Types of Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards
Monster Cards
There are a TON of different types of monster cards. For instance: Thunder (as in Thunder Nyan Nyan), Machine, Tuner, Warrior, Spell Caster, Psychic, Fairy, Spirit, Rock (like Alpha the Magnet Warrior), Insect, Beast, Dinosaur, Winged Beast, Sea Serpent, Reptile, Beast-Warrior, Fusion, Ritual, Synchro, Effect, Non-Effect, Plant and Divine-Beast. There are only three Divine Beasts and they are Winged Dragon of Ra, Slifer the Sky Dragon, and Obelisk the Tormentor. Monsters also have attributes. These attributes are: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Dark and Light.
Monster Cards have different levels, effects, attributes and attack/defense points. Here is a monster card to see where these different properties are:
Most monster types aren't too complex, but the following three require an explanation.
Ritual Monsters: Ritual Monsters need certain spell cards (called ritual spell cards) to summon them. (See example in Spell Card description.)
Fusion Monsters: With Fusion Monsters you need the fusion material monsters and a spell card called Polymerization, which fuses the fusion material monsters to form the fusion monster. Fusion monsters do not go in your deck: they go in the fusion deck zone or the extra deck zone.
Synchros: Synchro monsters are a little like fusion monsters but you don't need Polymerization and usually you don't need certain monsters. All you need is a tuner and one or more non-tuner monsters that equal the level of the synchro monsters. Synchro monsters go in your extra deck zone.
Traps are a little like spells but they don't have all the symbols and you have to play them face down before activation.
Yu-Gi-Oh! cards are either monster, spell, or trap cards. Each card describes on it what its type is, and what its properties are.
In a Yu-Gi-Oh! deck you should have monster cards, spell cards and trap cards. You should pick cards you like and also cards that work well together. For example, I have an Elemental Hero deck and its cards mainly go with the elemental heroes in my deck. I work on it still and am always adding new cards, which is very important. When you've got your deck made, don't stop there. Get other cards to power up your deck.
Spell Cards, and Their Symbols
There are symbols that tell you about the spell card properties, for example, here is the symbol for a quick play spell (which means you can activate this spell card any time during your turn):
Quick Play Spell Card
Here is where you'll find the symbol on the card:
If there is no quick play symbol, you can only activate it during your main phase.
Equip Spell Cards
An equip spell card is one that equips (attaches) to a monster. For example, Junk Barrage. When the equip monster destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the graveyard, this card inflicts damage to your opponent equal to half of the destroyed monster's attack points.
Field Spell Cards
A field spell card is placed in your field spell zone (the top far left) of the playing board. Here it is able to impact the entire field. For instance, Skyscraper. Skyscraper's ability is that when any elemental hero monster from your or your opponent's side of the field is attacking, and its attack is lower than the attack of the monster it's attacking, it gains 1000 attack points during the damage step only.
Three other symbols for spell cards are the continuous, the counter and the ritual.
Continuous Spell Cards
A continuous spell card is one that does not go to the graveyard (the discard pile) after it is activated until it is destroyed by a card effect. Other spell and trap cards go to the graveyard after activation unless they are continuous as well.
Counter Spell Cards
A counter spell card is one that counters an opponent's ability or summon of a monster.
Ritual Spell Cards
A ritual spell card is a spell card that summons a ritual monster (blue in color). For example, White Dragon Ritual is used to summon Paladin of White Dragon. With every Ritual Spell card you have to sacrifice monsters that are equal in level to the ritual monster. As for Paladin of White Dragon, you have to sacrifice monsters that add up to Level 4 or more.
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