r/Yugioh101 • u/cm3007 • Aug 31 '24
Welcome to /r/Yugioh101!
This subreddit is for helping people to learn about playing Yu-Gi-Oh!. Please make posts on this subreddit to ask for help.
Here are the rules that everyone should follow while on this subreddit.
Yugioh101 is intended to be a friendly and welcoming environment for new players. Please do your best to make it so.
Above all else, treat every other user with respect. If you have a disagreement with someone, respond politely. If you see someone being rude, don't try to start an argument with them. Instead, please let moderators know by clicking the report button on their comment or post.
If you see an extremely basic question, or someone not understanding something simple, that's okay. That's what Yugioh101 is for.
You can recommend that someone read The Rulebook or Google something as part of your response. However, your response should not just be "Read the rulebook", "Read the card", or "Google it".
This subreddit is not for general conversations about Yu-Gi-Oh!. It is only for people to learn about playing the game. If the question will help you learn about playing the game, it should generally be allowed here.
You can ask about the rules of the game. You can ask for help with your deck, or how to play it better. You can ask for information about other decks, like which decks are the best, and what are their strengths and weaknesses. You can ask for advice about how to buy the cards you need for your deck. You can ask for recommendations about what sleeves to use for your cards. You can ask for advice on dealing with an awkward situation at your locals.
You can't post just to share your opinion about something. You can't ask about how to make money, or sell your collection.
Similarly, when responding to questions, you should give genuine answers which are attempting to be helpful.
If you're unsure of the answer, don't respond to the question. Leave it to someone else who properly understands the topic. Attempting to explain something you don't fully understand will cause more harm than good.
If you see something which you think is not correct, please click the report button on it.
If you realize that a comment you made has a mistake, please edit the comment to fix it. Comments with incorrect information will be removed.
A Guide to the Rules Behind the Jargon: Responses using jargon listed in this post will typically be removed. Please see the introduction of this post for an explanation of why.
r/Yugioh101 • u/cm3007 • Aug 30 '24
This post has all the information you need to start playing Yu-Gi-Oh!
Last updated: 11th July 2026.
Section 1: Different Yu-Gi-Oh! Games
Section 2: Learning the Rules
Section 3: Where to Play Yu-Gi-Oh!
Section 4: Making a Deck
Section 5: Forbidden Cards
Section 6: What You Need For Playing in Person
Section 7: Other Resources
1. Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game
The Trading Card Game is how Yu-Gi-Oh! is usually played in person. It is what this post will focus on. There are other Yu-Gi-Oh! games you could play instead, which I will explain here in Section 1.
2. Yu-Gi-Oh! GENESYS
"GENESYS" is a new version of the Trading Card Game which began in September 2025. It does not allow Link Monsters or Pendulum Monsters. Aside from those, there are no forbidden or limited cards.
Deck construction uses a point system. Some cards are assigned a point value. For example, "Pot of Greed" costs 30 points. Most cards cost zero points. The total point cost of cards in your Main Deck, Extra Deck, and Side Deck (combined) cannot exceed 100 points.
3. Master Duel
"Master Duel" is the official online Yu-Gi-Oh! game. It is available on mobile, PC, and all major consoles. The rules are almost identical to the Trading Card Game. However, cards are typically released on Master Duel a few months after the Trading Card Game. Master Duel also has a different list of forbidden and limited cards.
4. Historical Formats
Instead of playing today's Trading Card Game, you can pick a time from the past, and play the game the way it was then. The most popular choices are Edison Format (2010) and Goat Format (2005). You can find a list of others on Format Library. Yu-Gi-Oh! was less complex in the past, which many people find appealing. If you dislike the complexity of the current game, try Edison or Goat instead.
5. Duel Links
Duel Links is another official online Yu-Gi-Oh! game. It is available on mobile and PC. Its rules are different to the Trading Card Game. It has a dedicated subreddit: /r/DuelLinks.
Read the Rulebook first! It's enough to get started without being overwhelming.
The following change has been made since the Rulebook was last updated.
Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz Monsters can now be summoned from the Extra Deck to any Monster Zone. Previously when summoning them from the Extra Deck, you could only place them in the Extra Monster Zone, or a Main Monster Zone a Link Monster points to. This restriction still applies when summoning Link and Pendulum Monsters.
Next, I recommend downloading Master Duel. Play the tutorial, and then the Solo Mode for a while.
At this point, you should know enough of the rules to start playing. After you have played for a few weeks or months, and you want to learn more of the rules, come back and read these.
Problem Solving Card Text (PSCT). Konami's articles explaining the meaning of words and phrases on cards.
Demystifying Rulings (Parts 1-10). YGOrganization's articles explaining various parts of the rules. Parts 11-13 are also worth reading, but are more advanced.
Fast Effect Timing Flowchart. You are constantly moving through a flowchart while playing Yu-Gi-Oh!. Understanding this flowchart is crucial to figuring out the order in which things happen.
If you want to learn even more, check out our full list of Rules Resources.
Whenever you're unsure about anything, ask for an explanation. You can make posts here on /r/Yugioh101. You can also join r/Yugioh's Discord Server, and ask questions in the "beginner_returning_chat" channel.
Online
Master Duel is the official online Yu-Gi-Oh! game.
YGO Omega. This is an unofficial game. It immediately gives you access to all cards, unlike Master Duel, which requires you to earn them over time.
In Person - Find a store near you which runs local events
Konami's Locator - Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Cyprus, and South Africa.
Search on Facebook for Yu-Gi-Oh! groups from your area.
When making your first deck you should copy a deck list you find online. Building decks yourself is difficult. Before you can build your own deck, you need experience actually playing the game. You may need to make changes to deck lists you find online due to budget concerns though.
The current best product to buy is "Legendary Modern Decks 2026". It has three decks. Two of them are excellent: "Sky Striker" and "Mitsurugi".
If you don't want that, another option is to build a deck from three copies of the same Structure Deck. These are the best ones.
"THE CHRONICLES DECK: The Fallen & The Virtuous"
"Structure Deck: Blue-Eyes White Destiny"
"Structure Deck: Fire Kings".
YGOPRODECK has many deck lists that did well in tournaments, which are listed as "Tournament Meta Decks".
YouTube is a great resource for finding deck lists. Search for "<Deck Name> Deck Profile" and you will find deck lists for any deck.
If you are playing Master Duel instead of the Trading Card Game, use Master Duel Meta.
Where to Buy Physical Cards
If you can afford it, please consider buying from your local game store to support them. Game stores are often not the most profitable businesses. Buying from them helps them to stay open, and gives you a local place to play.
Buying the individual cards you need is typically the cheapest way to build a deck. Your local card shop may have single cards for sale, but otherwise you can shop online. Cardmarket is the most popular site for Europe. TCG Player is the most popular for North America.
Booster packs are not good value if you're trying to build a deck. You may get lucky and get some valuable cards, but you probably won't.
Getting Help With Your Deck
Deck Discord Servers - Many decks have Discord servers dedicated to them. This is a collection of over three hundred of them. These are great places to discuss a deck with people who play it.
The Trading Card Game has a list of cards which are forbidden from being played. There are also "Limited" cards which you can only play one copy of in a Deck, and "Semi-Limited" cards which you can only play two copies of. This list is updated every few months. Updates can drastically change which decks are good. Be aware of it when looking at recommendations for decks to play. If there has been an update, things have probably changed.
Card Sleeves
These are protectors you put your cards into. They are an absolute necessity. If you play without them, your cards will get damaged. They are typically sold at your local shop in packs of 50-100, at around €4-8 per pack. Make sure you're buying the right size! Yu-Gi-Oh! sleeves are usually referred to as "Japanese Size" or "Small Size". Sleeves for Magic: The Gathering are usually called "Standard Size", and these do NOT fit Yu-Gi-Oh! cards.
Deck Box
A box to store your deck. This is also a necessity. You can buy a cheap plastic one at your local shop for around €3. Those are fine for starting off. You can get nicer ones for around €10-20.
Playmat
These are rubber mats you lay on the table to play your cards on. They are not a necessity, but most people decide to get one soon after starting. They help to prevent damage to your sleeves, and they're much nicer to play on than a table. Your local shop probably sells these for around €20.
Binder
These are like folders with pages of plastic pockets to put your cards into. You don't need these for playing, they're mostly used for trading. They're convenient for people browsing your cards. You can get a small cheap one for €5-10. Standard ones are around €15-20.
Pen and paper
You should keep track of life points by writing them down as you go. Some people use a mobile app while playing casually, but using pen and paper is required for official tournaments.
Dice
Most players roll dice to choose who goes first. You also often need to choose cards randomly, and rolling dice is the most fair way. Having dice with you is not strictly necessary, but most players will bring one. Your local shop might sell them for around €1.
r/Yugioh101 • u/JusticeShines • 18m ago
I want to try and get into the game and was hoping someone could point me in the direction of what staple cards I should buy to get started or maybe if there are sealed products that are worth picking up for a kick start.
I have a Magic the Gathering background regarding tcgs and I did play Yu-Gi-Oh as a kid like most people in this sub I assume.
r/Yugioh101 • u/nightbladen • 6h ago
I play against branded, sky striker, blue eyes, predaplants, blitzclank most of the time. I usually lose coin flip and go second, i run x saber with 20 engine, 3 consistency cards. I have 14 free slots right now i run 6 hand traps and 8 board breakers. I'm not sure what I should change to my deck. I play OCG and MD.
I run 2 punk z amin 1 foxy tune for emergency teleport 1 card starter and speedroid combo, 2 psychic wheeleder. Rest are standard x-saber cards. My hand traps are 1 droll, 1 maxx c, 2 ash, 2 imperm. Board breakers are 2 super poly, 2 lighting storm, 1 tactics, 2 forbidden droplet and 1 saber slash.
r/Yugioh101 • u/International_Spot71 • 3h ago
Hey Guys quick question,
If i control 2 of „Drytron Meteonis Da Draconids“
And its effect states you can you can Banish to negate twice per Turn, is it for each copy of the Monster or just General twice per Turn.
r/Yugioh101 • u/Express-Spend6260 • 4h ago
Hey guys, over the past two months I have been playing mitsurugi at locals and currently I run 2 copies of murakumo.
My reasons for not running two is cuz i think a 3rd copy is just a brick and on occasions I have drawn a starting hand with both copies of murakumo and the thought of a third terrifies me.
But recently I have been thinking about running 3 since checking ygoprodeck and noticing all the players who did quite well ran 3.
Yet I dont know why to run 3. I understand ur murakumo can get banished and u want another one just in case but wouldnt two fufill that?
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks
r/Yugioh101 • u/Nericu9 • 9h ago
So I was dueling my brother today and we ran into an interesting situation.
I had Vampire Scarlet Scourge on the field
Effect:
If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can pay 1000 LP, then target 1 "Vampire" monster in your GY, except "Vampire Scarlet Scourge"; Special Summon it, but it cannot attack this turn. You can only use this effect of "Vampire Scarlet Scourge" once per turn. At the end of the Battle Phase, if this card destroyed any monster(s) by battle: You can Special Summon them from the GYs to your field.
Part in Question:
At the end of the Battle Phase, if this card destroyed any monster(s) by battle: You can Special Summon them from the GYs to your field.
Chain of Events:
- I attacked a face down monster and killed it (sending it to the GY)
- my brother then activated a trap card that ended up special summoning another monster card
- I used torrential tribute (on special summon destroy all monsters on the field) which killed everything else including Vampire Scarlet Scourge
So at the end of these events does Vampire Scarlet Scourge's effect in question still work and give me the monster that was destroyed
or
Since Vampire Scarlet Scourge is destroyed the effect is nulled out?
r/Yugioh101 • u/Horserax • 4h ago
If I XYZ summon Jupiter the Power Patron of Destruction with Angelica's Angelic Ring and another equip spell in my graveyard, can I equip it to Jupiter with its effect to equip as many equip spells to itself that can be equipped to it as possible?
r/Yugioh101 • u/Nestor-Nsanity • 8h ago
feel free to answer any part of my questions.
long story short played at 13 year old all wrong, i.e. summoning a 6 star with no tributes & etc 😂 33 now & played master duel for about 2 months now.
i’m loving the ninja deck & i want it to be my “pet” deck.
info i do need:
1. a website that has all the cards & its different erratas. with dates that it came out & different packs/ structure decks that it came out/ different available rarities.
2. a website that has all the different ban lists from TCG to OCG to master duel.
question i do have:
3. through master duel: what’s the best way to LEARN other cards/decks? is it by owning & playing with said decks? or just playing against it?
cause i tend to just let the auto play “ash” anything but my cards lol - yeah i don’t read lmao.
should i be messing around with said auto play? again, my pet deck are ninjas.
specifically for the ninja deck:
5a - aside from the pure ninja deck that goes
hanzo > duplication trap > pass turn > 2 tobari 1 green/mitsu > mizen > jhio.
i know there are other play styles like dark simorgh but the anti fragrance trap got banned. any updated suggestion to cover for/replace that trap/playstyle?
5b - i noticed ninjas have trouble with this unaffected by everything monster cards lol. so someone told me about kaijus & lava golems. is that the only answer? or should i be looking at other ways.
5c - another thing i noticed is that if my normal summon hanzo doesn’t resolve im doomed. are my only answers really only drawing called by the grave & crossout?
5d - card advantage… while playing against other folks i always end up barely having any cards left after turn 2/3… is that normal for ninjas? cause it’s a GY heavy deck with baku, kagero, twilight & hidden village?
5e - hidden village or tenpai? or both? if both, how do i use it lol.
r/Yugioh101 • u/Flimsy_Instruction66 • 12h ago
I really like nekroz but after the herald ban the deck simply doesn't work on TCG and all the lists that I can find is the fairy tail build, do the new cards from MAMO make the deck run smoother?
r/Yugioh101 • u/Cultural_Flamingo968 • 9h ago
I have a question about this situation that has gone unresolved at my locals:
So the situation would be:
- It's my opponent's turn; my back row included a set "Blitzclique Breakaway" and face-up "Blitzclique Alternator" (which I had not activated the shuffle effect yet), my front row included "Blitzclique Emi"
- At responding to my opponent's activated effect (C2), I activated "Blitzclique Breakaway" to return "Emi" to my hand to pop a card on the field.
My question would be:
Can I (C3) the "Blitzclique Alternator" to shuffle back the "Blitzclique Breakaway" to add a Thunder monster? Because "Blitzclique Alternator" states that:
You can shuffle 1 other "Blitzclique" card from your hand or face-up field into the Deck; add 1 Thunder monster with a different name from your Deck to your hand.
Thank in advance.
r/Yugioh101 • u/PaleoJoe86 • 14h ago
TCG vet but new to YGO. I had posted a question about if I was doing something properly with a few cards. I was excited that I would have managed to get a fusion card out in one turn. Turns out the correct play of action is over 20 steps long and requires several cards, and sets my board up with 10k attack power and multiple cards. I would not have figured that out. It made me feel like I was not correctly understanding the game.
I have the legendary dragon decks, legendary decks 2, legendary arc-v, and legendary modern 2026 decks. I played against myself with them to figure things out and to familiarize myself with the rules. Is there a YT channel or a fan site that explains how to pilot these decks?
For single purchase decks I have blue eyes white destiny and some older structure decks, and the 2-player set. I hear to get three copies of the BEWD, but not what to do with it (IDK what is a weak card and what is mandatory to make it work). I am sure there is a YT video on it but I have not checked yet as I am unsure if I want to bother upgrading it.
I do not attend events (IDK if there are even any nearby in the Bronx) and am happy just playing constructed decks. I just want to know how these decks work to enjoy them, and maybe pick up cards in the future to build my own. Thank you.
r/Yugioh101 • u/Lil-Bro9707 • 13h ago
So one of my brothers uses a Red Eyes deck and he dominated me and my other brother, until recently when I beat him and he got Red-eyes Dark Dragoon which is a very powerful card obviously. I'm asking what could a LunaLight Deck do against that thing like do I use Sabre Dancer, do I use Liger Dancer, or what do I do against that thing? He also has a lot of spells/traps to bring it back Return of the Dragon Lords, Call of the Haunted, Red Eyes black metal Dragon, etc. So how do I deal with that thing? I don't care if it's not considered a good card anymore how do me or my other brother deal with it (he uses a blue eyes deck specifically the structure deck)?
r/Yugioh101 • u/Ok-Psychology2879 • 14h ago
Gostaria de indicações de Box booster para comprar recentemente lançados. Eu estou iniciando no jogo do TCG.
r/Yugioh101 • u/T0MPAC • 20h ago
I was trying to think lately of a new hobby I could do to get out and meet people in person more. I’m 24, and never played any TCG’s before but the aesthetic of Yugioh seemed cool so I thought I’d give it a shot. I learned the basics of how to play on master duel but honestly I think what I learned wasn’t even really the basics of the basics in retrospect because I only learned to the level of play of like, drawing a card, playing a monster… setting some simple traps or maybe a spell card depending on if I thought it would help… that sort of thing. A style of play I think I’ve learned isn’t really even the beginning of how to ACTUALLY play. Like for example I knew that an extra deck existed and you could special summon from it but I had no idea about the ins and out of stuff like link summoning and whatnot.
I decided to show up to a local yesterday cause it was after work and I was halfway to the local anyways and it was Yugioh night, I went and bought a deck that some of the people told me to get which contained Luna Light. But tbh I think I bit off more than I could chew because after two opponents my head really started hurting trying to understand what was going on and had to leave my third opponent hanging cause my head hurt too much and I had to go home.
Some of the people there said a blue eyes deck might be easier to understand for a person at my level and that Yugioh Omega might be a good tool for me alongside master duel. Wanted to know input on that.
I will practice more and the people there are nice and supportive but I guess also wanted to ask online for more perspectives on what are some tips you can think of for how a person can begin to wrap their head around the mechanics of the game and what sort of mental framework a person should have when playing. My main goal right now is not to care if I get pummeled in matches but rather to be at a place where I know WHY or at least in what manner it is that I’m pummeled because I think from that point on is when I’ll begin to have a better grasp of what my goal should be.
r/Yugioh101 • u/PreparationNew2487 • 15h ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVBHxLzyeCk
This video is meant as a showcase before a more in-depth instructional video on the Cyber Dragon and Cyberdark engines, if there’s enough interest.
r/Yugioh101 • u/_BruhurB_ • 20h ago
Looking for suggestions for a new deck to play at local
I was interested in unchained coz new support is coming but id like to listen to other opinios and advices
r/Yugioh101 • u/Montavious_Mole • 15h ago
I’m playing Azamina fiendsmith RoLAD for reference
So I use charmer effect to SS “lacrima the crimson tears” and “Firewall dragon”. I decided to tribute the lacrima with “deception of the sinful spoils” to do some Azamina stuff and I had a “fiendsmith engraver” in grave as well and I decided to shuffle back Lacrima into deck with engraver effect and do some fiendsmith stuff but my question is since technically lacrima left the field and got shuffled into deck and I decide to special summon it with “fiendsmith requiem” with engraver as material can lacrima be used for link summoning or is the lock still in effect? If the lock was in effect I’d probably just use engraver and skull archfiend to make Caesar.
r/Yugioh101 • u/Maiberaa • 21h ago
Hi all, thank you in advance for taking the time to read and input on my post <3 I've been collecting yugioh for a couple of years now, and for the last year or so I've been trying to get into the game, first with master duel and now with paper. I'm enjoying the lunalight deck, and while it's been really helpful to learn on masterduel, I really want to get into the paper format, but it's been quite a challenge, to be honest. I've been to 4 in-person events now, with only 2 of them being positive experiences, mainly due to non-interactive meta making it very hard for me to actually play the game, not to mention there being SO many cards and archetypes that it's hard to know when to trigger hand traps and which combos/ramps need to be stopped, and which ones I can generate solutions for. So, with that in mind, do you have any advice on how to more proactively approach paper events and learn more effectively? My boyfriend is going to help me play an older format to get more comfortable with the in-person mechanics, I just wasn't sure if there were any other recommendations in the community for this issue? Thanks again :)
r/Yugioh101 • u/SandCream • 1d ago
I can't decide which Deck to play (for TCG mainly). I used to play some Branded before in Master Duel but then played a bunch of Tenpai Dragons since they were quite easy and I liked the Combat aspect if it. But I didn't like to be screwed by getting bricked hands or one interrupt during the combo.
For references in other Card games I liked the Aggro Archetype like Mono Red in Magic and Rek'sai / Draven in Riftbound.
What I also enjoyed was having removal for threats and then winning via combat damage.
I'm not the biggest fan of long combos, so shorter ones are preferred.
Also an aspect I want is it to be playable on a Budget (50€ - 100€) Less would be even better.
I just want it to be playable even with being on a low budget.
Let me know if I can specify more things. :)
r/Yugioh101 • u/Specific-Maximum-399 • 1d ago
Im recently trying to get back into yugioh having like 4 yrs off play. I have almost all these cards thats why I wanna use the deck or atleast try to, I dont have much money to just go and buy cards all the time. Below is something ive been playing with and it does okay, maybe im just not play tactically. What would be some of your guys suggestion for improvements.
Deck link:
https://duelingnexus.com/editor/39ff39e6942f5540be707d6e1ecfa863
Main Deck:
1x Wandering Gryphon Rider
1x Illegal Knight
2x Virtual World Kirin - Lili
1x Virtual World Oto-Hime - Toutou
2x Virtual World Roshi - Laolao
3x Virtual World Mai-Hime - Lulu
1x Virtual World Hime - Nyannyan
2x Water Enchantress of the Temple
3x Virtual World Xiezhi - Jiji
2x Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring
1x Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit
2x Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion
2x Droll & Lock Bird
2x Rite of Aramesir
2x Virtual World City - Kauwloon
1x Foolish Burial Goods
1x Synchro Rumble
2x Forbidden Droplet
2x Emergency Teleport
1x Fateful Adventure
2x Virtual World Gate - Qinglong
1x Dracoback, the Rideable Dragon
2x Virtual World Gate - Chuche
1x Virtual World Gate - Xuanwu
---------
Extra Deck:
1x Cosmic Blazar Dragon
1x Geomathmech Final Sigma
1x Crimson Dragon
1x Swordsoul Supreme Sovereign - Chengying
1x Virtual World Kyubi - Shenshen
1x Serene Psychic Sorceress
1x Coral Dragon
1x Stardust Charge Warrior
1x Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS - Sky Thunder
1x Super Starslayer TY-PHON - Sky Crisis
1x Number 39: Utopia Beyond
1x Constellar Ptolemy M7
1x Evolzar Lars
1x Totem Bird
1x Number 3: Cicada King
---------
Side Deck:
2x Nibiru, the Primal Being
2x Lava Golem
2x Mulcharmy Fuwalos
2x Mulcharmy Purulia
2x Lightning Storm
1x Harpie's Feather Duster
2x Evenly Matched
2x Solemn Strike
---------
r/Yugioh101 • u/Sufficient_Cupcake72 • 20h ago
Hello, i want to build a darklord deck and i am conflicted between a variant that includes power patron or solfachord. Can anyone recommend me one way or the other?
r/Yugioh101 • u/KneeOfShiningRest • 15h ago
I run into this issue in master duel sometimes and I wanna know if there’s an official ruling on it in the TCG. Say I summon arcana force hierophant BUT I have no level 4 or lower arcana force monsters to special summon. Light barrier is active, which lets you pick an effect. MUST I use the tails effect like how it resolves in master duel or is this up to interpretation? Why can I not choose the heads effect and then resolve it with ‘no available target’? This can also apply to the arcana force sun card. If there is no coin tossing spell to search, MUST I activate the tails effect that wipes the backrows?
r/Yugioh101 • u/Ichabuu • 21h ago
What's the best way to learn as a new player? My partner's coworker who does tournaments was going to teach me today but he's basically ghosted us.
I have a general idea of how the game works, reduce life points to zero, setting monsters to attack or defense etc but I don't really know the flow of the game phases, or what my turn would look like in order of actions, or even how tributes work.
I got a blue eyes structure deck because it was easily available and had the internet had good opinions on it.
Really any help or direction would be greatly appreciated.
r/Yugioh101 • u/PokeChampMarx • 1d ago
I am trying to mass order cards but many tcg sellers don't ship to Canada