Linked

This article is about the gameplay mechanic. For the property on Link Monsters, see Link Number. 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

A monster is in a Linked State (リンク状（じょう）態（たい）, Rinku Jōtai) if its Link Marker is pointing to a monster, or if it has at least one Link Monster's Link Marker pointing to it.

Mutual Link

A Mutual Link (相（そう）互（ご）リンク, Sougo Rinku) is a kind of Link State that occurs when two Link Monsters' Link Markers are pointing to each other. For example, if one player controls a Link Monster with a Down Link Marker in an Extra Monster Zone, and a Link Monster with an Up Link Marker in their Main Monster Zone in the same column, those two Link Monsters are in a Mutual Link.

Extra Link

An Extra Link enables a player to occupy both Extra Monster Zones simultaneously. This is the only possible method that allows a player to occupy both Extra Monster Zones. A player can perform an Extra Link, so long as the following conditions are met:

1. You must control a Link Monster in 1 of the Extra Monster Zones; the other Extra Monster Zone must be unoccupied. That Link Monster must have a Link Marker pointing downwards.
2. You must control a Link Monster in the Main Monster Zone directly below your occupied Extra Monster Zone, with Link Markers pointing upwards and towards the centre Main Monster Zone.
3. You must control a Link Monster in your centre Main Monster Zone with Link Markers pointing left and right.
4. You must control a Link Monster on the other side of your centre Main Monster Zone, with Link Markers pointing upwards (to the unoccupied Extra Monster Zone) and towards the centre Main Monster Zone.
5. To complete the Extra Link, you must Summon a Link Monster to the unoccupied Extra Monster Zone, with a Link Marker pointing downwards. However, the Link Summon cannot disturb Mutual Links of the other Link Monsters involved in the Extra Link. (i.e. You cannot use the Link Monsters involved in the Extra Link as Link Materials.)

The final result is a U-shaped chain of Link Monsters, in which all the Link Monsters involved are in a Mutual Link with the Link Monsters around it.