Morphing Jar #2
Written by Gary Haynes
I have been asked to write up something for the site. Given the choice, I chose to donate a write-up of mine on the card Morphing Jar #2. I've had this in my archives for about as long as the card was first introduced, since just about EVERYONE has had a problem with the intricacies of the card and how the effect actually resolves step by step. The text has been updated for new monster types, but has really not changed since the day I wrote it, with the exception of elaborating and embellishing the text.
There really isn't too much of a background to the card. Mainly, it came out and it was just difficult to comprehend everything that the card effect actually did when it resolved and in what order. Fusions were easy to grasp, since the monster would be placed back into the Fusion deck and never the main deck (a basic game rule). When token monsters came out, there had to be a distinction that the tokens were never shuffled into the deck, so the player would not add them to the monster count (this in case the player used proxy cards as the tokens). Then Spirit monsters and special summoned monsters had to be included in the commentary.
The real problem that players had with the card (but rarely ever showed up in actual play) was if the opponent had taken control of one of their monsters, or if the player had all five monster slots filled, and the opponent had Reborn'd one of theirs to the opposite side of the field. The dialog addressed this and explains each and every situation that you should come up with in the game at this time. If a new type of monster is introduced to the game, the text will be revised and updated, again, and reposted as soon as possible.
So with no further ado, let's see if we can explain MJ#2:
When MJ#2 is flipped due to a battle attack, a flip-summon, or some other card effect that flips monsters but does not negate flip effects, the following occurs in the following order:
First, your opponent and you remove all monster tokens off the field. These cannot be shuffled into the deck, and since they are removed from the field from the MJ#2's effect, the monster tokens are destroyed per the game rules. Note: some players use proxy cards for token monsters, if this is so, the monster token is STILL a monster token and the proxy card is NOT shuffled into the deck.
Next, your opponent and you collect all of YOUR OWN monsters that exist on the field and move them to their respective side of the field. These include monsters that your opponent has taken control of via Monster Reborn, Snatch Steal, Change of Heart or some other card effect.
At this time, put all Fusion monsters in the owner's Fusion deck. Remember that per the basic game rules, NO FUSION MONSTERS MAY EVER BE IN YOUR DECK.
The remaining monster cards will be all shuffled back into the owner's deck. Remember, your opponent will never (except with Parasite Paracide) shuffle any of your cards into their deck, and visa versa.
Before we go any further, let me make a comment here. If MJ#2 was attacked, and the attack, due to damage calculation, destroyed MJ#2, then take MJ#2 and set it aside. A destroyed monster may NOT be included in the resolution of an effect such as this one.
Now, both players count the remaining monsters on their respective sides of the field and make a note of the count.
Then, both players shuffle their monster cards into their deck. After both players have shuffled their decks, the players are to allow the opponent a chance to cut and/or shuffle their deck, and visa versa.
Now when effects trigger for both players, the turn player's effect is placed in Chain Step 1, and the opponent's is Chain Step 2. Therefore, the opponent's effect will resolve first, and the opponent will go through the following procedure first, then the turn player will go through the same procedure. First, the player picks the top card from the top of their deck and places it face up on the field (note: this is a 'pick' not a draw so no draw activated card effects are triggered). If the card is a Magic or Trap card, the card is placed in the player's graveyard. If the card is a monster card, now listen to this.... ANY MONSTER CARD including 5* and higher, Ritual monster, Spirit monster, ANY monster at all, the player will keep it on the field for now. The player continues to do this until they have picked the same number of monster cards that they had just shuffled into your deck.
Now here's the interesting part that a number of players get confused with, note: if you shuffled more than 5 monsters into your deck (for example, if you had 5 monsters on the field and your opponent had Reborn'd one from your graveyard, you would have shuffled 6 into your deck) the 6th, 7th, etc. monster card will be placed into the graveyard, no matter what! You do NOT get to choose which five of the several monster cards you picked remain on the field.
Now, the player takes a look at the monsters on the field that they 'picked'. All the 5* and higher monsters along with any Ritual, Spirit, or other monsters that state that they can only be special summoned by a certain procedure are placed in the owner's graveyard. All remaining 4* and lower monsters are turned face down in defense position, and put on the field. At this time, the player may shuffle the monsters on the field and randomly put them in any order on the field, after the player has done this, they may not reshuffle them later.
Afterwhich, the turn player performs the same procedure.
Now, if a player did not shuffle any monsters into their deck, they will not 'pick' any cards.
Remember that the Fusion monsters were never shuffled into the deck and do not count toward the number of monsters the player is 'picking'.
Also note that the Token monsters were never shuffled into the deck and therefore do not count toward the number of monsters the player is 'picking'.
Now let's back up. If MJ#2 was destroyed due to an attack, and was set aside as noted above, the damage step will now proceed to the "Send Monsters to the Graveyard" part and at this time, MJ#2 will be sent to the graveyard.
Hopefully that all made sense, because that IS the way the card works.
There are a number of additional points that could be brought up that are not included above. These were not included in the text so that only MJ#2 could be discussed properly. Additional questions may fall into the following areas:
If DD Warrior Lady destroyed the MJ#2, what happens?
In this instance, the controller of DD Warrior Lady decides to use or not use the effect. MJ#2's effect resolves first, all cards (except MJ#2) are shuffled into their respective decks, then after the full resolution of MJ#2, DD Warrior Lady's effect will remove MJ#2 from the game. Incredibly odd ruling, but that's the way it works.
At this time, there are many debates on why Morphing Jar #2, when flipped due to a battle attack, and then destroyed by a monster with a higher ATK than MJ#2's DEF, is not shuffled into the deck since it is on the field also. There is a ruling that states that monsters that are destroyed in battle, determined during damage calculation, cannot be the target or included in the effects that resolve during the Resolve Effects part of the damage step. This is the same logic why Hane Hane, or Penguin Soldier cannot be returned to the players hand even though the card is face up on the field when the effect resolves.
But the logic is broken when the discussion asks, "then why is a destroyed Cyber Jar included in its effect, but not a destroyed MJ#2?" Hey... can't tell you. That's just the way it is. Unfortunately, with mechanics being defined, this may be explained somewhere further in the future.
Some wish to further discuss the point with other arguments and commentary, but in the end, this is the way the card is ruled and maybe... just maybe... somewhere down the line, the ruling may be clarified such that things are more clearly defined.
Another incredibly odd part of the ruling is if five monsters were shuffled into the deck, and MJ#2 was set aside because it was destroyed in battle (this assumes all five slots are filled, and the opponent controlled at least one of the player's monsters), when the five monsters are picked, the fifth monster will go to the graveyard when picked. This is because MJ#2 is still on the field and taking up a monster card slot. Until the "Send to the Graveyard" part, MJ#2 is still part of the field. Yes, I know, this goes back to the Cyber Jar ruling, and is confusing as heck. Note: this may get revised, but at the time this is how we've been playing it (also note, this situation almost never comes up).
For today, try not to sweat the point, just enjoy the game, and just blame it on Pharaoh's Servant which had some of the screwyist rulings to date (think Michizure, Appropriate, Forced Requisition, the Noblemans,... well, you get the point), then be glad that not too many play with MJ#2 anyway...
Oh yeah, as uncle says, "one more thing..." if you did have an opponent's Parasite Paracide in your deck, and IF picked through MJ#2's effect, the effect of Parasite Paracide Disappears since the card must be DRAWN. MJ#2's effect only PICKS cards.
Written by Gary Haynes
I have been asked to write up something for the site. Given the choice, I chose to donate a write-up of mine on the card Morphing Jar #2. I've had this in my archives for about as long as the card was first introduced, since just about EVERYONE has had a problem with the intricacies of the card and how the effect actually resolves step by step. The text has been updated for new monster types, but has really not changed since the day I wrote it, with the exception of elaborating and embellishing the text.
There really isn't too much of a background to the card. Mainly, it came out and it was just difficult to comprehend everything that the card effect actually did when it resolved and in what order. Fusions were easy to grasp, since the monster would be placed back into the Fusion deck and never the main deck (a basic game rule). When token monsters came out, there had to be a distinction that the tokens were never shuffled into the deck, so the player would not add them to the monster count (this in case the player used proxy cards as the tokens). Then Spirit monsters and special summoned monsters had to be included in the commentary.
The real problem that players had with the card (but rarely ever showed up in actual play) was if the opponent had taken control of one of their monsters, or if the player had all five monster slots filled, and the opponent had Reborn'd one of theirs to the opposite side of the field. The dialog addressed this and explains each and every situation that you should come up with in the game at this time. If a new type of monster is introduced to the game, the text will be revised and updated, again, and reposted as soon as possible.
So with no further ado, let's see if we can explain MJ#2:
When MJ#2 is flipped due to a battle attack, a flip-summon, or some other card effect that flips monsters but does not negate flip effects, the following occurs in the following order:
First, your opponent and you remove all monster tokens off the field. These cannot be shuffled into the deck, and since they are removed from the field from the MJ#2's effect, the monster tokens are destroyed per the game rules. Note: some players use proxy cards for token monsters, if this is so, the monster token is STILL a monster token and the proxy card is NOT shuffled into the deck.
Next, your opponent and you collect all of YOUR OWN monsters that exist on the field and move them to their respective side of the field. These include monsters that your opponent has taken control of via Monster Reborn, Snatch Steal, Change of Heart or some other card effect.
At this time, put all Fusion monsters in the owner's Fusion deck. Remember that per the basic game rules, NO FUSION MONSTERS MAY EVER BE IN YOUR DECK.
The remaining monster cards will be all shuffled back into the owner's deck. Remember, your opponent will never (except with Parasite Paracide) shuffle any of your cards into their deck, and visa versa.
Before we go any further, let me make a comment here. If MJ#2 was attacked, and the attack, due to damage calculation, destroyed MJ#2, then take MJ#2 and set it aside. A destroyed monster may NOT be included in the resolution of an effect such as this one.
Now, both players count the remaining monsters on their respective sides of the field and make a note of the count.
Then, both players shuffle their monster cards into their deck. After both players have shuffled their decks, the players are to allow the opponent a chance to cut and/or shuffle their deck, and visa versa.
Now when effects trigger for both players, the turn player's effect is placed in Chain Step 1, and the opponent's is Chain Step 2. Therefore, the opponent's effect will resolve first, and the opponent will go through the following procedure first, then the turn player will go through the same procedure. First, the player picks the top card from the top of their deck and places it face up on the field (note: this is a 'pick' not a draw so no draw activated card effects are triggered). If the card is a Magic or Trap card, the card is placed in the player's graveyard. If the card is a monster card, now listen to this.... ANY MONSTER CARD including 5* and higher, Ritual monster, Spirit monster, ANY monster at all, the player will keep it on the field for now. The player continues to do this until they have picked the same number of monster cards that they had just shuffled into your deck.
Now here's the interesting part that a number of players get confused with, note: if you shuffled more than 5 monsters into your deck (for example, if you had 5 monsters on the field and your opponent had Reborn'd one from your graveyard, you would have shuffled 6 into your deck) the 6th, 7th, etc. monster card will be placed into the graveyard, no matter what! You do NOT get to choose which five of the several monster cards you picked remain on the field.
Now, the player takes a look at the monsters on the field that they 'picked'. All the 5* and higher monsters along with any Ritual, Spirit, or other monsters that state that they can only be special summoned by a certain procedure are placed in the owner's graveyard. All remaining 4* and lower monsters are turned face down in defense position, and put on the field. At this time, the player may shuffle the monsters on the field and randomly put them in any order on the field, after the player has done this, they may not reshuffle them later.
Afterwhich, the turn player performs the same procedure.
Now, if a player did not shuffle any monsters into their deck, they will not 'pick' any cards.
Remember that the Fusion monsters were never shuffled into the deck and do not count toward the number of monsters the player is 'picking'.
Also note that the Token monsters were never shuffled into the deck and therefore do not count toward the number of monsters the player is 'picking'.
Now let's back up. If MJ#2 was destroyed due to an attack, and was set aside as noted above, the damage step will now proceed to the "Send Monsters to the Graveyard" part and at this time, MJ#2 will be sent to the graveyard.
Hopefully that all made sense, because that IS the way the card works.
There are a number of additional points that could be brought up that are not included above. These were not included in the text so that only MJ#2 could be discussed properly. Additional questions may fall into the following areas:
If DD Warrior Lady destroyed the MJ#2, what happens?
In this instance, the controller of DD Warrior Lady decides to use or not use the effect. MJ#2's effect resolves first, all cards (except MJ#2) are shuffled into their respective decks, then after the full resolution of MJ#2, DD Warrior Lady's effect will remove MJ#2 from the game. Incredibly odd ruling, but that's the way it works.
At this time, there are many debates on why Morphing Jar #2, when flipped due to a battle attack, and then destroyed by a monster with a higher ATK than MJ#2's DEF, is not shuffled into the deck since it is on the field also. There is a ruling that states that monsters that are destroyed in battle, determined during damage calculation, cannot be the target or included in the effects that resolve during the Resolve Effects part of the damage step. This is the same logic why Hane Hane, or Penguin Soldier cannot be returned to the players hand even though the card is face up on the field when the effect resolves.
But the logic is broken when the discussion asks, "then why is a destroyed Cyber Jar included in its effect, but not a destroyed MJ#2?" Hey... can't tell you. That's just the way it is. Unfortunately, with mechanics being defined, this may be explained somewhere further in the future.
Some wish to further discuss the point with other arguments and commentary, but in the end, this is the way the card is ruled and maybe... just maybe... somewhere down the line, the ruling may be clarified such that things are more clearly defined.
Another incredibly odd part of the ruling is if five monsters were shuffled into the deck, and MJ#2 was set aside because it was destroyed in battle (this assumes all five slots are filled, and the opponent controlled at least one of the player's monsters), when the five monsters are picked, the fifth monster will go to the graveyard when picked. This is because MJ#2 is still on the field and taking up a monster card slot. Until the "Send to the Graveyard" part, MJ#2 is still part of the field. Yes, I know, this goes back to the Cyber Jar ruling, and is confusing as heck. Note: this may get revised, but at the time this is how we've been playing it (also note, this situation almost never comes up).
For today, try not to sweat the point, just enjoy the game, and just blame it on Pharaoh's Servant which had some of the screwyist rulings to date (think Michizure, Appropriate, Forced Requisition, the Noblemans,... well, you get the point), then be glad that not too many play with MJ#2 anyway...
Oh yeah, as uncle says, "one more thing..." if you did have an opponent's Parasite Paracide in your deck, and IF picked through MJ#2's effect, the effect of Parasite Paracide Disappears since the card must be DRAWN. MJ#2's effect only PICKS cards.