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Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG
Monsters, Spells, Traps and a card game born from a manga.
About the game
The Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game comes from Kazuki Takahashi's manga, where a fictional card game drives the story. Konami turned that fictional game into a real one in 1999, and the English-language TCG reached North America in 2002.
Players build a deck of Monster, Spell and Trap cards and try to reduce the opponent's Life Points to zero. Unlike many card games, the field has fixed zones for monsters and for Spell and Trap cards, which gives the game a clear visual layout.
This hub connects the Yu-Gi-Oh! sets, cards and mechanics on Cards Community. The game is known for archetypes, which are groups of cards that share a name or theme, and for summoning methods that grew more complex through the years.
Published by Konami. Browse all Yu-Gi-Oh! cards in the explorer →
Card types
- Normal Monster. A monster without a special effect. Its description is flavor text.
- Effect Monster. A monster with a special ability.
- Extra Deck Monsters. Fusion, Synchro, Xyz and Link Monsters are kept in the Extra Deck and summoned by their own methods.
- Spell. A card that creates an effect when activated, mostly on your own turn.
- Trap. A card that is set face down first and used on a later turn, often in response to the opponent.
Mechanics & keywords
Tribute SummoningSacrificing monsters to bring out stronger ones.Fusion SummoningCombining monsters into a new, stronger monster.Spell & Trap CardsThe non-monster cards that shape every duel.Extra Deck SummoningFusion, Synchro, Xyz, Pendulum and Link in one place.Alternate Win ConditionsWays to win without reducing Life Points to zero.
Rarities
- Common. The standard version of a card with no special foil on the name or art.
- Rare. A card whose name is printed in silver foil.
- Super Rare. A card with a holographic image area.
- Ultra Rare. A card with a gold-foil name and a holographic image. Many famous monsters were first printed as Ultra Rares.
Archetypes and deck styles
- Blue-Eyes. A group of cards that support Blue-Eyes White Dragon, often with fusion and tribute themes.
- Dark Magician. A Spellcaster group that supports Dark Magician and its related cards.
- Red-Eyes. A Dragon group built around Red-Eyes Black Dragon.
- Exodia. A deck that tries to collect all five pieces of Exodia for an immediate win.
Historical periods
- The first English sets (2002–2008)
The English TCG launched with Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon and Metal Raiders. During these years the game was distributed in North America by Upper Deck Entertainment.
- Konami's era (late 2008–)
Konami took control of the TCG from Upper Deck beginning in late 2008, after a legal dispute that carried into 2009. The company has since managed releases, rules and the Forbidden & Limited List directly.
- New summoning types (late 2000s–2010s)
The game added Synchro, Xyz, Pendulum and Link summoning in turn, each tied to a new anime series and each changing how decks are built.
- Anniversary and special rarity releases
Recent products use special finishes and reprint classic cards to celebrate the game's history, which makes the rarity system even more important to understand.
Key moments
- 1999 Konami releases the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game in Japan, based on the fictional card game in the manga.
- 2002 Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon begins the English-language TCG in North America.
- 2008 Konami begins taking control of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG from Upper Deck, a change that was settled in the courts into 2009.
Related reading
- How to Read a Trading Card 10 min read
- Rarity and Finishes Explained 8 min read
- Storing and Protecting Your Cards 9 min read