Instead is an important keyword in the Duel Masters Trading Card Game.
Details
Some abilities say that if one thing (a game event) would happen, another thing happens instead.
For these abilities, the original event never occurs. It's replaced by an entirely new event that happens when the first event would have happened. For example, if your Aqua Knight would be destroyed, it returns to your hand. Your opponent wouldn't be able to trigger their abilities of cards such as Mongrel Man that draw a card when a creature is destroyed as the Aqua Knight is never destroyed. However, if two insteads would take place at the same time, a double substitution effect will occur and the instead that would protect the subjected creature from a regular event will not occur. For example, if a Shield Forced Perfect Galaxy, Spirit of Immortality battles a Rumble Lecter, Terror Awakened, It would be destroyed and put into the Graveyard due to the Double substitution effect.
Examples
Examples include:
- Aqua Knight
When this creature would be destroyed, return it to your hand instead. - Ouks, Vizier of Restoration
When this creature would be destroyed, add it to your shields face down instead. - Shaman Broccoli
When this creature would be destroyed, put it into your mana zone instead.