Master Duel - Expanded Rule Book

The Game Field

Zones

Reading Game Cards

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Monster Cards

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Spell & Trap Cards

All about Monsters!

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Summoning Procedure

Normal and Effect Monsters can be Summoned in your MMZ in four different ways:

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Effect Types

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Ritual Monsters

Ritual Monsters are special monsters that are Special Summoned with a specific Ritual Spell Card, along with a required Tribute. Ritual Monster Cards are placed in the Main Deck and cannot be Summoned unless you have all the proper cards together in your hand or on the field. Ritual Monsters generally have high ATK and DEF and some have special effects.

Black Luster Ritual tributes Blue-Eyes White Dragon to Summon Black Luster Soldier from hand.

Important information to note:

You cannot intentionally overpay the Levels required if one of the Ritual Materials you'd wish to use meets the Level requirement on its own OR if a combination of monsters already meets or exceeds the Level requirement.

So if you have a Level 8, Level 7, and Level 1 monster in your hand and you wish to Summon Loading... , you may use the Level 1 + 7 OR the Level 8, but not any other combination of the three as with 6 + 1, 6 already meets the requirement and can be the only material and 5 + 6, 6 would already meet the requirement on its own so a different material must be selected.

Summoning Procedure

1. 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 Zone.

2. 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 in your Main Monster Zone in either face-up Attack or Defense Position.

3. Finally, place the Ritual Spell Card in the Graveyard.

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Fusion Monsters

Fusion Monsters are placed in your Extra Deck. They are Summoned by using the specific monsters listed on the card (called Fusion Materials) combined with a Summoning card like Loading... . In Loading... 's case, the materials needed are "Loading... " + "Loading... ".

They usually have special abilities and very high Attack Points as well. Since Fusion Summons require specific cards, be sure and include those necessary cards in your Main Deck!

Activate Polymerization: Elemental HERO Avian + Elemental HERO Burstinatrix = Elemental HERO Flame Wingman

Summoning Procedure

1. If you have all the Fusion Materials listed on the Fusion Monster Card, in the places specified on your Summoning card, you can activate your Summoning card by placing it in your Spell & Trap Zone.

2. Send the Fusion Materials to the Graveyard, then take the appropriate Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck and play it in the EMZ or MMZ in either face-up Attack or Defense Position.

3. Finally, place your Summoning card in the Graveyard. (If another card effect causes your Fusion Materials to be sent to a place other than the Graveyard - such as Loading... - when your Summoning card resolves, send them to that other place, but the Fusion Summon still happens anyway.)

"Contact Fusion" Monsters

These special Fusion Monsters do not require Spell Cards to Summon them but instead are Summoned via a special method unofficially known as "contact fusing". By following the instructions for the monster's Summoning procedure, you can bring these monsters out very easily! Watch out, depending on the materials needed, your opponent could use your monsters as Fusion Material!

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Synchro Monsters

Synchro Monsters are placed in the Extra 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 field to the Graveyard, when the sum of all their Levels is exactly equal to the Level of the Synchro Monster.

In order to Synchro Summon a Synchro Monster, you typically 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 Materials. The sum of their Levels is the Level of Synchro Monster you can Summon.

Tuner 3 + Non-Tuner 5 = Synchro 8

Summoning Procedure

1. During your Main Phase, you can declare a Synchro Summon when the combined total Levels of 1 face-up Tuner monster and any number of other face-up monsters you control are equal to the Level of the Synchro Monster you want to Synchro Summon.

2. After double-checking the Level of the Synchro Monster you want, send the face-up Synchro Materials from your field to the Graveyard.

3. After sending the Synchro Materials from the field to the Graveyard, take the Synchro Monster from your Extra Deck and play it in the EMZ or MMZ in face-up Attack or Defense Position.

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Xyz Monsters

Xyz Monsters (pronounced “ikseez”) are a powerful kind of monster! You can Summon an Xyz Monster whenever you control monsters that are the same Level. Xyz Monsters start in your Extra Deck, not in your Main Deck, and wait for you to call them into action.

Remember that Xyz Monsters have Ranks denoted by the Black Stars on the left-hand side under their name and not Levels, so any card effects that involve a monster's Level such as Loading... do not affect Xyz Monsters.

When Summoning an Xyz Monster, their materials are not sent to the GY but instead stacked on top of each other underneath the Xyz Monster on the field. The materials used for the Summon are now called "Xyz Materials".

Many Xyz monsters will have a unique cost for their effects called "detaching". When detaching, simply take one of the stacked Xyz Material cards beneath your Xyz Monster and put it in the Graveyard. Keep in mind, detaching an Xyz Material is not considered leaving the field so effects like Loading... will not trigger when detached! On the flip side, if a monster used as Xyz Material was Special Summoned by an effect that would cause the monster to be banished when it leaves the field such as Loading... , it is not considered leaving the field and will not be banished.

Summoning Procedure

1. Choose an Xyz Monster from your Extra Deck that you have the right Xyz Materials for. The Xyz Materials should be face-up on your field.

2. During your Main Phase, declare that you are Xyz Summoning and stack the Xyz Materials on top of each other.

3. Take the Xyz Monster from your Extra Deck and put it on top of the stacked Xyz Materials in the EMZ or MMZ in face-up Attack or Defense Position.

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Pendulum Monsters

Pendulum Monster Cards are a unique kind of card that blurs the line between Monsters and Spells! They can be Summoned as monsters to attack or defend, or you can activate them as Spell Cards in your Pendulum Zones to activate extra special abilities and allow you to Pendulum Summon!

One of the defining features of Pendulum Monsters is the fact they have both a monster effect and a Spell effect (if any) when placed in the Pendulum Zone. As a result, Pendulum Monsters have two Card Descriptions. The upper is active while in the Pendulum Zone while the lower is while in the MMZ or EMZ.

Pendulum Monsters also have another ability known as a Pendulum Scale. These scale values are applied depending on which colour the Pendulum Zone is. As of today, all Pendulum Scales are the same regardless of which zone a particular Pendulum Monster is placed in. Loading... for example is always a Scale 4.

Whenever one of your Pendulum Monster Cards on the field (regardless of which Zone it is in, or even if it is a monster or not) would be sent to the Graveyard, place it face-up on your Extra Deck instead. You can Pendulum Summon it back to the field later! Monsters Pendulum Summoned from the Extra Deck must be Summoned to the Extra Monster Zone or your Main Monster Zone pointed to by a Link Monster.

Note that if a card effect such as Loading... is applying, a Pendulum Monster that would be sent to the GY will be banished instead instead of going to the Extra Deck!

How do scales work with Pendulum Summoning?

Pendulum Summoning utilizes two Pendulum Scales of different values to Pendulum Summon monsters with Level(s) between the two Pendulum Scale values from your hand and/or face-up Extra Deck to the field.

Be careful with your scales! If you have two scale values that are 1 or less from each other, there are no Levels in between that you can Pendulum Summon.

Summoning Procedure

1. During your Main Phase, activate Pendulum Monster Cards as Spell Cards in your leftmost and rightmost Spell & Trap Zones. These Spell & Trap Zones also become Pendulum Zones.

2. After you have one in each Pendulum Zone, once per turn during your Main Phase, declare that you’re Pendulum Summoning.

3. Check the Pendulum Scales on the sides of your two Pendulum Monster Cards, then Special Summon as many monsters as you want from your hand and as many face-up Pendulum Monsters from your Extra Deck, whose Levels are in between those Pendulum Scales.

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Link Monsters

A Link Monster is the newest kind of monster with the ability to increase the number of other Link and Pendulum Monsters you can Summon from your Extra Deck. In addition to the one Extra Monster Zone you can usually use, you can also Link Summon monsters from the Extra Deck to any of your Main Monster Zones that have a Link Monster’s red arrow or "Link Marker/Arrow" pointing to it.

When a Link Monster’s red arrow points to a monster, those monsters are "linked". When two Link Monsters have red arrows that point at each other, they are "co-linked”.

Each Link Monster has its own "recipe" in order to Link Summon it as well as a Link Rating. This is the number of Link Arrows that monster has and the number of monsters needed to Summon it. As seen on Loading... , the Link Materials are 2 monsters with a Link Rating of 2. This means we need two monsters with a material count of two.

2 monsters Link Summon into LANphorhynchus

Normally, 1 monster equals 1 Link Material. But when you use a Link Monster as material for another Link Summon, you can count it as either one monster or as a number of monsters equal to its Link Rating. For example, if you want to Summon a Link 3 monster that requires two or more materials in its “recipe”, you can either use three monsters (each counts as one material) or else a Link 2 Link Monster (counts as one or two materials) and a second monster (counts as one material).

OR

Link Monsters have no DEF and cannot ever be in Defense Position. They can’t be changed to Defense Position by a card effect. They can’t even be flipped into face-down Defense Position. Similar to how Xyz Monsters are unaffected by effects that check a monster's Level.

If your opponent has a monster in the Extra Monster Zone, it’s still a monster they control so you can’t attack directly. You have to battle and destroy all their monsters first, including the one in the Extra Monster Zone.

If you take control of your opponent’s monster in the Extra Monster Zone, it moves to your Main Monster Zone. When it goes back to your opponent, it goes to their Main Monster Zone, not the Extra Monster Zone.

As long as the materials meet the requirements of the Link Monster you want to Summon, you can use a Token or Trap Card that is treated as a monster as the Link Material.

Remember that when you Link Summon, you need to meet three goals:

• The amount of materials you use match the Link Rating (Link Monsters count as one OR their own Link Rating).
• The number of materials you use meets the number specified in the materials line or “recipe”.
• The materials match any other requirements in the materials line (such as only Effect Monsters, or only a specific Type of monster).

Summoning Procedure

1. Check the materials of the Link Monster you want to Summon.

2. During your Main Phase, declare that you are Link Summoning, send a number of face-up monsters from your field to the Graveyard equal to the Link Rating of that Link Monster. They must also match the material requirements listed in the monster’s “recipe” written on the card.

3. Place the Link Monster from your Extra Deck in the Extra Monster Zone, or one of your Main Monster Zones that another Link Monster is pointing to.

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Special Summoning with Card Effects

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 Synchro Summoned first, before they can be Special Summoned by another card’s effect. This applies to all Extra Deck monsters as well as some Main Deck monsters.

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Tokens

Monster Tokens are monsters that appear on the field as the result of a card’s effect. They are not included in the Deck, and cannot be sent anywhere other than the field, such as the hand or Graveyard. When a Token is destroyed or returned to the hand or Deck, they are simply removed from the field instead. You can use official Token cards or use coins, card sleeves, or any similar marker (as long as it can indicate Attack Position or Defense Position) as Monster Tokens and play them in Monster Zones. Each Monster Token takes up one of your five Monster Zones. Their battle position is always either face-up Attack Position or face-up Defense Position. Tokens cannot be used as an Xyz Material. Tokens on the field are treated as Normal Monsters. At no point can a Token ever be face-down (Ex: Loading... ) NOR be used as a cost that moves a card to a specific location (Ex: Loading... ).

Magic Ruler? No, Spell Ruler!

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Spells

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.

That being said, there are also different types of Spell Cards indicated in the upper right corner of the Card that you can utilize to gain an advantage in a Duel!

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Tricky Traps

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Traps

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.

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

Likewise with Spell Cards, Trap Cards also have different types as depicted by their icon.

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Trap Monsters

Some Trap Cards may Summon themselves as monsters. When this happens, if they're in a Spell/Trap Zone, they are moved to the Main Monster Zone and no longer take up the zone they were moved from.

There are two types of Trap Monsters:

• Still treated as a Trap.
• NOT still treated as a Trap.

If they are still treated as a Trap and flipped face-down by an effect such as Loading... , they will be re-set to any of your unoccupied Spell/Trap Zones. If there are no unoccupied zones left, they will be automatically destroyed by game mechanics and sent to the GY.

If they are NOT still treated as a Trap, they will behave only as monsters do and are unaffected by any cards that would affect Trap Cards.

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Extra tidbits!

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.

The Duel

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Duel Structure

Both players start with five cards and 8000 LP.

A Duel proceeds in a series of turns divided into six Phases.

• Draw Phase
• Standby Phase
• Main Phase 1
• Battle Phase (optional)
• Main Phase 2 (only if Battle Phase is conducted)
• End Phase

These turns repeat until one of the three following victory conditions occurs:

1. The opponent's LP are reduced to 0.
2. The opponent must draw a card(s) and is unable to do so.
3. The conditions for a card that win the Duel are met.

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Phases

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Draw Phase

This is the first phase. The player whose turn it is (the “turn player”) draws one 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.

IMPORTANT: The player who goes first cannot draw during the Draw Phase of their first turn.

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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.

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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.

During the Main Phase, you can:

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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.

IMPORTANT: The player who goes first cannot conduct their Battle Phase on their first turn.

The Battle Phase will be broken down in the "Battle Phase" chapter.

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Main Phase 2

If you conducted your Battle Phase, your turn moves to Main Phase 2 afterwards. The actions a player can perform in this phase are the same as in Main Phase 1. However, if the player already did something in Main Phase 1 that has a limit to the number of times it can be done, the player cannot do it again in Main Phase 2. Consider if you want to activate and Set Spell & Trap Cards, or Summon or Set a monster (if you didn’t do that in Main Phase 1) based on your situation after the Battle Phase. Use this phase to prepare for the opponent’s turn.

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End Phase

Announce the end of your turn, and if there are any cards on the field which say “…during the End Phase…” in their text, resolve those effects in this phase.

If you have more than six cards in your hand at the end of this phase, select and discard cards to the Graveyard until you only have six cards in your hand. This process will repeat in the event you reach more than six cards again due to triggers caused by you (or your opponent) while discarding cards for the hand size limit.

Time to build Chain Links

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What are Chains?

Chains are a way to order the resolution of multiple card effects. They are used when the effects of more than one card are activated at once (see "SEGOC" chapter), or when a player wants to use an effect after a card has been played, but BEFORE that card has an effect on the game. If a card’s effect is activated, the opponent is always given a chance to respond with a card effect of their own, creating a Chain!

If your opponent responds with an effect, then you can choose to respond and add another effect to the Chain. If your opponent does not respond, you may activate a second effect yourself and create a Chain to your own card’s activation.

Both players continue to add effects to the Chain until they both wish to add nothing else, then you resolve the outcome in reverse order – starting with the last card that was activated.

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Some cards are just faster than others

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Spell Speed

Every type of card effect has a Spell Speed between 1 and 3. If you want to respond to a card effect in a Chain, you have to use an effect with Spell Speed 2 or higher, and it cannot have a lower Spell Speed than the effect you are responding to.

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Resolving a Chain

Every time a new Chain Link is made, they are stacked up in the order that the cards are activated. Once the Chain is completed, the outcome is resolved starting with the most recent card to be activated at the top of the Chain and proceeding down to Chain Link 1. So let's look at how a Chain works with a Real World example:

• Chain Link 1: Loading...
• Chain Link 2: Loading...
• Chain Link 3: Loading...

Now that the Chain is built, we resolve it with the highest Chain Link first and proceed backwards.

Loading... (Chain Link 3) is resolved first and negates the activation of Loading... , it is Set face-down and the opponent may set another Trap Card from their Deck if they wish.

Loading... (Chain Link 2) would then be resolved, but the effect of Loading... stopped its activation. The turn player will still be able to declare attacks.

Then the effect of Loading... (Chain Link 1) is resolved successfully, destroying all Spell and Trap Cards on the field, allowing the turn player to attack without interference from Spell or Trap Cards.

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Priority

The turn player always starts with Priority, or the choice to activate a card first, in each phase or step of their turn. As long as the turn player has Priority, the opponent cannot activate cards or effects, except for effects that activate automatically, like Trigger or Flip effects.

The turn player can either:

• Use Priority to play a card or activate an effect OR
• Pass Priority to the opponent so they can activate an effect.

A player must pass Priority to the opponent when moving on to the next phase or step. In Master Duel, this is handled automatically. In the TCG/OCG, you would announce you are leaving each Phase at which point the opponent may choose to activate one of their Spell Speed 2+ effects.

If the opponent decides to activate an effect while the turn player is attempting to leave a Main Phase, the turn player may decide to continue that Main Phase instead of proceeding into the next phase.

Priority (and chain building in general) is processed according to the following chart:

TRIGGER WARNING

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SEGOC

Simultaneous Effects Go On Chain or SEGOC is a term used to describe how simultaneous Trigger effects activating get built on a Chain.

If effects of Spell Speed 1 cards (like Trigger Effects) are activated at the same time, they will be resolved in a special Chain. This Chain is made starting with the turn player’s mandatory effects.

If there is only 1 effect, that will be Chain Link 1. If there are two or more effects, the turn player builds the Chain starting with their mandatory effects, in any order. Then the opponent continues the Chain with their mandatory effects in any order. Afterwards, the turn player adds their optional effects in any order, and finally the opponent adds their optional effects in any order.

If there are no further public Trigger effects, the player who did not add the most recent chain link will have the opportunity to activate a Spell Speed 2 or higher effect as they will have the priority to do so. After this point, private Triggers (from the hand) may now be activated alongside other Spell Speed 2 effects.

Here's an Example:

Player A has just Link Summoned Loading... using Loading... as Link Material and has Loading... in their hand.

• Chain Link 1: Loading...

Because Salamangreat Balelynx is a public Trigger, it will be Chain Link 1 as it is Player A's turn. Player B has no public Triggers; but, because Salamangreat Gazelle is a private Trigger, Player A must pass priority to Player B before they can activate it. Player B decides to add:

• Chain Link 2: Loading...

Player B has now passed their priority back to Player A which means Player A can now add:

• Chain Link 3: Loading...

Timing Priority

Alternatively, if Player A has Loading... in their hand, they could opt instead to:

• Chain Link 3: Loading...

then, if Player B had no response:

• Chain Link 4: Loading...

This is because private Trigger effects have the same priority as Spell Speed 2 effects!

This can be used to the turn player's advantage quite a lot as only they know what private Triggers have yet to be revealed.

But be careful with certain private Triggers, only one private Trigger that can Special Summon itself from the hand can be activated each Chain.

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PSCT

Problem-Solving Card Text, or PSCT, is the language that Yu-Gi-Oh! cards are written to specify card effects to the point that most situations can be resolved by logically interpreting the card text.

Problem-Solving Card Text uses specific words with very deliberate and particular meanings in order to explain how a card or effect functions. How to interpret the text is important to understanding how to apply card text to the game.

NOTE: These rules only apply to cards that have been written in PSCT, cards written Pre-PSCT may use similar terms but may behave differently than PSCT written cards.

If there is a discrepancy between the basic rules and a card’s effect, the card effect takes precedence. For example, a monster can only attack once per turn, but with a card effect, it is possible to attack twice.

Structure

All card effects that make a Chain Link include a colon " : " or a semicolon " ; " somewhere in their text (possibly both). If a card effect does not use either, it does not make a Chain Link.

The activation of a Spell or Trap Card always makes a Chain Link, but its effect that resolves with the card itself (if any) does not necessarily use a colon or semicolon. This effect is usually the first effect listed in the card's text.

Text before the colon " : " describes activation conditions (limits on when or how often a card or effect can be activated). These conditions only need to be met when the card is activated.

• Conditions other than target requirements that have to be met during both activation and resolution are specifically noted in a separate sentence after the effect sentence (e.g. Loading... , Loading... ).

Text before the semicolon " ; " (but after the colon, if any) describes anything that happens when that card or effect is activated (such as costs and targeting).

• NOTE: TARGETING IS NOT A COST.

This can be summarized to:

Condition or Activation Requirements ( : ) Things you must do when activating the effect & costs ( ; ) Effect ( . )

Example:

"When this card is Normal Summoned ( : ) You can target 1 Level 2 or lower monster in your GY ( ; ) Special Summon that target in Defense Position, but negate its effects."

Costs MUST be paid as written in order to activate the card. If an effect such as Loading... is applying, you cannot use the second effect of Loading... as you cannot send a Fusion Spell to the GY.

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Resolving Targeting Effects

The terms "that target" or "those targets" and "it" or "they/them" have specific meanings in the resolution of the effect.

• "That target" and "those targets" indicate that targets must still meet the target requirements at resolution to be affected.

• "Both (those) targets" and "all three (targets)" indicate that all targets must still meet the target requirements at resolution for any of them to be affected.

• "It" and "they/them" indicate that the targets do not need to meet the target requirements at resolution, only when targeted.

Examples:

Mastering the specific wording around targeting is key to know if your effects will still resolve the way you want them to.

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Conjunctives

The conjunctives "and", "and if you do", "also", "also, after that" and "then" have specific meanings. All effects when activated, unless negated, will always resolve as much as possible. How they resolve is based off of their conjunctives (if any).

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Activation Legality

In order to activate a card or effect, you must be able to resolve all mandatory portions of the effect at the initial point of activation.

If an effect, or the gamestate itself, prevents you from resolving any mandatory portion of an effect, it cannot be activated even if it uses a conjunctive that does not require both portions to resolve successfully.

Examples:

There will be, however, times where the activation of an effect was legal, but it can no longer resolve due to an effect higher in the chain. In this case, the effect will still attempt to resolve as much as possible following its conjunctive.

Examples:

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Preventing Activations

Trigger effects can only activate if they are in the location where they meet their trigger when the current Chain (if any) finishes resolving.

If a monster has a Trigger effect that activates when it's Special Summoned, but is no longer on the field when it would activate, it will never have the chance to activate and simply be ignored.

Note that if a Trigger effect is activated, it will always try to resolve no matter where the card ends up afterwards unless the effect states otherwise.

Examples:

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Lingering Effects

Lingering effects are a special type of effect that continuously applies or remains overall after the initial effect has resolved - not to be confused with Continuous effects!.

The most common lingering effect is any card that Summons a Token.

Once applied, they cannot be negated by any means, but some lingering effects can be overruled by another effect that applies an opposing "cannot" or an alternative lingering/continuous effect.

The basic rule of thumb when it comes to lingering effects is:

• "You cannot" supersedes "Do this".

Some examples of conflicting lingering effects:

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Cards do what they say they do

As mentioned prior, the wording on card effect text is very deliberate. If a card effect says it does something, that is exactly what it does. If, after reading the card, you think it does something else without the card explicitly stating so, such as thinking Loading... negates both Spell Cards and monster effects, then it does not.

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Continuous Cards & Effects

Some cards/effects require being face-up in order to successfully resolve. If the card is no longer face-up when it would resolve, it will resolve without effect.

While some cards/effects will state in their effect text explicitly if they need to remain face-up, some card types inherently must remain face-up to resolve.

Field Spells, Equip Spells, Continuous Spells/Traps, and Pendulum Scales all require being face-up in order to resolve successfully.

The most well-known example of this occurring is:

• Chain Link 1: Loading... .
• Chain Link 2: Loading... .

Since Mystical Space Typhoon destroys Call of the Haunted before it can resolve, and since Call of the Haunted is a Continuous Trap, it will resolve without effect.

NOTE: This does not mean Mystical Space Typhoon negated the Call of the Haunted as it does not state it does in its card text.

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Resolving Locations

Some cards will move themselves or other cards to another location when paying cost or while resolving an effect. This is known as changing location. When a card is moved to a different location, it is treated as an entirely different copy of the card. When this occurs as part of an activation however, the card/effect resolves where it activates.

Examples:

Leaving the Field

Some monsters have effects that activate when they “leave the field”. For example, Loading... . These effects can activate when the monster is sent to the Graveyard, or is banished. When a monster on the field is shuffled into the Main Deck, Extra Deck, hand, or becomes an Xyz Material, it is no longer a card on the field, however its effects that activate when it “leaves the field” will not activate.

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"Unaffected" means Unaffected

Cards that have, or are given, an effect that makes them unaffected means they cannot be affected in any way by what they are protected against.

This, however, does not create violations in Activation Legality.

Example:

Situation:

Player A controls only Loading... . Player B is still allowed to activate Loading... even though its effect will not destroy anything as Dark Hole will still attempt to do so. Silent Swordsman LV5 will not be destroyed as it is unaffected.

Cards that apply a non-activating protection to themselves such as Loading... are generally Continuous effects.

If an unaffected card that applies the protection to itself becomes negated or loses its protection, then it is no longer unaffected and card effects will apply normally to it.

Example:

Situation:

Player A controls Loading... and places another card on the field. Player A and B then create the following Chain:

• Chain Link 1: Loading... .
• Chain Link 2: Loading... .

The Chain resolves backwards and Number 59: Crooked Cook is now negated and will remain negated even if the new card Player A set leaves the field as its Continuous effect is now negated and will not re-apply.

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Conflicting Effects

Some effects, when activated or applied, will conflict with each other. In this case, the following is applied:

Whichever effect resolves most recently will be the one that applies.

Example:

If Loading... is on the field and Loading... is activated, all monsters will become the Type declared by DNA Surgery and vice-versa.

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Conditions

While sometimes appearing to be Continuous Effects, conditions are not part of card effects and cannot be negated.

Examples of conditions:

• Summoning conditions such as those of Loading... (Cannot be Special Summoned from the Graveyard), Loading... (This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set), and Loading... (Cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. Must be Special Summoned (from your hand) by...).

• Material limitations such as those of Loading... (When using this card as a Synchro Material Monster, the other Synchro Material Monster is 1 monster in your hand), Loading... (Cannot be used as Fusion Material), and Loading... (Cannot be used as a Synchro Material, except for the Synchro Summon of a "Majestic" monster).

• Activation limitations such as those of Loading... (This card cannot attack the turn you activate this effect) and Loading... (You cannot Summon other monsters the turn you activate this card (but you can Normal Set)).

• Synchro Material Substitution conditions such as those of Loading... and Loading... .

• Match winner conditions such as that of Loading... .

• Victory conditions such as those of Loading... , Loading... and Loading... .

• Name conditions such as those of Loading... and Loading... .

• Archetype conditions such as those of Loading... and Loading... .

• Level and Rank conditions such as those of Loading... , Loading... , and Loading... .

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Loops

Sometimes, a combination of card effects in the game will result in the exact same action(s) occurring multiple times in a row. This is called a "Loop". If a loop is controllable, meaning the player executing the loop is able to end the loop at any point during or after an iteration has completed, the loop is a Legal Loop.

If a loop is uncontrollable, meaning the player (or gamestate action) is unable to end the loop, it is an Illegal Loop.

NOTE: In the TCG/OCG, uncontrollable loops that result in a win condition are legal and will repeat iterations until the win condition is achieved. In Master Duel, the loop iteration will stop after ten iterations.

If Master Duel detects an illegal loop has been created, then depending on the loop (some will iterate, some will not) will be cancelled and the card denoted as the "problem card" (if any) will be destroyed by game mechanics.

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Maintenance Costs

Some cards have maintenance costs. These are a special kind of cost that cannot be chained to and typically occur during the Standby Phase. Most of the time, these costs are mandatory and cannot be negated.

You cannot proceed to the next phase until any and all maintenance costs are paid.

Fight!

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The Battle Phase is broken down into 4 Steps.

1. Start Step
2. Battle Step
3. Damage Step
4. End Step

The Battle Step and Damage Step are repeated each time you attack with a monster.

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Start Step

This step starts the Battle Phase. The turn player automatically enters this step when they decide to enter the Battle Phase.

Remember, the player who goes first cannot conduct a Battle Phase in their very first turn.

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Battle Step

Select one monster on your side of the field to attack with, and one 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 on attack per turn. You do not have to attack with a monster if you don’t want to.

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Damage Step

In this step, the players calculate the result of the battle and whatever damage is done. (See "Damage Step" chapter.)

After finishing the Damage Step, return to the Battle Step.

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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.

The turn player at this point will now proceed to Main Phase 2.

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Replays during Battle

After you’ve announced your attacking monster and the attack target monster during a Battle Step, the attack target might be removed from the field, or a new monster may be played onto the opponent’s side of the field before the Damage Step, due to a card’s effect. This causes a “Replay." When this occurs, you can choose to attack with the same monster again, or choose to attack with a different monster, or choose not to attack at all.

Note that if you attack with a different monster, the first monster is still considered to have declared an attack, and it cannot attack again this turn.

Battling

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Steps

After a player declares their attack target and priority is passed between both players, the game proceeds to the Damage Step.

There are five distinct steps in the Damage Step:

1. Start of the Damage Step
2. Before Damage Calculation
3. Perform Damage calculation
4. After Damage Calculation
5. End of the Damage Step.

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Start of the Damage Step

What happens:

• You declare that you are entering the Damage Step.

• A face-down monster being attacked is NOT flipped at this time.

What can happen?:

• Effects that activate "at the start of the Damage Step".

• Fast effects that alter ATK/DEF can be activated.

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Before Damage Calculation

What happens:

• If the monster being attacked is face-down, flip it face-up.

• If the monster has a Trigger Effect that activates by being flipped face-up, it does not activate yet. It will activate after damage calculation, even if the flipped monster leaves the Monster Zone before then.

What can happen?:

• If a monster is flipped face-up and it has a Continuous Effect, such as Loading... or Loading... , that effect is immediately applied.

• Cards and effects that activate "before damage calculation", such as Loading... , can be activated.

• If a monster is flipped face-up and that monster conflicts with a "You can only control 1 […]," or "There can only be 1 […] on the field," effect, such as Loading... or Loading... , it will NOT be destroyed/removed from the field at this time.

• Fast effects that alter ATK/DEF can be activated.

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Perform Damage Calculation

What happens:

• Cards or effects that can activate "during damage calculation" activate/resolve, then the damage calculation is performed.

• Compare ATK/DEF and apply damage to Life Points.

• Determine whether either monster will be destroyed by battle or not, but do not send it to the Graveyard yet.

What can happen?:

• Effects that activate "during damage calculation".

• If an effect prevents a monster from being destroyed by this battle by doing something else "instead" (such as "Vicious Claw" returning itself to the hand), it is decided whether to apply or not at this point. The "instead" action will be done at the end of the Damage Step.
• In general, cards and effects that modify ATK/DEF cannot be activated at this point or for the rest of this Damage Step.

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After Damage Calculation

What happens:

• Effects that activate as a result of battle happen here.

• Trigger effects that activate by being flipped face-up, of monsters flipped face-up "before damage calculation," happen here.

• A monster that was determined to be destroyed is still not sent to the Graveyard.

What can happen?:

• Effects that activate "when this card battles" or "attacks or is attacked".

• Effects that acitvate "when battle damage is inflicted" or "when you take damage".

• Effects that activate "after damage calculation".

• FLIP: Effects.

• Effects that activate "when this card is flipped face-up".

• If its name conflicts with a "You can only control 1 […]," or "There can only be 1 […] on the field," effect, the flipped monster will immediately be destroyed, unless it was destroyed by battle.

• If "Rivalry of Warlords"/"Gozen Match" is active, and the flipped monster has the wrong Attribute/Type, it will be immediately sent to the Graveyard.

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End of the Damage Step

What happens:

• If a monster was determined to be destroyed by the battle during damage calculation, send it to the Graveyard first.

• Then effects that activate when a monster is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, activate now.

• Then if all effects activates/resolves and you would end the Damage Step, effects that apply "until the end of the Damage Step" disappear

• After the end of the Damage Step, return to the Battle Step. If the turn player does not want to attack again after that, go to the End Step.

What can happen?:

• Effects that activate "when a monster is destroyed by battle".

• Effects that activate "when a monster is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard".

• Effects that activate "when a monster destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard".

• Effects that activate "at the end of the Damage Step".

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Monsters Destroyed by Battle

The following rules apply to monsters that were be destroyed by battle, but have not been sent to the Graveyard yet (or another appropriate location):

• They are treated as "destroyed by battle" for Continuous/Continuous-like Effects that apply to those monsters, such as Loading... , and for effects that activate after damage calculation when a monster is destroyed by battle, such as Loading... .

• Their Continuous Effects are no longer applied.

• They cannot activate their optional Quick Effects, nor be used as a cost to activate an optional card or effect; however, this does not apply to mandatory effects, such as Loading... .

• They cannot be targeted by cards or effects, have their battle positions changed, or have their ATK/DEF changed.

• They still can have their effect(s) negated.

• They cannot be returned to the hand by card effects, unless they are being returned instead of being sent to the Graveyard, such as with Loading... .

• They can still be destroyed by card effect, sent to the Graveyard, or banished before being sent to the Graveyard as a result of battle.

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Effect Activations in the Damage Step

In general, only specific types of cards can be activated during the Damage Step. They are as follows:

• Counter Trap Cards.

• Mandatory Effects.

• Fast Effects that directly alter ATK/DEF. (Note: These may only be activated during the Start of the Damage Step, and Before Damage Calculation).

• Fast Effects that negate the activation of an action.

• Trigger Effects that activate when the card itself is moved in some way.

• Cards whose text specify an action specific to the Damage Step.

• Cards whose text say they can be activated during the Damage Step.

• Cards who have rulings that state they can be activated during the Damage Step.

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Determining Damage

You calculate battle damage based on the battle position of the monster you are attacking. If you attack an Attack Position monster, compare ATK vs. ATK. If you attack a Defense Position monster, compare your monster’s ATK vs. the attacked monster’s DEF.

Attacking Directly

If there are no monsters on your opponent’s side of the field, you can attack directly. The full amount of your attacking monster’s ATK is subtracted from the opponent’s LP as battle damage.

Boost!

This information is taken from an article written by YGOrganization.

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ATK/DEF Modifiers

When modifying the ATK/DEF of a monster, there are 3 things that are checked to determine how it is applied:

1. Is the value change Additive/Subtractive or setting to a new value?
2. Does the effect activate?
3. Does it modify current or Original ATK/DEF?

Depending on the answers, there are 6 possible ways to apply the modification:

• Activated effect modifier that increases/decreases the current ATK/DEF.
• Non-activated effect modifier that increases/decreases the current ATK/DEF.
• Activated effect modifier that sets current ATK/DEF to determined value.
• Non-activated effect modifier that sets current ATK/DEF to determined value.
• Activated effect modifier that sets original ATK/DEF to determined value.
• Non-activated effect modifier that sets original ATK/DEF to determined value.

Master Duel will handle all of this information for you, but this is helpful to know if you want to know why modifiers work the way they do.

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Applying any effect that increases or decreases ATK/DEF.

Generally, regardless of what kind of effect was previously applied to a monster, increases/decreases are simply added to the existing value. This is true for both activated effects and non-activated effects.

Note that a monster’s ATK/DEF cannot be lower than 0. Decreases are still applied to a monster’s ATK/DEF even if they would become lower than 0, but will be cut off at 0. The leftover amount is still “stored”, so that it needs to be taken into account when you further increase a monster’s ATK/DEF.

Example:

The effect of Loading... is applied to Loading... , which reduces its ATK by 800. Since Harpie Girl has an original ATK of 500, its ATK becomes 0. If Loading... is then Summoned, its effect increases the ATK of Harpie Girl by 500. The ATK of Harpie Girl becomes 200, not 500. Once the effect of Forbidden Lance is no longer applying, Harpie Girl will return to 1000 ATK.

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Applying an activated effect that sets ATK/DEF to a determined value.

These are activated effects that “halve”, “double”, or “switch” the current ATK/DEF of a monster, or make it “become” a specific value. Despite the variety of words used, they really all mean the same thing. Mechanically, a card like Loading... does not actually double a monster’s ATK, but rather it sets its ATK to a value that is twice its previous ATK. If the effect of Limiter Removal is applied to Loading... ’s 1400 ATK for example, it is making its ATK become 2800.

When these effects are applied, they overwrite any previous modifiers, even if they use those modifiers as a reference point to determine the new value (such as halving or doubling a monster’s current ATK), so those previous changes to the current ATK/DEF are not reapplied. These effects essentially lock in or freeze the ATK/DEF at the newly-determined value.

If the new effect stops applying after a certain duration, a continuously-applied effect’s modifiers are reapplied. However, changes that were made by previous activated effects to the current ATK/DEF are never reapplied, as they have essentially been erased.

Examples:

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Applying a non-activated effect that sets ATK/DEF to a determined value.

These are continuously-applied effects that change ATK/DEF to a specific value. Once these effects are applied, any previous non-activated increases/decreases are reapplied to the ATK/DEF. There are exceptions to this rule that will be explained later.

Examples:

When these effects are applied, any increases/decreases previously applied by an activated effect, or any changes to a monster’s current ATK/DEF set by an activated effect, will not reapply. However, the old modifiers are only masked and don’t disappear entirely. If the new effect stops applying, the first effect’s modifier will come back into effect.

Examples:

When two non-activated effects are applied that each set ATK/DEF to a determined value, whichever effect was applied most recently will take effect. If that new effect then stops applying, the first effect will be reapplied.

Example:

Player A has lower Life Points than Player B, and Player A controls a Loading... equipped with their own Loading... , so the ATK of that monster is 4600. If Player B equips their Megamorph to that Goblin Attack Force without any change in LP, its ATK becomes 1150. If Player B’s Megamorph is destroyed, the ATK of Goblin Attack Force returns to 4600.

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Applying an activated effect that changes original ATK/DEF.

Effects that change a monster’s original ATK/DEF treat the new value as the original ATK/DEF, as if it were the value printed on the card. When these effects change a monster’s original ATK/DEF, previous increases or decreases are reapplied whether they are activated or non-activated.

Example:

Loading... is equipped with Loading... , which increases its ATK to 2500. If the effect of Loading... is applied to Flame Swordsman, its original ATK/DEF becomes 1600/1800, but the effect of Salamandra is reapplied, so its current ATK becomes 2300.

When an activated effect changes a monster’s original ATK/DEF, previously-applied activated effects that set the monster’s current ATK/DEF to a determined value are wiped, and not reapplied.

Examples:

If these effects are applied while a non-activated effect is setting ATK/DEF to a determined value, that previous effect is reapplied once the original ATK/DEF is changed.

Examples:

When an activated effect changes a monster’s original ATK, any previous changes to the monster’s original ATK are wiped, even if the new original ATK is based on the old (modified) original ATK. This is important if the old change was permanent, but the new one is temporary.

Example:

The effect of Loading... is applied to Loading... , so the original ATK of Clear Wing Synchro Dragon becomes 1250 indefinitely. If the effect of Loading... is applied to that Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, its original ATK becomes 625. When the turn ends and the effect of Shrink stops applying, the original ATK of Clear Wing Synchro Dragon becomes 2500.

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Applying a non-activated effect that changes original ATK/DEF.

As with the activated effects that change original ATK/DEF, previous increases or decreases are reapplied.

Example:

An Loading... gained 3000 ATK from its own effect. If it is equipped with Loading... , its original ATK becomes 1000 or 2400, but the boost from its own effect is reapplied, so its current ATK will be 4000 or 5400.

Previous changes that result from an activated effect setting a monster’s current ATK/DEF will remain active, so that the current ATK/DEF of the monster does not change even though the original ATK/DEF may change “behind the scenes”.

Examples:

Similarly, if a monster is already being affected by a non-activated effect that sets its current ATK/DEF to a determined value, and then its original ATK is changed by a non-activated effect, the current ATK/DEF does not change even though the original does.

Example:

Loading... is equipped with Loading... , so its ATK/DEF are each 100. If it is then equipped with Loading... , its original ATK becomes 2400, but its current ATK and DEF remain 100.

If the monster’s original ATK/DEF was previously changed by an activated effect, the non-activated effect changing its original ATK/DEF will apply.

Example:

The effect of Loading... is applied to Loading... , and its original ATK becomes 1750. If Ultimate Conductor Tyranno is equipped with Loading... , its original ATK becomes 1000 or 2400. If Unstable Evolution is destroyed before the end of the turn, the ATK of Ultimate Conductor Tyranno returns to 1750.

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Exceptions – Applying a special non-activated effect that is always applied last.

As mentioned previously, certain effects that set a monster’s current ATK/DEF continuously are always reapplied last as new modifiers are introduced, breaking some of the rules established above. Even though they can be described in the same way – non-activated effects that set ATK/DEF to a determined value – they sometimes just work differently.

Firstly, we'll go over the effects that halve, double, or switch a monster’s current ATK/DEF continuously, since these have no counterparts to anything metioned previously, making them easier to categorize.

Also mentioned above, activated effects such as Loading... don’t truly double a monster’s ATK; they set a monster’s ATK to a value that is twice its previous ATK, and “freeze” it. The same is true with cards like Loading... , which switch a monster’s current ATK/DEF. The special effects discussed in this section actually do double, halve, or switch ATK/DEF, and any new modifiers are applied to the previous level of modification, but the special effect is then reapplied to the new total.

Examples:

Things get more complicated with activated effects that set ATK/DEF to a determined value applied while these special effects are applying. It was previously mentioned that when an effect like Loading... or Loading... resolves, any previous non-activated modification cannot be reapplied. However, cards like Mirror Wall and The Wicked Dreadroot will reapply.

Examples:

Lastly, we have the effects that continuously set a monster’s ATK/DEF to a specific value rather than halve, double, or switch it. As with the cards above, these are always applied last and supersede virtually all other effects that would modify ATK/DEF.

While their effects are applying, they (or the monsters their effects are applied to) are effectively immune to any ATK/DEF modifications. One thing to keep in mind again however, is that because they apply continuously, they simply mask the previously-applied modifiers rather than remove them entirely. If the new effect stops applying, the old effects are reapplied.

Examples:

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Exceptions – Activated effects that work like non-activated effects, and vice versa.

A monster’s effect that sets its own current or original ATK/DEF upon being Summoned is generally considered a Continuous Effect, because it does not activate. However, these effects behave more like activated effects with respect to the interaction rules covered above. They are only applied once when the Summon is successful, and are not continuously-applying thereafter. Loading... is similar as well, although its effect is not applied upon being Summoned.

Examples:

In the above examples, although the first effect of Loading... and the effect of Loading... are Continuous Effects, they behave more like previously-applied activated effects that change original ATK. (They are closer to something like Loading... than Loading... .)

Conversely, there are activated effects that behave like non-activated effects, such as Loading... and Loading... . The activated effect’s resolution is to begin applying a non-activated effect, which then takes effect for a certain amount of time. These cards have effects that activate and resolve, but the applied increase functions like a non-activated effect.

Example:

The effect of your Loading... has activated and resolved. Your Loading... with 3700 ATK attacks an opponent’s Defense Position Loading... , and during damage calculation the effect of Kazejin is activated. The ATK of Ritual Beast Ulti-Gaiapelio becomes 0, and damage calculation occurs with that value. After damage calculation concludes, the effect of Kazejin stops applying and the effect of Spiritual Beast Apelio reapplies, so the ATK of Ritual Beast Ulti-Gaiapelio becomes 3700.

Huh?

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After a monster has been Summoned, it starts to carry all sorts of information with it, such as:

• The time of its Summon.
• Exactly how it was Summoned.
• What effects are applying to it.
• Etc.

When a monster stops being face-up for a while, it 'forgets' some of that information, but remembers other parts. This can happen when it is flipped face-down by Loading... or temporarily banished by Loading... .

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If a monster stops being face-up temporarily

It will forget:

• Any properties the cards used for its Summon (Tributes, materials, etc.) had at the time of the Summon.
• Any previously applied effects.

Examples:

It will not forget:

• Which particular cards were used for its Summon.
• Whether it was Special Summoned or not.
• Whether it was Summoned that turn.

Examples:

Additionally, there are some variances between whether the monster was flipped face-down or temporarily banished.

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Flipped Face-down:

It will forget:

• Where it was Summoned from.
• If it was Pendulum Summoned.
• The exact method used for its Summon.

Examples:

It will not forget:

• If its Battle Position has changed that turn.
• If it attacked that turn.

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Temporarily Banished:

It will not forget:

• Where it was Summoned from.
• If it was Pendulum Summoned.

Example:

If you Summon Loading... , and temporarily banish it, your opponent MAY send monsters from the Deck for Loading... when it returns to the field.

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Negation

"Negate" is a term that refers to stopping an action from being performed successfully or nullifying a card effect. Actions that can be negated include card and effect activations, Summons, and attacks.

While most of these actions can be stopped from "successfully" happening otherwise, only an effect that specifically states "negate" will cause them to be negated.

Even if any of these actions are negated, the cost, or right to redo it, is not refunded to the possessor of that negated action.

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Negating Effects

Negating Effect Instances

This form of negate is used in response to an activated effect, and while similar to negating activation result-wise, this form of negate causes the effect it responds to to resolve without effect; the card resolves but nothing will be done (for the purposes of missing the timing - See “If/When” chapter.

Destroying a card is distinct from negating its effect; even if a card is destroyed, its activated effect can still resolve, unless stated or mechanized otherwise. (Such as Continuous Spell Cards)

These effects must be directly chained to the effect you wish to negate.

Targeted/"Blanket" Negation

This form of negate will continually cause the card to have its effect(s) negated. Effects negated in this form can still be activated - unless the negate states otherwise - but will resolve without effect, like the first form. However, this kind of negate may require targeting which will fail if the target leaves the field before the negate itself can resolve. Continuous Effects or Unclassified Effects can only be negated this way, and if they are, they simply no longer apply.

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Negating Activations

To negate the activation of a card or effect is to cause it to be treated as never being activated. If the activation of a card or effect is negated, because it does not resolve, the most recent action of the previous Chain Link is considered the last thing to happen instead (for the purposes of missing the timing).

If the activation of a Spell or Trap Card is negated, that card is sent to the Graveyard after the entire Chain it was activated in resolves if it has not already been moved somewhere, but it is not treated as being sent from the field - even if it was face-down on the field before its activation.

Example:

If the activation of Loading... is negated by Loading... , because it's not considered being sent from the field to the GY, its effect in the GY will not trigger.

If the activation of a card effect is negated, that card remains in its current location unless a card effect specifies otherwise (such as Loading... specifying that the monster is destroyed).

If a card or effect has a restriction on how often it can be activated, the specific wording of the restriction affects whether negated activations count towards this limit.

Remember, negating the activation of a card/effect treats it as never being activated at all.

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Use vs Activate

Some card effects utilize the following text in their effects:

1. You can only use each/this effect of "" once per Duel/turn.

Using an activated effect means attempting to activate it, as long as you attempted the activation of one of those effects, you cannot attempt the activation of that effect again that Duel/turn.

2. You can only use one effect of "" per turn (, and only once that turn).

If you attempted the activation of one of the effects, you can't attempt the activation of that effect again, or the activation of the other mentioned effect(s), that turn.

3. You can only activate "" once per turn.

You can only successfully activate that card once per turn.

4. You can only use/activate each/this/etc effect of "" once per turn /(and only once that turn).

This functions identically to 1 & 2 or 3 depending if it says "use" or "activate" respectively.

5. (...)Once per turn(...): - (or some variation of that)

You can only use this effect of this face-up card once per turn, if it stops being face-up temporarily or there is another copy you can use that effect again.

6. Once while this card is face-up on the field:

You can only use this effect once ever while that card is face-up. (Flipping face-down and back up will reset this limit.)

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Negating Summons

To negate a Summon is to prevent a monster from being successfully Summoned. If the Summon of a monster(s) is negated, that monster(s) is not considered to have been on the field at the time its Summon was negated (even if it is being Flip Summoned or is a Gemini monster being Normal Summoned again). Also, if a Summon is negated, the monster was considered not successfully Summoned, so Special Summon-only monsters (See "Nomi" chapter) cannot be Special Summoned by effects other than their specified method.

Only Summons that occur outside of a Chain can be negated, and even then only built-in Special Summons and Summons by game mechanics (Normal Summons, Flip Summons, Synchro Summons, Xyz Summons, Pendulum Summons and Link Summons) can be negated.

Some card effects, such as Loading... , cause a player to perform a Summon by game mechanics and specify that the Summon is performed "immediately after this card/effect resolves" to clarify that the Summon occurs outside of the resolution of an effect, so if that card or effect resolves as Chain Link 1 the Summon can be negated.

Example:

The Normal Summon of a monster with Loading... cannot be negated if it was activated as Chain Link 2 or higher (as the monster is Summoned while a Chain is resolving), but it can be negated by Loading... if Ultimate Offering is activated as Chain Link 1 (as the monster is Summoned immediately after the effect of Ultimate Offering resolves).

A negated Normal Summon still counts as the one Normal Summon/Set per turn, and a negated Pendulum Summon still counts as the one Pendulum Summon per turn. If a monster can only be Summoned once per turn in a particular way, and that Summon is negated, you may attempt to Summon that monster again.

If a monster that can only be Special Summoned once per turn has its Summon negated, it is treated as not being Summoned.

This means if its Summon is negated, you may attempt it again assuming it is legal to do so.

Example:

If the Link Summon of Loading... is negated by Loading... , you may attempt to Special Summon Sky Striker Ace - Shizuku again that same turn.

NOTE: This does not apply if the Summon negated starts a Chain Link, such as Loading... as the effect of the card in the Chain is negated, not the Summon itself.

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Negating Attacks

To negate an attack is to stop a battle from taking place after an attack has been declared.

An attack can only be negated during the Battle Step, and if it is negated, the Damage Step does not occur. Even if an attack is negated, that monster is still considered to have declared an attack that turn, so it cannot declare another attack and cannot change its battle position in Main Phase 2.

Cards such as Loading... and Loading... do not negate attacks; instead, the attacking monster leaves the field during the Battle Step and the attack ends. If the monster does not leave the field, the attack continues.

Example:

If Loading... attacks while in Defense Position and the opponent activates Loading... , the attack continues as Total Defense Shogun is still on the field. Likewise, even if an attacking monster is banished by Loading... , Loading... cannot be activated because its attack was not negated.

Now or... then?

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"Missing the Timing" or Missing the Activation Window

Missing the timing is the inability to activate a card or optional effect when it would meet its activation timing due to something else taking up its time to trigger and only occurs with a 'when' optional Trigger effect.

Fundamental Rule of 'When' Optionals:

• A ‘when’ optional effect can only be activated when its activation condition was ‘one of the last things to happen’.

This rule is saying that you literally need to activate a 'when' optional effect exactly when it meets its activation condition. The difficulty is in telling when something is 'one of the last things to happen' according to the game.

Note: This mechanic does not apply to mandatory effects, or effects that use ‘if’ instead of 'when'.

Examples:

Now let's take a look at an example where there are simultaneous 'when' effects that meet their triggers.

Example:

Situation:

Player A activates Loading... , destroying his Loading... and Player B’s Loading... .

• Chain Link 1: Dark Hole.

Resolve the Chain: Dark Hole destroys Bixi, Water of the Yang Zing and Card Trooper at the same time.

First we look at what effects want to activate. Bixi and Trooper’s effects were triggered, so they’re both candidates.

Let’s check if either is going to miss its activation timing. The destruction of Bixi and the destruction of Card Trooper were both the last thing to happen (and Card Trooper’s effect is mandatory), so both effects can activate.

Now that it's been decided what needs to activate, it's time to look at the order they need to activate in. Card Trooper is the non-turn player's mandatory effect, and Bixi is the turn player's optional effect, so according to the rules of SEGOC (see "SEGOC" chapter), they activate in the next Chain this order:

• Chain Link 1: Card Trooper
• Chain Link 2: Bixi.

The key thing to take away here is that the activation of Card Trooper does not throw off the activation of Bixi. The gamestate checked to see if its activation condition was the last thing to happen after the Chain resolved, and then put everything onto the Chain.

No U

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Nomi

"Nomi" is a special term that refers to some Monster Cards. Nomi monsters cannot be Normal Summoned, Set or Special Summoned, except by fulfilling a special requirement. They always have the Summoning condition "Must be Special Summoned by (method)" as well as the Summoning condition "Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set".

Semi-Nomi

Special Summon-only monsters, often referred to as Semi-Nomi monsters, are monsters with the card text "Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must first be Special Summoned..."

Ritual, Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, and Link Monsters that are Special Summon-only monsters do not include the text "Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set." because it is unnecessary. These monsters cannot be Normal Summoned/Set by any means.

A Special Summon-only monster cannot be Special Summoned from the hand, Main Deck, Extra Deck, or Spell & Trap Zone, except by the specified method, unless the card effect ignores the Summoning conditions.

A Special Summon-only monster can be Special Summoned from the Graveyard or while banished as long as it was Special Summoned properly first. If the Summon of a Special Summon-only monster is negated (such as by Loading... ) it is not considered to have been properly Special Summoned. If a Special Summon-only monster is in the Graveyard or banished and was not Special Summoned properly, it cannot be Special Summoned by any means other than the proper method, even by ignoring the Summoning conditions. This contrasts to "Nomi" monsters, which can only be Summoned by their own effect, even after they have been properly Special Summoned.

After being properly Special Summoned, as long as that Monster Card remains on the field (even if face-down), in the Graveyard, or banished, it is considered properly Special Summoned.

Normal Summon... then Normal Summon?

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Additional Normal Summons

The main bulk of extra Normal Summon effects read like Loading... :

• "During your Main Phase, you can Normal Summon/Set 1 monster in addition to your Normal Summon/Set. (You can only gain this effect once per turn.)"

Or Loading... :

• "If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: During your Main Phase this turn, you can Tribute Summon 1 monster, in addition to your Normal Summon/Set. (You can only gain this effect once per turn.)"

The bracketed part means exactly that: there’s no way to get 2 extra Summons this way. Even if you Summon 2 Gem-Knight Seraphinite, or 1 Gem-Knight Seraphinite and 1 Eidos the Underworld Squire, you still get only 1 extra Normal Summon.

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Next, there are Loading... and Loading... :

You can conduct 2 Normal Summons/Sets this turn, not just 1.

• "Activate only as Chain Link 3 or higher. You can Normal Summon or Set up to 3 times this turn."

These effects change your default number of Normal Summons for the turn. Then you can put extra Summons on top. For example, Loading... + Eidos the Underworld Squire means that you get 2 default Normal Summons + 1 extra Summon from Eidos the Underworld Squire, for a total of 3.

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Finally, there are a lot of extra Normal Summon effects that read like Yosenju Kama 1:

• *"If this card is Normal Summoned, you can: Immediately after this effect resolves, Normal Summon 1 “Yosenju” monster from your hand, except “Yosenju Kama 1”."

These let you Normal Summon when you’re finished resolving the Chain Link, in the exact same way that effects with similar text let you Special Summon in this way.

This type of effect is completely different to the earlier effects. Since the Summon is performed as part of the resolving effect itself, you can perform as many of these per turn as you have effects to do them, completely independently of the number of Normal Summons you’re allowed to do as a player that turn.

This town ain't big enough for the two of us

Taken from Rivalry/Gozen FAQ

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You can only control one [...]

Loading... and Loading... are Continuous Trap Cards that make it so you can only control face-up monsters of one Type (for Rivalry) or one Attribute (for Gozen).

When this Trap Card’s activation resolves, look at the face-up monsters you control. If they all have the same Type/Attribute, you don’t have to do anything else. If there are different Types/Attributes, you choose one Type/Attribute to keep, and send your face-up monsters that aren’t that Type/Attribute to the Graveyard.

Loading... functions identical to these two cards, but in reverse, so you may only control specifically one Type of monster.

What monsters can I Summon while these cards are active?

While Rivalry/Gozen is active and you have a face-up monster, you cannot Summon monsters that are a different Type/Attribute from the monster(s) you already control.

So you can’t do any of the following to put a monster with the wrong Type/Attribute on your side of the field:

• Normal Summon
• Tribute Summon
• Flip Summon
• Xyz Summon
• Synchro Summon
• Fusion Summon
• Special Summon with a monster’s own effect.
• Activate a card or effect that has a mandatory effect to Special Summon a monster of the wrong Type/Attribute (including effects that could theoretically Summon anything, but currently cannot, such as Loading... when you control Spellcasters but the only monsters in the Graveyard are Zombies).

Also, you cannot attempt to perform the Summon of an incorrect Type/Attribute even if the Summon would cause the original Type/Attribute to leave the field.

This also applies to monsters that apply the same effect such as a "Kaiju" monster.

Examples:

While Rivalry/Gozen is active, you can still Set monsters of any Type/Attribute, and you can Special Summon monsters of the wrong Type/Attribute face-down. But you can’t Flip Summon them afterwards, and they’re sent to the Graveyard after damage calculation if your opponent attacks them. (Also, in that case, you won’t get the effects of cards that need to be destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, because they’re sent to the Graveyard by the Trap Card’s effect instead. But Flip Effects will still activate.)

Are there any Special Summoning cards and effects I can activate?

You can activate cards and effects that would Summon the same Type/Attribute monster as you have on the field.

You can also activate cards that would Summon more than one Type/Attribute of monster. The results depend on what you have on the field:

• If you DON’T control any monsters: You can activate cards that would Summon monsters with more than one Type/Attribute. All of them are Summoned, but you must immediately pick one Type/Attribute and send all others to the Graveyard.
• If you already DO control a monster: First of all, if the Summoning effect targets, you can only target monsters with the right Type/Attribute. If the Summoning effect does NOT target, you can activate it as long as it is possible to resolve the effect using only monsters with the right Type/Attribute. In this case, only the right monsters are Summoned to the field.

The same rule applies to the “Gladiator Beast” monsters. You can return a Gladiator Beast to your Deck and activate its effect as long as there is another Gladiator Beast in your Deck that you COULD Summon that is the same Type/Attribute as the one you returned. However, if you have no face-up monsters when the effect resolves, you can Summon any Type/Attribute of monster.

Can I take control of my opponent’s monster with the wrong Type/Attribute?

You can take control of an opponent’s monster that’s the wrong Type/Attribute with a card like Loading... . If you do, it’s sent to the Graveyard immediately after you gain control of it.

Anything else I should know?

If you control no face-up monsters, you can Summon a monster of any Type/Attribute. Also, if Rivalry/Gozen is being negated, you can Summon monsters of any Type/Attribute. If it stops being negated, you have to send monsters to the Graveyard until you control only one Type/Attribute again, just like if Rivalry/Gozen had just resolved.

Absolutely not!

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No usage

Loading... and Loading... are two examples of cards that prevent either player from using a card with a declared name.

What you cannot do

If the card name declared is a monster:

• Normal Summon or Set

• Special Summon

• Be placed on the field

• Be used as a Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, or Link Material

• Attack

• Manually change its battle position

• Activate its effects that start a Chain (including mandatory effects)

• Apply its Continuous Effects.

If the card name declared is a Spell/Trap:

• Activate the card or any of its effects

• Apply any Continuous Effects

• Set (This also includes Setting a Spell/Trap Card by the effect of Loading... )

• Playing it from the hand or Deck, such as by the effect of Loading... .

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What you can do

If the card name declared is a monster:

• Use it to pay a cost. Examples: Loading... , Loading... .

• Copy its name, Level, ATK, DEF, and effects. Examples: Loading... , Loading... .

• Use it for other card effects. Examples: Loading... , Loading... . (It is perfectly legal to add it to your hand from any card location, target it, and/or affect it by any means - EXCEPTION: Except for the effect of performing a Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, or Link Summon except by Loading... ).

• Use it for another monster’s Summoning Procedure. (This also includes using it as part of a Tribute Summon)

• Change its battle position via card effect. Examples: Loading... , Loading...

• Apply any "lingering" effects.

If the card name declared is a Spell/Trap:

• Use it to pay a cost. Example: Loading... .

• Use it for other card effects. Examples: Loading... , Loading... . (It is perfectly legal to add this card to your hand from any location or have the declared card’s effects used via another card. Examples: Loading... , Loading... ).

• Apply any lingering effects.

But what does it mean?

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Terminology

This section will list out all commonly used Yu-Gi-Oh! Terms (both official and some unofficial jargon) so you can understand what some players mean when said.

Note this list may not contain every term, but should give you a better grasp on what many terms mean.

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Official Terms

Attack Directly

• Attacking directly means that a monster attacks a player instead of attacking a monster. In this case, the damage to the player will be equal to the monster’s ATK. Some monsters have an effect that allows them to attack directly even if the opponent controls a monster.

Banished Card

• Although a card that has been used is normally sent to the Graveyard, a card which is banished is separated from the field instead. You must return your banished cards so you can use them for the next Duel.

Battle(d)

• A monster “battles” (and is “battling”) starting from when it attacks or is attacked. This includes both monsters attacking other monsters, and monsters attacking a player’s Life Points directly. When a card requires a monster to have “battled” (past tense), the attack had to have reached the damage calculation portion of the Damage Step in order for the monster to have “battled”. If the attack stops before damage calculation, the monster did not “battle”. (Note that an attack was still declared, however, so in most cases the attacking monster cannot declare another attack.

Battle Damage/Effect Damage

• Battle damage is damage inflicted to a player by an attacking monster, or by a battle between two monsters. This is different from damage from the effect of an Effect Monster, Spell Card or Trap Card, known as "Effect Damage".

Cards on the Field

• When “cards on the field” is written in card text, it means all the cards on the Game Mat other than the Graveyard, Deck, and Extra Deck.

Colon (:) and Semicolon (;)

• Card effects are sometimes separated with a colon (:) and/or semi-colon (;). Text before the colon gives information on conditions to activate the effect, and timing on when it happens. Text before a semi-colon is what you do when the effect is activated. Text at the end of a sentence, after all colons and semi-colons, is what you do at resolution of the effect.

Control/Possess

• Cards you “control” are the cards in your Monster Zone, Spell & Trap Zone, Field Zone, and Pendulum Zone. Cards in your “possession” include all cards you control, plus the cards in your hand, Deck, Extra Deck, Graveyard, your banished cards, cards in the middle of being Summoned to your side of the field, and Xyz Materials attached to monsters you control. If a player takes control of a card from their opponent, move it to the new controller’s side of the field. If sent to the Graveyard, or returned to the hand or Deck, it is always returned to the Graveyard / hand / Deck of the original owner.

Destroy

• A card is destroyed when it is sent to the Graveyard due to battle between monsters or by an effect that destroys a card. A card that is returned from the field to the hand or Deck, or, that is sent to the Graveyard as a cost or Tribute, is NOT considered “destroyed”.

Discard

• Discard means to send a card from your hand to the Graveyard. This can happen because of a card effect or by adjusting the number of cards in your hand during the End Phase.

Effects of Cards

• The effect of a card is the special ability written on it, like the effect of a Spell, Trap, or Effect Monster. Costs that are needed to activate an ability are not part of the effect. The conditions that describe how to play a “Special Summon Monster” are also not an effect.

Equip Cards

• In addition to Equip Spell Cards, sometimes Trap Cards or Monster Cards can become equipped to a monster. Equipped Traps remain Trap Cards, but equipped monsters are considered to be Equip Spells. The term “Equip Card” includes all 3 kinds (standard Equip Spells, equipped Traps, and monsters equipped to other monsters).If a Monster Card is equipped to another monster, it remains equipped to that monster and cannot be moved to a different target, even by card effects that would normally be able to do so. EXCEPTION: Union monsters equipped by their own effects can be moved by appropriate card effects.

Equipped Monster

• A monster that is equipped with an Equip Card is an “equipped monster”. When this monster is destroyed or flipped face-down, the equipped card loses its target, and is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.

Excavate

• When a card says to “excavate” cards from your Deck, you reveal those cards to both players. Then, before you do anything else, apply the instructions from the card effect that excavated them. Cards that are being excavated are still treated as being in the Deck until sent elsewhere by the card instructions.

Linked/Co-Linked

• A monster is considered "Linked" when a Link Monster is pointing at it or it is being pointed at by a Link Monster's Link Markers. A monster is "Co-Linked" when two Link Monsters are pointing at each other's Link Markers.

Original ATK (or DEF)

• The Original ATK (or DEF) is the number of ATK (or DEF) points printed on the Monster Card. This does not include an increase from an Equip Spell Card or other card effect.

Pay a Cost

• To pay a cost is an action required by a player in order to activate a card, an effect, or to Summon a monster. Tributing to Tribute Summon a Level 5 monster is an example of a cost. Other common costs are discarding, paying LP, or banishing cards. You have to pay any costs before you declare the activation of the card. Even if the activation of the card is negated, you cannot get a refund of the cost that you have paid.

Piercing Battle Damage

• Some monsters can inflict piercing battle damage when they attack a Defense Position monster. This means that you inflict damage to your opponent’s LP equal to the difference between the attacking monster’s ATK and the defending monster’s DEF.

Random

• When a card effect says to choose a card randomly, there is no official way of doing so, it is fine as long as neither player has a way of knowing which card is being chosen.

Reveal

• When an effect says to reveal a card, you show it to both players. You may have to reveal a face-down card, a card from your hand, or from the top of your Deck. Revealing a card does not activate the card or its Flip effect. Normally, revealed cards are returned to their original position after being looked at by both players.

Search your Deck

• Whenever an effect instructs you to add a card from your Deck to your hand, or to Special Summon a monster from your Deck, you can pick up your Deck and search through it for the appropriate card. You must shuffle your Deck after any time you search it and let your opponent shuffle or cut. You cannot activate an effect to search your Deck for a card if there are no cards that meet the requirements in your Deck.

Send to the Graveyard

• A card can be sent to the Graveyard in various ways. Destroying a card, discarding, and Tributing a monster are all actions that send a card to the Graveyard, and will normally activate “When this card is sent to the Graveyard…” Trigger Effects. EXCEPTION: When a banished card is moved to the Graveyard, it is not considered to be “sent to the Graveyard”.

Set

• Playing a card face-down is called a Set. For Monster Cards, playing it in face-down Defense Position is called a Set. Any card that is face-down on the field is a Set card.

Shuffle

• There is no rule for how to shuffle, but while shuffling you cannot look at the cards you are shuffling, or arrange the cards and then shuffle them.

Tribute

• Tributing is sending a monster you control to the Graveyard. You can Tribute a face-up or face-down monster, unless otherwise specified. Tributing a monster is one possible cost for Summoning a monster or activating an effect. A monster sent to the Graveyard by Tributing is not treated as “destroyed.”

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Unofficial Terms

These terms have been selected from the Yu-gi-oh! Wiki

Game State

Advantage

• The amount of cards one player has relative to another. Generally, the player with more cards is seen as the one with better advantage.

Beatstick

• A monster with high ATK relative to its Level, Rank or Link Rating (such as "Gene-Warped Warwolf")

Blanket

• Affecting all of a certain element in the game. Example: Loading... is a "blanket negate" for all monsters on the field.

Book

• Flipping a monster to face-down Defense Position.

Board

• The entire Field.

Bomb

• A card that makes a large impact on the game when played.

Boss (Monster)

• The most powerful monster(s) of an archetype or Deck, either by ATK/DEF or by an effect. Usually double as the deck's win condition.For example, the boss monster of the "Cubic" archetype is Loading... . Another example is "Lightsworn" deck which has multiple bosses: Loading... or Loading... .

Ceiling

• A Deck's maximum potential "power" at its disposal.

Combo piece

• A card that serves as a component to another card(s) that either work together better than those cards individually or aid in the Deck's functions (see Combo).

Dead Card/Brick

• A card with no ability to impact the game.

Blank

• A card that is referred to as "any card" or a card that effectively does nothing. (Not to be confused with Dead/Brick).

Engine

• A number of cards that help a Deck achieve a certain action or helps a player draw a good card. For example, a player uses a "Windwitch" engine consisting of Loading... , Loading... , Loading... , and Loading... to Special Summon Loading... quickly.

Turbo

• A related term involving bringing out a strong monster from the Deck/Extra Deck in one turn, using as few cards in the hand as possible.

Extender

• A card that can either facilitate larger plays or allows for recovery to proceed with a current play (e.g. Loading... ).

Overextending

• Unnecessarily wasting resources furthering a position that would have otherwise won a game.

Floater

• A monster that generates card advantage either when it's Summoned or when it leaves the field; in the case of the latter, typically replacing itself with another card on the field (e.g. Loading... for its Summon and Loading... for if it's removed from the field.)

Floodgate

• A card that restricts one or both players from performing certain actions.

Fodder

• A card that is used solely as a Tribute, Material or for Costs.

FTK / OTK

• First Turn Kill and One Turn Kill, respectively.

Game / Lethal

• A combination of cards and actions that result in one player winning the Duel.

Garnet

• A card that is a necessary part of an engine, yet is nearly useless on its own. This term references Loading... , a common card in the Loading... & Loading... engine that is simply a 1900 ATK Normal Monster on its own.

Generic

• Usually referring to materials required to Summon monsters from the Extra Deck, as the opposite of "specific". Can also refer to such Extra Deck monsters themselves:

1. Any Fusion Monster that does not list specific monsters as Fusion Material can be considered generic, even though other properties will be specified such as Type, Attribute or Ability.
2. A "generic" Synchro Monster is one that simply requires "1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters".
3. A "generic" Xyz Monster is one that simply requires 2 or more monsters of the same Level.
4. A "generic" Link Monster (Link 2 or higher) is one that simply requires 2 or more monsters as Link Material.

Grind Game

• A situation where both players are making a minimal amount of moves and neither player can pull ahead.

OPT

• Once Per turn; Limited activations.

Hard OPT / HOPT

• Only once per turn.

Hand Trap

• A monster whose effect activates from the hand, such as Loading... or Loading... .

Honest

• A monster effect that lets itself, or another monster, gain high amounts of ATK during the Damage Step. Named after Loading... , the first monster with such an effect that was used competitively.

Inherent

• Unofficial term for a type of Summon that neither requires an activation, nor starts a Chain.

Lock/Lockdown

• A situation in which a player has extensive field control.

Loop

• A series of action that results in the same or at least similar effect that can be used over and over again.

Lonefire

• A monster that Tributes itself to Special Summon another monster from the Deck. Reference to Loading... .

Mirror Match

• Two opposing Decks using the same Archetype, strategy or theme.

Missing the timing

• The inability to activate a card/effect when it would meet its activation timing because it is not possible to activate it (stylized as When X: You can Y.)

MST

• Loading... OR the act of using it.

Netdeck

• The act of copying a Deck (often those that win the YCS or placed high in a competition) from online sources.

On legs

• A monster's effect which is the same as that of a known Spell/Trap Card, and can be activated at any time without (or with few) restrictions, making it superior to the Spell/Trap Card. For example, Loading... can be considered a Loading... on legs as it shares the same effect.

OP (Overpowered) / Broken / Busted

• A card that is too powerful compared to other cards.

Out/"The Out"

• Specific card(s) that can be used to effectively counter either other card(s) or specific play(s) by your opponent.

Hate

• Specific card(s) that can be used to effectively counter entire Decks or strategies (e.g. "Light-Imprisoning Mirror" against LIGHT Decks.)

Pile

• A stack of cards, usually Graveyard OR the term for a 60 card Deck.

Play

• An action involving playing a card or cards, often a combo, e.g. "making a play".

Removal

• Any means of removing a card (usually monsters) from the field.

Row

• Series of card Zones, with the "Front Row" referring to "Main Monster Zone" and the "Back Row" (more common) referring to "Spell & Trap Zone"

Backrow removal

• The act of removing Spell/Traps from the field.

ROTA

• A card effect that adds a card from the Deck to the hand. The term is an abbreviation for the Spell Loading... , which is arguably the first meta-relevant card to have such an effect.

Starter

• A card that serves as a player's play opener and sets the rest of their Deck in motion.

Tempo

• In a Duel, how one player's resources matches up against another's and the pace in which the game is played.

Wall

• A monster card that is difficult to destroy by battle or card effect.

Body

• A monster with a high original ATK/DEF regardless of its effects (if any) or its Level.

Win Condition

• A situation or combination of cards that effectively win the game even if both players still have LP OR A deck's common pattern to victory and the cards involved in it.

Win More

• A card that has no impact on the outcome of a game when you are already winning.

"The Nuts"

• An extraordinarily powerful hand usually resulting in victory.

Game Actions

Absorb

• The act of using a monster as an Equip Card or treat it as Xyz Material, then possibly gain its power.

Beat over / Run over

• Destroy by battle

Boost

• The act of using an effect that increases ATK, DEF, or effect's affection capability.

Bounce

• The act of returning a card from the field to the hand.

Pop

• To destroy a single card on the field.

Blind MST

• The act of using Loading... on a random Set Spell or Trap card, even if the player doesn't make a major push that turn.

Buff

• A positive effect applied to a monster OR the act of using it.

Burn

• Effect damage and the act of using it.

Chain Block

• Creating a Chain that would prevent Card Effects from activating in response to a specific card. For example, Loading... and Loading... are discarded to the Graveyard by Loading... . Their effects go off simultaneously, but either of them can be activated first, and the other second. When an opponent activates Loading... as a counter, only the one that would activate last would be negated.

Contact Fusion

• The act of Special Summoning a Fusion Monster from the Extra Deck through effect that states "(You do not use Loading... )"

Counter

• Spell Speed 3 OR The act of using effect that would negate.

Counterattack

• A monster that had been attacked, but was not destroyed, destroys the attacker after the attack OR A monster gains ATK/DEF enough to overpower an attacking monster.

Debuff

• A negative effect applied to a monster OR the act of using it.

Disrupt

• The continual use of Floodgate and/or Counter Trap Cards.

Dump

• The act of getting cards (of any number or specification) in the GY so that those cards would be used later from the GY - usually from Deck.

Fetch / Get / Search / Tutor

• The act of looking through the Deck and adding a card of choice to your hand.

Freeze / Suppress

• Preventing a card's activation (e.g. the secondary effect of "Trickstar Light Stage".)

Lock / Bind

• The act of keeping a monster useless on the field with difficulty in removing it.

Link climb

• Link Summoning Link Monsters typically in ascending order in terms of their Link Rating value. For example in "Gouki" Deck strategies during 2018, Link Summoning the Link-2 Loading... to use her effect(s) only to then use this monster treated with a Link Rating of 2 (along with another monster) in order to then Link Summon the Link-3 Loading... .

Make

• To traditionally Special Summon a Fusion Monster, Synchro Monster, Xyz Monster or Link Monster from the Extra Deck (as in by using applicable monsters and/or appropriate card effects)

Mill

• The act of sending cards from the top of a player's deck to the Graveyard.

Mimic / Copy

• Having a card gain the property (usually Effect or ATK) of another card.

Minus

• Decreasing the number of cards in one's hand/field.

Mulligan

• Shuffling the player's hand cards back into your Deck and drawing new cards to replenish the shuffled cards.

Nuke

• The act of destroying many or all cards on the field at once.

One of / Two of / Three of

• How many copies of a particular card is in the Deck.

Open / Open with

• A player's starting hand cards before the Draw Phase. "Open with" specifically pertains to one's initial hand to initiate combos or big plays (i.e. opening with Loading... in a "Noble Knight" Deck in order to best start this Deck's best Summoning strategy.)

Over / Get Over / Go Over

• To gain enough ATK to destroy a monster that's hard due to its high ATK/DEF.

Overlay / Stack

• The act of using Xyz Materials to Xyz Summon a monster.

Pitch

• Discarding a card or sending a card from the hand to the GY.

Plus

• Increasing the number of cards in one's hand/field.

Recycle

• The act of adding cards from the Graveyard to the hand or deck.

Reload

• The act of recovering cards to use them as fodder.

Reset

• The act of having a card returned to its initial state when it is placed on the field.

Reborn / Revive

• The act of Special Summoning from the GY.

Rip

• Forcing your opponent to discard a card (e.g. the effect of Loading... ) OR the specific card drawn during your Draw Phase.

Sacrifice

• Tributes, Materials or Costs, and the act of using them.

Scale

• Pendulum Scale.

Self-protection

• A card effect that can protect itself from leaving the field.

Shut / Stun / Knock

• The act of Negating, whether temporary or permanently.

Spawn

• The act of Summoning the same monster, usually Token or low-Level Monster with another card from time to time.

Spam

• The act of repeatedly using card effects.

Spin

• The act of placing a card on the field back into the Deck.

Stall

• The act of prolonging the game without a card effect, which will be met with penalties at tournaments.

Steal

• The act of taking your opponent's monster, or their card's property, for your own.

Suicide / Ramming / Crash

• The act of intentionally attacking knowing the attacker will be destroyed.

Swarm

• The act of Summoning many monsters in a turn, regardless of battle power.

Swing

• The act of declaring an attack.

T-Set

• Setting a monster face-down and then setting a face-down Spell/Trap in the same column; so-called because this set-up results in the shape of a "T".

Tag Out

• The act of a monster removing itself from the field and replacing itself with a different monster.

Thin

• The act of removing cards from one's Deck during a Duel to increase the chances of drawing particular cards.

Throw

• The act of intentionally or unintentionally losing a game directly by your own actions.

Lava Golem'd / Kaiju'd

• Tribute an opponent's monster to replace them with your card, usually with those specified cards.

Piercing

• The act of inflicting Piercing Battle Damage.

Toolbox

• A set of monsters (usually in the Extra Deck) to be used for a specified situation.

Topdeck / Heart of the Cards

• The top card of the deck OR The act of placing a card on top of the deck. Can also refer to entire Decks where the sole outcome is dependent on cards that reside at the top of the Deck.

Sack

• The act of drawing a card that perfectly fits the situation, possible overturning the game state in the players favor.

U-Link

• An Extra Link. Most likely named due to the shape the Extra and Main Monster Zones viewed from the turn player's field if five Link Monsters (two in the Extra Zones and three in the middle three Main Zones) form the Extra Link.

How does this work?

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FAQ

This section is dedicated to Frequently Asked Questions that are asked in the server or in general. This list may be updated to reflect new FAQs in the future.

This section was helped written by the Helper members of the MasterDuelMeta discord.

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Q: My opponent is going first but I can't activate my Quick-Play Spell?

A: Quick-Play Spells must be set before they can be used during your opponent's turn.

Q: Why can my opponent use Loading... when I activate Loading... while they control no Extra-Deck monsters?

A: Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring negates any effects that includes the effect to send cards from your Deck to your GY.

Q: Why doesn't cards like Loading... trigger when sent to the GY by the effect of a card like Loading... ?

A: Cards with the trigger effect stating "If this card is sent to the GY by a card effect:" can only trigger if they were sent by a card effect. Since Invoked Mechaba discards it for the cost of its effect, Shaddoll Beast will not trigger. Costs are not effects.

Q: Why was a monster negated by Loading... resolve successfully when my opponent chained Loading... to its effect?

A: When a monster is flipped face-down, it "forgets" all effects applying to it. This means that the negation applied is removed and the monster effect will resolve successfully.

Q: Why doesn't a Loading... negated by Loading... resolve successfully if it banishes itself for cost, but it does if it's negated by Loading... ?

A: Card effects resolve where they activate. If a negated Rescue Rabbit (by a direct negation) was activated, its negated effect still remains on the field, thus causing it to resolve negated. This is different with Loading... as Skill Drain only negates monsters that are face-up when they resolve.

Q: How come I can't use Loading... to send my Spell to the GY so it can resolve under Loading... ?

A: Imperial Order works a bit differently than Skill Drain where it negates all Spell effects on the field, not just face-up. Since card effects resolve where they activate, any Spell activated on the field will be negated.

Q: Why can't I activate Loading... while Loading... is on the field?

A: Costs must be paid exactly as they're written. Since Maxx "C" must be discarded to the GY, it would not be legal to activate its effect since Macro Cosmos banishes all cards sent to the GY instead.