Card Rulings:Magical Citadel of Endymion

OCG Rulings

• The effect of "Magical Citadel of Endymion" which places Spell Counters on itself when a card with Spell Counters is destroyed does not start a Chain.

• The effect "Once per turn, if you remove a Spell Counter(s) from your side of the field to activate the effect of a card effect you control, you can remove the Spell Counters(s) from this card instead." of "Magical Citadel of Endymion" can only be used for costs. It cannot be used when an effect like "Mythical Beast Cerberus" removes Spell Counters.

• When the effect of "Imperial Order"/"Spell Canceller"/etc negates the effect of "Arcane Barrier"/"Magical Citadel of Endymion"/etc while the latter has Spell Counters on it, all Spell Counters are removed from "Magical Citadel of Endymion"/etc.

• If "Endymion, the Master Magician" Special Summons itself from the hand or Graveyard by removing six Spell Counters from "Magical Citadel of Endymion", then "Thunder King Rai-Oh"/"Black Horn of Heaven"/etc can negate the Special Summon of and destroy "Endymion, the Master Magician".

• The activation of a Spell Card, as mentioned in the text of "Magical Citadel of Endymion"/"Skilled White Magician"/etc, is when you play it face-up from your hand, or when the Spell Card is Set and you flip it face-up. It does not include activating the effect of a Spell card which is already face-up on the field, such as when you activate the effect of "Wave-Motion Cannon" or "Inspection". "Skilled Dark Magician" etc will not gain a Spell Counter when you activate the effect of "Wave-Motion Cannon" etc.

• "Magical Citadel of Endymion" will gain Spell Counters if a card on the the opponent's side of the field is destroyed while that card has Spell Counters on it. Also, if both players have activated a "Magical Citadel of Endymion" and a card that had Spell Counters is destroyed, the effect of both copies of "Magical Citadel of Endymion" is applied and the same number of Spell Counters is placed on each of them.

• The effects of "Skilled Dark Magician" and "Skilled White Magician" are not activated by removing Spell Counters, so you cannot remove the Spell Counters from "Magical Citadel of Endymion" instead, regardless of the number of Spell Counters on "Skilled White Magician".

• When you use the Spell Counter-substituting effect of "Magical Citadel of Endymion" to activate an effect, all of the Spell Counters to be removed must be removed from "Magical Citadel of Endymion". When you activate the effect of "Royal Magical Library", you must remove all three Spell Counters from "Magical Citadel of Endymion" if you are using the effect.

• When a card like "Breaker the Magical Warrior" or "Magical Marionette" has no Spell Counters on it, you can activate its effect and remove the Spell Counter(s) from "Magical Citadel of Endymion" instead.

Spell Counter Rulings

OCG Rulings

• The effect which places a Spell Counter on [this card] when a Spell Card is activated does not start a Chain.

• The Spell Counter is placed on [this card] after the resolution of the activated Spell Card.

• The activation of a Spell Card, as mentioned in the text of card like "Magical Citadel of Endymion" or "Skilled White Magician", is when you play it face-up from your hand, or when the Spell Card is Set and you flip it face-up. It does not include activating the effect of a Spell card which is already face-up on the field, such as when you activate the effect of "Wave-Motion Cannon" or "Inspection". Cards like "Skilled White Magician" will not gain a Spell Counter when you activate the effect of a Spell Card like "Wave-Motion Cannon".

• If an effect like "Skill Drain" negates the effect of a card like "Breaker the Magical Warrior" or "Royal Magical Library", then all Spell Counters are removed from the monster.

Previously Official Rulings

• You place a Spell Counter on this card when the Spell Card resolves, so if "Magic Jammer" is used to negate the Spell Card's activation then you do not place a Spell Counter on this monster. But if "Imperial Order" is chained to the Spell Card, you still place a Spell Counter on this monster because the activation of the Spell Card was not negated. If the Spell Card was a Continuous, Equip, or Field Spell Card, and “Dust Tornado” is chained to its activation and destroys it before it resolves you still place a Spell Counter because the activation of the card was not negated.

• [This card] must be face-up on the field when the Spell Card is activated in order to get a Spell Counter.
  • "Blast Magician" must have been face-up on the field when the Spell Card was activated (and when it resolves) in order to receive a Spell Counter.
  • "Tower of Babel" must be active and face-up on the field before the Spell Card was activated, and when the Spell Card resolves, in order to get a Spell Counter. If you chain "Tower of Babel" to a Spell Card, you do not get a Spell Counter for that Spell Card. If a Quick-Play Spell Card is chained to the activation of "Tower of Babel", you do not get a Spell Counter for that Quick-Play Spell Card.
  • If you activate a Spell Card, and your opponent chains "Call of the Haunted" to Special Summon [this monster], [this monster] does not get a Spell Counter for that Spell Card because [this monster] must be face-up on the field when the Spell Card is activated and when it resolves in order to get a Spell Counter.
  • If you activate "Monster Reborn" or "Premature Burial" to revive this monster, this monster does not get a Spell Counter for "Monster Reborn" (it has to be face-up on the field before the activation of the Spell Card).

• You place a Spell Counter for any Spell Card that is activated, including Equip Spell, Field Spell, etc.

• When you use the effect of a Continuous Spell Card that is already face-up on the field, such as "Inspection", or sending "Wave-Motion Cannon" to the Graveyard, or paying for "Messenger of Peace", you do NOT place a Spell Counter on this monster.

• When "Double Spell" is played, you get a Spell Counter on this monster for the activation of "Double Spell", but not for the target of "Double Spell" because the target is never activated; so you get 1 Spell Counter on this monster.

• You do not place a Spell Counter on this monster when you attach or detach a Union Monster because that is not the activation of a Spell Card.

• When "Skill Drain" is active, and you or your opponent activates a Spell Card, do not place Spell Counters on this monster. Any Spell Counters that are on this monster are removed when "Skill Drain" is activated.

Mentions in Other Rulings

• Gorgon's Eye: If a Defense Position monster has Spell Counters, like "Skilled White Magician" or "Royal Magical Library", the Spell Counters are removed if "Gorgon's Eye" is activated.