Difference between pages "File:SkilledWhiteMagician-TF04-JP-VG.jpg" and "Duel Monsters (manga)"

A game of Duel Monsters being played

Duel Monsters, known as Magic and Wizards (マジック＆（アンド）ウィザーズ or Ｍ＆Ｗ（マジックアンドウィザーズ）, Majikku ando Wizāzu) in the Japanese version and earlier English printings, is a card game played in the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga.

This is the very first incarnation of Duel Monsters and served as the basis for many of the variations to follow, including the Yu-Gi-Oh! Official Card Game (OCG) and Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game (TCG).

Duel Monsters debuted when the manga had an episodic format and featured a different game nearly every week. However due to its popularity among readers, it ended up becoming the main game played throughout the series.

In-universe, Duel Monsters was invented by Maximillion J. Pegasus, as a means of reintroducing Diaha, battles played in ancient Egypt using monsters sealed in stone slabs, to the modern world.

The rules described on this page are used throughout the Yu-Gi-Oh! and Yu-Gi-Oh! R manga series. While the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX manga and Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions are each considered to be continuations of the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga, they instead use rules more closely resembling the OCG. Later manga series also use rules more closely resembling the OCG, use a different Japanese name for the game, and establish no direct connection to the original Yu-Gi-Oh! series.

Rules

Types of cards

The types of cards are:

• Monster Card^[1]
• Spell Card^[1]
• Trap Card^[2]
• Equip Card^[3]
• Illusion Card^[4]
• Virus Card^[5]
• Slot Machine Power Unit^[6]

It is possible for a card to have multiple card types. e.g. "Graverobber" is a Trap/Spell Card.^[6]

Non-game cards exist, such as "Soul Prison" and the Invitation Cards. These cards are not intended for use in Duels.

Monster Cards

The anatomy of a Monster Card

Monster Card have the following properties, which are printed on the card:

• Level
  • A rough indicator of the monster's overall strength. In the Super Expert Rules, it is used to determine the number of Tributes needed to Summon it.
• ATK and DEF
  • Used in determining battle outcomes and damage calculation
• Effect

Monsters also have the following properties, which are not printed on the card:

• Attribute^[7]
• Type
• Gender^[8][9]
• Movement type
• Attack and Special Ability names

Family

Family (系（けい）), unnamed in the English manga, was a term used for various categories of monsters.^[1] They are mostly Types, while Fire is an Attribute and Beast-Warrior is not explicitly stated to be anything else.

The following families are mentioned:

• Beast-Warrior (獣（じゅう）戦（せん）士（し）)^[1]
• Undead (アンデット)^[1][7] As a Type, the English manga refers to it as "Zombie".^[4]
• Fiend (悪（あく）魔（ま）, literally "Demon Magic")^[1] As a Type, the English manga refers to it as "Demon" and "Devil".^[4]
• Fire (火（ひ）)^[7]
• Black Magic (黒（くろ）魔（ま）, called "Spellcaster" in the English manga)^[4]
• Warrior (戦（せん）士（し）)^[10][11][12]
• Knight (騎（き）士（し）)^[11]

Attribute

An Attribute (属（ぞく）性（せい）) describes the elemental nature of monsters. In the English manga, Attribute is sometimes called "Element".

Monsters can have the following Attributes:

• Earth (土（つち）)^[13]
• Lightning (雷（かみなり）)^[7][13]
• Water (水（みず）)^{[7][13][14][15][16]}
• Fire (火（ひ）^[13], later 炎（ほのお） literally "Flame"^[11][17][18])
• Wood (木（き）),^[13] later called Forest (森（もり）)^[19]
• Light (光（ひかり）)^[20][21]
• Dark (闇（やみ）)^{[22][23][5][20][24]}

A monster can have multiple Attributes.^{[23][17][note 1]}

If monsters of incompatible Attributes are fused, for example a Light and Dark monster are fused, Attribute repulsion (属（ぞく）性（せい）反（はん）発（ぱつ）) occurs and the Fusion Monster corrodes,^[20] causing it to lose ATK equal to that of the weaker fusion material monster each turn.^[25]

Type

Type (族（ぞく）) is another division of monster. In the English manga, Type is sometimes called "Class".^[22]

The following Types exist:

• Magical Knight (魔（ま）導（どう）騎（き）士（し）; called "Warrior" in the English manga^[22], which is also the name of a different Type^[13])
• Dinosaur (恐（きょう）竜（りゅう）)^[2][13]
• Dragon (ドラゴン,^{[7][13][26][27][28]} sometimes 竜（りゅう）^[29])
• Beast (獣（けもの）)^[7][13][30]
• Magic (魔（ま）, also referred to as "Magic User")^[30][19]
  • Black Magic (黒（くろ）魔（ま）)^[4][31]
  • White Magic (白（しろ）魔（ま）)^[4]
  • Fiend (悪（あく）魔（ま）, literally "Demon Magic"; also referred to as "Demons and Devils" in the English manga)^[4]
  • Illusion^[32] (幻（げん）想（そう）魔（ま）, literally "Illusion Magic"; also called "Illusionists" in the English manga^[4])
• Dark Knight (暗（あん）黒（こく）騎（き）士（し）)^[4]
• Daemon (デーモン; called "Fiend" in the English manga,^[4] although "Fiend" was also used for "Demon Magic", 悪（あく）魔（あく）)
• Zombie (アンデット, literally "Undead")^[4]
• Insect (昆（こん）虫（ちゅう）^[13] or 蟲（インセクト）^[33] or インセクト^[34])
• Immortal (不（ふ）死（し）; English manga mentions "Zombie" in its place^[13])
• Winged Beast (鳥（ちょう）獣（じゅう）)^[13]
• Birdfolk (鳥（ちょう）人（じん）)^[13]
• Wild Beast (野（や）獣（じゅう）; English manga mentions "Beast-Warrior" in its place)^[13][10]
• Warrior (戦（せん）士（し）)^{[13][30][35][36]}
• Knight (騎（き）士（し）; English manga groups "Warrior" and "Knight" together as "Warrior")^{[13][29][30][35][36]}
• Fishman-Beast (魚（ぎょ）人（じん）獣（じゅう）; English manga mentions Fish in its place)^[13]
• Sea Serpent (海（かい）竜（りゅう）)^[13]
• Machine (機（き）械（かい）^[29][37] or 機械（マシーン）^[24])
• Gadget (ガジェット)^[38]
• God (神（かみ）)^[39]
  • See also the God card section below.
  • The term "God-Beast" (幻（げん）神（しん）獣（じゅう）) has been mentioned in the context of the Egyptian Gods, without specifically mentioning "Type".^[40] Despite having a dedicated Type, one of the God cards, "Slifer the Sky Dragon", was said to be Dragon-Type, affecting the ATK of "Buster Blader".^[41]

God card

A God card (神（かみ）カード Kami kādo) is a special class of monster, used by the Egyptian Gods (幻（げん）神（しん） Genshin, literally "Illusion Gods") and the Wicked Gods (邪（じゃ）神（しん） Jashin). Throughout the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga, the cards are referred to by the designation "God card". In Yu-Gi-Oh! R, they are said to belong to the God Type.

The following rules apply to God cards.

• Three sacrifices are required to Sacrifice Summon them.^[42] (In the Standard Rules, they can be Summoned without sacrifices.)^[26]
• The God cards possess a Hierarchy, where God cards are unaffected by the effects of God cards with a lower Hierarchy.^[43]
• The effects of Spell Cards can only last for a single turn on them.

Other classifications

Other classifications of Monster Cards are mentioned without specifying what category they belong to. These include:

• Magician (魔（ま）術（じゅつ）師（し）^[44] or 魔術師（マジシャン）^[28], referred to as Spellcaster-Type in the English manga^[44])
  • Black Magic (黒（くろ）魔（ま）術（じゅつ）師（し）, referred to as "Spellcaster-type" in the English manga)^[45]
• Ghost (ゴースト)^[12]
• Psychic (サイキック)^[46]

The following describe the types of effects the monsters have:

• Special Ability (特（とく）殊（しゅ）能（のう）力（りょく）)^[47]

  Monsters that have their own effects.

• Toon (トゥーン)^[48]

  Monsters that have been transformed by the effect of "Toon World". Toon monsters can evade attacks and hide within "Toon World".

• Bomb (爆（ばく）弾（だん）)^[49]

  Bomb monsters cannot attack or be attacked and have effects that involve them destroying themselves after a number of turns.^[49]

• Parasite (寄生虫（パラサイド）)^[33]
• Magnet (マグネット)^[50]

  Monsters that are capable of fusing with other specific monsters as soon as they are Summoned, without needing the card "Polymerization".^[50]

The following describe the methods through which the monster is Summoned or formed:

• Fusion (融（ゆう）合（ごう）)

  Monsters formed by combining two or more monsters

• Special Fusion (特（とく）殊（しゅ）融（ゆう）合（ごう）)^[51]
• Special Summon (特（とく）殊（しゅ）召（しょう）喚（かん）)^[52][53]

  Monsters with their own built-in special way of Summoning them. Special Summon Monsters can be Summoned with their own effect. They can also be Special Summoned with other cards like "Monster Reborn", regardless of whether or not they were Summoned with their own effect initially.

Non-Monster Cards

Non-Monster Cards have the following details printed on them:

• Card type
  • Spell, Trap, Equip, Illusion, Virus, and Slot Machine Power Units are all non-monster types of cards.
• Property
  • Most cards don't have a property. Possible properties include Permanent and Field.
• Effect

Non-physical cards

"Black Skull Dragon", a monster that does not possess a card of its own, being represented by the two cards it is a combination of

Some cards do not exist in a physical form, but are the result of the effects of other cards. It does not possess its own dedicated card, but has its own name, ATK and DEF.

Different types of non-physical monsters, include:

• An original monster upgraded by the effect of a card, such as "Thousand Dragon" and Toon monsters
• Monsters that are multiple monsters joined together, such as Fusion Monsters^[54] and "Gate Guardian"
• Monsters that are clones of other monsters on the field, such as those produced by "Kaleidoscope" or "Multiply"
• Monsters that are produced purely by the effect of another card, such as "Sheep" or "Slime"

The original monster or monsters that a non-physical monster is a form of will remain on the field. For example if a player forms "Black Skull Dragon" by fusing "Red-Eyes Black Dragon" and "Summoned Skull", the physical "Red-Eyes Black Dragon" and "Summoned Skull" cards remain on the field, but will not exist as separate monsters. They will just act as the unified "Black Skull Dragon".^{[54][25][note 2]} A Fusion Monster counts as a single monster while on the field,^{[55][note 3]} but each material is counted individually when the Fusion Monster is used is a Sacrifice.^{[56][57][note 4]}

A Spell that produces non-physical monsters remains on the field. If its effect gets negated the monsters it created are removed. e.g. if "Mask of Dispel" is used on "Multiply", the duplicate monsters created by "Multiply" disappear.^[58][59]

If a Spell Card produces non-physical monsters, that card and all the monsters it Summoned can be used as a sacrifice for a Sacrifice Summon. The number of monsters Summoned count as the number of sacrifices. e.g. If "Jam Breeding Machine" produces 3 "Slimes", the "Jam Breeding Machine" will count as 3 sacrifices for the Sacrifice Summon and the "Slimes" will all be sacrificed with it.^[42]

Card effects

Some monsters and all non-monsters have effects that can influence gameplay. Not all cards with effects have their effects printed on them. Printed effects are not always complete or written in a manner than clarifies the precise technicalities of the effect.

An effect belonging to a monster is called a "special ability" (特（とく）殊（しゅ）能（のう）力（りょく）).^[60]

In the English manga, printed effects often contain translation errors or show the effect the card has in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game, which is often different than the card's effect in manga.

Fields

Field Power Sources being explained, in Japanese and English

During the Duelist Kingdom tournament, different zones that monsters are played in can have different fields. These fields were automatically in effect, depending on what area of the island players Dueled in.^[61]

Monsters received Field Power Sources depending on the terrain they were played in.^[61] But could not gain this bonus at nighttime.^[62]

• Forest (森（もり）) strengthens the Wood Attribute and the Insect and Beast Types.^[13]
• Grassland (草（そう）原（げん）), also known as Sogen in the English manga^[13], strengthens the Fire Attribute and the Wild Beast, Warrior, and Knight Types.^[13]
• Mountains (山（やま）) strengthens the Lightning Attribute and the Winged Beast, Dragon, and Birdfolk Types.^[13]
• Wasteland (荒（こう）野（や）) strengthens the Earth Attribute and the Dinosaur and Immortal Types.^[13]
• Ocean (海（うみ）), also known as Umi in the English manga^[13], strengthens the Water Attribute and the Fishman-Beast and Sea Serpent Types.^[13]
• Graveyard (墓（はか）場（ば）) strengthens Ghost cards.^[12]

A monster benefiting from a Field Power Source increases its ATK^[13] and DEF by 30%^[63] This is applied after increases from other cards. e.g. A monster with 500 ATK equipped with a card that causes it to gain 1500 ATK with have 2600 ATK; (500 + 1500) × 130% = 2600, not 500 × 130% + 1500 = 2150.^[13]

Insect-Type monsters benefiting from the Forest terrain win initiative in battles.^{[13][note 5]}

Monsters benefiting from the Ocean terrain can be played underwater or on the surface.^[64][14] and cannot be attacked by land-dwelling monsters.^[36]

Some cards have effects that can change portions of the field.^{[63][note 6][note 7][note 8][note 9]}

Field Spell Cards can be used to change the entire field. The only instance of a a Field Card being used to change the terrain to one from Duelist Kingdom was "Umi". Like Duelist Kingdom, it granted the ability to hide monsters and restrict movement, but instead granted a fixed 200-point increase to ATK and DEF.^[65]

Position on the field

The 8×5 field. Decks and Graveyards are placed outside of the grid.
This field is 95% Sea and 5% Wasteland.
Ryota Kajiki has "Leviathan" in his back row, "Jellyfish" and "Devil Kraken" in his front row. His monsters hidden under the sea are lacking projections.
Dark Yugi has "Mystical moon" in his front row. (Before its destruction, "Silver Fang" was in the same zone as "Mystical moon".)

Each player can Summon monsters to their own side of the field into a designated zone. In the Standard Rules, the game is played on an 8×5 board,^[14] later an 8×6 board.^[66] The Deck and Graveyard are placed outside of this grid and players can play cards in the zones in the two rows of eight nearest them.^[14]

Each zone can have a different field in effect. When two monsters battle, they can each receive Field Power Sources from their respective zones.

A player can move a monster to another zone if there is a path of unobstructed zones. This includes moving monsters into the opponent's territory.^{[14][note 10]} A player can put multiple monsters in the same zone.^{[67][note 11]} Upon losing its airborne nature, a monster could collapse onto ground-based cards in the same zone as it, destroying them.^[67]

If a monster is in a zone between an attacking monster and its target, the monster in the middle will obstruct and become the new attack target.^[68] This only applies if within range. e.g. a ground-based monster will not obstruct a battle between two airborne monsters.^{[67][note 12]}

There are cards with effects that can prevent cards from moving.^[68]

When using Duel Disks, the concept of the field is different. Having just five zones per player and no grid, many of the above rules are not applicable.^[69]

Hiding monsters

A monster can be played in an environment that makes it hidden. This includes:

• Aquatic monsters played in the Sea terrain^[64][18]
• Monsters played in the darkness cast by "Castle of Dark Illusions"^[62]
• Tunneling monsters in a terrain that can be burrowed^[18]
• Monsters played inside "Toon World"^[48]
• Forest-Attribute monsters in the "Deep Forest" field.^[19]

When playing a monster in such an environment, the player may choose to make it hidden or not.

A hidden monster is generally out of range of attacks and effects. But effects may be used to allow other monsters to reach them.

• Lightning-Attribute attacks can be used on bodies of water to attack monsters hidden inside.^[14]
• Effects that illuminate the field, such as "Swords of Revealing Light" can expose monsters hidden in darkness.
• Fire attacks can be used to momentarily illuminate the darkness, but cannot attack a monster at the same time.^[62]
• "Salamandra" gives monsters the ability to attack underground monsters if within range of an entrance to their tunnel.^{[18][note 13]}
• Monsters hidden inside "Toon World" can be attacked by other Toon cards.^{[48][note 14]}
• A monster briefly exposes itself in order to attack another monster. It can be targeted by Trap Cards at this point.^[19]

Movement and attack types

Monsters movement types include:

• Flying
• Swimming
• Tunneling
• Ground unit

"Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress" evades an attack using its flying ability

These affect how monsters can move, attack, and evade:

• Monsters capable of flying have a 35% chance to evade when attacked by a monster using a ground-based attack.^[22] Later instances of this rule do not mention the 35% chance.^{[70][10][note 15]}
• Flying monsters cannot move through dungeons, such as the Labyrinth, due to the ceiling.^{[30][note 16]}
• Monsters capable of swimming can be hidden when played in the Sea terrain.^[64][18]
• Ground unit monsters may move through dungeons, such as the Labyrinth.^[30]
• Monsters capable of tunneling can be hidden underground in the Labyrinth, where they cannot be attacked. They leave a tunnel behind wherever they move.^[18]
• Flying monsters are not affected by ground-based Trap Cards.^[71]
• Ground unit monsters cannot move through the Sea.^[72]
• Flying monsters can move across the Sea.^[72]
• If all the opponent's monsters are hidden underwater, a flying monster can attack the opponent directly.^[72]

Warrior, Knight, Magic, and Beast-Type are examples of monsters that are typically ground units.^{[30][note 17]}

Attacks may have special natures:

• Monsters capable of electric attacks can attack monsters in areas they cannot normally reach if the area has been dampened and gain an ATK boost in doing so.^{[70][15][note 18]}
• Monsters capable of electric attacks can attack all monsters within a body of water at once.^{[14][73][note 19][note 20]}
• "Jellyfish" is capable of absorbing electrical attacks, increasing its ATK and DEF.^[14]
• Some Machine monsters have full-metal anti-magic armor which makes them immune to magical attacks. i.e. they cannot be destroyed by battle and their controller takes no battle damage from magical attacks.^[24]

Sequence of play

Setup

• There are two players in each Duel.^[74]
• Each player begins with 4000 Life Points.^[75] (2000 before the Super Expert Rules^[74])
• Each player's Deck contains 40 cards.^[74] The Decks are shuffled before a Duel.^[76]
• The field is laid out such that each player has space for their Deck, Graveyard and cards in play. When played on a flat surface, typically each player's Deck is placed on their right-hand side, Graveyard on the left-hand side, cards in play are placed in between.^[74] Varieties exist where the Graveyard is out of sight^[1] or both Graveyards are on the same side.^[13] Duel Disks have designated slots for the Deck, Graveyard and five cards in play.
• At the beginning of a Duel, each player draws five cards, which become their hand.^[22]

Turns

Each turn the turn player draws one card from their Deck.^[74] There is a limit on the number of cards a player can have in their hand. At one point the limit is said to be seven.^[75] At another point it is said to be eight.^[77] Anything in excess gets sent to the Graveyard.^[77]

Visualization of Attack (vertical) and Defense Mode (horizontal) as a card is played in Defense Mode

During their turn, a player can:

• Activate or Set one card from their hand of each type; Spell, Trap, etc.^[1][75][78]
• Normal Summon^[79] one monster from the hand in face-up Attack or Defense Mode.^[74] Attack Mode is vertical. Defense Mode is horizontal.^[1]
• In the Standard Rules, Monster Cards could be played face-down. Although this practice was only demonstrated once.^[7] In the Super Expert Rules, Monster Cards cannot be played face-down. It is considered an illegal move to play a card face-down without first looking at it to determine if it is a monster or not.^[80]
• Change the battle position of a monster.^[22]
  • A monster can change its battle position the same turn it is Summoned.^{[81][note 21]}
  • If a monster is switched to Attack Mode, it cannot be changed back on the same turn.^[82]
• Attack with Attack Mode monsters.^[1]
  • Each monster can only attack once per turn.^{[83][note 22]}

In the Standard Rules, if a player does not have a monster on their side of the field at the end of the their turn, they can play one from their hand in Defense Mode.^[22][63]

During either player's turn, a player can:

• Activate cards they played face-down.
  • If a player activates an effect that destroys a Spell or Trap Card the effect of the Spell or Trap Card is negated.^[84]
  • If a card is used in response to an attack to Special Summon or produce a monster in Defense Mode, the Special Summoned monster can become the new target of the attack.^{[27][note 23]}

Playing monsters

Each turn the player can Summon a monster from their hand.

Beginning with the Super Expert rules, monsters of Level 5 or higher require sacrifices to be Summoned.

• Level 5 and 6 monsters require one sacrifice.^[75]
• Level 7 or higher monsters require two sacrifices.^[75]
• Level 10 God cards require three sacrifices.^[42]

In the Super Expert rules if a player attempts to Summon a Level 5 or higher monster without providing the necessary sacrifices, the monster will be destroyed.^[85]

Monsters can be Summoned by the effects of other cards. This is considered to be a Special Summon. Sacrifices are not required when Special Summoning monsters. Monsters cannot attack the turn that they are Special Summoned.^[47][86]

Monsters on the field can be fused together using the card "Polymerization".^[70] "Polymerization" and the Fusion Material monsters are still in play after a Fusion. The Fusion Monster does not have a physical card.^[25] Monsters cannot attack the turn that they are fused.^[25][75]

Ritual Spell Cards can be used to play a monster by sacrificing monsters that meet a certain criteria. Some Rituals such as "Black Luster Ritual" sacrifice monsters to upgrade another monster.^[87] Others such as "Black Illusion Ritual", Ritual Summon a new monster.^[32] The Ritual Monster does not possess a physical card.

Attacking

A battle is conducted when the turn player announces for one of their Attack Mode monsters is to attack an opponent's monster.

• If an Attack Mode monster battles another Attack Mode monster, the monster with the lower ATK is destroyed and its controller loses Life Points equal to the difference.^[1]

When Attack Mode monsters with equal ATK battle, both are destroyed.

• If an Attack Mode monster attacks a Defense Mode monster and its ATK is higher than the defending monster's DEF, the defending monster is destroyed and no Life Points are lost.^[1]
• If an Attack Mode monster attacks a Defense Mode monster and its ATK is lower than the defending monster's DEF, neither monster is destroyed and the controller of the attacking monster loses Life Points equal to the difference in the ATK and DEF.^[1]

If an attack is evaded (e.g. a flying monster dodges an attack from a ground-based monster or a non-Toon monster attacks a Toon monster), the attacked monster may still counter attack. It will not be destroyed in the two monsters have the same ATK. The monster that attacked it loses its Field Power Source.^[10][88]

If a monster in a battle wins initiative, (e.g. by being in a field that they benefit from) the other monster loses increases to ATK and DEF and uses its original ATK and DEF for the duration of the battle.^[13]

Monsters destroyed by battle go to the Graveyard.^[1]

In the Super Expert Rules, monsters can attack the opponent directly if the opponent has no monsters to defend with,^[75] in which case the opponent loses Life Points equal to the ATK of the attacking monster.^[85] Direct attacks are not allowed in the Standard Rules.^[66]

If a monster is removed from the field after being selected as the target of an attack, the attack is nullified and the attacking player cannot choose a different target or to attack directly instead.^[56][89]

A player may attack and destroy their own Spell Card. No Life Points are lost in doing so.^[14]

Attack effectiveness

The strengths and weaknesses of the four types of Magic Users being explained, in Japanese and English

The effectiveness of an attack con be influenced by the Type and Attribute of the monsters battling. What happens in the case of an effective attack has been inconsistent. Sometimes the monster of the weaker Attribute loses half its ATK.^[7] Sometimes the weaker monster loses 300 ATK.^[17][15] Sometimes nothing happens.

The following attack effectiveness scenarios exist:

• The Lightning Attribute is strong against the Water Attribute.^[7][15]
• The Water Attribute is strong against the Fire Attribute.^[15]
• The Fire-Attribute is strong against the Dinosaur Type.^[11]
• The Black Magic Type is strong against the White Magic Type.^[4]
• The White Magic Type is strong against the Fiend Type.^[4]
• The Fiend Type is strong against the Illusion Type.^[4]
• The Illusion Type is strong against the Black Magic Type.^[4]
• The Fire Family is strong against the Beast Type.^[7]
• "Battle Ox" is strong against the Fire Attribute.^[17]

Victory conditions

A player is considered the winner if:

• They reduce their opponent's Life Points to 0.^[74]
• Their opponent cannot draw a card when they are required to.^[83][75]
• They use the effect of a card that makes them the winner, such as "Exodia the Forbidden One"^[90] or "Destiny Board".^[91]
• Their opponent surrenders. A surrender is announced by placing one's hand over their Deck.^[87]

Variant Duels

Labyrinth Duel

A Labyrinth Duel is played on a 9×9 grid with a number of squares removed from each corner.^[29] When "Labyrinth Wall" is played, it is placed outside of the grid. It causes walls to be added along some of the squares, and a ceiling to be added over them, restricting movement as monsters cannot move through walls or the ceiling. For convenience, the ceiling is not visible to the players^[92][30]

• Monsters in Attack Mode can move a number of square equal to their Level.^[92]
• When a monster moves, its card remains in the square it was originally played in, while the monster itself is whatever square it was moved to. When playing with holograms, a monster's current position is marked by its hologram.^[30]
• Monsters must be in an adjacent squares in order to battle.

See the Movement and attack types section for details on how monsters can move in the Labyrinth.

• 

  The 9×9 table with squares missing from each corner

• 

  Two teams sitting at opposite sides; Meikyû Brothers (background), Jonouchi and Dark Yugi (foreground)
  The card "Labyrinth Wall" is placed outside the grid.
  Jonouchi and Dark Yugi have three cards in the second row from them. The monsters from those cards have moved further into the board.

Tag Duel

A Tag Duel is a Duel involving two teams. Each team of two sits on opposite sides of the board^[29] and plays cards in the two rows nearest them. The sequence of turns is as follows: Team 1 Player A → Team 2 Player A → Team 1 Player B → Team 2 Player B.^[92]

If a single player has no monsters they can be attacked directly, even if their teammate has monsters. However the teammate may choose to block the attack, making one of their monsters the new target of the attack.^[58]

Battle Royal

A Battle Royal or Battle Royale features multiple opponents battling against each other.^[93]

Players are arranged in a circle and may attack any other opponent. Players may not attack until the last player to move's first turn. If a player is attacked directly, an adjacent player may block the attack by making one of their monsters the target of the attack.^[93]

Banned and Limited cards

Events may place restrictions on what cards can be used. Banned (禁（きん）止（し）) cards cannot be included in a Deck.^[94]

During the Battle City tournament, cards that directly damage a player, such as "Hinotama" and "Meteor of Destruction" or directly destroy a monster, such as "Raigeki", are Banned.^[95][94] This only includes cards that can immediately cause damage, while cards that inflict damage after a condition is met, such as "Mask of Accursed" are allowed.^[58]

The number of copies of a card that can be included in a Deck can also be restricted. In the Expert and Super Expert Rules, only a single copy of "Monster Reborn" could be included in a player's Deck.^{[96][note 24]}

Rule sets

Standard

The Standard Rules (スタンダード・ルール Sutandādo Rūru) are the basic set of Duel Monsters rules.

Only rules to feature or mention:

• Attributes being strong or weak against other Attributes
• Fields with Field Power Sources being active by default (later rules have them set by card effects)
• Monsters can be played in face-down Attack Mode^[7]

• 

  Rules explained in Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 9: "The Cards with Teeth (Part 1)"

• 

  Rules explained in Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 10: "The Cards with Teeth (Part 2)"

• 

  Rules explained in Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 108 (Duelist Duel 49): "The First Stages of Fear!"

Expert

The Duel Disk Expert Mode rules and Dark Yugi and Kaiba Dueling using them

The Expert Rules (エキスパート・ルール Ekisupāto Rūru) were used with the first version Duel Disks. This alters many of the previous rules and adds more.

Only rules to feature or mention:

• Each player can only hold five cards at a time.^[25]
  • If a player has five cards at the start of their turn, they cannot draw a card.^[25]
  • If a player has fewer than five cards at the start of their turn, they draw until they have five.
• A player's field contains five stages; the main card stage and four sub card stages. The main card is played in the main stage. All the player's other cards in their hand are played in the sub stages.^[5]
• Monsters in the main monster can be played in Attack or Defense Mode. Monsters in the sub stages are all in Attack Mode.^[5]
• The main card gets special abilities and powers from the sub cards.^[5]
• Sub cards are face-down until used or attacked.^[5]
• Sub cards can be flipped face-down and shuffled.^[5]
• A player's main monster can attack their opponent's main monster or any of the opponent's face-down cards. Normal rules of battle are applied if they attack a Monster Card. Non-Monster Cards are automatically destroyed if they are attacked.^[5]

Super Expert

The Super Expert Rules (スーパーエキスパート・ルール Sūpā Ekisupāto Rūru) were introduced in the Battle City tournament. They are based on the Standard Rules, contain additional rules and alter previous ones. The Expert rules do not apply in Super Expert.

Changes:

• Starting Life Points are changed from 2000 to 4000.^[75]
• Direct attacks are allowed.^[75]
• Sacrifice Summons are introduced.^[75]

• 

  Rules explained in Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 153 (Duelist Duel 94): "Duel of Vengeance!"

Realistic projections of cards

Multiple methods have been used to create lifelike projections of the cards while playing Duel Monsters.

• Cards have been brought to life by Millennium Item holders through use of Shadow Games.^[74] The Shadow Game's players can see the conjured monsters or effects of cards,^[74][97] but spectators cannot.^[98]
• KaibaCorp used holographic technology to create projections of cards to artificially replicate the experience of the Shadow Games. This was mainly done through the use of Virtual Simulation Battle Boxes.^[99]
• KaibaCorp later invented Solid Vision, which created even more realistic and life-sized projections of the cards. And invented Duel Disks as as a means of creating the projections from cards. The Duel Disks have a hyper 3-D engine built which processes the graphic data of the card at high speed to create Solid Vision using the V-2 emulator.^[69][100] Despite Solid Vision also being holograms, players feel like they experience pain when attacked by Solid Vision monsters.^[85]
• KaibaCorp also invented the Neurons as a means of playing Duel Monsters in the Duel Links virtual reality.^[101]

• 

  Monsters in a Shadow Game

• 

  Holograms in a Virtual Simulation Battle Box

• 

  Solid Vision projections from the prototype Duel Disks

• 

  Solid Vision projections from the V2 Duel Disks

• 

  Virtual reality created using Neurons

History

Egyptian Diaha

Depiction of a Diaha, showing two players battling with monsters summoned from stone slabs

In ancient Egypt, it was believed that misfortunes were caused by evil spirits dwelling inside people. In order to bring peace, the Pharaoh's magicians tamed such spirits, gave them names and physical forms, and trapped them in stone slabs. While sealed the monsters slowly became more powerful. Eventually a group of Priests acted against the Pharaoh and harnessed the power of the stone slabs, using them to and summon the monsters from the tablets to fight in battles, known as Diaha.^[102]

The magicians eventually died out and the stone tablets fell asleep deep below the earth. The legend was recorded in the Book of Thoth and passed down from generation to generation. All card games were said to have sprang from this source.^[32]

Creation

Maximillion J. Pegasus became interested in the ancient Egyptian beliefs in life after death, following the death of his lover, Cyndia. This led him to Egypt to learn more.^[103]

At the village, Kul Elna, Pegasus failed to bargain with Shadi for the safety of a a thief who was to persecuted for his attempt to steal the Millennium Ring. Pegasus spied on the thief being put on trial to see if he was chosen by the Ring. However the Ring rejected the thief as a host, burning him to death in the process. Pegasus was caught spying on the ritual and not permitted to leave unless he became bearer of a Millennium Item. For his trial, Pegasus had his left eye was cut out and the Millennium Eye inserted into in its socket. The Eye accepted Pegasus and showed him an apparition of Cyndia.^[103]

In the Valley of the Kings, Pegasus heard the legends of the Egyptian magicians that battled using the monsters sealed in tablets. He created Duel Monsters as a means of bringing the ancient games to the modern world,^[32] an act Ishizu Ishtar claimed he was led by fate to do.^[40]

Pegasus observing a tablet describing the abilities of The Sun Dragon Ra in order to design its card

Pegasus based a number of cards on images he saw on stone carvings. This included the three Hidden Gods of Egypt depicted on the Tablet of Lost Memories, each of which he designed as a one-of-a-kind card.^[40] The Sun Dragon Ra had its abilities carved into a tablet in hieratic text. Unable to translate them, Pegasus resigned to simply transcribing the hieratic text directly onto the card, leaving him unaware of its effects. He used a special kind of ink that would only be visible in the light emitted by Ra.^[104] It was said that whoever acquires the three God cards would be given the title of "Duel King". However the cards gained great power as if the Gods actually resided in them and were capable of taking an opponent's life. Pegasus regretted their creation, considering it to be his greatest mistake. He tried to physically destroy the cards, but could not bring himself to do it, and opted to have them buried within the Valley of the Kings, where they had come from.^[40]

The card "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" was based on The White Dragon seen on the Tablet of Lost Memories.^[40] It was initially considered to be one of the most powerful cards, so overpowered that production was ceased, causing it to gain a high monetary among collectors.^[74] Four copies were known to exist. They fell into the hands of collectors in the United States, Germany, and Hong Kong and Sugoroku Mutou in Japan.^[99]

Rise in popularity

Duel Monsters became a huge success in the United States, with players said to be in excess of twenty million and many tournaments hosted with large prizes.^[105]

The game features a number of valuable cards, with one fan in America alleged to have sold his house to pay for a single card.^[74]

By the time of Death-T, Duel Monsters was considered to be the world's #1 collectible card game.^[99]

Introduction of holograms

Seto Kaiba's attempt to steal the "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" from Sugoroku Mutou resulted in him being challenged to a Shadow Game of Duel Monsters by Dark Yugi. In this game, the monsters came to life as they were Summoned.^[74] On defeat, Kaiba was subjected to a Penalty Game, resulting in him imagining he was trapped inside a card, causing him to reside in the World of Duel Monsters, where he suffered the Experience of Death at the hands of monsters.^[1]

Kaiba invented the Virtual Simulation Battle Boxes, which created 3-D holograms of cards, as players played Duel Monsters, recreating what he witnessed in the Shadow Game. And allowed him to inflict a reconstruction of the Experience of Death on the loser.^[99]

Kaiba's company, KaibaCorp, sent an offer to Pegasus to develop Virtual Simulation Battle Boxes together with Industrial Illusions, to enhance the experience of playing Duel Monsters. Pegasus described it as a great idea and said that he would love for their companies to develop it together.^[105]

Battle Boxes were used during Death-T and Duelist Kingdom.

Introduction of Solid Vision

Duel Disks were developed later by KaibaCorp as a more upgraded means of Dueling that the Battle Boxes. Kaiba was in some part incentivized to develop them having witnessed the mind-reading abilities that the Millennium Eye granted Pegasus. The Duel Disks required players to stand at least 5 meters apart, which Kaiba hoped would be enough to put him out of Pegasus' Mind Scan's range. Unlike Battle Boxes the Duel Disks used Solid Vision, which created life-sized projections^[69] and were considered to be much more realistic than the holograms used by the Battle Boxes.^[100]

Pegasus was fond of the Solid Vision technology as it was capable of creating projections that were more lifelike than simple holograms. He hoped to takeover KaibaCorp, so he could have the technology and make it even more lifelike and create a realistic reconstruction of Cyndia, whom he had created a card of.^[100]

Real-world information

Name

The game is called Magic and Wizards or M&W for short in the Japanese manga. However, due to its similarity to Magic: The Gathering, the game was renamed to Duel Monsters in other media. Despite this, the Japanese manga continued to call the game Magic and Wizards throughout its run.

When the English manga was first printed in the Shonen Jump magazine, it used the name Magic and Wizards.^[74] This name was also used in the first printing of the graphic novels. In subsequent reprints, the name was changed to Duel Monsters.

The Japanese Yu-Gi-Oh! R and Yu-Gi-Oh! GX manga series use the name Magic and Wizards.^[19][106] The Japanese Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL and Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V manga series use the name Duel Monsters.^[107][108] All of their English editions use the name Duel Monsters.

• 

  The game being called "Magic and Wizards" in the English manga

• 

  The game being called "Duel Monsters" in a reprint

Design

The Yu-Gi-Oh! manga originally featured many different games, which rarely appeared more than once. Duel Monsters was initially meant to only feature in two chapters,^[109] as a game based on Magic: The Gathering.^[110] However, Shueisha, the publisher of the Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine, received so many letters and fan-mail asking about the game that Kazuki Takahashi was encouraged to extend it.^[111]

Takahashi came up with the original rules for the game in a single night.^[109] The idea for holograms and Solid Vision was inspired by Dejarik, a board game in Star Wars that featured holographic pieces.^[112]

Adaptations

• The Yu-Gi-Oh! anime by Toei Animation featured a version of Duel Monsters, based on the manga game. It first appeared April 18, 1998. The game was renamed from Magic and Wizards to Duel Monsters for this medium. Although the card backings featured the letters "MW".
• The Yu-Gi-Oh! Cardass by Bandai, first released August 1998, is based on the manga game.
• The Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters video game by Konami, released December 16, 1998, and a number of its sequels features a Duel Monsters game, based on the one from the manga. The series uses the name Duel Monsters. Although the game is called Magic at one point in dialogue.
• The Yu-Gi-Oh! Official Card Game (OCG) by Konami, first released February 4, 1999, incorporated elements from the manga game and the video game. Its logo features the term Duel Monsters. Earlier pre-production logos also featured the name Magic & Wizards Official Card Game.
• The Yu-Gi-Oh! anime by Nihon Ad Systems, first appearing April 18, 2000, features a Duel Monsters card game, based on the manga game, also incorporating elements from the OCG.

Notes

References