Yu-Gi-Oh! Terms and Slangs: Full Guide

If you set aside some time to watch a Yu-Gi-Oh! duel, you'll see that players use many terms and slangs during the matches, but it's not always possible to understand what each means.

Due to that, to make everyone's understandings easier, we prepared this list with some of the words that create confusion for those who are trying to familiarize themselves with the community's terms.

Check out below our list of Yu-Gi-Oh!'s terms and slangs!

Anti-Meta

Decks outside the meta, which were created specifically to win against the meta. They are known for using cards that block some game mechanic.

Archetype

Cards that were created to work together, usually linked by their name, and some even share effects.

Backrow

The row at the back of the battlefield, mostly known as the spell/trap zone.

Banlist

The list of prohibited and limited cards in official Yu-Gi-Oh!'s official tourneys.

Boardbreaker

These are cards with an effect that allows them to "break the opponent's board" by neutralizing the last final board they created.

Book

An effect that switches a battlefield monster's position from face up to face down, in the defense position. It references Book of Moon.

Bounce

An effect that returns a monster on the field to the hand. It makes reference to Compulsory Evacuation Device.

Brick

A hand in which the cards don't work together, making you unable to play.

Build

The list of cards that your deck uses. It refers to your deck's build.

Engine

A small archetype that can be mixed up with many other decks.

Extender

A card that allows you to extend your plays.

Floodgate

A card with a continuous effect that blocks out a game mechanic.

Follow Up

Guaranteeing that it will be possible to make plays in the next round.

Foolish

An effect that sends a specific card from the deck to the graveyard.

FTK

It means "First Turn Kill". It is an acronym to refer to the act of taking out 8000 health points from your opponent all in the first round of the duel. It can also refer to building a board so strong, your opponent doesn't have any chance of beating it.

Garnet

A card that is in your deck to help resolve another effect, but that you don't want to see in your hand.

Grind

A game state which is slower, and both players count with just a few resources to make their plays with.

Handtrap

These are cards that can be activated from hand as answers to an opponent action.

Hard Once Per Turn

A card that can only be activated once per turn, even if you have a copy of that same card.

META

It means Most Effective Tactics Available. It is an acronym to refer to the best decks in the format.

Mill

An effect that sends cards from the top of the deck to the graveyard.

Mirror Match

A duel in which both players are using the same deck/archetype.

Missplay

When you make a mistake while playing, or a wrong play.

Misstime

When you lose the time of activation for a card or effect.

MST

An effect that destroys a spell/trap card on board.

Omni Negate

A card that can negate the activation or effect of any type of card in the game: monsters, spells and traps.

OTK

Means One Turn Kill. It is an acronym to refer to the act of lowering the opponent's health points to 0, in one turn only, but after they've already played.

Out

A card that deals somehow with an opponent's problematic card.

Plus

Refers to the advantage created by an effect. If you used 1 card to get 2, you Plus 1.

Pop

The act of destroying one or more cards on board.

Powercreep

A game's tendency, in which old cards/decks become weaker because new releases are much stronger.

Reborn

An effect that summons a monster through a graveyard Special Summon. It references Monster Reborn.

Rogue

Decks which are below Tier 2, but can be competent enough to play in local tournaments.

ROTA

A card with an effect of getting a monster with a specific type/archetype in your deck to your hand. It references Reinforcement of the Army.

Rule Shark

When an opponent tries to win an unfair advantage by trying to abuse the rules.

Slowplay

When a player plays very slowly in an attempt to win through the time rule.

Soft Once Per Turn

A card that can be activated more than once in the same round, as long as you activate another copy of this card.

Spam

The act of summoning many monsters to your side of the board, attempting to overwhelm your opponent.

Stacking

Changing the order of the deck's cards, trying to get an advantage with that.

Staple

Generic cards that can be used in many different decks, and that are good in all of them.

Starter

A card that allows the player to start their plays.

Stratos

A monster with the effect of getting cards of its same archetype from the deck to your hand when summoned. It references Elemental HERO Stratos.

TCG/OCG

TCG means Trading Card Game. It refers to Yu-Gi-Oh! when played in the west.

OCG means Original Card Game. It refers to Yu-Gi-Oh! when played in the east.

Tech

Cards that are added to the deck to try countering the META.

Tier 0

An extremely dominant deck, which is stronger than the rest of the decks in the META.

Tier 1

A group of the META's best decks.

Tier 2

Decks which are good enough to compete against the META, but by any fault or another aren't as good as the META decks.

Top

To go well in a tournament, getting a ranking which gives you prizes.

Towers

A Monster which isn't activated by other cards' effects.

Win Condition

The way each deck has of winning the game. It can vary during the duel, depending on each situation.

What did you think of the list? Do you know any terms that are missing from here? Tell us in the comment section.

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