Normally when your attacker deletes a Digimon in battle, the attack ends there. With Piercing it still checks security afterward, so a block costs your opponent both the blocker and a security card. Attackers with Piercing punish blocker walls and make sure your memory spent on attacking is never fully wasted.
As printed on cards
Piercing (When this Digimon attacks and deletes an opponent's Digimon in battle, it checks security before the attack ends.)
16-7-1. <Piercing> is a keyword effect that reads "when this attacking Digimon deletes your opponent's Digimon in battle, it checks security immediately before the attack ends." (For details, refer to 13 "Security Checks") 16-7-2. <Piercing> is a trigger-type effect that triggers and activates when a Digimon with this effect battles an opponent's Digimon and the opponent's Digimon is deleted in battle. (For details, refer to 15-8-3 "Trigger-Type Effects") 16-7-3. The security check from using <Piercing> is mandatory.
Comprehensive Rules §16-7 — official rules page
From Bandai's card rulings. Each links to the card it was asked about.
My Digimon has ＜Piercing＞ gained from [BT8-103]/[Lightning Blade] and battles a Digimon with equal DP. I activate its ＜All Turns＞ effect to prevent it from being deleted. Does ＜Piercing＞ trigger?
Yes, because the Digimon will still have ＜Piercing＞ and it deleted a Digimon battle and survived it will trigger.
asked about Chaosdramon (EX3-013)
My opponent's Digimon with ＜Piercing＞ attacked my Digimon, and my Digimon lost the battle. I then activate my Digimon's ＜All Turns＞ effect to prevent it from being deleted. What happens to my opponent's ＜Piercing＞?
As the requirement of "when this Digimon attacks and deletes an opponent's Digimon and survives the battle" of ＜Piercing＞ was not met, it does not activate.
asked about Chaosdramon (EX3-013)
This card has ＜Piercing＞ from [EX1-008]/[MetalGreymon] in its digivolution cards, this card attacks a Digimon with equal DP and uses its ＜All Turns＞ effect to prevent its deletion by trashing [EX1-008]/[MetalGreymon]. Does ＜Piercing＞ still trigger?
No, it lost ＜Piercing＞ before the timing it would trigger and if it doesn't trigger it cannot activate.
asked about Chaosdramon (EX3-013)
Can I use this card's ＜End Your Turn＞ effect to give ＜Piercing＞ to 1 of my Digimon, but then choose to not attack with that Digimon?
No, you can't. The Digimon that was given ＜Piercing＞ by this effect must attack if possible.
Ruled Apr 4, 2025 · asked about Owen Dreadnought (BT21-081)
My Digimon with this card in its digivolution cards attacked, an opponent's Digimon with digivolution cards was deleted in the battle, and after that battle, my opponent doesn't have any Digimon with digivolution cards. This Digimon gains ＜Piercing＞ from this card's inherited effect at such times, but does the ＜Piercing＞ trigger simultaneously?
Yes, it triggers. If an effect's trigger conditions are met when the effect is gained, that effect will trigger. In this case, your opponent no longer has Digimon with digivolution cards at the same timing as when your opponent's Digimon is deleted in battle, therefore you can activate ＜Piercing＞.
Ruled Jan 10, 2025 · asked about CrysPaledramon (EX7-021)
My Digimon with this card in its digivolution cards attacked, an opponent's Digimon with digivolution cards was deleted in the battle, and after that battle, my opponent doesn't have any Digimon with digivolution cards. This Digimon gains ＜Piercing＞ from this card's inherited effect at such times, but does the ＜Piercing＞ trigger simultaneously?
Yes, it triggers. If an effect's trigger conditions are met when the effect is gained, that effect will trigger. In this case, your opponent no longer has Digimon with digivolution cards at the same timing as when your opponent's Digimon is deleted in battle, therefore you can activate ＜Piercing＞.
Ruled Jan 10, 2025 · asked about PolarBearmon (EX8-023)
My opponent has no Digimon with as much or more DP as this card in the battle area. I used this card to attack an opponent's Digimon, and the opponent's Digimon is deleted in the battle. Then, if an ＜On Deletion＞ effect on the deleted opponent's Digimon activates and my opponent now has a Digimon with as much or more DP as this Digimon, can I use the gained ＜Piercing＞ to perform a security check?
Yes, you can use ＜Piercing＞ to perform a security check. As soon as this card deletes an opponent's Digimon in battle, the ＜Piercing＞ gained from this card's ＜Your Turn＞ effect and the deleted Digimon's ＜On Deletion＞ effect will trigger simultaneously, then the turn player's ＜Piercing＞ will activate first. When ＜Piercing＞ activates, "perform check before End of Attack timing" processing will be pending, and the check will be performed immediately before the End of Attack timing, even if ＜Piercing＞ is lost after activation.
Ruled Jan 10, 2025 · asked about Callismon (EX8-045)
If this card gains ＜Piercing＞ from another card's effect, then this card attacks and deletes an opponent's Digimon in battle, do I perform the security check for ＜Piercing＞ after this card's ＜Your Turn＞ effect activates?
Yes. After this card's ＜Your Turn＞ effect activates, then you perform the security check for ＜Piercing＞. This card's ＜Your Turn＞ effect and ＜Piercing＞ trigger simultaneously, but the activated ＜Piercing＞ is processed immediately before the attack ends, therefore ＜Security Attack +1＞ is first gained from this card's ＜Your Turn＞ effect, then you perform the security check for ＜Piercing＞.
Ruled Nov 1, 2024 · asked about EmperorGreymon (BT18-018)
Public lines whose key cards carry this keyword, step by step.
171 cards carry this keyword; the first 30:
Rule text © Bandai, quoted from the official Comprehensive Rules for reference. Combalo is not affiliated with Bandai.
