How it works#
- Control monsters matching the Link Monster's material requirement. Generic Link Monsters accept any monsters; archetype ones name specific requirements.
- Send those monsters from the field to the graveyard.
- Summon the Link Monster from the Extra Deck — but only to an Extra Monster Zone, or to a Main Monster Zone that another Link Monster's arrow points at.
Link Monsters have no Level, no Rank, and no DEF. They have a Link Rating — the number in the corner — and Link Arrows around the artwork. A Link Monster's Link Rating counts as that many materials when used for a further Link Summon.
Worked example#
You control two Level 4 monsters and no Link Monsters.
Send both to Link Summon a Link-2 into your Extra Monster Zone. If its arrows point down-left and down-right, those two Main Monster Zones are now unlocked for further Extra Deck summons of any kind.
Link Summon again using that Link-2 as material, and its Link Rating of 2 satisfies a Link-3's "2+ monsters" requirement on its own.
Common misconceptions#
Do Fusion, Synchro and Xyz monsters need a Link arrow pointing at their zone?#
No — not since April 2020. They can be summoned to any free Main Monster Zone. Only Link Monsters carry the zone restriction.
A great deal of guidance written between 2017 and 2020 still says otherwise, because under the earlier Master Rule every Extra Deck monster needed an Extra Monster Zone or a Link-pointed zone. That rule is gone. If a source tells you your Synchro needs a Link arrow, it is out of date.
Do Link Arrows pointing at your opponent's zones do anything?#
They can. Arrows pointing at your opponent's field matter for effects that count monsters in "linked zones" or "zones this card points to" — including some of your opponent's cards. Most of the time, though, upward arrows are the least useful ones on your own board.
Is Link Rating the same as the number of materials used?#
Not necessarily. Link Rating is a fixed property of the monster. You might use three monsters to summon a Link-3, but a Link-2 used as material contributes 2 towards the next Link Summon's material count, not 1.
Can Link Monsters be set or placed in defence position?#
No. Link Monsters have no DEF value and always occupy attack position. They cannot be flipped, set, or switched to defence.
Interactions and rulings#
- Link Materials are sent to the graveyard, not tributed. Effects triggering on being sent to the graveyard fire normally.
- A Link Monster occupying a Main Monster Zone still needs another Link Monster pointing at that zone. Only the Extra Monster Zone is unconditionally available.
- Link Monsters cannot be used as Xyz or Synchro Material, because both require Levels and Link Monsters have none. They can be Fusion Material and Link Material.
