List of unofficial terms

This article lists a variety of unofficial terms used by players to describe game mechanics and gameplay situations in Yu-Gi-Oh!.

Terms

3-of

A card that is considered good to the point where 3 copies of it is always run for that Deck.

1-of / One-off

A card that is crucial for the game plan, but is only run at one copy due the Deck is capable of searching it without the need to draw into it or have it in the opening hand, and that running multiple copies would be detrimental to the Deck's consistency.

6-of

A card that, on top of being good on its own, is also able to be put into play by another card's effect, thus increasing the chances that card is seen. This can be extended to any number, depending on how many effects can interact with that card this way. For example, "Malefic World" (Unlimited) can be activated directly from the Deck with "Malefic Territory" (Unlimited), and also added to the hand with "Terraforming" (Limited) and "Metaverse" (Unlimited); should a player run the maximum amount of these in their Deck, "Malefic World" becomes a 10-of card.

5th Summon / Before the 5th Summon

Refers to what monsters the player can manage to Summon before the opponent is able to activate "Nibiru, the Primal Being". Often used in describing combos which can Summon a monster that can prevent "Nibiru, the Primal Being" from being used before it is live (e.g. "Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon", "Toadally Awesome").

Advantage

A general term for the gain or loss of cards currently in play.

Hand advantage

Having more cards in your hand than your opponent.

Field advantage

Having more cards or monsters on your field than your opponent.

Plus / Minus / Neutral

Increasing, decreasing, or not changing the number of cards in one's own hand/field, relative to the opponent. Cards that affect this may be described in terms of this: for instance, "Pot of Greed", which costs itself and adds two cards to the player's hand for a net gain of one card, is a "+1"; "Raigeki Break", which costs itself and a card from the hand while destroying an opponent's card, is a "-1."; and "Graceful Charity", which costs itself, adds three cards to the player's hand, and then removes two cards from the player's hand, is "neutral".

"Minus" is also frequently called as "neg".

Can also be used as a verb, such as "plussing off" from a play which grants a significant net gain of cards through card interactions, and as a place, such as "going neg 2 in hand advantage" when playing a Spell with a discard cost.

X for X

The amount of card advantage lost and gained during the resolution of a card effect, including the card being played as a "-1" in the exchange. For example, "Smashing Ground" is a 1 for 1, "Icarus Attack" is a 2 for 2, "Reinforcement of the Army" is a 1 for 1, and "Cynet Mining" is a 2 for 1.

The first three examples are "neutral", while the fourth is "-1".

Cycling

Cards that allow the player to increase their hand size by the same number of cards they use to do so (i.e. net 0 hand advantage).

Anima zone

Refers to the center-left and center-right Monster Zone located directly opposite of the Extra Monster Zone. These zones were named after "Relinquished Anima", which has an effect to equip the opponent's monster placed in that zone as a removal, and as such players would actively avoid placing their boss monster in that zone if they are wary that the opponent will use "Anima".

At X / To X

Refers to the card's Status and its changes. For example, "Pot of Greed" is "at 0" (meaning Forbidden), and "Yata-Garasu" went back "to 3" (meaning removed from the banlist).

Autocorrect card

A card with an effect that replaces a card in your hand with a card in your Deck, required to be resolved during a deck's standard combo or power-play.

Axis

Deck types that primarily focus on summoning monsters with the same Level and utilizing generic Xyz Monster of that Rank for their main plays. For example "8-Axis" is a deck focused on summoning Level 8 Monsters to summon Rank 8 Monsters.

Bait / Baiting

Using certain cards to force the opponent into responding with card effects (typically with hand traps or negation effects) in order to reduce the interruption risks. For example, the player uses a searcher card to lure out "Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring" while they already have a combo starter or another searcher in their hand.

Ban

The act of forbidding a card from being used.

Banlist

The Forbidden/Limited List.

Battle Trap

Cards (usually Trap Cards) that can only be activated during the Battle Phase or Damage Step. Usually with an effect that can influrence the outcome of that battle or has negative effects on the opponent. Example of battle traps including "Magic Cylinder" and "Mirror Force".

Beatstick / Beater / Bungus

A monster whose main purpose in a Deck is to use its high ATK to damage the opponent's LP.

Glorified beatstick

An Effect Monster with high ATK whose effect is rarely utilized in its Deck, and thus spends most of its time being a beatstick.

BKSS

Short for "Because Konami Said So", BKSS is typically used sarcastically to refer to card-specific rulings, especially when the ruling of a card seemingly contradicts the rulings of other cards with similar effects, or with the description in its card text.

Blind second

Choosing to go second when winning the coin flip (or other player-determining method); used to take advantage of generic cards (such as "Dark Ruler No More" or "Evenly Matched" in the main deck) and/or deck types (such as "Crusadia" or "Numeron") that perform better when the player goes second.

Blast / Pop

The act of destroying a card on the field.

Blowout / Sacky

A single card (typically a Spell/Trap) with a high-power effect that can rapidly shift the tempo in its user's favor. The latter term is used especially for powerful cards that is unsearchable within the deck.

Bluff

Intentionally set a Spell/Trap at the end of the turn in hope that the opponent would take more cautious approach, even if that set card cannot be used to interrupt their plays.

Board

A player's field, more specifically the cards they have in play.

End board

The cards that a Deck or combo aims to have on the field at the end of a turn, especially the first turn.

Break a board

The act of removing or neutralizing the threat of a player's field. Usually used when that player's field has multiple effect negations and/or various stun cards.

Board breaker

A card that can remove or neutralize several cards on the opponent's field, such as "Dark Ruler No More" and "Evenly Matched".

Establish a board

The act of Summoning and using card effects to fill one's own empty field with monsters and Spells/Traps.

Board wipe / Nuke

The act of removing multiple (usually all) cards on the field (or opponent's side of the field) in a single turn or effect.

Book / Blanket

The act of flipping a monster to face-down Defense Position; the former term is named after "Book of Moon".

Boost

The act of using an effect that increases ATK or DEF.

Boss

High-power monster(s) that take on a board control role in an archetype or Deck, either by ATK/DEF or by effect. For example, the boss monster of the "Cubic" archetype is "Crimson Nova Trinity the Dark Cubic Lord". Another example is "Lightsworn", whose Decks have multiple bosses: "Judgment Dragon", "Michael, the Arch-Lightsworn", and "Minerva, the Exalted Lightsworn".

Bounce

The act of returning a card from the field to the hand.

Body

A monster on the field.

Break

This term has two distinct usages:

• The act of destroying a card on the field (see also pop).
• Making a card broken, through interaction with other card effects. Usually used in context of newer cards making older cards far more powerful through specific interactions.

Brick / Dead draw

Describing a hand that results in the player having to make a sub-optimal play, if they can make a play at all, or (especially the latter term) a card that isn't useful when added to the hand.

Garnet

A card that is crucial to a Deck's strategy, but can become less useful, or even useless, when drawn into. Named after "Gem-Knight Garnet", a commonly played card played as a one-off in the "Brilliant Fusion" engine, who, if drawn into, disables "Brilliant Fusion".

Buff

A positive effect applied on a monster OR the act of using it. Alternatively, it can also be used to refer to an OCG/TCG card's effect being made stronger than its anime/manga version.

Debuff

A negative effect applied on a monster OR the act of using it.

Burn

Effect damage and the act of using it.

Bury

Placing a cards(s) on the bottom of the Deck.

Card pool

The total set of Legal cards that can be used in Deckbuilding.

Caveman / Caveman Yu-Gi-Oh!

A Deck that is primarily focused on the Battle Phase, without regard for board building or breaking. Also used to refer to "War Rock" (who actually are cavemen). Also referred to as "unga bunga", typically in a derisive context.

Chain blocking

When multiple Spell Speed 1 effects simultaneously meet their activation conditions, such that they could all be activated during the same Chain, deliberately placing more desirable effects at a lower Chain Link so that the opponent cannot activate other cards in response to them. (For example, if both "Reeshaddoll Wendi" and another "Shaddoll" monster activate their effects due to being sent to the Graveyard as Fusion Material, placing "Reeshaddoll Wendi" as Chain Link 1 and the other "Shaddoll" as Chain Link 2 will prevent the opponent from responding to the effect of "Reeshaddoll Wendi" with "Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring".)

Chase card

A card designed with the intention of being desired by players of multiple existing decks, printed in the scarcest possible rarity with the goal of having the most possible consumers "chase" the card for as long and for as many packs as possible.

Cheat out

Special Summoning a Special Summon Monster using a method other than its standard Summoning procedure. For example, the Main Deck "Tri-Brigade" monsters are able to "cheat out" Link Monsters by banishing a number of monsters from the Graveyard equal to that Link Monster's Link Rating.

Circular

A card (typically a Main Deck monster) that is capable of setting up the combo all by itself without using Normal Summon, usually via searching and sending cards to the Graveyard to set up the combo. Named after "Mathmech Circular", a monster that can sent a "Mathmech" monster from the Deck as a cost to special summon itself, providing both a key search effects and GY resource for the "Mathmech" archetype.

Closer / Finisher

A monster ideal for ending the game, usually by attacking the opponent with high ATK values. Notable examples include "Borrelsword Dragon" and "Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Juggernaut Liebe".

X for game

Describes a situation when a player uses a card or its effect to win the game. For example, "Cowboy for game" describes when a player uses the effect of "Gagaga Cowboy" to deal game-ending damage to the opponent.

Combo

An interaction between several cards that work together (typically through searching or trigger effects) to achieve a certain goal (such as Summoning a boss monster or doing a board wipe). Combos are often started by the interaction of 2 cards.

Combo starter

A card(s) that kickstarts a combo.

Combo piece

A card that makes up a combo.

1-card combo

A combo that can be kickstarted by using only a single card. (For example, "Aleister the Invoker" can search for "Invocation" upon Normal Summon, then be used for the Link Summon of "Salamangreat Almiraj" followed by "Secure Gardna" to set up at least two "Invocation" Fusion Summons.)

1.5-card combo

A combo that can be kickstarted by using only a single specific card, then any non-specific card as fodder. (For example, "Swordsoul of Mo Ye" can easily kickstart a combo in "Swordsoul" Decks by itself, but requires a Wyrm monster or "Swordsoul" card in the hand to be revealed for its effect.)

3-card combo

A combo that requires 3 cards to be kickstarted; usually used mockingly or sarcastically.

Cookie cutter

Decks that are common and built the same way, using no unique cards or strategies.

Counter

Using a negation effect in response to an opponent's card or effect.

Counterattack

A monster that had been attacked, but was not destroyed, destroys the attacker after the attack OR a monster gains enough ATK/DEF to overpower an attacking monster.

Crashing / Ramming / Suicide

Intentionally attacking knowing the attacker will be destroyed.

Custom card

This term has two distinct usage:

• A fan-made unofficial Yu-Gi-Oh! cards that is typically used in various fan-made formats or simulator.
• An official card(s) that were deemed to have way too many overarching effects, as if it was "custom made" to address the theme's critical weakness. Typically in a derisive context.

Custom hand

Describe the situation when the player's starting hand consists of the most "optimal" cards to perform their combo (such as a starter, an extender, and an anti-handtrap cards), or all the cards they needed to counter the opponent's board when going second.

Defend the castle

A strategy that involves summoning a single powerful or versatile monster, usually one with exceptionally strong protection or disruption effects, and keeping it on the field as long as possible.

Disrupt

Any form of interaction on the opponent's turn that can prevent one of their plays, typically negating a card effect or removing a card from the field on their turn.

Ditch

The act of sending a card from the hand to the GY as part of a Deck's strategy.

Dump

The act of sending a card(s) to the GY (typically from the Deck).

EMZ

The Extra Monster Zone.

Enabler

Cards that are crucial for starting a certain plays. For example, "Number 97: Draglubion" is known as an "OTK enabler" for its use to cheat out "Number 100: Numeron Dragon" for an OTK attempt.

Choke point

A card that is highly crucial to its Deck's strategy, that if its effect is interrupted, the Deck's strategy is stopped in its tracks entirely.

Engine / Package

A number of cards that helps a Deck achieve a certain action or helps a player draw a good card. For example, a player may use a "Windwitch engine" consisting of "Windwitch - Snow Bell", "Windwitch - Ice Bell", "Windwitch - Glass Bell", and "Windwitch - Crystal Bell" to Special Summon "Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon" quickly.

Non-Engine

A card that cannot be searched within the Deck and/or is not a part of the Deck's game plans, but is used to either improve the Deck's consistency or to provide certain utility and/or counter to the opponent's plays, such as Draw power cards or various Hand Traps.

Evolution / Upgrade

A card that is an improvement on another card while holding a similar design.

Sidegrade

A card that have similar function with another card, but is better or worse than its counterparts depending on the situation. For example, "Cosmic Cyclone" can be considered a "sidegrade" of "Mystical Space Typhoon" as it banishes the targeted Spell/Trap cards and bypass most of the on-destruction effects, but at a cost of 1000 LP.

Extender

Cards that can be combined with others in order to further extend the player's combos, usually allowing the Summoning of more and/or better monsters. However, they tend to lack the ability to achieve much if used without other cards. An example of an extender is "Parallel eXceed", which does nothing to start combos, but after a Link Summon, it can Special Summon itself from the hand, as well as another copy of itself from the Deck, to continue Link-based plays or be used for a Rank 4 Xyz Summon (as a "Parallel eXceed" Summoned by either of its effects becomes Level 4).

Filter

In Rush Duel, cards that make the player send 1 card (typically a monster of a specific Type) from their hand to the Graveyard to draw 1 card from their Deck.

Fizzle

Resolving without effect. For example, if "Monster Reborn" is activated, but the targeted monster is subsequently removed from the Graveyard before resolution, the effect resolves with no effect.

Dodge

Player intentionally remove their own card on the field to avoid opponent's activated effects (typically a negation effect which Target the player's card on the field), so that their own card's effect would resolve properly. For example, if opponent activates the negation effect of "D/D/D Cursed King Siegfried" in response to the player's non-Continuous Spell/Trap activation, player can Chain "Mystical Space Typhoon" to destroy the targeted card to cause the negation effect to resolve with no effect.

Floater

A monster with an effect that replaces itself when it leaves the field. For example, "Denglong, First of the Yang Zing" Special Summons a monster when it leaves the field (no field advantage is lost).

Float

Special Summoning another monster with the effect of a floater.

Floodgate

A card with a continuous effect that restricts one or both players from performing certain actions. For example, "Summon Limit" prevents both players from Summoning for the rest of the turn they have already summoned two times that turn.

Monkeflip

A derogatory nickname given to strategies entirely revolving around floodgate cards.

Fodder

A card that is used solely as a Tribute, material or for costs.

Follow up

Combos that can be performed in the turn after the player's current turn, or the cards that enable follow up combos, usually searchable ones.

Foolish / Dump

A card that sends a specific card from the Deck to the Graveyard, in reference to "Foolish Burial".

Format

This term has two distinct usages:

• A period of the game in which certain cards and/or decks have gained prominence and dominated the metagame of the time. For example, "Zoodiac Format" refers to a period in which "Zoodiac" decks had high representation rates on several top tournaments.
• An alternate, usually fan-made format, using the card pools of a certain period of the game, sometimes with alternative rules. Two official alternative formats exists in the TCG; the Traditional Format and the Speed Duel format.

Gauntlet

A series of secondary Decks made by players, that aren't often used as their usual Deck, but for practicing against.

Generic

Cards that can be played in most Decks without causing conflict, or can be used to refer to Extra Deck monsters with non-specific materials.

Semi-generic

Cards that are less generic, but nonetheless can still find space in many Decks (e.g. Type- or Attribute-specific supports).

Gentlemen / Gentlemen'ed

In a Match, refers to an agreement between both players to remove certain card (usually floodgates) from their respective decks to their side deck after the first game to allow both sides to play with less restrictions.

Gimmick / Gimmick Deck

Decks that uses an unconventional strategy or card effects to achieve its win condition. Notable examples including "Last Turn OTK" and "Frog Burn FTK".

Table 500

Decks that use impractical, usually unorthodox strategies. Usually used in the context where such Decks appear in high-profile tournaments and go up against competitive Decks.

Goodstuff

A Deck built using many different cards that are individually strong but whose effects have little to no synergy, instead of being built around a specific archetype, series, card, or combo.

Grind game

A state, usually later in the duel, where both players have spent large amounts of resources and neither has a clear advantage.

Hand traps

Cards (usually monsters) with effects that can be activated from the hand on the opponent's turn. Some famous hand traps in the metagame's history include "Effect Veiler", "D.D. Crow", "Maxx "C"", "Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring", and "Nibiru, the Primal Being".

Handloop

Repeatedly removing cards from the opponent's hand, especially on the first turn.

Hard counter

Cards or theme that were capable of stopping specific strategy that would leave the opponent at a severe disadvantage or stop any of their possible play entirely. For example, various Pendulum Summoning-related strategy can be countered with the card "Anti-Spell Fragrance" which prevents any Pendulum Scale from being placed in the Pendulum Zone and thus shut down the strategy entirely.

Hard draw

Cards that cannot be searched from the deck and are thus reliant on the player drawing into it to be in the hand.

Hard once per turn / HOPT

A card effect(s) specified as being usable "only once per turn" for "[effect] of [card name]", i.e. once among all copies of that card in the player's possession. For example, if player has two copies of "Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring" on their hand, only one of these can be used in a single turn due to the effect's condition.

Soft once per turn

A card effect(s) specified as being usable "once per turn", i.e. once per each face-up copy of that card on the player's field. For example, if player has two copies of "Baronne de Fleur" on the field, they can active the destruction effect of "Baronne" once per turn per each face up copies on the field, but they can only activate the negation effect of a single copy of "Baronne" once per turn due to the "hard once per turn" restriction.

Hard summon

Summoning a monster from the extra deck (usually Fusion or Xyz Monster) using the default summoning requirements instead of an alternate and usually easier requirements listed on the card. For example, player summoned "Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS - Sky Thunder" using two Level 12 Monsters as a material instead of its alternate summoning condition that requires any Xyz monster player control as a material after any Xyz monster battled that turn.

Highlander clause

A card that prevents the player controlling more than 1 copy of it, or that prevents either player controlling more than one copy of it. The term references the film Highlander and its tagline, There can be only one.

Highlander format

A fan-made format where Decks can only contain one copy of each card.

Hits the field

When a monster is successfully summoned without being interrupted by the opponent's card.

Homesickness

Describing a monster that requires a Field Spell to be in play in order to be on the field, for example the "Earthbound Immortal" monsters.

Hybrid Deck

Deck that primarily consists of cards from two of more themes that have good synergy to be played with one another, either without compromising each other's consistency or allows for more advanced plays.

Interruption

An effect that can be activated in the opponent's turn to disrupt the opponent's actions.

Jumping through hoops

Cards or effects that need a highly specific requirement in order to be activated and are thus very hard to use. Notable example includes "Linear Equation Cannon", which requires the user to solve the linear equation in order to properly activate its effect.

Laddering / Climbing

Summoning progressively stronger monsters in succession by using the previously Summoned monster as a material or Tribute to Summon the next one.

Lethal

The state of having enough ATK presence on the field to win the Duel.

Level Up

The act of Special Summoning an "LV" monster, either by the effect of a lower-level "LV" monster or by using "Level Up!".

Limbo

A pseudo-location used to describe the location of a monster that is currently being Summoned, but has not been successfully Summoned yet (i.e. during the Chain in which its Summon can be negated). A monster being Summoned is not in its previous location nor on the field, so it is often said to be "in limbo" at this time. Also used to describe Xyz Materials, which are physically placed on the game mat's field zones, but are not actually on the field in gameplay.

Lock / Bind

The act of keeping a monster useless on the field with difficulty in removing it OR the act of preventing the opponent from using specific card(s) or location (such as Graveyard or Deck).

Lockdown

A situation in which a player has an extreme field control.

Lucksacking

A situation in which the player is at a large disadvantage and draws a card that ends up turning the game in their favor, or is relying on drawing such a card. Also referred to as "Drawing the out" and "Heart of the Cards".

Maxx C Challenge

Attempting to deck out the opponent by repeatedly Special Summoning after the opponent activated "Maxx C", forcing the opponent to draw their entire deck.

Meta / Metagame

The collective strategies and Deck themes used at competitive events. The metagame constantly shifts and evolves as new cards are released. "Meta Decks" are the Decks that are considered the best in the format at the present moment, but can quickly change as new cards are released or the Forbidden & Limited lists are changed.

Anti-meta

Decks that are built specifically to counter current Meta Decks.

Midrange

A deck type that features overall balanced characteristics, thus being able to adapt to various situations while often sacrificing offensive/defensive speciality.

Mimic / Copy

Having a card gain the property (usually Effect or ATK) of another card, such as with "The Tyrant Neptune" or "Supreme King Dragon Starving Venom".

Mirror Match

Two opposing Decks using the same archetype, strategy, or theme; often shortened to "mirror".

Misplay

Short for "mistaken plays", refers to when the player committed mistakes that leave them in a disadvantagous position or causing them to unable to execute the planned tactics. Such as using a removal card against card(s) that were unaffected by it, or attempting to summon monsters that would not be summonable due to restrictions placed on other card effect.

Misclick

When player choose the wrong cards to activate its effect or used as a cost that they were left in disadvantagous position. Typically in context of a digital card game (such as Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel) where player has to "click" on each cards to select and/or activate its effect.

Mon

Monster Cards.

Nerf

A card had its usability reduced, either by ruling or card effect. Alternatively, it can also be used to refer to an OCG/TCG card's effect being made weaker than its anime/manga version.

Netdeck

The act of completely copying a Deck (often those that win the YCS or placed high in a competition) from online sources without any modification. This practice is sometimes frowned upon, as it is perceived as a lack of creativity in the interest of getting a cheap win, though new players can do so in order to learn how a Deck works before they make their own changes. Yu-Gi-Oh! GX - Episode 018 and Yu-Gi-Oh! GX - Episode 019 takes a jab at this phenomenon with Dimitri, a Duelist who copies the Decks of others.

Omninegate

A card that can negate monster, Spell, and Trap effects. Examples of cards with omninegate effects are "Baronne de Fleur" and "Wandering Gryphon Rider".

On legs

A monster that has a similar effect to that of a Spell/Trap Card. Examples are "Evolzar Laggia", which has a similar effect to "Solemn Judgment", and "Virtual World Kyubi - Shenshen", whose banishing effect is similar to that of "Macro Cosmos".

OP / Broken

A card that is too powerful compared to other cards of its peer.

Out

Eliminating an opponent's card that disrupts the player's strategy.

Overextending

The process of a player filling their Monster Zones and/or Spell & Trap Zones with more cards than necessary, leaving the player at risk from nukes (such as "Dark Hole" or "Black Rose Dragon"). Having a full field may also prevent them from playing new cards.

Pack filler

A typically derogatory word referring to cards (typically generic one) that have a weak and/or convoluted effect and thus deemed undesirable to obtain and use. The word alludes that these card only exists to "filling" the card pool of the set.

Pend

Shorthand for Pendulum Monsters and various Pendulum Summon-centric decks in general.

Pet Deck / Pet Decking

Describe a Deck(s) that were played by someone for their own personal preferences and/or enjoyment rather than competitive viability.

Pet card

A card(s) that were included into a Deck for the user's personal preference rather than an actual synergy.

Pile

This term has two distinct usages:

• A stack of cards, referring to the Graveyard, banished cards, the Main or Extra Deck etc.
• Decks (typically of sizes greater than 40 cards) built using many different generically strong cards or archetypes that lack specific synergies between them (synonymous with goodstuff).

Pilot

Refers to person who play specific decks/themes OR the act of playing these decks, akin to that player "piloting" (i.e. assume control) their deck.

Play

An action involving playing a card or cards, often a combo, e.g. "making a play."

Playset

3 copies of a card, the maximum amount that could exist in a Deck.

Poplar

A Main Deck monster with an effect that allows them to Special Summon itself after being searched into the hand. The term is named after "Snake-Eyes Poplar", a monster that started the trend of similar monsters released after it, though the first monster of this kind was "Watapon", long predating "Poplar".

Powercreep

A general term for the phenomena of new cards outclassing old cards.

Powercrept / Strictly better / Strictly worse

A card that fills the same role as another card, but is mechanically superior or inferior in every significant fashion: for instance, "Ookazi" to "Sparks."

Proc

Short for "proceed", refers to any effects have met its triggering requirements met OR the process of setting up the game state to satisfy that effect's requirements.

Online / Live

The gamestate where certain conditions allowed cards or effects to be activated. For example, "Adamancipator Risen - Dragite" requires a WATER monster in your GY for its negation effect to be usable, thus if there were WATER monster in your GY, "Dragite's" negation effect became "online".

Pure Deck

A Deck that primarily uses cards from a certain theme without mixing it with cards from other themes.

Rage

Force Attacks in effect.

Recycle / Recover / Recursion

The act of adding cards from the Graveyard to the hand or Deck.

Reflect damage

Monsters with an effect that cause the opponent to takes any battle damage in a battle involving it. Examples including "Yubel", "Daigusto Sphreez", and various "Mikanko" monsters.

Reload

The act of recovering cards to use them as fodder.

Removal

A card specifically used to move cards from the opponent's field to locations off the field, for example by destroying them.

Reset

The act of having a card returned to its initial state when it is placed on the field.

Revive

The act of Special Summoning from the Graveyard.

Row

A line of card Zones stretching across a player's side of the field, from the Field Zone or Extra Deck Zone to the Graveyard or Deck Zone.

Frontrow

The row including the Monster Zones; literally the front row from the player's perspective.

Backrow

The row including the Spell & Trap Zones; literally the back row from the player's perspective. Can also refer to cards that would normally be placed in that Zone.

Backrow Deck / Trap Deck

A Deck that focuses heavily on Spell and Trap Cards, such as Altergeist, Traptrix, or Labrynth. See also Set 5 Pass.

Backrow hate

Cards that are mainly used to destroy or disable cards in the opponent's Spell & Trap Zone. Examples of such cards are "Mystical Space Typhoon" and "Cosmic Cyclone".

Backrow removal

The act of removing Spell/Traps from the field. Can also be used interchangeably with "backrow hate".

R4NK

Referencing Rank 4 Xyz Monsters and Decks that make heavy use out of the more powerful ones.

ROTA / Stratos

A card that searches key cards from the Deck for any broad theme. Named for "Reinforcement of the Army" and "Elemental HERO Stratos", which serves this purpose for Warrior Decks and "HERO" Decks, respectively.

Run over

Destroying an opponent's monster by battle. Usually used within the context where no card effects are involved.

Scaling

The act of weighing Booster Packs to determine which pack has a rare card.

Scoop

Surrendering a duel. Named after the act of a player "scooping" up all of their cards to reform their Deck in preparation for the next Duel.

Search / Tutor / Recruit

The act of adding a card from your Deck to your hand, except by drawing, or Special Summoning a monster from your Deck.

Second hand

Decks that utilize or rely on Graveyard effects to making and/or extending plays, as if these cards are in a "second hand" of the player.

Shadowstrike / Shadow dive / Poke

direct attacker in effect.

Set 5 Pass

The act of setting 5 cards on your starting hand in the Spell & Trap Zone and ending your turn instead of Summoning monsters on your first turn. See also Backrow Deck.

Shiny

Cards that are reprinted in elaborate high-rarity foils, such as Gold Rare or Ghost Rare.

Shotgunning

The act of using the effect of a card (usually a hand trap) that has no activation condition or requirement before the situation calls for it. For example, immediately activating the effect of "Maxx "C"" at the start of the opponent's turn, before they even attempt to Special Summon anything.

Shut / Knock / Nope / Strike

The act of Negating, whether temporary or permanently; the last one being a reference to the popular negation card Solemn Strike.

Smokescreening

In a Match, catching the opponent off-guard by running a different strategy on the second or third duel to render the opponent's Side Deck counter cards useless. Usually done by specifically running 2 strategies that consist of 15 or less cards (one as the Main Deck, and one in the Side Deck) and filling the rest of the Main Deck with staples, generic techs and cards that work with both strategies.

Snatch Steal

Taking control of the opponent's monsters. Named after "Snatch Steal".

Snipe

The act of choosing and discarding a card from the opponent's hand.

Handrip

An effect that causes a card to be discarded from the opponent's hand.

Solitaire

A strategy that either has little interaction with the opponent (i.e. attempting to draw out Exodia pieces) or involves the player taking extremely long turns where they make a large number of plays and combos, especially in reference to Synchro and Link-focused Decks. Typically used derisively.

Spawn

The act of Summoning the same monster, usually a Token or low-Level Monster, with another card from time to time.

Speed

In the context of Deck performance, Speed refers to how quickly can a Deck access its key cards.

Spell Speed 4

A card whose effect cannot be responded to by other cards or effects, such as "Super Polymerization". (Note that these effects are not actually a higher Spell Speed—for example, "Super Polymerization" cannot be Chained in response to a Spell Speed 3 effect.)

Spin

The act of returning a card from the field to the Deck.

S/T / S&T / ST

Spell and Trap Cards.

Stack

The act of arranging one's own Deck with a card effect to ensure they draw a good card; inversely, it can also refer to the act of arranging an opponent's Deck with a card effect to ensure said opponent won't draw a good card.

Stall

The act of prolonging the game with a card effect. Depending on the context and severity, this may be met with penalties at tournaments.

Stand

The act of changing a monster to face-up Attack Position OR a monster remains on the field with high ATK/DEF for its current Battle Position.

Staple

A good card that can be used in many Decks, or is almost obligatory for use in a certain Deck type; the name refers to the idea that such cards "hold the Deck together".

Splashable / Semi-Staple

Cards that can function in a wide variety of Decks, but aren't necessarily as vital to the Deck as a staple card. Popular Side Deck choices.

Tech

A card placed in a Main Deck, Side Deck, or Extra Deck for the purpose of supporting a Deck with cards that help it run smoother, deal with cards that would counter the Deck, or to combat specific Deck builds often run in the current metagame.

Starter

A card(s) required to initiate a Deck's important combos.

Steal

The act of taking your opponent's monster, or their card's property, for your own.

Absorb / Eat

The act of forcing a monster to become an Equip Card or Xyz Material, removing its field presence and usually gaining its power in some way. Examples of monsters that can absorb other monsters are "Destiny HERO - Plasma", "Cyber Dragon Infinity", and "Number 101: Silent Honor ARK".

Stun

The act of restricting the opponent from making certain plays. A Stun Deck is a deck specifically built to restrict the opponent to the user's advantage.

Suppress

Prevent a card and/or effect from activating in a certain timing.

Surprise / Spook

A harmful effect is put in play at a certain timing without the opponent foreseeing it.

Swarm / Spam

The act of Summoning many monsters in a turn, regardless of battle power. Examples of archetypes that specialize in swarming are "Blackwing" and "Six Samurai".

Swing

To attack.

Swing for game / Attack for game

The final, duel-winning attack (usually, but not always, a direct attack).

Tag out

The act of a monster removing itself from the field and replacing itself with a different monster.

Taunt

Monsters that have an effect to force the opponent into attacking it, typically with an effect that prevent the opponent from targeting other monsters for attacks, except itself. Examples of such monsters includes "Magician's Valkyria" and "Marauding Captain".

Tier

An entry in a grouping system used to rank the representation of an entrant in a tournament.

Tier 1

The highest tier of Decks that win WCQ and YCS events, typically occupying at least 10 of the top 32 spots in those events.

Tier 2

The next highest tier of Decks that win Regional and National events, typically occupying between 5 and 10 of the top 32 spots in the higher events.

Tier 3

All remaining Decks that one can reasonably expect to top a Regional, National, WCQ, or YCS event.

Rogue / Rogue Deck

A Deck unexpected in the current format, that still showed up at a premier level event.

Tier 4

All other possible combinations of 'Decks'.

Tier 0

A Deck so widely used (typically due to its substantially higher levels of power and/or consistency) that it occupies too many spots in the topcuts of high level events for a second Tier 1 Deck to exist in the current format.

Thinning

Removing cards from the Deck with card effects, so that the player will have a higher chance to draw into high-power cards.

Throw

This term has two distinct usage:

• The act of placing a card on your opponent's field in order to hinder them.

  Lava Golem'd / Kaiju'd / Nibiru'd

  Tributing an opponent's monster(s) to Summon monsters to their field, so that the card's removal cannot be responded to (potentially aside from the latter) and ignores most types of protection from card effects.

• When player committed critical mistake in their game plan that it causes them to lose the Duel or Match, especially while in an advantagous position.

Time card

In a Match, refers to a card(s) that is used solely to make the user's LP higher than the opponent (either by giving the user's LP or inflicts damage to the opponent), so that when the match time runs out, the player with higher LP would wins the Match.

Topcut

The (typically 32) members of the single elimination bracket at a high level tournament, as determined by placing in the top placements after the conclusion of the Swiss rounds.

Topdeck

The card drawn from the Deck in the normal draw.

Top-Decking

This term has two distinct usage:

• Having no cards on the field or in the hand, such that every card drawn from the Deck is crucial.
• When a player managed to draw the exact card they needed to turn the tide of Duel around. Synonymous with "Drawing the Out".

Towers

A boss monster with unusually strong protection, traditionally one that is unaffected by at least one major category of effects. Named after "Apoqliphort Towers", a monster that is unaffected by most card effects.

Toolbox

Searching or summoning a monster to be used in a specific situation.

Trade

Using the player's cards to remove the opponent's cards.

One-for-one

Using one card to remove one of the opponent's card.

Tribute Monster

Level 5 or higher monster that begin the Duel in the Main Deck, requiring at least 1 Tribute to be Tribute Summoned.

T-set

Setting one monster and one (or more) Spell/Traps on the player's first turn.

Turn 0

The opponent's first turn when they go first; usually used in reference to the turn as viewed from the player's (going second) perspective.

Turbo

A Deck which strategy involves aiming for a single, specific goal (usually Special Summoning a specific boss monster) as quickly as possible, usually with no backup plan or alternative strategy to ensure the most speed and consistency in executing its primary directives.

Towers turbo

A Turbo Deck which strategy involves Summoning a near-invincible or highly-disruptive boss monster (such as "Apoqliphort Towers", "Raidraptor - Ultimate Falcon" or "Shooting Quasar Dragon") as quickly as possible. Named after the aforementioned "Apoqliphort Towers", one of the most prominent bosses in such a type of Deck.

Turtling

Sitting behind a monster(s) (usually in Defense Position or ones with defensive effects) to buy time as one tries to recover from a losing situation.

U-Link

A 5-monster Extra Link, from the shape they form on the field.

V-Link

A 3-monster Extra Link, mostly used theorically as it was impossible to make one until the release of "Firewall Dragon Singularity".

Vanilla

A Normal or Non-Effect Monster.

Wall

A monster that is difficult to destroy by battle or card effect.

Win condition

A card or set of cards that is considered sufficient to win the game, and serves as a goal for the rest of the Deck to work towards: for instance, a powerful monster or a set of lockdown effects. Can overlap with alternate win conditions.

Win more

A card that is only useful in a situation where the player is already in a highly advantageous position, such as "The Six Shinobi".

Xenophobic

A card archetype/theme that prevents the player from using cards outside of the archetype/theme (typically by preventing the player from Summoning monsters outside of the archetype/theme). An example is "Burning Abyss," whose Main Deck monsters destroy themselves if the player controls a non-"Burning Abyss" monster.

Locked into / Xeno-lock

Becoming affected by card effects or conditions that prevent the player from using/Summoning cards outside of a specific category. Common restrictions including being unable to summon monsters of all but one type/attribute, or being unable to summon monsters outside of an archetype.

Magic: The Gathering terms

These are terms primarily used in Magic: The Gathering that are occasionally used to describe equivalent concepts in Yu-Gi-Oh!:

Deathtouch

An effect that destroys a monster during or after an attack.

Flash

Spell Speed 2.

Hexproof

Monsters that are unaffected by Spell and Trap card effects.

Mill

The act of sending cards from the top of a player's Deck to the Graveyard. Named for the Magic: The Gathering card "Millstone", an early card with this effect.

Mill Deck

A Deck which focuses on Deck out as a victory condition, by rendering the opponent unable to draw.

Mulligan

Replacing card(s) on the hand with the same number of card(s) elsewhere.

Summon sickness

A monster that cannot attack the turn it is Summoned.

Tap

The act of changing a card to face-up Defense Position.

Trample

Piercing battle damage.

Card and theme names

Certain well-known cards and overarching themes have also been given nicknames or shorthands that get picked up by a portion of the community.

Adam

The "Adamancipator" archetype.

Apo / Apollo

"Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess".

Ash / Ash Blossom / Fivehead

"Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring", the latter being a reference to her prominent forehead from her first artwork, in addition of being used to disambiguated this card with "Snake-Eye Ash", which is also often referred simply as "Ash". Fivehead is also sometimes used to refer to "Five-Headed Dragon".

Ashed

Refers to usage of the anti-search effect of "Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring" or cards that has their search effect negated by "Ash Blossom".

Baby

"Babycerasaurus" and "Petiteranodon".

Ball

"The Winged Dragon of Ra - Sphere Mode".

Baron

"Baronne de Fleur".

BEWD

"Blue-Eyes White Dragon".

Brick-Eyes

The "Blue-Eyes" archetype. Typically used derisively or in a tongue-in-cheek way due to the theme's tendency to open games with brick hands, such as three copies of "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" and two other cards that cannot Summon them, but requires them in play to use.

Bird Up

Originally a nickname for "Raidraptor" Decks, the phrase was later generally used more as a nickname for "Lyrilusc"-"Tri-Brigade" hybrid Decks. The name references a joke from The Eric Andre Show and the "Raidraptor" archetype's playstyle of using "Rank-Up-Magic" cards.

BLS

"Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning".

BMG / DMG

"Dark Magician Girl".

Brave

The Adventurer series of cards, based on a common translated name before it was released in the TCG.

CED

"Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End".

Chungus

"Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying".

Cydra

A shortening of "Cyber Dragon", used to refer to the card or the overall Deck. Accordingly, the lower leveled "Cyber Dragon" monsters are sometimes referred to as Baby Cydra.

DAD / Dad

"Dark Armed Dragon".

Dark Ruler / DRNM

"Dark Ruler No More".

Diabel

"Diabellstar the Black Witch".

Ding

"Dingirsu, the Orcust of the Evening Star".

Donut

"Supreme King Gate Zero".

DPE

"Destiny HERO - Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer".

Dragoncaster / Ryūma

Rush Duel decks that hybridize Dragon and Spellcaster monsters, both of which were the most supported Types in the early days of Rush Duel. The second name is often used among Japanese players, and is a portmanteau of "Ryū" (Dragon) and "Mahōtsukai" (Magician, the literal Japanese translation of the Spellcaster Type).

Dragon Link / D-Link

Decks that utilize a large number of generic Dragon supports to make their plays. The name "Dragon Link" derives from the core piece of the decks which primarily consists of various Dragon Link Monsters, particularly that of the "Borrel"/"Rokket" and "Guardragon" archetypes.

Droll

"Droll & Lock Bird".

Droplet

"Forbidden Droplet".

Duster

"Harpie's Feather Duster".

EARTH Machines / Earth Machines

Predominately refers to the trio of an EARTH Machine themes whose cards were often played together for their Type/Attribute synergy; "Machina", "Infinitrack", and Train, though other EARTH Machine themes are also sometimes mixed in with the aforementioned cards. The word is often used to specifically refers to a hybrid deck build consists of the aforementioned themes without any particular focus on each respective themes' game plans.

ECon/E-Con

"Enemy Controller".

ETele/E-Tele

"Emergency Teleport".

FGD

"Five-Headed Dragon". Based on its OCG name.

Floo / Flunder

The "Floowandereeze" archetype.

Gamma

"PSY-Framegear Gamma".

Gate Order

Rush Duel decks that utilize the cards "Secret Order" and "Parallel Birth Gate" to field strong Level 7 Normal Monsters as frequently as possible and overwhelm the opponent through sheer speed and brute force.

Goat Format / Goat

Decks that utilize "Scapegoat" (and its derivatives) as a combo piece. The name "Goat Format" originated from the summer 2005 TCG season, where "Scapegoat" was a staple card in almost any deck. Also refers to a retro, fan-made format of Yu-Gi-Oh! using the summer 2005 TCG card pool and banlist.

Grass

"That Grass Looks Greener".

Guru

"Subterror Guru".

H.A.T

Short for "Hand, Artifact, Traptrix", a popular deck built around mid-2010s revolves around swarming the field with Level 4 monsters for Xyz plays and control the field with a combination of "Artifact" and "Hole" cards. Also refers to a fan-made format using 2014-2015 card pool.

Ishizu

Shorthand reference to the series of cards based around "Exchange of the Spirit", specifically the monsters. Named for Ishizu Ishtar, who originally used these cards in the original series.

Kash

The "Kashtira" archetype.

Lab

The "Labrynth" archetype.

IKEA

A "Labrynth" Deck that puts more focus on the furniture-based "Labrynth" monsters such as "Labrynth Chandraglier" and "Labrynth Cooclock" for more explosive plays. Named after the furniture conglomerate IKEA as a reference to some of the "Labrynth" monsters being animate furniture.

LaDD

"Light and Darkness Dragon".

Masq/IP

"I:P Masquerena".

MST

"Mystical Space Typhoon" and the act of using it. Also used to describe a card that removes a Spell/Trap from the opponent's field.

Mine

"Mystic Mine".

Misc

"Miscellaneousaurus".

Halq / Needlefiber / Noodlefiber / Noodle

"Crystron Halqifibrax"; the latter three are based on its common fan translated name from before it was released in the TCG.

Nib / The Rock

"Nibiru, the Primal Being".

Pank

"Dinowrestler Pankratops".

PEP

"Psychic End Punisher".

PePe

The "Performapal" and "Performage" archetypes.

Pizza Hut

"Bystial Magnamhut", based on a pun of its name and its use to "deliver" any Dragon-type monster at the End Phase, as well as a reference to the pizza restraurant chain of the same name.

Poly

"Polymerization".

Super Poly

"Super Polymerization".

PK Fire

Decks that hybridize "The Phantom Knights" and "Burning Abyss" archetypes. The name came from the shorthand of "Phantom Knights" and "Fire" referencing the "Burning Abyss" archetype's theme of hell, with the combined name referencing the move "PK Fire" from the MOTHER franchise, which had became infamous for being used by the character Ness in the Super Smash Bros. series.

Plan B / Bagooska

"Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir", referencing its common usage as a "backup" plan to stall the game in case the player were unable to do the usual plays, due to it being relatively easy to Summon.

REDMD

"Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon".

Rhongo / Rhongo Bongo

"Number 86: Heroic Champion - Rhongomyniad".

Salad / Salami

The "Salamangreat" archetype.

Scythe

"Artifact Scythe".

SE

The "Snake-Eye" archetype.

Shifter / D-Shifter

"Dimension Shifter".

SHS

The "Superheavy Samurai" archetype.

Solemn Johnson

"Solemn Judgment", referring to a joke video that parodied the TCG censorship of the name of the Solemn series (formerly "God's", meaning that the man in the art is meant to represent the Christian God) by nicknaming him "Solemn Johnson."

SP

"S:P Little Knight".

Sprite

The "Spright" archetype.

SRM

"Sevens Road Magician".

SwSo / SwoSwo

The "Swordsoul" archetype.

Tax Dragon

"Masquerade the Blazing Dragon", referencing its first effect forcing the opponent to pay LP to activate cards or effects. Also referred to "Red-Eyes Flare Metal Dragon", a monster with similar effect.

TCBOO

"There Can Be Only One".

Tear

The "Tearlaments" archetype.

TER

"Thousand-Eyes Restrict".

Trinity

Refers to the trio of Forbidden Spell Cards "Delinquent Duo", "Graceful Charity", and "Pot of Greed", renowned for their near-universal use in legacy formats such as Goat, mainly due to their near-immediate incurring of card advantage over the opponent and sometimes turning the tide of a Duel the moment they are played - worse yet, when played in sequence.

Trish

"Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier".

TT

"Torrential Tribute".

TTT

"Triple Tactics Talent" OR "Triple Tactics Thrust". To differentiate between the two, both cards are simply called Talents and Thrust, respectively.

Turtle

"Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju", a popular "Kaiju" choice for its lower ATK compared to others. Also used for "Pyramid Turtle", a popular Zombie floater during the heyday of Zombie decks.

Twin / Twister / TwiTwi

"Twin Twisters" OR the act of using it.

Typhon

"Super Starslayer TY-PHON - Sky Crisis".

UCT

"Ultimate Conductor Tyranno".

UDF

"Number F0: Utopic Draco Future".

Veiler / Gamma / Imperm

"Effect Veiler", "PSY-Framegear Gamma", "Infinite Impermanence" specifically, or cards with effects that activate in the hand to negate effects on the field.

Vern

The "Vernusylph" archetype.

VFD / Very Fun Dragon

"True King of All Calamities", coming from its Japanese name; typically used sarcastically, as the card is capable of effectively making it impossible for the opponent to respond.

VV

The "Voiceless Voice" archetype.

Yata

"Yata-Garasu".

Za Warudo

"Arcana Force XXI - The World", named after Dio Brando's Stand in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure as a reference to their shared ability to control time - coincidentally, Takehito Koyasu, the Japanese voice actor of Dio, also voices Sartorius (who plays an "Arcana Force" Deck) in the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX anime.

Zeus

"Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS - Sky Thunder".

Zeus pilot

An Xyz Monster with an effect that would make it ideal for attacking (either having some protection or being able to attack directly) and enable the alternate summoning condition of "Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS - Sky Thunder", or can Xyz summon itself on top of another Xyz Monster, thus giving "Zeus" more Xyz materials for its effect. The "pilot" comes from the fact Zeus is depicted by the card art as a large mecha, and mecha in anime are usually piloted. Example of these monsters including the Evolving Numbers Spider series, "Sky Cavalry Centaurea", and "Downerd Magician".

Zoo

The "Zoodiac" archetype.