Cost A cost ( Japanese : コスト " Kosuto " ) is an action that must be performed in order to activate a card or effect , to perform another action , or to keep a card on the field . This is distinct from activation requirement s , which are requirements that must be met in order to activate a card or effect . As the name suggests , costs usually involve the player making a sacrifice of some type , such as pay ing Life Points ( e . g . " Seven Tools of the Bandit " requires the player to pay 1000 Life Points ) ; discard ing , Tributing , banish ing , or detach ing a card ( s ) ( e . g . " Cannon Soldier " requires 1 monster to be Tributed ) ; or send ing a card ( s ) to the Graveyard ( e . g . " Hidden Armory " requires the top card of the Deck to be sent the Graveyard ) . If a cost cannot be fully paid ( such as if an active effect prevents the cost from being paid , or the player cannot fulfill the requirements for the cost ) , none of the cost can be paid and the effect cannot be activated . For example , if cost specifies that a card must be sent to the Graveyard while " Macro Cosmos " is on the field , the effect cannot be activated . Because costs are distinct from effects , if a card is moved to a different location due to a cost , cards and effects that can only be activated when the card is moved by a card effect cannot be activated . For example , the effect of " Shaddoll Dragon " cannot be activated if it is sent to the Graveyard as a cost to activate " Phoenix Wing Wind Blast " . Likewise , even if a card ' s effect is being negated ( such as by " Skill Drain " ) , it is still possible to activate its effects ( which would require paying the cost ) . Activation cost . An activation cost is a mandatory action that must be done to activate a card or effect , separated from the rest of the effect by a semicolon ( or the word " to , " / a comma / the word " then " , in most cases without PSCT ) , which must be paid at the beginning of the effect ' s activation . The cost itself is not activated , cannot be negated , and occurs at activation time not resolution time . When an effect features a cost , if the timing is correct ( up to the colon ) , the cost is paid and any target ing is done ( up to the semicolon for cards with PSCT , and normally up to the word " to " / comma / " then " for cards without PSCT ) , then the activation is placed on the Chain ( or starts a Chain if there is not a current Chain ) . After either the rest of the Chain resolves or both players decide not to Chain to the activation , the card or effect resolve s . 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 . Even if the effect is mandatory , the effect cannot be activated if the cost cannot be paid , and no cost is paid if all of it cannot be . A cost is not an effect . As such , the cost is paid before the effect takes place , regardless of whether or not the effect is negated . If a monster ' s effect is negated as long as it ' s on the field , and its cost requires it leaves the field , the monster can activate its effect . For example , if " Stardust Dragon " or " Stardust Warrior " activates its effect while affected by " Skill Drain " or " Fiendish Chain " , because it is not on the field when it resolves ( due to Tributing itself as a cost ) , its effect is not negated by " Skill Drain " or " Fiendish Chain " . This was called Release Escape in the " Yu - Gi - Oh 5D ' s " anime . Costs from Continuous Effects . Cards such as " Chain Energy " and " Dark Panther " have Continuous Effect s that impose a cost on performing certain optional actions , such as declaring an attack or Summon ing monsters . If the player cannot pay the cost for the Continuous Effect , they cannot perform the action . Maintenance costs . 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 .