Can You Use Effects on Obelisk?
When it comes to the famous Yu-Gi-Oh! card, Obelisk the Tormentor, there are often questions surrounding its interactions with other effects in the game. Can you use effects on Obelisk, and how do these effects work with the monster? In this article, we’ll explore the answer to this question and break down the specific rules surrounding Obelisk’s abilities.
What Does the Card Say?
The card text of Obelisk the Tormentor provides the following abilities:
"Once the Summon is over, you can activate cards and effects normally."
"To activate this effect, 2 monsters are required. Destroy all Monsters your opponent controls, and inflict 6000 damage to your opponent."
"The ATK/DEF of a monster decreases by 400 when 1 or both of this card and/or Exodia, the Forbidden One are present on the field."
On the surface, these effects seem straightforward. However, the interactions with other cards and effects are where things get complex. Let’s dive deeper to understand the specifics.
Effects Targeted to Monsters vs. Not Targeted to Monsters
There are two types of effects in Yu-Gi-Oh! – effects that target a specific card, and those that do not. The distinction between these two is crucial in understanding how they interact with Obelisk.
- Effects Targeted to Monsters: Examples of this type of effect include card destruction effects, like Torrential Tribute, or effects that reduce an opponent’s monster’s ATK/DEF. These effects explicitly target the monster(s) they are applied to, and only those cards are affected. Obelisk is exempt from being targeted by such effects. If an effect targets all monsters on the field, for instance, Obelisk will still be ignored.
- Effects Not Targeted to Monsters: Effects like Dark Hole or Mirror Force do not target a specific card and instead destroy all monsters or change ATK/DEF to 0, respectively. These effects are not applicable to Obelisk. Obelisk is the only card that is both the attacker and the attacked in such situations.
Effects Not Applicable to Obelisk
A crucial aspect of Obelisk is its immunity to certain effects. Specifically, it cannot be affected by:
• Targeting effects: Obelisk cannot be the target of a card destruction effect, for example. Even if you try to use Torrential Tribute on Obelisk, it won’t do anything.
• Specific targeting effects that mention ‘opponent’s card(s)’: Effect monsters with abilities that affect an opponent’s card, like Exodia’s 400 ATK decrease, still work as usual.
• Effects with ‘must be’ statements: An effect that must be used, like "You can only activate Axe of Despair once per turn, targeting the opponent’s Monster" – in this case, even if you would be unable to activate it because your opponent has no monsters.
When to Use Your Effects
Based on what we’ve learned so far, here’s a simplified flowchart:
- Is the effect targeting a monster?
- Yes, it’s an effect like Torrential Tribute. Obelisk is ignored.
- No, it’s not targeting a monster. This effect (e.g., Dark Hole or Mirror Force ) does not apply to Obelisk.
Real-World Scenarios and Examples
Scenario 1:
You activate Dark Hole while Obelisk is on the field, and 3 of your opponent’s monsters are destroyed.
Result:
The Dark Hole has no effect on Obelisk, since it was not targeted or affected in any way. The 3 opponent monsters were destroyed because they are not Obelisk, the Tormentor.
Scenario 2:
Your opponent uses Smashing Ground to decrease the ATK of all their monsters, except the Exodia the Forbidden One.
Result:
While the ATK reduction affects Exodia, since Obelisk is immune to Smashing Ground due to its own text (decrease the ATK of a monster… when Exodia is on the field), Obelisk is unaffected.
Conclusion:
Understanding how effects work with Obelisk can be nuanced, but this breakdown aims to make things easier for those seeking clarity. When trying to use an effect with Obelisk, take a moment to determine:
- Is the effect targeted to a monster?
- No – go on. If the effect doesn’t target a specific card (e.g., Dark Hole ), it may affect Obelisk’s behavior.
- Does the effect mention Obelisk or Exodia?
- Yes – consider any exceptions or stipulations affecting Obelisk’s ATK or DEF changes.
Ultimately, Obelisk the Tormentor can be incredibly powerful when wielded wisely, and grasping these effects will empower you in your Yu-Gi-Oh! conquests!