Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game

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Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game
The Dark Magician, well known for being the preferred card of the Anime series's protagonist, Yugi Moto
Players	Two (officially)
Age range	6 and up
Setup time	< 5 minutes
Playing time	< variable¹
Random chance	Some
Skills required	Card playing Arithmetic
¹ Depends on various factors; calculating, strategizing, decisions, etc.

The Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game is a collectible card game based on Duel Monsters, which appears as the main plot device in the popular Japanese manga Yu-Gi-Oh!, Toei's Yu-Gi-Oh! series, and NAS's Yu-Gi-Oh! series. In the fictional Japanese Manga, the game is sometimes referred to as Magic and Wizards or M&W.

Distributed by Konami (as Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters: Official Card Game) in Asian countries and Upper Deck Entertainment everywhere else, the concept was inspired by the game in the manga and anime series; however, the rules are adhered more strictly and are comparatively more consistent and balanced than the game represented in its fictional contexts.

[edit] Basic gameplay

In a single game, called a duel, two players use their own decks to compete. Duels only end if someone wins, someone loses or if there's a draw. A Match is a set of three Duels and the winner is best 2-out-of-3. There are three possible conditions to win a Duel (only one needs to be fulfilled):

A player's Life Points are reduced to 0 (each player starts off with 8000). This player loses the game.
A player is unable to draw a card either by the regular draw phase or when an effect would require them to. This player loses the game.
A card's special effect causes a player to either win or lose the game.

Each player takes turns during the course of a Duel, in which they draw cards and can do a number of actions (e.g. Summon a Monster, attack, play a Spell or Trap, etc.) or nothing at all. The opponent can also use some of their cards during the players turn to try and counter their actions.

At any one time a player can forfeit the game.

[edit] Card types

There are three main types of cards:

Monster Cards - Colored orange (Effect), yellow (Normal), Violet (Fusion), or blue (Ritual), these cards are used mainly to inflict damage to an opponent's life points, defending one's own life points, and battle with and destroy other monsters. Some have special abilities (Effect Monsters) that can create an advantage for the player, such as destroying other monsters or allowing it to attack "directly." Other monsters can only be brought out by special means (Ritual and Fusion Monsters); these kind are usually powerful and/or have various effects. Each monster carries a single Attribute (six kinds) and Type (twenty kinds) that dictates how certain effects apply to it, and an Attack (ATK) and Defense (DEF) Points stat that dictates how much damage is inflicted or which monster destroys which. They also possess a Level that states how the monster can be Summoned or Set; if a monster has a level of four or lower, there is no tribute (monster sacrifice) needed. Monsters with a level of five or six require one sacrifice and those with seven or eight need two. These tribute requirements can change depending on Spell, Trap, and Monster Effects.

Spell Cards (originally Magic Cards) -These cards have a green background and a wide range of effects (e.g. drawing cards, increasing a monster's ATK, destroying a monster, tributing a monster, etc.). Some can be played on the opponent's turn after they are Set, some stay on the field until removed from it, and others can be "equipped" to a monster. Many players often surprise opponents by playing them face down. The change from Magic Cards to Spell Cards was made because of another card company that distributed another game called Magic the Gathering which were also called "Magic cards" so magic cards are the same thing as spell cards. Quick-play can be treated as a trap after setting it and activating it on your opponents turn. They can be activated from your hand during the BATTLE PHASE.

Trap cards -With a violet background, these kind of cards typically have very powerful effects. Their unique feature is that they're able to be activated almost anytime, although they need to be Set on the Field first. They can be used to "counter" cards or an opponent's actions, sometimes negating them. Other cards of this type can also remain on the field, like some Spell cards.

Every card contains two distinct kinds of codes, each one different than any other cards'. One of the codes is located near the bottom right-hand corner of the card's picture; this code designates what Booster Pack it came from as well as what language it is printed in (e.g. EN for English, JP for Japanese, etc.). The other code is found at the very bottom left-hand corner of the front side of the card; this is used in the numerous Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG video games. By inputting the eight-digit number, the same card would be obtained in the game itself. The code is also sometimes used to choose the player who has the choice of going first or second in a Duel.

[edit] Deck and Side Deck

Each player is required to have a deck that consists of at least forty cards. There can only be three copies of a card in a deck. There are also a list of cards used in official tournaments that can only have up to two, one, or even no copies per deck or side-deck (see below). These are known as Semi-limited, Limited, and Forbidden cards, respectively.

Although it is not required, each player may also have a fifteen card "Side deck" in which they can switch cards in and out of the deck in between duels during a Match. The side deck may have either 15 or 0 cards; no other numbers are allowed. The Deck and Side Deck combined must follow the rules on how many copies of a certain card can be in the deck.

[edit] Game field

The Field is where the players play their cards. At any one time, the field of a player can only contain up to five Monsters and up to five Spell and Trap cards (Field spell cards are not included). Two areas of the field, the Graveyard and Removed From Play pile, are used in some situations. There are also areas reserved for the main deck and fusion deck. There is also a space for Field Spells, which change certain playing conditions for either one or both the players' fields.

[edit] Organized play

Many local shops that carry this game have hosted tournaments.^{[citation needed]} In addition, Upper Deck, Konami, and Shonen Jump have organized numerous tournament systems in their respective areas. These tournaments attract hundreds of players to compete for prizes as well as rare promotion cards.

There are two styles of tournament play called "Formats;" each format has its own rules and some restrictions on what cards are allowed to be used. Players must adhere to the rules of that format during tournaments.

[edit] Advanced Format

The Advanced Format is used in all premier Upper Deck and Konami tournaments as well as the World Championship. It is also the most widely played format in local tournaments and even casual play.

This format follows the all the normal rules of the game but also puts a restriction on certain cards. Due to their power in tournament play, they are restricted to two copies per deck, one copy, or banned outright. This list is updated every six months and is strictly followed in all tournaments that use this format.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Traditional Format

Note: This format only applies to the countries that Upper Deck distributes the game

This format was created in response to the many players' negative response to the creation of the Advanced format.^{[citation needed]} Although it follows much of the restrictions from the Advanced format, the cards that are typically banned are just limited in the Traditional format.

The Traditional Format does not exist in all the areas that Konami distributes the game and is not widely used by Upper Deck in its sanctioned tournaments, leaving only local and unsanctioned tournaments to use it.

[edit] Casual play

Most casual players usually follow the rules of either the Advanced Format or the Traditional Format.^{[citation needed]} In addition, there are countless other unofficial variants, such as tag team duels, duels with more than two players, and use of the Egyptian God Cards (promotional cards from the Anime/Manga adaptation, which are illegal in official tournaments). For these unofficial variants of the game, the rules, such as what cards are legal or not, are agreed upon ahead of time.

[edit] Product information

Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Cards are available in Starter Decks, Structure Decks, Booster Packs, and occasionally, as Promotional Cards.

[edit] Booster packs

See also: Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game sets

As in all other Trading Card Games, the distribution of booster packs is the main way to distribute cards. In the OCG, five random cards are found in a booster pack and the set goes around fifty to sixty different cards. However, in the TCG, early booster packs contained a random assortment of nine cards with the whole set ranging around 130 cards, because they were a combination of two OCG booster packs. Now, more recent TCG sets have stopped the "combination" routine, and simply duplicate the original OCG set. In addition, some booster sets are reprinted/reissued (e.g. Dark Beginnings Volume 1 and 2). These kinds of sets usually contain a larger amount of cards of around 200-250 and have twelve different cards along with one tip card instead of the normal five or nine.

[edit] Starter Decks and Structure Decks

Starter Decks were released in order for new players to learn most of the basic gameplay and mechanics, also named after various characters from the second animated series. Structure Decks, however, are for more advanced players, as they are focused on a single strategy and tend to have powerful cards and combos. Each Starter Deck contains forty or fifty different cards, a game mat, and a rule book. Each Structure Deck contains exactly forty cards, a game mat, and a rule book. They also follow the Advanced Format.

[edit] Character Starter Decks

There are currently five Starter Decks available in the United States:

Yugi Starter Deck (SDY): features Yugi's favorite card Dark Magician (Yugi Muto is known as Yugi Mutou in the manga and Japanese versions).
Kaiba Starter Deck (SDK): features Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
Joey Starter Deck (SDJ): includes Joey's Red-Eyes Black Dragon (Joey Wheeler is known as Katsuya Jonouchi in the manga and Japanese versions)
Pegasus Starter Deck (SDP): has Pegasus' "toon" monsters and his Relinquished card (Maximillion Pegasus is known as Pegasus J. Crawford in the Japanese versions)
Yu-Gi-Oh! Starter Deck (YSD): includes Elemental Hero cards and old spells and traps. Based on the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX series.

[edit] Character Structure Decks

There are also eight character-based Structure Decks released in Japan. They are similar to their U.S. counterparts except that they contain different cards and are called Structure Decks. These decks tend to be more powerful than the Starter Decks and have been notable among fans as being "playable from the box".^{[citation needed]} The Structure Decks are:

Yugi Structure Deck (YU): features Dark Magician Girl, the Dark Magician family, and other cards used by Yugi in early parts of the Battle City arc of the anime.
Jonouchi ("Joey") Structure Deck (JY): features Jinzo, Red-Eyes Black Dragon, some luck baced cards, and other cards used by Jonouchi in early parts of the Battle City arc. Also includes two dice, one red and one blue, based on his cards, Skull Dice and Graceful Dice, respectfully.
Kaiba Structure Deck (KA): features the Vampire Lord, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, Blue-Eyes White Dragon (three in the deck, one with Japanese writing, one with Chinese writing, and one with English writing, referencing the Manga, which mentioned the previous owners of the BEWD's were from those countries^{[citation needed]}), and other cards used by Kaiba in early Battle City arc of anime. Also includes a coin with the Millennium Puzzle printed on it.
Pegasus Structure Deck (PE): features cards that are used by Pegasus in the Duelist Kingdom arc of the anime. Examples include the "toon" monsters and Relinquished. Also includes the three (non-playable) "invitation" cards that were sent to Yugi before the Duelist Kingdom.
Yugi Volume 2 Structure Deck (SY2): features cards used by Yugi later in the Battle City arc in the anime. Some examples are Dark Paladin and Dimensional Magic.
Kaiba Volume 2 Structure Deck (SK2): features cards used by Kaiba later in the Battle City arc in the anime. Some examples are XYZ Dragon Cannon and Shrink.
Jonouchi ("Joey") Volume 2 Structure Deck (SJ2): features cards used by Jonouchi later in the Battle City arc in the anime. Some examples are Gilford the Lightning and Foolish Burial.
Marik Structure Deck (SDM): features cards used by Marik in the Battle City arc in the anime. Some examples are Lava Golem, Magic Shard Excavation, and Unholy Calamity.

[edit] Evolution Starter Decks

The Yugi and Kaiba Starter Decks have been re-released with slightly different cards since their initial release in the U.S., and the second set is known as the Evolution series. It is generally thought that the Evolution series improved the respective deck of each character, and they are more readily available than the initial release.^{[citation needed]} The codes for the Evolution Series decks are:

Yugi Evolution Starter Deck (SYE): contains the Ritual Monster Black Luster Soldier, the Ritual Spell Card Black Luster Ritual, and Dark Magician (LOB artwork)
Kaiba Evolution Starter Deck (SKE): includes a Kaiser Sea Horse card along with the Continuous Trap Card Shadow Spell and Blue-Eyes White Dragon (LOB artwork)

[edit] Type Structure Decks

The Type Structure decks have been released containing forty cards each. These decks do not follow the theme of being based on a character from the show. Instead they are based on a specific Monster type or attribute. The main purpose is to help new players start the game with stronger cards and combos.^{[citation needed]} These decks may also contain multiple copies of same named cards and common versions of hard to find cards, essentially making these decks more powerful even without modifications.

In addition, all decks include an instruction booklet with tips on how to use the deck's current goal (for example, the Fury of the Deep Structure Deck explains how to use Gravity Bind and A Legendary Ocean as a combo to allow four-starred monsters to attack), and how to expand on that goal with new cards. Each Structure Deck also contains one or more cards that can only be found by buying that deck. The codes for the structure deck, and what they are based on, are:

Dragon's Roar Structure Deck (SD1): Based on Dragon Type monsters. The new card is Red Eyes Darkness Dragon.

Zombie Madness Structure Deck (SD2): Based on Zombie Type monsters. The new card is Vampire Genesis.

Blaze of Destruction Structure Deck (SD3): Based on Fire Attribute monsters. The new card is Infernal Flame Emperor.

Fury of the Deep Structure Deck (SD4): Based on Water Attribute monsters. The new card is Ocean Dragon Lord - Neo Daedalus.

Warrior's Triumph Structure Deck (SD5): Based on Warrior Type monsters. The new cards are Gilford the Legend, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland, and Divine Sword - Phoenix Blade.

Spellcaster's Judgment Structure Deck (SD6): Based on Spellcaster Type monsters. The new cards are Dark Eradicator Warlock, Mythical Beast Cerberus, Magical Blast, (and for TCG) Nightmare's Steelcage, Magical Dimension, and Mystic Box.

Invincible Fortress Structure Deck (SD7): Based on Earth Attribute monsters. The new cards are Exxod, Master of the Guard; Great Spirit; and Canyon.

Lord of the Storm Structure Deck (SD8): Based on Wind Attribute monsters. The new cards are Simorgh, Bird of Divinity; Sonic Shooter; and Hysteric Party.

Dinosaurs Rage Structure Deck (SD09): Based on Dinosaur Type monsters. The new cards are Super Conductive Tyranno, Jurassic World, Great Evolution Pill, Tail Swipe, Hunting Instinct, Survival Instinct, Volcanic Eruption, and Seismic Shockwave. The Special Edition Version of this Deck also released for the first time in the TCG the Five-Headed Dragon (Five-God Dragon in Japan). ^[1]

Machine Re-Volt Structure Deck (SD10): Based on Machine Type monsters. The new cards are Ancient Gear Gadjitron Dragon, Ancient Gear Engineer, Ancient Gear Gadjitron Chimera, Boot-Up Soldier-Dread Dynamo, Ancient Gear Workshop, Ancient Gear Fist, Ancient Gear Explosive, and Ancient Gear Tank. This deck also releases in the TCG the Gadget monsters and Mobile Fortress Stronghold.

Surge of Radiance Structure Deck (SD11): Based on Light Attribute monsters. The new cards are Neo Parshath The sky Paladin, Metius, sage of the Sky, Harvest, Angel of Wisdom, Freya, Spirit of Victory, Nova Summoner, Radiant Jeral, Gellenduo and Aegis of Gaia. Released in OCG. TCG does not receive this deck until further notice although the new cards are released as Secret Rares in Strike of Neos.^{[citation needed]}

Curse of Darkness Structure Deck (SD12): Based on Dark Attribute monsters. The OCG release date is March 8. Due to the rumors of no release for SD11 there is speculation that there will be no deck either in TCG. There is also speculation that the new cards will be secret rare in the next TCG set: Force of the Breaker. The new cards are: King Diabolos, Shroud Lichlord, King Prometes, Archfiend of Mist, Plague Wolf, Sacrifice Sword, Dark Illumination, Deck Destruction Virus of Darkness, Goblin Zombie, Axe Dragonite, and Shield Crush. ^[2]

Revival of the Great Dragon Structure Deck (SD13): Based on reviving Dragon type monsters from the Graveyard.^[3]

[edit] Tournament Boosters

There are special booster packs that are given to those who attend a tournament. These sets change each time there is a different tournament and have less cards than a typical booster pack.

[edit] Collector Tins

2002 Collector Tins - Includes two packs each of Legend of Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Metal Raiders, along with one pack of Spell Ruler and one of six Variant cards.
2003 Collector Tins - Includes one pack each of Legend of Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Metal Raiders, Spell Ruler, Pharaoh's Servant, and Labyrinth of Nightmare, along with one of six Variant cards.
2004 Collector Tins - Includes one pack each of Dark Crisis, Magician's Force, Pharaonic Guardian, Invasion of Chaos, and Ancient Sanctuary, along with one of six Variant cards.
2005 Collector Tins - Includes one pack each of Dark Beginnings 1, Dark Revelation Volume 1, Soul of the Duelist, Rise of Destiny, and Flaming Eternity, along with one of six Variant cards.
2006 Collector Tins - These tins were released in two "waves"; the first wave includes one pack each of Shadow of Infinity, Elemental Energy, Enemy of Justice and two packs of Cybernetic Revolution. The second wave includes one each of Cybernetic Revolution, Elemental Energy, Shadow of Infinity, Enemy of Justice and Power of the Duelist booster backs. Each of the tins, regardless of which wave it is from, includes one of six Variant cards there are 2 tins that may have less packs then informed

[edit] Promo cards

See also: List of promotional Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards

Some cards in the TCG have been released by other means, such as video games, movies, and magazines. These cards often have a special type of rarity and are usually powerful or are never-before-seen to the public.

[edit] Card rarity

Cards that have no outstanding features are called "Commons" as they are found commonly anywhere. Other cards that do have these features (holographic foil, gold lettering, etc.) are considered rare. There are different levels of rarity:

Common (C): The most common rarity found in cards. Cards of this rarity do not have much value unless if it has very high demand.
Rare (R): The name of the card is printed in silver foil. There is about one in every pack (a card of a higher rarity will replace a Rare card). OCG packs are not guaranteed to have a Rare card unlike their TCG counterparts.
Super Rare (SR): The illustrations on these cards are printed with a holographic foil background. A Super Rare card comes in every six packs on average.
Ultra Rare (UR): The name of the card is printed in gold foil. The illustrations on these cards are printed with a holographic foil background, with a slight gold tint. An Ultra Rare card comes in one out of every twelve packs (from Legend of Blue-Eyes through Ancient Sanctuary and the Dark Beginnings/Dark Revelations reprint sets) or twenty-four packs (from Soul of the Duelist up through current releases, barring the Dark Beginnings and Dark Revelations reprint sets).
Ultimate Rare (ULT): The name of the card is printed in gold foil. The illustration's borders and card type buttons (and star level buttons for Monsters) on these cards are printed with a holographic foil background. They also have a relief effect due to them being embossed. There have been alternate ULT versions of every Rare/Super Rare/Ultra Rare in the sets since Soul of the Duelist.
Secret Rare (SCR): The name of the card is printed in holographic silver foil. These cards feature a sparkling holographic illustration called "polarizing silver". They are used primarily for promotional cards (e.g. tins and video games) and in all sets from Legend of Blue-Eyes through Ancient Sanctuary and is reintoduced again from Strike Of Neos. On average, there is one in every thirty packs.
Parallel Rare (PLR): The name of the card is printed in either gold foil or just as a regular Common version of the card would be printed. The illustrations and borders on these cards are printed with a holographic foil background. Called Parallel Rare because their shininess has lines which run vertically and horizontally across the card. These are found in the TCG only through sanctioned Upper Deck Hobby League events and some as promotions on Yu-Gi-Oh! video games.

The rarity of cards affects their value substantially. Rare cards usually cost a few dollars; Super and Ultra Rare cards are eight or nine dollars and twelve to fifteen dollars respectively. An Ultimate Rare version of a card may affect the original value of a card from between about five to eighty dollars. A "1st Edition" mark can also increase value.

[edit] Using physical cards in Yu-Gi-Oh! video games

Nearly every card has a unique eight-digit code printed on it. When that code is entered into one of the myriad of Yu-Gi-Oh! video games which accept said codes, a digital copy of that card will be added to the player's virtual cards. Thus, players can port their real-world decks into the games.

Some cards do not have this code. For example, all but two copies of Japanese Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon cards say "Replica" where the code should be (They are considered replicas of the other two that were given as prizes in a Yu-Gi-Oh! tournament in Tokyo).
Some cards don't have anything at all. For example, the Shadow Ghoul monster card from the English Metal Raiders and Dark Beginning 2 booster sets has no code number, as opposed to being a replica card. Some other examples of cards that don't have any codes at all are Labyrinth Wall, Gate Guardian and its "pieces", Cosmo Queen, and Tremendous Fire, along with many Ritual Monsters and Ritual Spell cards. They don't have any codes because they are considered too powerful to put in the virtual deck.

[edit] Controversy

[edit] Adaptation from Japan

Many Japanese cards are used in the manga or anime and popularized globally years before the cards are released outside Japan. For example, the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon (BEUD), a popular card from the beginning of the game, was released in America late in 2005. The Blue Eyes Shining Dragon, which requires tributing a Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon (as a summon condition), was actually released almost a year before the BEUD was available for play.

[edit] Expensive prices

Early in the game, new popular cards were extremely rare and expensive to come by, making this a "rich man's game" in the eyes of some players. However, recent reprinting of older cards in Structure Decks, Booster Pack Tins, and new reprint packs such as Dark Beginnings have made this less of an issue than it once was.

In an extreme example, Cyber-Stein was originally printed only for winners of Shonen Jump Championship competitions, with the first card having a bid placed on eBay for over 20,000 US dollars.^{[citation needed]} The buyer did not pay, however and the card was resold, bringing 6,000 US dollars.^{[citation needed]} The card is now available as a rare (one random Rare card can be found per booster pack) and can be found for about ten dollars. These cards have a high demand because there are very few copies printed (about two per distribution, where a distribution is one given to a randomly picked participant and one given to the 1st place winner of a Shonen Jump Championship tournament). This low supply creates a high demand for the cards, raising the price. In December 2006, Cyber-Staein was banned in the Advanced Format used in tournaments.

There are still some cards released under similar circumstances of around the same price (Shonen Jump Championship cards), while others (generally Ultra Rare from tournament packs [above]) consistently hover around $100-$200. Other sought-after cards tend to be priced anywhere from fifteen to fifty dollars depending on rarity, usefulness in game play, anticipation, and other general popularity that applies to the supply/demand rule. The $100-$200 cards, for example, are found in one out of 108 tournament packs, which are generally given out as prizes (and consolation prizes) for local tournaments (thus harder to obtain than booster packs, but not extremely difficult to find).

[edit] Card editing

OCG version of Don Zaloog (left), TCG version (right); note that the guns have been changed to swords

Another issue is card editing, which occurs when Konami translates a card for use in the TCG, often with an edited picture (e.g. Don Zaloog's TCG picture depicts him holding swords as the OCG version shows him holding guns). Edited art often removes guns (sometimes changing them to "laser/space/cosmo guns"), pentagrams, hexagrams, cleavage, blood, halos, horns, crosses, nudity, or completely changes the picture with new artwork (e.g. Tragedy, Ultimate Offering, Soul of the Pure, Monster Reborn, Water Omotics, Dian Keto the Cure Master, etc.).

Purists have also noted that many card names are changed for the TCG, sometimes to tone down the name (e.g. Five God Dragon becomes F.G.D. in video games and Five-Headed Dragon in the TCG^[4]) and sometimes for no apparent reason. Other times the name is simply broken down or re-arranged to make it less offensive (e.g. Dark Ruler Hades becomes Dark Ruler Ha Des). Some feel that Konami does not correctly translate card names (e.g. Buster Rancher and Fushioh Richie) in some cases, while other say they are translated correctly. Upper Deck employees often cite the reason for name changes and art edits as being Konami's belief that it needs to make the game more appropriate for children outside of Japan.^{[citation needed]}