Soner Explains Missed Timing

On September 17, 2014 by Soner Güngör

There are four types of card text that relate to timing:

  1. When; You Can
  2. When; You Must
  3. If; You Can
  4. If; You Must

When; You Can
The only time a card will miss timing is if it reads “When; You Can.” An examples of this are Elemental Hero Stratos, Gear Gigant X, and Lightpulsar Dragon. They will miss their timing, if their effect is not the last to resolve in a chain.

Gear Gigant X

EARTH/4/Machine/Xyz/Effect/2300/1500
2 Level 4 Machine-Type monsters
Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; add 1 Level 4 or lower Machine-Type monster from your Deck or Graveyard to your hand. When this card leaves the field: You can target 1 Level 3 or lower “Geargia” monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target.

When; You Must
Cards with the “When; You Must” will not miss timing. An example is Traptrix Myrmeleo.

Traptrix Myrmeleo

EARTH/4/Insect/Effect/1600/1200
This card is unaffected by the effects of “Hole” Normal Trap Cards. When this card is Normal Summoned: You can add 1 “Hole” Normal Trap Card from your Deck to your hand. When this card is Special Summoned: Target 1 Spell/Trap Card your opponent controls; destroy that target.

Notice that the “Must” is implicit.

If; You Can
Cards with the “If; You Can” will not miss timing. Some examples are El Shaddoll Construct and Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss.

El Shaddoll Construct

LIGHT/8/Fairy/Fusion/Effect/2800/2500
1 “Shaddoll” monster + 1 LIGHT monster
Must first be Fusion Summoned. If this card is Special Summoned: You can send 1 “Shaddoll” card from your Deck to the Graveyard. At the start of the Damage Step, if this card battles a Special Summoned monster: Destroy that monster. If this card is sent to the Graveyard: You can target 1 “Shaddoll” Spell/Trap Card in your Graveyard; add it to your hand.

If; You Must
Cards with the “If; You Must” will not miss timing. Examples include Eclipse Wyvern and Artifact Ignition.

Artifact Ignition

Spell/Quick-Play
Target 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field; destroy that target, and if you do, Set 1 “Artifact” monster directly from your Deck to your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Spell Card. If this card in its owner’s possession is destroyed by an opponent’s card: Your opponent skips their next Battle Phase. (You must have an “Artifact” monster in your Main Deck to activate this card.)

Notice again that the “Must” is implicit.

Thank you for reading and watching!  Remember….

BE ALWAYS CONFIDENT WITH YOUR DECK!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Soner Güngör is a business student in Finance from Germany. Soner is a founding member of United Gosus, and has served as a member of the Player roster since August 2006. To learn more about Soner, please visit his MEMBER PROFILE .