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A banned card does not disappear from your Master Duel account. When a card becomes Forbidden, you cannot put it in the Main Deck, Extra Deck, or Side Deck. A Limited card is restricted to one copy across those decks, while a Semi-Limited card is restricted to two. The digital copy stays in your collection, and you can usually dismantle an eligible copy for Craft Points.

The important catch is the Dismantle Bonus. A copy’s refund depends on the list-update announcement, when the card was generated, its finish, rarity, and the copy-specific rules shown by the game. A card crafted after the announcement that made it newly eligible generally receives only the standard dismantle value, not the bonus refund.

What each status allows in a deck

Konami’s Forbidden & Limited List regulates how many copies may be used in a Duel. The restriction applies across the Main Deck, Extra Deck, and Side Deck; it is not a separate allowance for each deck section.

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Status Copies allowed Where the limit applies What happens to copies you own
Forbidden Zero Main Deck, Extra Deck, and Side Deck The card remains in your digital collection but cannot be used in a legal deck.
Limited One total copy Main Deck, Extra Deck, and Side Deck combined You keep the card; remove extra copies from any deck that exceeds the limit.
Semi-Limited Two total copies Main Deck, Extra Deck, and Side Deck combined You keep the card; a third copy cannot remain in a legal deck.

Forbidden means unusable, not deleted

“Forbidden” is the complete deck-use prohibition. It does not mean Konami removes the card from your account, converts it automatically into Craft Points, or refunds every copy without an eligibility check. The collection item remains visible and can be dismantled if the game marks it as eligible.

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Limited and Semi-Limited are copy caps

Limited 1 means one copy in the three deck areas combined. Semi-Limited 2 means two copies combined. For example, placing one Limited copy in the Main Deck leaves no allowance for another copy in the Extra or Side Deck. These are collection-wide deck-construction limits, not one-copy-per-section rules.

What changes in your existing decks

When a list update changes a card’s status, review every saved deck that contains it. A Forbidden card makes a deck illegal until you remove or replace it. A Limited or Semi-Limited change can leave a deck with too many copies even though the card itself is still usable.

  • Open each affected deck and count copies across the Main, Extra, and Side Deck.
  • Remove Forbidden cards entirely.
  • For Limited cards, keep at most one copy total.
  • For Semi-Limited cards, keep at most two copies total.
  • Choose legal replacements before entering a Duel or event.

The list in Master Duel is the authority for Master Duel. Paper-game announcements, regional dates, and statuses should not be transferred automatically. Konami describes the in-game Forbidden & Limited List as the mechanism that regulates cards banned or limited in Master Duel, so use the announcement and card details shown in the client.

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Why the card stays in your collection

Master Duel is a digital card game, so a legality change changes how a card can be used rather than erasing the asset. You can still see the card in your collection, inspect its details, and decide whether to retain it or dismantle it. The practical recovery route documented for players is dismantling the eligible copy for Craft Points.

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Keeping a Forbidden card can be sensible when you may use it in a future event or alternate format. It can also be reasonable when you want to wait for a possible list reversal. Konami does not promise when a card will return to legality, or that it will return at all, so retaining it is a choice based on your own plans rather than a guaranteed investment.

How the Dismantle Bonus works

The bonus is not an automatic “full refund” for every banned card. Master Duel checks eligibility at the copy level, using the list-update notice and the timing at which the card was generated. The game’s dismantle screen is the place to verify the actual return before confirming.

The July 2025 timing rule

In a July 18, 2025 report by ItsBradazHD, Master Duel Meta described a policy taking effect July 25, 2025. The report quoted the policy as follows:

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“Cards newly elegible for the Dismantle Bonus generated AFTER the Forbidden & Limited List Update notice is released will NOT BE ELEGIBLE for the Dismantle Bonus.”

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The quotation preserves the spelling used in that report. In practical terms, do not craft a card after the announcement and assume that the later ban will give you the same refund as an older qualifying copy. The policy treats post-notice generation differently.

What the report’s examples mean

Copy situation Typical treatment described in the July 2025 report What to verify
Qualifying existing copy generated before the notice May receive the Dismantle Bonus; the report gives a first existing Ultra Rare copy as an example of a full 30 Craft Point refund. Confirm the bonus label and return on the dismantle screen.
Copy crafted after the notice Not eligible for the new bonus; the report describes it as receiving the standard 10 Craft Points in its example. Check the displayed value before dismantling.
Additional copies Handled according to the stated copy rules rather than automatically receiving the first-copy treatment. Inspect each copy’s eligibility and displayed return.

The 30- and 10-Point figures are examples from that report, not a universal current table for every rarity, finish, or future list update. A later policy can change the amounts or qualifying conditions. Treat the in-game value as the final answer for the particular copy you are holding.

Finish and rarity can change the result

Normal, Glossy, and Royal copies are not interchangeable for dismantling purposes. The copy’s rarity and finish, together with whether that specific copy qualifies for the bonus, can affect the return. Do not calculate a refund from a generic rarity chart when the client is showing a different value for the actual card.

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How to check a card before dismantling it

  1. Read the current in-game announcement. Identify the Forbidden & Limited List update that changed the card and note when the notice was released.
  2. Inspect the card in your collection or deck editor. Confirm whether the card is Forbidden, Limited, or Semi-Limited in Master Duel, rather than relying on a paper-game list.
  3. Review every copy separately. Copies can have different generation timing, rarity, or finish, so one copy’s refund does not prove that all copies qualify.
  4. Open the Dismantle control. The confirmation panel should show whether a Dismantle Bonus applies and how many Craft Points the selected copy returns.
  5. Compare the displayed return with your goal. If the card is useful for an event, alternate format, or possible future reversal, keep it. If it is surplus and the bonus value is acceptable, dismantle it.
  6. Confirm only after checking the final amount. Dismantling is a conversion of that digital copy into Craft Points; the confirmation value is the relevant one for your account.

Should you keep or dismantle a banned card?

Keep it when future use matters

  • You expect an event or alternate format in which the card may be legal.
  • You want to preserve the option of using it if a future list reverses the restriction.
  • The displayed dismantle return is lower than the value you place on having the card available.
  • The copy has a special finish you would rather keep than convert into Craft Points.

Dismantle it when the copy is surplus

  • The card is Forbidden or you already have the maximum legal number of Limited or Semi-Limited copies.
  • The dismantle screen confirms that the copy qualifies for the bonus you expected.
  • You need Craft Points for a deck you are building now.
  • You have checked the finish and rarity and accept the displayed return.

There is no universal best choice. A ban changes immediate playability, but it does not establish a guaranteed future value. Decide from the copy’s actual return and your plans for the card.

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Common situations and the correct response

“My card was banned. Why can I still see it?”

Because the list controls deck legality, not collection ownership. The card remains a digital item until you choose to dismantle it.

“Can I put one Forbidden copy in the Side Deck?”

No. Konami’s rule covers the Main Deck, Extra Deck, and Side Deck. Forbidden means zero copies in all three.

“Can I use a Limited card in the Main Deck and another in the Extra Deck?”

No. Limited means one copy across those deck areas combined. Semi-Limited allows two combined, not two in each section.

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“I crafted the card after the announcement. Will I receive the full bonus if it is later banned?”

The July 2025 policy example says a newly eligible card generated after the list-update notice is not eligible for that Dismantle Bonus. The report describes such a crafted copy as receiving the standard dismantle value in its example, so check the client rather than assuming a full refund.

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“Does every copy receive the same refund?”

No. Eligibility can depend on generation timing, copy position under the policy, rarity, and finish. Select each copy and read the value shown before confirming.

“Do paper Yu-Gi-Oh! ban dates apply to Master Duel?”

Not automatically. Master Duel has its own in-game list and announcements. Use those as the current authority for digital Duels.

Why checking the announcement matters

The Dismantle Bonus is update-specific. The July 2025 report is useful because it explains the timing distinction, but it should not be treated as a permanent promise for every later list. Konami can define eligibility in a new notice, and the client can show a different return for a different rarity or finish.

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For that reason, the safest workflow is simple: identify the Master Duel status, count copies across all three deck areas, read the relevant announcement, inspect the selected copy’s dismantle value, and then choose whether the Craft Points are worth more to you than keeping the card. A banned card is restricted in play, not erased from your account.

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