Card Rulings:Stardust Dragon

TCG Rulings

 * Tributing "Stardust Dragon" is a cost to activate its effect.


 * "Stardust Dragon's" first effect can be activated during the Damage Step.


 * "Stardust Dragon's" effects do not target.


 * "Stardust Dragon's" first effect can still be chained if it is the only card that will be destroyed by the activated effect.


 * "Stardust Dragon's" effect can be chained to the effect of a Continuous Spell or Trap Card, like "Blaze Accelerator" or "Skull Lair".


 * "Stardust Dragon's" first effect cannot be chained to an effect that may or may not destroy card(s) on the field, like "Barrel Dragon" or "Snipe Hunter".


 * If "Crush Card Virus" is activated and there is a face-up monster on the field that will be destroyed, "Stardust Dragon's" effect can be chained.


 * If "Royal Oppression's" effect is activated to negate the Special Summon of a monster, like "Cyber Dragon" or "Gladiator Beast Gyzarus", "Stardust Dragon's" effect cannot be chained because the monster being Special Summoned is not considered to be "on the field" until its Summon is successful.


 * "Stardust Dragon's" second [sic] effect can only be chained to an effect that will destroy card(s) on the field. For example, if "Night Assailant" second effect is activated when it is discarded, "Stardust Dragon's" effect cannot be chained because this effect does not destroy card(s) on the field.


 * If "Stardust Dragon" is removed from play when its first effect is activated (by "Banisher of the Light", etc.), or it is removed from the Graveyard after its first effect is activated it cannot be Special Summoned with its effect during the End Phase.


 * If you Special Summon "Stardust Dragon" during the End Phase and your opponent activates "Torrential Tribute", you can chain "Stardust Dragon's" first effect to negate "Torrential Tribute". If you do, you can Special Summon "Stardust Dragon" again during the same End Phase.


 * If your opponent controls your "Stardust Dragon" and they use its effect, during the End Phase you will Special Summon it from your Graveyard.


 * If "Stardust Dragon" is attacking or being attacked and its effect is used in the Damage Step before damage calculation, damage calculation does not occur.


 * If your Defense Position "Stardust Dragon" is attacked by "Red Dragon Archfiend" and it is destroyed by battle, you cannot chain "Stardust Dragon's" effect to "Red Dragon Archfiend's" effect that destroys your Defense Position monsters.

In Other Rulings:On Tributing Itself

 * Wicked Rebirth: If you Special Summon “Stardust Dragon” with “Wicked Rebirth,” you can Tribute “Stardust Dragon” for its effect. After it is Tributed, “Stardust Dragon” is no longer targeted by “Wicked Rebirth.” Therefore its effect is restored and applied normally (so it negates an effect and is Special Summoned back to the field during the End Phase).

Mentions in Other Rulings

 * Majestic Star Dragon: The effect to return "Majestic Star Dragon" to the Extra Deck is mandatory. It activates even if an effect that prohibits Special Summons is applied. In that case, you return "Majestic Star Dragon" to the Extra Deck" but will not Special Summon "Stardust Dragon".


 * Majestic Star Dragon: The effect to Special Summon "Stardust Dragon" targets the "Stardust Dragon". It activates even if there is no "Stardust Dragon" in the Graveyard.


 * Majestic Star Dragon: You can use "Stardust Dragon" as a Synchro Material Monster for "Majestic Star Dragon" even if it's being treated as a Tuner.


 * Majestic Star Dragon: You can Summon "Majestic Star Dragon" even if "Majestic Dragon" is being treated as a non-Tuner and "Stardust Dragon" is treated as a Tuner.


 * Stardust Xiaolong: If you have more than one "Stardust Xiaolong" in your Graveyard when you Synchro Summon "Stardust Dragon", you can activate the effects of each of them.


 * Starlight Road: If you negate an effect with “Starlight Road” but cannot destroy the card, you cannot Special Summon “Stardust Dragon.”


 * Starlight Road: If you Chain “Starlight Road” to “Heavy Storm” while you control 2 or more Spell or Trap Cards and Special Summon “Stardust Dragon” you cannot activate “Torrential Tribute” afterwards. Even though the effect of “Heavy Storm” is negated, the activation was not, so the card will still resolve without effect and you will miss the timing to activate “Torrential Tribute.”


 * Starlight Road: You cannot activate “Starlight Road” during the Damage Step.


 * Starlight Road: Negating and destroying a card and Special Summoning “Stardust Dragon” do not happen at the same time. First you negate and destroy the card, then you Special Summon “Stardust Dragon.” If you don’t Special Summon, the effect of “Starlight Road” ends after negating and destroying the card.


 * Starlight Road: Special Summoning “Stardust Dragon” with “Starlight Road” is not a Synchro Summon. If that “Stardust Dragon” is later sent to the Graveyard, it cannot be Special Summoned by its own effect or “Call of the Haunted.”


 * Synchro Magnet: If you Synchro Summon Stardust Dragon while you have Synchro Magnet in your hand and Stardust Xiaolong in your Graveyard, you can Special Summon both of them.

On the Effect which Negates Activations

 * Tributing this card is a cost to activate the effect. The effect does not target.  You can activate the effect during the Damage Step.
 * Example: If the effect of "Ally of Justice Catastor" activates during the Damage Step, then the effect of "Stardust Dragon" may be Chained to negate the activation of "Ally of Justice Catastor"'s effect and destroy it.


 * To activate "Stardust Dragon"'s effect against another effect, the other effect must destroy a card when it resolves. You cannot activate "Stardust Dragon"'s effect when "Night Assailant" is sent from the hand to the Graveyard, since it does not destroy card(s) (even though "Night Assailant"'s Flip Effect destroys a card).


 * "Stardust Dragon"'s effect can be chained to an effect that does more than destroy cards. You can chain "Stardust Dragon"'s effect to "Ring of Destruction", even though it also inflicts damage.


 * You can chain "Stardust Dragon"'s effect to the effect of a Continuous Spell or Trap with a chainable effect that destroys cards, such as "Skull Lair".


 * You cannot chain "Stardust Dragon"'s effect to effects if you don’t know for certain that they will destroy card(s) when the effect is activated. "Stardust Dragon"'s effect cannot be used against "Barrel Dragon", "Blowback Dragon", "Blind Destruction", "Sand Gambler", "Dangerous Machine Type-6", "Snipe Hunter", etc.


 * You can use "Stardust Dragon"'s effect against "Time Wizard", since its effect will destroy something regardless of the outcome.


 * You can only use "Stardust Dragon"'s effect against "Crush Card Virus"/"Deck Devastation Virus"/"Eradicator Epidemic Virus" when the Trap Card is activated, and only if there is a face-up card that would be destroyed by the Trap Card. You cannot use it if there is a face-down card that would be destroyed.


 * "Skill Drain" has no effect on "Stardust Dragon". For the first effect, Tributing "Stardust Dragon" is a cost, so "Stardust Dragon" is not on the field and is unaffected by "Skill Drain".  The second effect activates in the Graveyard, so "Skill Drain" cannot negate it.


 * If "Stardust Dragon" Special Summons itself during the End Phase, and your opponent activates "Torrential Tribute", then you can activate "Stardust Dragon"'s effect to negate "Torrential Tribute". "Stardust Dragon" will then Special Summon itself again during the same End Phase.


 * After "Stardust Dragon" is Special Summoned by "Wicked Rebirth", "Stardust Dragon" can activate its effect. Then, "Wicked Rebirth" is no longer face-up on the field and "Stardust Dragon" is no longer targeted by it, so the effect of "Stardust Dragon" will not be negated and "Stardust Dragon" will negate the activation of an effect and destroy the card.


 * When the effect of "Stardust Dragon" which negates the activation of the effect of a Spell Card/Trap Card/Effect Monster Card is activated, the effect of "Royal Oppression" cannot be activated. To negate the effect of "Stardust Dragon" which Special Summons itself, you must activate the effect of "Royal Oppression" in Chain to that effect of "Stardust Dragon" during the End Phase.


 * Counter Trap Cards are Spell Speed 3, so you cannot activate the Spell Speed 2 effect of "Stardust Dragon" in Chain to the effect of a Counter Trap Card like "Magic Jammer", "Seven Tools of the Bandit", or "Divine Wrath".

On the Effect which Special Summons

 * "Skill Drain" has no effect on "Stardust Dragon". For the first effect, Tributing "Stardust Dragon" is a cost, so "Stardust Dragon" is not on the field and is unaffected by "Skill Drain".  The second effect activates in the Graveyard, so "Skill Drain" cannot negate it.


 * If "Stardust Dragon" Special Summons itself during the End Phase, and your opponent activates "Torrential Tribute", then you can activate "Stardust Dragon"'s effect to negate "Torrential Tribute". "Stardust Dragon" will then Special Summon itself again during the same End Phase.


 * If "Banisher of the Light"'s effect is active and you Tribute "Stardust Dragon", or if "D.D. Crow" removes "Stardust Dragon" from play after it is Tributed, then "Stardust Dragon" will not Special Summon itself during the End Phase. This applies even if "Stardust Dragon" is later returned to the Graveyard.


 * If "Stardust Dragon" or "Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode" do not negate the effect of a Spell/Trap/Effect monster, during the End Phase they cannot Special Summon themselves. For example, if "Divine Wrath" negates the effect of "Stardust Dragon" or "Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode", then you cannot activate the effect during the End Phase.


 * If "Stardust Dragon" was Special Summoned by and has its effect negated by an effect like "Descending Lost Star" or "Synchro Change", then when it Tributes itself to activate its effect, the effect will still be negated even though "Stardust Dragon" is no longer face-up on the field. Thus, the effect of "Stardust Dragon" cannot negate the activation of an effect which destroys a card on the field.

Mentions in Other Rulings

 * Assault Mode Activate: If you do not have "Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode" etc in your Deck, then you cannot activate "Assault Mode Activate" by Tributing "Stardust Dragon" etc. If an effect is Chained to "Assault Mode Activate" so that there is no "Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode" in your Deck, then "Assault Mode Activate" resolves without effect.


 * Majestic Star Dragon: The effect of "Majestic Star Dragon" which returns it to the Extra Deck during the End Phase and Special Summons "Stardust Dragon" is mandatory, so it will activate even if "Vanity's Fiend" or "Jowgen the Spiritualist" are face-up on the field. In this case, "Majestic Star Dragon" will return itself to the Extra Deck, but "Stardust Dragon" will not be Special Summoned.


 * Majestic Star Dragon: You may Synchro Summon "Majestic Star Dragon" by using a "Stardust Dragon" which is being treated as a Tuner Monster. If a non-Tuner Monster has its name treated as "Majestic Dragon" and "Stardust Dragon" is being treated as a Tuner Monster, then you may Synchro Summon "Majestic Star Dragon" by using the non-Tuner "Majestic Dragon", the Tuner "Stardust Dragon", and one other non-Tuner Monster as Synchro Material Monsters.


 * Majestic Star Dragon: The effect of "Majestic Star Dragon" which returns it to the Extra Deck during the End Phase targets one "Stardust Dragon" in your Graveyard. If there is no "Stardust Dragon" in your Graveyard, then this effect still activates; "Majestic Star Dragon" is still returned to the Extra Deck, but no "Stardust Dragon" is Special Summoned.


 * Majestic Star Dragon: If the effect of "G.B. Hunter" is active, then during the End Phase the effect of "Majestic Star Dragon" to return itself to the Extra Deck still activates. However, "Majestic Star Dragon" cannot be returned to the Extra Deck, so when resolving the effect "Majestic Star Dragon" is not returned to the Extra Deck and "Stardust Dragon" is not Special Summoned.


 * Majestic Star Dragon: The effect of "Majestic Star Dragon" which returns it to the Extra Deck and Special Summons "Stardust Dragon" during the End Phase is a mandatory effect. The player must activate the effect; he cannot choose to not activate the effect and leave "Majestic Star Dragon" on the field.


 * Malefic: You cannot Special Summon a Synchro Monster if it was not properly Synchro Summoned previously, such as if it was removed from play directly from the Extra Deck. Thus, you cannot use an effect like "D.D.R. - Different Dimension Reincarnation" or "Return from the Different Dimension" to Special Summon a "Stardust Dragon" which was removed from play to Special Summon ":".  Also, "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" and "Red-Eyes B. Dragon" are Normal Summon monsters, so they may be Special Summoned even if they are removed from play directly from the Deck.


 * Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode: If "Stardust Dragon" is sent directly from the Extra Deck to the Graveyard, it cannot be Special Summoned by "Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode".


 * Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode: The effect of "Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode" targets 1 "Stardust Dragon" in your Graveyard.


 * Starlight Road: The Special Summon by the effect of "Starlight Road" is not treated as a Synchro Summon. Thus, if the Special Summoned "Stardust Dragon" activates its effect and Tributes itself, then during the End Phase it cannot Special Summon itself.  Likewise, the Special Summoned "Stardust Dragon" cannot be Special Summoned from the Graveyard by effects like "Call of the Haunted".


 * Starlight Road: Suppose "Heavy Storm" is activated while there are two or more Spell/Trap Cards on the field, and "Starlight Road" is Chained. After "Starlight Road" Special Summons "Stardust Dragon", the resolution of the negated "Heavy Storm" still occurs, so "Torrential Tribute" cannot be activated since you miss the timing.


 * Starlight Road: The effect of "Starlight Road" which negates and destroys does not resolve at the same time as the effect which Special Summons "Stardust Dragon". "Stardust Dragon" is Special Summoned after the card is destroyed and its effect is negated.  If "Stardust Dragon" cannot be Special Summoned, then the effect finishes resolving with negating the effect and destroying the card.


 * Starlight Road: "Starlight Road" may be activated even if a card like "Vanity's Fiend" is on the field, or if there is no "Stardust Dragon" in your Extra Deck. The effect of "Starlight Road" will negate the effect which is to destroy two or more cards on your field and destroy it, but you cannot Special Summon from the Graveyard the "Stardust Dragon" which was Tributed to activate its effect. [sic]


 * Starlight Road: "Royal Oppression" may negate the effect of "Starlight Road", even though it is unknown at activation whether or not "Starlight Road" will Special Summon "Stardust Dragon". "Royal Oppression" may negate the effect of "Starlight Road" even if "Stardust Dragon" may not be Special Summoned, such as if "Vanity's Fiend" is on the field or if there is no "Stardust Dragon" in the Extra Deck.