Getting Started

You need these things to Duel.

Assemble your favorite cards into a Deck that follows these rules:

• The Deck must have at least 40 cards.
• You can only have up to 3 copies of the same card in your Deck.

Also, some cards are Forbidden or Limited in this tournament. (See the Forbidden/Limited List for details).

Try to keep your Deck close to the 40 card minimum. Having a Deck with too many cards makes it hard to draw your best cards when you need them. You can only use one Deck throughout the tournament, so choose wisely. In order for judges to enforce this rule, you must register the cards in your Deck when you first enter the tournament.

Although you may only use one Deck, the Side Deck is a separate set of cards you can use to change your Deck. The Side Deck is not necessarily a fixed stack of cards. As a result, during a Match, you may not swap cards between your Deck and Side Deck.

Otherwise, between Duels, you can swap any card from your Side Deck with a card from your Main Deck to customize your strategy. Each card swapped in this way must be registered to a max of 15. You may continue to swap cards after reaching the card maximum of 15 as long as the cards swapped have already been registered.

The rules for Side Decks are:

• If using a fixed Side Deck, the Side Deck must contain exactly 15 cards.
• You can only register up to 3 copies of the same card in the Main Deck and the Side Deck combined.

The following items are needed for most dueling situations. Some of the following items will be provided by tournament staff at Dueling Stations.

• Coin: Some cards require a coin toss.
  
• Dice: Just like the coin, there are some cards that need a dice roll with a standard die of numbers 1 through 6.
  
• Spinner: Some cards will require a spinner to select between targets or to activate successfully.
  
• Counters: Some cards will require markers (called counters) to keep track of things like the number of turns, or a card's power level.
  
• Tokens: Some cards will require tokens to take the place of Monster, Magic, or Trap cards. They are not included in the Deck since they are not physical cards, so when destroyed, returned to the Hand, or returned to the Deck, they are removed from the field instead of going to the Graveyard, Hand, or Deck. When put into play, Tokens count toward card limits. The Battle Position of a Monster Token is always either face-up Attack Position or face-up Defense Position.
  
• Calculator: These will not be provided. Duelists should bring their own, or use pencil and paper provided. Life Points change quickly during a Duel. It's smart to use a calculator to keep track of your Life Points.
  
• Paper: Without a calculator, it is good idea to keep track of Life Points on paper to prevent disputes and unnecessary retracing. Paper can also be used to keep track of monsters' ATK, for example. However, they cannot be used to record what happens during the Duel.
  
• Card Sleeves: These will not be provided. Duelists should bring their own. Plastic sleeves can prevent your cards from getting bent or scratched. If you use card sleeves, they all have to be the same so your cards aren't marked.
  
• Game Mat: Game Mats keep the field organized and further protect your cards from damage. Game Mats will be available at most Dueling Stations.
  
• Impartial Judge: Impartial Judges will be provided by tournament staff to ensure that the game is kept fair, to enforce tournament rules, and to verify information that is kept from one or both players.
  
• Labyrinth Mat: A limited number of these will be available. Labyrinth Mats are only needed when a player uses Labyrinth Wall. Movement tokens to represent the monsters will also be necessary.
  
• Labyrinth Log: This is required for Duels using the Labyrinth Mat. Duelists must keep track of card positions here as long as Labyrinth Wall remains in play.
  
• Darkness Divider: A limited number of these will be available. This specially designed divider prevents one Duelist's cards from being public knowledge. Darkness Dividers are only necessary for certain card effects.