Expert Gameplay FAQ: Legal Booster Sets & Promotional Cards

The Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game is released by various methods. Below lists the categories of each method and the legality of each.

Booster Sets
All sets up to the current date are legal.

Structure & Starter Decks
All Structure and Starter Decks up to the current date are legal.

SHONEN JUMP Promos
All Shonen Jump Promotional Cards up to the current date are legal.

Manga Promos
All Promotional Cards from all Yu-Gi-Oh!-related Mangas up to the current date are legal.

Video Game Promos
All Video Game Promotional Cards are legal starting with the official release date of the video game they come packaged with.

Tin Promos
All Promotional Cards found within the Collectible Tins are legal upon their official release date. This includes Shooting Star Dragon and Red Nova Dragon.

Since Shooting Star Dragon and Red Nova Dragon become legal through the release of Wave 2 of the 2010 Collectors Tins, copies of these cards pulled via the Starstrike Blast Sneak Preview will also be legal, because they have been officially released through another method.

Duel Terminal
All cards received from official Konami Duel Terminals are legal

Notes For Playing In Other Countries
Most video games are not released simultaneously across countries, and a game that was released in North America last week might not release in Central America for another month. As such, Video Game Promotional Cards are not legal in other countries if the video game they came packaged with haven't been released there yet.

Shonen Jump Promotional Cards are NOT legal in Europe, Oceania, Central America, or South America, as Shonen Jump Magazine is not officially distributed there. Additionally, all Yu-Gi-Oh!-related Manga Promotional Cards are NOT legal for play in Europe, Oceania, Central America, or South America, unless the Manga carrying that particular card was specifically distributed there. (This is rare.)

However, if a card from one of these promotions has been released in another method within that country, then the card is legal there. (Example: Dandylion was a Shonen Jump Promo, but was later released in Absolute Powerforce: Special Edition. Dandylion is now legal in Central America.)