"When Trashed" Effects Vanish If You Use the Trashed Card
Triggering and activating are separate steps — pending activation and new cards
"When trashed" effects that gain you memory do trigger the moment the card is trashed. But if you move that same card — say, by using it — before the effect activates, the effect never activates. This comes up a lot with BT25 LadyDevimon lines that trash an Option card and then immediately use it from the trash.
Keep "trigger" and "activate" separate
- An effect triggering means its condition ("when ...") has been met (Comprehensive Rules 15-5-1).
- A triggered effect is not processed on the spot — it becomes pending activation first (15-8-3-1). Only immediate-type effects, written as "when ... would ..." or "when ... would leave," interrupt the cause directly (15-8-5-1).
- Effects that are pending activation are activated one at a time, after the effect currently being processed resolves (15-4-2-3).
- "When this card is trashed from your Digimon's digivolution cards by an effect, gain 1 memory" also triggers at the moment of trashing and becomes pending activation.
- A triggered effect is not processed on the spot — it becomes pending activation first (15-8-3-1). Only immediate-type effects, written as "when ... would ..." or "when ... would leave," interrupt the cause directly (15-8-5-1).
- Effects that are pending activation are activated one at a time, after the effect currently being processed resolves (15-4-2-3).
- "When this card is trashed from your Digimon's digivolution cards by an effect, gain 1 memory" also triggers at the moment of trashing and becomes pending activation.
What makes a pending effect vanish
- When a card is placed from one location to another, it becomes a new card (Comprehensive Rules 3-1-3-1).
- A new card carries over none of the previous card's conditions or states (3-1-3-2).
- Therefore, if a card with an effect that's pending activation becomes a new card before the effect activates, the effect can no longer be activated (15-4-4-3).
- A new card carries over none of the previous card's conditions or states (3-1-3-2).
- Therefore, if a card with an effect that's pending activation becomes a new card before the effect activates, the effect can no longer be activated (15-4-4-3).
So what happens in the trash-then-use line?
- The card is trashed from digivolution cards by an effect → its "when trashed" effect triggers and becomes pending activation
- You then use that same card from the trash → at the moment of use, it becomes a new card
- The pending "when trashed" effect never activates — you don't gain the memory
Note: a used Option card that isn't considered to be in any area is placed in the trash as pending processing (Comprehensive Rules 9-1-5). Whether it ends up in the trash or under a [Three Musketeers] Digimon's digivolution cards, the conclusion is the same: the card became a new card the moment you used it, so its "when trashed" effect doesn't activate.
- You then use that same card from the trash → at the moment of use, it becomes a new card
- The pending "when trashed" effect never activates — you don't gain the memory
Note: a used Option card that isn't considered to be in any area is placed in the trash as pending processing (Comprehensive Rules 9-1-5). Whether it ends up in the trash or under a [Three Musketeers] Digimon's digivolution cards, the conclusion is the same: the card became a new card the moment you used it, so its "when trashed" effect doesn't activate.
If you want the effect to activate
- To get the "when trashed" effect, the trashed card itself must stay put until the effect activates.
- If your line uses or processes a different card instead, the trashed card stays where it is, and the pending effect activates after the current effect resolves.
- If your line uses or processes a different card instead, the trashed card stays where it is, and the pending effect activates after the current effect resolves.
Relevant Comprehensive Rules sections
- 15-5-1: Trigger conditions are the conditions for an effect to trigger, written as "when ..."
/en/quiz/general-rule/15#15-5-1
- 15-8-3-1: A trigger-type effect always triggers once its conditions are met, then activates
/en/quiz/general-rule/15#15-8-3-1
- 15-8-5-1: Only immediate-type effects ("when ... would ...") interrupt right before their cause
/en/quiz/general-rule/15#15-8-5-1
- 15-4-2-3: Effects pending activation are activated 1 at a time
/en/quiz/general-rule/15#15-4-2-3
- 3-1-3-1: A card placed in another location becomes a new card
/en/quiz/general-rule/3#3-1-3-1
- 3-1-3-2: A new card carries over none of the previous card's conditions or states
/en/quiz/general-rule/3#3-1-3-2
- 15-4-4-3: A pending effect on a card that becomes a new card can no longer activate
/en/quiz/general-rule/15#15-4-4-3
- 9-1-5: A used Option card not in any area is immediately trashed as pending processing
/en/quiz/general-rule/9#9-1-5
/en/quiz/general-rule/15#15-5-1
- 15-8-3-1: A trigger-type effect always triggers once its conditions are met, then activates
/en/quiz/general-rule/15#15-8-3-1
- 15-8-5-1: Only immediate-type effects ("when ... would ...") interrupt right before their cause
/en/quiz/general-rule/15#15-8-5-1
- 15-4-2-3: Effects pending activation are activated 1 at a time
/en/quiz/general-rule/15#15-4-2-3
- 3-1-3-1: A card placed in another location becomes a new card
/en/quiz/general-rule/3#3-1-3-1
- 3-1-3-2: A new card carries over none of the previous card's conditions or states
/en/quiz/general-rule/3#3-1-3-2
- 15-4-4-3: A pending effect on a card that becomes a new card can no longer activate
/en/quiz/general-rule/15#15-4-4-3
- 9-1-5: A used Option card not in any area is immediately trashed as pending processing
/en/quiz/general-rule/9#9-1-5
Key point It's tempting to think "it triggered the moment it was trashed, so I get the memory" — but triggering and activating are separate steps. Move that card (e.g. by using it) before the effect activates and the effect is gone. If you want the memory, build your line around using a different card.