Digimon mulligan: replacing your hand before security
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The Digimon Card Game mulligan lets each player replace their entire opening hand once. The player shuffles those five cards back into the main deck and draws five new cards. It is not a selective exchange of individual cards, and it happens before the security stack is prepared.
That final detail is easy to miss when a playgroup uses an old setup habit. Placing security first changes which cards are available for the redraw and does not follow the current sequence. This guide explains the order, the limits and a practical method for evaluating a hand without promising that every redraw will improve it.
The current setup order
Bandai announced the mulligan's introduction in its official 2023 notice. The current comprehensive rules, section 5-2, place the redraw within the preparation sequence rather than during a player's first turn.
Prepare and shuffle the main decks and Digi-Egg decks as required. Determine the first and second players, then draw the initial five-card hands. The redraw decisions occur starting with the first player. Only after that step do players prepare their five-card security stacks without inspecting those cards.
The memory marker is set and the game begins afterward. A mulligan is therefore not an ability you can activate because your first draw was disappointing. Once setup is complete, follow the normal game procedures.
| Setup stage | Relevant action |
|---|---|
| Prepare decks | Keep the main deck and Digi-Egg deck separate and shuffle properly |
| Establish turn order | Determine first and second players under the applicable rules |
| Opening hands | Draw five cards from the main deck |
| Redraw decision | Each player may replace the entire hand once, in the required order |
| Security preparation | Place five cards from the main deck as security without looking |
| Start the game | Complete setup and begin the first turn |
For an event with specific tournament procedures, follow its current rules and judge instructions. The official rules resources provide the documents to consult before attending.
All five cards go back, or none do
You cannot keep your favourite three cards and exchange the other two under the normal mulligan rule. Replacing the hand means returning the complete hand to the deck, shuffling and drawing five new cards.
Imagine an opening hand containing one excellent starter and four cards that do not support it immediately. The decision concerns that whole package. Keeping the starter means keeping the other four cards too. Taking the redraw means giving up the certainty of retaining the starter.
This is what makes the decision meaningful. A selective exchange would provide a different level of control, but that is not the standard rule. If a casual group intentionally plays a variant, state that before setup rather than letting players discover different expectations after seeing their hands.
There is only one redraw
After taking the mulligan, the new five-card hand is the one you keep. A second disappointing hand does not grant another attempt. The normal rule also does not reduce the replacement hand to four cards or require putting one card on the bottom afterward.
Do not import another card game's mulligan procedure because the same informal word is used. Some games use repeated redraws or different hand-size rules; Digimon's procedure must be followed on its own terms.
A useful table habit is to announce whether you keep or redraw, then complete the shuffle and draw clearly. That makes it easier for both players to establish that the opportunity has been used. Ambiguous gestures can become a dispute if a player later tries to change their decision.
Why security comes afterward
The security stack is drawn from the deck after the opening-hand decisions are complete. Cards returned during a mulligan are shuffled into that deck before the new hand and later security cards are determined.
If you prepare security first, you remove five cards from that process prematurely. Even if neither player looks at them, it is still a different setup sequence. A longstanding local habit is not a reason to describe that order as the current rule.
Suppose you notice the mistake before either player has made a redraw decision. Stop and clarify the setup procedure rather than continuing with an improvised correction. In organised play, ask a judge how to restore the situation. Do not inspect security to see whether the mistaken order “made a difference.”
The same cards can come back
Returning the hand and shuffling does not exclude those cards from the replacement hand. Drawing one or more of them again is possible. That result does not prove that the mulligan was performed incorrectly or entitle you to another redraw.
The procedure requires a proper shuffle, not a guarantee that the new hand looks different. Avoid arranging the returned cards so that they cannot be drawn, setting them aside until afterward or secretly placing them at a chosen position.
If you are concerned about randomisation in an event, use the appropriate tournament procedure and involve a judge when necessary. Evaluate whether the shuffle was adequate, rather than declaring that repeated card identities are impossible.
Evaluating a hand as a sequence
An opening hand is useful when it supports a plausible first sequence for your particular deck. Look for playable early cards, compatible evolution options and costs you can realistically pay. The exact priorities depend on the deck's design and the expected game plan.
Consider an illustrative hand containing an early Digimon, a compatible next evolution and several later cards. It offers an initial route even if it lacks the strongest possible finish. A hand containing only powerful late cards may have greater individual card quality but no practical beginning.
The correct comparison is therefore not simply “How many expensive cards did I draw?” Ask what you can do first, what you expect to do next and which missing component would stop that plan. Do not count a card as playable without checking its actual conditions and costs.
A reasoned keep can still lose
The mulligan decision uses incomplete information. You do not know the upcoming draws or hidden security, and you should not inspect them to improve the choice. A hand that offers a reasonable opening can still develop poorly afterward.
Likewise, a weak replacement hand does not prove that taking the redraw was a bad decision. Judge the choice from the information available at the time. Outcome alone cannot distinguish a sound decision from a fortunate gamble.
For testing, record a short reason for each keep or redraw: no workable early play, incompatible evolution sequence, or a playable route worth retaining. Reviewing those reasons across practice games can reveal a deck-construction issue more clearly than remembering only the most frustrating hand.
First-player knowledge and card evaluation
Because turn order is established before the opening-hand decision, evaluate the hand with that role in mind. Do not assume that a sequence suited to one position is equally suitable to the other without checking the ordinary first-turn procedures.
For a new deck, practise both positions. Write down the costs and relevant conditions for the opening plays you intend to make. This is particularly useful when a deck contains several alternative routes and a hand looks strong only because you mentally combine incompatible options.
The purpose is not to memorise a universal five-card ideal. It is to understand what your own deck requires to begin functioning, and how much certainty a particular hand provides compared with an unknown replacement.
When an opening-hand mistake needs help
If a player draws the wrong number of cards, looks at security or starts playing before setup is agreed, stop promptly. Do not hide the error by returning an arbitrary card or giving an unannounced extra mulligan.
In a tournament, request a judge and describe what was drawn, seen and shuffled. Different errors reveal different information, so the appropriate remedy depends on the actual sequence. Clear communication during setup prevents many of these situations in the first place.
Frequently asked questions
Can I replace only the cards I dislike?
No. The normal mulligan replaces the entire opening hand. Return all five cards, shuffle them into the main deck and draw five new cards. Alternatively, keep the entire original hand.
Do I put out security before deciding?
No. The current preparation sequence places the opening-hand redraw before preparing security. Follow that order even if your group previously used a different setup habit.
What if the replacement hand is worse?
You keep it; the normal rule permits only one redraw. Evaluate the original decision from the information available when you made it, and use repeated difficult openings as a reason to review your deck and play sequence.