After-school

Leader Guide
Improve
Math Skills!
Reinforce
Reading!
Teach
Strategic The
Yu-Gi-Oh!
Thinking! TRADING CARD GAME
presented in this kit is an
opportunity to engage
Encourage your after-school group in
an educational, interactive
Sportsmanship! way. This leader guide is
the starting point to help
open your students eyes to
Have Some Fun! a world of learning
and fun.
 Attention After-School Leaders:
As you know, its one thing to occupy a student, and its another thing to
engage them. Engagement is where learning happens without children
ever even realizing it, because they are hungry to take the next steps
themselves. WHAT IS YU-GI-OH!?
The Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME is such a way to engage. A card game for two, played
worldwide since 1999. Based
To the uninitiated, Yu-Gi-Oh! may seem like colorful chaos. But pay
attention to whats happening while all those cards are hitting the table: on the adventures of a young
boy with mysterious abilities,
Math skills: The ultimate goal in Yu-Gi-Oh! is to reduce your it is part of a large family of
opponent from 8000 Life Points (LP) to 0. As players attack back and
forth using the numerical values on the cards, they must constantly animated TV and comic book
calculate their remaining health to stay in the game. mega-hits.
Reading skills: Many cards have instructions and situational
conditions that players must comprehend to be competitive.
Those who read carefully will be rewarded with the game-changing ability on the card they just drew!

Strategic thinking: To win a Duel in Yu-Gi-Oh!, players must weigh their options, choose wisely, and
plan ahead. Should you improve your defense, or go on the attack? Can you set yourself up for some
devastating card combinations before your opponent can interfere?

Sportsmanship: A proper Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel begins with a handshake and ends with congratulations.
A player can be down one moment and dominant the next, so keeping an even keel is essential.
Throughout all this, players are learning how to be gracious competitors.

This Yu-Gi-Oh! guide will help you navigate the game and help your
students get the most from its potential. This kit includes:

75 packs each containing one 20-card Intro Deck.

75 double-sided posters for each student. One side covers most
rules on how to play the game, while the other side contains a
dual-sided game mat for two students to Duel with.

6 reward card packs each containing 14 cards; enough for each

student in the program, or to use as rewards for sportsmanship
and improvement.

Dont worry about understanding every little rule. At its heart,

Yu-Gi-Oh! is a straightforward game, and once you get the ball
rolling, your students will be teaching themselves and each other.
The important thing is that as long as kids are playing and having
fun, theyre learning.

Your friends at
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.

P.S. The official Yu-Gi-Oh! web site is an excellent resource to learn

more about the game, recent news, the variety of cards and card packs
available, and strategy tips. Visit www.yugioh-card.com/en/.

2
Rules Basics: Intro Deck
Understanding Each Deck will contain
one each of:

a Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Giant Soldier of Stone

Summoned Skull
La Jinn the Mystical
Normally, each player starts with their own Deck of 40 cards, Genie of the Lamp
but for beginners, we'll have each player use a half-sized 20-card Deck.
Battle Ox
Each player takes turns placing different types of cards in front of them: Man-Eating Treasure Chest
Monsters (which either attack or defend), Traps and Spells (which both
provide instant advantages inside or outside of combat). Overdrive
Robotic Knight
Players use the monsters before them to attack their opponents monsters.
If a player has no monsters in front of him, his opponent can attack his Warrior Dai Grepher
LP instead. Sonic Duck
Spell Cards (green) may be played directly from your hand on your turn. Space Mambo
Follow the card instructions and discard it to your Graveyard. Traps (pink) Elemental HERO Sparkman
must be Set face-down in a row behind your monsters. They cant be Gil Garth
activated on the same turn they were Set, but they can be played any time
after, even on your opponents turn. Newdoria
Gyroid
On your turn you can place as many Spells and Traps as you like. The goal
is to reduce an opponent from 8000 Life Points (LP) to 0. (For beginners, Shield Crush
well start with 4000.) Players must keep a pencil handy to calculate the Soul Taker
changing LP values.
Blustering Winds
The play area is made up of different zones where your cards go: Monsters Sakuretsu Armor
are placed in the Monster Zone, and Spells & Traps are placed in their
zones. Your Main Deck goes in the Main Deck Zone, and defeated Monsters
Threatening Roar
or used cards go in the Graveyard. Advanced cards make use of the Field Inspiration
Card Zone, Extra Deck Zone, and Pendulum Zone, but the cards in the
20-card Deck won't use these zones.
Play Area

Monster Card Zone

Field Card Graveyard
Zone

Pendulum Pendulum
Zone Zone

Extra
Deck Zone Main Deck
Spell and Trap Zone
Zone

3
 Rules Basics: Understanding
Game Flow
The included poster Beginners Guide teaches new players the most important rules. Lets break down
that poster even further so you can see the flow of one players turn:

STEP : First, draw a card. Then you can Summon one monster per turn in Attack Position or Set
one in Defense Position. Attack Position is placed face-up and upright; Defense Position is placed sideways
and face-down.

STEPS , , : One at a time, upright (Attack Position) monsters can attack an opponents monsters
(either upright or sideways). The Attack or Defense Point values (ATK or DEF) determine which monster wins.
(See page 5 for details about attacks.)

STEP : Some powerful monsters cannot

be Summoned without paying Tribute. If
a monster has 5 or more stars (indicating its
Level), it can only be played by sending one or
more monsters you already have on the field
to the Graveyard (basically the discard pile).

STEP 6: Play any number of Spell or

Trap Cards in a row behind the monsters.
Spells take effect immediately, while Traps
can be triggered during either players turn
whenever they will provide
the most benefit.
Attack Position: Defense Position:
Upright Sideways
(and placed face-down
at first)

A monsters Level
is determined by
the number of stars
under its name.

4
Rules Basics: Attack Outcomes
Battling with monsters and resolving battles
is the heart of the game and can cause the
most confusion if youre not careful. This page
will make a helpful reference to keep handy in
addition to the poster.

Note that attacks use the ATK and DEF number

located at the bottom of a card. These values
might be modified higher or lower by
Traps, Spells or even other Monsters
in play. Players should read all cards
carefully!

When UPRIGHT Monsters attack Attacker Opponent

UPRIGHT Monsters
COMPARE ATK to ATK, since both are in Attack Position

If attackers ATK is higher, he defeats the monster Monster destroyed AND

AND lowers his opponents LP. Subtract the difference subtract 600 LP from opponent
between the ATKs from the defenders LP.

If attackers ATK is lower, his monster is defeated AND

he loses LP. Subtract the difference between the ATKs
from the attackers LP. Attackers monster destroyed AND
subtract 600 LP from attacker
If the ATK values are the same, both monsters are
destroyed. No LP are lost.

When UPRIGHT Monsters attack

SIDEWAYS Monsters
COMPARE ATK to DEF, since the attacker is in Attack
Position and the defender is in Defense Position Monster destroyed;
no damage to opponent
1. If attackers ATK is higher, he defeats the Monster.
(No LP can be lost.)

2. If attackers ATK is lower, no monsters are destroyed.

Subtract the difference between his ATK and the
defenders DEF from the attackers LP.

3. If the ATK and DEF are the same, nothing happens.

No monster destroyed;
NOTE: When Monsters are destroyed, most often they go subtract 400 LP from attacker
to their owners Graveyard, a discard pile off to the side.

5
 Paying Tribute
Monsters that are Level 5 or higher are stronger.
So you have to Tribute other monsters to Normal
Summon or Set them.

New rules to introduce:

Monsters of level 5 or higher determined by the
number of stars require a Tribute to be Normal or
Tribute Summoned. Players must send 1 of their
monsters already in play to the Graveyard in order to
Tribute Summon.

If a monster is Level 5 or 6 (count the stars) it needs

1 Tribute. If a monster is Level 7 or higher, it needs
2 Tributes.

You must pay Tribute even if you are Setting the

monster in Defense Position.

Some monsters that can be Tribute Summoned can

also be Special Summoned in the right situation,
as written on the card. A Special Summon is FREE and
requires no Tribute. Also, a Special Summon is a bonus
Summon that does not take up your Normal Summon
for the turn. So you can Normal Summon a monster
AND Special Summon the same turn. In fact, you can
do as many Special Summons as you want, as long
as the card effects permit it, on top of your regular
Summon or Set!

Can I bring my own Deck from home?

Experienced players love to use the Decks theyve custom-built themselves. Thats good! Just a word of
caution: the cards in this kit are specially suited for beginning players, and are not the most powerful
cards in the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe. They will be overpowered by finely-tuned Decks and bear in mind that
our Decks contain 20 cards, while normal Decks contain a minimum of 40. Before this Duel Deck faces
a custom Deck, make sure both Duelists agree to use only 20 cards each, and that they understand there
may be a mismatch. But thats the whole nature of playing Yu-Gi-Oh! Each Duel tests a Deck, and gives
players insight into how to improve over time. Treat such Duels as learning experiences, and a way to
reinforce: Even when you are down, you are not out!

6
Get Ready
to Duel!
All the rules are in place. Now players need to
learn to apply them all at once in a single Duel.
New rules to introduce:
Review the Trap Card and Spell Card that
change the ATK value of monsters in play
(Blustering Winds and Inspiration).
Keep pen and paper handy even a sticky
note to track these changed ATK values.
A Duelist loses if his LP is reduced to 0,
or if he cannot draw a card when required
to draw.
After a few initial Duels, introduce Match
play to average out wins and losses. There
are 3 Duels in a Match; the winner of 2 Duels
wins the Match.
How do I get more Yu-Gi-Oh! cards?
Getting new cards is a fun and fulfilling experience for
beginning Duelists; not only will players increase their
card collection to start working with normal 40 card
Decks, but theyll use cards of different rarities, with
cool art design and stronger effects.
The most common way to get cards is from
Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME (TCG) Booster
Packs. Booster Packs contain nine randomly assorted
cards. Each pack contains common cards, which are
easy to get, and rare cards, which are harder to get.
There are a number of different rarities which all feature
a different look to the cards, such as foil or holographic
treatments that make them look flashy and cool. Since
there are so many different cards, discovering whats
inside your pack is part of the fun!
Starter Decks contain everything you need to
start playing the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. Each Starter Deck
comes with the cards written on the box, so you know
what youre getting when you purchase a Starter Deck.
Starter Decks generally contain cards that work well
together and are easy to use, which makes them perfect
for young Duelists who are beginning to learn the rules
of the game.
Sometimes special Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG products are released
that include an assortment of different cards. Structure
Decks, Booster Set Advance Edition Boxes, Collectible
Tins, Duelist Packs, and Accessories are all unique, and
these products are designed to appeal to a wide range of
Yu-Gi-Oh! fans and players.
For more information about Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Booster
Packs, Starter Decks, Structure Decks, and other
products, visit www.yugioh-card.com/en/.
Booster Pack Structure Deck
Starter Deck
7
Whats next?
Once players are Dueling successfully, there are many ways to extend the
experience in your program.

Rewards and Awards:

Reward improvement and good sportsmanship!
The reward cards in this kit give you a way to praise students not just for learning the rules, but
for helping others and for being a good sport.

Note that rewards cover in-game accomplishments (Tribute Summon a monster, Win a Duel)
as well as incent positive behaviors (Congratulate your opponent when you lose).

Stickers, such as gold stars, can be awarded at your discretion for such sportsmanlike conduct as
assisting another player with a rule even when it directly hurts the player doing the assisting.

The Ambassador: Are there students who seem to be adept at learning the game? They may make excellent
teachers. Appoint these students as ambassadors who can field questions, adjudicate rules disagreements and
guide new players through their bumpy first Duels.

Tournaments: Your students can Duel for the top spot in a round-robin tournament that can be played
casually over several days or weeks. (All participants should be using cards from this kit.) Create a chart of
all participants, with all their names down the left side, and again across the top. Over the course of the
tournament, each player must face every other participant in a Match (best of 3 Duels). After each pair competes,
find each players name in the left column and locate the box that corresponds with her opponents name. Write
the result and Duel wins/losses, such as W 2-0 or L 1-2. When every pair has completed one Match, count
each players Ws to find a winner. Either break ties by totaling up the actual number of Duel wins, or create a
new round-robin playoff for champion.

Custom Building: If they begin to collect their own Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, they should have a better idea of
what kind of Decks they want to build, and how to judge if cards are working well together or not. They should
feel encouraged to bring their Decks in to test against their friends but see page 6 for parameters about bringing
in outside Decks.

Trading: Students who buy their own Yu-Gi-Oh! cards may want to trade with others. Start by showing
them how to organize and store their collection of cards; card boxes or binders keep cards off the floor and in
good condition, and easy to locate when needed. We also encourage students to learn about the value of his or
her cards; Official Tournament Stores are a good place to get information about a cards value. Students dont
have to learn about every card, but having an idea of what his or her more appealing cards are worth will help
students make balanced decisions when trading.

For more advice, news and strategy tips,

visit www.yugioh-card.com/en/