Effect damage

Effect damage is any damage that is not caused by battle (with the exception of "Gravekeeper's Vassal") or is a reduction. Examples of cards that cause effect damage are "Poison Mummy", "Ookazi", and "Ceasefire".

Costs are not considered Effect Damage, such as with cards like "Injection Fairy Lily" and "Dimension Fusion". Damage from Monster Cards with "Piercing" effects are considered Battle Damage. Key words to look out for on cards that deal Effect Damage are "Inflict" and "Direct Damage". If it says "Pay" it is a Cost.

Some cards are capable of lowering a player's life points without technically inflicting Battle/Effect Damage. Prime examples are Destiny Hero - Dogma and Life Equalizer. These cards can be particularly troublesome because they are unaffected by cards such as Cyber Kirin and Rainbow Life, as those cards deal specifically with damage.