Advanced Gameplay FAQ: Maintenance Cost

A maintenance cost is a usually-optional cost required to keep a card on the field. These costs are typically paid during a player's Standby Phase or End Phase, although there are exceptions to this.

Maintenance costs cannot be negated and they do not activate (or start a Chain Link).

Compulsory Costs

In the case of "Archfiend" Monster Cards, there is no option to destroy the Monster Card if you don't want to pay the cost, since the cost is compulsory. You may, however, use "Pandemonium" to avoid paying these costs for "Archfiend" monsters.

In the case of "Degenerate Circuit", there is no option of destroying this card if you don't want to pay the cost, since the cost is compulsory.

In cases like these, if a player can no longer pay their costs because of an insufficient amount of Life Points, then these cards are destroyed. In the OCG, if a player has exactly the amount of Life Points left to pay the cost, he/she must lose the Duel.