What You Can and Can't Do to a Digimon That "Isn't Affected by Effects"
Where immunity works — and where it doesn't
Digimon that "aren't affected by effects," like ST23-09 Atratusmon and BT21-060 Destromon, are powerful — but they are NOT immune to everything. Starting from Comprehensive Rules 15-15-5, we sort out what works and what doesn't across five angles: choosing, affecting, granting, battling, and stopping attacks.
The principle: no "effects," but choosing is fine
Read the principle in 15-15-5 as two separate halves:
- 15-15-5-1: A card that isn't affected by effects won't be affected by processing caused by effects (e.g. choose it with a suspend effect — it doesn't suspend).
- 15-15-5-3: A card that isn't affected by effects can still be chosen by effects (choosing works; only the influence fails).
Of the two stages — "choose → influence happens" — only the second stage stops. Choosing proceeds as normal.
- 15-15-5-1: A card that isn't affected by effects won't be affected by processing caused by effects (e.g. choose it with a suspend effect — it doesn't suspend).
- 15-15-5-3: A card that isn't affected by effects can still be chosen by effects (choosing works; only the influence fails).
Of the two stages — "choose → influence happens" — only the second stage stops. Choosing proceeds as normal.
Example 1: Granting effects also fails (no triggers appear)
This is the ST23-09 Q6180 issue.
Grant a triggered effect like [When Attacking] to a Digimon that isn't affected by effects, and the Digimon is never considered to have that effect (15-15-5-4).
- The granted effect doesn't count as "possessed" in the first place
- Even if its trigger condition is later met (attacking, digivolving...), it never triggers
Granting DP modifiers or keyword effects like <Security A. +1> fails the same way.
Grant a triggered effect like [When Attacking] to a Digimon that isn't affected by effects, and the Digimon is never considered to have that effect (15-15-5-4).
- The granted effect doesn't count as "possessed" in the first place
- Even if its trigger condition is later met (attacking, digivolving...), it never triggers
Granting DP modifiers or keyword effects like <Security A. +1> fails the same way.
Example 2: Battle is a RULE, not an effect — so it goes through
BT25-058 Callismon Q6349 is the textbook case.
A "this Digimon may battle 1 of your opponent's Digimon" effect CAN choose a Digimon that isn't affected by effects (choosing is allowed by 15-15-5-3).
And the battle itself is a basic game rule — comparing DP (14-2-1) — not an effect landing on the Digimon. So the lower-DP side losing and being deleted applies as usual.
- "Isn't affected by effects" means immune to influence from effects — not immune to outcomes from rules.
- Same logic for normal attacks: an immune Digimon that gets attacked still dies to a DP loss in battle.
A "this Digimon may battle 1 of your opponent's Digimon" effect CAN choose a Digimon that isn't affected by effects (choosing is allowed by 15-15-5-3).
And the battle itself is a basic game rule — comparing DP (14-2-1) — not an effect landing on the Digimon. So the lower-DP side losing and being deleted applies as usual.
- "Isn't affected by effects" means immune to influence from effects — not immune to outcomes from rules.
- Same logic for normal attacks: an immune Digimon that gets attacked still dies to a DP loss in battle.
Example 3: Switching the attack target works (the rules say so explicitly)
This is the one beginners miss most. Comprehensive Rules 11-2-7-5 states:
"The processing for switching an attack target may affect the player that made the attack declaration. (Example: It is possible to switch the target of an attack by a Digimon that isn't affected by effects, and it is possible to switch the target of an attack to a Digimon that isn't affected by effects.)"
So the rules directly confirm you can redirect an immune Digimon's attack (BT19-072 Q3133 is based on this section).
By the same logic, "end the attack" effects (15-15-1-1) also work (BT21-060 Q4730).
- Q3133: you can switch the target of an attack made by a Digimon that isn't affected by effects
- Q4730: you can stop that Digimon's attack with an "end the attack" effect
These effects act on the attack (its target, its timing) — not on the Digimon itself. Since the Digimon receives no influence, immunity doesn't block them.
Rule of thumb: check WHO the effect is landing on. If it isn't landing on the Digimon itself, it goes through.
"The processing for switching an attack target may affect the player that made the attack declaration. (Example: It is possible to switch the target of an attack by a Digimon that isn't affected by effects, and it is possible to switch the target of an attack to a Digimon that isn't affected by effects.)"
So the rules directly confirm you can redirect an immune Digimon's attack (BT19-072 Q3133 is based on this section).
By the same logic, "end the attack" effects (15-15-1-1) also work (BT21-060 Q4730).
- Q3133: you can switch the target of an attack made by a Digimon that isn't affected by effects
- Q4730: you can stop that Digimon's attack with an "end the attack" effect
These effects act on the attack (its target, its timing) — not on the Digimon itself. Since the Digimon receives no influence, immunity doesn't block them.
Rule of thumb: check WHO the effect is landing on. If it isn't landing on the Digimon itself, it goes through.
Watch the moment immunity ends (15-15-5-2)
"Isn't affected by effects" is usually conditional — while suspended, until the end of your turn, and so on.
- The moment the condition ends, every lingering effect granted in the meantime (DP-3000 and the like) hits at once.
- Example: a "while suspended, isn't affected by effects" Digimon carrying a pending DP-3000 loses 3000 DP the instant it unsuspends.
Digimon really do die "the moment immunity wears off," so track the state carefully.
- The moment the condition ends, every lingering effect granted in the meantime (DP-3000 and the like) hits at once.
- Example: a "while suspended, isn't affected by effects" Digimon carrying a pending DP-3000 loses 3000 DP the instant it unsuspends.
Digimon really do die "the moment immunity wears off," so track the state carefully.
Example 4: The grant happens, but a triggered effect stays silent while immune
EX12 pushed this one level deeper: EX12-016 MetalGreymon Q6740 and EX12-052 Diarbbitmon Q6839 / Q6842.
- Grant "[Start of Your Main Phase] this Digimon attacks" to an immune Digimon (Q6740): the granting process itself executes. But if the Digimon is immune at the trigger timing (start of main phase), the granted effect doesn't trigger.
- The judgment happens at "the moment the effect tries to work," not at "the moment of granting." Granted once ≠ effective forever.
- Q6839: grant a keyword effect like <Security A. +1> to an immune Digimon — the grant executes, but the Digimon never counts as having it.
- Q6842: the instant immunity is lost, the effects that were held back start functioning (the mirror image of the "moment immunity ends" section above).
The official line is consistent in 3 steps: the granting process goes through / no influence lands while immune / everything resumes when immunity drops.
- Grant "[Start of Your Main Phase] this Digimon attacks" to an immune Digimon (Q6740): the granting process itself executes. But if the Digimon is immune at the trigger timing (start of main phase), the granted effect doesn't trigger.
- The judgment happens at "the moment the effect tries to work," not at "the moment of granting." Granted once ≠ effective forever.
- Q6839: grant a keyword effect like <Security A. +1> to an immune Digimon — the grant executes, but the Digimon never counts as having it.
- Q6842: the instant immunity is lost, the effects that were held back start functioning (the mirror image of the "moment immunity ends" section above).
The official line is consistent in 3 steps: the granting process goes through / no influence lands while immune / everything resumes when immunity drops.
Rules sections and a decision flow
The checklist (walk it in order):
1. Does the effect influence the Digimon ITSELF?
→ YES → 15-15-5-1: no influence happens
→ NO (attack redirection, timing, target switching...) → processes normally
2. Does it merely "choose" or "specify"?
→ 15-15-5-3: choosing works (only the influence stops)
3. Is it granting an effect?
→ 15-15-5-4: the grant is hollow (triggered effects never trigger)
4. Is it a rule process like battle?
→ Rules aren't effects — they apply (14-2-1)
5. Did the immunity end?
→ 15-15-5-2: the backlog of effects lands all at once
Sections: 15-15-5-1 / 15-15-5-2 / 15-15-5-3 / 15-15-5-4 / 14-2-1 / 11-2-7-5 (attack target switching) / 15-15-1-1 ("end the attack" effects)
1. Does the effect influence the Digimon ITSELF?
→ YES → 15-15-5-1: no influence happens
→ NO (attack redirection, timing, target switching...) → processes normally
2. Does it merely "choose" or "specify"?
→ 15-15-5-3: choosing works (only the influence stops)
3. Is it granting an effect?
→ 15-15-5-4: the grant is hollow (triggered effects never trigger)
4. Is it a rule process like battle?
→ Rules aren't effects — they apply (14-2-1)
5. Did the immunity end?
→ 15-15-5-2: the backlog of effects lands all at once
Sections: 15-15-5-1 / 15-15-5-2 / 15-15-5-3 / 15-15-5-4 / 14-2-1 / 11-2-7-5 (attack target switching) / 15-15-1-1 ("end the attack" effects)
Key point "Isn't affected by effects" blocks far from everything. The Digimon still dies in battle, its attack can be ended, and its target can be switched. Meanwhile, granting effects to it — including triggered effects — is hollow. Judge on two axes: is it an effect or a rule, and is it landing on the Digimon itself or on the attack?