Card Rulings:Raigeki Break

TCG Rulings

Judge Program Forum Rulings

• If "Raigeki Break" targets a monster and and an effect is chained and makes the monster change Monster Card Zone, like "TG1-EM1", then it will still be destroyed since "Raigeki Break" targets the card itself, not the Zone it's in.

OCG Rulings

• Discarding one card is a cost to activate this card.

• This card can target any card on the field, regardless of what type of card it is (Spell/Trap/Monster) or whether it is face-down or face-up.

• In general, if you cannot apply the card's effect when activating a card, then you cannot activate it. Thus, if there are no cards on the field that can be destroyed, then you cannot activate "Mystical Space Typhoon" nor a Set "Raigeki Break". Also, when you activate "Mystical Space Typhoon", it cannot target itself.

Mentions in Other Rulings

• If a Flip Effect Monster is face-down on the field and is destroyed by "Raigeki Break", then you cannot activate its Flip Effect.

• During the Damage Step, in general, you cannot activate Spell/Trap Cards other than Counter Trap Cards and ATK/DEF-increasing/decreasing effects. Thus, you cannot activate "Book of Moon" nor "Raigeki Break", but you can activate the Counter Trap "Divine Wrath" during the Damage Step.

• If "Offerings to the Doomed"/"Raigeki Break"/etc is chained to the Spell/Trap Card-negating effect of "Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8"/"Dark Paladin"/"Sorcerer of Dark Magic"/"Gladiator Beast Heraklinos" so that "Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8" etc is not face-up on the field at resolution, then the Spell/Trap Card is neither negated nor destroyed.

• Clear Vice Dragon: If you activate "Raigeki Break" and target your own "Clear Vice Dragon" and then the opponent Chains "Enemy Controller" to take control of your "Clear Vice Dragon", then your opponent chooses whether to discard one card from his hand or to have "Clear Vice Dragon" destroyed.

• Fabled Gallabas: If an effect like "Book of Moon" or "Raigeki Break" is Chained to the effect of "Fabled Gallabas" so that "Fabled Gallabas" is not face-up on the field at resolution, then the effect of "Fabled Gallabas" resolves without effect and the monster is not destroyed.

• Formula Synchron: You cannot activate the effect to Synchro Summon multiple times in the same Chain.
  • Example: You activate the effect of "Formula Synchron", and your opponent Chains "Raigeki Break". You cannot activate the effect of that "Formula Synchron" again in Chain to "Raigeki Break".

• Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World: The text of "Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World" specifies that it must be discarded from the hand to the Graveyard by a card effect. Thus, if it is discarded as a cost for "Raigeki Break" or "Lightning Vortex", then you cannot activate the effect.

• Inferno Reckless Summon: If cards like "Book of Moon" or "Raigeki Break" is Chained to "Inferno Reckless Summon" so that neither player has any face-up monsters at resolution, then neither player Special Summons monsters with the same name. If only your opponent has monsters, then your opponent still Special Summons monsters with the same name, even though you do not have any face-up monsters. If only you have monsters, then only you Special Summon monsters with the same name.

• Koa'ki Meiru Valafar: You can activate cards like "Sakuretsu Armor" or "Raigeki Break" and target "Koa'ki Meiru Valafar". However, at resolution, "Koa'ki Meiru Valafar" will not be destroyed.

• Moon Dragon Quilla: If "Moon Dragon Quilla" is destroyed in the middle of resolving a Chain - for example, by the effect of "Raigeki Break" which was activated at Chain Link 2 or higher - then the effect of "Moon Dragon Quilla" which Special Summons "Sun Dragon Inti" will activate after the Chain finishes resolving.

• Obelisk the Tormentor: If you activate "Ultimate Offering" to Tribute Summon "Obelisk the Tormentor" and the opponent Chains "Raigeki Break" to destroy "Sangan", then "Sangan" is destroyed at Chain Link 2 and "Obelisk the Tormentor" is Tribute Summoned at Chain Link 1. Normally, the effect of "Sangan" will begin a new Chain after the current one resolves. However, when you finish resolving the Chain, the last thing to resolve is the Tribute Summon of "Obelisk the Tormentor", so the effect of "Obelisk the Tormentor" is applied and the effect of "Sangan" does not activate.

• Power Breaker: If "Power Breaker" is not under the control of its original owner when it is destroyed, then its effect cannot be activated. So, if your opponent controls your "Power Breaker" and it is destroyed by "Raigeki Break", then you cannot activate its effect.

• Scrap Dragon/Voltic Bicorn: You can activate the effect of a monster like "Scrap Dragon" or "Voltic Bicorn" even if it is destroyed while face-down by an effect like that of "Raigeki Break".

• Solemn Warning: You cannot Chain "Solemn Warning" to a Spell or Trap Card that does not include the effect of Special Summoning, such as "Lightning Vortex" or "Raigeki Break".

• The Fabled Catsith: Suppose that "Royal Oppression" is activated when "Dark Armed Dragon" is to be Special Summoned, and then "Raigeki Break" is Chained by discarding "The Fabled Catsith" as a cost, to destroy "Royal Oppression". In this case, the effect of "The Fabled Catsith" activates when "Dark Armed Dragon" is successfully Special Summoned. Moreover, the effect of "The Fabled Catsith" activates when "Dark Armed Dragon" is Special Summoned, so the Ignition Effect of "Dark Armed Dragon" cannot be activated at this time.

Previously Official Rulings

Mentions in Other Rulings

• Ante: If either player chains "Raigeki Break" ... to "Ante" and then has no cards at resolution of "Ante"'s effect, "Ante"'s effect disappears.

• D.D. Scout Plane: If "D.D. Scout Plane" is face-down on the field while "Banisher of the Light" is in play, and "D.D. Scout Plane" is destroyed by "Raigeki Break", it is removed from play and its effect activates because it is placed face-up out of play.

• Dark World: These effects only activate if the cards are discarded by a card effect. They will not activate if discarded for the cost of a card like ... “Raigeki Break”...

• Ectoplasmer: You can chain "Mystical Space Typhoon" or "Raigeki Break" to "Ectoplasmer"'s effect, and if there is no "Ectoplasmer" on the field, then its effect is not applied.

• Makyura the Destructor: You cannot activate a "Raigeki Break" in your hand by discard "Makyura the Destructor" as a cost.

• My Body as a Shield: "My Body as a Shield" will negate cards such as..."Raigeki Break"...

• Peten the Dark Clown: If "Peten the Dark Clown" is discarded as a cost for "Tribe-Infecting Virus" or "Raigeki Break", the last thing that happened was that those effects resolved, so the effect of "Peten" does not activate.

• Prime Material Dragon: "Prime Material Dragon's" second effect works like "My Body as a Shield". "Prime Material Dragon" can negate cards such as... "Raigeki Break"...

• Trap Monster: If an effect that destroys Trap Cards is used against “Embodiment of Apophis”, you can use “Fake Trap” to prevent it from being destroyed. When preventing the destruction of “Embodiment of Apophis”, you must be using a card of the appropriate type. You cannot use “My Body as a Shield” to rescue it from “Heavy Storm”. You cannot use “Fake Trap” to rescue it from “Raigeki”. You can use “Riryoku Field” when “Embodiment of Apophis” is targeted by “Snatch Steal”, but not when it’s targeted by “Mystical Space Typhoon”. You can use any of these effects to protect “Embodiment of Apophis” from “Raigeki Break” because “Raigeki Break” can destroy a Monster card or a Trap Card.