Rules Processing

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This is an unofficial term, that refers to a step within the overall Effect Resolution Process. This page expands on the base provided by Triggered Effects, it is recommended to read that page before learning about Rules Processing.

Rules Processing typically occurs after effects have triggered (but not yet activated) from an action or another effect. It does not happen if an effect is currently in progress.

Page Terminology

Main article: Triggered Effects § Page Terminology

This page follows the same page terminology as Effect Resolution and Example Structure as Triggered Effects. As Rules Processing is a step within the Triggered Effects Resolution process.

Procedure

Main article: Triggered Effects § Procedure

We know as Rules Processing the process by which the rules remove elements that should not exist in the battle area:

• Send to the trash any Digimon with no DP in the Battle Area.
• Send to the trash any Option cards in the Battle Area (that were not placed in the Battle Area by an effect specifying to place it in the Battle Area)
• Deletes all Digimon with 0 DP.

Effects still follow the Triggered Effects procedure, Rules Processing is a step within that procedure:

1. An effect has activated.
2. Effects met their Trigger Condition from the previous effect trigger.
3. Rules Processing removes elements that should not exist in the Battle Area.
4. Effects met their Trigger Condition from rules processing trigger.
5. Players then proceed with Triggered Effects procedures again.

This can continue indefinitely, until all effects have been triggered and activated.

Examples

Main article: Triggered Effects § Example Visualisation

Check Example Visualisation for an explanation on how the examples are visualised.

Example 1

Scenario

• Player A uses [BT8-109 Flame Hellscythe] from hand, and has [BT1-057 Sirenmon] in the trash.
• Player B has [BT9-033 Pillomon] in play.

Effects Triggered

• None, [BT8-109 Flame Hellscythe]'s [Main] is activated directly.

Resolution

1. Player A targets [BT9-033 Pillomon] for the -6000 DP section of [BT8-109 Flame Hellscythe]'s effect. Player A targets [BT1-057 Sirenmon] to be played. [BT9-033 Pillomon] on the field prevents Digimon from being played by card effects, so nothing is played. No Effects are triggered from this action.
   • Pending Effects
     1. {None}
2. Now that the effect has resolved, rules processing occurs and [BT9-033 Pillomon] which has 0 DP is deleted. No Effects are triggered from this action.
   • Pending Effects
     1. {None}

Example 2

Scenario

• Player A digivolves into [BT3-112 Omnimon Alter S].
• Player B has [BT5-039 ShootingStarmon] with only a [ST3-01 Tokomon], and a [BT2-070 Tapirmon] in play.

Effects Triggered

1. [BT3-112 Omnimon Alter S]
2. [BT2-070 Tapirmon]

Resolution

1. Player A digivolves into [BT3-112 Omnimon Alter S]. This triggers its effect.
   • Pending Effects
     1. {[BT3-112 Omnimon Alter S]}
2. Player A activates Omnimon Alter S' effect (#1) to de-digivolve all of the opponent's Digimon, Tapirmon cannot be ＜De-Digivolve 1＞ so it is unaffected by this part of the effect. [BT5-039 ShootingStarmon] is de-digivolved to [ST3-01 Tokomon]. Now, all Digimon with 5000 DP or less are deleted. Tokomon has no DP value so it is not deleted. Tapirmon is deleted. This triggers [BT2-070 Tapirmon]'s effect.
   1. Pending Effects
      1. {Empty}
      2. {[BT2-070 Tapirmon]}
3. Now that the effect is resolved, rules processing occurs and [ST3-01 Tokomon] is now sent to the trash due to Rules Processing. No effects are triggered from this action.
   • Pending Effects
     1. {Empty}
     2. {[BT2-070 Tapirmon]}
4. Player A now activates Tapirmon's effect (#2) to draw 1 card.
   • Pending Effects
     1. {Empty}
     2. {Empty}

Example 3

Scenario

Player A DNA Digivolves into [BT8-015 Silphymon]. Player B has [BT5-072 Fake Agumon Expert] and [BT2-070 Tapirmon]. Player A intends to reduce Fake Agumon Expert's DP to 0, and delete Tapirmon with its effect. Player B does not have any Level 3 Digimon cards with [On Deletion] in their trash.

Effects Triggered

1. [BT8-015 Silphymon]
2. [BT2-070 Tapirmon]
3. [BT5-072 Fake Agumon Expert]

Resolution

1. Player A DNA digivolves into Silphymon, this triggers its effect.
   • Pending Effects
     1. {[BT8-015 Silphymon]}
2. Player A activates Silphymon's effect (#1). Player A reduces Fake Agumon Expert's effect to 0 first. Player A then deletes Tapirmon with Silphymon's effect. This triggers [BT2-070 Tapirmon].
   • Pending Effects
     1. {Empty}
     2. {[BT2-070 Tapirmon]}
3. Before any player can activate any effects, Rules Processing occurs. Rules Processing deletes all Digimon with 0 DP, so Fake Agumon Expert is deleted. This triggers [BT5-072 Fake Agumon Expert].
   • Pending Effects
     1. {Empty}
     2. {[BT2-070 Tapirmon]}
     3. {[BT5-072 Fake Agumon Expert]}
4. Player B activates Fake Agumon Expert's effect (#3) because it triggered last, so it must activate next. Player B returns Tapirmon to their hand.
   • Pending Effects
     1. {Empty}
     2. {[BT2-070 Tapirmon]}
     3. {Empty}
5. Player B attempts to activate Tapirmon's effect (#2). However, because Tapirmon is no longer in the trash. Its effect fails to activate, and Player B does not draw.
   • Pending Effects
     1. {Empty}
     2. {Empty}
     3. {Empty}

Example 4

Scenario

• Player A uses the effect of [BT4-048 WarGreymon] and it has [BT2-021 Veemon] as a digivolution card.
  • Player A also has a [ST3-07 Unimon] with [ST3-04 Patamon] in its digivolution cards.
  • Player A also has [BT4-097 Kari Kamiya] in play.
• Player B has [BT2-070 Tapirmon].

Effects Triggered

1. [BT4-048 WarGreymon]
2. [BT2-021 Veemon]
3. [BT4-097 Kari Kamiya]
4. [ST3-04 Patamon]
5. [BT2-070 Tapirmon]

Resolution

1. Player A attacks with [BT4-048 WarGreymon]. This triggers its effect.
   • Pending Effects:
     1. {[BT4-048 WarGreymon]}
2. Player A activates WarGreymon's effect (#1) to add a card from security to the hand, unsuspend and reduce Tapirmon's DP to 0. This triggers [BT2-021 Veemon] and [BT4-097 Kari Kamiya]'s effects.
   • Pending Effects:
     1. {Empty}
     2. {[BT2-021 Veemon], [BT4-097 Kari Kamiya]}
3. Tapirmon is now deleted by the rules processing due to having 0 DP. This triggers [ST3-04 Patamon] and [BT2-070 Tapirmon]'s effects.
   • Pending Effects:
     1. {Empty}
     2. {[BT2-021 Veemon], [BT4-097 Kari Kamiya]}
     3. {[ST3-04 Patamon], [BT2-070 Tapirmon]}
4. Player A as the turn player chooses their effect that triggered most recently (#2). Player A can only choose Patamon's effect (#4). Player A gains 1 memory.
   • Pending Effects:
     1. {Empty}
     2. {[BT2-021 Veemon], [BT4-097 Kari Kamiya]}
     3. {[BT2-070 Tapirmon]}
5. Player A has no more effects to choose that triggered most recently (#2) so Player B chooses. Player B chooses Tapirmon's effect (#5) and draws a card.
   • Pending Effects:
     1. {Empty}
     2. {[BT2-021 Veemon], [BT4-097 Kari Kamiya]}
     3. {Empty}
6. Player A chooses an effect that triggered most recently (#1). Player A chooses Kari Kamiya's effect (#3) and gains 1 memory.
   • Pending Effects:
     1. {Empty}
     2. {[BT2-021 Veemon]}
7. Player A chooses an effect Pending Activation. Player A chooses Veemon's effect (#2) and draws a card.
   • Pending Effects:
     1. {Empty}
     2. {Empty}

Example 5

Scenario

• Player A has [BT5-045 LordKnightmon] and plans to play [BT5-035 Starmons].
• Player B has [BT4-060 Lotosmon] whose effect was reduced by [ST3-16 Seven Heavens] previously in the turn.

Effects Triggered

1. [BT5-045 LordKnightmon]
2. [BT5-035 Starmons]
3. [BT4-060 Lotosmon]

Resolution

1. Player A attacks with [BT5-045 LordKnightmon]. Its [When Attacking] effect is triggered.
   • Pending Effects:
     1. {[BT5-045 LordKnightmon]}
2. Player A chooses an effect that is Pending Activation (#1) to activate. Player A can only choose LordKnightmon's effect (#1) and plays [BT5-035 Starmons] from their hand. This trigger's [BT5-035 Starmons]'s and [BT4-060 Lotosmon]'s effect.
   • Pending Effects:
     1. {None}
     2. {[BT5-035 Starmons], [BT4-060 Lotosmon]}
3. Player A as the turn player chooses their effect that triggered most recently (#2) first. They can only choose Starmon's effect (#2). Lotosmon loses 2000 DP.
   • Pending Effects:
     1. {[BT4-060 Lotosmon]}
4. Player A has no more effects, so Player B chooses their effect that triggered most recently (#1). They can only choose Lotosmon's effect (#3). However, because Lotosmon is no longer in the battle area the effect cannot be activated. So nothing happens.
   • Pending Effects:
     1. {[BT4-060 Lotosmon]}

Example 6

Scenario

• Player A has a [BT1-086 Matt Ishida] and [BT2-085 Joe Kido] in play. Player A plays [BT1-029 Gabumon].
• Player B has [BT3-092 MaloMyotismon] in play with [BT3-085 SkullMeramon] in its digivolution cards.
  • During this turn, Player B had revealed [BT4-106 Purge Shine] in a security check.

Effects Triggered

1. [BT1-029 Gabumon]
2. [BT1-086 Matt Ishida]
3. [BT3-092 MaloMyotismon]
4. [BT2-085 Joe Kido]

Resolution

1. Player A plays [BT1-029 Gabumon]. Gabumon is currently at 0 DP. This triggers the effect of [BT1-029 Gabumon], and [BT1-086 Matt Ishida].
   • Pending Effects:
     1. {[BT1-029 Gabumon], [BT1-086 Matt Ishida]}
2. Rules processing must occur before either player declares their effects. Because Gabumon is at 0 DP, Gabumon is deleted. This triggers [BT3-092 MaloMyotismon]'s effect.
   • Pending Effects:
     1. {[BT1-029 Gabumon], [BT1-086 Matt Ishida]}
     2. {[BT3-092 MaloMyotismon]}
3. Now that rules processing has occured, Players chooses their effects that triggered most recently (#2). Player B's effects triggered more recently, so Player B chooses an effect instead MaloMyotismon's effect (#3). Player B gains 1 memory.
   • Pending Effects:
     1. {[BT1-029 Gabumon], [BT1-086 Matt Ishida]}
     2. {Empty}
4. Player A chooses an effect that triggered most recently (#1). Player A chooses Gabumon's effect (#1). Gabumon is no longer in the battle area so it cannot activate. Player A does not draw a card.
   • Pending Effects:
     1. {[BT1-086 Matt Ishida]}
5. Player A chooses another effect that triggered most recently (#1). Player A chooses Matt's effect (#2) to trash SkullMeramon from underneath MaloMyotismon. This triggers [BT2-085 Joe Kido]'s effect.
   • Pending Effects:
     1. {Empty}
     2. {[BT2-085 Joe Kido]}
6. Player A chooses an effect that triggered most recently (#2). Player A chooses Joe Kido's effect (#4) and gains 1 memory.
   • Pending Effects:
     1. {Empty}
     2. {Empty}

Sources

• Detailed Rules Explanation
• Carddass Email English 15/07/2021: Old Rules Re-confirmation Part 1: Rules Processing and <Piercing>
• Carddass Email English 17/08/2021: LordKnightmon DP Deletion Timing
• Carddass Email English 05/04/2022: Options in Battle Area
• Carddass Email English 14/04/2022: Deleting Level 2 Digimon before Rules Processing
• Carddass Email English 23/05/2022: End of Turn Rules Processing
• Carddass Email English 22/06/2022: Pillomon and Flame Hellscythe
• Carddass Email English 19/07/2022: Security Effects Activated Confirming Lack of Rule Change