Negate

Negate
Japanese	無 (む) 効 (こう) 化 (か)
Japanese (ruby)	むこう(か)
Japanese (base text)	無効(化)
Japanese (romanized)	Mukō(ka)
Japanese (translated)	invalidate
English	negate
Other names French: annuler German: annullieren Italian: annulla Portuguese: negar Formerly: anular Spanish: negar Korean: 무효(화) (無效(化)) Muhyo(hwa) Traditional Chinese: 無效(化) Wúxiào(huà) / Mou4 haau6 (faa3)

Negate (Japanese: 無 (む) 効 (こう) (化 (か) ) Mukō(ka)) is a term that refers to stopping an action from being performed successfully or nullifying a card effect. Actions that can be negated include card and effect activations, Summons, and attacks.

While most of these actions can be stopped from "successfully" happening otherwise, only an effect that specifically states "negate" will cause them to be negated.

Even if any of these actions are negated, the cost, or right to redo it, is not refunded to the possessor of that negated action.

Activation

"Ultimate Providence"

Japanese: 発 (はつ) 動 (どう) を無 (む) 効 (こう) にする (Hatsudō wo Mukō ni suru)

See also: Negates the activation of Spell Cards, Negates the activation of Trap Cards, and Negates the activation of Effect Monster's effect

To negate the activation of a card or effect is to cause it to not resolve after being activated. If the activation of a card or effect is negated, because it does not resolve, the most recent action of the previous Chain Link is considered the last thing to happen instead (for the purposes of missing the timing).

If the activation of a Spell or Trap Card is negated, that card is sent to the Graveyard after the entire Chain it was activated in resolves if it has not already been moved somewhere, but it is not treated as being sent from the field. If the activation of a card effect is negated, that card remains in its current location unless a card effect specifies otherwise (such as "Divine Wrath" specifying that the monster is destroyed).

If a card or effect has a restriction on how often it can be activated, the specific wording of the restriction affects affects whether negated activations count towards this limit.

• If a card or effect can only be "activated" (発動) a limited number of times, only activations that are not negated count towards their limit.
• If an effect can only be "used" (使用) a limited number of times, negated activations count towards their limit.
• If an effect specifies "Once per turn", "Once per Battle Step", "Up to twice per turn", etc. in its activation conditions, even negated activations count towards this limit.
  • For example, if the effect of "Chaos Sorcerer" or "Number 9: Dyson Sphere" is negated by "Light and Darkness Dragon", it cannot activate its effect again during that turn or Battle Step (respectively).

Effect

See also: Negates the effects of Spell Cards, Negates the effects of Trap Cards, and Negates the effects of Effect Monsters

To negate an effect is to prevent it from being applied. There are two forms of "Negate the effects" effects.

Negate an instance of effect

"Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring"

Japanese: 効 (こう) 果 (か) を無 (む) 効 (こう) にする (Kōka wo Mukō ni suru)

This form of negate are used in response to an activated effect, and while similar to "Negate the activation" result-wise, this form of negates cause the effect it responds to to "resolve without effect"; the card resolves de jury, but nothing will be done de facto. (for the purposes of missing the timing). These effects do not affect the card.

Main article: "Negate" vs. "Destroy" and Continuous Cards

Destroying a card is distinct from negating its effect; even if a card is destroyed, its activated effect can still resolve, unless stated or mechanized otherwise. (Such as Continuous Spell Cards)

Make cards have its effect(s) negated

"Skill Drain"

Japanese: 効 (こう) 果 (か) は無 (む) 効 (こう) 化 (か) される (Kōka wa Mukōka-sareru)

This form of negates will continually cause the card to have its effect negated. Effects negated in this form can still be activated, but will resolves without effect, like the first form. However, this kind of negate does affect the card

Continuous Effects or Unclassified Effects can only be negated this way, and if they are, they simply no longer apply.

Summon

"Black Horn of Heaven"

Japanese: 召 (しょう) 喚 (かん) を無 (む) 効 (こう) にする (Shōkan wo Mukō ni suru)

See also: Negates Normal Summons, Negates Flip Summons, and Negates Special Summons

To negate a Summon is to prevent a monster from being successfully Summoned. If the Summon of a monster(s) is negated, that monster(s) are not considered to have been on the field at the time its Summon was negated (even if it is being Flip Summoned or is a Gemini monster being Normal Summoned again). Also, if a Summon is negated, the monster was considered not successfully Summoned, so Special Summon-only monsters cannot be Special Summoned by effects other than their specified method.

Only Summons that occur outside of a Chain can be negated, and even then only built-in Special Summons and Summons by game mechanics (Normal Summons, Flip Summons, Synchro Summons, Xyz Summons, Pendulum Summons and Link Summons) can be negated.

Many card effects that cause a player to perform a Summon by game mechanics specify that the Summon is performed "immediately after this card/effect resolves" to clarify that the Summon occurs outside of the resolution of an effect, so if that card or effect resolves as Chain Link 1 the Summon can be negated. For example, the Normal Summon of a monster with "Ultimate Offering" cannot be negated if it was activated as Chain Link 2 or higher (as the monster is Summoned in the middle of a Chain), but it can be negated if "Ultimate Offering" is activated as Chain Link 1 (as the monster is Summoned immediately after the effect of "Ultimate Offering" resolves).

A negated Normal Summon still counts as the one Normal Summon/Set per turn, and a negated Pendulum Summon still counts as the one Pendulum Summon per turn. If a monster can only be Summoned once per turn in a particular way, even if that Summon is negated, other copies of that monster cannot be Summoned again in the same way that turn.

Attack

"Negate Attack"

Japanese: 攻 (こう) 撃 (げき) を無 (む) 効 (こう) にする (Kōgeki wo Mukō ni suru)

See also: Negates attacks

To negate an attack is to stop a battle from taking place after an attack has been declared.

An attack can only be negated during the Battle Step, and if it is negated, the Damage Step does not occur. Even if an attack is negated, that monster is still considered to have declared an attack that turn, so it cannot declare another attack and cannot change its battle position in Main Phase 2.

Cards such as "Mirror Force" and "Dimensional Prison" do not negate attacks; instead, the attacking monster leaves the field during the Battle Step and the attack ends; if the monster does not leave the field, the attack continues. For example, if "Total Defense Shogun" attacks while in Defense Position and the opponent activates "Mirror Force", the attack continues as "Total Defense Shogun" is still on the field. Likewise, even if an attacking monster is banished by "Dimensional Prison", "Counterforce" cannot be activated because its attack was not negated.

See also

• "Negate" vs. "Destroy" and Continuous Cards