Obelisk the Tormentor (2024)

OCG Rulings

• "This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set except by Tributing 3 monsters." is a Summoning Condition. It is not an effect.^[1]

• Tributing two monsters is a cost to activate the effect which destroys all monsters on your opponent's field.^[1][2]. "Obelisk the Tormentor" may Tribute itself to activate its effect.^[2]

On Being Sent to the Graveyard

• If "Obelisk the Tormentor" is Special Summoned, then its effect will activate during each End Phase as long as "Obelisk the Tormentor" remains face-up on the field.^[3]

• If "Book of Eclipse" is Chained to the effect of "Obelisk the Tormentor" which sends it to the Graveyard during the End Phase, then "Obelisk the Tormentor" will still be sent to the Graveyard, even though it is face-down.^[3]

• If "Obelisk the Tormentor" is Special Summoned but it is face-down during the End Phase, then "Obelisk the Tormentor" will not be sent to the Graveyard. However, if "Obelisk the Tormentor" is flipped face-down and then flipped face-up, then "Obelisk the Tormentor" will be sent to the Graveyard during the End Phase.^[3]

• If "Obelisk the Tormentor" is Special Summoned and "Skill Drain" is activated during the same turn, then its effect will be negated and "Obelisk the Tormentor" will not be sent to the Graveyard during the End Phase. However, if "Skill Drain" is later destroyed, then "Obelisk the Tormentor" will be sent to the Graveyard during the End Phase.^[4]

On Not Being Targeted

• "Obelisk the Tormentor" can be destroyed by effects that do not target, such as "Judgment Dragon", "Lightning Vortex", "Mirror Force", etc.^[5]

Egyptian God Rulings

OCG Rulings

On Effects Not Activating

• If "Sangan" is Tributed for a Tribute Summon, then its effect activates "When the monster is successfully Tribute Summoned". However, the effects of Spell Cards, Trap Cards, and Effect Monsters do not activate when "Obelisk the Tormentor" or "The Winged Dragon of Ra" is successfully Tribute Summoned, so the effect of "Sangan" does not activate.^[6]

• When "Obelisk the Tormentor" or "The Winged Dragon of Ra" is successfully Tribute Summoned, neither player may activate the effects of Spell Cards, Trap Cards, or Effect Monsters. When "Obelisk the Tormentor" is successfully Summoned, its effect is applied nothing can be done. Afterwards, the Turn Player may Synchro Summon, etc. Also, for "The Winged Dragon of Ra", you may activate its effect when it is successfully Summoned.^[7]

• When "Obelisk the Tormentor" is Summoned by "Ultimate Offering" by Tributing "Sangan",^[8]
  • If "Ultimate Offering" is Chain Link 1, then when the Chain finishes resolving, the last thing to resolve is the Normal Summon of "Obelisk the Tormentor". Thus, the effect of "Sangan" will not activate.
  • If "Ultimate Offering" is Chain Link 2, then when the Chain finishes resolving, the last thing to resolve is not the Normal Summon of "Obelisk the Tormentor". Thus, the effect of "Obelisk the Tormentor" is not applied, so the effect of "Sangan" will activate.

• 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.^[9]

On Summoning

• When Tribute Summoning "Obelisk the Tormentor", you cannot choose to Set it in face-down Defense Position.^[10]

Miscellaneous

• You can declare "Divine-Beast" for the effect of "DNA Surgery", since "Obelisk the Tormentor" and "The Winged Dragon of Ra" are Divine-Beast-Type monsters. In this case, all monsters on the field will be treated as Divine-Beast-Type monsters.^[11]

References

Facts