KingdomBattles

Certain monsters cannot be played with a Normal Summon or Set, only via a Special Summon. Examples of such Special Summon-only monsters include Fusion Monsters, Ritual Monsters, Toon Monsters, "Gate Guardian", "Great Moth", "Wall Shadow", "Dark Necrofear", "Spirit of Flames", "Aqua Spirit", "The Rock Spirit", "Fenrir", "Chaos Sorcerer", etc.

Fusion Monsters and Ritual Monsters have standardized methods to play them. All of the other monsters listed have specific methods written on the cards as to how to play them. You cannot play these monsters by any other method.

If a Special Summon-only monster is successfully Special Summoned to the field, using the proper method, and is then sent from the field to the Graveyard, you may use "Monster Reborn", etc. to revive the monster back to the field, and you do not have to use the proper method again. (For example, if you Special Summon "Aqua Spirit" by removing 1 WATER monster in your Graveyard from play, and "Aqua Spirit" is then destroyed and sent to your Graveyard, you may use "Monster Reborn" on "Aqua Spirit" without having to remove another WATER monster in your Graveyard from play.)

However, if a Special Summon-only monster is placed in your Graveyard because it was discarded from your hand, or some other method that did not involve the monster being Special Summoned to the field using the proper method, you cannot use "Monster Reborn", etc. on the monster.

The proper method to summon a Fusion Monster is via a "Fusion Summon". A Fusion Summon can only be performed using "Polymerization" or "Fusion Gate". Any other method of playing these monsters is not a proper summon, and if the monster is then sent to the Graveyard it cannot be revived with "Monster Reborn". Some Fusion Monsters have additional restrictions.

For example: "Dark Paladin" has the text, "This monster can only be Special Summoned by Fusion Summon." This means that you can Fusion Summon "Dark Paladin" from your Fusion Deck using "Polymerization" or "Fusion Gate". You cannot Special Summon "Dark Paladin" from your Fusion Deck using "Magical Scientist" or "Summoner of Illusions" or "Metamorphosis". Even if "Dark Paladin" is Fusion Summoned properly, you cannot "Monster Reborn" him because this would be a Special Summon that is not a Fusion Summon.

"Dark Balter the Terrible" has the text, "This monster can only be Fusion Summoned by the above Fusion-Material Monsters." This means that you cannot use "substitute" Fusion Monsters like "Goddess with the Third Eye". You CAN Special Summon "Dark Balter the Terrible" with "Magicial Scientist", "Summoner of Illusions", etc., because "Dark Balter the Terrible's" text only restricts Fusion Summons, not Special Summons in general. If "Dark Balter the Terrible" is properly summoned, you can use "Monster Reborn", etc. to revive him from the Graveyard.

If your Spell & Trap Card Zone is full with 5 cards, you cannot set new Traps, nor can you set nor activate more Spell Cards. You can’t even play Equip Spell Cards (because they always go in your Spell & Trap Card Zone and take up 1 of your 5 spots) or activate Normal Spell Cards like "Dark Hole" (because they are played to a Spell & Trap Card Zone, then are sent to the Graveyard). Remember that Field Spell Cards do not occupy a space in your Spell & Trap Card Zone but go in your Field Spell Card Zone instead.

You cannot voluntarily discard Spell & Trap Cards to free up additional space, nor may you take them back into your hand. The only exception is Spell & Trap Cards that have a continuous payment ("Messenger of Peace", "Imperial Order", etc.), which you may discard by choosing not to pay the cost at the appropriate time. But other cards such as Field Spell Cards, Equip Spell Cards, Continuous Trap Cards (like "Gravity Bind" and "Dragon Capture Jar" remain on the field and you cannot discard them without reason. You can destroy them with cards like "Remove Trap" or "De-Spell", even though they are your own cards.

If your Monster Card Zone is full with 5 monsters, you cannot Summon nor Set additional monsters. Nor can you voluntarily discard monsters or return them to your hand for no reason just to make room. You CAN perform a Tribute Summon, however, as the cost (Tributing) is performed first, and then the resolution (summoning the new monster). You must be performing a legitimate Tribute Summon. So Tributing "Beaver Warrior" for "Summoned Skull" is OK, and Tributing "Beaver Warrior" and "Summoned Skull" for "Dark Magician" is OK, but Tributing "Beaver Warrior" for "Giant Soldier of Stone" is not.

If a Flip Effect monster is destroyed while face-down, without being flipped (such as with "Dark Hole", "Man-Eater Bug", "Tribute to the Doomed", "Raigeki", etc.) then its Flip Effect does not activate because the monster is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. The fact that the monster is face-up in the Graveyard does not mean that it was "flipped" and had its Flip Effect activated.

Note that "Sangan" and "Witch of the Black Forest" are not Flip Effect monsters, so if destroyed while face-down the owner still gets the effect of these monsters when they are placed in the owner's Graveyard.