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Last Turn
(Normal Trap Card)
This card can only be activated during your opponent's turn when your Life Points are 1000 or less. Select 1 monster on your side of the field and send all other cards on the field and in their respective owners' hands to their respective Graveyards. After that, your opponent selects and Special Summons 1 monster from their Deck in face-up Attack Position and attacks your selected monster. (Any Battle Damage from this battle is treated as 0.) The player whose monster remains alone on the field at the End Phase of this turn wins the Duel. Any other case results in a DRAW.
While technically a Normal Trap Card, Last Turn is anything but a "normal" Trap Card. With some of the most confounding rulings in Yu-Gi-Oh it stands alone in the way it resolves and in the way it affects the game state. No other card can boast such a long winded set of rulings. To date, Last Turn has 41 individual paragraphs explaining its function and 12 references to it in other card rulings. What we're going to do here is breakdown each one and simplify it to where even a newbie (a new player) could understand this complex card.
You may see me skip over some portions of each ruling. Rest assured that I will attempt to cover each of these details as we go along. What we want to do here is cover each ruling in its simplicity. Also keep in mind that although this may seem lengthy, there will be a brief summary at the bottom of this article that further simplifies all that we'll cover here, so that, in the future, if you need to reference this article you wont have to wade through each and every ruling to refresh your memory on it. So let's begin at the beginning.
And this is one of the first and fundamental things to remember about Last Turn. When Last Turn resolves only a portion of its effect takes place. Not the entire effect written in its card text. After that it is sent to the Graveyard following the rules that any card would when activated in a chain. What portion of the effect is that?
The selection of the monster occurs here at the resolution of Last Turn. NOT AT ACTIVATION, which is where much of the confusion about this card arises. So you don't have to have a monster on your side of the field to activate Last Turn. Your not going to go select a monster until its time for the effect to resolve.
In addition to selecting a monster on your side of the field, the portion of the effect that sends all cards to the Graveyard also happens upon resolution of the effect. So you select your monster and then wipe out the field and hands here. These are the only two portions of the effect that occur when Last Turn resolves. Once the chain Last Turn's effect is in has completed, then it's sent to the Graveyard like any other Normal Trap Card.
Okay, there was recently some misconceptions on these two card's interaction. As we already explained, the only things that happened on Last Turn's resolution was the selection process and the act of sending everything to the Graveyard. The Special Summoning occurs long after that, later in the turn. Jowgen the Spiritualist will still stop the Special Summon from occurring, but unlike cards that Special Summon upon resolution (Call of the Haunted, Premature Burial for example), Jowgen won't prevent you from activating Last Turn.
Whoa! Are you kidding me!? Nope. I kid you not. The Battle Phase for Last Turn is a "Special" Battle Phase and separate from the regular Battle Phase you'd have later that turn.
It's important to note from this ruling we can see that, even though the Special Summon and the "Special" Battle Phase are not part of the effect's resolution, they still occur right after the chain Last Turn was activated in resolves. If Last Turn was the only card in the chain, then you'd Special Summon and "Special" Battle right then after the cards resolution resolution. If it was activated during the Draw Phase, resolve it and conduct the Summon and Battle right there in the Draw Phase. Once that's done continue the Game as normal.
Now that's pretty straightforward. Even though the Battle Phase is a rather complicated event unto itself, your still going to treat this "Special" Battle Phase just like a regular Battle Phase.
Again, very straightforward. Refer to the specific card rulings for the monsters involved when determining how to resolve these situations.
In my opinion, this was way too lengthy a paragraph to explain something so simple. Using specific monsters with effects of their own wasn't really necessary and distracts from the overall point.
All this is saying is that the monster that attacked in the "Special" Battle Phase CAN attack again in the regular Battle Phase or vice-versa. But the only time Battle Damage will be treated as 0 is during the "Special" Battle Phase.
Aside from that, it should also be noted that the "Battle Damage" Last Turn's card text is refering to, is only refering to the Battle Damage that each player's Life Points might recieve from a normal battle. However, monsters will still be destroyed as a result of battle if the ATK/DEF comparisons would ordinarily dictate it. Only the Life Point damage from this battle is reduced to 0, not the damage inflicted to one monster by another.
So, very simply, if a card effect prevents your opponent from conducting his Battle Phase (yes, this will include the "Special" Battle Phase) this turn you still carry out of much as the effect as you can.
You'll also notice the use of the word "resolve" in this ruling. Don't let that confuse you. Lingering effects left over by a card that has already resolved and gone to the Graveyard can also have the word "resolve" applied to them. This in no way changes what we discussed above. Only the selection process and the sending of all cards to the Graveyard occurs at Last Turn's resolution. The left over effects can still be considered to "resolve" after the card's resolution.
Say, for example, Offerings to the Doomed is chained to Last Turn and the controller of Last Turn only had one monster on his side of the field. Offerings resolves first destroying that monster. Last Turn will now attempt to resolve as much as its effect as possible, so it wont matter that its controller doesn't have a monster for selection at Last Turn's resolution.
I used a card that destroys in this example, but a monster could just as easily be returned to the hand (Compulsory Evacuation Device), removed from play (Interdimensional Matter Transporter) or changed to a different side of the field (Enemy Controller). Regardless of how the monster leaves the field, Last Turn will attempt to resolve as much as the effect as possible.
And this is true of all lingering effects that "resolve" or "activate" (for lack of better terminology) sometime after the card that generated the effect has resolved and gone to the Graveyard. They CANNOT be chained too.
Another straightforward one. Effects that trigger when a monster is Special Summoned will still trigger when Special Summoned by the effect of Last Turn. A good idea to check the individual rulings on these monsters Special Summoning conditions, as well.
Ah, a Golden Rule of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. Sending these cards mentioned to the Graveyard will trigger their effects. The general rule is that if an effect is triggered during a chain (even if it's a chain of one card) then they will activate their effects (starting a new chain) after the current chain resolves.
So keep that in mind for the odd-ball nature of Last Turn. I think I've sufficiently beat to death the fact that only the selection process and the sending of all cards to the Graveyard is the ONLY thing that happens at Last Turn's resolution. But now that we have an effect waiting to start a new chain after the current chain resolves, we place this new chain right between the sending of all cards to the Graveyard (Last Turn's resolution) and the Special Summon (Last Turn's lingering effect)
I wish they had grouped all the rulings pertaining to the "Special" Battle Phase together, but since we're tackling the rulings in order, I digress. Suffice it to say, if the monster has the optional ability to attack twice, it can attack twice. But it doesn't have too if the controller doesn't choose to.
Wow. Another long winded and card specific ruling. But its really quite simple.
This is an example of two lingering effects attempting to "resolve" in the End Phase. If the Turn Player had controlled both of these effects he could have resolved them in any order he wanted. But he doesn't. He controls Change of Heart's lingering effect and his opponent controls Last Turn's lingering effect. His only choices are to either use his priority to "resolve" Change of Heart's effect first (retuning him to his opponent's control) or pass on his priority letting his opponent resolve Last Turn's lingering effect first.
Note, however, that if the Turn Player passes priority to Last Turn's controller, Last Turn's controller can choose to not resolve Last Turn's lingering effect and pass priority back to the Turn Player. This will force his opponent to resolve Change of Heart's lingering effect first and then Last Turn afterwards. An important little bit of minutiae to remember if your opponent tries to leave you with no monsters for the victory check.
These are all pretty much self-explanatory, so lets move on.
But they serve thier purpose for this explanation)
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In case your new to the game "any part of your opponent's turn" includes the Draw Phase, Standby Phase, Main Phase 1, Battle Phase (excluding the Damage Step), Main Phase 2 and the End Phase.
Yet another example of how Last Turn attempts to resolve as much of the effect as possible.
Last Turn Counter Tactics!
You guessed it! If you somehow get a monster into your hand after your opponent's Last Turn resolves, you can still summon that monster provided you still have a Main Phase to do it in. And if you haven't had your normal Battle Phase that turn, then you still have a chance to attack with it. A good thing to remember if the Last Turn/Jowgen the Spiritualist combo prevented you from Special Summoning a monster.
So not only are the lingering effects of Last Turn unchainable, the are also un-negatable. (NOTE: "Un-negatable" is not a word nor an official Game Term. Come to think of it, neither is "unchainable"
But they serve thier purpose for this explanation)This is also true in all instances a players Life Point are reduced to 0, not just in Last Turn's case.
Nuff' said.
Now this is interesting, and I almost didn't catch this one myself. If a monster is somehow Special Summoned from another effect during the "Special" Battle Phase (due to Mystic Tomato's, UFO Turtle's, Giant Rat's or Nimble Momonga's effect, etc,), it/they do not get to attack during the "Special" Battle Phase. Only the monster Special Summoned from the Deck due to Last Turn's effect may attack during this Special Battle Phase.
Yet another example of an effect activating/resolving during the "Special" Battle Phase. This was also alluded to in the ruling (Ruling 21.) with Sinister Serpent sited above.
While the card specific rulings may seem pretty redundant, they are their to make a point. In this case the point is that, even though Dark Necrofear and Last Turn are not controlled by the Turn Player but by the opponent, the controller of these lingering End Phase effects still resolves them in the order of his choosing.
Sanga of the Thunder, Kazejin and Suijin all make the ATK of a monster attacking them 0 during Damage Calculation. That said, I'm not exactly sure why the Turn Player would think he could activate their effects if he is the one attacking with them, "Special" Battle Phase or not. Only the player being attacked could ever benefit from controling one of these monsters on a turn Last Turn has resolved. But apparently Konami thought this was worth mentioning just to avoid any potential confusion.
Again, nuff' said.
I've been told time again that "repetition is the mother of retention." Here we have another card specific case of two lingering effects resolving in the End Phase. This resolves no differently then in the Change of Heart scenario above (Ruling 15.).
Last Turn will not override modifiers that prevent you from Special Summoning a monster.
Always good to know what's a targeting effect and what isn't.
While this may seem like no-brainer, there is one little tidbit of info here you may miss if not looking for. Obviously, when Snatch Steal is sent to the Graveyard you don't get to keep the formerly equipped monster, but note that because the selected monster is no longer on the Last Turn player's side of the field, the "Special" Battle Phase is not conducted. This would be true regardless of how the monster was removed from the field, if it's no longer there before the "Special" Battle Phase can be conducted.
This is merely a reiteration of Call of the Haunted and Premature Burial's respective rulings. Premature Burial will only destroy the equipped monster if Premature is itself destroyed. (Last Turn does not destroy it) Call of the Haunted on the other hand will destroy its selected monster if Call is removed from the field in any fashion. So you wouldn't want to select a monster brought out by Call of the Haunted for Last Turn's effect if you plan on keeping him out on the field.
This ruling is presuming that no other monsters are on the field in the End Phase during the victory check. If you somehow manage to get monster out there field afterwards then the results would differ. Click here for more details on this ruling from the Judges List.
Just another case of monster effects applying even in the "Special" Battle Phase of Last Turn.
Most people are unaware that Waboku can be used offensively as well as defensively. Either way your monster will be saved affecting the possibly outcome of Last Wills victory check. Please refer to Helpoemers316's article "Waboku the Great Emissary of Disharmony" for more information on how this card properly functions.
Reiteration of a previous ruling. A monster somehow Special Summoned via an effect, other than Last Turn's, cannot participate in the "Special" Battle Phase.
One of the most common ways to get Last Turn to activate quickly. Pay for Wall of Revealing Light enough times to reduce your Life Points to 1000 or less. Since this is a cost that is paid at activation your already at the required amount of Life Points to be able to chain Last Turn, before Wall is sent to the Graveyard.
Without delving into the effects of these four cards o deeply, Theinen the Great Sphinx can be Special Summoned from the Hand or Deck when Andro Sphinx and Sphinx Teleia are destroyed simultaneously on the field. Pyramid of Light will destroy both of these monsters if its removed from the field in any manner.
Last Turn will not destroy either monsters since it only "sends" cards to the Graveyard. Pyramid of Light will trigger when Last Turn removes it from the field, but since both monsters have gone to the Graveyard at the same time as Pyramid of Light, it won't find anything to destroy. Either way poor ol' Theinen the Great Sphinx stays right where he is in the hand or Deck.
One more example of how the game state is affected but essentially unchanged. The attacking monster was returned to it's owners hand, but once Last Turn's "Special" Battle Phase is conducted whatever remaining phases are left in the turn will occur as usual.
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Now most of the references to Last Turn are rather repetitive so I'm only going to point out these few just for emphasis.
As was stated before, in the event Last Turn triggers an effect when all cards are sent to the Graveyard then resolve this effect in-between Last Turn's actual resolution and Last Turn's Special Summoning effect (provided the timing is correct, of course.)
Whew! Glad I left out the last twelve. Now on to the summary.
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SUMMARY
Last Turn is a Normal Trap Card with distinctly different rules than any other card in the Game.
It can be activated during any phase of your opponent's turn (excluding the Damage Step) as long as your Life Points are 1000- at the time of activation.
This portion of the effect is the ONLY portion of the effect that resolves when the card resolves. The selection process does not happen at activation, nor is sending all the cards to the Graveyard a cost.
Effects that activate when cards are sent to the Graveyard will happen here, in-between Last Turn's resolution and the "Special" Battle Phase. (Fear from the Dark, Night Assailant, Sangan, etc.)
The selection process is non-targeting (For that matter, no portion of Last Turn's effect is targeting.)
Nothing from this point onward can be negated. Cards like Jinzo or Royal Decree or Seven Tools of the Bandit, etc. cannot negate the lingering effects that occur from Last Turn here-on-out since Last Turn has already resolved and is in the Graveyard.
The monster must be a monster that could be Special Summoned from the deck ordinarily. "Special Summons Only" are out of the question. Spirit Monsters are out of the question.
If the Special Summoned monster has an effect that triggers when it is Special Summoned it will trigger here.
The special Battle Phase begins after your opponent summons his monster. Treat this "Special" Battle Phase just like a normal Battle Phase.If the monster has the ability to attack twice, you may choose to have it attack twice. Flip effects activate and resolve as normal. Searchers like Mystic Tomato, UFO Turtle, Sangan, Witch of the Black Forest or Nimble Momonga will also resolve normally if they are triggered.
If a monster is Special Summoned during Last Turn's Battle Phase (or as a result of another effect like, say, Last Will) or another monster, besides the one Special Summoned using Last Turn's effect, is already on the field, then that monster cannot attack. (It can attack however, if able, if the regular Battle Phase occurs later in the turn.)
The monster Special Summoned using Last Turn's effect may attack in the regular Battle Phase even if it already attacked in Last Turn's "Special" Battle Phase this turn.
"Treated as 0" means neither player will take any damage to their Life Points for this "Special" Battle Phase, but the regular ATK and DEF comparisons can still result in a monster being destroyed by battle.
Cards that affect the Battle Phase will also affect Last Turns Battle Phase. So card effects like Thunder of Ruler and Threatening Roar will still still prevent a player from conducting both thier normal Battle Phase and Last Turn's Battle Phase.
If another effect needs to resolve in the End Phase at the same time the victory check needs to resolve the controller of each effect determines the order which these effects resolve. However they must do so following the rules of priority and passing.
The monsters selected from the effects of Last Turn do not have to be the same monsters on the field during the End Phase to determine a victor. There only has to be a monster(s) on the field on the End Phase and the victory check is determined from that.
If no monsters are on the field at the End Phase then the result is still considered a DRAW.
Finally, if any of these portions of Last Turn's effect cannot resolve properly or at all, Last Turn will still attempt to resolve as much of the effect as possible and a victory check will still occur in the End Phase.
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And that's all I have for now. Hopefully this will help others understand this odd-ball card more intimately. In actuality, once you understand the cards basic, yet strange function, then any cards involved with it effect will still follow the same basic mechanics they always have. Hope you found this useful.
Peace,
-Digital Jedi
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