Yu-Gi-Oh! is a card exchange game, where the objective of the game is to defeat the opponent, by reducing the opponent's Life Points to zero. But there are many rules to be aware of before playing.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Game Settings
Step 1. Shuffle the deck of cards
First, shuffle your own deck, then your opponent's deck.
Each deck must have between 40 and 60 cards
Step 2. Determine who starts the first turn
You can toss a coin, play rock-paper-scissors, or decide for yourself between the two of you. Whoever starts the first turn can activate the card and prepare for the battlefield with a few traps and monsters first, but in the first turn of this duel you don't pick up any cards during the card-taking phase and there's no combat phase.
Step 3. Take five cards from your main deck
The opponent will get a sixth card when it is his turn later. Each turn, you draw one card at the start of the card-taking phase, except on the first turn of the player who had the initial turn.
Step 4. Place the card in the right position
After drawing five cards, get rid of your main card pool. Use a special playing mat when playing (if you have one) but at least make sure to place the cards and decks in the correct locations. The cards throughout the game will be placed in fourteen different positions (two rows of seven cards each).
- Your card pool will be in the last position of the second row, with the Extra Deck area at the beginning of that row. The top row is bordered by the Field Zone (the area for special cards that affect the battlefield) on the left and the graveyard (for discarded cards) on the right. The five positions in the middle for the top are places for monster cards and the bottom is for magic cards and traps. In addition, there are discard areas, which have no official locations but are very important in the game, and two pendulum areas that are between the battlefield and Extra Deck areas as well as the card pool and graveyard areas on newer game mats.
- Place the Synchro, Xyz and (if using) Fusion monster cards in the Extra Deck area. If the cards of these monsters are in the hand or card pool, then they will be returned to the Extra Deck area. The pendulum monsters are here exposed cards rather than heading to the graveyard from the pendulum area. Beginners in this game should not use a pendulum unless they already understand it because pendulums are a new addition to the game and can be confusing.
Part 2 of 3: Taking Game Turns
Step 1. Take a card from the deck of cards
The first part of your turn is to draw a card. Don't forget to pick up a card, because once a part of your turn ends (eg if you forget to pick a card and move on to the next stage of your turn), you cannot return to that part again.
Step 2. Perform the action in the "stand-by phase" (preparation phase)
There are some cards that can only be used during this phase, so if you don't have one, there's no need to worry about it. Some cards, such as trap cards, can also be used during this phase on your turn.
The cards that can be used during this phase will be shown on the card. Look at the term "stand-by phase" in the card description
Step 3. Perform combat action
This is the first major phase of your turn. You will perform, if you wish, some actions that will prepare you for the next phase of your turn, which is to fight! If you don't fight after completing this phase, then your turn will be over.
- Submit monsters. You can pose monsters during this phase on your turn. You can only submit one monster per turn. Monsters submitted in defensive positions must be put in a closed state first.
- Changing the position of the monsters. You can change the position of the monster from attack to defense or vice versa. These positions will be discussed below.
- You can use trap cards. These cards cannot be activated in the same turn as they were laid.
- You can also use magic cards.
Step 4. Attack the opponent
This phase is called the fighting phase. You will use part of this turn to attack your opponent. Attack your opponent using your monster cards and then calculate the damage and remaining life points. The vitality, or health/life of the opponent, starts with eight thousand. When a player's vitality reaches zero, the opponent wins!
- Attacking position versus attacking position. When using a monster in an attacking position to attack an enemy monster that is also in an attacking position, then if your monster has a higher attack value (shown on the card), your monster will win and the enemy monster will die. Subtract the attack value of the opponent's monster from the attack value of your monster. This difference will be deducted from the opponent's vitality.
- Offensive position versus defensive position. This type of attack won't hurt your opponent's vitality, but you can attack a monster that's on the defensive to eliminate it. But if the opposing monster has a higher defense value than your monster's attack value, then you will receive damage or damage to your survivability (a number of differences in value).
- Attack the opponent directly. If the opponent has no monsters on the battlefield, then you can attack the opponent directly. The total amount of the monster's attack value will be deducted from the opponent's survivability.
Step 5. Do the second round of fighting action
Once the battle phase is over, you enter the second main phase and can perform the same combat actions as you did in the first phase (eg laying traps or changing monster positions). But if you have submitted a monster during the first round of the fighting action, then you are not allowed to submit another monster at this point.
Step 6. End the turn
After the second round of fighting action has been completed, you end your turn and your opponent will make their turn.
Part 3 of 3: Understanding the Playing Cards
Step 1. Use monster cards
Monster cards are usually orange (has effect) or yellow (normal, has no effect). When submitting a monster, you should pay attention to the attack and defense value of the monster card. Monsters with a high attack value should be placed in an attacking position, while monsters with a high defense value should be placed in a defensive position.
- In the attacking position, the cards are laid normally and exposed. In a defensive position, the cards are laid out in an extended position to the side. Cards in a defensive position may be open or closed.
- Monsters in a defensive stance usually can't attack.
- Check monster submission limits. If a monster card has five stars or more, then it must be submitted at a sacrifice. This means that you have to submit a weaker monster first and then in the next turn sacrifice that monster to the grave in order to nominate a stronger monster. If the monster card has seven or more stars, then you need two monsters to sacrifice!
- There are often other submission limits as well, so check the writing on the monster card. The Synchro Monster (white) for example, will require the sacrifice of a tuner monster. Ritual monsters (blue) require special magic to cast. Fusion monsters (purple) require a special sacrifice from the Extra Deck. The Xyz (black) card requires you to place two or more monsters of the same level on the battlefield. The fusion monsters, Synchro and Xyz are not in the main card pool, but are in the Extra Deck. If they are in the main hand or pool, put them back in the Extra Deck.
Step 2. Use magic cards
These cards are important in the game because their effects can help you or annoy your opponent. These cards are blue-green in color and can be played on the same turn they were taken.
Step 3. The pendulum monsters look like half monster and half magic
They can be posed as monsters or placed within both pendulum areas. Once in each turn when you have two monsters in the pendulum area, then you may make a pendulum submission, that is, a special submission of any monster to the battlefield from the card in your hand, but only if the level of the monsters is between the pendulum level of the pendulum monster. So if you have two pendulum monsters, one with a level four pendulum and another with a level seven pendulum, then you can apply for a level five or six monster as a pendulum submission.
- Complementary cards are magic cards that are applied to monster cards to give them special boosts or effects.
- Quick play cards are magic cards that can be played during your opponent's turn after being placed on your previous turn or played directly from the cards in your hand during your turn.
- Ritual magic cards are used to summon ritual monsters.
- Magic cards for the battlefield are cards placed in the Field Zone, which usually give a boost to a certain type/attribute of all cards on the battlefield, including the enemy's cards! Each player can have one magic card of this type on the battlefield at a time.
- Continuous magic cards are magic cards that remain in the magic/trap area.
Step 4. Use trap cards
Trap cards, which can be used during your turn or during your opponent's turn, can be used to do serious damage to your opponent! These cards are purple. These cards are usually used to provide defense during the opponent's turn. Trap cards are placed on your turn, but can only be activated after the final phase of the turn or through a chain action.
Tips
- In most decks, the best arrangement is 21 monster cards, 11 magic cards, and 8 trap cards for a total of 40 cards. This is done so that better cards can be drawn faster.
- Always be careful when the opponent has a monster that cannot be destroyed by another monster.
- Sacrifice the monsters only if you have planned it or you may get a monster that is weaker than the previous monster.
- When a player tries to take a card but there are no more cards in his card pool, then that player is declared a loser. Creating a deck that uses this kind of tactic and destroys your opponent by depleting his cards is called a "Mill deck".
- If you play a card that causes you to get a life force but the life force is still the same as it was when you started it, then you are still adding the life force you will get to the overall life force.
- Always try to have trap cards to eliminate your opponent's attacks and destroy or eliminate their attacking monsters from the game. This will save your monster from destruction and/or save your life force from being damaged.
- Monsters may only attack once per turn, unless otherwise stated, or for certain card effects.
- Watch your vitality.
- Remember to be aware of any effects of monster cards, magic or traps that can affect the gameplay.
- Purchase card covers to prevent the cards from being damaged. A play mat can also help if you want to keep things tidy.
- Sometimes change the arrangement of the cards so that your opponent can't guess. In this way, your strategy will not become public and your weaknesses will not be known.
- Magic cards like Twister can destroy magic cards and traps, so make sure to have them in your deck.
- If you're planning to enter an official tournament, make sure to follow the Advanced Format (a tournament format with a list of cards that can't be used or can only be used on a limited basis).
- Get good Synchro, Xyz or fusion monsters.
- There are several other ways to win, called special win conditions. These are card effects that require something very special to do, such as the "Exodia the Forbidden One" or "Destiny Board" cards.
- If you have a "Soul Exchange" card, sacrifice your weaker monsters to get the strongest opposing monster.
- Monsters placed in a defensive position on the battlefield can only be turned into an attacking position by flipping them on their next turn.
- The higher the value of your monster, the more likely you are to win.
- A Side Deck is used to change cards between duels.
- It's usually better to use a deck that has a "theme" rather than just random cards stuffed into the deck. "Themed deck" can refer to the Dragon Deck or Warrior Deck, and can be a more specialized deck as in the Blackwing Deck or Elemental Hero Deck.
- Make sure you are able to distinguish the effects of the cards to speed up the game.
- Monsters can only be raised (laid open in an attack position) or placed sideways (placed closed in a defensive position).
- Have more than forty cards. This increases the chances of having better cards in the deck.
Warning
- In a duel, do not do "stacking". Stacking is a form of cheating in which you arrange the cards so that you will take the card you want, when you want it. If caught during the official tournament, this is Certain will get you kicked out of the tournament. After all, when facing an experienced opponent, this would rarely work.
- If you do not have the desired card in the card package being sold, then exchange the cards that are not needed.
- These games can seem expensive if you really want to play every day.
- This game can be addictive.
- If you want to get better, buy more card packs to get better cards.
