It’s time to d…d…d…duel! …the rules! That’s right, it’s time once again for Rules Corner. Ten (or so) rules questions, about as many answers. No time to dawdle, let’s go!
Question 1
My opponent has Scale Toad (8-034R) in play, I move to the End Phase with 6 cards in hand, do I discard once hand size and once for Scale Toad?
Answer 1
Scale Toad will trigger and resolve before you would have to discard for hand size. Thus, you’d discard down to 5 for Scale Toad, then when it comes time to check your hand size, your hand is at 5, so you will not have to discard further.
Official Reference: 9.5. End Phase.
Yoh’s Advanced Rules Reference: 50. End Phase.
Question 2
Can I control a card with the name Onion Knight (III) and a card with the name Onion Knight?
Answer 2
Yes, even a slight difference in name, in this case the (III), makes it a completely different card name.
Official Reference: 5.2.2. Card Name.
Yoh’s Advanced Rules Reference: 15. Card Name.
Question 3
Can Odin (1-124R) break Black Tortoise l’Cie Gilgamesh (10-069R)?
Answer 3
Yes. The bracketed text, at the very end of Tortoise’s text, makes it clear that if it is broken, it goes to the Break Zone. Note that bracketed text found at the end like this is actually reminder text, simply clarifying the existing rules, in this case on when a Forward is broken, rather than uniquely applying to Tortoise. Although breaking a Forward and simply putting a Forward in the Break Zone achieve the same ends, the wording difference matters. For example, an ability that contains the text “Choose 1 Forward. Break it.” and another ability that contains the text “Choose 1 Forward. Put it into the Break Zone.” will both end up putting the Forward in the Break Zone normally, the very difference in the text written means it is viewed differently as far as the rules go. So, when Tortoise says it cannot be put into the Break Zone by opponent’s Summons or ability, this means the latter example effect would not work on it, but the former does, because breaking is a defined term and is treated differently to something simply placing a Character into the Break Zone. Wording choice can at the end of the day make a huge difference in terms of what works or doesn’t work (although SE doesn’t always make this easy given how badly they can word things sometimes, see: negate the damage).
Official Reference: 15.1.1.3. Break.
Yoh’s Advanced Rules Reference: 69. Break.
Question 4
Can Yuna (1-176H) still remove Tortoise if broken then?
Answer 4
Absolutely. As I said in the previous answer, breaking a Forward still ultimately puts it into the Break Zone, and any time a Character goes from the field to the Break Zone, Yuna can remove it. Just remember that Yuna is NOT mandatory, meaning you have to make it clear you want to remove your opponent’s cards with Yuna. Don’t wait 3 turns and then go “wait I wanted to remove that, I just forgot to say.” At locals someone might be nice enough to remove it, but at a competitive event…well good luck!
See references for Question 3.
Question 5
Shock Trooper (6-037C), when does he break the opponent’s Forward, in the Attack Declaration Step, or the Block Declaration Step?
Answer 5
In the Attack Declaration Step. The order goes:
- Declare attack.
- Shock Trooper triggers.
- Shock Trooper’s ability goes on the stack (choosing an opponent’s Forward).
- Turn player gains priority.
- Shock Trooper resolves (assuming nothing else).
Official Reference: 10.1.2. Attack Declaration Step. FAQ , 【6-037C】Shock Trooper.
Yoh’s Advanced Rules Reference: 47. Attack Declaration Step.
Further reading: If you’d like to read more about the Attack Phase, you can read my article on it here.
Question 6
Continuing on from the last question and answer, does this mean Shock Trooper (6-037C) can never do direct damage?
Answer 6
If your opponent has no Forwards, or none that can be legally targetted, Shock Trooper’s effect would trigger but be unable to go on the stack because it doesn’t have a legal target, meaning if your opponent didn’t somehow declare a block, he could do direct damage.
Official Reference: 11.8.4.
Yoh’s Advanced Rules Reference: 55.1.7.
Question 7
Shock Trooper (6-037C) vs Kefka (10-135S). If Kefka is chosen by Shock Trooper from it’s ability when it attacks, will Kefka’s second auto-ability still trigger? What about the other way round, if I attack with Kefka and choose Shoock Trooper and Kefka?
Answer 7
For the first scenario, no. Cards that say “do x and do y” don’t do both things simultaneously, they perform x, then they perform y, in that order. So, Kefka is broken (meaning it goes to the Break Zone) before Shock Trooper, so Kefka never sees Shock Trooper go to the Break Zone.
For the second scenario, yes. Kefka breaks both Forwards at the same time, meaning they go to the Break Zone at the same time, and this means Kefka does see Shock Trooper go to the Break Zone, and his ability will trigger accordingly. Also going to make a note here to point out that the paying of 1 and drawing of a card is all done at resolution.
Official Reference: FFTCG_SQEX Tweet.
Yoh’s Advanced Rules Reference: 59. Resolving An Auto-Ability.
Question 8
Does a Monster also becoming a Forward count as a Forward “entering” the field?
Answer 8
No, it is not re-entering the field, it is simply gaining the card type of Forward on top of being a Monster, nothing else. For a Character to be considered “entering the field” it needs to move from different zone to the field.
Official Reference: 5.2.3.1.1.4.
Yoh’s Advanced Rules Reference: 31.3.
Question 9
I control Cecil (1-162R). My opponent casts Phoenix (5-019L), choosing a Cloud (4-145H) in the Break Zone, and Cecil (to deal the 8k to). When Cloud is played by Phoenix, does his auto-ability have to target Cecil?
Answer 9
No. While Cloud is played by Phoenix before Cecil is dealt the 8k damage, all that happens when Cloud is played is that his auto-ability triggers. It will only be after Phoenix has fully resolved, and rules processes break Cecil (meaning he goes to the Break Zone), that Cloud’s auto-ability would be placed on the stack, and at that time the player would choose the target for Cloud’s auto-ability, meaning at that point Cecil is already gone.
Official Reference: 11.8. Auto-Abilities.
Yoh’s Advanced Rules Reference: 55. Auto-Abilities.
Final Question
Can you use Porom (5-135L)’s action ability, to cancel an action ability, on itself?
- A) No. You choose before it goes on the stack, so it has to be an action ability on the stack.
Final Answer
Man, what a headfuck it would be if you could, but alas, you cannot. You choose, and then pay costs, before the action ability goes on the stack. Porom’s action ability has to target an action ability already on the stack, thus, it cannot choose itself because it’s not on the stack yet. If you somehow reactivated Porom and used the action ability a second time you could choose the first use of it though…for whatever reason you’d want to do that…Idk, people are weird.
Official Reference: 11.6.5.
Yoh’s Advanced Rules Reference: 53.3.3.
Final Word
Thanks as always for reading. I’ll be trying to update my AR in the coming months, going back through for sources to questions is helpful for showing holes, or wording that needs clarified/expanded on, so I’ll bring all my notes together along with all the new rules related to counters, and the Opus XI rules changes. Also, I’ll likely do an Opus XI Rules Corner in April, so if you have any questions on the new cards make sure to send them my way!
Rules Material
To submit questions for future Rules Corner articles, use the following: Email Details
Yoh’s Advanced Rules (With References)
“I’m a judge now, uh oh.”
– Yoh Ceeza
El. Psy. Kongroo
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
