Battle Phase

• If one of your Monsters attacks a Monster that is in defense mode, and your attack strength is greater than that Monster's defense strength, the defending Monster is destroyed, but your opponent receives NO Battle Damage in that attack.
• Face-down Monsters that were turned face up by an attack and survive the attack are not turned back face down. They remain face up for the remainder of the game.
• During your Battle Phase, EACH of your Monsters on the Field that are in attack mode can attack once per turn
• Attacks are conducted one-at-a-time. No "gang up" attacks.

Cards In Hand

• Cards in your hand cannot be "voluntarily" discarded.
• If you have more than SIX cards in your hand during YOUR End Phase, you must choose and discard cards until you have SIX cards. You CANNOT choose to discard more.

Changing a Monster's Position/Mode

• A Monster can change its mode ONCE during your turn, unless it is changed by another card effect.
• A Monster cannot change its mode if it had declared an attack during that turn. This means that if you attack with a Monster, and its attack is negated ([Magic Cylinder]), its mode CANNOT be changed during Main Phase 2.
• A Monster cannot change its mode during the same turn that it is Summoned, Set, Flip Summoned or Special Summoned. This is because Summoning, Setting, Flip Summoning or Special Summoning a Monster is the same as deciding on its mode for the turn, and thus cannot be changed.

Flip [j. Reverse]

• Flip is changing a Monster from face-down to face-up due to a card effect or attack.
• Flip and Flip Summon are NOT the same thing.
• You CANNOT choose to Flip a Monster without another card effect, or it being attacked.
• If a Monster has a Flip Effect, it is then activated.
• If a Monster is Flipped during Battle, its effect takes place AFTER the damage is calculated.
• If a Monster with a Flip Effect is Summoned (i.e. face-up attack mode) or Special Summoned, its effect is NOT activated.

Flip Effects [j. Reverse Effects]

• ONLY activated when the Monster is changed from face down to face up, regardless of which manner (Flip Summon, attack, card effect, etc.).
• NOT activated when the Monster Summoned (i.e. played in face-up attack mode) or Special Summoned.
• When a Monster with a Flip Effect is activated, the effect MUST be activated, unless otherwise stated.

Flip Summon [j. Reverse Summon]

• Flip Summon is the act of changing one of your face-down defense mode Monsters from from face-down defense mode to face-up attack mode during one of your Main Phases.
• If a Monster has a Flip Effect, it is then activated.
• Flip and Flip Summon are NOT the same thing.
• Flip Summons do not count against your one Monster per turn limit.
• You may complete as many Flip Summons per turn as you wish.
• A Monster that was been Set CANNOT be Flip Summoned during the same turn without the assistance of another card effect.

Fusion Summon

• Fusion Summons are considered Special Summons.
• CANNOT EVER be in a player's hand.
• If a Fusion Monster would be returned to a player's hand, return it to its owner's Fusion Deck instead.
• To Summon a Fusion Monster, the Fusion Material Monsters must be a combination of in your hand and/or on the Field. Such as:

  • All in your hand
  • All on the Field
  • In your hand and on the Field.

Magic Cards (Outdate term. New term: Spell Cards)

• Officially, as of the release of the Magician's Force set, ALL Magic cards are to be now referred to as Spell cards. Almost every card has been reprinted to refer to this.
• All cards that refer to or affect to the old term of Magic cards affect Spell cards.
• All cards that refer to or affect Spell cards affect the previously named Magic cards.

Equipment Spell Cards

• The above Spell card rules apply to Equipment spell cards as well.
• Counts toward your five Spell/Trap cards on the Field.
• Can be Equipped on your opponent's Monsters (but still counts toward your five Spell/Trap card limit).
• If the Equipped Monster leaves play (destroyed, returned to a hand, removed from the game, etc.), all Equipment cards on it are destroyed.
• CANNOT be attached to face-down Monsters.
• Multiple Equipment Spell cards can be attached to the same Monster, as long as you have enough Spell/Trap slots.
• The target of the Equipment card must still be legal.
  -- Example #1: You cannot Equip a [Dark Magician] with a [Legendary Sword], because Warrior is specified in the [Legendary Sword]'s description.
  -- Example #2: You cannot Equip a [Neo the Magic Swordsman] with a [Sword of Dark Destruction], because Dark is specified in the [Sword of Dark Destruction]'s description.
  -- Example #3: You cannot Equip an opponent's Monster with [Magnetic Ring], because your opponent can only attack your Monsters anyway.

Field Spell Cards

• The above Spell card rules apply to Field Spell cards as well.
• Only one Field Spell card can be on the Field (between you and your opponent) at any one time. If a Field Spell card is played and there is one already on the Field (by you or your opponent), it is destroyed, and the new Field card remains.
• Remains on the Field until the end of the game, or it is destroyed.
• Affects both your and your opponent's Monsters.

Monster Cards With Different Pictures

• Monster cards with different pictures BUT THE EXACT SAME NAME are considered the same card. Thus, only up to three may be included in a combination of deck and Side Deck.
• The only exceptions to this rule are that the following cards count as the same card, even though they have different names:
  • Dark Assassin = Dark Assailant
  • Trial of Hell = Trial of Nightmare

Normal Summon

• A Normal Summon is placing a Monster in face up attack mode from your hand, during your Main Phase 1 or 2.
• You may only Summon or Set ONE Monster per during, during one of your Main Phases.
• You may Summon or Set in either Main Phase 1 OR Main Phase 2 (not both).
• If the Monster's level is five or higher, Tribute is REQUIRED.

Owner

• "Owner" on many cards, refers to the player that brought the card to the game, or the player that had the card in his or her deck when the game began.
• If under the control of a player, and an effect states to return it to its owner's hand, it must be returned to the hand of the player that brought the card to the game.

Quickplay Spell Cards

• Can play played from your hand during ANY Phase of your own turn.
• Can be chained from your hand or from being Set during your own turn.
• Even when played from your hand, it still has a Spell Speed of 2.
• Can be activated during an opponent's turn as long as it was Set (CANNOT be used from your hand during an opponent's turn).
• CANNOT be activated during the same turn that you Set them.

Ritual Summon

• Considered Special Summons.
• Ritual Monsters can only be brought via their Ritual.
• Both the Ritual Spell card AND the respective Ritual Monster can must be in your HAND.
• Ritual Monsters can ONLY be brought out via its Ritual. (i.e. You cannot play a [Relinquished] from your deck via a [Mystic Tomato] effect).
• You cannot choose to discard "extra" Monsters when Tributing during a Ritual. For example: You can choose to Tribute a [La Djinn] during a [Black Illusion Ritual], but cannot Tribute a [La Djinn] and [Bistro Butcher], since the La Djinn would be all that is required in the Ritual.
• [Monster Reborn] can Special Summon a Ritual Monster to the Field, so long as it was brought out once "naturally" with its Ritual.
• You can choose to Tribute other Ritual Monsters in your hand to satisfy the requirement for Rituals.

Running Out Of Cards

• A player loses the game if he or hse has no cards left in his or her deck and is FORCED to draw a card (for example, during the Draw Phase, Card Destruction, etc.).

Set

• A Set is placing a Monster in face-down defense mode from your hand, during your Main Phase 1 or 2.
• You may only Summon or Set ONE Monster per turn, during one of your Main Phases.
• You may Summon or Set in either Main Phase 1 OR Main Phase 2 (not both).
• If the Monster's level is five or higher, Tribute is REQUIRED.

Side Deck

• Used ONLY BETWEEN games, NEVER during a game.

Special Summon

• Does not count against your one Monster per turn limit.
• You may complete as many Special Summons per turn as you wish.
• Are always face-up, unless a card effect exlicitly states otherwise.
• Can be in attack mode or defense mode (unless otherwise stated) when initially Special Summoned.
• Do not require Tribute (unless otherwise stated).

Spell Cards

• To play Spell cards (use their effects), they must be taken from your hand and placed in an empty Spell/Trap Slot on the Field. The effect is completed, then the Spell card is destroyed (placed in your Graveyard).
• You CANNOT play a Spell card from your hand if you have no empty Spell/Trap Slots.
• You can play/activate as many Spell cards as you wish per turn, as long as you have at least one open Spell/Trap slot.
• Spell cards can be Set on the Field, face down.
• Spell cards can be activated during the same turn in which they are Set.
• Unless they have the Quick Play Icon, Spell cards cannot be used during an opponent's turn.
• Spell cards cannot voluntarily be "discarded" from your Spell/Trap slots.

Spirit Monsters

• Are considered Effect Monsters.
• Their effects are NOT considered Flip Effects, so cards that negate/stop Flip Effects ([Royal Command] [Shadow of Eyes] can't negate/stop their Effects, unless an effect on the Spirit Monster is specifically labeled "FLIP:".
• Cannot be Special Summoned (i.e. [Cyber Jar], [Mystic Tomato], [Marauding Captain], [Monster Reborn], etc.).
• [Ultimate Offering] CAN be used in conjunction with Spirit Monsters, as [Ultimate Offering] is considered to be a Normal Summon or Set, and not a Special Summon.
• Will be returned to its OWNER'S hand at the end of a turn in which it was Normal/Tribute Summoned or Flipped in some way. This means that if it was Summoned or Flipped during your turn, it returns to its owner's hand at the end of your turn; if during an opponent's turn, at the end of the opponent's turn.
• If destroyed or removed from play after it is Flipped (such as a result of Battle), it will NOT return to its owner's hand from the Graveyard or out of play.
• Can be Set from your hand ("normal Set"), and while face-down, will not return to a player's hand as a result of its own effect.
• If removed from play by a [Dimensionhole], it will not be returned to its owner's hand at the end of the turn.
• If Summoned or Flipped and later turned face-down during that same turn ([Darkness Approaches] [Magical Hats]), it will NOT be returned to its owner's hand at the end of the turn.
• If Flipped by an [Acid Trap Hole] and is not destroyed via the card effect, it will NOT return to its owner's hand at the end of the turn (since it was turned back face-down).
• Level 4 or lower Spirit Monsters that are revealed by a [Cyber Jar] can't be Special Summoned, and go into the player's hand instead.
• Level 4 or lower Spirit Monsters that are revealed by a [Morphing Jar #2] can't be Set, since the Set is treated as a Special Summon, and go to the Graveyard instead

Summon (Definition)

• A Summon is defined by each of the follow events (each are considered to trigger effects that refer to Summoning):
  
  
  • Normal Summon
  • Flip Summon
  • Tribute Summon (the same as a Normal Summon)
  • Special Summon
  • Fusion Summon (the same as a Special Summon)
  
  
• Some cards that are triggered by Summons exclude one or more of the above types (such as [Mysterious Puppeteer] and [Trap Hole], which exclude Special Summons)

Token Monsters

• Token Monsters are Special Summoned through a card effect.
• You can use anything to represent the Monster Token, such as Pokemon Damage Counters, chips, paper clips, water bottles, small children, etc., as long as you can denote which mode that are in at any given moment.
• They are treated as Normal Monsters (i.e. do not have effects), so they are not counted toward [Ceasefire].
• Monster Tokens can attack and change their modes, unless otherwise stated.
• Monster Tokens can be used in Tribute Summons, unless otherwise stated (i.e. [Scapegoat]).
• Cannot be turned face-down. Thus, they cannot be a legitimate candidate for [Magical Hats] or [Darkness Approaches].
• When Monster Tokens would go to the Graveyard, they do not go to the Graveyard, and are removed from the game instead. This means they are not candidates for Triggering [Last Will] or [Michizure].
• Cannot be in a player's hand. If returned to a player's hand, they are removed from the game instead.
• Cannot be in a player's deck. If returned to a player's hand, they are removed from the game instead. If returned to a player's deck by [Morphing Jar #2], they are removed from the game instead and NOT counted for the number of cards that are shuffled into that player's deck.

Toon Monsters

• ALL TOON MONSTERS CAN BE ATTACKED BY NON-TOON MONSTERS!
• Group A Toon Monsters: Blue Eyes Toon Dragon, Manga Ryu-Ran, Toon Summoned Skull and Toon Mermaid [EDO'S NOTE: Grouping doesn't matter right now, but will when more Toon Monsters are released.]
• If YOU do not have a [Toon World] on the Field, you CANNOT bring a Group A Toon Monster into play (such as with [Monster Reborn]).
• Group A Toon Monsters CANNOT attack the turn they are Normal Summoned or Special Summoned.
• Group A Toon Monsters are considered Special Summons. HOWEVER, they STILL require Tribute! [EDO'S NOTE: Yeah, I know. I haven't found much logic behind this, either. But I'm just telling you how the ruling goes.]
• Group A Toon Monsters require a 500 Life Point cost to declare an attack with them (much like [Dark Elf]).
• If your opponent has any Toon Monsters on the Field, you MUST choose one of them if you attack with a Group A Toon Monster.
• If your opponent has no Toon Monsters on the Field, you MAY choose to attack your opponent directly, or attack a Monster as normal.
• Group A Toon Monsters are destroyed when [Toon World] is DESTROYED. If [Toon World] leaves play in some other way (such as with [Giant Trunade]), the Toon Monsters remain on the Field.
• If a [Toon World] is destroyed (either yours or your opponent's), ALL face-up Toons on the Field are destroyed as well. If a Toon Monster has been turned face-down by some effect (such as [Darkness Approaches]), it will not be destroyed in this way.
• [Monster Reborn] CAN Special Summon a Toon Monster into play, so long as you have a [Toon World] on the Field, and that Toon Monster came into play "naturally" at least once.

Trap Cards

• Cannot be played from your hand.
• Must be Set on the Field, and any time after the end of the turn it was Set, it may be activated.
• Can be activated during your turn (as long as it is not the same turn it was Set).
• Trap cards cannot voluntarily be "discarded" from your Spell/Trap slots.

Tribute [j. Sacrifice]

• You may only Tribute your OWN Monsters on the FIELD, unless otherwise stated.
• Tributed Monsters are destroyed. [EDO'S NOTE: VERY BAD logic error/typo there.]
  Tributed Monsters are placed in their owner's Graveyard.
  
• Tributed Monsters are NOT considered to have been "destroyed," so effects that trigger when the card is destroyed are NOT activated when Tributed.
• Tributed Monster that have Flip Effects are not activated.
• Monsters than have attacked can be Tributed during Main Phase 2.
• Monsters must be Tributed for a "legal" reason (i.e. you cannot Tribute a Monster just to get rid of it).
• Tributing a Monster is NOT a targeted effect.

Tribute Summon [j. Sacrifice Summon]

• Tribute Summons are considered Normal Summons.

Turn Face Down Monsters

• These types of Monsters can turn themselves into face-down defense position once per turn. These Monsters originated in Pharaonic Guardian (PGD).
• This effects can only be used during your own Main Phase 1 or 2.
• If [Light of Intervention] is on the Field, this effect CANNOT be activated.
• If such a face-down Monster was already on your Field for one turn, it is legal to Flip Summon that Monster to activate its effect during Main Phase 1, attack with it during the Battle Phase, then use its effect to turn it back face-down during Main Phase 2. [You could even turn it face-down during Main Phase 1 if you wish.] However, remember that Flip Summoning counts as changing the Monster's mode for the turn, so it it is Flip Summoned, then turned face-down by its own effect, it CANNOT be Flip Summoned again during that turn.
• If such a Monster was already face-up on your Field for one turn, if you had not already manually changed its position or declared an attack with it, you can turn it face-down with its effect, then Flip Summon it during the same Phase.