Special Summoning condition
Special Summoning conditions refer to specific restrictions under which certain monsters are allowed to be Special Summoned.
Contents
Cannot be Special Summoned
This is a blanket Summon Condition that forbids the card from being Special Summoned by any means, be it from the hand, Deck, Graveyard, or Banished Zone.
Wording
| Original | First erratum |
|---|---|
| This card cannot be Special Summoned. | Cannot be Special Summoned. |
Cannot be Special Summoned from the Graveyard.
A less limiting restriction than the one above. This allows cards to be Special Summoned from the hand, Main Deck, Extra Deck, or Banished Zone, but not from the Graveyard. That said, you could use "Monster Reincarnation" or "Pot of Avarice" to move cards with this limitation to your hand or Deck (respectively) from your Graveyard.
Wording
| Original | First erratum |
|---|---|
| This card cannot be Special Summoned from the Graveyard. | Neither player can Special Summon this card from the Graveyard. |
| Second erratum | Third erratum |
| This card cannot be Special Summoned from the Graveyard. | Cannot be Special Summoned from the Graveyard. |
Cannot be Special Summoned unless...
This allows cards to be Special Summoned from anywhere, but only if the condition is met.
Wording
| Original | First erratum | Second erratum |
|---|---|---|
| This card cannot be summoned unless... | This card can only be Special Summoned while... | Cannot be Special Summoned unless... |
Must (first) be Special Summoned by/with...
This refers places a restriction on how the card must be first Special Summoned. The card cannot be Special Summoned by an external effect until the summoning condition has been properly fulfilled, after which, the monster in question may be Summoned with cards such as "Monster Reborn". If the card was sent to the Graveyard before being Summoned correctly, it cannot be Special Summoned; likewise, if the card was Special Summoned correctly the first time, but is then sent from the field or the Graveyard back to the Deck, the Summoning Conditions are then reset. These cards are referred to as Special Summon-only monsters or sometimes incorrectly referred to as Semi-Nomi monsters.
Must be Special Summoned by/with [...], and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways
This is much like the first example, but this time, it prevents the card from being Special Summoned by any effect other than the one on its effect, preventing it from being Special Summoned by cards such as "Monster Reborn". "LV" monsters' support cards, such as "Level Modulation", get around this by including Ignoring the Summoning conditions in their card text. However, even with this restriction lifted, such cards can only Special Summoned from the Graveyard if they have been properly Summoned first. "Level Up!" is able to bypass this completely, since it Special Summons directly from the Deck. These cards are referred to as Nomi monsters. Cards such as "Dark Armed Dragon" and "Destiny HERO - Plasma" are Nomi monsters and can only be Special Summoned with its Summoning Condition from the hand. "Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode" is also a Nomi monster and can only be Special Summoned from the Deck with "Assault Mode Activate".
