This is a page to compile various rulings and interactions that aren't tied to a specific card rather than putting those rulings on the pages for every single card that they may apply to.
If you don't find what you're looking for on this page it may be here:
If you don't find what you're looking for in any of those places, make a post on Retro and I'll see what I can do to get it added.
Parenthetical Text
Parenthetical text on a card is considered to be "rules text" and is NOT considered to be a part of that card's effects. Parenthetical text cannot be superseded nor interacted with.
If a card with parenthetical text on it loses all effects, it will retain its parenthetical text as that is not a part of the card's effects.
While parenthetical text is not itself an effect, some parenthetical text can generate effects. Effects generated this way are not considered to be a part of the card and thus do not have a card type, or a style (this also means that they are NOT non-Styled).
While parenthetical text cannot be interacted with, effects generated by it can be. What this means is that nothing can prevent you from attempting to use the parenthetical text to generate an effect, but that effect can be prevented from working once generated.
- Example: If Master Roshi - Scouted is in play, and I have a Namekian Hunt in my hand, I can still choose to banish Namekian Hunt to search my Life Deck for a Dragon Ball and play it, but this only generates a "phantom" effect that tries to search my Life Deck, at which point Roshi's effect stops me from searching.
Using the parenthetical text of a card is not considered to be "using" that card.
- Example: if Nappa - Space Traveller is in play, Setups cannot be used, but parenthetical text on a Setup (e.g. Namekian Hunt) may still be used.
Attached Cards
If a card is attached to a non-MP card in play, and the card it is attached to leaves play, the attached card no longer has a target, is no longer considered to be attached to anything, and will be discarded.
If something causes an attached card to lose all effects (e.g. Tenshinhan's Solar Flare), it will remain attached. If that attached card has a detach clause in its card effects, meeting that requirement will not cause the card to detach as it has lost that effect.
Cards Sent To Multiple Conflicting Zones "After Use"
When a card that already sends itself to a zone other than the discard pile "after use" (e.g. "Banish After Use") and gains an effect that sends it to another different zone (e.g. playing Namekian Clamp to stop an attack while Quick Blast is attached), apply all of them in sequential order as appropriate starting with printed text, then continuing in the order that they appeared.
- Example: If you stop an attack with Namekian Clamp while Quick Blast is attached, you would first shuffle Clamp back into your Life Deck, then Quick Blast's attempt to banish it would fail due to the Hidden Zone ruling. [source]
Banished Damage
When damage from an attack is banished, it is considered to be "discarded" into the Banished Zone. You may still use Endurance to prevent banished damage.
If a card has an effect that triggers "when discarded or destroyed from your Life Deck" that effect will trigger if revealed while taking banished damage.
Destroying Cards vs. Discarding Cards From Your Life Deck
When you take life cards of damage from an attack, the cards taken as damage are considered to be "discarded" and are not considered to be "destroyed." Cards are only "destroyed' from a Life Deck when an effect does so specifically (i.e. Cell - Combative's POWER).
When a Dragon Ball is discarded from your Life Deck, if a copy of that Dragon Ball is not already in play, then it is immediately placed on the bottom of your Life Deck, and another card card will be discarded from your Life Deck as a replacement. If a copy of that Dragon Ball is already in play when it was discarded from your Life Deck, the discarded Dragon Ball is banished instead and no replacement is required.
When a Dragon Ball is destroyed from your Life Deck, if a copy of that Dragon Ball is not already in play, then it is immediately placed on the bottom of your Life Deck, but no replacement is required whether that Dragon Ball is banished or not.
Cards That Trigger If They Are Discarded or Destroyed From Your Life Deck
Destroying cards from a Life Deck is always cause by an effect. Taking damage from an attack is not the same as Destroying cards from your Life Deck and will not trigger these types of effects.
When a card has Parenthetical Text that triggers upon being destroyed from your Life Deck (e.g. Black Protection), you must complete the entire Destroy effect before using the "If Destroyed' effect.
If, on the other hand, a card has an effect that triggers "If Discarded" from your Life Deck, and it is revealed while taking damage, you DO stop taking damage and use that effect immediately.
- Example 1: You enter combat and activate Black Discovery to destroy the top 2 cards of your Life Deck. The first card you destroy is Black Protection, which allows you to draw a card "if destroyed' from your Life Deck. Since Discovery destroys more than 1 card from your Life Deck, you must finish the effect and destroy the second card before you can draw a card.
- Example 2: You are taking 4 life cards of damage from an opponent's attack. The second card you reveal as damage is Dr. Wheelo's Revival. You would immediately stop taking damage and resolve the "If Discarded" effect of Revival, then you would resume taking damage.
- Example 3: You enter combat and activate Black Discovery to destroy the top 2 cards of your Life Deck. The first card you destroy is Dr. Wheelo's Revival which destroys cards from your opponent's Life Deck when it is discarded or destroyed from yours. Since Discovery destroys more than 1 card, you must destroy the second card and complete the entire destroy effect before you can use Revival's parenthetical to destroy the top 3 cards of your opponent's Life Deck.'
Increasing "Destroy" Effects vs. Having Destroyed Cards Banished Instead
Whenever an effect is used "when you destroy cards" from your opponent's deck (e.g. Dr. Wheelo - Robotic, Namekian Whack, etc.) are treated as if they read "when you would destroy cards" from your opponent's deck for timing and rules purposes. These effects must be used before any cards are destroyed from your opponent's Life Deck.
- Example 1: You activate Black Perceptive Mastery's Power and want to use Black Wilt. You would use the Power, play and resolve Wilt before you destroy any cards, then proceed to resolve the Mastery effects with Wilt now active.
- Example 2: You perform an attack while using Saiyan Enhanced Mastery and you have Tora - Second in Command in play. Before using the constant effect of the Mastery you must decide whether you will be banishing or destroying cards from the top of your opponent's Life Deck. If you choose destroy, Tora will increase that amount by 1 and you will then destroy the top 2 cards of your Life Deck, then destroy the top 2 cards of your opponent's Life Deck. If you choose to banish, Tora will not increase the amount banished by this effect and you will then destroy the top 2 cards of your Life Deck and banish the top card of your opponent's Life Deck. If you choose to banish the top and a Dragon Ball is revealed, it will be destroyed instead, but the window for Tora to increase the amount of cards will have already passed and the amount will not be increased.
Adding Effects To A Card
Whenever a card you play gains text from another effect (e.g. Saiyan Rampaging Mastery, , etc.) treat the added text as if it were on the card AFTER all of the printed effects with the same timing on that card. [source]
- Example 1: You are using Saiyan Empowered Mastery and you play Saiyan Pinpoint Blast. You would treat Pinpoint Blast as if it's immediate effects read "You may use a critical damage effect. Raise your anger 1 level."
- Example 2: Your opponent uses the power of Black Mischievous Mastery causing your next attack that combat to gain the text "Draw a card." The next attack you play that combat is Saiyan Gut Kick so you would treat that card as if it's immediate effects read "Your opponent's skips his next action this combat. Draw a card."
If an attack with a HIT effect gains another HIT effect, treat that card as if it has 2 separate HIT effects. If such an attack is successful while there is an active effect that triggers after using a HIT effect (e.g. Saiyan Flying Kick), that effect would trigger twice. [source]
- Example 1: You are using Black Perceptive Mastery and you play Black Defensive Burst. Your opponent does not stop the attack so you would treat Defensive Burst as if it read "HIT: Your opponent cannot perform physical attacks for the remainder of combat. HIT: Destroy an opponent's Setup or Drill."
- Example 2: You are using Saiyan Rampaging Mastery and play Saiyan Flying Kick. Later in the same combat, you play Saiyan Rapid Fire and your opponent does not block it. That attack will be treated as if it read "HIT: Raise your anger 1 level. HIT: Raise your anger 1 level." and would trigger the floating effect of Flying Kick twice.
Revealing Cards From Your Hand
When you use an effect to search for a card and place it into your hand, you must reveal that card to your opponent to prove that it is a legal target (with the exception of Master Roshi's Back Strike, as there are not limitations on what card you can search for). When you do so, if you searched a Hidden Zone for that card, you are considered to be revealing that card from your hand. This will activate any effects that the searched card has that triggers "when this card is revealed from your hand."
- Example: You use the Power of Goku -Selfless to search your Life Deck for Saiyan Tantrum. When you reveal Tantrum to your opponent to prove that you searched for a Styled card, you are considered to have revealed it from your hand and you may use a Critical Damage Effect. [source]
You may use effects that reveal cards from your hand even while your hand is being revealed by a different effect. If you choose to reveal a card with an effect that triggers upon being revealed from your hand (e.g. Saiyan Tantrum), you may use that effect.
- Example: You are using Broly - Legendary and your opponent has Captain Ginyu - Aggressive in play causing your hand to be revealed. You may use the effect of Broly's Power to reveal 2 attacks from your hand to draw a card, despite your hand already being revealed.
Hidden Zones
Your hand is always considered to be a Hidden Zone, even while it is being revealed by an effect. [source]
Targeting Personalities With Floating Effects
If a personality is targeted by an effect that lasts for the duration of that combat (or that turn) and that personality leaves play, then re-enters play, the effect that targeted them will no longer be active. [source] [source2]
- Example: You are entering combat as King Kai - Mentor and you target Gregory - Speedy with your when entering combat Power allowing him to make actions the combat regardless of your MP's power stage. Your opponent then uses an effect that causes Gregory to leave play. Should Gregory re-enter play during that same combat, he will no longer be able to make actions regardless of your MP's power stage.