The Battle Phase is the most complex of all Yu-Gi-Oh! phases. This is the phase where the Game Mechanics can be very confusing to a beginner. This article will help readers understand the Game Mechanics of the entire Battle Phase. Examples of cards that activate in each step will be included.
This article will be beneficial to game developers and Yu-Gi-Oh! players. Game developers will understand the control flow of the Game Mechanics, while players can use each step to their advantage. For example, activating “Call of the Haunted” during Battle Phase can give it some protection by “Trap Jammer”. Another example is if you are about to battle a set “Man Eater Bug” or “Penguin Soldier”, attack the set monster with one of your monsters, then, after the Set monster is destroyed, activate “Call of the Haunted” and attack with the new monster. Using this tactic will help you avoid the nasty effect of Flip Effect Monsters from affecting the monster you’re going to Special Summon by “Call of the Haunted”.
Battle Phase Game Mechanic
Blue colored words are official words from Yu-Gi-Oh! terminology. Green colored words are automatic event that does not require player actions. Red colored words are sub-steps.
Battle Phase: You may not enter this phase if you are the starting player. If you do not to enter Battle Phase, you proceed to End Phase. You may enter this phase even if you don't have any monster in your field.
Most of the steps in the Battle Phase are automatic and second nature to advance duelist. But for beginners, it's new, complex, and hard to understand. For example, not many duelist are aware of Battle Step Sub-step 1. If the turn player has a Set "Trap Jammer" for more than 1 turn, then they can use this sub-step to activate continuous Trap cards and don't have to worry about "Dust Tornado". Another example is pretend that the Turn Player has 2 Set "Zero Gravity", "Magical Scientist" in face-up DEF mode, and "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" in ATK mode. The Opponent has a "Labyrinth Wall" in face-up DEF mode. The Turn Player can activate "Zero Gravity" in Battle Step Sub-step 1, attack LW with MS to destroy LW, then activate the second "Zero Gravity" in the second pass on Battle Step Sub-step 1, Then attack directly with BEWD.
It is also a misconception that when a player attacks "Slate Warrior" or "Royal Keeper", these monsters will benefit from their effect. This is incorrect. The effect of these monsters happen AFTER Damage Calculation, during Battle Step Sub-step 5.
In addition, players can enter Battle phase even if they don't have monsters on the field, or if they are not planning to attack. This is usually done when you want to summon "Berserk Gorilla" on this turn and you don't want him to attack. To accomplish this, you enter and leave your Battle Phase to proceed to Main Phase 2. Then you summon "Berserk Gorilla" in Main Phase 2.
Study and learn the Game Mechanic to improve your dueling skills. Surprise and intimidate your opponent on your knowledge of the game. Remember, knowledge is power.
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Sources:
novastar for some ruling enlightenment about Continuous Effect and terminology.
j/y
This article will be beneficial to game developers and Yu-Gi-Oh! players. Game developers will understand the control flow of the Game Mechanics, while players can use each step to their advantage. For example, activating “Call of the Haunted” during Battle Phase can give it some protection by “Trap Jammer”. Another example is if you are about to battle a set “Man Eater Bug” or “Penguin Soldier”, attack the set monster with one of your monsters, then, after the Set monster is destroyed, activate “Call of the Haunted” and attack with the new monster. Using this tactic will help you avoid the nasty effect of Flip Effect Monsters from affecting the monster you’re going to Special Summon by “Call of the Haunted”.
Battle Phase Game Mechanic
Blue colored words are official words from Yu-Gi-Oh! terminology. Green colored words are automatic event that does not require player actions. Red colored words are sub-steps.
Battle Phase: You may not enter this phase if you are the starting player. If you do not to enter Battle Phase, you proceed to End Phase. You may enter this phase even if you don't have any monster in your field.
- Start Step:
- Turn player declares that he/she is entering the Battle Phase.
- Turn player has the priority to activate Spell Speed 2 here.
- Battle Step:
- Sub-step 1: Turn player has the priority to activate Spell Speed 2 here. (Example: Turn player can activate Call of the Haunted here).
- Sub-step 2: Decide if conducting battle. If you are NOT conducting battle, got to End Step immediately.
- Sub-step 3: Select and announce 1 monster to attack with, and declare 1 of your opponent's monsters your target (the monster you wish to attack).
- Attack Response Chain. Turn player has the priority to respond with any appropriate Spell Speed 2 or 3 effect here. (This is the only chain in which cards like Mirror Force, Sakuretsu Armor, Magician's Circle, and Magic Cylinder can be activated.)
- After the chain is completed, the Turn Player has Priority to activate any appropriate Spell Speed 2 effect or suggest a move to the Damage Step. The opponent can also activate appropriate Spell Speed 2 effects or agree to proceed to the Damage Step. (Example cards are: Book of Moon, Enemy Controller, Waboku, etc...Cards that do not have any specific activation timing.) This part can be repeated multiple times before moving into the Damage Step, but only if a player can activate appropriate cards or effects.
- The Battle Step does not end until both players agree to move into the Damage Step.
- Damage Step:**1
- Sub-step 1: Some Trigger-Effect will activate and resolve now.
- (Examples are "Sasuke Samurai", "Paladin of White Dragon", "Mystic Swordsman LV2", and "Mystic Swordsman LV 4").
- Sub-step 2: Flip target card face-up if face down.
- Continuous Effect monster that was flipped are now Active (Examples are "Jinzo", "Goblin King", "The Agent of Force - Mars"). However, Continuous Effect that involves destroying monster(s) will not resolve until Sub-step 5.
- Trigger Effect that activates during Damage Step activates and resolves now. (Examples are "Reflect Bounder", if attacked while in Attack Position, inflicts damage to the opponent now).
- "Cross Counter" can be activated here.
- Sub-step 3: Damage Calculation part 1: Calculate damage.
- Turn player has the priority to respond with Spell Speed 2 here.
- The following effects can be activated, form a chain, and
resolve now:- Spell Speed 2 that modifies ATK or DEF stat. (Examples are "Rush Recklessly", "Limiter Removal", Mirror Wall", "Micro Ray").
- Effects that negate the activation of a card can be used in response. (Examples are Counter Trap Cards, and monster effects like "Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8" and "Maryokutai").
- Monster effects that can be activated during the Damage Step and that modify ATK or DEF. (Examples are "Injection Fairy Lily" and "Sanga of
the Thunder"). - "Disc Fighter's" effect Triggers, then after the Chain Block resolves, go immediately to Sub-step 5.
- When "Spirit Reaper" is targeted by a card and the card resolves, "Spirit Reaper" will not be destroyed by its own effect until Sub-step 5.
- Sub-step 4: Damage Calculation part 2: Apply damage.
- Inflict damage to players' Life Points.
- Card effects that activate when a monster inflicts Battle
Damage to a player's Life Points activate, form a chain, and resolve now. (Examples are "Don Zaloog", "Airknight Parshath", and "Robbin' Goblin"). - "Nutrient Z" cab be activated.
- Sub-step 5: Resolve effects.
- From this point forward, monsters are considered "destroyed". So monsters destroyed by "Dark Ruler Ha Des" cannot activate their effects, destroyed monsters are not eligible for selection by card effects such as "Hane Hane", etc.
- Resolve Continuous Effect that involves destroying monster(s).
- Activate card effects that do not activate when a monster is sent to the Graveyard and resolve them now. (Examples are all Flip Effects, "Reflect Bounder", if attacked while in Attack Position, destroys itself now, "D. D. Warrior Lady", "Wall of Illusion", and the effects of "Slate Warrior" and "Royal Keeper" that increase their ATK and DEF. These effects form a chain and then resolve).
- Sub-step 6: Send to the Graveyard.
- Send destroyed monsters to the Graveyard.
- Activate effects that activate "at the end of the Damage Step" (Examples are "Legendary Jujitsu Master", "Getsu Fuhma", "Spear Dragon", and "Ryu Kokki"), as well as effects that activate when the monster is sent to the Graveyard (Examples are "Mystic Tomato", "Giant Rat", "Witch of the Black Forest", and "Sangan"). These effects form a chain and then resolve.
- Sub-step 1: Some Trigger-Effect will activate and resolve now.
- Go back to Battle Step.
- End Step:
- Turn player declares the end of his/her Battle Phase.
- Activate effects that activate "at the end of the Battle Phase". (Examples are "Goblin Attack Force" and "Giant Orc").
- Turn player has the priority to activate Spell Speed 2 here.
Most of the steps in the Battle Phase are automatic and second nature to advance duelist. But for beginners, it's new, complex, and hard to understand. For example, not many duelist are aware of Battle Step Sub-step 1. If the turn player has a Set "Trap Jammer" for more than 1 turn, then they can use this sub-step to activate continuous Trap cards and don't have to worry about "Dust Tornado". Another example is pretend that the Turn Player has 2 Set "Zero Gravity", "Magical Scientist" in face-up DEF mode, and "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" in ATK mode. The Opponent has a "Labyrinth Wall" in face-up DEF mode. The Turn Player can activate "Zero Gravity" in Battle Step Sub-step 1, attack LW with MS to destroy LW, then activate the second "Zero Gravity" in the second pass on Battle Step Sub-step 1, Then attack directly with BEWD.
It is also a misconception that when a player attacks "Slate Warrior" or "Royal Keeper", these monsters will benefit from their effect. This is incorrect. The effect of these monsters happen AFTER Damage Calculation, during Battle Step Sub-step 5.
In addition, players can enter Battle phase even if they don't have monsters on the field, or if they are not planning to attack. This is usually done when you want to summon "Berserk Gorilla" on this turn and you don't want him to attack. To accomplish this, you enter and leave your Battle Phase to proceed to Main Phase 2. Then you summon "Berserk Gorilla" in Main Phase 2.
Study and learn the Game Mechanic to improve your dueling skills. Surprise and intimidate your opponent on your knowledge of the game. Remember, knowledge is power.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sources:
- **1 Damage Step is from Mr. Kevin Tewart's Post: http://lists.upperdeck.com/read/messages?id=1757 in the UDE's Judge's List. Mr. Kevin Tewart is the Game Developer from UDE Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG R&D Lead, Upper Deck Entertainment (26 Oct 2004).
- UDE: www.yugioh-card.com
- Netrep™ Thread: Monster Destroyed in Damage Step other than Battle
- Netrep™ Thread: Berserk Gorilla Vs. Final Attack Order
- Netrep™ Thread: Set Berserk Gorilla Vs. Final Attack Order Vs. Airknight
novastar for some ruling enlightenment about Continuous Effect and terminology.
j/y
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