Yu-Gi-Oh!

Ideas for Yu-Gi-Oh! 2.0

Here are some ideas that I would implement if I were designing Yu-Gi-Oh!.

One normal summon per main phase

This is undoubtedly the most ambitious idea, and it would require adjustments to the ban list to be properly balanced. However, it could significantly improve the experience of going second, as it would allow players to establish their board through problematic floodgate monsters that you need to run over (I'm looking at you, Apollos).

No restriction on setting monsters

This idea comes from a suggestion from Farfa's chat during an episode of Hearth of the Cast. The concept is that setting monsters would no longer count as a Normal Summon, allowing players to set as many monsters as they wish or can afford to. This change could potentially bring back flip monsters, which have all but vanished from the game. It would also provide a defensive option for players who have been severely disrupted by hand traps (i.e., hand-trapped to death, gotta love that Snake-Eyes format), allowing them to build a wall.

However, if this rule were to be implemented, cards like Ninjas and other effects that flip cards face-up would need to be carefully balanced. It should not be possible, or at least not easy, to flip all your set monsters on the first turn.

Also, if this rule were implemented, contact fusion summoning might need to be limited to face-up cards for most contact fusion-summoned monsters. Alba-Lenatus and other board-breaking fusion monsters could be exceptions to this rule

Regarding tribute setting, I’m not sure if it would pose a problem. Most monsters only activate their effects when they are normal or special summoned, and some can only be special summoned. With this in mind, tribute setting might be balanced under this ruling.

Old field spell rules

I'm not a fan of the current field spell mechanics. In my opinion, field spells should function more like they do in the anime, where they create a shared playing field that affects both player equally. Remember the Mystic Mine format? The strategy often boiled down to "draw the out". Under the old field spell rules, you'd have more outs by simply replacing the field spell.

Under this ruling, field spells that allow players to add cards upon activation should offer this benefit to both players. For example, here's how Primeval Planet Perlereino could be reimagined:

When this card is activated: Both players can add 1 "Tearlaments" monster or 1 "Visas Starfrost" from their Deck to their hand. Fusion Monsters and "Tearlaments" monsters you control on the field gain 500 ATK. If a "Tearlaments" monster controlled by the turn player or in their GY is shuffled into the Deck or Extra Deck (except during the Damage Step): That player can target 1 card on the field; destroy it. The turn player can only use this effect of "Primeval Planet Perlereino" once per turn. You can only activate 1 "Primeval Planet Perlereino" per turn.

Cannot use tokens as link materials

One of the issues with the current state of Yu-Gi-Oh! is the easy accessibility of the Extra Deck, especially for Link monsters. This has contributed to the decline of Synchro monsters, which are way harder to summon. One way to address this could be to prevent tokens from being used as Link material. While this change might weaken the ability to continue your turn after being hit with Nibiru, but it would also curb the excessive Link climbing enabled by token-generating cards. By restricting tokens from being used for both Xyz and Link summons, Synchro strategies might see a resurgence.

Replace normal monsters by tokens

Even though Konami tries to make normal monsters relevant by releasing archetypes like Primite or printing new support for Blue-Eyes and Dark Magician, normal monsters are outdated. In my opinion, they should be phased out entirely. Instead, iconic vanilla monsters could be given new exciting effects. If you still want to preserve strategies involving normal monsters, you could adopt an approach similar to Tony or Swordsoul, using non-effect monsters and tokens instead of using dead-weight normal monsters.

Rulings

Token rulings

Tokens exist as monsters on the board and are always treated as normal monsters, even if they are given an effect. Precisely, some monster tokens have effects applied to them by the card that summon them, but these are not effects of the token themselves, so they cannot be negated by Skill Drain.

Tokens can only exist on the field, and not anywhere else. They cannot be attached as Xyz material, because Xyz materials are not considered to be on the field.

Tokens can only exist face-up. Thus, they cannot be targeted by, and are unaffected by, effects that would flip them face-down such as Book of Moon. Similarly, tokens cannot be banished face-down, and are unaffected by card effects that would do so.

If a token would leave the field, it simply ceases to exist and is removed from game. This also applies to tokens that are temporarily banned, and such will not return to the field at the time specified by the effect.

Buster Blader Swordsman vs The Ultimate Creature of Destruction

Buster Blader, the Dragon Destroyer Swordsman imposes the following lock on Dragon monsters:

Change all Dragon monsters your opponent controls to Defense Position, also Dragon monsters in your opponent's possession cannot activate their effects.

In the OCG text, it states instead that

Your opponent cannot activate the effects of Dragon-type monsters.

This means that the second part of the lock affects the player and not the monster. They cannot activate the effect of Dragon monsters. According to Jeri Sama, the consensus in TCG is that "X monster cannot activate its effects" always affect the player. In that way, if a Dragon monster is made unaffected by card effects with cards such as The Ultimate Creature of Destruction or Number 81, it would be possible to change it to Attack Position but not to activate its effects under the Buster lock.

Necrovalley and Horus monsters (inherent summons from the graveyard)

While Necrovalley is active, Horus monsters cannot be special summoned from the graveyard with their inherent summon effect:

Imsety, Glory of the Horus: If you control "King's Sarcophagus", you can Special Summon this card (from your GY).

Even if inherent summons are non-activated effect (they do not start a chain), they are still effects and are therefore negated by Necrovalley:

Necrovalley: Negate any effect that would move a card in the GY to a different place.

On the other hand, Necrovalley cannot negate summoning condition such as The Bystial Lubellion's:

The Bystial Lubellion: Must be Special Summoned (from your hand or GY) by Tributing 1 Level 6 or higher DARK Dragon monster.

Pendulum Monsters under Macro Cosmos

The game rules state that

Whenever one of your Pendulum Monster Cards on the field (regardless of which Zone it is in, or even if it is a monster or not) would be sent to the Graveyard, place it face-up on your Extra Deck instead.

Macro Cosmos (or Dimension Shifter) redirection apply on top of the redirection of Pendulum monsters and then banishes them when they hit the graveyard (before they are placed on the Extra Deck).

Keep in mind that Pendulum cards are placed face-up in the Extra Deck only if they are sent from the field. This is the reason why you can use Dragon Shrine to foolish Darkwurm to activate its graveyard effect.

Hieratic Seal and Spell Cards (Return Spell Card to Hand)

When a Normal, Quick-Play or Ritual Spell Card, or a Normal or Counter Trap Card is activated, it cannot be returned from the field to the hand during that chain unless it has an effect that would cause it to remain on the field after activation, such as Swords of Revealing Light.

For that reason Hieratic Seal cannot bounce Spell/Traps cards unless there are Continuous Spells.

Mirrorjade vs Unaffected by activated effects

Mirrorjade's trigger effect states that

If this Fusion Summoned card in its owner control leaves the field because of an opponent's card: You can destroy all monsters your opponent controls during the End Phase of this turn.

This effect, in fact, places a lingering effect that will destroy opponent monsters and is applied on the end phase. Since it's a "lingering" effect, it does not activate during the end phase allowing it to destroy monsters that are unaffected by activated effects, such as Chaos Angel.

Soul Crossing, Monarch Stormforth & Vampire Sucker vs Unaffected monsters

Cards such as The Monarchs Stormforth and Vampire Sucker that tribute opponents monsters to perform a tribute summon cannot out unaffected monsters as stated in this ruling QA. Soul Crossing on the other hand, can tribute unaffected monsters because

the Tribute Summon is performed due to the effect of Soul Crossing, but any monsters Tribute are not Tributes due to its effect

while the other mentioned card tribute for effect.

Hallowed Azamina shenanigans

Once a Spell or Trap Card's activation has been negated, it is no longer considered to be on the field. Therefore it cannot be sent as a cost to the GY for the rest of the chain. Hence, if The Hallowed Azamina is activated, and then WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils is activated on the same chain, but the opponent chain the effect of Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion to negated WANTED, the latter cannot be chosen as a card to send to the GY when resolving The Hallowed Azamina. Furthermore, if there are no other "Sinful Spoils" cards in hand or field when The Hallowed Azamina resolves, its effect is not applied.

If Sinful Spoils of Slumber - Morrian has used its effect to set to the field, it will be banished next time it leaves the field. If chosen to be sent by The Hallowed Azamina for the Fusion Summon of a level 6 Azamina Monster, if will be banished and the summon won't happen. However, if chosen with another card for the Fusion Summon of a level 8 (or higher) Azamina Monster, it will be banished but the summon still resolves since Hallowed only needs to send at least one card to grave for the summon to be successful.