Activation is when you declare an intent to use a card: flipping a Trap Card face-up, announcing that you are using a monster's effect, flipping a face-down Spell Card, and playing a Spell Card from your hand are all examples of activation. Resolution is when you carry out the effects of a card. When you chain multiple Spell/Trap Cards together, their activation (intent to use the card) is declared, one after the other. But no cards have resolution until nobody wishes to chain (activate) more Spell/Trap Cards. A simple 2-card chain works like this: * Step 2 Resolves. * Step 1 Resolves.