Activation condition

Activation condition (Japanese: 発 (はつ) 動 (どう) 条 (じょう) 件 (けん) Hatsudō Jōken) of a card is a condition that must be met in order to activate that card. On cards with Problem-Solving Card Text, it is written before a colon. In a card with both activation requirements and cost, the cost is written after activation requirements. (Ex. - Activation Requirement(s): (Cost;) Effect)

Examples

• The activation requirement of "Magic Jammer" is the activation of a Spell Card.
• The activation requirement of "Mirror Force" is your opponent declaring an attack.
• The activation requirement of "Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan" is controlling at least 1 EARTH, 1 WATER, 1 WIND and 1 FIRE monster

Usually, the conditions need only be met at the time of activation for a card to resolve; even if at the time of resolution the conditions are no longer valid, the card still resolves, unless it has the text "(condition must be true) to activate and resolve this effect".

Example breakdown

Player A controls "Elemental Mistress Doriado" and activates "Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan". Player B chains "Raigeki Break" to destroy "Elemental Mistress Doriado". Even though by the time "Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan" resolves its activation requirement cannot be met, it still resolves because the requirement was met when the card was activated.