Basics of Monster Cards

Monster Cards have a number of different elements to them, which you can use to your advantage during a Duel. To begin, lets examine a classic card, "Jinzo".



Name


Most cards have a name, the only time you will see ones without them are due to printing errors. In this example, this name is present in Gold Lettering. Typically, this indicates that the card is of a high rarity.

Level


All Monster Cards have a Level. In this example, we see that "Jinzo" is a Level 6 monster. This means that you need to Tribute 1 monster to Tribute Summon it; Tribute Summons will be explained in detail later on.

Attribute


All Monster Cards have an "Attribute"; this can be the first step for determining what cards can be used or with or against the card in question. We can see here that "Jinzo" is a DARK monster, able to take advantage or support cards like "Mystic Plasma Zone". Many Support Cards go for either Attribute or Type, and rarely ask for both to be met to fulfil a requirement.

Card Artwork


This is the illustration artwork used on every card; some card artworks have been edited to reflect "cultural differences", as well as the tendency of the parents of western children to cite Trading Card Games as spreading 'unwanted' influences to their offspring. The editing of artwork handily bypasses this.

Type & Monster Category


All Monster Cards have a "Type"; this can often be the second step for determining what cards can be used or with or against the card in question, but often, many Support Cards go for either Attribute or Type, and rarely ask for both to be met to fulfil a requirement.

Lore


A "Lore" is present on all Cards, and provides an overview of how to use the card, or to provide a flavour text where no effect is present.

ATK & DEF


ATK and DEF are the fundamentals of battling monsters against each other; generally speaking, the higher the value is, the greater the monster for the related stat. Many card effects can alter ATK and/or DEF, and many cards require monsters with specific ATK and/or DEF values to be activated or used.

Card Number


This is an eight-digit number used on most cards, although there are some that lack them for unknown reasons. The numbers correspond to those used in Video Games, enabling players to re-create their Decks in their favourite Video Game(s).

Copyright


This section hold two pieces of information; the first, is to confirm that all Intellectual Property is © Kazuki Takahashi, the original creator of what would become Duel Monsters in Japan. The second piece of information is the "Eye of Anubis" mini-holofoil; Gold designated that it is a Limited Edition or 1st Edition card, while Silver designated that is is an Unlimited Edition card. Both types are designed to tell the player that the card they have is Genuine.

Card Editions


There are three card editions; Limited Edition, 1st Edition and Unlimited Edition. These will be explained in greater detail later.

Set Numbers


Every card released in the TCG has a Set Number, while all but the earliest OCG cards have one. This is a reference to several pieces of information, such as Language, the Set ID of the Set the card is from, and the order of the card in the set, though it does not list how many cards total are in the set.