Basics of Monster Cards Monster Cards have a number of different elements to them , which you can use to your advantage during a Duel . To begin , let ' s examine a classic card , " Jinzo " . Name . Most cards have a name , the only time you will see ones without them are due to printing errors . In this example , this name is present in gold foil lettering . Typically , this indicates that the card is of a high rarity . Level . Most Monster Cards have a Level . In this example , we see that " Jinzo " is a Level 6 monster . This means that you need to Tribute 1 monster to Tribute Summon it ; Tribute Summons will be explained in detail later on . Note that - only in the Yu - Gi - Oh ! 5D ' s Anime - Dark Synchro Monsters have a " negative " level . Instead of red and yellow stars spanning from right to left ; they feature blue and black stars moving from left to right . Note that Xyz Monster s do not have level : they instead have rank s . They feature black and yellow stars spanning from left to right , similar to Dark Synchro monsters . Attribute . All Monster Cards have an " Attribute " ; this can be the first step for determining what cards can be used or with or against the card in question . We can see here that " Jinzo " is a DARK monster , able to take advantage of support cards like " Mystic Plasma Zone " . Many Support Cards go for either Attribute or Type , and rarely ask for both to be met to fulfill a requirement . Card Artwork . This is the illustration artwork used on every card ; some card artworks are edited to reflect cultural differences , as well as to cater to the tendencies of the parents of western children who frequently hold Trading Card Games , and related media responsible , in lieu of good parenting , for spreading unwanted influences to their offspring . The editing of artwork handily bypasses this , though it has been frequently criticized by the more " mature " audience , who objects to the stigma of " playing a children ' s card game " , citing that it was marketed to teenagers and young adults in Japan . Type & Monster Category . All Monster Cards have a " Type " ; this can often be the second step for determining what cards can be used or with or against the card in question , but often , many Support Cards go for either Attribute or Type , and rarely ask for both to be met to fulfill a requirement . Lore . A " Lore " is present on all Cards , and provides an overview of how to use the card , or to provide a flavor text where no effect is present . ATK & DEF . ATK and DEF are the fundamentals of battling monsters against each other ; generally speaking , the higher the value is , the greater the monster for the related stat . Many card effects can alter ATK and / or DEF , and many cards require monsters with specific ATK and / or DEF values to be activated or used . Card Number . This is an eight - digit number used on most cards , although there are some that lack them or have something else like a notice that states the card cannot be used in a Duel . The numbers correspond to those used in Video Games , enabling players to re - create their Decks in their favorite Video Game . Copyright . This section holds two pieces of information ; the first , is to confirm that all Intellectual Property is © Kazuki Takahashi , the original creator of what would become " Duel Monsters " in Japan . The second piece of information is the " Eye of Anubis " mini - holofoil ; Gold designates that it is a Limited Edition or 1st Edition card , while Silver designates that is is an Unlimited Edition card . Both types are designed to tell the player that the card they have is Genuine . Card Editions . There are four card editions ; 1st Edition , Unlimited Edition , Limited Edition and Duel Terminal . These will be explained in greater detail later . Set Numbers . Every card released in the TCG has a Set Number , while all but the earliest OCG cards have one . This is a reference to several pieces of information , such as Language , the Set ID of the Set the card is from , and the order of the card in the set , though it does not list how many cards total are in the set . I . E . if the card has SDP - 003 , the SD refers to Starter Deck , the P refers to Pegasus , 003 refers to the card in the set .