Effects

Every effect is one of four kinds, decided by two questions: does a player choose to use it, or does the game apply it? And does it stand on its own, or does it answer something that happens?

An Activated Effect is used by its controller whenever they like within the rules: in their own Preparation Phase, or at any time a Fast effect may be used if it is Fast. It goes on the Cascade.

A Timing Effect may be used when something happens (its trigger), for example "when this Soul is recruited". It is optional unless the card says otherwise, and it goes on the Cascade. Reinforcement is a Timing Effect.

A Static Effect simply applies, as long as its card is active and its condition is met. It never goes on the Cascade. Taunt, Moral, Precision, Range, Dual Wielding, Unyielding and Frozen are Static.

An Instant Effect happens by itself the moment its trigger occurs, even in the middle of another effect (12.5.1). It never goes on the Cascade and can't be answered. If its card is no longer active by the time it resolves (captured by the very damage that triggered it, for example), it does nothing. Defiance and Berserk are Instant.

Events are Activated Effects. Ambushes are Fast; most are Activated, and one that names a moment is a Timing Effect (10.4.6). The effects of Armaments are always Static.

An effect may have these parts: its condition, who may use it, its trigger, its targets, its cost and what it does. When it is used, its condition, who may use it and its targets are checked; its cost is checked and paid just before it resolves (11.5.1).

"Caster:" and "Ambusher:" name which Soul may cast the Event or spring the Ambush. For an effect of a Soul, the requirement applies to the Soul that has the effect, including a Soul that was granted it.

A card's own effects use the card's rank and attribute. An effect granted by another card ("Your other Souls gain …") counts as coming from the card that grants it; this matters for Unyielding (13.2.2).

A Condition is checked when the effect is used: when it is activated, cast or sprung, or when its trigger occurs. It is not checked again when the effect resolves.

ExampleHead Nurse Jeanne may heal only while she stands in the Second Line or lower. If she steps back into the Third Line before the heal resolves, it still resolves.

An "If …" inside the effect is something else: it is checked when that part of the effect resolves.

ExampleCyber-Wormhole checks the Soul's HP only when it resolves, after the cost has been paid (11.5.4).

A triggered effect whose condition is not met when its trigger occurs does not trigger at all.

Targets are chosen when the effect is used, and each one must be legal at that moment. An effect without a legal target can't be used.

Unless the card says otherwise, an effect may only target active Souls in the Front Line. "Any Soul", "One of your Souls" and "Any opposing Soul" (without "in the Front Line") reach active Souls in every line.

A captured Soul can be targeted only by an effect that asks for a captured Soul.

An effect that targets a Soul Spot targets the slot itself. Without further words, any slot will do, empty or not; the effect acts on whatever Soul stands there when it resolves.

A Soul Spot target that names the Soul on it ("Any Soul Spot with an active Soul in the Front Line on it") targets that Soul as well: an Unyielding Soul protects its spot from such effects, and Principle of Stolen Energy answers them (13.6.2).

The same card or slot can't be chosen twice as a target of one effect.

A Soul that is Unyielding against an effect can't be chosen as its target (13.6.2).

If a target is no longer there when the effect resolves (captured, returned, moved away), the effect does nothing to it, and the rest of the effect still happens (11.6.3). Targets are remembered by their slot: if another Soul has come onto that slot in the meantime, the effect acts on that Soul, and Unyielding is checked again (11.6.4).

A Cost is paid just before the effect resolves, not when it is used. An effect may be used even if its cost can't be paid yet.

A cost is paid in full or not at all. If it can't be paid when the effect is about to resolve, the effect does not resolve.

A negated effect costs nothing: it never gets as far as paying (13.5.1).

A paid cost stays paid, even if the effect then has nothing to do.

ExampleCyber-Wormhole pays its discard even when the Soul turns out to have more than half its HP and stays.

Discarding as a cost: the payer chooses the cards from their hand. "Pays HP": the named Soul takes that much damage (14.3.1); it must be active to pay. The effect still resolves as far as it can, even if paying captured that Soul.

When an effect is about to resolve, the game checks whether it still can. An effect that can't fizzles: it does nothing, and its cost is not paid.

1. aAn effect of a Soul or a Realm fizzles if its card is no longer active, or has left the field and come back since (15.5.1).
2. bAn Event fizzles if its Caster is no longer active (10.2.5).
3. cAn Ambush fizzles only if its Ambusher was returned to the hand (10.4.7).
4. dAny effect fizzles if it was negated (13.5.1) or its cost can't be paid (11.5.2).

Effects act only on active cards, unless they ask for something else (an effect that exiles a captured Soul reaches it).

An effect does as much as it can. A part with nothing left to act on is skipped; the other parts still happen in order.

Protection is checked again when the effect resolves: a target that has become Unyielding against the effect in the meantime is unaffected by it.

Damage from an effect only reaches a Soul that still has HP (14.1.4). Healing removes at most the damage a Soul has (14.2.1).

An effect that would move a Leader off its altar leaves the Leader where it is; the rest of the effect still happens (15.4.1).

"1/Turn" means the effect can be used once per turn, "2/Game" twice per duel. Both may apply together. Turns of both players count: an effect used once per turn can be used again in the next turn, whoever's turn it is.

Limits belong to the one card on the field. Two copies each have their own, and a card that leaves the field and comes back starts again from zero (15.5.1).

An Activated or Timing Effect counts when it goes on the Cascade, even if it later fizzles. An Instant Effect counts when it begins to resolve.

A triggered effect whose limit is used up does not trigger.

A trigger is an event an effect waits for, such as "when this Soul is attacked" or "after this Soul battles". Only active cards' effects trigger.

A triggered effect remembers who and what triggered it (the attacker, the attacked Soul, the effect that targeted it). Its condition and its requirements are checked in that moment (11.3.3).

A mandatory Timing Effect whose card is no longer active (captured, or left the field) before the effect goes on the Cascade is lost. Its targets are chosen when it goes on the Cascade; if there is none, it is lost.

Optional Timing Effects are offered in the response window that follows their trigger; their controller may use them while they hold priority (12.4.3). One whose card is no longer active is no longer offered.