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  Chaos to Order: Digivolving

 I'm sure all (or at least most) Digi-Battle players have read the rules of the game, and I'm also sure that players have occasionally come across problems within the game where they needed answers that wasn't there. Well, I'm hoping that this article series will provide those answers; I've been researching the rules, Power Option card Effects, Special Effects (on the Digimons' cards), and how they all work together in relation with each other. As an additional resource, I've used the Q&A from Gumby's spoilers (For those of you who don't know, Gumby was a deck analyzer on Pojo's Digimon site to at one point, and he had spoilers available with alot more info than just Customer Support questions and answers).

 However, keep in mind that, according to the Bandai press release that can be found at http://bandai.com/news/news.cfm?wn_id=49 : "CYPRESS, CA, November 24, 2003 - Bandai America Incorporated today announced its entry into the collectible card game (CCG) category. Already known for developing cutting-edge toy products, the company will now bring those same design skills to the game aisle." and "“Bandai has a unique understanding of these popular Japanese properties that has helped sustain their success for so many years,” said Bill Beebe, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Bandai America." and "To aid in accomplishing this goal, an entirely new division and design team has been created at Bandai to make a unique gaming experience for fans and collectors."

 Note that it says Bandai America is *entering* the collectible card game category, which means they haven't entered it already. How does Digi-Battle and D-Tector fit into the picture then? After all, the cards themselves say that they're copyright Bandai! Well, the press release also says that Bandai has a unique understanding of the popular Japanese properties (Digimon, among others) and will *now* bring those same design skills to the game aisle. Also, that to aid in the accomplishing of this goal, an *entirely New* division and design team has been created at Bandai.

 All this tells me that Bandai didn't actually create Digi-Battle or D-Tector, but merely distributed the cards for the games. That being said, it would make sense that Customer Support wouldn't have a complete working knowledge of how everything works together in Digi-Battle. In fact, by the errors I've found in Digi-Battle, not even whoever-designed-the-game had a complete working knowledge of Digi-Battle, or whoever-designed-the-game just didn't care (contractors were probably hired to create the games, and then they wouldn't have a reason to care). Therefore, there are some answers Customer Support gave that contradicts the rules (I've taken the rules literally in the exact order they've been outlined in, and what I've discovered is somewhat suprising... ).

 Part 1: Digivolving

 In this section I'll be addressing just about everything to do with Digivolving, including the rules, many Digivolve cards, and certain Digimons' Digivolve Requirements. For those of you who read my last article on Digivolving, you'll notice some similarities between these articles, but this one has more info and should be read even if you read the other one already. :-)

 To start things off, the rules will be outlined in the order they're supposed to be followed in and any questions along the way that I can think of will be answered. Considering that A. SET-UP is simple enough for anyone to understand, I'll go straight to B. DIGIVOLVE (one thing to note about A. SET-UP is that you're not allowed to have duplicate cards in your deck. Two or more cards with the same name but different stats are allowed, and a holo parallel of a card is considered a different card, for the purposes of deck building). But for the sake of posterity, I'll type out the A. SET-UP rules anyway... A Street Starter rule sheet is what I'm using, in case anyone is wondering.

=====

  A. SET-UP

Note: 2 sets of 30 card decks are required to play Arena rules.

1. Each selects a ROOKIE card from the deck, and places it face down on the DUEL ZONE.
2. Each shuffles their remaining 29 cards, deals himself or herself 10, and places the remaining 19 cards face down ONLINE.
3. Each turns over the Rookie card in the Duel Zone.

 Players now see which card their opponent has played and note its BATTLE TYPE: [circle] (RED), [square] (GREEN), or [diamond] (YELLOW). They then refer to the chart on their card showing the amount of DIGIMON POWER they can blast at that type of opponent. As you learned from playing STREET Digi-Battle, the player who displays the highest amount of Digimon Power has the advantage.

 The players now review the 10 cards in their hand and consider strategy. To increase the amount of Digimon Power you can blast at your opponent, you'll probably want to Digivolve to the next level. Proceed to the DIGIVOLVE phase.

Tip: When you have played ARENA Digi-Battle several times and have become familiar with the rules, you can advance to create your own customized battle deck! You can create battle decks using any 30 cards you choose, as long as you do not have duplicates. Collect and trade cards for higher performance. Learn the Digimon "family trees" that Digivolve to the most powerful cards. (Hint: To find "family trees" notice the background behind the Digimon.)

=====

B. DIGIVOLVE

 Both players review their hands, and if they have a card that Digivolves their Digimon to the next level, they place it face down on the DIGIVOLVE ZONE. This new next-level card must show the name of the Digimon currently on the Duel Zone in its DIGIVOLVE REQUIREMENTS box, and you must be prepared to fulfill any other Digivolve Requirements stated there.

 1. Flip a coin to decide who goes first.
 2. Player who goes first turns over the card on the Digivolve Zone and places it face up on top of the card on the Duel Zone.
 3. Player completes turn by fulfilling any Digivolve Requirements shown on the next-level card.
     For Example:

 Digivolving from Rookie to Champion requires moving 1 or 2 cards from Online to Offline as "payment." (See example below)

 Digivolving from Champion to Ultimate or from Ultimate to Mega requires that you either:
 a) Place a DIGIVICE Power Option* card on the POWER PORT, or
 b) DNA Digivolve, which means you must play 2 lower-level cards instead of 1. You do this by placing the second Digimon (the one not shown on the Duel Zone) face up on the Power Port when you turn over the next-level Digimon on the Duel Zone.

*Note: There are two other Power Option cards that can be used in the Digivolve Phase. They are ULTRA DIGIVOLVE and DIGIVOLVE TO CHAMPION. See instructions in the EFFECTS section of each card for use.

 After the first player has finished Digivolving, the second player notes any changes in DIGIMON POWER, and may respond by either:

 4. Digivolving as shown above, or

 5. Deciding not to Digivolve and saying "Pass." If the player who passes has a card face down on the Digivolve Zone, he must move it to Offline, in other words, "Use it, or lose it."

 If a player does not have a card in hand to Digivolve, he or she must pass. If both players do not have cards in hand to Digivolve, proceed to the BATTLE phase.

 You may Digivolve only one level per Duel. After each player has either Digivolved or passed, the Digivolve phase is over. Proceed to the BATTLE phase.

 =====

 That was literally what the rules say, at least up to the end of the Digivolve Phase. Before I start, I'd like to say that all the info from the first Starter rule sheet was virtually copied and pasted for the Street Starter rule sheets, and that not even the examples were updated (except that bit in Set-up where it talked about the Street Digi-Battle rules). Keep this in mind.

 The rules say that your next-level Digimon you place in the Digivolve Zone MUST have the name if your Digimon in the Duel Zone in it's Digivolve Requirements, and, if the rules are taken in order, either player only has a chance to take their turns in the Digivolve Phase *after* their next-level Digimons have been placed.

 'But hold on, what about cards like St-146 Shining Digivolution or St-56 Ultra Digivolve? They let you Digivolve your Digimon to any 1 level higher Digimon!' you say? Well, I'd like to point out that they don't. Both of those cards say "Place this card face down on Power Port when placing next-level Digimon face down on Digivolve Zone", which happens before either player gets to take their turns in the Digivolve Phase anyway. Placing a Digimon in the Digivolve Zone that doesn't have the name of your Digimon in the Duel Zone in it's Digivolve Requirements goes against the rules and is therefore cheating.

 'It says you can only use this card during the Digivolve Phase, and you place your next-level Digimon during the Digivolve Phase too. These cards Do let you Digivolve your Digimon to any 1 higher level Digimon! That proves it!' you say? Well, I'd like to point out, once again, that you're wrong. If the rules are taken in the order in which they're given, you play the Digivolve card when you place your next-level Digimon, but you only get to Use the card when you take your turn in the Digivolve Phase. According to the last 2 paragraphs of D. REGROUP:

"Players may prepare to Digivolve any Digimon on their Duel Zone by placing the next-level card (with the correct Digivolve Requirements) face down on the Digivolve Zone.

Winner of the last Duel initiates the new Duel by starting at step #2 of B. DIGIVOLVE. If the last Duel ended in a tie, the player who went first last time initiates the new Duel."

 As you can see, you only place your next-level Digimon in the Digivolve Zone during the Digivolve Phase in the opening duel of the game; after that, it's placed at the end of Regroup called the 'preliminary phase'. If you're thinking, 'That's all wrong! You can't put Ultra Digivolve in the Power Port when it isn't the Digivolve Phase; the card says so!', then I'd also like to point out that there's a clear difference between Playing a card and Using a card -You can play a card without using it. I'd also like to point out that, since the card has to be placed the same time as your next-level Digimon, you lose the card if you don't, or can't, Digivolve because the card will then be sent Offline at the end of the duel/round. Why? Because all Power Option cards gets sent Offline at the end of the duel/round unless otherwise stated on the card. According to the file DB-Bandai_Answers-Gumby in Gumby's spoilers:

*****
 
7) When do Power Option cards go Offline? When the rulesheet says (at the
end of the Duel/Battle Phase and when your Online deck is exhausted)
*unless* it is specifically stated otherwise on the card, making the very
common "* Send this card Offline at the end of Duel." text just a helpful
reminder? Or is the rulesheet wrong and Power Options only go Offline when
each individual card says so? [Meaning that cards like the Digivices stick
around and can be used again on future turns. This would be *very* nasty for
cards like St-57 Downgrade...]

A7) Basically Power Option card is sent to Offline unless stated otherwise
on the card. Yes, "Send this card .....end of Duel." is the reminder.

*****

 'Ahh, but Ultra Digivolve and Shining Digivolution says to only use it during the Digivolve Phase and that I place my next-level Digimon the same time as this card; I Can use it to Digivolve to any 1 higher level Digimon after all!' you say? Well, I'd like to point out that the card only says to place it in the Power Port the same time as your next-level Digimon and not that you can place it during your turn to Digivolve in the Digivolve Phase. There's Still a clear distinction between Playing a card and Using a card, and that will be more clearly confirmed when I get to C. BATTLE. 'It was a fluke! It's only those 2 cards!' you say? Well, actually it's Not a fluke; most of the Digivolve cards in the game have that little sentence, and the Field cards have it too except they get placed face up instead of face down.

 Cards that say "Place this card face down on Power Port when placing next-level Digimon face down on Digivolve Zone" include:

St-56 Ultra Digivolve
St-59 Digivice Red
St-60 Digivice Green & Yellow
St-61 Digivice Red & Green
St-62 Digivice Yellow

St-91 Digivice Vaccine
St-92 Digivice Data & Virus

St-121 Digivice Vaccine & Data
St-122 Digivice Virus

St-143 D-Power Digivice Red
St-144 D-Power Digivice Green/Yellow
St-145 Metal Armor
St-146 Shining Digivolution

St-173 D-Power Digivice Red/Green
St-174 D-Power Digivice Yellow
St-175 Armor Duplication
St-176 Digivolution E

Bo-97 Digivice Green
Bo-98 Digivice Red & Yellow

Bo-152 Digi-Egg of Courage
Bo-153 Digi-Egg of Friendship
Bo-154 Digi-Egg of Love
Bo-155 Digi-Egg of Sincerity
Bo-156 Digi-Egg of Knowledge
Bo-157 Digi-Egg of Reliability
Bo-158 Digi-Egg of Light
Bo-159 Digi-Egg of Hope
Bo-160 Digi-Egg of Destiny
Bo-161 Digi-Egg of Miracles
Bo-162 Digi-Egg of Kindness

Bo-208 D-Terminal says "Place this card on Power Port when placing next-level Digimon face down", and logic tells you that the only place you can place the next-level Digimon is in the Digivolve Zone. The field cards (Bo-211 Spirits of Nature; Bo-212 Guardians of the Wind; Bo-213 Group of the Unknown; Bo-214 Savers of the Deep Blue; Bo-215 Soldiers of Nightmares; Bo-216 Empires of Precious Metals) all say "Place this card faceup on Power Port when placing next-level Digimon face down on Digivolve Zone". St-55 To Champion says "Place this card face down on Power Port and place Ultimate Digimon face down on Digivolve Zone" (which doesn't mean you can Digivolve from any Champion to any Ultimate because you Still have to place your next-level Digimon before you can get to Use this card).

 Although it's interesting to note that, according to the Customer Support Q&A file DB-Bandai_Answers-Jayzhee:

*****

2. Bo-99 Crest Tag -- How, exactly does it work? Can you go from any champion to any ultimate, like Ultra Digivolve? It says: "Effect applies until end of duel." Does that just mean you can't use it to digivolve again while it's in play, or does it mean you're downgraded at the end of the duel?

A. This card allows your champion to Digivolve to any ultimate regardless of digivolve requirements. This effect is only valid one time, you can't use it to Digivolve again while it's in play. So what this card remains on Power Port for?? It is used to place the CREST option cards, which give you more enhanced effects to win the duel!

*****

and

*****

7. St-55 To Champion says: "Place Champion from your hand face down on the
duel zone." Is that any champion, or only those who can digivolve from your
current rookie?

A. That is the champion who can digivolve fron your current rookie.

*****
 
Since the answer to the Crest Tag question, specifically "This card allows your champion to Digivolve to any ultimate...", goes against the rules (as I've already illustrated), Customer Support obviously didn't have a complete working knowledge of Digi-Battle. Even if this card Does allow you to Digivolve from Any Champion to Any Ultimate, you'd still need to place your next-level Digimon before you get to Use this card. And if you don't place a next-level Digimon as defined by the rules, and Crest Tag gets voided, then you'd be cheating and wouldn't be able to Digivolve that duel/round anyway (not that you Wouldn't be cheating if you don't follow the rules regardless of whether or not the Crest Tag you play gets voided). Another thing to note is that, because of the definition of 'void' which will be further discussed in the next article, the Ultimate Digimon you Digivolve to using Crest Tag doesn't go Offline or downgrade back to your Champion Digimon at the end of the Duel. Your Ultimate Digimon stays on the Power Port (provided, of course, it doesn't get downgraded by St-57 Downgrade holo, you lose the duel, or you deck out and have to send it and your Champion Offline).

 The only Digivolve cards that Don't say you have to place them the same time as the next-level Digimon, or something similar that means the same, are the Digidestined promo cards Tai, Matt, Sora Izzy, Mimi, Joe, and T.K. (Fx-01 & CP-38; Fx-02 & CP-39; Fx-03 & CP-40; Fx-04 & CP-41; Fx-05 & CP-42; Fx-06 & CP-43; Fx-07 & CP-44 respectively). Therefore, you don't have to risk losing them if you don't Digivolve because you wouldn't play them until you're already Digivolving. On the subject of Digidestined cards, according to DB-Bandai_Answers-Jayzhee:

*****

5. FX-01 - FX-07 -- Tai, Matt, Sora, Izzy, Mimi, Joe, T.K. -- Can you
digivolve from the digimon listed on the card to ANY next-level digimon, as
per Ultra Digivolve? Can you use the second effect without first using the
digivolving effect?

A. Yes, you can digivolve to any next level digimon and use the second
effect without using the digivolving effect.

*****

 On a related topic, the rules just say you have to be prepared to fulfill the Digivolve Requirements, but they don't say you're only allowed to have 1 Digivolve card in the power port... >:-] Therefore, it is possible to place more than 1 Digivolve card, like 2 Digivices for example, incase one of them gets voided during the Digivolution. However, you still risk losing the extra card if your first Digivice isn't voided. 'But why would I need another Digivice? If my opponent voids it after the Digivolve Phase it won't do me any good anyway because I wouldn't be able to use it After the Digivolve Phase and my Digimon would downgrade!' you say? Well, actually your Digimon wouldn't, and that has to do with the definition of 'voiding' which will be further explained in the next article. In any case, you'd need to void the opponent's Digivolve card Before it takes effect, which would be during the player's turn to Digivolve during the Digivolve Phase, to stop the Digivolution. After the card has taken effect it wouldn't matter whether or not you void it because the effect has already taken place and no longer present after the Digivolution anyway. On a slightly related note, it wouldn't matter whether or not you void a Digi-Egg if it isn't sent Offline at the same time because it's presence is all that's required for the Armor Digivolution to take place. This will also be further discussed in the next article.

 Next, I'd like to address Digivolve Requirements. You know how there's no level above Mega and so you can't Digivolve from a Mega? Well, in Digi-Battle, you can. Getting from Gatomon (Champion) to any of it's Armored forms ('Champion') is considered a Digivolution and is accurate in Digi-Battle. Getting from Imperialdramon (Dragon Mode) to Imperialdramon (Fighter Mode) is also considered a Digivolution in Digi-Battle, and rightly so. 'That's impossible! Dragon Mode to Fighter Mode is a mode change, not a Digivolution! Digi-Battle is messed up!' you say? Well, I couldn't agree with you more, but the fact of the matter is that, in Digi-Battle, it's a Digivolution. Why and how? Because all Digimon character cards have 'Digivolve Requirements', and those requirements, because of the rules, make getting to that Digimon a 'Digivolution'. If you're wondering about Rookies, no you don't Digivolve to them (even though they also have Digivolve Requirements), but they're covered by the rules as to what you're supposed to do with them, which you can see by reading A. SET-UP and the end of D. REGROUP.

 Also, because your next-level Digimon Must have the name of your Digimon in the Duel Zone in it's Digivolve Requirements, it's impossible to legally place a Sovereign (Bo-234 Ebonwumon, Bo-235 Zhuqiaomon, Bo-236 Azulongmon, and Bo-237 Baihumon) in the Digivolve Zone. Why? Because they have a Digimon's Level in their Digivolve Requirements, not a Digimon's Name. Therefore its impossible to place one of them in the Digivolve Zone. Azulongmon can still be used for Bo-225 Mihiramon's Special Effect, and you can still get to Zhuqiaomon with the help of Bo-263 Collapsed Control Spire, but Baihumon and Ebonwumon are completely useless in gameplay besides to take up valuable space in a player's deck. The only reason they shouldn't be banned on the basis that they're flawed is because they have a Digivice in their Digivolve Requirements, which says 'Use this card when required to Digivolve to...' And Apokarimon and Apokarimon (Creepy Mode) should both be banned on the basis that they're flawed. Why? Because the only Digimon's name they have in their Digivolve Requirements are their own, and nothing to even suggest that getting to them is actually a Digivolution.

 Back to Digivolve Requirements, one of the drawbacks of Mega to Mega being a 'Digivolution' is that it can be stopped with Bo-210 Control Spire; "Void any opponent's Digivolving except Armor & DNA Digivolving." Getting to Dm-01 Omnimon would be classed as a DNA Digivolution, and getting to Dm-02 The Miracle 4 would also be classed as a DNA Digivolution, but getting to Bo-232 Omnimon, Bo-174 Imperialdramon (Fighter Mode), Bo-233 Imperialdramon (Paladin Mode), Bo-310 Gallantmon (with grani), or Bo-304 Millenniummon would be classed as a 'Digivolution' and can be stopped by Bo-210 Control Spire. 'What!?! How can getting from Gallantmon to Gallantmon (with grani) be a Digivolution?! Gallantmon (with grani) is Gallantmon standing on Grani's back!' you say? Well, I honestly don't know why whoever-created-Digi-Battle put Bo-310 Gallantmon (with grani) as a Digivolution from St-138 Gallantmon, especially since the Hyper Coliseum card with Gallantmon (with grani)'s picture on it is simply called 'Dukemon' (Gallantmon's orignal/Japanese name). I'd also like to point out that getting to Bo-174 Imperialdramon (Paladin Mode) isn't a Digivolution, simply because the card doesn't specify that it is. In the movie 'Diaboromon Strikes Back', Omegamon/Omnimon turned into the Omega Blade and, after taking hold of the Omega Blade, Imperialdramon changed to Paladin Mode. Also, in Hyper Coliseum, getting from Dynasmon to Imperialdramon (Paladin Mode) with the Omega Blade is possible, and Brachiomon can Digivolve straight to Imperialdramon (Paladin Mode) too. So in essence, Omnimon doesn't DNA with Imperialdramon (Fighter Mode), but rather lends it's/his power to Imperialdramon (FM).

 On the related topic of Bo-210 Control Spire, according to the Q&A file DB-Bandai_Answers-Gumby:

*****
 
4) When, during the Digivolve Phase can you actually play a Control Spire
card? Before your opponent's next-level Digimon is revealed? After the
next-level Digimon is revealed, but before any associated costs (sending
Online cards Offline or paying any costs of the cards mentioned in question
3) are paid? Or after the next-level is revealed and all costs associated
with the Digivolution are paid?

A4) Yes, this card must be used in Digivolving Phase and stays until voided
by option card, you lose the duel or online deck is down to zero. The effect
applies after your opponent played necessary actions. (In other word, after
Digivolution cost are paid.)

*****

 Now according to the rules: "You may only Digivolve one level per Duel. After each player has either Digivolved or passed, the Digivolve phase is over. Proceed to the Battle Phase." If you'll read closely, you'll notice that Gumby asked when Control Spire can be Played and Customer Support said when Control Spire takes Effect... This simply means that Control Spire only takes effect after your opponent has already finished Digivolving, so your Control Spire wouldn't stop your opponent's Digivolution until the Next Duel, provided, or course,  that you don't lose, your Online deck goes down to zero, or your opponent doesn't void it by Power Option cards before then. ;-)

 But back on track, Customer Support didn't realy answer the question about When you can play Bo-210 Control Spire. According to the rules:

===

After the first player has finished Digivolving, the second player notes any changes in DIGIMON POWER, and may respond by either:

 4. Digivolving as shown above, or

 5. Deciding not to Digivolve and saying "Pass." If the player who passes has a card face down on the Digivolve Zone, he must move it to Offline, in other words, "Use it, or lose it."

 If a player does not have a card in hand to Digivolve, he or she must pass. If both players do not have cards in hand to Digivolve, proceed to the BATTLE phase.

 ===

 By this little piece, it is clear that once a player passes, the player may not Digivolve during that Digivolve Phase. However, this doesn't seam to apply to playing Power Option cards that can be used in the Digivolve Phase, like Bo-210 Control Spire or Bo-308 Training Gear. Since the rules don't mention when in the Digivolve Phase these cards may be played, or who gets to play their cards first, it would seam that players may play cards that are only to be used in the Digivolve Phase whenever they want within the Digivolve Phase. Keep in mind that the Digivolve Phase is completely over immediately after the player who goes second has either completely finished Digivolving or passed. With this in mind, if the player who goes first wants to play a Control Spire during that Digivolve Phase, the player Must play it before the player who goes second either finished Digivolving or passes. 'Now how am I supposed to play it before the other player finishes Digivolving? Customer Support just said the card doesn't take effect until After the other player has Digivolved, and you said so too!' you say? Well, you're right, but you also have to remember that there's Still a clear distinction between Playing a card and Using a card. No matter when you play Bo-210 Control Spire during the Digivolve Phase, it's Effect will only start after the opponent has finished Digivolving or said "Pass."

 'Well what about other cards like Training Gear? When does its effect activate?' you ask? Well, for all Power Option cards, unless otherwise stated in the rules, on the card, or *accurately* by Customer Support, the effect of the card will come into play immediately after the Use Requirements are fulfilled. Bo-308 Training Gear says: "Add 100 points to your Digimon's power. In addition. you can use any option card at opponent's Attack Phase before their option cards are placed." and "Use this card only during Digivolve Phase." (For the record, the Attack Phase and the Battle Phase is the same thing) Although it would seam that the card is contradicting itself by saying that it can only be used in the Digivolve Phase, and yet it gives an effect that is active in the Attack Phase, the card realy is accurate. The card's effect would only start in the Digivolve Phase, but would continue into the Battle/Attack Phase because the effect of the card says so. However, this doesn't mean you can play the card in the Attack Phase and think the effect will still work -it won't, simply because you didn't follow the instructions on the card. A card's effect can start in one phase and continue into another phase as long as the card says so and isn't sent Offline in the meantime. 'What about the Digivices and other Digivolve cards you mentioned then? Do they still have an effect in the Battle Phase?' you ask? The answer is no. The Digivolve cards are used for Digivolution and, according to the card, only for Digivolution. Once the Digivolution has taken place, the effect is over. Therefore, as I've stated earlier, it wouldn't matter if you void a Digivolve card after the Digivolution has taken place because the effect is over anyway and the Digimon the card was used to get to won't be effected.

 On a related topic about Rookies, you know where it says on most Rookie cards "Begin Digivolve"? Well, on the Booster 6 Rookies (Bo-271 Labramon, Bo-272 Monodramon, and Bo-273 Lucemon) it says "This card stays on Duel Zone until replaced with another Rookie card." The reason I'm telling you about this now instead of in the Special Effects article is because that sentence is in the Digivolve Requirements box, and therefore isn't a Special Effect that can be voided, but more of a card fact. Now to give a better understanding of what that 'Digivolve Requirement' means:

 You know how the rules in D. REGROUP says:

===

At this point, players have the option to change their Rookie (if they have one showing on the Duel Zone). To set up a change, place the new Rookie face down on top of the old Rookie. (The old Rookie remains under the new Rookie.) If you have a Champion card with the Requirements to Digivolve your new Rookie to the next level, place it face down on the Digivolve Zone. When it's your turn to Digivolve, you'll turn over both the new Rookie and the Champion in the Digivolve Zone, and you'll send the old Rookie Offline.

===

 Well, because of the 'Digivolve Requirement' for the Booster 6 Rookies, whichever Booster 6 Rookie you have in the Duel Zone would immediately go out of the Duel Zone when you place a new Rookie there. Where would the old Rookie go? Well, neither the rules nor the 'Digivolve Requirement' for any of the Booster 6 Rookies (Bo-271 Labramon, Bo-272 Monodramon, and Bo-273 Lucemon) say where the card goes, but logic says that since the old Rookie goes Offline when the new Rookie Digivolves, it would seem that a Booster 6 Rookie goes Offline when replaced with another Rookie.

 'But Why do the Booster 6 Rookie Digimon have that in their Digivolve Requirements box?' you ask? Well, I presume that it has something to do with Bo-306 Digital Gate that was also released in Booster 6. According to that card, "EFFECTS: Add 50 points to your Digimon Power. To use this card. send 2 cards Offline from your hand. Send your opponent's Rookie Digimon Offline if there are 2 or more Digimons in opponent's Duel Zone." Since the Booster 6 Rookies all have that sentence in their Digivolve Requirements box, and it is more of a card fact than anything else, those three Rookies would be the only Rookies unaffected by the effects of Bo-306 Digital Gate. Similarly, they wouldn't be effected by St-127 Chuumon's Special Effect either: "Send opponent's Digimon card Offline by Offlining 2 Rookie Digimon cards from your hand." 'What does that have to do with the Rookies? Chuumon can't send the opponent's Rookies Offline anyway, can it?' you ask? Well, actually, Chuumon can. If you have it in your Duel Zone and 10 Rookie Digimon in your hand, you can reduce your opponent's Gallantmon (with grani), say,  to an empty spot in their Duel Zone (2 Rookies to Offline a Digimon x 5 Digimon in your opponent's Duel Zone = 10 Rookies needed, and a 'hand' can have a maximum of 10 cards).

 However, it should be noted that you Can use Bo-311 Digi-Beetle on a Booster 6 Rookie because it would be replaced with another Rookie from your hand ("Switch your Rookie Digimons in Duel Zone and in your hand at Attack Phase."). In this case, your Booster 6 Rookie would go from your Duel Zone to your hand instead of going Offline. 'That's wrong! You can't say that a card your opponent uses doesn't count but a card you play does! How is that fair!?' you say? Simply because Bo-306 Digital Gate removes the Rookie without replacing it with another Rookie, and the Special Effect of St-127 Chuumon doesn't replace the opponent's Rookie either. Bo-311 Digi-Beetle, however, Does replace the Rookie, just not by the normal means or in the preliminary phase as outlined in the rules in D. REGROUP.

 'Wait a minute, that sentence is in the Digivolve Requirements box! Digivolve Requirements have to be fulfilled in the Digivolve Phase, but don't matter in the Battle Phase, so all that stuff you just said is wrong! haha!' you say? Well, although it is in the Digivolve Requirements box, it still matters in the Battle Phase and Regroup. Since you can only replace your Rookie in the 'preliminary phase' at the end of Regroup (without the help of Bo-311 Digi-Beetle, of course), it would not be in the Digivolve Phase any way you look at it. Therefore it would seem that the Booster 6 Rookie cards are flawed. However, you also have to take into consideration that you can't Digivolve to a Rookie anyway and that they're covered by the rules as to when you place one in the Duel Zone.

 I think whoever-created-the-game didn't want "This card stays on Duel Zone until replaced with another Rookie" to be classed as a Special Effect, and the only other place to put that sentence besides the Special Effect box is the Digivolve Requirements box. Keep in mind that all the other Rookies have "Begin Digivolve" in their 'Digivolve Requirements' box. If that were to be taken as a 'Digivolve Requirement', then you wouldn't be fulfilling the requirement if you don't Digivolve your Rookie every time you have a Rookie in the Duel Zone and it's your turn to Digivolve in the Digivolve Phase. As all of us who have played the game knows, sometimes it's just not possible to Digivolve your Rookie because you don't have the right cards in your hands, and the rules cover a situation like that by saying that if a player doesn't have a card in hand to Digivolve, the player must pass. I'm sure Customer Support would have covered that situation if someone had thought to ask them, but I also don't think that they realy felt a need to since they said, before Booster 6 even came out, that it was going to be the last Booster series of Digi-Battle. However, for the sake of stopping an argument, I suggest players decide before the game starts whether or not the Booster 6 Rookies should or should not be used in gameplay.

 This concludes my article on Digivolving. I hope you have found it informative, although this article, and the rest in the series, virtually rips up most of what players have known about the rules and cards (and destroys many strategies along the way, although, if the strategies can be destroyed, they were most likely never legal to begin with  ...including some of the strategies I've used in almost every game x.x' ). I'd like to apologize to anyone who I've played against and broken any of the rules as I've found them now to be; blame it on ignorance. I'd also like to apologize to anyone whose deck I've analyzed and who I've given advice to when the analysis and advice doesn't conform to the rules as we now know them to be.

 For anyone who doesn't believe me, feel free to do the research yourself. A complete scan of the Street Starter rule sheet can be viewed at www.ultimatedigimon.com or the official rule sheet from any Street Starter box can be used. Feel free to compare this with any official rule sheet from the first Starter if you so desire. As for the Q&A from Gumby's spoilers, I will have them available on my new site when it's fully up and running, if Gumby gives me permission, of course. For those of you who don't already have access to Gumby's Spoilers, you can probably contact him and ask him to verify that the info I've quoted from his spoilers is unchanged and accurate. His E-mail address is aa343@chebucto.ns.ca and I forgot what his website's address is x.x' Anyway, the E-mail should be enough, and he can give you his URL if you ask him for it. However, I ask you NOT to send him any links, html, or anything that is similar!! His E-mail address can't handle that. If you Must send him a link to where you found this, please be considerate and break the link up so that it doesn't form an actual link. For example: instead of www.ultimatedigimon.com you can put www .ultimatedigimon. com (notice the spaces in there?) It allows his to see the URL without it becoming a link and messing up his E-mail. Thanks ^ ^

*EDIT*
I've E-mailed Gumby and haven't gotten a response yet ...after several weeks. So I've decided to just have his spoilers uploaded so people can check out the info for themselves. Although he hasn't said I Could, he also hasn't said I Can't... (or anything else for that matter). x.x"

 -CyberDramon