Victory condition

Victory Conditions refer to the various ways a player can win a Duel.

Normal Victory conditions

These are the typical ways to win in the game's mechanics.

• Your opponent's Life Points are reduced to 0.
• Your opponent has no cards in their Main Deck when he/she is required to draw a card.
• Your opponent surrenders.
• Most major tournament duels are timed for certain reason(s). The player with more Life Points by the end of the time limit wins the Duel.

Special Victory conditions

These cards allow you to win the duel through their effects.

• Exodia: If you hold "Exodia the Forbidden One" along with "Left Arm of the Forbidden One", "Right Arm of the Forbidden One", "Left Leg of the Forbidden One" and "Right Leg of the Forbidden One" in your hand at the same time, you win the Duel.
• Exodius the Ultimate Forbidden Lord: If "Exodia the Forbidden One", "Left Arm of the Forbidden One", "Right Arm of the Forbidden One", "Left Leg of the Forbidden One" and "Right Leg of the Forbidden One" are sent to the Graveyard by the effect of "Exodius", you win the Duel. "Exodius" sends monsters from your hand or Deck to the Graveyard every time it attacks.
• Destiny Board: If "Destiny Board", "Spirit Message "I"", "Spirit Message "N"", "Spirit Message "A"" and "Spirit Message "L"" were all placed on your side of the field in that order through "Destiny Board's" effect, you win the Duel. "Destiny Board's" effect allows you to place one of the "Spirit Message" cards from your hand or Deck onto the Field during each of your opponent's turns.
• Final Countdown: Once "Final Countdown" is activated by paying 2000 Life Points, you win the Duel in 20 turns.
• Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes: If "Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes" on your side of the field has three Hyper-Venom Counters on it, you win the Duel. "Vennominaga" gains a Hyper-Venom Counter every time it inflicts Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points.
• The Creator God of Light, Horakhty: If "The Creator God of Light, Horakhty" is Special Summoned by Tributing "Slifer the Sky Dragon", "Obelisk the Tormentor" and "The Winged Dragon of Ra", the player that Summoned it wins the Duel. Its Summon cannot be negated, so cards like "Solemn Judgment", "Solemn Warning", etc. are useless against it.
• Last Turn: When you activate "Last Turn", you choose one monster on your side of the field, and all other cards on the field and in the players' hands are sent to the Graveyard. Your opponent then Special Summons a monster from his/her Deck. A special Battle Phase occurs in which the two monsters battle (Battle Damage is ignored). The player whose monster remains alone on the field at the End Phase of this turn wins the Duel. This card is currently Forbidden in the Advanced Format.
• Match Winners: If a Match Winner attacks your opponent directly and makes his/her Life Points 0 by the Battle Damage it inflicted, you win the entire Match. It should be noted that, all Match Winners printed are Illegal, except for "Victory Dragon", which is instead Forbidden in the Advanced Format.
• Deuce: If you damage your opponent two times in a row after activating when both players have under 1000 Life points, you win the Duel. This is an anime-only card.

"Pseudo" Victory Conditions

These cards don't directly cause you to win the Duel, but rather set up a situation in which is it impossible for your opponent to win the Duel.

• Flint, Flint Lockx2, and Morale Boost: If you control Flint, two copies of Flint Locks, and Morale Boost, then you can continuously equip Flint, switching between the two Flint Locks, while Morale Boost gives you 1000 Life Points each time you do so. This can be repeated infinitely, effectively giving you an arbitrarily high number of Life Points, making it impossible for your opponent to win.
• Yata-Garasu: If you successfully inflict damage by an attack from "Yata-Garasu" while your opponent controls no cards and has no cards in his/her hand, then it will be impossible for your opponent to win as long as you keep attacking. Because "Yata-Garasu" skips the opponent's next Draw Phase each time it inflicts damage, they will be stuck in an inescapable Lockdown loop, never able to play any cards. In most video games, such as the Tag Force series and the World Championship series, the AI opponent will surrender during their Main Phase 1 after this Lockdown is set up (the only way the AI will ever surrender). This card is currently Forbidden in the Advanced Format.
• Butterfly Dagger - Elma, Gearfried the Iron Knight, and Spell Absorption: If you control Gearfried the Iron Knight and Spell Absorption with Butterfly Dagger - Elma in your hand, then you can continuously equip Butterfly Dagger - Elma to Gearfried the Iron Knight (since Butterfly Dagger - Elma will be destroyed and returned to the hand each time it is equipped) while Spell Absorption gives you 500 Life Points each time you do so. This can be repeated infinitely, effectively giving you an arbitrarily high number of Life Points, making it impossible for your opponent to win. Butterfly Dagger - Elma is currently Forbidden in the Advanced Format.
• Relay Soul: If you successfully activate Relay Soul and then allow the monster Special Summoned by its effect to leave the field without being destroyed (such as by Tributing it), then it will be impossible for you to lose the Duel, since it will be impossible to destroy that monster. This is an anime-only card.