Now, what I am about to say may shock all the duelists out there and I am also going all touch and go on my grammar right now to explain this but, here we go anyways!
With Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V coming to an end and Pendulums no longer being the main focus of the card game, Konami is switching things up with the new MASTER RULE 4 and introducing the Link Monster cards.
Link monsters are blue-colored monsters that are almost the same color as Ritual monsters but are not to be confused with them for two major reasons. The first reason being they have absolutely NO level and NO rank, so we can assume that they are immune to gravity bind and other such cards right from the get-go.
The second reason is they have no way to go to defense mode, which means they are immune to cards like Book of Moon, This ultimately is a double-edged sword since they can never be in defense mode which means you will always take damage if destroyed in battle with a stronger monster, but it also means immunity to cards that forces monsters into defense mode.
Their summoning method also is a bit different. It acts a bit like Synchro summoning where the player has to send monsters to the graveyard and the monsters in total sent to the graveyard are equal to the LINK monster you can bring out. So where Synchro Summoning is basic math of 2+4=6 for a level 6 Synchro Monster. LINK cards operate by a more simple means, I send two monsters so I can grab a LINK 2 monster as indicated by the bottom right-hand corner of the LINK card.
I should mention that the LINK “level” and I use level loosely in this regard is where the defense power of a monster generally would be.
Now for the big news BIGGER than the LINK monster, but still equally important. That being the new Game Mechanic and overhaul of the complete dueling we have known up to this point.
The Extra Monster Zones, no longer can a player freely Synchro Summon, Xyz Summon, or Fusion Summon! But instead, they must now compete for two spots above the monster zones called Extra Monster Zones. In these SHARED zones, the players must fight for control because these two zones are the ONLY PLACE a player can Synchro, Xyz, Fusion, or LINK a monster.
The reason we can guess is Konami decided to finally fix the floodgate, but there is another reason. The LINK monsters as I mentioned earlier are the new Monster on the block, and these cards contain a bit of Tetra Master, you know from Final Fantasy? In their design, that is the Red Arrows indicated their picture.
You see these red arrows are key to summoning, because where ever they point too. Those monster zones now act as Extra Monster zones and can Synchro, Xyz, or Fusion into those zones as well! So if you can get a LINK monster into the Extra Monster Zone you can being to mass summon again! Assuming you don’t get locked out by your opponent.
Also should be mentioned that LINK monsters wherever their Red-Arrow points to, means those monsters in those zones are LINKED to it. Get it? Because LINK monster? But anyways, enjoy your new game mechanics, engage the rage quitting, and enjoy the new mat I designed myself, took me like eight hours!
Oh, yea, Pendulum monsters cards now share the zone with Magic & Traps, if you play them as a Pendulum card you are then limited to using three Magic & Traps total, what do you think of MASTER RULE 4? Do you think it will be a good thing or a bad thing for the META?
Source: New Mechanics
Source: LINK Summoning
An autistic gamer with opinions on games who also enjoys making dumb videos on the internet!
So this is even if you don’t use link monsters?
Pretty much, the basic rule now is.
If its from the Extra Deck it goes to the Extra monster zone EVEN Pendulum monsters.
Link Monsters Unlock more Extra monster zones with the red arrows on it, but everything can only be summoned to those area’s. If you Fusion, Xyz, or Synchro they all go there unless you got a LINK monster pointing towards the normal zones.
Yes, sorry for the late reply.