Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game

Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game
The Dark Magician, well known for being the preferred card of the anime series's protagonist, Yugi Moto
Players	Two (officially) Some special games are called "Double Duels", consisting of four players, two versus two
Age range	12 and up, but being successful requires maturity.
Setup time	< 1 minute
Playing time	approx. 15 minutes per game (can be much shorter or much longer), 47 minutes per match
Random chance	Medium
Skills required	Card playing Arithmetic Strategy Patience

The Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game is a collectible card game based on Duel Monsters, which is the main plot device in the popular Japanese manga Yu-Gi-Oh!, as well as the two anime series by Toei and NAS. For information on the anime, see the articles Yu-Gi-Oh! (first series anime) and Yu-Gi-Oh! (second series anime). In these fictional settings, the game is referred to as either Duel Monsters or Magic and Wizards or M&W. Thus the trading card game is the realization of a fictional game which was invented by the author Kazuki Takahashi. The cards and rules of the fictional game are entirely subservient to the plot of the story, and so they cannot be made into an actual trading card game without modification. Konami has produced most of the cards named by Takahashi with the powers he gives them. The rules of the trading card game are quite distinct from those of the fictional game. They are more consistent and balanced and do not change as they do in the fictional contexts. The original manga and the first English printing of Volumes 1-3 and part of Volume 4 used the name Magic & Wizards while the other and newer English productions and both anime versions use Duel Monsters. The trading cards are distributed in Asian countries by Konami as Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters: Official Card Game (OCG). Elsewhere, Upper Deck Entertainment serves as the manufacturer under Konami's direction.

Basic Gameplay

Organized play

Many local shops that carry this game have hosted tournaments. In addition, Upper Deck, Konami, and Shonen Jump have organized numerous tournament systems in their respective areas. These tournaments attract hundreds of players to compete for prizes such as rare promotional cards. There are two styles of tournament play called "Formats;" each format has its own rules and some restrictions on what cards are allowed to be used. Players must adhere to the rules of that format during tournaments.

Advanced Format

The Advanced Format is used in all premier Upper Deck and Konami tournaments, including the World Championship. This format follows all the normal rules of the game, but also places a complete ban on certain cards that are deemed too powerful for tournament play. These cards are on a special list called the Forbidden or Banned List. This list is updated every six months and is strictly followed in all tournaments that use this format.^[1]

Traditional Format

Note: This format only applies to the countries where Upper Deck distributes the game Traditional format is an alternative format which reflects the state of the game before the Forbidden Card list was created. Cards that are banned in Advanced are typically limited to one copy per deck in this format. ^[2]. The Traditional Format does not exist in areas where Konami distributes the game and is not widely used by Upper Deck in its sanctioned tournaments, leaving only local and unsanctioned tournaments to use it.

Casual play

Casual players typically agree in advance to follow the rules of either the Advanced Format or the Traditional Format. In addition, there are countless other unofficial variants,such as multiple player duel (where three or more duelists play every-man-for-themself) and use of the Egyptian God Cards (promotional cards from the anime/manga adaptation, which are illegal in official tournaments). For these unofficial variants of the game, the rules, such as what cards are legal or not, are agreed upon ahead of time.

Product information

Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Cards are available in Starter Decks, Structure Decks, Booster Packs, and occasionally as promotional cards.

Booster packs

See also: Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game sets

As in all other Trading Card Games, booster packs are the primary avenue of card distribution. In Konami's distribution areas, five random cards are found in each booster pack, and each set contains between fifty and sixty different cards. However, in Upper Deck's areas, early booster packs contained a random assortment of nine cards with the whole set ranging around 130 cards. In order to catch up with the Japanese metagame, two or more original sets were combined into one. Now, more recent Upper Deck sets have simply duplicated the original set. Some booster sets are reprinted/reissued (e.g. Dark Beginnings Volume 1 and 2). This type of set usually contains a larger amount of cards (around 200 to 250), and they contain twelve cards along with one tip card rather than the normal five or nine.

Starter Decks and Structure Decks

Starter Decks were released in order for new players to learn most of the basic gameplay and mechanics, also named after various characters from the second animated series. Structure Decks, however, are for more advanced players, as they are focused on a single strategy and tend to have powerful cards and combos. Each Starter Deck contains forty or fifty different cards, a game mat, and a rule book. Each Structure Deck contains exactly forty cards, a game mat, a rule book and a small leaflet with recommendations for cards and booster packs to improve the deck. Structure decks are usually built to adhere to the current Advanced-Format Forbidden Card list.

Character Starter Decks

There are currently seven Starter Decks available in the United States:

• Yugi Starter Deck (SDY): features Yugi's favorite card Dark Magician.
• Kaiba Starter Deck (SDK): features Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
• Joey Starter Deck (SDJ): includes Joey's Red-Eyes Black Dragon.
• Pegasus Starter Deck (SDP): has Pegasus' "Toon" monsters and his Relinquished card.
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Starter Deck 2006 (YSD) & Yu-Gi-Oh! Starter Deck 2007 (YSD2): include Elemental Hero cards and old spells and traps. Based on the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX series.
• Jaden Yuki Starter Deck (YSDJ): includes cards used by Jaden in the show.
• Syrus Truesdale Starter Deck (YSDS): includes cards used by Syrus in the show.

Character Structure Decks

There are also eight character-based Structure Decks released in Japan. They are similar to their U.S. counterparts except that they contain different cards and are called Structure Decks. These decks tend to be more powerful than the Starter Decks and have been notable among fans as being "playable from the box". The Structure Decks are:

• Yugi Structure Deck (YU): features Dark Magician Girl, the Dark Magician family, and other cards used by Yugi in early parts of the Battle City arc of the anime.
• Jonouchi ("Joey") Structure Deck (JY): features Jinzo, Red-Eyes Black Dragon, some luck based cards, and other cards used by Jonouchi in early parts of the Battle City arc. Also includes two dice, one red and one blue, based on his cards, Skull Dice and Graceful Dice, respectfully.
• Kaiba Structure Deck (KA): features the Vampire Lord, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, Blue-Eyes White Dragon (three in the deck, one with Japanese writing, one with Chinese writing, and one with English writing, referencing the Manga, which mentioned the previous owners of the BEWD's were from those countries ), and other cards used by Kaiba in early Battle City arc of anime. Also includes a coin with the Millennium Puzzle printed on it.
• Pegasus Structure Deck (PE): features cards that are used by Pegasus in the Duelist Kingdom arc of the anime. Examples include the "toon" monsters and Relinquished. Also includes the three (non-playable) "invitation" cards that were sent to Yugi before the Duelist Kingdom.
• Yugi Volume 2 Structure Deck (SY2): features cards used by Yugi later in the Battle City arc in the anime. Some examples are Dark Paladin and Dimensional Magic.
• Kaiba Volume 2 Structure Deck (SK2): features cards used by Kaiba later in the Battle City arc in the anime. Some examples are XYZ Dragon Cannon and Shrink.
• Jonouchi ("Joey") Volume 2 Structure Deck (SJ2): features cards used by Jonouchi later in the Battle City arc in the anime. Some examples are Gilford the Lightning and Foolish Burial.
• Marik Structure Deck (SDM): features cards used by Marik in the Battle City arc in the anime. Some examples are Lava Golem, Magic Shard Excavation, and Unholy Calamity.

Evolution Starter Decks

The Yugi and Kaiba Starter Decks have been re-released with slightly different cards since their initial release in the U.S., and the second set is known as the Evolution series. It is generally thought that the Evolution series improved the respective deck of each character, and they are more readily available than the initial release. The codes for the Evolution Series decks are:

• Yugi Evolution Starter Deck (SYE): contains the Ritual Monster Black Luster Soldier, the Ritual Spell Card Black Luster Ritual, and Dark Magician (LOB artwork)
• Kaiba Evolution Starter Deck (SKE): includes a Kaiser Sea Horse card along with the Continuous Trap Card Shadow Spell and Blue-Eyes White Dragon (LOB artwork)

Type Structure Decks

The Type Structure decks contain forty cards each. These decks do not follow the theme of being based on a character from the show. Instead they are based on a specific Monster type or attribute. The main purpose is to help new players start the game with stronger cards and combos. These decks may also contain multiple copies of same named cards and common versions of hard-to-find cards, making these decks powerful even without modifications. In addition, all decks include an instruction booklet with tips on how to use the deck's current goal (for example, the Fury of the Deep Structure Deck explains how to use Gravity Bind and A Legendary Ocean as a combo to allow four-starred monsters to attack), and how to expand on that goal with new cards. Each Structure Deck also contains one or more cards that can only be found by buying that deck. The codes for the structure deck, and what they are based on, are:

• Dragon's Roar Structure Deck (SD1): Based on Dragon Type monsters. The new card is Red Eyes Darkness Dragon.
• Zombie Madness Structure Deck (SD2): Based on Zombie Type monsters. The new card is Vampire Genesis.
• Blaze of Destruction Structure Deck (SD3): Based on Fire Attribute monsters. The new card is Infernal Flame Emperor.
• Fury of the Deep Structure Deck (SD4): Based on Water Attribute monsters. The new card is Ocean Dragon Lord - Neo Daedalus.
• Warrior's Triumph Structure Deck (SD5): Based on Warrior Type monsters. The new cards are Gilford the Legend, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland, and Divine Sword - Phoenix Blade.
• Spellcaster's Judgment Structure Deck (SD6): Based on Spellcaster Type monsters. The new cards are Dark Eradicator Warlock, Mythical Beast Cerberus, Magical Blast, (and for TCG) Nightmare's Steelcage, Magical Dimension, and Mystic Box.
• Invincible Fortress Structure Deck (SD7): Based on Earth Attribute monsters. The new cards are Exxod, Master of the Guard; Great Spirit; and Canyon.
• Lord of the Storm Structure Deck (SD8): Based on Wind Attribute monsters. The new cards are Simorgh, Bird of Divinity; Sonic Shooter; and Hysteric Party.
• Dinosaurs Rage Structure Deck (SD09): Based on Dinosaur Type monsters. The new cards are Super Conductive Tyranno, Jurassic World, Great Evolution Pill, Tail Swipe, Hunting Instinct, Survival Instinct, Volcanic Eruption, and Seismic Shockwave. The Special Edition Version of this Deck also released for the first time in the TCG the Five-Headed Dragon (known as Five-God Dragon in Japan).^[3]
• Machine Re-Volt Structure Deck (SD10): Based on Machine Type monsters. The new cards are Ancient Gear Gadjitron Dragon, Ancient Gear Engineer, Ancient Gear Gadjitron Chimera, Boot-Up Soldier-Dread Dynamo, Ancient Gear Workshop, Ancient Gear Fist, Ancient Gear Explosive, and Ancient Gear Tank. This deck also releases in the TCG the Gadget monsters and Mobile Fortress Stronghold.
• Surge of Radiance Structure Deck (SD11): Based on Light Attribute monsters. The new cards are Neo Parshath the Sky Paladin, Metius, Sage of the Sky, Harvest, Angel of Wisdom, Freya, Spirit of Victory, Nova Summoner, Radiant Jeral, Gellenduo and Aegis of Gaia. Upper Deck has not yet released this structure, although the new cards are already available as Secret Rares in the "Strike of Neos" set.

• Curse of Darkness Structure Deck (SD12): Based on Dark Attribute monsters. The OCG version is available. Due to the rumors of no release for SD11 there is speculation that there will be no deck either in TCG. The new cards in this deck were released as secret rares in Force of the Breaker, except for Shield Crush.^[4]
• Revival of the Great Dragon Structure Deck SDRL), TCG: Based on reviving Dragon type monsters from the Graveyard.^[5]
• Advent of the Emperor(SD??)Based on the infamous "Monarch" monsters and removing monsters from play. OCG release by December and TCG release in 2008.

Tournament Boosters

There are special booster packs that are given to those who attend a tournament. These sets change each time there is a different tournament and have less cards than a typical booster pack.

• Tournament Season 1
• Tournament Season 2
• Tournament Season 3
• Tournament Season 4
• Tournament Season 5
• Tournament Season 6
• Tournament Season 7
• Tournament Season 8
• Champion Pack: One
• Champion Pack: Two
• Champion Pack: Three
• Champion Pack: Four
• Champion Pack: Five

Collector Tins

• 2002 Collector Tins - Includes two packs each of Legend of Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Metal Raiders, along with one pack of Magic Ruler and one of six Variant cards.
• 2003 Collector Tins - Includes one pack each of Legend of Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Metal Raiders, Magic Ruler, Pharaoh's Servant, and Labyrinth of Nightmare, along with one of six Variant cards.
• 2004 Collector Tins - Includes one pack each of Dark Crisis, Magician's Force, Pharoah's Servant, Invasion of Chaos, and Ancient Sanctuary, along with one of six Variant cards.
• 2005 Collector Tins - Includes one pack each of Dark Beginning 1, Dark Revelation Volume 1, Soul of the Duelist, Rise of Destiny, and Flaming Eternity, along with one of six Variant cards.
• 2006 Collector Tins - These tins were released in two "waves"; the first wave includes one pack each of Shadow of Infinity, Elemental Energy, Enemy of Justice and two packs of Cybernetic Revolution. The second wave includes one each of Cybernetic Revolution, Elemental Energy, Shadow of Infinity, Enemy of Justice and Power of the Duelist booster packs. Each of the tins, regardless of which wave it is from, includes one of six Variant cards there are 2 tins that may have less packs then informed
• 2007 Collector Tins - These tins will be released in two "waves"; the first wave includes one pack each of Elemental Energy, Power of the Duelist, Cyberdark Impact, Strike of Neos, and Force of the Breaker. The second wave's included booster packs are unknown.

First Wave--Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus, Destiny Hero Plasma, and Elemental Hero Grand Neos; released on the 29th of August. Second Wave--Volcanic Doomfire, Rainbow Dragon, and Elemental Hero Plasma Vice;to be released on the 15th of November

Promo cards

See also: List of promotional Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards

Some cards in the TCG have been released by other means, such as inclusion in video games, movies, and magazines. These cards often have a special type of rarity and are usually powerful or are never-before-seen to the public.

Card rarity

Cards that have no outstanding features are called "Commons" as they are found commonly anywhere. Other cards that do have these features (holographic foil, gold lettering, etc.) are considered rare. The rarity of cards affects their value substantially. A "1st Edition" mark can also increase value. There are different levels of rarity:^[6]

• Common (C): The most common rarity found in cards. With a few exceptions, cards of this rarity do not have much value (or usefulness in the game.)
• Shortprint (S): These cards look very much like Common cards. They are more useful and slightly more valuable than them, however.
• Rare (R): The name of the card is printed in silver foil. There is about one in every pack (a card of a higher rarity will replace a Rare card). OCG packs are not guaranteed to have a Rare card, unlike their TCG counterparts.
• Super Rare (SR): The illustrations on these cards are printed with a holographic foil background. A Super Rare card comes in every six packs on average.
• Ultra Rare (UR): The name of the card is printed in gold foil. The illustrations on these cards are printed with a holographic foil background, with a slight gold tint. An Ultra Rare card comes in one out of every twelve packs (from Legend of Blue-Eyes through Ancient Sanctuary and the Dark Beginnings/Dark Revelations reprint sets) or twenty-four packs (from Soul of the Duelist up through current releases, barring the Dark Beginnings and Dark Revelations reprint sets).
• Ultimate Rare (ULT): The name of the card is printed in gold foil. The illustration's borders and card type buttons (and star level buttons for Monsters) on these cards are printed with a holographic foil background. They also have a relief effect due to being embossed. There have been alternate ULT versions of every Rare/Super Rare/Ultra Rare in all sets since Soul of the Duelist.
• Secret Rare (SCR): The name of the card is printed in holographic silver foil. These cards feature a sparkling holographic illustration called "polarizing silver". They are used primarily for promotional cards (e.g. tins and video games) and in all sets from Legend of Blue-Eyes through Ancient Sanctuary (they have been reintroduced to booster sets starting with Strike Of Neos). On average, there is one in every thirty packs.
• Parallel Rare (PLR): The name of the card is printed in either gold foil or just as a regular Common version of the card would be printed. The illustrations and borders on these cards are printed with a holographic foil background. Called Parallel Rare because their shininess has lines which run vertically and horizontally across the card. These are found in the TCG only through sanctioned Upper Deck Hobby League events and occasionally as promotional cards in Yu-Gi-Oh! video games.
• Ghost Rare ^[7] (GHR): A new rarity first found in the Tactical Evolution and Gladiator's Assault. The entire monster image done in a full-color holographic foil that is completely three dimensional. It also has a unique holographic foil on the card name. There is one in every twelve boxes (300 packs) on average.

Using physical cards in Yu-Gi-Oh! video games

Nearly every card has a unique eight-digit code printed on it. When that code is entered into one of the Yu-Gi-Oh! video games which accept said codes, a digital copy of that card will be added to the player's virtual cards. Thus, players can port their real-world decks into the games. Some cards do not have this code. For example, all but two copies of Japanese Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon cards say "Replica" where the code should be (They are considered replicas of the other two that were given as prizes in a Yu-Gi-Oh! tournament in Tokyo). Some cards do not have anything at all. For example, the Shadow Ghoul monster card from the English Metal Raiders and Dark Beginning 2 booster sets has no code number, as opposed to being a replica card. Some other examples of cards that don't have any codes at all are Labyrinth Wall, Gate Guardian and its "pieces", Cosmo Queen, Tremendous Fire, and Dian Keto The Cure Master.

Controversy

Adaptation from Japan

Many Japanese cards are used in the manga or anime and popularized globally years before the cards are released outside Japan. For example, the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon (BEUD), a popular card from the beginning of the game, was released in America late in 2005. The Blue Eyes Shining Dragon, which requires tributing a Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon (as a summon condition), was actually released almost a year before the BEUD was available for play.

Expensive prices

Early in the game, new popular cards were extremely rare and expensive to acquire, making this a "rich man's game" in the eyes of some players. However, recent reprinting of older cards in Structure Decks, Booster Pack Tins, and new reprint packs such as Dark Beginnings have made this less of an issue than it once was. However, many also feel that the reprint packs and the Structure Decks have made their "rich man's" cards decrease in overall value. In an extreme example, Cyber-Stein was originally printed only for winners of Shonen Jump Championship competitions, with the first card having a bid placed on eBay for over 10,000 US dollars.^[8] The buyer did not pay, however and the card was resold, bringing 6,000 US dollars. The card is now available as a rare in Dark Beginning 2 (one random Rare card can be found per booster pack) and can be found for about ten dollars. These cards have a high demand because there are very few copies printed (about two per distribution, where a distribution is one given to the player who achieves the highest score in the side events of a Shonen Jump Championship Tournament and one given to the first place winner of a Shonen Jump Championship tournament). This low supply creates a high demand for the cards, raising the price. A further example is Card of Sanctity (EP1-EN000). Only 108 copies of this card were printed, 100 of which were given away as promotional cards at a Kids WB contest, consequently causing a lot to be damaged & lost and further increasing the rarity of a mint condition copy. The other 8 copies were included amongst the Movie booster packs that were released in conjunction with Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie. The rarity of this card caused the few copies that did appear on ebay to sell for upwards of 1,500 US Dollars (as much as 5,000 US Dollars in one case). Similarly to Cyber Stein the card has since been mass produced and is now available as a super rare holo (TLM-EN037). There are still some cards released under similar circumstances at around the same price (Shonen Jump Championship cards), while others (generally Ultra Rare from tournament packs [above]) consistently hover around $80-$100. Other sought-after cards tend to be priced anywhere from fifteen to fifty dollars depending on rarity, usefulness in game play, and anticipation. The $80-100 cards, for example, are found in one out of 108 tournament packs, which are generally given out as prizes (and consolation prizes) for local tournaments.

Card editing

OCG version of Don Zaloog (left), TCG version (right); note that the guns have been changed to swords, yet he still has the belt of ammunition wrapped around him.

Another issue is card editing, which occurs when Konami translates a card for use in the TCG, often with an edited picture (e.g. Don Zaloog's TCG picture depicts him holding swords as the OCG version shows him holding guns). Edited art often removes guns (sometimes changing them to "laser/space/cosmo guns"), pentagrams, hexagrams, cleavage, blood, halos, horns, crosses, nudity, or completely changes the picture with new artwork (e.g. Tragedy, Ultimate Offering, Soul of the Pure, Monster Reborn, Dian Keto the Cure Master, etc.). Purists have also noted that many card names are changed for the TCG, sometimes to tone down the name (e.g. Five God Dragon becomes F.G.D. in video games and Five-Headed Dragon in the TCG^[9]) and sometimes for no apparent reason. Some feel that Konami does not correctly translate card names (e.g. Buster Rancher/Buster Launcher and Fushioh Richie/Nosferatu Lich) in some cases, while other say they are translated correctly. Upper Deck employees often cite the reason for name changes and art edits as being Konami's belief that it needs to make the game more appropriate for children outside of Japan.

Occult Controversy in Latin America

A few years ago, when the show was first airing on open TV, the cards were first released. Due to their imagery, they were considered occult, mainly by some extremist groups of Catholics and other Christians. However, this wasn't the first time a Japanese product was considered occult; both the anime Dragon Ball Z and the Pokémon anime and related toys were criticized for this as well, especially in most of Latin America.

See also

• List of Yu-Gi-Oh! cards
• List of promotional Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards

References

External links

• Official U.S. game website (UDE)
• Trading Card Game website (Konami)
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Online worldwide portal
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Wikia