Life Points (abbreviated LP from Super Starter: Space-Time Showdown ) are the "health" left for a player while playing the game. An official duel starts with 8000 Life Points for each player, though sometimes players play with more or less depending on the situation. If the player's Life Points deplete to 0, the player loses. Once a player gets to 0 Life Points, they cannot get lower and have negative Life Points. Other common amounts are 4000 and 2000 Life Points (4000 is the most common amount used in the various anime series, while 2000 was used before the Duelist Kingdom tournament in the original series), or even 16000, offered in some Video Games.
Losing Life Points can be caused by the following:
One of your Attack Position monster attacks/is attacked by a monster with a higher ATK , in which case, the difference is dealt to you as Battle Damage.
Attacking a Defense Position monster that has a higher DEF than the ATK of the monster you are attacking with.
Paying a cost for a card e.g. Banisher of Souls .
Certain Spell , Trap , or Effect Monster effects.
Getting attacked by a monster directly in a Direct Attack , in which case, the damage you take is equal to that monster's ATK.
Piercing Damage .
Gameplay and terminology Card layout Rarities Card types
Monster
Spell Trap Skill
Normal • Continuous • Field
Other†
Equip •
Ritual •
Speed Spell (
Normal •
Quick-Play •
Ritual )
Non-game •
Character •
Checklist •
FAQ •
Strategy •
Tip Related
Game mechanics
Card effects
Types
Condition (Archetype • Archetype-exclusion • Level • Name • Rank • Summoning • Common • Normal • Special • Fusion • Ritual • Victory ) • Cost (Maintenance cost ) • Monster • Continuous • like • Ignition • Like • Quick • Like • Trigger • Like • Flip • Unclassified • Control only one • Field-Unique • Match winner • Summon monster • Unconfirmed
Mandatory •
Optional •
Lingering •
Once per turn Speeds
Summoning
Types Mechanics
Summoning Rules •
Double Tributer •
Material • (
Fusion •
Fusion Substitute •
Synchro •
Synchro Substitute •
Xyz •
Link ) •
Alloy † •
Alloy Substitute † •
Broadcast † •
Broadcast Substitute † •
Burst † •
Burst Substitute † •
Chain-force † •
Chain-force Substitute † •
Chainlink † •
Chainlink Substitute † •
Chaos † •
Chaos Substitute † •
Code † •
Code Substitute † •
Composition † •
Composition Substitute † •
Constellation † •
Constellation Substitute † •
Construct † •
Construct Substitute † •
Cosmic † •
Cosmic Substitute † •
Cross † •
Cross Substitute † •
Crossover † •
Crossover Substitute † •
Dark Bind † •
Dark Bind Substitute † •
Delta † •
Delta Substitute † •
Dreamer † •
Dreamer Substitute † •
Driver † •
Driver Substitute † •
Emblem † •
Emblem Substitute † •
Enchant † •
Enchant Substitute † •
Enhance † •
Enhance Substitute † •
Esper † •
Esper Substitute † •
Evolute † •
Evolute Substitute † •
Evolution † •
Evolution Substitute † •
Extract † •
Extract Substitute † •
Extreme † •
Extreme Substitute † •
Galaxy † •
Galaxy Substitute † •
HYPERFORCE † •
HYPERFORCE Substitute † •
Hybrid † •
Hybrid Substitute † •
Imaginary † •
Imaginary Substitute † •
Legend † •
Legend Substitute † •
Legion † •
Legion Substitute † •
Maestro † •
Maestro Substitute † •
Mana † •
Mana Substitute † •
Marshal † •
Marshal Substitute † •
Master † •
Master Substitute † •
Mega † •
Mega Substitute † •
Mirage † •
Mirage Substitute † •
Mixmatch † •
Mixmatch Substitute † •
Neon Positive † •
Neon Positive Substitute † •
Nova † •
Nova Substitute † •
Overdrive Material † •
Overdrive Substitute Monster Substitute † •
Parallel † •
Parallel Substitute † •
Persona † •
Persona Substitute † •
Plasma † •
Plasma Substitute † •
Positive † •
Positive Substitute † •
Pressure † •
Pressure Substitute † •
Quasar † •
Quasar Substitute † •
Reactor Material † •
Reactor Substitute Monster Substitute † •
Resolve † •
Resolve Substitute † •
Reverse † •
Reverse Substitute † •
Royal † •
Royal Substitute † •
Spectrum † •
Spectrum Substitute † •
Spiritual † •
Spiritual Substitute † •
Terrain † •
Terrain Substitute † •
Timewarp † •
Timewarp Substitute † •
Transmute † •
Transmute Substitute † •
Triad † •
Triad Substitute † •
Unification † •
Unification Substitute † •
Unity † •
Unity Substitute † •
Upgrade † •
Upgrade Substitute † •
Voodoo † •
Voodoo Substitute † •
Wild Card † •
Wild Card Substitute † •
Xynchro † •
Xynchro Substitute † •
Normal Summon Monster •
Special Summon-only •
Nomi •
Ignoring the Summoning conditions
Other
Activation & Targeting Eligibility •
Activation requirement •
Difference between Costs and Effects •
Chains, Activation, and Resolution •
Engine (
Draw ) • Advantage •
Card •
Field •
Hand •
One Turn Kill (
First •
Zero ) •
Lockdown • Loop (
Controlled loop •
Infinite loop )
† Does not exist in the OCG or TCG