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, then those two Link Monsters are in a Mutual Link.

Extra Link

An Extra Link is a chain of Mutual Links that connects both Extra Monster Zones. This allows a player to control monsters in both Extra Monster Zones simultaneously. Since they are both occupied, the opponent cannot use either of the Extra Monster Zones unless they perform a Summon by removing a monster from one of the Zones (e.g. using a monster in one of the Extra Monster Zones as Material).

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. The three middle Main Monster Zones on one side of the field must be occupied by Link Monsters.
3. Each of the Link Monsters involved in the Extra Link must be in a Mutual Link with the orthogonally adjacent Link Monsters that are also involved in the Extra Link.
4. The Link Monster involved in the Extra Link occupying the Main Monster Zone in the same column as the unoccupied Extra Monster Zone must have a Link Marker pointing to that Zone.

In that case, a Link Monster can be Summoned to the unoccupied Extra Monster Zone, as long as it maintains the Extra Link by meeting the following conditions:

1. The Summoned Link Monster must be in a Mutual Link with the Link Monster involved in the Extra Link that is in the same column.
2. Performing the Summon of that Link Monster must not disturb the Extra Link (e.g. by using the monsters involved in the Extra Link as Link Materials).

The final result is a U-shaped chain of five Link Monsters, in which each Link Monster is in a Mutual Link with the monsters orthogonally adjacent to it.