Changes

In Defense Position, a Monster Card is always in a Horizontal Position. When a monster is [[Set]], it is played in [[face-down]] Defense Position. Monsters cannot be [[Normal Summon]]ed in [[face-up]] Defense Position, except by a card effect that allows them to be summoned that way (such as "[[Light of Intervention]]"). During battle between 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 HERO Rampart Blaster]]" and "[[Total Defense Shogun]]" have effects that allow them to attack while in Defense Position.

Also, the controller of a Defense Position monster takes no damage if it is destroyed in battle, even if the attacker has higher attack ATK than his monster's defenseDEF. 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]]" and Spells and Traps 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.

In the ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's]] '' anime, Defense Position monsters become blue-colored.