Face-down

Face-down
Japanese	裏 (うら) 側 (がわ) 表 (ひょう) 示 (じ)
Japanese (ruby)	うらがわひょうじ
Japanese (base text)	裏側表示
Japanese (romanized)	Uragawa Hyōji
English	face-down
Other names French: face verso German: verdeckte Italian: coperta Portuguese: com a face para baixo Spanish: boca abojo Korean: 뒷면 표시 (? 面表示) dwinmyeon pyosi Traditional Chinese: 裏側表示 lǐcè biǎoshì / leoi5 zak1 biu2 si6 Simplified Chinese: 里侧表示 lǐcè biǎoshì

Face-down (裏 (うら) 側 (がわ) 表 (ひょう) 示 (じ) Uragawa Hyōji) is a position in which a card's backing is visible; as the term "face-down" suggests, the card's face is placed against the playing surface, preventing it from being seen. This is the opposite of face-up.

Face-down cards have no properties (name, Attribute, Type, Level/Rank, ATK, DEF, effect) until they are changed to face-up. A face-down card being looked at or revealed is still considered face-down (although its properties can be determined by card effects while being revealed) and is returned to its original position once the player(s) have finished viewing it.

In Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, small orbs with glowing red eyes appear on top of face-down monsters.

In the Decks

Each player's Main and Extra Deck is placed face-down in their respective zone at the start of each game. Cards in the Main deck are always face-down, unless stated otherwise

Face-down cards in the Extra Deck can be looked at by their possessor at any time, but cannot be looked at by their opponent.

Summoning a Pendulum Monster from Extra Deck

Extra Deck Pendulum Monsters (Fusion, Synchro, Xyz/Pendulum) can be summoned by its own mechanic only while face-down in the Extra Deck, and cannot be Pendulum Summoned.

On the field

During a game, cards are normally placed face-down by Setting them. Face-down cards on the field can be looked at by their controller at any time, but cannot be looked at by their opponent, unless stated otherwise.

Face-down cards on the field can be flipped face-up. (Flip Summon for monster and Activation for Spell/Trap cards, in general cases) However, face-up cards cannot be Flipped face-down, unless an effect specifically states so.

Monster Cards

Monster Cards can be placed on the field in face-down Defense Position, generally by Normal Set (it is not possible for monsters to be in face-down Attack Position, post errata of "Darkness Approaches"). Some effects may Special Summon face-down, but only if a card states explicitly that it can do so. In some video games, card effects that Special Summon multiple monsters face-down also shuffle them on the same side of the field.

Face-down Monster Cards cannot be equipped with Equip Cards; if a monster equipped with an Equip Card(s) is flipped face-down, the Equip Card(s) equipped to that flipped monster is destroyed.

Link Monsters cannot be placed face-down.

Spell/Trap Cards

Spell and Trap Cards can be Set in the Spell & Trap Zones or the Field Zone (in the case of Field Spell Cards). Quick-Play Spell Cards and Trap Cards cannot be activated during the turn they are Set. Pendulum Monsters cannot be played face-down in Pendulum Zones.

Information lost upon being flipped face-down

When a monster is flipped face-down, it will lose some specific information/applications on it^[1].

Lost

• Any particular properties that the materials used for its Summon had
• Any previously-applied effects
• The location it was Summoned from

Retained

• Which particular cards in another location were sent there as materials for its Summon^{[Note 1]}
• Whether it was Special, Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, Pendulum, Tribute, or Link Summoned
• Whether it was Summoned this turn

Banished

Some card effects can banish cards face-down. Cards that are banished face-down can be looked at by their possessor at any time, but cannot be looked at by their opponent. However, the number of banished cards (including face-down banished cards) is public knowledge.

References

Notes

v e Gameplay and terminology Card layout Colors Artwork Original Alternate Attribute Property Level (Negative†) / Rank / Link Rating Original Card Number Type Ability Pendulum Scale Link Arrow Card text Pendulum Effect Material Card effect ATK / DEF Original Passcode Limitation text Eye of Anubis Hologram Card backing QR code Abbreviated names Renames Modified artworks Errata Simplified Effect Text Problem-Solving Card Text Misprint Rarities Common Normal Rare / Short Print Rare Super Rare Ultra Rare Secret Rare Ultimate Rare Holographic Rare / Ghost Rare Parallel Rare Gold Rare other rarities... 1st Edition Unlimited Edition Limited Edition Duel Terminal Edition Case Topper Giant Card Official Proxy Cover card Statuses Legal Unlimited Semi-Limited Limited Forbidden Illegal Format Advanced Traditional Status lists... Card types Monster Alignments† Divine Earth Fire Forest Thunder Water Wind Black Magic Demon Magic Illusion Magic White Magic Attributes DARK DIVINE EARTH FIRE LAUGH† LIGHT WATER WIND Types Aqua Beast Beast-Warrior Charisma† Creator God Cyberse Dinosaur Divine-Beast Dragon Fairy Fiend Fish Illusion Insect Machine Plant Psychic Pyro Reptile Rock Sea Serpent Spellcaster Thunder Warrior Winged Beast Wyrm Zombie Black Magic† Celestial Warrior† Cyborg† Dragon Magic† High Dragon† Galaxy† Human† Illusion Magic† Immortal† Magical Knight† Omega Psychic† Sea Beast† White Magic† Yokai† Monster types Normal Effect Non-Effect Ritual Fusion Synchro Dark† Accel† Delta Accel† Limit Over Accel† Xyz Pendulum Link Token Spell† Trap Field† Pseudo Monster subtypes Tuner Dark† Special Summon Armor† Plus† Minus† Plus Minus† Abilities Flip Toon Spirit Union Gemini Spell Normal Continuous Field Equip Quick-Play Ritual Link† Trap Normal Continuous Counter Field† Monster† Equip† Other† Equip Illusion Ritual Speed Spell Normal Quick-Play Ritual Trap Spell Normal Continuous Virus Normal Field Non-game Character Checklist FAQ Strategy Tip Related Archetype Series Card evolutions Support Anti-support ? ???† ∞† Game mechanics General Match Duel DRAW Surrender LP Counter Damage Battle Piercing Effect Card limits Deck Minimum Maximum Hand Three-card rule Spell Speed Position Face-down Face-up Battle position Attack Position Defense Position Public knowledge Areas Deck Main Extra Side Field In Play Hand Graveyard Banished Limbo† Attached Zones Deck Extra Deck Monster Main Monster Extra Monster Spell & Trap Field Pendulum Column Turns Count Player Phase Draw Normal draw Standby Main 1 Battle Start Step Battle Step Damage Step Damage calculation End Step Main 2 End Actions Owner Possess Control Look Reveal Pick up a card Excavate Add a card Draw a card Shuffle Cut Random Summon Set Flip Change battle position Send Discard Tribute Destroy By battle Banish Attach Detach Transfer Equip Unequip Leave the field Bounce Spin Return Linked Co-linked Extra Link Points to Attack Direct Target Replay Double† Battle Activate Pay Declare Select Target Respond Chain Link Resolve Unaffected Negate Card effects Types Condition Archetype Archetype-exclusion Level Name Rank Summoning Common Normal Special Fusion Strict Ritual Victory Cost Maintenance cost Monster Continuous like Ignition Like Quick Like Trigger Like Flip Pseudo Unclassified Control only one Field-Unique Match winner Summon monster Unconfirmed Mandatory Optional Lingering Once per turn Speeds Spell Speed 1 Fast effect Spell Speed 2 Spell Speed 3 Timing Game state Priority Fast effect timing Post-resolution window Summon negation window Summon response window Attack declaration window SEGOC Missing the timing Summoning Types Normal Tribute Set Normal Tribute Flip Special By own condition Fusion Ritual Synchro Xyz Pendulum Link Contact Fusion† Transformation† Double Tuning† Dark Synchro† Phantom Synchro† Accel Synchro† Delta† Limit Over† Xyz Evolution† Rank-Up† Rank-Down† Cross Xyz† Dimension† Integration† Overscale Pendulum† Transcendent Pendulum† Reincarnation Link† Mechanics Summoning Rules Double Tributer Material Fusion Substitute Synchro Substitute Xyz Link Normal Summon Monster Special Summon-only Nomi Ignoring its Summoning conditions Other Activation & Targeting Eligibility Activation requirement Difference between Costs and Effects Chains, Activation, and Resolution Chaining to your own Cards Counter Traps and Chains Summons & Chains Engine Draw Advantage Card Field Hand One Turn Kill First Zero Lockdown Loop Controlled loop Infinite loop "Negate" vs. "Destroy" and Continuous Cards Negating Continuous Card Costs Fusion Material Monsters & Ritual Spell Tributes † Does not exist or is not official in the OCG or TCG See also {{Card lists}} and {{Monsters and Monster Cards}}