Lava Golem
Effect Monster
Card text
Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must first be Special Summoned (from your hand) to your opponent's field by Tributing 2 monsters they control. You cannot Normal Summon/Set the turn you Special Summon this card. Once per turn, during your Standby Phase: Take 1000 damage.
- Attribute
- FIRE
- Type
- Fiend
- Level
- 8
- ATK
- 3000
- DEF
- 2500
Explained
Special Summon it from your hand to your opponent's field by Tributing 2 monsters they control. You can't Normal Summon the turn you summon it, and its controller takes 1000 damage each Standby Phase.
Against monsters your opponent can't otherwise remove easily, since Tributing gets past effects that stop targeting or destruction.
- Summoning it after you've already Normal Summoned this turn. You can't.
- Forgetting your opponent gets a 3000 ATK monster.
How it works
Lava Golem can’t be Normal Summoned or Set. Special Summon it from your hand to your opponent’s field by Tributing 2 monsters they control. You can’t Normal Summon or Set the turn you Special Summon it. Once per turn, during its controller’s Standby Phase, they take 1000 damage.
When to use it
Tributing isn’t destroying or targeting, so Lava Golem removes two monsters that resist those. The trade-off is giving your opponent a 3000 ATK monster.
Rulings in plain English
Does the summon start a chain? No. It’s a summoning procedure, not an effect, so you can Tribute monsters that are unaffected by effects. Tributing and summoning don’t happen at the same time.
Can I revive it later? Yes, once it’s been properly summoned and then sent to the GY or banished face-up.
When can’t I summon it? If you’ve already Normal Summoned or Set this turn. After summoning it, you can’t Normal Summon or Set, however it was summoned.
Is the damage optional? No, it must activate once in each of its controller’s Standby Phases.