Card Rulings:Prohibition

TCG Rulings

 * "cannot be used" means that the declared card cannot be placed onto the field from your hand. A declared Monster Card cannot be Summoned or Set from your hand, and any effect it activates while in your hand cannot be activated. A declared Spell or Trap Card cannot be activated or Set from your hand. Every player in the Duel cannot "use" the declared card.


 * The declared card may be used to pay costs. The declared card can be discarded, Tributed, or sent to the Graveyard.


 * "Prohibition" does not target the declared card.


 * A declared Monster Card can be Special Summoned from the Deck, Graveyard, or Removed Zone. If this happens, the Monster Card's effects are not applied, and it cannot attack or change its battle position manually. Any maintainence costs must still be paid.


 * Declared cards on the field before "Prohibition" resolves are unaffected. Declared Monster Cards Set before "Prohibition" resolves can be Flip Summoned. Declared Spell or Trap Cards Set before "Prohibition" resolves can be activated.


 * After declaring a card for "Prohibition", the declared card cannot be changed.


 * If a Spell or Trap Card is declared with "Prohibition", it cannot be Set with "Dust Tornado's" effect.


 * If a declared Monster Card is Special Summoned face-down (by "Cyber Jar", etc.), when it is flipped face-up its effects are not applied. If it has a Flip Effect, the Flip Effect does not activate.


 * The Ignition-like effects of a declared Continuous Spell or Trap Card face-up on the field before "Prohibition" resolves can still be activated.


 * If a Monster Card declared by "Prohibition" is Special Summoned, it cannot be used as a Synchro Material Monster for a Synchro Summon.


 * If a Monster Card declared by "Prohibition" is Special Summoned face-down and afterwards "Prohibition" is negated, the declared Monster Card can be Flip Summoned and its effects will be applied.


 * If "Mystic Tomato" is declared with "Prohibition" while a "Mystic Tomato" is on the field, when the "Mystic Tomato" is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard its effect activates. If it Special Summons another "Mystic Tomato", the Special Summoned "Mystic Tomato" "cannot be used", so its effects will not be applied and its battle position cannot be chained.


 * If "Exodia the Forbidden One" is declared with "Prohibition", when a player has all five pieces of Exodia in their hand, they win the Duel. This is a win condition and cannot be prevented with "Prohibition".


 * If "Sinister Serpant" is declared, a "Sinister Serpant" in the Graveyard cannot be returned to its owner's hand. If the "Sinister Serpant" was on the field before "Prohibition" resolved, it can be returned to its owner's hand but "cannot be used" after returning to its owner's hand.


 * If "Prohibition" is active and another "Prohibition" is activated, declaring "Prohibition", the copies of "Prohibition" on the field are unaffected, but other "Prohibition" cannot be activated or Set.


 * If "Prohibition" declares "Sangan" or "Witch of the Black Forest", if the declared card is on the field when "Prohibition" resolves, its effect will activate when it is sent to the Graveyard. If the declared card is Special Summoned after "Prohibition" resolves, it "cannot be used", so its effect will not activate when it is sent to the Graveyard.


 * If "Nimble Momonga" or "Giant Germ" is on the field when declared by "Prohibition", when it is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard its effect activates, but the Special Summoned "Nimble Momonga" or "Giant Germ" "cannot be used", so their effects will not be applied when they are destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard.


 * A Level 4 or lower Monster Card declared by "Prohibition" can be Special Summoned by "Cyber Jar", but it "cannot be used" so its effects are not applied and it cannot attack or change its battle position manually.


 * If "Jinzo" is declared by "Prohibition", the effect of a "Jinzo" that is already on the field is still applied. If a "Jinzo" is Special Summoned, it "cannot be used", so the effects of Trap Cards are not negated and Trap Cards can be activated.


 * After your "Parasite Paracide" is shuffled into your opponent's Deck by its effect, if "Prohibition" is activated and declares "Parasite Paracide", when your opponent draws "Parasite Paracide" its effect is applied because its Flip Effect had already resolved.


 * If the effect of "Prohibition" is being negated, the declared card can be "used". If the declared card is on the field when the effect of "Prohibition" becomes active again the declared card on the field is unaffected.


 * If a Fusion Substitute Monster like "King of the Swamp" is declared by "Prohibition", it cannot be used as a Fusion Material substitute in a Fusion Summon while it is in your hand.


 * If "Thunder Dragon", "Honest", or "Kuriboh" is declared with "Prohibition", it can be discarded with "Card Destruction" but it cannot be discarded to activate its effect.


 * "Valkyrion the Magna Warrior", "The Fiend Megacyber", or "Gate Guardian" declared by "Prohibiton" cannot be Special Summoned from your hand.


 * If a Fusion Monster is declared with "Prohibition", it cannot be Fusion Summoned from the Extra Deck with "Polymerization". If a Fusion Material Monster is declared, it cannot be used in a Fusion Summon.


 * If a Ritual Monster is declared with "Prohibition", it cannot be Ritual Summoned.


 * If "Lord of D." is declared with "Prohibition", if it is Special Summoned it "cannot be used", but "The Flute of Summoning Dragon" can be activated.


 * "Cyber Harpie Lady" cannot be declared with "Prohibition", because its name is treated as "Harpie Lady". "A Legendary Ocean" cannot be declared with "Prohibition", because its name is treated as "Umi".


 * If "Prohibition" declares "Jinzo" and afterwards it is negated by "Imperial Order", if "Jinzo" is Summoned it will negate "Imperial Order", but its effects will still be applied because it is already on the field when "Prohibition" is reapplied.


 * If "Metalzoa" or "Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon" is declared with "Prohibition", they cannot be Special Summoned from the Deck.


 * If a "Spirit Message" card is declared with "Prohibition", it can still be placed onto the field by the effect of "Destiny Board".


 * If "The Mask of Remnants" is declared with "Prohibition", when "Masked Beast Des Gardius" is sent to the Graveyard and its effect activates, "The Mask of Remnants" will be equipped from the Deck onto the opponent's monster.


 * If "Neko Mane King" is declared with "Prohibition", when "Neko Mane King" is sent from the hand to the Graveyard by the opponent's effect, its effect does not activate. If "Neko Mane King" was already on the field before "Prohibition" resolved, its effect will activate.

Mentions in Other Rulings

 * D.D. Scout Plane: If "Prohibition" was used and "D.D. Scout Plane" is prohibited, "D.D. Scout Plane" cannot be Special Summoned and remains removed from play.


 * King of the Swamp: If "King of the Swamp" is selected for the effect of "Prohibition", you cannot use either of its effects.


 * Neko Mane King: When "Neko Mane King" is designated by "Prohibition", its effect is not activated.

OCG Rulings

 * "Cannot play" ("cannot be used") includes Normal Summoning/Special Summoning the declared Monster, activating the declared Monster's effect, activating the declared Spell/Trap Card, changing the declared Monster's Battle Position, or attacking with the declared Monster. In general, it includes any use for the monster other than as a cost.


 * If a monster is declared and later the monster is Special Summoned by "Premature Burial" etc, then you cannot change the monster's Battle Position, attack with the monster, or apply the Monster's effect.


 * Cards already on the field are unaffected by "Prohibition".


 * If "Jinzo" is on the field when "Prohibition" is activated and declares "Jinzo", then "Prohibition" will not affect "Jinzo", and "Jinzo"'s effect will still be applied. If "Prohibition" is on the field declaring "Jinzo" and later "Jinzo" is Special Summoned, then "Jinzo"'s effect will not be applied.


 * If "Prohibition" declares "D.D. Scout Plane", the effect of "D.D. Scout Plane" will not activate during the End Phase if "D.D. Scout Plane" is removed from play from the Hand, Deck, or Graveyard.


 * Using a Monster as a Synchro Material Monster is considered "playing" ("using") the Monster. A Monster declared by "Prohibition" cannot be used as a Synchro Material Monster.


 * Returning "Gladiator Beast Bestiari" to the Deck to Special Summon "Gladiator Beast Gyzarus" is considered "playing" ("using") "Gladiator Beast Bestiari". If "Prohibition" declares "Gladiator Beast Bestiari" and later "Gladiator Beast Bestiari" is Special Summoned by the effect of another "Gladiator Beast" monster, then you cannot return "Gladiator Beast Bestiari" to the Deck to Special Summon "Gladiator Beast Gyzarus".


 * If "Gladiator Beast Bestiari" is declared by "Prohibition", "Elemental Hero Prisma"/"Phantom of Chaos"/etc can have its name changed to "Gladiator Beast Bestiari". If "Elemental Hero Prisma" etc was on the field before having its name changed, then it can attack, change its Battle Position, etc. If "Prohibition" was activated and later "Elemental Hero Prisma" etc was Summoned, then when the name of "Elemental Hero Prisma" is changed to "Gladiator Beast Bestiari", it cannot attack, change its Battle Position, etc.


 * If "Prohibition" declares "Necro Gardna", then you cannot activate the effect of a "Necro Gardna" which was in the Graveyard when "Prohibition" was activated. If a "Necro Gardna" is on the field when "Prohibition" is activated, and later that "Necro Gardna" is sent to the Graveyard, then you can activate the effect of that "Necro Gardna".