Advanced Gameplay FAQ: Introduction to Fusion Monsters

Fusion Monsters, colored violet, are cards representing a combination of two or more monsters. Fusion Monsters may only be included in the Extra Deck, and cannot exist in the hand or Main Deck. If a Fusion Monster is returned to its owner's hand or Deck, it is instead sent back to the Extra Deck. However, they may be sent to the Graveyard when destroyed, as well as banished. According to the anime, the Millennium Scale was the item which originally fused monsters. In the Yu-Gi-Oh! they were used on occasion. In Yu-Gi-Oh GX, many fusion cards and many powerful Fusion Monsters were introduced. In Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's, Synchro Monsters appear to have filled this position.

However, Fusion Monsters have been used a few times, most notably by Jack in his Duel against Yusei, and Yusei in his Duel against Jean. In Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL Kite used the Fusion Monster Twin Photon Lizard against Shark, while Roku has not yet used Xyz Monsters, using "Blue-Eyes Ultimate Statue Dragon" and "Arcana Knight Joker".
Originally, the only way to properly summon a Fusion Monster was through a Fusion Summon involving the required cards as well as "Polymerization". Monsters fused with "Polymerization" are called Fusion Material Monsters.

In Duels, Fusion Monsters require more specific cards than Synchro Monsters, and aren't as flexible in their strategies. However, Fusion Monsters have the benefit of being able to be summoned without requiring the cards on the field.

In Turbo Duels, "Speed Spell - Speed Fusion" is the substitute for "Polymerization".

If a Fusion Monster is Special Summoned to the field via a card such as "Metamorphosis" and then sent to the Graveyard, it cannot be Special Summoned to the field from the Graveyard with cards such as "Premature Burial", "Call of the Haunted", or "Monster Reborn". In order for a Fusion Monster to be Special Summoned from the Graveyard or Banished Zone to the field, it must first be Fusion Summoned properly through "Polymerization" or a card that specifies "this Special Summon is treated as a Fusion Summon".

There are few Fusion Monsters that have special Summoning Conditions. For example, the "Elemental HERO" Fusion Monsters have a clause stipulating that they may not be Special Summoned unless they are being Fusion Summoned. This also rules them out from being Special Summoned either from the Graveyard or when banished. Others may not allow the use of Fusion Substitute Monsters, and in even rarer cases, both of these conditions may be applied, such as in the case of "Rainbow Neos".

With Duel Terminal - Pulse of the Trishula, Fusion Monsters have started to come back, starting with "Naturia Exterio". In Duelist Revolution and Starstrike Blast, 4 more Fusion Monsters were added: "Ultimate Axon Kicker", "Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste", "Gaia Drake, the Universal Force" and "Supreme Arcanite Magician". These five Fusions are the next evolution of Fusion Monsters. The first evolution was the standard Fusion, requiring two regular Monsters, such as with "Flame Swordsman". The second evolution of Fusions Monsters require at least one other Fusion Monster, such as "Dragon Master Knight". The third and currently most commonly used evolution requires at least 1 Synchro Monster such as "Gaia Drake, the Universal Force".

"Gale Dogra" and "Elemental Hero Prisma" assist in some fusion strategies.

"Horse of the Floral Knights" allows you to fetch a "Polymerization" card in Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Tag Force 5.

Fusion Monsters have their own Equip Spell Card, "Fusion Weapon".

Polymerization support cards include "Synchro Fusionist", "Fusion Sage", "Elemental HERO Woodsman" and "King of the Swamp".

"Chain Material" gives you access to any possible Material Monsters, except those banished.

Forms of Fusion Summoning
Fusion Summon
A Fusion Summon is the act of Special Summoning a Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck using "Polymerization" or any other card effects which explicitly states that the Summon is a Fusion Summon.

How to Fusion Summon
To Fusion Summon using "Polymerization" you must have the Fusion Material Monsters listed on the Fusion Monster in your hand or on your side of the field. You must then activate "Polymerization", select the Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, send the Fusion Materials to the Graveyard and Fusion Summon the monster to your side of the field.

For example, to Fusion Summon "Flame Swordsman" using "Polymerization" you must have "Flame Manipulator" and "Masaki the Legendary Swordsman" (the Fusion Materials) on either on your side of the field and/or in your hand. You then activate "Polymerization", select "Flame Swordsman" from your Extra Deck, send "Masaki the Legendary Swordsman" and "Flame Manipulator" to the Graveyard and Fusion Summon "Flame Swordsman".

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Advanced Rulings
If a monster is Special Summoned from your Extra Deck by a card effect it is not treated as a Fusion Summon, unless stated on the card. For example Special Summoning a monster from your Extra Deck using "Cyber-Stein" is not considered a Fusion Summon.

Normally, Fusion Monsters cannot be Special Summoned from the Graveyard or Banished Zone unless they were properly Fusion Summoned before being sent. You cannot use "Re-Fusion" to revive a Fusion Monster that has been Special Summoned using "Cyber-Stein" or sent to the Graveyard by "Fusion Guard". Fusion Summoned Monsters can be revived using cards such as "Re-Fusion" unless stated otherwise.

Alternate methods
Other than using "Polymerization", cards can be Fusion Summoned using any of the following cards. Be sure to follow the instructions on the card to Fusion Summon the monster correctly.

Contact Fusion
Contact Fusion, sometimes referred to as "Fusion Tag", is a different type of Fusion used by Elemental HERO Neos, VWXYZ, or by Gladiator Beasts, where the Fusion Material Monsters are sent from the field to the Deck, and "Polymerization" is not used. In the case of the "Neos" Fusion Monsters, monsters created as a result of this type of Fusion typically have an effect that returns them to the Extra Deck at the end of the turn they are Summoned.

Examples of this are the following cards.
-"Elemental HERO Air Neos"
-"Elemental HERO Aqua Neos"
-"Elemental HERO Chaos Neos"
-"Elemental HERO Dark Neos"
-"Elemental HERO Flare Neos"
-"Elemental HERO Glow Neos"
-"Elemental HERO Grand Neos"
-"Elemental HERO Magma Neos"
-"Elemental HERO Marine Neos"
-"Elemental HERO Storm Neos"

Although not exactly the same, the VWXYZ series Fusions and "Armityle the Chaos Phantom" are Summoned from the Extra Deck by banishing their Fusion Material Monsters from the field (sometimes nicknamed as "Removal Fusion"). Because of this, it is considered a form of Contact Fusion, as well.

"Chimeratech Fortress Dragon's" Special Summon can also be considered a type of Contact Fusion, where the Fusion Material Monsters are sent from the field to the Graveyard (More like a traditional Fusion Summon) and you can use your opponent's monsters as Fusion Material Monsters.

Contact Fusion can be considered the conceptual predecessor to the new Synchro Summoning method, since it also involves Summoning a special monster from the Extra Deck simply by having certain monsters on the field. The Contact Fusion method of the Gladiator Beasts, in particular, may have lead up to this, since their form of Contact Fusion is generally unspecific as to what monsters must be used for it, and Synchro Summoning generally only requires that a Tuner monster and monsters of the correct Level be on the field.

Rules on Contact Fusion:

All monsters involved in the Fusion must be on the field and cannot be substituted.

If a monster is face-down and you want to use it for Contact Fusion, you must show it to your opponent(s) (not flip) before moving it to its respective destination, e.g., "Elemental HERO Neos" returning to the Deck. Gladiator Beasts return to the Deck.

VWXYZ and "Armityle the Chaos Phantom" monsters are banished.

Contact Fusion monsters can be revived from the Graveyard as long as they were Summoned by Contact Fusion first.

Contact Fusion is not treated as a Fusion Summon, because of this, Fusion Monsters summoned by Contact Fusion are not affected by cards like "Chthonian Polymer" and "Non-Fusion Area".

If a monster were to be destroyed and used in Contact Fusion, e.g., if you use "Rescue Cat" to Summon "Gladiator Beast Samnite" and use it in Contact Fusion, it stays in the Deck or remains banished.

Transformation Summon
A Transformation Summon is a type of Fusion Summon featured in the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX manga. It is used by the "Masked HERO" archetype.

It essentially reduces the amount of cards used for a Fusion Summon by one, in that only one monster and a card such as "Mask Change" or "Form Change" is needed, as opposed to two or more Fusion Material Monsters and "Polymerization". However, the produced Fusion Monster tends to be less powerful than the result of a traditional fusion.

-"Re-Fusion" to Special Summon a Fusion Monster from the Graveyard.

-The "Neos" and "Gladiator Beast" archetypes use "Contact Fusion".

-The "VWXYZ" archetype and "Armityle the Chaos Phantom" use a different type of "Contact Fusion", where the Fusion Material Monsters are banished.

-Chimeratech Fortress Dragon's Special Summon can be seen as a variation of "Contact Fusion", where the Fusion Material Monsters are sent to the Graveyard and you can use your opponent's monsters for the Summon.

-The "Hex-Sealed Fusion" Monster Cards ("The Earth - Hex-Sealed Fusion", "The Dark - Hex-Sealed Fusion", "The Light - Hex-Sealed Fusion").

-One Fusion Material Monster can be replaced by Fusion Substitute Monsters in Fusion Summons unless otherwise specified on the Fusion Monster card.

Example


Fusion Material Monsters
Fusion Material Monsters are monsters that are used for the Special Summon of a Fusion Monster; the required Fusion Materials are listed on the Fusion Monster's card.

While Fusion Material Monsters are usually specific monsters, occasionally, the required monsters are more vague; such as "Five-Headed Dragon", simply requiring any five Dragon-Type monsters; or "Chimeratech Overdragon", requiring "Cyber Dragon" and one or more Machine-Type monsters.

Listed Fusion Material Monsters are monsters specifically named on a Fusion Monster as materials; non-specific Fusion Materials, such as those of "Ojama Knight", cannot be targeted by cards that specify listed Fusion Material Monsters such as "Centrifugal Field".

Fusion Substitute Monsters such as "King of the Swamp" can replace one named Fusion Material Monster. If a Fusion Substitute Monster is used, all other Fusion Material Monsters used in the fusion must be correct. However, monsters whose name is being treated as a listed Fusion Material Monster (e.g. "Elemental HERO Prisma") are treated as correct and not as Fusion Substitute Monsters. Fusion Substitute Monsters can only replace specifically named Fusion Material Monsters; as such, a Fusion Substitute Monster cannot be used in the Fusion Summon of "Evil HERO Dark Gaia" as it does not name any monsters, and can only replace "UFOroid" in the Fusion Summon of "UFOroid Fighter".

Fusion Material Monsters can be used even if the summon is not a Fusion Summon. Cards in the Hex-Sealed Fusion series tribute themselves and the other necessary Fusion Materials specified on a Fusion Monster to Special Summon it, but this Special Summon is not treated as a Fusion Summon. Contact Fusion is also a type of Special Summon that is not considered a Fusion Summon.

There are also several Monsters which cannot be used as a Fusion Material Monster.

Fusion Substitute Monsters
Fusion-Substitute Monsters can be used as replacements for specific Fusion Material Monsters listed on a Fusion Monster, as long as the other monster(s) used are the correct one(s) for the Fusion Summon. The Fusion Substitute Monsters are used as direct replacements when using "Polymerization" and "Fusion Gate" for a Fusion Summon.

Fusion Substitutes cannot be used for:
-Fusion Monsters that can only be Special Summoned from the Extra Deck by removing the Fusion Material Monsters listed on it from your field (Contact Fusion), such as with the "Elemental HERO Neos", "Gladiator Beast", and "VWXYZ" Fusion Monsters.

-Fusion Monsters that state, "A Fusion Summon of this card can only be conducted with the above Fusion Material Monsters", like "D.3.S. Frog" or "Cyber End Dragon".

-A Fusion Summon conducted with "Future Fusion". This is because Fusion Substitute Monsters have no effect while in the Deck.

-Fusion Monsters that do not specifically name their Fusion Material Monsters, like "Ojama Knight" or "Evil HERO Dark Gaia".

-If the Fusion Monster has both specifically named and unnamed Fusion Material Monsters (like "Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem"), then you can use a Fusion Substitute Monster, but only for the specifically named Fusion Material Monster.