Continuous effects and Game Events

[carlossilva]

From The Mobius rulings:

If "Level Limit - Area B" is active and "Mobius the Frost Monarch" is successfully Tribute Summoned, "Level Limit - Area B" is a Continuous Spell Card so its effect is applied and the battle position of "Mobius the Frost Monarch" is changed to Defense Position. Then you can activate the effect of "Mobius the Frost Monarch".

Apparently, though Mobius has an optional trigger and a battle position change has happened since he was summoned, his effect doesn't miss timing here.

Now, is this an abnormal ruling or can we conclude that, in general, the application of a continuous effect does not make an optional trigger miss its timing?

If such is the case, is the result of the application of the effect considered a game event? Take the above case: Turn Player summoned Mobius, position has been changed to defense by LLAB.

Could non-turn player activate Tragedy at this point ? If he could, would he chain it to Mobius effect ( assuming the Turn Player wanted to activate it )?

Cheers

Carlos

 

[Maruno]

"Level Limit - Area B" has a continuous effect that does not use the chain.

It's analogous to using "Trap Hole" against Summoning "Spell Canceller" - "Spell Canceller"'s continuous effect (that negates Spell Cards) becomes active, but it doesn't change the fact that its Summoning is still considered to be the last thing to happen.

Actually, you could also activate "Tragedy" at this point too/instead, if you wanted (i.e. in response to the Summon). That's because Continuous effects don't change the last thing to happen, and any results of such a Continuous effect (i.e. "Level Limit - Area B") are also considered to be the last thing to happen, not instead of.

I suspect the order of things would be:

1. "Mobius" is Summoned.
2. "Level Limit - Area B" changes "Mobius" to Defence Position.
3. Start a chain: Turn player activates "Mobius"'s effect, and puts it on Chain Link 1.
4. Non-turn player chains "Tragedy", and puts it on Chain Link 2.
5. etc.

"Stumbling", on the other hand, does use the chain. It'll activate at the same time as "Mobius the Frost Monarch"'s effect, and since it's a Mandatory Trigger, it'll go on Chain Link 1 (with "Mobius"'s effect becoming Chain Link 2, followed by regular chaining).

 

[DarkLogicianOfCaos]

Just to add my twopence....

Since Continuous effects are, well, just that, continuous, they are like a non-event. They insert themselves nicely between actions, chains and even Game Mechanics. Like changing an ATK/DEF via a Field Spell card or Monster effect (1), or gaining Life Points via Spell Absorption (2), or, my favorite, the negating of the effect of a Light (Dark) Monsters effect as it is trying to resolve in the middle of a chain by Light-(Shadow-)Imprisoning Mirror (3). See below (1-3):

(1) Command Knight
Effect Monster (Warrior / FIRE / 4 Stars / ATK 1200 / DEF 1900)
While at least 1 other monster exists on your side of the field, your opponent cannot select this card as an attack target. Also, as long as this card remains face-up on the field, increase the ATK of all your Warrior-Type monsters by 400 points.
Summoned, its ATK is at least 1600 so your opponent can activate "Bottomless Trap Hole".
• If "King Tiger Wanghu" is on the field face-up, and "Command Knight" is Summoned, the effect of "Command Knight" is applied immediately because it is a Continuous Effect, so first change "Command Knight"'s ATK to 1600. After that, "King Tiger Wanghu"'s effect cannot activate because "Command Knight"'s ATK is not 1400 or lower.
• If "Physical Double" creates a Mirage Token of a Warrior-Type monster while "Command Knight" is on the field, take the current ATK (including "Command Knight" Bonus), then apply all bonuses again if appropriate. So a Mirage Token of a 1600 ATK Warrior-Type monster would be ATK 2000 (it copies the 1600 ATK and then gains "Command Knight"'s +400 ATK bonus).
• [Re: Black Garden] When a monster is Normal or Special Summoned, any Continuous Effects that increase or decrease the monster's ATK are applied before halving the monster's ATK with "Black Garden's" effect. For example, If "Command Knight" is Normal or Special Summoned, when "Black Garden" halves its ATK it also halves the ATK "Command Knight" gained from its effect. If "Burden of the Mighty" is active, the monster's reduced ATK is halved by "Black Garden".

(2) Spell Absorption
Continuous Spell
Each time a Spell Card is activated, gain 500 Life Points immediately after it resolves.
• The effect of "Spell Absorption" is applied when the Spell Card is activated. You cannot chain to this effect. The effect is applied immediately. For example, when activating "Tribute to the Doomed" while "Spell Absorption" is on the field: (1) pay the cost by discarding a card, (2) activate "Tribute to the Doomed", (3) your Life Points increase for "Spell Absorption", (4) check for chaining and resolve "Tribute to the Doomed".

(3) Light-Imprisoning Mirror
Continuous Trap
When the effect of a LIGHT monster activates on the field or in the Graveyard, negate it.
• When determining if a monster's effect should be negated by "Light-Imprisoning Mirror", check the monster's Attribute at the time its effect is resolved.
• When a Non-LIGHT monster's effect is activated while the monster and "Light-Imprisoning Mirror" are both face-up on the field, if you chain "DNA Transplant" and select "LIGHT", the monster's effect will be negated if the monster is still face-up on the field when its effect resolves because it is now a LIGHT monster.