spell & Trap Zones, what happens to Shapesister?"
Answer: Shapesister is sent to the GY. Shapesister is still treated as a Trap, so it would be Set in Odion's Spell & Trap Zone instead of staying in the Monster Zone face-down. Because all five Spell & Trap Zones are occupied, it is sent to the GY.
"If Paleozoic Marrella was Special Summoned by its own GY effect and is targeted by Book of Moon, what happens?"
Answer: It remains in the Monster Zone in face-down Defense Position. Paleozoic Marrella is not treated as a Trap while it is a monster, so it is not Set in the Spell & Trap Zone.
"If The Phantom Knights of Shade Brigandine is targeted by Book of Moon, what happens?"
Answer: It remains in the Monster Zone in face-down Defense Position. Shade Brigandine's text says it is not treated as a Trap after becoming a monster.

Related rulings

Modern Trap Monsters no longer occupy both a Monster Zone and a Spell & Trap Zone while active as monsters. They occupy the Monster Zone, but cards whose text says they are still Traps remain treated as both a monster and a Trap.

If a still-a-Trap Trap Monster is affected by something that negates Trap effects, such as `Jinzo` or `Royal Decree`, it stops functioning as a monster and returns to the Spell & Trap Zone as a Continuous Trap with its effect negated.

If a Trap Monster that is still treated as a Trap is temporarily banished from the Monster Zone and later returns, it can return to the Monster Zone but is no longer being treated as a monster by its own effect. If it cannot legally remain there as a monster, it is sent to the GY.

Judge calls to watch for

  • First check the card text: "also still a Trap" and "NOT treated as a Trap" produce different outcomes.
  • A Trap Monster that Summons itself frees its Spell & Trap Zone immediately (it occupies only a Monster Zone now). Recount the controller's open Spell & Trap Zones after the Summon before ruling on whether they can activate a Spell/Trap from hand later in the same exchange.
  • `Book of Moon` can be activated on a still-a-Trap Trap Monster even if all of that controller's Spell & Trap Zones are occupied.
  • For still-a-Trap Trap Monsters, check Spell & Trap Zone availability at resolution.
  • If no Spell & Trap Zone is available, the card is sent to the GY, but not by card effect.
  • For Paleozoic-style Trap Monsters, do not move them to a Spell & Trap Zone. They stay in the Monster Zone face-down.

Sources

What's new

  • Added to corpus.