Guide to Battlemonsters

Determining Rules

The priority in which rules are enforced is the following order, from highest priority to lowest priority:

• Rules agreed upon by both players BEFORE the game starts. If a rule is added, modified, or removed, then it is not an Official Battle Monsters Game.
• Rules enforced by a card's special effects.
• Rules enforced by this manual.

If in the event that two rules introduced by special effects contradict with each other, the card that was played last should receive priority unless stated otherwise by either cards.

Sportsmanship Rules

No contact should be made with the other player or their cards. If illegal contact is made with the player or their cards, the offender is disqualified. Hand contact with your opponent's cards can only occur if a special effect or an additional rule is put into play, such as temporarily borrowing cards. Illegal Contact Includes, but is not limited to:

• Touching your opponent, other than accidental "light" touching such as hands accidentally making contact, unless it results in an unintended move.
• Touching your opponent's cards.
• Throwing objects such as cards, dice, coins, or other items at the opponent or their cards.
• Damaging opponent's cards.
• Spitting, spraying, or pouring fluids on cards or in the opponent's direction.
• Moving to your opponent's side of the field unless in cases of emergency.
• Threats of harm, including verbal, regardless of intent.

Players should not receive an unfair advantage unless otherwise agreed upon. Unfair advantages are defined as any benefit gained to yourself, or a malus given to an opponent, that cannot be gained while during normal play of Battle Monsters. Unfair Advantages Include, but is not limited to:

• Receiving outside help from the game, with exception to official print in this rulebook or a tournament provided rulebook.
• Unlicensed and/or unauthorized modification of cards.
• Manipulation of your opponent's physical well-being.
• Using unapproved technology. A list of approved technology can be found on the company website www.battlemonsters.bm.

Quick Glossary

• Game, or Duel:

A game of Battle Monsters, where cards do battle with each other inside a field. The game is won when the opponent's lives reach 0, or if the opponent runs out of cards in their deck.

• Player, or Summoner:

A player currently playing in a match of Battle Monsters.

• Life, Lives, or Life Points:

A system that tracks how many remaining hits the player can take by a monster before losing the game. Each player starts with 5, and victory is obtained when your opponent's lives reaches 0.

• Battle:

When two cards engage in conflict with one another where a battle calculation is performed.

• Battle Calculation:

See section "Monster Cards" for more information.

• Field:

The entirety of all cards currently in play.

• Deck:

A collection of Battle Monster cards. Can refer to either the graveyard deck or the supply deck.

• Supply Deck, or Supply:

The deck in which a player draws for a card.

• Graveyard Deck, or Graveyard:

The deck in which players must put discarded cards.

• Card:

A card officially licensed and produced by Battle Monsters. Cards can have special effects that can change the rules specific to that card, or the entire field.

• Monster Card, or Monster:

A card that can attack or defend from other monsters. Monster cards have attack points and defense points. See section "Monster Cards" for more information.

• Magic Card:

A card that creates one or more special effects upon manual user activation. See section "Magic Cards" for more information.

• Trap Card, or Trap:

A card that creates one or more special effects upon special conditions. See section "Trap Cards" for more information.

• Special Effect:

A new rule added to the game caused by a card.

• Special Condition, or Trigger:

The card's special effects only occur when this condition is met.

• Stances:

The card's orientation on the field. There are 4 different types of stances; Attack-Visible, Defence-Visible, Attack-Invisible, and Defence-Invisible. See section "Summoning Cards" for more information.

• Modes:

The card's sub-orientation on the field, one mode refers to whether or not it's in attack or defence mode, and the other mode refers to whether or not it is visible or reserve mode.

• Attack Mode:

Referring to the card being able to attack, such as Attack-Visible or Attack-Invisible mode, usually the former. Cards in defense mode are placed parallel to the player. A card can switch to defense mode once per turn, with exception to cards that already attacked, which cannot be switched on the turn they attacked on.

• Defence Mode:

Referring to the card being able to defend, such as Defence-Visible or Defence-Invisible mode, usually the later. Cards in defense mode are placed perpendicular to the player. A card can switch out of attack mode once per turn.

• Face Up, or Visible:

Referring to the card being face up and visible to the field, such as Attack-Visible or Defence-Visible mode. Face up cards will enable their special effects to take place.

• Face Down, or Invisible:

Referring to the card being face down and invisible to the field, such as in Attack-Reserve or Defence-Reserve mode. Face down cards will not have any special effects played, with the exception of trap cards.

• Revealed:

Referring to the act of changing a card from face down to face up. One a card is face up, it cannot be flipped face down unless stated otherwise by a special effect.

• Summon/Summoned:

Referring to the act of placing a card on the field, regardless of its visibility. Note that cards summoned face down with summon triggered special effects will not have its special effects applied.

• Draw/Drawn:

The act of transferring a card from a deck to the card in your hand. Cards in the graveyard cannot be drawn, unless stated otherwise by special effects.

• Starting the Game:

Each player must have at least 30 cards in their deck, however it is recommended that they have at least 50. Players can have any amount of duplicate cards in their deck, and can have more than 52 cards in their deck. The player that goes first is determined by a coin flip. Any coin can be used, however an official Battle Monster coin is recommended.

Each player starts with 5 lives and 5 cards, with 2 selected cards to be in their graveyard. A live is expended when a monster attacks the player. Monsters can only attack a player when there are no remaining visible monsters on the field, and the monster's attack points exceeds 0.

Each player's graveyard deck should be positioned below or left of the supply deck. When placing cards, ensure that they are easy to see and in a tidy looking format. Do not place cards on top of each other unless a special effect determines otherwise.

• Ending the Game:

A game ends when a player loses all their lives, surrenders, or agrees with the opposing player that the game should conclude to a draw. To officially surrender a game, the player should make clear that they admit defeat, and remove their cards from the table. Both players can verbally agree to a draw, or a rematch if desired. During Tournaments, draws cannot occur and rematches only occur during special circumstances.

• Monster Cards:

A monster card is a card that can attack the player or other monsters. Some monsters have special effects that can attack trap cards or magic cards. Monsters cannot attack on the turn they are revealed.

Monsters have two attributes; attack points and defence points. The attribute used is based on whether or not they're in attack mode or defence mode. When a monster in in defence mode, their defence points are used for battle calculation. When a creature is in attack mode, their attack points are used for battle calculation. Even if a attack-mode monster is getting attacked, it uses its attack points for calculation. Monsters in defence mode cannot attack while in defense mode, or if they have less than 0 attack points.

For example, a monster with an attack points of 300 and defence points of 200 will win an attack if it was attacking an attack-mode monster with 100 attack points and 400 defense points, as 300 is greater than 100. However, if the monster with 100 attack points and 400 defense points was in defense mode and being attacked by a monster with 300 attack points and 100 defense, the defense mode monster would win as 400 is greater than 300.

If a monster loses a battle, the monster's card is sent to the graveyard, and the winning monster is unaffected unless stated otherwise by special effects. Monsters can only directly attack the other player if the other player has no monsters on the field. Monsters in the graveyard cannot be summoned or drawn, however this may change with special effects.

Each monster has its own set of keywords that should be referred to when identifying how other cards affect them. You should only use keywords and it's element list for identification, and never the monster's name. For example, a monster with the word "Dragon" in its name may not actually be a dragon.

• Spell Cards:

Cards which play a special effect if met by the special condition. If there is no special condition, the special effect is played when the card is revealed. Spell cards can immediately go to the graveyard upon use, or remain forever as long as the special condition is met. Spell cards cannot be attacked by monsters unless stated otherwise by special effects, or if a monster attacks the card while the card is face down.

• Trap Cards:

A trap card is a spell card that triggers and automatically reveals itself when the opponent plays a certain action. Trap cards can immediately go to the graveyard upon use, or remain forever as long as the special condition is met. Trap cards cannot be attacked by monsters unless stated otherwise by special effects, or if a monster attacks the card while the card is face down.

• Summoning Cards:

Cards can only be summoned on the summoner's side of the field from the summoner's hand unless stated otherwise by special effects. Cards can be summoned in difference stances. The stance is based on the orientation of the card relative to the person who played it. There are currently 4 different types of stances.

• Attack-Visible:

Place a card vertically face-up.

Monster cards in this position can attack other cards, except for magic/trap cards put in attack mode. Monster cards cannot attack on the turn they are made visible to the opponent. When doing battle calculations, it uses the monster's attack attribute.

Trap cards in this position are triggered when the conditions are met. They cannot be attacked by monsters.

Spell cards in this position are applied instantly. They cannot be attacked by monsters.

• Defence-Visible:

Place a card horizontally face-up.

Monster cards in this position can defend from attacks, and protect the user's lives. Monster cards cannot attack in this mode. When doing battle calculations, it uses the monster's defence attribute.

Trap cards in this position are triggered when the conditions are met. They can be attacked by monsters, and are sent to the graveyard if any monster lands a successful attack.

Spell cards in this position are applied instantly. They can be attacked by monsters, and are sent to the graveyard if any monster lands a successful attack.

• Attack-Invisible:

Place a card vertically face-down.

Monster cards in this position cannot attack, and cannot be attacked by monsters. When doing battle calculations, it uses the monster's attack attribute.

Monster cards cannot be placed in face down again if they were made visible before, unless stated otherwise by a special effect.

Trap cards in this position are triggered when the conditions are met. They cannot be attacked by monsters.

Spell cards in this position are not applied until they are put face up. They cannot be attacked by monsters.

• Defence-Invisible:

Defence-Invisible:

Place a card horizontally face-down.

Monster cards in this position cannot attack, and can be attacked by monsters. When doing battle calculations, it uses the monster's defence attribute.

Monster cards cannot be placed face down if they were placed face down before, unless stated otherwise by special effects.

Trap cards in this position are triggered when the conditions are met. They can be attacked by monsters.

Spell cards in this position are not applied until they are put face up. They can be attacked by monsters.

During Your Turn

There are many actions and sub-actions you can perform during your turn. Actions refer to moves that take up your turn, and sub-actions refer to moves that do not. You're limited to only 1 action per round, and the number of sub-actions you can perform is based on each card.

Actions

There are 3 actions you can perform; Draw Card, Discard Card, Skip. Performing one of these actions signals the opponent that you are finished your turn and you cannot perform an action until it is your turn again, or if a special effect says otherwise. You can perform sub-actions before perform an action, but NOT after.

• Draw Card - allows you to draw 1 card from your supply deck. Drawing cards triggered from special effects does not count towards ending your turn, unless otherwise specified.

• Discard Card - allows you to discard 1 card from your hand to your graveyard. In most situations, you will never need to do this, as you're allowed to hold an unlimited number of cards. Special effects that involve the card being sent to the graveyard WILL NOT trigger.

• Skip - allows you to skip drawing a card. Again, in most situations you will never need to do this, however players may be forced to skip a turn if they cannot draw any more cards.

Sub-Actions

There are 4 sub-actions you can perform; Reveal, Attack, Switch Mode, and Summon Card. All sub-actions are limited to one per card. Note that sub-actions caused by special effects don't count towards the sub-action limit.

• Reveal - allows you to change a face down card to a face up card. Note that cards cannot be concealed again unless stated otherwise by a special effect.

• Attack - allows you to attack with a card. Only monster cards can attack, and each monster card can attack only once per turn. Cards cannot attack on the turn they are summoned or revealed unless stated otherwise by a special effect.

• Switch Mode - allows you to switch between attack and defense mode. Remember, you're only allowed to one sub-action per card which means you cannot attack with cards switched to attack mode until the next turn, and you cannot put cards in defense mode on the same turn they were revealed.

• Summon Card - allows you to summon a card from your hand to the field. Cards can be summoned face down or face up, sideways or vertical, as outlined in "Summoning Cards". You're allowed to summon as many monsters to the field at once, and a card summon does not take up a sub-action for that card, meaning you can summon a card in defence mode, but then move it to attack mode.