Special Summon Monsters

Special Summon monsters are a kind of Effect Monster in the TCG and HCCG.

Special Summon monsters are known as such because they have conditions that allow themselves to be Special Summoned in unusual ways; for example, by Tributing monsters on the field or banishing cards from the Graveyard. Usually these monsters are summoned from the hand, but there are a few exceptions that can be summoned from the Deck or even the Graveyard. These "effects" do not start a chain, although the monsters' summons do in the same way Normal Summoned monsters do.

Some of these monsters can only be Special Summoned by their own effects and cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. These are called Nomi monsters. If a Nomi monster leaves the field, it cannot be summoned again unless its summoning conditions are fulfilled once again. Additionally, there are some monsters called Semi-Nomi monsters which must first be Special Summoned by their own effects but after being sent to the graveyard or banished can be Special Summoned other ways. Officially, all Fusion Monsters, Ritual Monsters, and Synchro Monsters are Semi-Nomi monsters.

There are many Special Summon monsters currently in the game, including some notable members of archetypes like Familiar-Possessed, Ice Devils, Tears, Larvas, and Sea-Kings.