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Hello, Mystic Swordsman LV2 says that when its first effect is activated, during the end phase, send it to the graveyard and special summon lv 4. do i have to do that or can i keep lv 2 on the field for an indefinite amount of time?24.46.183.194 17:08, May 14, 2010 (UTC)

Well, his first effect and second effect are separate and cannot activate same time. First effect destroy f/d monster without flipping it and Second effect required him to destroy oppose monster in battle, normal way. So if you try to destroy f/d monster then level up, you cannot do that. So yes, as long as you don't have LV4 in your deck/hand or have some advantage in your side of the field, your LV2 refuse to evolve into LV4 after all. --FredCat100 17:13, May 14, 2010 (UTC)

The effect reads:

"During the End Phase of a turn that this card destroyed a monster by battle, by sending this card to the Graveyard, Special Summon 1 "Mystic Swordsman LV4" from your hand or Deck."

the terminology is rather vague, it doesn't say "send it to the grave and special summon" which would be a mandatory effect no questions asked, but it doesn't say "you may/can send it to the grave to special summon" either, which would have made it an optional effect. I would say it's an optional effect, since it says essentially "if the condition is met, by doing this other condition, this effect is applied." and most of the other cards with similar conditional effects are optional. Either way if you don't have it's level up in your deck, you can't activate the effect at all. Thorn of RosenYubel 19:20, May 14, 2010 (UTC)

The rulings are your friends. The rulings will not bite you and throw you in the basement. The rulings are not a big spider.

• You don’t have to send "Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV4" to the Graveyard if you don’t want to, even if it destroyed a monster as a result of battle. But if you activate its effect by sending it to the Graveyard, you must Special Summon "Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6" if possible.

And yes, "By X-ing, do Y" means that it's optional. It appears in a few other cards.

--Deus Ex Machina (Talk) 01:14, May 15, 2010 (UTC)