Post by Akiza Izinski on Dec 9, 2010 13:31:25 GMT -5
CREATE YOUR OWN DECK
With thousands of cards to choose from, you can create and
customize your own Deck with your favorite cards. Every Duelist
will have their own unique Deck, completely different from every
other Duelist’s Deck, which makes it really exciting to play!
BATTLE WITH FANTASTIC MONSTERS & GREAT COMBOS
Even if a card does not have enough power on its own,
it may become powerful when combined
with other cards. It’s fun to collect all the
different cards available and create your
own combos, then unleash them in a Duel.
POWER UP YOUR DECK WITH BOOSTER PACKS
Booster Packs are released every few months,
bringing new cards and new combos to add new
strength to your Deck. Duels evolve every time
a new Booster Pack is released, keeping your
Duels cool and exciting.
1)Let the Duel Begin!
How to Duel and How to Win
A single game is called a Duel, and a Duel ends when one player wins
or the game ends in a draw. Duels are played in sets of 3 called a
Match, and the winner of best 2-out-of-3 wins the Match.
Winning a Duel
Each player starts a Duel with 8000 Life Points. You win a Duel if: you
reduce your opponent’s Life Points to 0; if your opponent is unable
to draw a card; or if a card’s special effect says you win. If you and
your opponent both reach 0 Life Points at the same time, the Duel
is declared a draw.
Victory Conditions
• Reduce your opponent’s Life Points to 0.
• Your opponent is unable to draw a card when they are
supposed to draw.
• Win with a card’s special effect.
2)Preparing to Duel
Before starting a Duel, follow these 4 steps. Also, make sure you
have all your extra items that your Deck might need, like a coin or counters.
1)After greeting your opponent, shuffle your Deck thoroughly. Then you may
shuffle and cut your opponent’s Deck (be careful when touching your opponent’s cards)
2)After cutting, place the Decks face-down in the proper Deck Zones on the field.
If using an Extra Deck with Synchro Monsters or Fusion Monsters, place it face down in the Extra Deck Zone.
3)Both players show each other their Side Decks, and record the number of cards in
it, also confirming that they have 15 or fewer cards (the cards should be counted
face-down). If you exchange cards between your Side and Main Decks after a
Duel, count the cards of your Side Deck for your opponent again to show that the
number of your cards remain the same.
4)Play rock-paper-scissors or flip a coin. The winner decides to go first or second
in the Duel. For your next Duels, the loser of the previous Duel decides who goes
first. If the previous Duel ended in a tie, determine who starts first in the next
Duel with another coin toss, etc.
Finally, draw 5 cards from the top of your Deck; this is your starting hand.
3)Starting with the first player, it’s time to Duel!
A Duel progresses in a series of turns which are divided into phases.
Turns
During a Duel, players alternate taking turns. Each player’s turn
consists of up to six phases.
Phases
You move through the phases of your turn in the order shown on the
right. You can only do certain things during each phase, as detailed
in this chapter.
Prepare to Duel
1st Player’s turn
Draw Phase
Standby Phase
Main Phase 1
Battle Phase
Main Phase 2
End Phase
Draw Phase
This is the first phase. The player whose turn it is (the “turn player”)
draws 1 card from the top of their Deck. A player with no cards left
in their Deck and unable to draw loses the Duel. After you draw, Trap
Cards or Quick-Play Spell Cards can be activated before proceeding
to the Standby Phase.
Main Action in this Phase: Draw 1 Card
Possible Other Actions: Activate Trap Cards, Quick-Play
Spell Cards, etc.
Standby Phase
Some cards have effects that activate, or costs you must pay, in the
Standby Phase. If you do not have any of these cards on the field,
you can still activate Trap Cards or Quick-Play Spell Cards before
moving on to your Main Phase 1.
Main Action in this Phase: Resolve card effects that happen
in this phase
Possible Other Actions: Activate Trap Cards, Quick-Play
Spell Cards, etc.
Main Phase 1
This is when you play most of your cards: you can Normal Summon,
Set, or change the battle position of a monster, activate a card’s
effect, and Set Spell and Trap Cards. These actions can be done in
any order you want, but some actions have restrictions.
Possible Actions in this Phase
Summon or Set a Monster
There is no limit to the number of times you can Flip Summon or
Special Summon during a turn, but you can only Normal Summon
or Set a monster (including a Tribute Summon) once per turn.
Change Your Monsters’ Battle Positions
This includes Flip Summoning a monster, or changing the position
of a face-up monster to face-up Attack or Defense Position. You
can change the position of each monster you control, except in
three cases. 1. You cannot change the battle position of a monster
that was played onto the field this turn. 2. You cannot change it
in Main Phase 2 if the monster attacked during the Battle Phase.
3. You cannot change it if you have already changed its battle
position once this turn.
Active a Card or Effect
You can activate Spell and Trap Cards, or the effects of Spell, Trap,
or Effect Monster Cards as many times as you want during this
phase, as long as you can keep paying any costs involved.
Set Spell Cards & Trap Cards
You can Set Spell and Trap Cards face-down in your Spell & Trap
Card Zone during this phase, as long as you have space.
Battle Phase
Now it’s time to battle with your Monster Cards! This phase is divided
into steps.
You do not have to conduct a Battle Phase every turn. Even if you
have a monster on the field, you can choose to either enter the Battle
Phase, or to proceed to the End Phase.
Possible Actions in
this Phase: Battle with Monsters
Activate Trap Cards and Quick-
Play Spell Cards
Flow of the Battle Phase
1)Start Step
2)Battle Step
3)Damage Step
4)End Step
The Battle Phase is split into 4
steps and is conducted in the
order shown in the diagram. The
Battle Step and Damage Step are
repeated each time you attack with
a monster.
Start Step
This step starts the Battle Phase. The turn player should
announce “I’m entering the Battle Phase." IMPORTANT: The
player who goes first cannot conduct a Battle Phase in their very
first turn.
Battle Step
Select 1 monster on your side of the field to attack with, and 1
of your opponent’s monsters as your attack target, and then
declare the attack. If your opponent does not have any monsters
on the field, you can attack directly. Play then proceeds to the
Damage Step. Afterwards, the attacking player returns to the
Battle Step, and repeats this procedure. Each face-up Attack
Position monster you control is allowed 1 attack per turn. You do
not have to attack with a monster if you don’t want to.
Damage Step
In this step, the players calculate the result of the battle and
whatever damage is done. (See “Monster Battle Rules”, page 34.)
After finishing the Damage Step, return to the Battle Step.
End Step
After you’ve resolved all your battles by repeating the Battle
and Damage Steps, and you have no more monsters you want
to attack with, announce to your opponent that you are ending
your Battle Phase.
Card name:
This is the card’s name. When a
card name is mentioned in card
text it appears in quotations.
If cards have the same name,
they are considered to be the
same card.
Level:
Count the number of stars here
to find out the monster’s Level.
In order to Normal Summon a
monster that is Level 5 or higher,
you must Tribute monsters you
have on the field.
Attribute:
There are 6 different Attributes
a monster can have. This
Attribute is sometimes
important for card effects.
Type:
Monsters are divided into various Types. Some monsters with
specific abilities will have additional information here too, next to
their Type.
Card:
A card’s identification number is found here. This number is useful
for collecting, and for sorting your collection.
ATK (Attack Points) / DEF (Defense Points):
ATK is a monster’s Attack Points and DEF is a monster’s Defense
Points. High Attack and Defense Points are good when battling!
Card Description:
Card effects are written here, describing the monster’s special
abilities and how to use them. Normally, the effects of monsters
cannot be used while they are Set face-down on the field. Yellow
Normal Monster Cards do not have effects, and have a description of
them written here that does not affect the game.
Spell Cards
Spell Cards can normally be
activated only during your Main
Phase, and help you out with
different effects. Spell Cards
have many powerful effects,
like destroying other cards or
strengthening monsters. Save
these cards in your hand until
you can get the best results out
of them.
Normal Spell Cards
Normal Spell Cards have single-use effects. To use a Normal Spell Card,
announce its activation to your opponent, placing it face-up on the field.
If the activation succeeds, then you resolve the effect written on the
card. After resolving the effect, send the card to the Graveyard.
Ritual Spell Cards
These Spell Cards are used to perform Ritual Summons. Use these cards
in the same way as you would use Normal Spell Cards.
Continuous Spell Cards
These cards remain on the field once they are activated, and their effect
continues while the card stays face-up on the field. By using Continuous Spell
Cards, you can create lasting positive effects with a single card, which is great
but there’s the chance that the opponent will remove it from the field before
you benefit from the effect.
Equip Spell Cards
These cards give an extra effect to
1 face-up monster of your choice
(either your own or your opponent’s,
depending on the card). They remain
on the field after they are activated.
The Equip Spell Card affects only
1 monster (called the equipped
monster), but still occupies one of
your Spell & Trap Card Zones. If
possible, place it in the zone directly
behind the equipped monster to
help you remember. If the equipped
monster is destroyed, flipped facedown,
or removed from the field, its
Equip Cards are destroyed.
Field Spell Cards
These cards are placed in the Field
Card Zone and remain on the field
after they are activated. There can
only be 1 face-up Field Spell Card
on the field at any given time
between both players. When a new
Field Spell Card is activated, the
previous active Field Spell Card is
destroyed automatically.
These cards may be placed facedown
in the Field Card Zone,
but are not active until flipped
face-up.
Quick-Play Spell Cards
These are special Spell Cards that can be activated during any Phase of
your turn, not just your Main Phase. You can also activate them during your
opponent’s turn if you Set the card face-down first, but then you cannot
activate the card in the same turn you Set it.
Trap Cards
Trap Cards will help you out with
different effects, just like Spell
Cards. The big difference between
them is that you can activate Trap
Cards during your opponent’s turn.
Many Spell Cards have effects useful
for offense, but Trap Cards have
the ability to surprise the opponent
by disrupting their attacks and
strategies. Using Trap Cards can
sometimes be tricky, since your
opponent might have to do certain
things before you can unleash them.
Normal Trap Cards
Before you can activate a Trap Card, you must Set it on the field first.
You cannot activate a Trap in the same turn that you Set it, but you
can activate it at any time after that—starting from the beginning of
the next turn.
Normal Trap Cards have single-use effects and once their effects are
resolved, they will be sent to the Graveyard, just like Normal Spell Cards.
They are also similar to Normal Spell Cards because once activated,
their effects are not likely to be stopped. However, your opponent can
destroy your face-down Trap Cards on the turn they were Set, or before
the time is right to activate them. Because of this, you must be smart
about how you use your Trap Cards.
Continuous Trap Cards
Just like Continuous Spell Cards, Continuous Trap Cards remain on the field
once they are activated and their effects continue while they are face-up on the
field. Some Continuous Trap Cards have abilities similar to the Ignition Effects or
Trigger Effects that can be found on Effect Monster Cards.
Continuous Trap Cards can have effects that limit your opponent’s options, or
that slowly damage your opponent’s Life Points.
Counter Trap Cards
These Trap Cards are normally activated in response to the activation of other
cards, and may have abilities like negating the effects of those cards. These
types of Traps are effective against Normal Spell Cards or Normal Trap Cards,
which are otherwise hard to stop, however many Counter Trap Cards require a
cost to activate them.
The Difference Between Set Spell Cards and Set Trap Cards
Spell Cards can be Set face-down on the field like Trap Cards.
However, the rules for the two types of cards are different.
Spell Cards can be activated during the Main Phases even in
the same turn that you Set them (except for Quick-Play Spell
Cards). Setting them does not allow you to use them on your
opponent’s turn; they still can only be activated during your
Main Phase.
You can Set a Spell Card face-down on the field to bluff your
opponent into thinking you have a powerful Trap.
Monster Cards are used to battle and defeat your opponent. Battles
between Monster Cards are the foundation of any Duel.
There are many kinds of Monster Cards. This game is more than a
simple slugfest, so monsters with high Attack and Defense Points
will not be enough. There are also monsters with strong special
effects even though their ATK and DEF points are low. Therefore,
your success in a Duel depends on how skillfully you can make use
of the different kinds of cards. Let’s take a look at the different kinds
of monsters.
<<< Normal Monsters
These are basic Monsters.
Cards without special abilities.
Many Normal Monsters have
higher Attack Points and
Defense Points than Effect
Monsters, instead of having
special abilities.
Effect Monsters
An Effect Monster is a monster
that has special abilities.
The effects of these monsters
are split into five categories:
• Flip Effect
• Continuous Effect
• Ignition Effect
• Trigger Effect
• Quick Effect
Flip Effect
This is an effect that is activated when a face-down card is
flipped face-up. This can happen when it is Flip Summoned,
attacked while face-down, or flipped face-up by a card effect.
These effects start with the word “FLIP:” on the card.
When you have a face-down monster, your opponent must be
wary because they don’t know if it has a Flip Effect or not
Continuous Effect
This effect is active while the Effect Monster Card is face-up on
the field. The effect starts when the face-up monster appears
on the field, and ends once that monster is gone or is no longer
face-up; there is no trigger for its activation. These monsters
are most useful if you have a strategy to protect them while
they are on the field.
Example: Monsters with 2000 or less ATK cannot declare an attack.
Ignition Effect
You use this type of effect just by declaring its activation during
your Main Phase. (See Turn Structure, page 26.) There are some
Ignition Effects that have a cost to activate, like discarding
cards from your hand, Tributing a monster, or paying Life
Points. Because you can choose when to activate this type of
effect, it’s easy to create combos with them.
Example:You can Tribute this card to destroy
1 monster on the field.
Trigger Effect
These effects are activated at specific times, such as “during
the Standby Phase” or “when this monster is destroyed.” These
cards can make for some great combos, but it’s easier for your
opponent to predict what will happen, so they might try to stop you.
Example:When this card is destroyed by battle and sent
to the Graveyard, destroy 1 card on the field.
Quick Effect
These are special monster effects that you can activate even
during your opponent's turn. These types of effects have a
Spell Speed of 2, even though all other monster effects have a
Spell Speed of 1. (See Spell Speed, page 39.) Since it’s difficult
for your opponent to predict these cards, they can give them
an unexpected surprise.
(Formerly called Multi-Trigger Effects.)
Example:You can activate this effect during either
player's turn.
Synchro Monsters
Synchro Monsters are placed in the
Extra Deck, separate from the Main
Deck. You can Special Summon a
powerful Synchro Monster to the
field in an instant just by using
the Levels of your monsters. They
can be Synchro Summoned from
the Extra Deck by sending 1 face-up
“Tuner” monster and any number
of face-up non-Tuner monsters
from your side of the field to the
Graveyard, when the sum of all their
Levels is exactly equal to the Level
of the Synchro Monster.
<<< Tuner Monsters
Tuner Monsters
for Synchro Summon
In order to Synchro Summon a
Synchro Monster, you need 1
Tuner (look for “Tuner” next to
its Type). The Tuner Monster
and other face-up monsters
you use for the Synchro
Summon are called Synchro
Material Monsters. The sum
of their Levels is the Level
of Synchro Monster you can
Summon.
Fusion Monsters
Fusion Monsters are also
placed in your Extra Deck
(not in your Main Deck). They
are Summoned by using the
specific monsters listed on the
card (called Fusion Material
Monsters) combined with the
Spell Card "Polymerization."
They usually have special
abilities and very high Attack Points as well.
How to Fusion Summon
If you have all the Fusion Material Monsters listed on
the Fusion Monster Card (either on the field or in your
hand) you can activate "Polymerization," placing it in
your Spell & Trap Card Zone.
After sending the Fusion Material Monsters to the
Graveyard, take the appropriate Fusion Monster from
your Extra Deck and play it onto the field in either
face-up Attack or Defense Position. Finally, place the
"Polymerization" card in the Graveyard.
Remember that in order to use a Fusion Monster during a Duel it needs to be in
your Extra Deck. Since Fusion Summons require specific cards, be sure and include those necessary cards in your Main Deck!
How to Ritual Summon
When you have a Ritual Spell Card, along with the matching Ritual Monster
Card, in your hand, along with the required Tribute (as listed on the Ritual
Spell Card), you can activate the Ritual Spell Card, placing it in the Spell &
Trap Card Zone.
If the activation of the Ritual Spell Card is successful,
Tribute monsters by sending them from your hand or the
field to the Graveyard. The Ritual Spell Card will list the
required amount to Tribute.
After sending the Tributed Monsters to the Graveyard, play
the Ritual Monster Card onto the field in either face-up
Attack or Defense Position. Finally, place the Ritual Spell
Card in the Graveyard. Ritual Spell Card
Summoning Monster Cards
Normal Summon (and Tribute Summon)
This is the most common way to Summon a monster. Simply
play a Monster Card from your hand onto the field in faceup
Attack Position. All Normal Monsters, and most Effect
Monsters (unless they have a specific restriction), can be
Summoned in this way.
However, for monsters that are Level 5 or higher, you must
Tribute at least 1 monster you control before the Normal
Summon. This is called a Tribute Summon. Monsters that are
Level 5 or 6 require 1 Tribute and Monsters that are Level 7 or
higher require 2 Tributes.
Set
To play a Monster Card from your hand in face-down Defense Position is
called a Set. In order to Set Monsters that are Level 5 or higher, you still
need to Tribute.
It’s important to remember that a monster Set on the field in face-down
Defense Position IS NOT considered Summoned. It has been Set and can
be Summoned with a Flip Summon or flipped face-up by an attack or card
effect. Remember, you can only Normal Summon OR Set once per turn, so if
you Set a monster you cannot Normal Summon a monster that turn.
(Note: you cannot play a monster from your hand onto the field in face-up
Defense Position.)
Flip Summon
You can change a face-down Defense Position Monster into
face-up Attack Position, without using a card effect. This is
called a Flip Summon. When you Flip Summon, you cannot
change the monster to face-up Defense Position, only to faceup
Attack Position. A Monster Card cannot be Flip Summoned
in the same turn that it was Set onto the field. You cannot use
most monsters’ effects until they are face-up.
Special Summon
Some monsters can be played onto the field without being
Normal Summoned or Set. This is called a Special Summon.
Synchro Summons, Fusion Summons and Ritual Summons are
all Special Summons. Some Effect Monsters also have specific
conditions that allow you to Special Summon them. These
monsters are considered “Special Summon Monsters.” Unless
otherwise specified, a Special Summoned monster is played
onto the field in your choice of face-up Attack Position or faceup
Defense Position.
Special Summon with a Card's Effect
Monsters can also be Special Summoned onto the field
through the effect of another card. This is different from
“Special Summon Monsters.” You cannot use a card effect to
Special Summon those monsters from your hand, Deck, or
the Graveyard unless it was properly Special Summoned first.
For example, if a Synchro Monster is sent from your Extra
Deck to the Graveyard without being Synchro Summoned,
you cannot use a Spell Card to Special Summon it from the
Graveyard, because Synchro Monsters have to be properly
Special Summoned first, before they can be Special Summoned
by another card’s effect.
With the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME you can take part in the
exciting card game action seen in the family of Yu-Gi-Oh! TV and
comic mega-hits, including Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s.
In this game, two players Duel each other using a variety of Monster,
Spell, and Trap Cards to defeat their opponent’s monsters and be the
first to drop the other’s Life Points to 0.
Everything you need to start playing is in this Deck, but there are
thousands more cards to choose from, so collecting additional cards
in Booster Packs will let you customize your Deck and increase your
chances of winning!
This is the official Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME rulebook. It’s
important to learn how to play correctly, so you should read this
rulebook before playing if you’re new to the game. Understanding
the rules will help you make the best use of your cards, so keep the
rulebook handy during your first few games. You can also visit www.
yugioh-card.com for answers to frequently asked questions and an interactive game demonstration
n Deck.................................................. (40 to 60 cards)
Assemble your favorite cards into a Deck that follows these rules:
lThe Deck must be 40 to 60 cards.
lYou can only have up to 3 copies of the same card in your Deck,
Extra Deck and Side Deck combined.
Also, some cards are Forbidden, Limited or Semi-Limited in official
tournaments. (See page 42 for details.)
Try to keep your Deck close to the 40 card minimum. Having a Deck
with too many cards makes it hard to draw your best cards when you
need them. This Deck is called your Main Deck.
n Extra Deck.............................................(0 to 15 cards)
This Deck consists of Synchro Monsters and Fusion Monsters, which
can be used during the game if you meet certain requirements. The
rules for Extra Decks are:
lYou can have up to 15 cards in the Extra Deck.
lThe Extra Deck can only contain Synchro Monsters and Fusion
Monsters.
lThese cards are not counted towards the 40 card minimum limit of
your Main Deck.
Things you need to Duel
n Side Deck..............................................(0 to 15 cards)
This is a separate Deck of cards you can use to change your Deck during
a Match. After each Duel in a Match, you can swap any card from your
Side Deck with a card from your Deck and/or Extra Deck to customize
your strategy against your opponent. The number of cards in your Side
Decks must not exceed 15. The number of cards in your Side Deck before
and after you swap any cards must be exactly the same.
With thousands of cards to choose from, you can create and
customize your own Deck with your favorite cards. Every Duelist
will have their own unique Deck, completely different from every
other Duelist’s Deck, which makes it really exciting to play!
BATTLE WITH FANTASTIC MONSTERS & GREAT COMBOS
Even if a card does not have enough power on its own,
it may become powerful when combined
with other cards. It’s fun to collect all the
different cards available and create your
own combos, then unleash them in a Duel.
POWER UP YOUR DECK WITH BOOSTER PACKS
Booster Packs are released every few months,
bringing new cards and new combos to add new
strength to your Deck. Duels evolve every time
a new Booster Pack is released, keeping your
Duels cool and exciting.
1)Let the Duel Begin!
How to Duel and How to Win
A single game is called a Duel, and a Duel ends when one player wins
or the game ends in a draw. Duels are played in sets of 3 called a
Match, and the winner of best 2-out-of-3 wins the Match.
Winning a Duel
Each player starts a Duel with 8000 Life Points. You win a Duel if: you
reduce your opponent’s Life Points to 0; if your opponent is unable
to draw a card; or if a card’s special effect says you win. If you and
your opponent both reach 0 Life Points at the same time, the Duel
is declared a draw.
Victory Conditions
• Reduce your opponent’s Life Points to 0.
• Your opponent is unable to draw a card when they are
supposed to draw.
• Win with a card’s special effect.
2)Preparing to Duel
Before starting a Duel, follow these 4 steps. Also, make sure you
have all your extra items that your Deck might need, like a coin or counters.
1)After greeting your opponent, shuffle your Deck thoroughly. Then you may
shuffle and cut your opponent’s Deck (be careful when touching your opponent’s cards)
2)After cutting, place the Decks face-down in the proper Deck Zones on the field.
If using an Extra Deck with Synchro Monsters or Fusion Monsters, place it face down in the Extra Deck Zone.
3)Both players show each other their Side Decks, and record the number of cards in
it, also confirming that they have 15 or fewer cards (the cards should be counted
face-down). If you exchange cards between your Side and Main Decks after a
Duel, count the cards of your Side Deck for your opponent again to show that the
number of your cards remain the same.
4)Play rock-paper-scissors or flip a coin. The winner decides to go first or second
in the Duel. For your next Duels, the loser of the previous Duel decides who goes
first. If the previous Duel ended in a tie, determine who starts first in the next
Duel with another coin toss, etc.
Finally, draw 5 cards from the top of your Deck; this is your starting hand.
3)Starting with the first player, it’s time to Duel!
A Duel progresses in a series of turns which are divided into phases.
Turns
During a Duel, players alternate taking turns. Each player’s turn
consists of up to six phases.
Phases
You move through the phases of your turn in the order shown on the
right. You can only do certain things during each phase, as detailed
in this chapter.
Prepare to Duel
1st Player’s turn
Draw Phase
Standby Phase
Main Phase 1
Battle Phase
Main Phase 2
End Phase
Draw Phase
This is the first phase. The player whose turn it is (the “turn player”)
draws 1 card from the top of their Deck. A player with no cards left
in their Deck and unable to draw loses the Duel. After you draw, Trap
Cards or Quick-Play Spell Cards can be activated before proceeding
to the Standby Phase.
Main Action in this Phase: Draw 1 Card
Possible Other Actions: Activate Trap Cards, Quick-Play
Spell Cards, etc.
Standby Phase
Some cards have effects that activate, or costs you must pay, in the
Standby Phase. If you do not have any of these cards on the field,
you can still activate Trap Cards or Quick-Play Spell Cards before
moving on to your Main Phase 1.
Main Action in this Phase: Resolve card effects that happen
in this phase
Possible Other Actions: Activate Trap Cards, Quick-Play
Spell Cards, etc.
Main Phase 1
This is when you play most of your cards: you can Normal Summon,
Set, or change the battle position of a monster, activate a card’s
effect, and Set Spell and Trap Cards. These actions can be done in
any order you want, but some actions have restrictions.
Possible Actions in this Phase
Summon or Set a Monster
There is no limit to the number of times you can Flip Summon or
Special Summon during a turn, but you can only Normal Summon
or Set a monster (including a Tribute Summon) once per turn.
Change Your Monsters’ Battle Positions
This includes Flip Summoning a monster, or changing the position
of a face-up monster to face-up Attack or Defense Position. You
can change the position of each monster you control, except in
three cases. 1. You cannot change the battle position of a monster
that was played onto the field this turn. 2. You cannot change it
in Main Phase 2 if the monster attacked during the Battle Phase.
3. You cannot change it if you have already changed its battle
position once this turn.
Active a Card or Effect
You can activate Spell and Trap Cards, or the effects of Spell, Trap,
or Effect Monster Cards as many times as you want during this
phase, as long as you can keep paying any costs involved.
Set Spell Cards & Trap Cards
You can Set Spell and Trap Cards face-down in your Spell & Trap
Card Zone during this phase, as long as you have space.
Battle Phase
Now it’s time to battle with your Monster Cards! This phase is divided
into steps.
You do not have to conduct a Battle Phase every turn. Even if you
have a monster on the field, you can choose to either enter the Battle
Phase, or to proceed to the End Phase.
Possible Actions in
this Phase: Battle with Monsters
Activate Trap Cards and Quick-
Play Spell Cards
Flow of the Battle Phase
1)Start Step
2)Battle Step
3)Damage Step
4)End Step
The Battle Phase is split into 4
steps and is conducted in the
order shown in the diagram. The
Battle Step and Damage Step are
repeated each time you attack with
a monster.
Start Step
This step starts the Battle Phase. The turn player should
announce “I’m entering the Battle Phase." IMPORTANT: The
player who goes first cannot conduct a Battle Phase in their very
first turn.
Battle Step
Select 1 monster on your side of the field to attack with, and 1
of your opponent’s monsters as your attack target, and then
declare the attack. If your opponent does not have any monsters
on the field, you can attack directly. Play then proceeds to the
Damage Step. Afterwards, the attacking player returns to the
Battle Step, and repeats this procedure. Each face-up Attack
Position monster you control is allowed 1 attack per turn. You do
not have to attack with a monster if you don’t want to.
Damage Step
In this step, the players calculate the result of the battle and
whatever damage is done. (See “Monster Battle Rules”, page 34.)
After finishing the Damage Step, return to the Battle Step.
End Step
After you’ve resolved all your battles by repeating the Battle
and Damage Steps, and you have no more monsters you want
to attack with, announce to your opponent that you are ending
your Battle Phase.
Card name:
This is the card’s name. When a
card name is mentioned in card
text it appears in quotations.
If cards have the same name,
they are considered to be the
same card.
Level:
Count the number of stars here
to find out the monster’s Level.
In order to Normal Summon a
monster that is Level 5 or higher,
you must Tribute monsters you
have on the field.
Attribute:
There are 6 different Attributes
a monster can have. This
Attribute is sometimes
important for card effects.
Type:
Monsters are divided into various Types. Some monsters with
specific abilities will have additional information here too, next to
their Type.
Card:
A card’s identification number is found here. This number is useful
for collecting, and for sorting your collection.
ATK (Attack Points) / DEF (Defense Points):
ATK is a monster’s Attack Points and DEF is a monster’s Defense
Points. High Attack and Defense Points are good when battling!
Card Description:
Card effects are written here, describing the monster’s special
abilities and how to use them. Normally, the effects of monsters
cannot be used while they are Set face-down on the field. Yellow
Normal Monster Cards do not have effects, and have a description of
them written here that does not affect the game.
Spell Cards
Spell Cards can normally be
activated only during your Main
Phase, and help you out with
different effects. Spell Cards
have many powerful effects,
like destroying other cards or
strengthening monsters. Save
these cards in your hand until
you can get the best results out
of them.
Normal Spell Cards
Normal Spell Cards have single-use effects. To use a Normal Spell Card,
announce its activation to your opponent, placing it face-up on the field.
If the activation succeeds, then you resolve the effect written on the
card. After resolving the effect, send the card to the Graveyard.
Ritual Spell Cards
These Spell Cards are used to perform Ritual Summons. Use these cards
in the same way as you would use Normal Spell Cards.
Continuous Spell Cards
These cards remain on the field once they are activated, and their effect
continues while the card stays face-up on the field. By using Continuous Spell
Cards, you can create lasting positive effects with a single card, which is great
but there’s the chance that the opponent will remove it from the field before
you benefit from the effect.
Equip Spell Cards
These cards give an extra effect to
1 face-up monster of your choice
(either your own or your opponent’s,
depending on the card). They remain
on the field after they are activated.
The Equip Spell Card affects only
1 monster (called the equipped
monster), but still occupies one of
your Spell & Trap Card Zones. If
possible, place it in the zone directly
behind the equipped monster to
help you remember. If the equipped
monster is destroyed, flipped facedown,
or removed from the field, its
Equip Cards are destroyed.
Field Spell Cards
These cards are placed in the Field
Card Zone and remain on the field
after they are activated. There can
only be 1 face-up Field Spell Card
on the field at any given time
between both players. When a new
Field Spell Card is activated, the
previous active Field Spell Card is
destroyed automatically.
These cards may be placed facedown
in the Field Card Zone,
but are not active until flipped
face-up.
Quick-Play Spell Cards
These are special Spell Cards that can be activated during any Phase of
your turn, not just your Main Phase. You can also activate them during your
opponent’s turn if you Set the card face-down first, but then you cannot
activate the card in the same turn you Set it.
Trap Cards
Trap Cards will help you out with
different effects, just like Spell
Cards. The big difference between
them is that you can activate Trap
Cards during your opponent’s turn.
Many Spell Cards have effects useful
for offense, but Trap Cards have
the ability to surprise the opponent
by disrupting their attacks and
strategies. Using Trap Cards can
sometimes be tricky, since your
opponent might have to do certain
things before you can unleash them.
Normal Trap Cards
Before you can activate a Trap Card, you must Set it on the field first.
You cannot activate a Trap in the same turn that you Set it, but you
can activate it at any time after that—starting from the beginning of
the next turn.
Normal Trap Cards have single-use effects and once their effects are
resolved, they will be sent to the Graveyard, just like Normal Spell Cards.
They are also similar to Normal Spell Cards because once activated,
their effects are not likely to be stopped. However, your opponent can
destroy your face-down Trap Cards on the turn they were Set, or before
the time is right to activate them. Because of this, you must be smart
about how you use your Trap Cards.
Continuous Trap Cards
Just like Continuous Spell Cards, Continuous Trap Cards remain on the field
once they are activated and their effects continue while they are face-up on the
field. Some Continuous Trap Cards have abilities similar to the Ignition Effects or
Trigger Effects that can be found on Effect Monster Cards.
Continuous Trap Cards can have effects that limit your opponent’s options, or
that slowly damage your opponent’s Life Points.
Counter Trap Cards
These Trap Cards are normally activated in response to the activation of other
cards, and may have abilities like negating the effects of those cards. These
types of Traps are effective against Normal Spell Cards or Normal Trap Cards,
which are otherwise hard to stop, however many Counter Trap Cards require a
cost to activate them.
The Difference Between Set Spell Cards and Set Trap Cards
Spell Cards can be Set face-down on the field like Trap Cards.
However, the rules for the two types of cards are different.
Spell Cards can be activated during the Main Phases even in
the same turn that you Set them (except for Quick-Play Spell
Cards). Setting them does not allow you to use them on your
opponent’s turn; they still can only be activated during your
Main Phase.
You can Set a Spell Card face-down on the field to bluff your
opponent into thinking you have a powerful Trap.
Monster Cards are used to battle and defeat your opponent. Battles
between Monster Cards are the foundation of any Duel.
There are many kinds of Monster Cards. This game is more than a
simple slugfest, so monsters with high Attack and Defense Points
will not be enough. There are also monsters with strong special
effects even though their ATK and DEF points are low. Therefore,
your success in a Duel depends on how skillfully you can make use
of the different kinds of cards. Let’s take a look at the different kinds
of monsters.
<<< Normal Monsters
These are basic Monsters.
Cards without special abilities.
Many Normal Monsters have
higher Attack Points and
Defense Points than Effect
Monsters, instead of having
special abilities.
Effect Monsters
An Effect Monster is a monster
that has special abilities.
The effects of these monsters
are split into five categories:
• Flip Effect
• Continuous Effect
• Ignition Effect
• Trigger Effect
• Quick Effect
Flip Effect
This is an effect that is activated when a face-down card is
flipped face-up. This can happen when it is Flip Summoned,
attacked while face-down, or flipped face-up by a card effect.
These effects start with the word “FLIP:” on the card.
When you have a face-down monster, your opponent must be
wary because they don’t know if it has a Flip Effect or not
Continuous Effect
This effect is active while the Effect Monster Card is face-up on
the field. The effect starts when the face-up monster appears
on the field, and ends once that monster is gone or is no longer
face-up; there is no trigger for its activation. These monsters
are most useful if you have a strategy to protect them while
they are on the field.
Example: Monsters with 2000 or less ATK cannot declare an attack.
Ignition Effect
You use this type of effect just by declaring its activation during
your Main Phase. (See Turn Structure, page 26.) There are some
Ignition Effects that have a cost to activate, like discarding
cards from your hand, Tributing a monster, or paying Life
Points. Because you can choose when to activate this type of
effect, it’s easy to create combos with them.
Example:You can Tribute this card to destroy
1 monster on the field.
Trigger Effect
These effects are activated at specific times, such as “during
the Standby Phase” or “when this monster is destroyed.” These
cards can make for some great combos, but it’s easier for your
opponent to predict what will happen, so they might try to stop you.
Example:When this card is destroyed by battle and sent
to the Graveyard, destroy 1 card on the field.
Quick Effect
These are special monster effects that you can activate even
during your opponent's turn. These types of effects have a
Spell Speed of 2, even though all other monster effects have a
Spell Speed of 1. (See Spell Speed, page 39.) Since it’s difficult
for your opponent to predict these cards, they can give them
an unexpected surprise.
(Formerly called Multi-Trigger Effects.)
Example:You can activate this effect during either
player's turn.
Synchro Monsters
Synchro Monsters are placed in the
Extra Deck, separate from the Main
Deck. You can Special Summon a
powerful Synchro Monster to the
field in an instant just by using
the Levels of your monsters. They
can be Synchro Summoned from
the Extra Deck by sending 1 face-up
“Tuner” monster and any number
of face-up non-Tuner monsters
from your side of the field to the
Graveyard, when the sum of all their
Levels is exactly equal to the Level
of the Synchro Monster.
<<< Tuner Monsters
Tuner Monsters
for Synchro Summon
In order to Synchro Summon a
Synchro Monster, you need 1
Tuner (look for “Tuner” next to
its Type). The Tuner Monster
and other face-up monsters
you use for the Synchro
Summon are called Synchro
Material Monsters. The sum
of their Levels is the Level
of Synchro Monster you can
Summon.
Fusion Monsters
Fusion Monsters are also
placed in your Extra Deck
(not in your Main Deck). They
are Summoned by using the
specific monsters listed on the
card (called Fusion Material
Monsters) combined with the
Spell Card "Polymerization."
They usually have special
abilities and very high Attack Points as well.
How to Fusion Summon
If you have all the Fusion Material Monsters listed on
the Fusion Monster Card (either on the field or in your
hand) you can activate "Polymerization," placing it in
your Spell & Trap Card Zone.
After sending the Fusion Material Monsters to the
Graveyard, take the appropriate Fusion Monster from
your Extra Deck and play it onto the field in either
face-up Attack or Defense Position. Finally, place the
"Polymerization" card in the Graveyard.
Remember that in order to use a Fusion Monster during a Duel it needs to be in
your Extra Deck. Since Fusion Summons require specific cards, be sure and include those necessary cards in your Main Deck!
How to Ritual Summon
When you have a Ritual Spell Card, along with the matching Ritual Monster
Card, in your hand, along with the required Tribute (as listed on the Ritual
Spell Card), you can activate the Ritual Spell Card, placing it in the Spell &
Trap Card Zone.
If the activation of the Ritual Spell Card is successful,
Tribute monsters by sending them from your hand or the
field to the Graveyard. The Ritual Spell Card will list the
required amount to Tribute.
After sending the Tributed Monsters to the Graveyard, play
the Ritual Monster Card onto the field in either face-up
Attack or Defense Position. Finally, place the Ritual Spell
Card in the Graveyard. Ritual Spell Card
Summoning Monster Cards
Normal Summon (and Tribute Summon)
This is the most common way to Summon a monster. Simply
play a Monster Card from your hand onto the field in faceup
Attack Position. All Normal Monsters, and most Effect
Monsters (unless they have a specific restriction), can be
Summoned in this way.
However, for monsters that are Level 5 or higher, you must
Tribute at least 1 monster you control before the Normal
Summon. This is called a Tribute Summon. Monsters that are
Level 5 or 6 require 1 Tribute and Monsters that are Level 7 or
higher require 2 Tributes.
Set
To play a Monster Card from your hand in face-down Defense Position is
called a Set. In order to Set Monsters that are Level 5 or higher, you still
need to Tribute.
It’s important to remember that a monster Set on the field in face-down
Defense Position IS NOT considered Summoned. It has been Set and can
be Summoned with a Flip Summon or flipped face-up by an attack or card
effect. Remember, you can only Normal Summon OR Set once per turn, so if
you Set a monster you cannot Normal Summon a monster that turn.
(Note: you cannot play a monster from your hand onto the field in face-up
Defense Position.)
Flip Summon
You can change a face-down Defense Position Monster into
face-up Attack Position, without using a card effect. This is
called a Flip Summon. When you Flip Summon, you cannot
change the monster to face-up Defense Position, only to faceup
Attack Position. A Monster Card cannot be Flip Summoned
in the same turn that it was Set onto the field. You cannot use
most monsters’ effects until they are face-up.
Special Summon
Some monsters can be played onto the field without being
Normal Summoned or Set. This is called a Special Summon.
Synchro Summons, Fusion Summons and Ritual Summons are
all Special Summons. Some Effect Monsters also have specific
conditions that allow you to Special Summon them. These
monsters are considered “Special Summon Monsters.” Unless
otherwise specified, a Special Summoned monster is played
onto the field in your choice of face-up Attack Position or faceup
Defense Position.
Special Summon with a Card's Effect
Monsters can also be Special Summoned onto the field
through the effect of another card. This is different from
“Special Summon Monsters.” You cannot use a card effect to
Special Summon those monsters from your hand, Deck, or
the Graveyard unless it was properly Special Summoned first.
For example, if a Synchro Monster is sent from your Extra
Deck to the Graveyard without being Synchro Summoned,
you cannot use a Spell Card to Special Summon it from the
Graveyard, because Synchro Monsters have to be properly
Special Summoned first, before they can be Special Summoned
by another card’s effect.
With the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME you can take part in the
exciting card game action seen in the family of Yu-Gi-Oh! TV and
comic mega-hits, including Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s.
In this game, two players Duel each other using a variety of Monster,
Spell, and Trap Cards to defeat their opponent’s monsters and be the
first to drop the other’s Life Points to 0.
Everything you need to start playing is in this Deck, but there are
thousands more cards to choose from, so collecting additional cards
in Booster Packs will let you customize your Deck and increase your
chances of winning!
This is the official Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME rulebook. It’s
important to learn how to play correctly, so you should read this
rulebook before playing if you’re new to the game. Understanding
the rules will help you make the best use of your cards, so keep the
rulebook handy during your first few games. You can also visit www.
yugioh-card.com for answers to frequently asked questions and an interactive game demonstration
n Deck.................................................. (40 to 60 cards)
Assemble your favorite cards into a Deck that follows these rules:
lThe Deck must be 40 to 60 cards.
lYou can only have up to 3 copies of the same card in your Deck,
Extra Deck and Side Deck combined.
Also, some cards are Forbidden, Limited or Semi-Limited in official
tournaments. (See page 42 for details.)
Try to keep your Deck close to the 40 card minimum. Having a Deck
with too many cards makes it hard to draw your best cards when you
need them. This Deck is called your Main Deck.
n Extra Deck.............................................(0 to 15 cards)
This Deck consists of Synchro Monsters and Fusion Monsters, which
can be used during the game if you meet certain requirements. The
rules for Extra Decks are:
lYou can have up to 15 cards in the Extra Deck.
lThe Extra Deck can only contain Synchro Monsters and Fusion
Monsters.
lThese cards are not counted towards the 40 card minimum limit of
your Main Deck.
Things you need to Duel
n Side Deck..............................................(0 to 15 cards)
This is a separate Deck of cards you can use to change your Deck during
a Match. After each Duel in a Match, you can swap any card from your
Side Deck with a card from your Deck and/or Extra Deck to customize
your strategy against your opponent. The number of cards in your Side
Decks must not exceed 15. The number of cards in your Side Deck before
and after you swap any cards must be exactly the same.
