by I had an idea to post on something that is often misunderstood. So, here is an explanation of 'Missing the Timing'.
As you all likely know, some effects have specific points in time where they must be activated.
You've likely been told; "the effects that say this are Trigger Effects".
While this is true in some sense, the fact that they're Trigger Effects (or similar to Trigger Effects) has nothing to do with the rule of missing timing. The only thing you ever need ask is: "Does this effect specify a certain point in time where it must activate?"
If an effect does, it has an "activation timing" - literally, a "timing" which serves as the only legal "timing" for the "activation" of said effect.
Any time that the game, for any reason, makes it impossible to activate one of these effects at their proper timing - is "missing the timing."
How do we recognize effects that have a timing we can miss?
Like I said; we can miss timing for any effect that says "I activate when X occurs and at no other time" - and the thing that makes us miss timing is some rule or effect barring us from activating said effect at said time.
The magic word, then, is "when".
Look for an effect that says "when".
If that "when" denotes an activation timing, there is a timing that can be missed. Plain and simple. All you need is something that makes it miss timing - some rule or effect - to block you.
Now the kicker.
"Missing the Timing" is normally cited only in cases where effects can't activate because their timing was missed.
It's notable, however, that the above explanation I gave doesn't just pertain to effects that can't activate.
"Missing the Timing" is something that happens to effects all over the place, not just some; the only deal is, it only STOPS some from activating.
Consider Sangan. We don't often say it misses the timing.
However, we Normal Summon Caius by Tributing it all the time.
Sangan's "timing" for activation - the moment it's sent to the Graveyard - was missed.
The reason Sangan still activates isn't because it can't miss its timing - it's because it activates DESPITE missing its timing.
Mandatory effects MUST activate - that's the meaning of mandatory. Not even missing one's timing stops them.
The myth that only optional effects can miss timing is just that - a myth - mandatory ones can, too, if we really look at what these words even mean.
The only reason we think of that myth as truth is because we only hear people talk about "missing the timing" as an explanation for why certain effects don't activate.
And then my friend told me there was a rule about SEGOC that most people forget.
Namely, the rule of how "effects triggered earlier than others will be placed onto the Chain first."
What does it mean to "trigger" an effect?
Very simply - an effect that automatically has the option to activate under certain conditions considers those conditions a "trigger". Let's go back to Sangan. It activates when sent from the field to the Grave, right? Not quite; that's imprecise.
Guess what? Sending it from field to Grave "triggers" it. It "makes it want to activate as soon as possible", which in many cases is "right the hell now".
Consider Sangan destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard at the end of the Damage Step by means of battle game mechanics. It's been triggered and nothing's stopping it from activating right when triggered, so it activates immediately.
Consider Sangan Tributed to Normal Summon Caius. It's been triggered, but game mechanics of Summoning procedure say "you can't activate at your proper timing."
Sangan waits to activate until after Summon procedure is done - of course, by that time, Caius is likely Summoned and it itself has triggered too. In this situation, the effects of Caius and Sangan 1) want to activate at the same time, 2) are both mandatory, and 3) are both controlled by the same player.
According to the rules most folks know of SEGOC, this means that either Sangan or Caius could be Chain Link 1, and the other could be CL2.
This is an incomplete judgment.
Prior rulings indicate that in these scenarios, Caius would have to be CL2, and Sangan CL1. The reason given was "because Sangan was Tributed before Caius was Summoned" - namely, because Sangan was triggered before Caius.
It then hit me; Sangan had "missed the timing", but despite that, wanted to activate ASAP because it was mandatory.
So, rather than explain "effects are placed in the order in which they were triggered", explaining SEGOC becomes a bit easier.
Namely: "Mandatory Effects that have missed their timing or are otherwise waiting to activate are placed first."
When we admit that mandatory effects can miss timing and still activate, rather than say "they can't miss timing" despite the fact that some of them DO specify a timing, SEGOC becomes easier to understand.
~I hope this helps someone, lol.
As you all likely know, some effects have specific points in time where they must be activated.
You've likely been told; "the effects that say this are Trigger Effects".
While this is true in some sense, the fact that they're Trigger Effects (or similar to Trigger Effects) has nothing to do with the rule of missing timing. The only thing you ever need ask is: "Does this effect specify a certain point in time where it must activate?"
If an effect does, it has an "activation timing" - literally, a "timing" which serves as the only legal "timing" for the "activation" of said effect.
Any time that the game, for any reason, makes it impossible to activate one of these effects at their proper timing - is "missing the timing."
How do we recognize effects that have a timing we can miss?
Like I said; we can miss timing for any effect that says "I activate when X occurs and at no other time" - and the thing that makes us miss timing is some rule or effect barring us from activating said effect at said time.
The magic word, then, is "when".
Look for an effect that says "when".
If that "when" denotes an activation timing, there is a timing that can be missed. Plain and simple. All you need is something that makes it miss timing - some rule or effect - to block you.
Now the kicker.
"Missing the Timing" is normally cited only in cases where effects can't activate because their timing was missed.
It's notable, however, that the above explanation I gave doesn't just pertain to effects that can't activate.
"Missing the Timing" is something that happens to effects all over the place, not just some; the only deal is, it only STOPS some from activating.
Consider Sangan. We don't often say it misses the timing.
However, we Normal Summon Caius by Tributing it all the time.
Sangan's "timing" for activation - the moment it's sent to the Graveyard - was missed.
The reason Sangan still activates isn't because it can't miss its timing - it's because it activates DESPITE missing its timing.
Mandatory effects MUST activate - that's the meaning of mandatory. Not even missing one's timing stops them.
The myth that only optional effects can miss timing is just that - a myth - mandatory ones can, too, if we really look at what these words even mean.
The only reason we think of that myth as truth is because we only hear people talk about "missing the timing" as an explanation for why certain effects don't activate.
And then my friend told me there was a rule about SEGOC that most people forget.
Namely, the rule of how "effects triggered earlier than others will be placed onto the Chain first."
What does it mean to "trigger" an effect?
Very simply - an effect that automatically has the option to activate under certain conditions considers those conditions a "trigger". Let's go back to Sangan. It activates when sent from the field to the Grave, right? Not quite; that's imprecise.
Guess what? Sending it from field to Grave "triggers" it. It "makes it want to activate as soon as possible", which in many cases is "right the hell now".
Consider Sangan destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard at the end of the Damage Step by means of battle game mechanics. It's been triggered and nothing's stopping it from activating right when triggered, so it activates immediately.
Consider Sangan Tributed to Normal Summon Caius. It's been triggered, but game mechanics of Summoning procedure say "you can't activate at your proper timing."
Sangan waits to activate until after Summon procedure is done - of course, by that time, Caius is likely Summoned and it itself has triggered too. In this situation, the effects of Caius and Sangan 1) want to activate at the same time, 2) are both mandatory, and 3) are both controlled by the same player.
According to the rules most folks know of SEGOC, this means that either Sangan or Caius could be Chain Link 1, and the other could be CL2.
This is an incomplete judgment.
Prior rulings indicate that in these scenarios, Caius would have to be CL2, and Sangan CL1. The reason given was "because Sangan was Tributed before Caius was Summoned" - namely, because Sangan was triggered before Caius.
It then hit me; Sangan had "missed the timing", but despite that, wanted to activate ASAP because it was mandatory.
So, rather than explain "effects are placed in the order in which they were triggered", explaining SEGOC becomes a bit easier.
Namely: "Mandatory Effects that have missed their timing or are otherwise waiting to activate are placed first."
When we admit that mandatory effects can miss timing and still activate, rather than say "they can't miss timing" despite the fact that some of them DO specify a timing, SEGOC becomes easier to understand.
~I hope this helps someone, lol.
)