When is a monster "successfully" Summoned?
A monster is NOT successfully Summoned if its Summon was negated.
There is only one timing in which cards/effects that negate Summons may be activated, and only these cards can start the chain. The turn player retains 'priority' to activate the first effect that would negate their own Summon, though this is rarely relevant.This timing exists when a Normal, Flip, Synchro, or Special Summon (that does not start a chain) was the last thing to happen outside of a chain. If the Summon is negated, that monster is treated as never having been Summoned, so Special Summon-only monsters cannot be Special Summoned by card effects (ex: "Call of the Haunted"). This timing does not exist when resolving an effect results in a Summon. This timing is unofficially called the "Summon negation window", and what follows (upon successfully Summoning a monster) is similarly called the "Summon response window".
There is only one timing in which cards/effects that negate Summons may be activated, and only these cards can start the chain. The turn player retains 'priority' to activate the first effect that would negate their own Summon, though this is rarely relevant.This timing exists when a Normal, Flip, Synchro, or Special Summon (that does not start a chain) was the last thing to happen outside of a chain. If the Summon is negated, that monster is treated as never having been Summoned, so Special Summon-only monsters cannot be Special Summoned by card effects (ex: "Call of the Haunted"). This timing does not exist when resolving an effect results in a Summon. This timing is unofficially called the "Summon negation window", and what follows (upon successfully Summoning a monster) is similarly called the "Summon response window".
- Example 1: Player A removes a LIGHT and a DARK monster in their Graveyard from play to Special Summon "Chaos Sorcerer" by its Summoning Condition (which does not start a chain). Player B sends "Thunder King Rai-oh" to the Graveyard to activate its Quick Effect negating the Summon of "Chaos Sorcerer". "Chaos Sorcerer" was not successfully Summoned.
- Example 2: "Ultimate Offering" was activated as Chain Link 1, and no effects are chained. The Chain resolves and Player A Normal Summons "Junk Synchron". Player B cannot activate "Solemn Judgment" because the monster is being Summoned by a resolving card effect. "Junk Synchron" was successfully Summoned and its optional Trigger Effect can be activated.
- Example 3: Player A sends the necessary Synchro Material to the Graveyard to attempt the Synchro Summon of "Stardust Dragon". Player B activates the effect of "Royal Oppression" to negate the Summon of "Stardust Dragon", starting a chain. Player A chains "Dust Tornado" targeting "Royal Oppression". When the chain resolves, "Royal Oppression's" effect resolves without effect, and the monster's Summon is not negated. "Stardust Dragon" is considered to be successfully Summoned, and Player A has priority to activate the first Ignition Effect or fast effect that would start a new chain in response to the Summon (Summon response timing).
A monster is successfully Summoned: when its summon is not negated, or the effect that performs the Summon is not negated.
There is only one timing in which cards/effects that respond to a Summon may be activated (ex: "Bottomless Trap Hole", "Torrential Tribute"). This timing exists when the last thing to happen was the successful Normal, Flip, Synchro, or Special Summon of a monster (even if the Summon was the result of an effect that resolved as Chain Link 1). The turn player retains 'priority' to activate the first of card / effect in this timing UNLESS the act of performing the Summon cause a Trigger/Trigger-like Effect start a chain in this timing (ex: a Monster's Trigger Effect activates when it is Normal Summoned, or a Monster is Normal Summoned while "Black Garden" / "Future Visions" is active).
There is only one timing in which cards/effects that respond to a Summon may be activated (ex: "Bottomless Trap Hole", "Torrential Tribute"). This timing exists when the last thing to happen was the successful Normal, Flip, Synchro, or Special Summon of a monster (even if the Summon was the result of an effect that resolved as Chain Link 1). The turn player retains 'priority' to activate the first of card / effect in this timing UNLESS the act of performing the Summon cause a Trigger/Trigger-like Effect start a chain in this timing (ex: a Monster's Trigger Effect activates when it is Normal Summoned, or a Monster is Normal Summoned while "Black Garden" / "Future Visions" is active).
- Example 1: Player A successfully Normal Summons "Elemental Hero Stratos" whose Trigger Effect is optional. Player A does NOT have priority to activate any card / effect other than choose whether or not to activate Stratos' Trigger Effect and pass priority to Player B who can respond to the Summon with "Torrential Tribute".
- Example 2: Player A successfully Special Summons "Cyber Dragon" while "Future Visions" is active. Since the Summon does not cause any Trigger(-like) Effects to activate, Player A has 'Ignition Effect Priority' and can activate an Ignition Effect (ex: "Level Eater") or fast effect (ex: "Dust Tornado"), starting a Chain in response to the Summon. Player A activates the Ignition Effect of "Level Eater", starting a Chain. Player B activates "Bottomless Trap Hole" as Chain Link 2, still in response to the Summon of "Cyber Dragon". Player A activates "Book of Moon" as Chain Link 3, targeting "Cyber Dragon". When the Chain resolves: "Book of Moon" flips "Cyber Dragon" face-down, then "Bottomless Trap Hole" resolves without effect, and "Level Eater" resolves without effect, remaining in the Graveyard.