Beginner's Guide to YGO Omega

A banlist caps how many copies of a card you can play: Forbidden cards can't be played at all, Limited cards at 1 copy and Semi-Limited cards at 2. The Deck Builder shows each card's status on the list you picked, and the banlist timeline shows every change since the game began.

Genesys works differently. Instead of copy limits, every card costs points and the whole deck has to stay at or under 100. The Format Primer explains how that works.

Omega runs both modes in the same client, so you never need a second install.

Automatic is the usual way to play. The engine tracks Life Points, chains, timing windows and priority. You choose your plays, and the core resolves them the way the official rulings say for the format you picked. Ranked and automatic tournaments run in this mode.

Manual works like a physical table: you move the cards yourself and keep track of the game together with your opponent. A single Move button handles most actions, and chat commands cover the rest; type /help to list them. Custom cards and custom banlists work here too, which makes manual the place to test house rules or practise for a paper tournament.

Play a few casual duels before you queue for ranked. Losing them costs nothing, and you learn your deck's openings faster against real hands than by reading the list.

When you're ready, Omega has two ranked ladders: TCG and Genesys. Each has its own seasons, its own leaderboard and an Elo rating that rises when you win and drops when you lose. Ranked matches are best of three with Side Decks, so one bad opening hand doesn't decide the match on its own.

After each game of a match you can swap cards between your Side Deck and your Main or Extra Deck. The Main Deck still has to stay between 40 and 60 cards, and the Extra Deck at 15 or fewer. Players usually bring in answers to whatever beat them and take out the cards that did nothing in that matchup.

Omega runs automatic Swiss tournaments. Find one on the tournaments page or the calendar, or get alerted in client then click on the trophy icon and register with a deck, and the engine handles the rest:

1. Every decklist is checked against the format's banlist before round one.
2. Each round pairs players with similar records.
3. The engine reports every game, so nobody hands in a result slip or disputes a score.
4. Standings update after each round.

Rotating tournaments open on the calendar by themselves, entry is free and the results count toward your Elo. The Duelists Unite Discord also hosts weekly tournaments with prizes, and new events show up there first.

• The Format Primer covers every format on Omega, from TCG and Genesys to GOAT, Edison, Speed Duel and Rush Duel.
• The Combo Calculator gives the exact odds of opening your combos, going first or second.
• The Combo Simulator is a manual board for testing hands: load your deck, draw, move cards and replay the line.
• Bug Reports explains how to report a card that doesn't work the way it should.
• The YGO Omega wiki lists every guide.