Linked

This article is about the gameplay mechanic. For the property on Link Monsters, see Link Rating. For other uses, see Link (disambiguation).

Linked
Japanese	リンク状（じょう）態（たい）
Japanese (ruby)	リンクじょうたい
Japanese (base text)	リンク状態
Japanese (romanized)	Rinku Jōtai
Japanese (translated)	Link State
Other names Italian: Linkato

A monster is linked (リンク状（じょう）態（たい） Rinku Jōtai, "Link State") if it points to another monster, OR if another monster points to it; in both cases, they are linked to each other.

Co-linked

Two monsters are co-linked (相（そう）互（ご）リンク Sōgo Rinku, "Mutual Link") if both of them point to each other.

Examples

Example A: Linked Monsters

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Example B: Co-linked Monsters

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Extra Link

Two examples of a complete Extra Link.
Left: Using the player's own Link Monsters in the Main Monster Zones.
Right: Using the opponent's.

An Extra Link (Japanese: ＥＸ（エクストラ）リンク, Ekusutora Rinku) is a series of five co-linked Link Monsters that spans from one Extra Monster Zone to the other. This allows a player to control monsters in both Extra Monster Zones simultaneously. Since both are occupied, the opponent cannot use either of the Extra Monster Zones, unless they remove a monster from one of those zones.

A player can perform an Extra Link so long as the following conditions are met:

1. The player controls a Link Monster in an Extra Monster Zone while the other Extra Monster Zone is unoccupied.
2. Three Link Monsters occupy all three central Main Monster Zones on one side of the field. (The player performing the Extra Link can use three opponent's monsters as these three.)
3. All of the above Link Monsters must be co-linked with the others that are orthogonally adjacent to it.

In that case, the player who controls the Link Monster in the Extra Monster Zone can Link Summon a second Link Monster to the unoccupied Extra Monster Zone, as long as it would be co-linked with the Link Monster in the Extra Link orthogonally adjacent to it. Performing the Link Summon must not disturb the Extra Link by using the Link Monsters involved as Link Materials.

The final result is a U-shaped chain of five Link Monsters, each co-linked to the others that are orthogonally adjacent to it.