Phase

Each player's turn is comprised of six Phases. These six Phases continually cycle, alternating between players until a winner is declared.

Draw Phase

 * See main article Draw Phase.

Standby Phase

 * See main article Standby Phase.

Main Phase 1

 * See main article Main Phase 1.

Battle Phase
A Battle Phase can be conducted every turn except the first turn of the Duel, after the Turn Player's Main Phase 1.

There are 4 parts to the Battle Phase:
 * Start Step
 * Battle Step
 * Damage Step
 * End Step

Start Step
In the Start Step, the Turn Player declares that he/she is entering the Battle Phase. Either player may activate Trap Cards and/or Quick-Play Spell Cards at this time.

Battle Step

 * For a breakdown of what occurs in the Battle Phase see here.

In the Battle Step of the Battle Phase, the Turn Player selects, and announces 1 monster he/she wishes to attack with, and either targets 1 of the opponent's monsters he/she wishes to attack, or, if he/she is able to, announces that he/she wishes to attack the opponent's Life Points directly.

When an attack is declared, the Turn Player retains Priority to activate effects. At this time he/she is free to activate cards that perform an action when a monster attacks or any other effect with timing he/she can meet.

If the Turn Player decides that he/she will pass, the opponent is given a chance to activate effects that respond to the attack ("Sakuretsu Armor", "Mirror Force", etc.) or any other effects with timing he/she can meet.

If the Turn Player passes, and the opponent passes as well, the chance to activate cards like "Sakuretsu Armor", "Mirror Force", "Magic Cylinder", etc. is GONE.

Example 1:

The Turn Player declares an attack with a monster and passes priority. The opponent responds with his Set "Sakuretsu Armor". The Turn Player then Chains "Trap Jammer". Neither player has a response, so "Trap Jammer" negates and destroys "Sakuretsu Armor".

The opponent then wants to activate another copy of "Sakuretsu Armor", but he/she cannot! The response window has closed. It is no longer possible to activate cards like "Sakuretsu Armor" in response to this attack.

Example 2:

The Turn Player declares an attack with a monster and passes priority. The opponent responds with his Set "Sakuretsu Armor". The Turn Player then Chains "Trap Jammer". Neither player has a response, so "Trap Jammer" negates and destroys "Sakuretsu Armor".

The opponent then wants to activate "Book of Moon", and he/she can, because "Book of Moon" does not have to respond to an attack in order to be activated. The initial response window has passed, but since the Turn Player cannot enter the Damage Step until both players agree to do so, other cards may still be activated.

Example 3:

The Turn Player declares an attack with a monster and passes priority. The opponent passes back. The Turn Player then wants to activate "Magician's Circle", but he/she cannot! The chance to respond to the attack is over, because both players passed. If the Turn Player had wanted to ensure the activation of his "Magician's Circle", he/she should have retained priority and activated it when he/she first declared an attack.

Example 4:

The Turn Player declares an attack. He/She retains priority to activate "Magician's Circle". The opponent responds with "Seven Tools of the Bandit". The Turn Player passes, so the Chain resolves, and "Magician's Circle" is negated and destroyed. The chance to activate effects that respond to the attack declaration has passed.

The Turn Player then activates "Enemy Controller", using its first effect, and targets the monster he/she was planning to attack. The opponent Chains "Ring of Destruction", targeting the same monster the Turn Player selected. Neither player activates any further effect, so the Chain resolves. "Ring of Destruction" destroys its target, and "Enemy Controller" loses its target and its effect because its target was removed by "Ring of Destruction".

Now that the attack target has been removed from the field, a replay occurs. The Turn Player must redirect their attack.

In the Battle Step, "Book of Moon" can be used on a vulnerable monster that has had an attack declared against it. The monster will flip face-down, and if no other actions are declared, it will flip face-up during the Damage Step. This way, Flip Effects can be re-used, and since the number of monsters on the field (and therefore, the number of potential attack targets) has not changed, a replay is not triggered.

The Battle Step doesn't immediately proceed to the Damage Step after both players pass. Players can still activate cards or card effects in the Battle Step. However, at this point it is too late to use cards that need to respond to an attack. Other cards may still be used if their timing and speed is correct, though.

Damage Step
During the Damage Step of the Battle Phase, the damage is calculated from the declared attack. If the defending monster is face-down, it is flipped face-up first during this Phase. If the defending monster has a Flip Effect, it is applied after Damage Calculation, but still within the Damage Step. The Flip Effect does not affect monsters that have already been destroyed as a result of Damage Calculation. This includes the monster itself, so a flipped "Penguin Soldier" that was destroyed in battle cannot select itself as a target since it has already been destroyed.

In the Damage Step, only certain cards and effects may be activated. These include:


 * Counter Trap Cards ("Solemn Judgment", "Dark Bribe").
 * Normal Trap Cards, Continuous Trap Cards, and Quick-Play Spell Cards that alter the ATK and/or DEF of one or more monsters on the field ("Blast with Chain", "Rush Recklessly", "Castle Walls", "Reinforcements").
 * Trigger Monster Effects that activate automatically ("Shining Angel").
 * Flip Monster Effects ("Cyber Jar")
 * Some Multi-Trigger monster effects ("Kuriboh", "Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8").
 * Any card whose text specifically says it may be activated during the Damage Step ("Nutrient Z").
 * Cards that do not meet the activation criteria, but whom Konami/UDE have stated may be activated in the Damage Step ("Null and Void", "Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8")

Cards that Special Summon monsters when destroyed in battle, such as "Shining Angel" and "Mystic Tomato", all Special Summon monsters during the Damage Step, and as such, "Torrential Tribute" and "Bottomless Trap Hole" cannot be used against them, since these cards cannot be activated in the Damage Step. Same also applied when "Cyber Jar's" Flip Effect is activated when flipped up as a result of battle. For the same reasons, "Royal Decree" cannot be used against Trap Cards like "Skull Dice" in the Damage Step, since it does not alter ATK or DEF.

"Spellbinding Circle" cannot be used in the Damage Step since it does not change the ATK or DEF of its target. However, "Shadow Spell" can be used. Although "Shadow Spell" has the same attack prevention effect as "Spellbinding Circle", it lowers its target's ATK by 700.

At the end of the Damage Step, the Monster Card(s) destroyed as a result of battle are sent to the Graveyard, unless a card effect specifies that they go elsewhere, such as when "Macro Cosmos" is active.

End Step
Once all battles have been resolved by repeating the Battle Step and Damage Step Sub-Phases, the Turn Player may declare an end to the Battle Phase, resulting in the End Step.

Either player may activate Trap Cards and/or Quick-Play Spell Cards at this time. The effects of Gladiator Beast monsters take place during the End Step.

Main Phase 2
After the Battle Phase, the Turn Player enters Main Phase 2. In this Phase, any action that could normally be performed in Main Phase 1 can occur, as long as the requirements are met (i.e. no more than 1 Normal Summon or Set).

End Phase
Once Main Phase 2 (or Main Phase 1 if no Battle Phase was conducted) has been completed, play proceeds to the End Phase. Any card effects that resolve in this Phase now take effect, such as "Change of Heart" or "Brain Control". The Turn Player gets to decide in which order any effect resolves.

If the Turn Player has more than six cards in his hand at this time, he/she must discard to the Graveyard as many cards as necessary in order to get back to six. This action is the very last thing to happen in any End Phase.