Players ofYu-Gi-Oh! Cross Duelare likely familiar with the franchise’s Extra Deck mechanics, where players utilize an additional set of cards outside their Main Deck using the game’s many mechanics. While the mainYu-Gi-Oh!andYu-Gi-Oh! GXseries focus on Fusions and Rituals as Extra Deck mechanics, sequel series introduced more Extra Deck options to diversify play. These include the multi-tribute Synchro Summons, multi-card Xyz Summons, placement-reliant Link Summons, and the multi-castingPendulum Summon.
Despite the complexity of having all these mechanics in a single game,Yu-Gi-Oh!games made them playable in a digital format, ranging from the full-format adaptationYu-Gi-Oh! Master Dueland the more fast-pacedDuel Links. The newYu-Gi-Oh! Cross Duelgame also features a variant of Pendulum Summoning, this time heavily relying onPendulum Monsters. How does this feature work?
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Recap: Pendulum Summons In The Main Game
Before players understand the Pendulum Summon mechanic inCross Dueland its use of Pendulum Monsters, gamers may want to refresh their memory on how theOriginal Pendulum Summonmechanic works.
First introducedinYu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, Pendulum Summon is the main gimmick used by protagonist Yuya Sakaki. He uses Pendulum Monsters as Spell Cards in Pendulum Zones, with these Monsters having set starting (blue) and ending (red) Pendulum Levels. After setting these “limits,” Yuya can summon as many Monsters of Levels between those limits depending on his available Monster Zones. The goal is to speed up the summoning gameplay, allowing players to duke it out faster.
Pendulum Scales In Cross Duel
With an understanding of the Original Pendulum Summon format, it becomes apparent why changes have been made in theCross DuelPendulum Summon format. InCross Duel,Pendulum Scalesnow follow these mechanics:
Pendulum Summons In Cross Duel
Given the simplified nature of Pendulum Levels inCross Duel,Pendulum Summonsaren’t meant for a more complicated mechanic, similar to the intended impact ofFusions in the originalYu-Gi-Oh!game. Rather, they’re another way to facilitate higher-level Summons. When triggered, Pendulum Summons let playersSummon a Level 5 or higher Monster without tributes.Here’s how Pendulum Summons work:
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What Happens To Pendulum Monsters?
Given the limited format ofCross Duel, it’sapparent that Monster Zonesand Trap Zones will be maximized to allow maximum strategic enjoyment despite shorter matches. This means Pendulum Monsters have some changes that alter their nature from their functionalities in the main game.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Cross Duelwas released August 07, 2025 for iOS and Android.
