Sonic Shooter - If there are no cards in your opponent's Spell & Trap Card Zones, this card can attack your opponent's Life Points directly. When it does, any Battle Damage this card inflicts to your opponent's Life Points becomes the original ATK of this card.

Can Sonic Shooter attack directly if my opponent has an active Field Spell ?

I would have to say, yes it can attack directly while your opponent has a Field Spell card active. My main reasoning is that field spells have their own place, which is not any of the Spell/Trap zones.

I disagree, no spells or traps of any kind have to be on your opponents side of the field. So Sonic Shooter cannot attack.

I can see where you are coming from, but I am going with a more literal interpretation.

The card specificly states "no cards in your opponent's Spell & Trap Card Zones" not "no spell or trap cards on your opponent's side of the field". The former (which is stated on the card) neglects to state the Field Spell Card Zone, but only makes reference to the five slots of the Spell & Trap Card Zones. The later (which I am assuming you are interpreting it as) would include field spell cards too.

given the text, i have to agree with cannotthink.

it specifically refers to the "spell & trap card zones" and right from ude's basic gameplay FAQ (under the heading "WHAT CAN I DO IF MY FIELD IS FULL?" about 2/3 of the way down the page)

If your Spell & Trap Card Zone is full with 5 cards, you cannot set new Traps, nor can you set nor activate more Spell Cards. You can’t even play Equip Spell Cards (because they always go in your Spell & Trap Card Zone and take up 1 of your 5 spots) or activate Normal Spell Cards like "Dark Hole" (because they are played to a Spell & Trap Card Zone, then are sent to the Graveyard). Remember that Field Spell Cards do not occupy a space in your Spell & Trap Card Zone but go in your Field Spell Card Zone instead.


however, based on the intended function of the card, i think it is probably meant to count the field card as well. but then again thats just my guess at its intended function. (and as a judge i would take the cards given text over my perception of its intended function)

It's understandable, but in this case, like many cases, you should not take text to be completely literal about such things...I believe Theban Nightmare didn't work if there was a Field Magic Card on the field and it says a similar text (just "Spell & Trap Zones")...of course, there's no direct ruling saying otherwise, but right now, I'd go with that it could not attack directly if there was a Field Magic Card until something says otherwise...

Just think about it this way, regardless of a Field Card having it's own particular space, it is still counted as Spell/Trap card, the name in it doesn't really mean anything.

Treeborn Frog would not be summoned if you had a Field Card present, as Half stated, terms such as this should not be taken literally, the fact that the FAQ says that it doesn't occupy a space simply means that it has it's own space on the field.

I guess it's also supposed to be a way of explaining Setting a Field Magic Card, about how it always goes into the Field Magic Zone and not normal Magic & Trap Zones, even when face-down and being "unknown".

It's no different that Treeborn Frog's effect. If you have a Field "Spell" Card on your side of the field, you cannot Special Summon him.

Just because it states, "Field Spell Card", doenst make it any less a Spell Card. The only difference is, it has its OWN slot. You cannot put a Messenger of Peace in a Field Spell Card Zone, just like you cannot play or set a Luminous Spark in a Spell and Trap Card Zone.

Ah, but treeborn says something different.

Treeborn says:

Versus Sonic Shooter:

One simply calls for you controlling a spell or trap card, which a field spell definately is. The other calls for there to be any cards in your spell and trap zone, and a field spell doesnt go there.

Long story short, if I were asked this tomorow, I'd rule he could attack directly given the scenario.

If is considered a Spell/Trap card then it is considered to be a part of the Spell/Trap Zone BUT with its own specific slot (as woo0 already pointed out).

If a Field Spell Card isnt considered a Spell Card because it can't go in the S/T Zone, then Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8 shouldnt be able to negate the placement of a Field Spell Card in the Field Spell Card Zone, because his effect states that he can only negate the activation of a Spell Card.

However...

"You can chain the effect of "Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8" to the activation of a Continuous Spell Card, Field Spell Card, or Equip Spell Card and negate it. However, if the Continuous, Field, or Equip Spell Card is already active, you cannot later decide to try and negate its effect with "Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8". You can only negate it when it is originally activated."


Funny how Continuous Spell Card, Field Spell Card, and Equip Spell Card ALL have "Spell Card" in common.

the argument me and agentmage are making is not that a field spell card is not a spell card.

we are saying that the field card zone is NOT a spell & trap card zone.

treeborn frog doesn't make mention of where the spell/traps are, it simply requires that you don't have any out.

sonic shooter doesn't say anything about having any spell or trap cards out, it says there being no cards in the spell & trap zone.

a field spell card is a spell card and always will be a spell card. BUT it does NOT occupy a space in the spell & trap card zone.

so if your only spell or trap card in play is a field spell card then yes you do have a spell card on your side of the field and therefore treeborn frog can not be special summoned. however you do not have any cards in your spell & trap zone.

like i said before, i would assume that sonic shooter is meant to work the way you all are saying, but given the text i would rule that it doens't care if theres a field card or not.

funny how sonic shooter doens't mention spell cards, just the zones that most of them are put.

It is saying Spell/Trap Card Zone. Field Spells have a Field Spell Card Zone. I am sure, it would mention it if it were to include it. It is similar to Theban Nightmare, I vote Field Spells dont count for it.

-Shane

Theban Nightmare counts Fields as well.