How it works#
- Control exactly one Tuner and at least one non-Tuner monster.
- Their Levels must total exactly the Level of the Synchro Monster you want. Not at least — exactly.
- Send all of them from the field to the graveyard.
- Summon the Synchro Monster from the Extra Deck.
Some Synchro Monsters name a required Tuner. "1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters" is the generic case; archetype Synchros often demand a specific one, and a few require a Synchro Tuner. That last group is how decks running Formula Synchron get to Synchro Summon during the opponent's turn.
Worked example#
You control Jet Synchron (Level 1 Tuner) and a Level 7 non-Tuner.
1 + 7 = 8, so you may Synchro Summon a Level 8 Synchro Monster such as Borreload Savage Dragon. You cannot use them for a Level 7 Synchro by "overpaying"; the total must land exactly.
Nor can you reach further up. Baronne de Fleur is Level 10 and accepts the same generic "1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuners", but 8 is not 10 — you would need two more Levels on the board before it becomes an option.
Common misconceptions#
Can you use two Tuners for one Synchro Summon?#
For a generic Synchro Summon, no — the requirement is exactly one Tuner. A second Tuner may be used as the non-Tuner portion only if the Synchro Monster's text specifically permits it, or if a card changes one of them so it is no longer treated as a Tuner.
A small number of Synchro Monsters break the "exactly one Tuner" pattern outright by naming 2 Tuners + 1 or more non-Tuner as their own Synchro Material requirement — this is called Double Tuning. Tyrant Red Dragon Archfiend and Hot Red Dragon Archfiend King Calamity are the best-known examples, mostly Red Dragon Archfiend evolutions. These are printed exceptions to the generic rule, not a workaround of it — the card's own text sets the material count.
Do Synchro Materials have Levels while on the field face-down?#
Face-down monsters cannot be used as Synchro Material at all. Materials must be face-up on the field.
Is a Synchro Summon an effect that can be negated by Effect Veiler?#
No. The Synchro Summon itself is an inherent summon. Effect Veiler and Ash Blossom negate effects; there is no effect here to negate. Solemn Strike and Torrential Tribute, which respond to the summon, do work.
Are Synchro Materials "tributed"?#
No — they are sent to the graveyard. Monsters that trigger when sent to the graveyard, such as Jet Synchron itself, fire normally.
Interactions and rulings#
- Level-changing effects apply before the summon. A Level 4 monster raised to Level 5 counts as Level 5 for the total.
- Tokens can be used as Synchro Material. They cease to exist on leaving the field rather than reaching the graveyard.
- Synchro Monsters may be summoned to any free Main Monster Zone under the current rules.
