Dealing with Cost vs. Effect

[JesusofChaos™]

In this issue we will be looking at the difference between costs and effects and how they can affect gameplay.

 

First of all we must look at what a cost and an effect is:

 

Cost: A cost is the requirement you must fulfill to activate the card

Effect: The effect of a card is the effect the card has on the gamestate after it has been activated.

 

Cost

Lots of Magic, Trap and effect monsters have costs which must be ful filled to be able to use their effect. For example lets look at snipe hunter:

 

You can discard 1 card to select 1 card on the field and roll a six-sided die. If the result is not 1 or 6, destroy the selected card.

 

The cost of snipe hunter is to discard 1 card. When you want to use the card's effect you must first discard 1 card. If you cannot then you cannot use the effect. Even if the effect is negated by divine wrath/Doomcaliber Knight etc. the cost must still be paid.

 

When trying to identify which part of the card is the cost you have to look at the wording. For example lets look at Destiny Draw:

 

Discard 1 "Destiny Hero" card. Draw 2 cards.

 

As you can see there is a period between the 2 sentences. This usually indicates a cost.

 

Also lets look at Necro Gardna:

 

Remove from play this card in your Graveyard to negate 1 attack from a monster your opponent controls.

 

You can tell this is a cost due to the to bit in the sentence.

 

Effects that look like costs

 

Some effects of cards look like costs but in fact they are not.

First lets look at Dark Bribe:

 

Negate the activation and effect of an opponent's Spell or Trap Card and destroy it. Your opponent draws 1 card.

 

Your opponent drawing a card looks like a cost, however it is actually an effect. Thus if it is negated by solemn judgment your opponent does not get to draw as the effect has been negated.

 

Lets look at Hand Destruction:

 

Each player sends 2 cards from their hand to the Graveyard and draws 2 cards.

 

This may at first glance look like a cost to send 2 cards to the grave but in fact it is part of the effect due to the fact it says AND and not TO.

 

Dark World

Will we are on the topic of discarding id like to mention Dark World. Dark World monsters can only use their effect if they are discarded by the effect of a card, not a cost. However they must be discarded, not sent like stated on Hand destruction.

 

Costs Must be Paid

As stated before you must be able to pay the cost of a card to use it.

 

For example if you have Prime Material Dragon on the field and your opponent has Macro Cosmos you cannot use its negation effect because a card must be discarded to the graveyard.

 

Also you must be 100% sure that you can fulfill the cost of the card. For example you tribute Lumina, the Lightsworn Summoner to summon Celestia the Lightsworn Angel whilst your opponent has Dimensional Fissure on the field. You cannot use Celestias destruction effect because the mill for it is a cost and you cannot be sure that the 4 cards you mill will all go to the graveyard.

 

Using Costs to your advantage

Sometimes you can manipulate costs to your advantage, take this example:

 

You have necro gardna in the grave, your opponent has D.D. Crow in his Hand. He declares an attack.

 

Here you can use necro gardna's effect to negate the attack. As the removal is a cost, thus it gets removed before your opponent has a chance to chain D.D. Crow.

 

Another card which you can manipulate its cost is Exiled Force. If Skill Drain is face up on the field you can still use Exiled Force's effect because when you try to activate the effect, it tributes itself for the cost, thus it is no longer face up on the field so Skill Drain can no longer negate its effect.

 

Thank you for reading

[Tickle Me Emo]

according to a friend of mine at locals, all the regionals hes gone to, the judges say that the cost of Prisma is showing the fusion monster. I was pretty sure I knew the whole cost thing till I heard that, and everything you said I knew, but the Prisma thing confuses me.

 

Once per turn' date=' you can reveal 1 Fusion Monster from your Fusion Deck and send 1 Fusion Material Monster listed on that card from your Deck to the Graveyard. Until the End Phase this card's name is treated as the sent monster's name.[/quote']

 

Lets look again.

 

Once per turn' date=' you can reveal 1 Fusion Monster from your Fusion Deck [b']and[/b] send 1 Fusion Material Monster listed on that card from your Deck to the Graveyard. Until the End Phase this card's name is treated as the sent monster's name.

 

According to what you said the word and means its not a cost. According to the judges at regionals its a cost. Do you know why this would be a cost and uses the word "and"?

 

Also deserves to be pinned.

[JesusofChaos™]

It is not a cost, it is part of the effect. see this thread on 2nd page about half way down- http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/community/forums/2/1145605/ShowThread.aspx

[Tickle Me Emo]

^From how its worded I didnt think it was a cost but then why would the 5 different regional judges say its a cost?

[JesusofChaos™]

^ Because they are wrong

[Tickle Me Emo]

^that works. Its just strange that so many would be wrong lol. Anyway +rep for going out of your way to make this thread.

[pizzaman]

Sometimes I think Konami should just print "Cost: Discard 1 Hand" to make life easier for everyone...

[CrabHelmet]

Stickied.

[JesusofChaos™]

Crab just add it to the list, in the collected guides, there is already a list of my articles and this can be added to it

[Kale]

wow, this is interesting that we here on a forum know more that some 'judges'. XD

 

i already knew most of this, though it is always nicer to have it reaffirmed in your mind...

 

thank you for making this. ;)

[CrabHelmet]

Unsticky.`

[tonisanoob]

why unsticky...

 

anyhoo i agree i think konami should print cost and effect on cards...

[JesusofChaos™]

It was unstickied because i made an index which has links to all my posts.

[Guest PikaPerson01]

I always thought for Prisma it was:

 

Cost: "Once per turn, you can reveal 1 Fusion Monster from your Fusion Deck and send 1 Fusion Material Monster listed on that card from your Deck to the Graveyard."

 

Effect: "Until the End Phase this card's name is treated as the sent monster's name."

[JesusofChaos™]

Nope its all effect, no cost involved but i will check just to certify

 

Edit: After checking with rulings, I am correct, Prisma does not have a cost, all of its effect is considered an effect-

 

Jesusofchaos : Elemental Hero Prisma- "Once per turn, you can reveal 1 Fusion Monster from your Fusion Deck and send 1 Fusion Material Monster listed on that card from your Deck to the Graveyard." Is this part considered a cost?

newgohan : No, it's the effect.

Jesusofchaos : thought so, so prisma does not have a cost

Fierbreth has Quit IRC [ Ping timeout ]

Chaosgodkarl : its cost is your soul, Jesusofchaos

Chaosgodkarl : read the fine print

Jesusofchaos : i thought it was all effect, just some people keep telling me its a cost

newgohan : That explains why everyone running GBs uses it...

newgohan : If you divine wrath prisma, they don't get to discard a monster from the deck. So that's obviously an effet.

Jesusofchaos : Ive already given my soul to the immortal god Imhoetep

newgohan : *effect

[Tickle Me Emo]

i dunno if this fits the tyhread, but im assuming it does. What if you call priority with a card with no cost, like Prisma, and the opponent BTHs it? Will the effect still go since there is no cost?

[JesusofChaos™]

No the effect will fizzle see link- http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/community/forums/thread/1277237.aspx

[CrabHelmet]

Some effects will not fizzle; for example, a Monarch's will still work.

 

It depends on the card. Plasma and Prisma need to be on the field for resolution.