Card Rulings:Skill Drain


 * Skill Drain is a Continuous Trap Card that negates the resolution (but not the activation) of the effects of all face-up Effect Monsters on the field. If a monster is flipped face-down, or removed from the field before it's effect resolves, then "Skill Drain" would be unable to stop the effect. "Skill Drain" also stops the effect of Flip Effect monsters, as although their effect activates as soon as they are flipped face-up, the effect resolves while they are face-up on the field.


 * It does not negate the effect of cards that activate when they are sent from the field to the Graveyard or anywhere else (e.g. Giant Rat, Mystic Tomato).


 * It does not negate maintenance costs, such as with Archfiends, nor does it negate the effect of "Jinzo" if "Jinzo" is already on the field when "Skill Drain" is activated, such as when he arrives on the field as part of a chain in response to the activation of "Skill Drain". (Chain priority still has precedence, however. If a card effect is activated to Special Summon "Jinzo" (such as with "Call of the Haunted" or "Premature Burial"), and "Skill Drain" is chained to that card's activation, then when the chain resolves "Skill Drain" will be active when "Jinzo" is Special Summoned, and his effect will be negated as long as "Skill Drain" is face-up on the field. On the other hand, however, if "Skill Drain" is activated and a card effect Special Summoning "Jinzo" (such as "Call of the Haunted") is chained to the activation of "Skill Drain", then when the chain resolves "Jinzo" will be face-up on the field when "Skill Drain" resolves, and "Skill Drain" will be negated as long as "Jinzo" is face-up on the field.)


 * "Skill Drain" can be destroyed by cards such as "Mystical Space Typhoon" and "Heavy Storm".