Defense Position

Defense Position
Japanese	守（しゅ）備（び）表（ひょう）示（じ）
Japanese (ruby)	しゅびひょうじ
Japanese (base text)	守備表示
Japanese (romanized)	Shubi Hyōji
Japanese (translated)	Defense Display
English	Defense Position
English (anime)	Defense Mode
Other names French: Position de Défense German: Verteidigungsposition Italian: Posizione di Difesa Korean: 수비 표시 (守備形式) Subi Pyosi Portuguese: Posição de Defesa Spanish: Posición de Defensa Traditional Chinese: 守備表示 Shǒubèi Biǎoshì / Sau2 bei6 Biu2 si6

This is what a card looks like in Defense Position.

Defense Position (Japanese: 守（しゅ）備（び）表（ひょう）示（じ） Shubi Hyōji; English-dubbed anime: Defense Mode) is a Battle position in which a Monster Card can be either face-up or face-down, in a horizontal position. In this position, the DEF value is used to represent this card, except where a card effect requires a specific examination of the ATK value.

In Defense Position, a Monster Card is always placed horizontally in its Monster Card Zone, rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise from its Attack Position as seen by its owner. When a monster is Set, it is played in face-down Defense Position. Monsters cannot be Normal Summoned in face-up Defense Position, except by a card effect that allows them to be Summoned that way (such as "Light of Intervention"). During a battle involving a Defense Position monster, the DEF value of that monster is used to calculate Battle Damage, rather than the ATK value.

Usually, Defense Position monsters cannot attack, but some monsters such as "Elemental HERO Rampart Blaster" and "Total Defense Shogun" have effects that allow them to attack while in Defense Position; some "Superheavy Samurai" monsters can attack in Defense Position, but apply their DEF instead of their ATK as their ATK during damage calculation.

Also, the controller of a Defense Position monster takes no damage if it is destroyed in battle, even if the attacker has higher ATK than his monster's DEF. Exceptions do exist, as some cards grant the piercing ability, which lets a monster inflict damage in this way. Examples include monsters such as "Spear Dragon" and "Gaia Soul the Combustible Collective", as well as Spell and Trap Cards such as "Big Bang Shot" and "Dragon's Rage". If the attacker has lower ATK than the DEF of the attack target, the attacker takes Battle Damage, but neither monster is destroyed. If the attacker's ATK is equal to the target's DEF, neither player takes Battle Damage and neither monster is destroyed.

As Link Monsters do not have DEF, they cannot be changed to Defense Position.

In the various anime, a player is able to Normal Summon their monsters in face-up Defense Position without the aid of card effects. Also, the materialized Monster Cards in face-up Defense Position have their said position illustrated; in Yu-Gi-Oh! and Yu-Gi-Oh! GX the monsters will crouch into a defensive pose above an enlarged likeness of the actual card placed in the conventional Defense Position. In Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, they become blue-colored. In Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL, the monsters return to simple defensive poses. In Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, they glow with a blue aura. In Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS, the monster's appearance remains unchanged regardless of battle position.