Intermediate Gameplay FAQ: Introduction to Cost

A cost is a mandatory part of an effect, separated from the rest of the effect by a semicolon (or the word "to," in most cases before the advent of PSCT), which must be paid at the beginning of the effect's activation. The cost itself is not activated, cannot be negated, and does not start a Chain.

When an effect features a cost, the effect is activated (up to the colon), the cost is paid (up to the semicolon for cards with PSCT, and normally up to the word "to" for cards without PSCT), the opponent has an opportunity to respond to the effect's activation, and the effect is resolved (up to the final period). Costs cannot be refunded; even if the activation of the effect is negated (or, for a Continuous effect, if the card is destroyed in a chain), the cost remains paid.

If a cost cannot be fully paid (for example, if an active effect prevents the cost from being paid, or the player cannot fulfill the requirements for the cost), the effect cannot be activated.

If a cost starts with "You can ...", the effect is optional and the cost is only paid if the player chooses to activate the effect.

As the name suggests, costs usually involve the player making a sacrifice of some type, such as reducing Life Points (e.g. "Seven Tools of the Bandit" requires a payment of 1000 Life Points), destroying, Tributing, or banishing a card(s) (e.g. "Cannon Soldier" requires 1 monster to be Tributed), sending a card(s) to the Graveyard, or discarding a card(s) from the hand. Not all costs are negative to the player activating the effect; for example, "Lava Golem" requires two monsters to be Tributed from the opponent's side of the field.

A maintenance cost is a cost required to keep a card on the field. These costs are typically paid during a player's Standby or End Phase.