In the Digimon Card Game, effects are worded in specific manners to determine whether they allow exact matches or allow broader matches (Archetypes or Trait Archetypes). This page breaks downs the wording used for these effects.
Card Names[]
A card's name is described in the large coloured box at the bottom of a card. It is the large text in that box that determines the name of a card. (See more in Card Types.)
Exact[]
When referring to a card with the exactly name, an effect will simply refer to the Digimon Name in Square Brackets and forgo the "in its name". For example, [P-062 Hiro Amanokawa] will look for a card with exact name [Gammamon] inside a Digimon's digivolution cards because it does not say "in its name".
On the wiki, you can click on the link and it will direct you to all the cards that have the exact name.
Broad (Archetype)[]
When referring to a card name archetype (a group of cards with a similar naming scheme). The card will specifically ask for "in its name". For example, [BT8-086 Hiro Amanokawa] will look for any Digimon with [Gammamon] in its name.
Inside some Special Digivolution Requirements, the requirement will specify "name contains <Archetype>" instead.
In Japanese, Special Digivolution Requirements and effects will use the same text to determine if it is looking for an archetype. It will use "名称に<Archetype(s)>を含む" (Meisho ni <Archetype(s)> o fukumu, Translated: "Name contains <Archetype>").
On the wiki, you can click on a link and it will direct you to a page that lists all Card Names and Cards that fall into a (Name) Archetype.
Localisation Issues[]
Due to some Digimon having been previously dubbed (named) in other English media names that do not match their Japanese name, some cards may not have the Archetype they are a part of, and some cards may be included in Archetypes they do not belong.
You will find a list of all cards like this in Category:Names with Archetype Issues. The official English site keeps a less comprehensive list on the following Announcement Page (Handling differences in English character names).
Traits[]
Traits are determined by the text specified in the black bar below the card name. They refer to the Form, Attribute, and Type(s) of the Card. If a card has multiple Form(s), Attribute(s), or Type(s) they will be separated by a slash '/'. So far cards only have multiple Types but have not had multiple Forms or Attributes.
Exact[]
When referring to an exact matching trait, an English card will specify one of the following:
- "[<Trait(s)>] in (its/their) type"
- "[<Trait(s)>] in (its/their) form"
- "[<Trait(s)>] in (its/their) attribute"
- "[<Trait(s)>] in (its/their) traits"
- "[<Trait(s)>] trait"
These all refer to the specific trait that the effect is looking for. For example, [EX1-024 Patamon] looks for the [Angel]/[Archangel]/[Three Great Angels] trait.
In the Japanese text, all cards use "特徴に <Trait(s)>を持つ" (Tokuchō <Trait(s)> motsu, Translated: Has a <Trait(s)> feature(s)).
Mislocalisations[]
Though all effects in Japanese refer to all trait(s) (form, attribute, type). Some English cards prior to BT-07: Booster Next Adventure, were mislocalised to be more specific. As such, these cards prior to BT-07: Booster Next Adventure should still be played as if they were referring to all traits even if they are specific.
Card Text Update[]
Ever since the errata(s) of EX-03: Theme Booster Draconic Roar in English, cards have changed to utilise "[<Trait(s)>] trait" to avoid confusion with the broader text that asks for Trait Archetypes.
As such, the Wiki has followed suit and updated all previous instances of the English text to follow the same standard pattern to avoid confusion.
Broad (Archetype)[]
When referring to Trait Archetype (any Trait that contains the specific Text), an English card will ask for "[<Trait(s)>] in one of its traits".
For example, Patamon asks for the "[Angel] in one of its traits".
In Japanese, cards will ask for "特徴に[<Trait Archetype(s)>]を含む" (Tokuchō ni [<Trait Archetype(s)>] o fukumu, Translated: Features include [<Trait Archetype(s)>]).
Localisation Issues[]
Due to the nature of Japanese to English translation, some traits that contain the Kanji a card is looking for may be missing the text in English and some traits that do not contain the exact Kanji a card is looking for will become a part of a Trait Archetype in English. In such cases, the English cards will include a wider variety of names and then follow up with "other than <[Trait]>". Cards listed in "other than" can still fit the the effect of a card if one of the other traits still match the conditions.
For example, [EX3-028 Patamon] asks for only "[Angel] in one of its traits" in Japanese but is changed to "[Angel]/[Cherub]/[Throne]/[Authority]/[Seraph]/[Virtue] in one of its traits (other than [Three Great Angels])" in English. If it reveals [BT2-040 Ophanimon] which has the [Three Great Angels] and [Throne] traits. It can still be added to hand, because even if it has the [Three Great Angels] which cannot be chosen by Patamon the [Throne] can still be chosen by Patamon.
On the wiki, if you click on a hyperlink it will direct you to a page that lists all of the Traits that fall into an Archetype and the rulings page of a card, will list all the available traits to the Trait Archetype.
Keywords[]
Effect Keywords[]
Effect Keywords are a particular type of keyword that does not have a timing attached to the keyword. They act as their own individual effects. When an effect asks for "has <Effect Keyword>", it refers to a Digimon having the particular effect it. Digimon that merely have the keyword in their card text do not satisfy the condition of "has/with <Effect Keyword>".
For example, [ST5-09 MetalGreymon] will not satisfy the condition of [ST5-01 Kapurimon] but the Digimon that receives ＜Blocker＞ from MetalGreymon will satisfy the condition for Kapurimon until the opponent's turn ends.
On the other hand, [BT2-058 Guardromon] will always satisfy the condition of "(card) has/with <Blocker>" even while it's not in the battle area because it naturally has the effect.
Action Keywords[]
Action Keywords are a particular type of keyword that must be attached to a Timing. They act as an action performed by an effect. When an effect asks for "has/with <Action Keyword>", it refers to a Digimon that with an effect that satisfies the conditions to perform the keyword ignoring the Timing.
For example:
- [BT5-086 Omnimon] has "[When Digivolving]＜Blitz＞" and will qualify as always having ＜Blitz＞ for both the [Your Turn] and [On Play] effects of [BT1-009 Shoutmon] even if it didn't digivolve this turn or is in the deck.
- [EX2-056 Takato Matsuki] does not have ＜Blitz＞ even in the Battle Area. However, it can provide another Digimon with "[When Digivolving]＜Blitz＞" which qualifies as that Digimon having ＜Blitz＞ for the purposes of [BT1-009 Shoutmon]'s inherited [Your Turn] effect.
- [BT9-068 Gaiomon] has the non-timing condition of "If this Digimon has a red digivolution card", as such while in the deck it does not satisfy the condition of "having ＜Blitz＞" because it does not have digivolution cards. However, while in the Battle Area while it has [BT1-009 Shoutmon] as its digivolution card it will have ＜Blitz＞ even if it didn't digivolve this turn.
- In all above cases, they do not satisfy the condition of [BT5-017 ZeigGreymon] because ZeigGreymon wants ＜Blitz＞ to be activating/being performed in the exact moment.
Card Text[]
Some cards will ask to look for a "<Keyword> in its card text" or "[Category] in its card text" this condition is satisfied if the card has the Keyword mentioned anywhere in the top card's text including:
- Card Name
- Effect
- Inherited Effect
- Security Effect
- [DNA Digivolve] Requirement(s)
- Special Digivolution Requirement(s)
- [DigiXros] Requirement(s)
Due to the nature of this requirement, cards that ask for this requirement also satisfy this requirement. For example, [BT12-005 Monimon] only has an inherited effect with this requirement but naturally satisfies this requirement for other cards with the same condition as well.
If the effect references a keyword such as ＜Save＞, it must be exactly that keyword icon being referenced. As such, ＜Material Save＞ does not count as having "＜Save＞ in its text".
On the wiki, the blue links for conditions referring to a name or trait will direct you to a Category Page named "Category:<Name/Trait> Support" that lists all of the Support cards for that Support archetype.
For Keywords, you can refer to all cards in the "Category: <Keyword> Support" and "Category: <Keyword> Anti-Support" Categories for the Page. The links will still take you to the main Keyword Page.
Inherited Effects received from digivolution cards do not count as part of the "text" of the Digimon.
Sources[]
- Official Detailed Rulebook
- Card Rulings:P-010
- Card Rulings:BT5-092
- Card Rulings:EX3-014
- General Rules/FAQ
- Card Rulings:BT1-023
- Digi-Burst
- Card Rulings:BT4-004
- Card Rulings:BT5-009
- Card Rulings:BT9-068
- DigiCa FUN! Episode #153 (To be replaced with text-based Translation later)
- Official Japanese Q&A for "「〇〇の記述がある」カード"
- Carddass Email English 19/12/2022: BT5 ZeigGreymon and <Blitz>
- Carddass Email English 07/06/2022: What has Blitz?