Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's - Duel Runners

Duel Runners

As well as the normal standing duels, the latest Yu-Gi-Oh! series features the "Turbo Duels" ("Riding Duels" in Japanese version), an all-new style of duel in which the players ride "Duel Runners" ("D-Wheels" in Japanese version), motorcycles with Duel equipment. Compared to the previous series, dueling with Duel Runners contain some special rules. First, the duel is entirely played using the field spell "Speed World", which is activated by both players when the duel begins; it is possible to force a duel with someone on a Duel Runner by playing the card (a tactic generally used by Security when pursuing someone). Second, only spell cards designed to work into this field, known as Speed Spells, are allowed in the duel. Each spell needs a number of "Speed Counters" to be activated. Each duelist starts with zero Speed Counters and its number increase by one in each standby phase (there are two of these in one turn), up to a maximum of 12. The number of speed counters also affects the actual speed of the Duel Runner. A player's Speed Counters are reduced by one for every 1000 points of damage done to their Life Points. In the third season, Turbo Duels use an upgraded version of Speed World, called Speed World 2. On top of using Speed Spells, Speed Counters can be traded in for effects such as damaging the opponent or drawing an extra card. Also, counters are no longer lost when taking damage. Neo Domino City has built specific lanes dedicated to Turbo Duels, that separate themselves from the regular traffic when a duel is activated. The duel is called off if the lanes become damaged. When a winner is decided, the Duel Runner of the defeated duelist shuts down automatically. In the manga, Speed World and Speed Spells are not used.

The Duel Runner features the card platform, sitting in front of the duelist, a stand for the cards in hand, which allows the duelist to ride with one hand while using the cards with the other, and a compartment for the deck located in the player's wrist. Cards sent to graveyard are inserted in a slot also located in front of the duelist. In some Duel Runner models (called hybrid models), the card platform can be detached from the bike and function as a standard Duel Disk for old-fashioned duels. An example of a hybrid model is Yusei's red Duel Runner. Other models such as Crow's Blackbird have been modified to include different formations such as a flight mode. Normally, Turbo Duels are played with the Duel Runners on auto-pilot, though more recent instances, such as Shadow Duels and tournaments, have players drive manually. In the third season, Leo and Luna use Duel Boards, Energy powered skate-boards that connect to their Duel Disks and allow them to engage in Turbo Duels . Unlike normal Duel Runners which automatically have Speed World and Speed World 2 integrated, they must insert the raw card into their Field Spell Card Zone. Because of how the Duel Board is designed, it is significantly slower than the motorcycle based Duel Runner.

In the Japanese version, previews for an episode where a Riding Duel would take place often end with the phrase, "Riding Duel, Acceleration!" This phrase is also often used at the beginning of a Riding Duel in the third season onwards.