General Game Rules

The general game rules is a summary of the detailed rules of the Trading Card Game.

Details

Although all players that play the game don't need to be completely familiar with all of the rules in order to know How to Play, the general game rules can be useful if one wishes to know more details or help solve specific rules that may come up during a game.

The general game rules are based on the OCG and it can be applied on TCG for the most part. However, there are differences between the OCG and TCG rules. For example, rule 100.2. states that a deck must contain 40 cards exactly, while there is no maximum deck size in TCG.

• The March 25, 2017 Rules revision can be optionally ignored by TCG players.
• This is also true for the March 16, 2021 Rules revision.

The general game rules are officially provided only in Japanese, but the rules are translated by Duel Masters Wiki users.

Other Details

It was first announced in July 2015 and can be viewed on the Duel Masters Official Homepage, and was implemented due to the first Certified Grand Prix of "Duel Masters Grand Prix 1st".

Its not intended to be used for casual games between friends or information competitions, instead to be used for Official Tournaments and Championship events.

While it was only introduced in the games 14th year, official rules were posted in various places on the homepage previously with errata used for any conflicting card information.

Some information sure as the appearance of the Final supertype and Core as a card type weren't seen in the rulebook before the appearance of Dormageddon X, Forbidden Armageddon, resulting in provisional answers at the national tournament in December 2016.

Current version

From the Duel Masters - General Game Rules: Version 1.20 (July 17, 2020)

• 1. Game Basics
  • 100. What You Need to Play
  • 101. Absolute Law of Duel Masters
  • 102. Player
  • 103. How to Start a Game
  • 104. Victory Conditions
  • 105. Step
  • 106. Civilization
  • 107. Mana
  • 108. Number
  • 109. Card
  • 110. Ability and Effect
  • 111. Timing
  • 112. Cost
  • 113. Shield
  • 114. Draw
  • 115. Battle
  • 116. Seal
  • 117. Hyperspatial Zone
  • 118. Super Gacharange Zone
• 2. Card Frame
  • 200. General
  • 201. Cost
  • 202. Card Name
  • 203. Subtype
  • 204. Card Type
  • 205. Text Box
  • 206. Power
  • 207. Mana Number
  • 208. Miscellaneous Information
• 3. Card Type
  • 300. General
  • 301. Creature
  • 302. Spell
  • 303. Cross Gear
  • 304. Castle
  • 305. Weapon
  • 306. Fortress
  • 307. Impulse
  • 308. Field
  • 309. Core
  • 310. Aura
• 4. Zone
  • 400. General
  • 401. Deck
  • 402. Hand
  • 403. Battle Zone
  • 404. Graveyard
  • 405. Mana Zone
  • 406. Shield Zone
  • 407. Hyperspatial Zone
  • 408. Super Gacharange Zone
  • 409. Anywhere Zone
• 5. Turn
  • 500. General
  • 501. Start of Turn Step
  • 502. Draw Step
  • 503. Charge Step
  • 504. Main Step
  • 505. Attack Step
  • 506. Attack Declaration Step
  • 507. Block Declaration Step
  • 508. Battle Step
  • 509. Direct Attack Step
  • 510. End of Attack Step
  • 511. End of Turn Step
  • 512. Proceeding to the Next Turn
• 6. Card Usage, Abilities and Effects
  • 600. General
  • 601. Using a Card
  • 602. Activated Ability
  • 603. Trigger Ability
  • 604. Static Ability
  • 605. Resolution
  • 606. Effect
  • 607. Oneshot Effect
  • 608. Continuous Effect
  • 609. Substitution Effect
• 7. Additional Rules
  • 700. General
  • 701. Keyword Action
  • 702. Turn-Based Action
  • 703. State-Based Action
• 8. Special Card
  • 800. General
  • 801. Evolution Creature
  • 802. Neo Creature
  • 803. God
  • 804. Psychic Creature
  • 805. Psychic Super Creature
  • 806. Dragheart
  • 807. Forbidden Impulse
  • 808. Twinpact
  • 809. Gacharange Creature
  • 810. Ceremony of Zeron

Sources

Latest Edition

• Official Duel Masters website containing current rules

Older Editions

File:	Version:	Last Updated:
20210316	1.23	March 16, 2021
20201119	1.22	November 19, 2020
20201023	1.21	October 23, 2020
20200717	1.20	July 17, 2020
20200710	1.19	July 10, 2020
20200626	1.18	June 26, 2020
20191212	1.17	December 12, 2019
20190927	1.16	September 27, 2019
20190805	1.15	August 5, 2019
20190612	1.14	June 18, 2019
20190315	1.13	March 15, 2019
20180928	1.12	September 28, 2018
20180921	1.11	September 21, 2018
20180907	1.10	September 7, 2018
20180809	1.9	August 9, 2018
20180611	1.8	June 11, 2018
020180302	1.7	March 2, 2018
20171006	1.6	October 6, 2017
20170406	1.5	April 6, 2017
20170120	1.4.1	January 1, 2017
20160913	1.4	September 9, 2016
20160524	1.3.2	May 24, 2016
20160520	1.3.1	May 20, 2016
20160513	1.3	May 13, 2016
20160201	1.2.2	February 1, 2016
20151215	1.1	December 15, 2015
20150	1.0.2	July 22, 2015
20150715	1.0.1	July 15, 2015

Duel Masters Gameplay — Glossary

General Game Rules

How to Play (Basic ● Advanced)
English Game ● Japanese Game
Multiplayer ● Resolution ● Rule ● Special Card
Turn-Based Action ● State-Based Action ● Timing
Card Usage, Abilities and Effects ● Additional Rules

Turn / Steps

Untap Step ● Draw Step ● Charge Step ● Main Step ● Attack Step ● End Step

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Attack Declaration Step ● Battle Step ● Block Declaration Step ● Direct Attack
End of Attack Step ● Start of Turn Step ● Proceeding to the Next Turn

Keyword Actions / Terms

Keyword Actions
Awaken ● Battle ● Block ● Break ● Cast ● Charge ● Cross
Destroy ● Discard ● Dragsolution ● Expand ● Forbidden Liberate
Fortify ● Gachinko Judge ● Generate ● Gacharange Summon ● Link ● Reveal ● Seal
Search ● Shuffle ● Summon ● Switch ● Tap ● Trigger ● Upside Down ● Use

Other Terms
Attack ● Active Player ● Draw ● Defending Player ● Equip ● Flip ● Ignore ● Instead ● Leave
Look ● Mana ● Number ● Object ● Opponent ● Owner ● Player ● Summoning Sickness

Card Glossary

Characteristic
Ability ● Artist ● Card Illustration ● Card Name ● Card Number
Card Rarity ● Card Type ● Cost ● Civilization ● Mana Cost ● Mana Number
Power ● Race ● Soul ● Subtype ● Summon Cost ● Supertype

Category
Name Category ● Race Category

Card Frame
Old Frame ● New Frame
Silver Frame ● Metal Frame
Full Frame ● Full Frame Foil

Block Icon
PS Icon ● E1 Icon ● E2 Icon ● E3 Icon ● DS Icon

Other
Ability Words ● Back ● Flavor Text ● Keywords
Reminder Text ● Text ● Timeline ● Forbidden Characters

Card Type

Main Card Types

Artifact ● Aura ● Castle ● Cell ● Core ● Creature ● Cross Gear
Field ●

Fortress ● Impulse ● Spell ● Weapon

Supertypes

D2 ● DG ● DM ● Dragheart ● Evolution ● Exile ● Final ● Forbidden ● Gacharange
Giga ● Happiness ● Mono ● Moonless Night ● Neo ● Orega ● Psychic ● Super ● T2 ● Zeron

Card Types with Supertypes

D2 Field ● DG Field ● DM Field
Dragheart Creature ● Dragheart Fortress ● Dragheart Weapon
Evolution Creature ● Evolution Cross Gear
Evolution Dragheart Creature ● Evolution Exile Creature ● Evolution Psychic Creature
Exile Creature ● Final Forbidden Creature ● Final Forbidden Field ● Forbidden Core ● Forbidden Creature
Forbidden Field ● Forbidden Impulse ● Gacharange Creature ● Happiness Field ● Moonless Night Field
Mono Artifact ● Neo Creature ● Neo Evolution Creature ● Neo Gacharange Creature ● Orega Aura
Psychic Creature ● Psychic Field ● Psychic Super Creature
T2 Field ● Ceremony of Zeron ● Zeron Creature ● Zeron Nebula

Other

Twinpact

Lists of Card Types

List of Dragheart ● List of Exile Creatures ● List of Psychic Creatures

Game Zones

Main Zones
Battle Zone ● Deck ● Graveyard
Hand ● Mana Zone ● Shield Zone

Side Deck Zones
Hyperspatial Zone ● Super Gacharange Zone

Other Zones
Anywhere Zone ● Bottom of Deck ● Top of Deck
Top of Evolution Creature ● Zone other than the battle zone ● Collection

Under
Under a Creature ● Under Evolution Creature
Under this field ● Under a Deck ● Under a Shield

Zone Types
Public Zone ● Private Zone

Card Rarity

Evergreen Rarities

Common ● Uncommon ● Rare ● Very Rare ● Super Rare

Other Rarities

Victory Rare ● Double Victory
Legend Card ● Forbidden Legend Card ● Final Forbidden Legend Card
Master Card ● DG Rare ● Master Dragon Card ● Master Dolszak Card
Master Hazard Card ● Master Special Move Card ● Master Zetto Card
Secret Rare ● Ultra Golden Card

Advanced Gameplay

Cycle ● God
Monocolored ● Multicolored
Multiple Races ● No Race
Special Race ● Vanilla

Category
Name Category ● Race Category

Effects / Abilities

Effects
Oneshot Effect ● Continuous Effect ● Substitution Effect
Destruction Replacement effect ● Sprout

Abilities
Static Ability ● Trigger Ability ● Activated Ability ● Spell Ability
List of Static Abilities

Triggers
Attack Trigger ● Come Into Play ● Put Into Graveyard
List of Trigger Conditions

Products

Booster Packs ● Promotional

Theme Decks
Half Deck ● Super Deck
Super Deck Zero ● Super Deck Cross
Entry Deck Zero ● Entry Pack Zero
Super Deck Saga ● Entry Deck 2010 ● Super Deck Shock
Masters Chronicle Deck ● Chronicle Legacy Deck

Foil

Custom Foil / Foil Card
Shiden Foil ● Saga Foil ● Romanov Foil
NEX Foil ● God Foil
Super Solid Foil ● Full Frame Foil

God Card ● Catino God Card
Heroes God Card ● Special Super Rare
Laminate Card ● Visual Shock Secret Card

Tournament Regulation

Hall of Fame
(History / Timeline / Reasons)

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Cheating ● Errata ● Metagame (summary) ● Stalling ● Restricted Card
March 25, 2017 Rules revision

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Tournament Formats
Block Constructed ● 2 Block Constructed
After Generate League

Special Restriction
Hall of Fame Zero Duel ● 10 Races Deck Battle
Mega Deck Duel 7 ● Zero Civilization King Finals
Monocolored Tournament

Sealed
Limit 10 ● Tokkyu 8 ● Booster Draft

Prebuilt Decks
Super Deck Zero Duel ● Start Deck Champion Finals

Events
Duel Road ● Due Festival ● Duema Festival
Certified Grand Prix ● Certified Judge Test ● Official Tournament
Championship ● Challenge Cup ● Super CS

Functional Reprint

Adjust Version ● Avoid Graveyard ● Super Card
Upgrade ● Complete Upgrade ● Downgrade
Complete Downgrade ● Isomorphic Resale

Non-Keyworded abilities

Adds Civilization ● Adds Race ● Alternate Win ● Alternative Cost
Attack Bend ● Basic Card ● Cantrip ● Card Discard ● Chump Block
Cost Reduction ● Deck Manipulation ● Degenerate ● Diamond State
Draw Engine ● Draw Lock ● Draw Source ● Draw Spell
Extra Turn ● Finisher ● Graveyard Fertilizer ● Graveyard Summon
Hand Addition ● Hand Change ● Increase Power
Infinite ● Infinite Attacker ● Infinite Blocker
Mana Acceleration ● Mana Burn ● Mana Curve ● Mana Summon
Opponent Reliance ● Peeping ● Prevents Attack ● Prevents Defeat
Reset ● Resistance ● Reverse Fury Charge ● Reverse Slayer ● Shield Addition
Shield Burn ● Shield Change ● Shield Peek
Suicide ● Skip the rest of the turn ● Trample
Unattackable ● Unblockable ● Unchoosable
Vigilance ● Win All Battles ● 3D Dragsolution
Cards that can be put into the Battle Zone at the start of the game

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Recovery (Salvage)
Graveyard Recovery ● Mana Recovery ● Shield Recovery

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For No Cost
Madness ● Reanimate ● Recruit ● Shield Trigger creature

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Removal
Blocker Based Removal ● Bounce ● Can Attack Untapped Creatures
Card Based Removal ● Decrease Power ● Fixed Removal ● Force Battle ● Mass Removal
Power Based Removal ● Reset ● Sealing ● Self Removal ● Tap In ● Tap and Destroy

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Deck Feed ● Graveyard Feed ● Mana Feed ● Shield Feed

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Advantage (Merit)
Disadvantage ● Board Advantage ● Field Advantage
Hand Advantage ● Information Advantage ● Mana Advantage
Tempo Advantage ● Time Advantage ● Suppression

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Demerits
Can't Attack ● Can't Block
Attack if Able ● Block if Able
Alternate Loss Condition

Characteristic support
Cost 1 ● Cost 9
Last 3 Digits
Power 6000 or more ● Power 12000 or more

Unsorted Pages

4 or more of this card in your deck ● Activation Cost ● Additional Cost ● Attacking Creature
Can't be destroyed ● Choose a race ● Color Accident ● Concept ● Consists of ● Counter
Dead Card ● Deck Building ● Deck Compression ● Designer's Combo ● Evolution Icon
Evolution Source ● Face Up ● Forced ● Gacha Figure ● Game
Game Table ● Hyperspatial Cost ● Key Card ● Limited Card ● Mode ● Name Rule
Optional ● Overkill ● Play ● Power Creep ● Quasi-Vanilla ● Real Cost ● Repair
Rock-Paper-Scissors ● Stop ● System Creature ● The Over Eggplant-cross
Touch ● Trivia card ● Twinpactification

Reprint Policies
DASH Golden List ● Duema Golden List

Card Power
Weenie ● Midrange ● Fatty
Lightweight ● Heavyweight