Authority: Community discussion
Official ruling confirmed: unknown
Source: Reddit: r/Yugioh101
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/Yugioh101/comments/1wl2c9r/quick_question_about_rewinding_after_an_illegal/
Format: TCG
Status: resolved
Date: 20 September 2026
1. Question
A player asked about a situation where a card has multiple effects, but the player chooses an effect that turns out to be an illegal activation.
The example involved Fallen & the Virtuous. The player activates the card and chooses its second effect to Special Summon a monster, but then realizes there is no Dogmatika Ecclesia, the Virtuous in the GY to satisfy that effect.
The question was whether the player could instead use the card’s first effect to destroy a face-up card, assuming there is a legal target, or whether the game state must be rewound to before Fallen & the Virtuous was activated.
2. Reddit Discussion
The discussion focused on an important distinction: when the choice between effects is made.
One commenter explained that because the chosen effect makes the activation itself illegal, the game state is rewound to the point before Fallen & the Virtuous was activated. The player is not required to switch to the other effect.
Another commenter added an important distinction between cards where the choice is made as part of activation and cards where the choice is made later during resolution. For cards like Fallen & the Virtuous, where the choice is part of the activation, the activation is illegal if the selected effect cannot legally be activated. For a card where the choice is made during resolution, the rewind point can be different.
3. Summary of the Reddit Answer
| Situation | Result |
|---|---|
| Fallen & the Virtuous is activated and an effect is chosen as part of the activation. | The chosen effect must be legal to activate. |
| The selected effect is illegal because its activation requirements cannot be met. | The activation is illegal. |
| Another effect of the same card would have been legal. | The player does not switch to that effect. |
| The activation was illegal. | The game state is rewound to before the card was activated. |
| A different card makes the choice during resolution rather than activation. | The rewind point may be different. |
4. Conclusion
According to the Reddit discussion, if Fallen & the Virtuous is activated while choosing an effect, and the chosen effect is not legally activatable, the game state is rewound to before the activation.
The player is not forced to change their choice and use another effect that would have been legal.
The discussion also highlights an important ruling distinction: whether the choice is made during activation or during resolution can affect how an illegal play is handled.
This article documents the Reddit/community discussion and should not be treated as an independent official Konami ruling unless supported by an official Konami source.
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