Xyz Summon An Xyz Summon ( pronounced ik - seez ; Japanese : エクシーズ " Ekushīzu Shōkan " , abbreviated in card text since " Duelist Alliance " ) is the act of Special Summon ing an Xyz Monster from the Extra Deck by overlaying at least 2 monsters with the same Level . How to Xyz Summon . During their Main Phase , the turn player can Xyz Summon an Xyz Monster from their Extra Deck by vertically stacking from their field , two or more face - up monsters with the same Level as the Xyz Monster ' s Rank , that are listed on it as Xyz Material s . After that , the player Summons the Xyz Monster from the Extra Deck in face - up Attack or Defense Position by placing it on top of the stacked Xyz Materials in an unoccupied Main Monster Zone that a Link Monster points to or an Extra Monster Zone . Monsters that do not have Levels , such as Xyz Monsters and Link Monsters , cannot normally be used as Xyz Materials for an Xyz Summon . However , some Xyz Monsters ( such as " " ) specifically list Xyz Monsters such as materials , in which case they can use Xyz Monsters as material . Additionally , some Xyz Monsters ( such as " Constellar Ptolemy M7 " ) specify in their card text that they can be also Xyz Summoned by using an Xyz Monster as material rather than their listed materials , in which case the materials from the monster used as material are transfer red to the Xyz Summoned monster . Prior to the introduction of the Extra Monster Zone , a monster could be Xyz Summoned to any Monster Zone . Even if all appropriate Monster Zones are occupied , an Xyz Monster can still be Xyz Summoned as long as at least one of the Xyz Materials used is in one of these Zones , so that there is an available Zone when the Xyz Monster is Summoned . Alternate methods . Apart from the basic method of performing an Xyz Summon outlined above , certain cards allow the controller to perform an Xyz Summon outside of its parameters . Usually through " Rank - Up - Magic " cards or " Xyz Evolution " . In the anime . In the anime , using monsters to perform an Xyz Summon is known as overlaying them . When an Xyz Summon is performed , the Xyz Materials then turn into forms of energy whose colors match their Attributes before shooting into the air , sometimes spiraling around each other . A red - colored spiral portal known as an Overlay Network then appears , and the energy forms enter the portal . The newly Summoned Xyz Monster then emerges from the portal , its Xyz Materials , now colored in accordance with its Attribute , orbiting around it . The emergence from the portal differs between " Yu - Gi - Oh ! ZEXAL " and " Yu - Gi - Oh ! ARC - V " ; in " ZEXAL " , the portal twists shut and explodes with light ; in " ARC - V " a column of blue energy emerges from the portal ( although the color of the energy is different for some monsters , such as " Odd - Eyes Raging Dragon " for which red energy emerged ) . Certain monsters , especially " Number " monsters , may have unique or specially designed Overlay Networks of a different color or shape . The idea of a spiral - shaped portal is derived from Konami ' s statement that Xyz Monsters entered our universe through a black hole . However , in " Yu - Gi - Oh ! ARC - V " , all Xyz Summons used the galaxy - style spiral portal used largely by " Number " cards from " Yu - Gi - Oh ! ZEXAL " . In the " Yu - Gi - Oh ! ARC - V " anime , an Xyz Summon performed using monsters that have been Pendulum Summon ed is referred to as a " Pendulum - Xyz Summon " . Shay Obsidian also refers to an Xyz Summon performed using an Xyz Monster and a non - Xyz Monster as materials as a " Cross Xyz Summon " .