Magic: The Gathering® Comprehensive Rules
These
rules are current as of September 24, 2001.
Introduction
This booklet is designed for people who’ve moved beyond the basics of the Magic: The Gathering game. If you’re a beginning Magic® player, you’ll probably find these rules intimidating. They’re intended to be the ultimate authority for the game, and you won’t usually need to refer to them except in specific cases or during competitive games.
For casual play and most ordinary situations, you’ll find what you need in the general rulebook included in the Magic: The Gathering—Seventh Edition™ game box. (You can download a copy of that rulebook from the Wizards of the Coast® website at www.wizards.com/magic/advanced/7e/welcome.asp.) If you’re sure this is where you want to be, keep reading.
This document includes a series of numbered rules followed by a glossary. Many of the numbered rules are divided into subrules, and each separate rule and subrule of the game has its own number. Words or phrases in italics are defined in the glossary, along with a few concepts that don’t really fit anywhere among the numbered rules. So if you can’t find what you’re looking for, check the glossary.
We at Wizards of the Coast recognize that no matter how detailed the rules, situations will arise in which the interaction of specific cards requires a precise answer. If you have questions, you can get the answers from us. Contact information is on the last page of this rulebook.
In response to play issues and to keep these rules as current as possible, changes may have been made to this document since its publication. See the Wizards of the Coast website for the current version of the official rules.
www.wizards.com/magic/MTG_Rules.asp
Contents
1. The Game
100. General
101. Starting the Game
102. Winning and Losing
103. The Golden Rule
2. Cards
200. General
201. Parts of a Card
202. Name
203. Mana Cost
204. Illustration
205. Type
206. Expansion Symbol
207. Text Box
208. Power/Toughness
209. Credit
210. Legal Text
211. Collector Number
212. Card Type
213. Spell Type
214. Permanent Type
215. Legends and Legendary Types
216. Tokens
217. Zones
3. Turn Structure
300. General
301. Beginning Phase
302. Untap Step
303. Upkeep Step
304. Draw Step
305. Main Phase
306. Combat Phase
307. Beginning of Combat Step
308. Declare Attackers Step
309. Declare Blockers Step
310. Combat Damage Step
311. End of Combat Step
312. End Phase
313. End of Turn Step
314. Cleanup Step
4. Spells, Abilities, and Effects
400. General
401. Spells
402. Abilities
403. Activated Abilities
404. Triggered Abilities
405. Static Abilities
406. Ability Subtypes
407. Adding and Removing Abilities
408. Timing of Spells and Abilities
409. Playing Spells and Activated Abilities
410. Handling Triggered Abilities
411. Playing Mana Abilities
412. Handling Static Abilities
413. Resolving Spells and Abilities
414. Countering Spells and Abilities
415. Editing a Spell or Ability
416. Effects
417. One-Shot Effects
418. Continuous Effects
419. Replacement and Prevention Effects
420. State-Based Effects
421. Handling “Infinite” Loops
422. Handling Illegal Actions
5. Additional Rules
500. Legal Attacks and Blocks
501. Evasion Abilities
502. Keyword Abilities
503. Copying Spells and Abilities
504. Face-Down Creatures
505. Split Cards
Glossary
Credits
Questions?
1. The Game
100. General
100.1. These Magic rules assume a game between two players. Optional rules allow for more players but aren’t discussed here. These rules can be found at the Wizards of the Coast website at www.wizards.com/magic/MTG_Rules.asp.
100.2. In constructed play, each player needs his or her own deck of at least sixty cards, small objects to represent any tokens and counters, and some way to clearly track life totals. A constructed deck can have any number of basic land cards and no more than four of any card with a particular English name other than basic land cards.
100.3. For sealed deck or draft play, only forty cards are required in a deck, and a player may use as many duplicates of a card as he or she has. See the most current Magic: The Gathering DCI™ Floor Rules for more information. They can be found at www.wizards.com/DCI/UTR_MTG.asp.
100.4. There is no maximum deck size.
100.5. Most Magic tournaments have special rules (not included here) and may limit the use of some cards, including barring all cards from some older sets. See the Magic DCI Floor Rules for more information.
101. Starting the Game
101.1. At the start of a game, each player shuffles his or her own deck so that the cards are in a random order. Each player may then shuffle his or her opponent’s deck.
101.2. After the decks have been shuffled, the players determine who chooses which player goes first using any mutually agreeable method (flipping a coin, rolling dice, etc.). In a match of several games, the loser of the previous game decides who will take the first turn. If the previous game was a draw, the person who determined who would take the first turn in the previous game decides.
101.3. Once the starting player has been determined, each player sets his or her life total to 20 and draws a hand of seven cards.
101.4. The player who plays first skips the draw step (see rule 304, “Draw Step”) of his or her first turn.
101.5. A player who is dissatisfied with his or her initial hand may mulligan. That player shuffles his or her hand back into the deck, then draws a new hand of six cards. He or she may repeat this process as many times as desired, drawing one fewer card each time, until the hand size reaches zero cards. Once the first player has decided to keep a hand, the second player may mulligan. Once both players are satisfied with their hands, the first player takes his or her turn.
102. Winning and Losing
102.1. If a player’s life total is 0 or less, he or she loses the game the next time a player would receive priority. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)
102.2. When a player is required to draw more cards than are left in his or her library, he or she draws the remaining cards, then loses the game the next time a player would receive priority. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)
102.3. A game immediately ends when either these rules or a card effect states that a player loses or wins.
102.4. If both players lose simultaneously, the game is a draw.
102.5. If a player would both win and lose simultaneously, he or she loses.
102.6. If the game somehow enters a “loop,” repeating a sequence of events with no way to stop, the game is a draw. Loops that contain an optional action don’t result in a draw.
102.7. A player may concede a game at any time.
102.8 If a player has ten or more poison counters, he or she loses the game the next time a player would receive priority. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)
103. The Golden Rule
103.1. The Magic Golden Rule: Whenever a card’s text directly contradicts these rules, the card takes precedence. The card overrides only the rule that applies to that specific situation. If an instruction requires taking an impossible action, it’s ignored. (In many cases the card will specify consequences for this; if it doesn’t, there’s no effect.)
103.2. When one effect says something can happen and another says it can’t, the “can’t” effect wins. For example, if one effect reads “You may play an additional land this turn” and another reads “You can’t play land cards this turn,” the effect that keeps you from playing lands wins out. Note that adding abilities to cards and removing abilities from cards don’t fall under this rule. See rule 407, “Adding and Removing Abilities.”
2. Cards
200. General
200.1. When a rule or text on a card refers to a “card,” it means a Magic card with a Magic card front and the Magic card back. Tokens aren’t considered cards—even an Unglued™ card that represents a token isn’t considered a card for rules purposes.
201. Parts of a Card
201.1. The parts of a card are name, mana cost, illustration, type, expansion symbol, text box, power
and toughness, credit, legal
text, and collector number. Some cards may have more than one of any or all of
these parts.
201.2. A card, spell, or permanent’s characteristics are name, mana cost,
color, type and subtype, expansion symbol, rules text, power, and toughness.
Any other information about a card, spell, or permanent isn’t a characteristic.
Characteristics don’t include any other information, such as whether a
permanent is tapped, a spell’s target, a spell or permanent’s controller, what
a local enchantment enchants, and so on.
202. Name
202.1. The name of a card is printed on its upper left corner.
202.2. Card text that refers to the card it’s
on by name means just that particular card and not any other duplicates of it,
regardless of any name changes caused by game effects. Also, if a card has an effect
on or grants an ability that includes
that card’s name to another card, the name refers only to the card generating
the effect or granting the ability, not to duplicates of cards with the same
name.
202.3. Two cards have the same name if the English versions of their names are identical, regardless of anything else printed on the cards.
203. Mana Cost
203.1. The mana cost of a card is indicated by mana symbols printed on its upper right corner. Tokens and lands have a mana cost of 0. Paying a card’s mana cost requires matching the color of any colored mana symbols as well as paying the generic mana cost indicated.
203.2. A card is the color or colors of the mana symbols in its mana cost, regardless of the color of its border. For example, a card with a mana cost of 2W is white, and one with a mana cost of 2WB is both white and black. Cards with no colored mana symbols in their mana costs are colorless. Cards with more than one colored mana symbol in their mana costs are multicolored. Multicolored cards are printed with a gold frame, but this is not a requirement for a card to be multicolored.
203.3. The converted mana cost of a card is the total amount of mana in the
mana cost, regardless of color (For example, a mana cost of 3UU translates to a
converted mana cost of 5). The converted mana cost is a generic mana cost—it
may be paid with any combination of colored and/or colorless mana, regardless of the colors in the spell’s mana cost.
203.4. Any additional cost listed in a card’s rules text isn’t part of the mana cost. (See rule 409, “Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.”) Such costs are paid at the same time as the spell’s other costs.
204. Illustration
204.1. The illustration is printed on the upper half of a card and has no game significance. For example, a creature doesn’t have the flying ability unless stated in its rules text, even if it’s depicted as flying.
205. Type
205.1. The type (and subtype, if applicable) of a card is printed directly below the illustration. (See rules 212–215.)
206. Expansion Symbol
206.1. The expansion symbol indicates which Magic set a card is from. It’s printed below the right edge of the illustration.
206.2. The color of the expansion symbol indicates the rarity of the card within its set. A gold symbol signifies the card is rare; silver, uncommon; and black, common or basic land. (Prior to the Exodus™ set, all expansion symbols were black, regardless of rarity. Also, prior to the Classic™ (Sixth Edition) set, Magic basic sets didn’t have expansion symbols at all.)
206.3. A spell or ability that affects cards
from a particular set “looks” only for that set’s expansion symbol. A card
reprinted in the basic set receives the basic set’s expansion symbol; any
reprinted version of the card no longer counts as part of its original set
unless it was reprinted with that set’s expansion symbol. The first five
editions of the basic set had no expansion symbol.
207. Text Box
207.1. The text box is printed on the lower half of the card. It usually contains rules text stating what the card does and any special requirements for playing it.
207.2. The text box may also contain
italicized reminder text (in
parentheses), which summarizes a rule that applies to that card, and italicized
flavor text, which has no game function,
but like the illustration, adds artistic appeal to the game.
208. Power/Toughness
208.1. A creature card has two numbers separated by a slash printed on its lower right corner. The first number is the creature’s power (the amount of damage it deals in combat); the second is its toughness (the amount of damage needed to destroy it). For example, 2/3 means the creature has power 2 and toughness 3. Power and toughness can be modified or set to particular values by effects.
208.2. Some creature cards have power and/or toughness of *, where * is a value determined by the text in the creature’s text box. As long as the creature card is in play, the value of * is treated just as if that number were actually printed on the card. The * is 0 while the card is not in play.
209. Credit
209.1. The illustration credit for a card is printed directly below the text box. The credit has no effect on game play.
210. Legal Text
210.1. Legal text (the fine print at the bottom of the card) lists the copyright information. It has no effect on game play.
211. Collector Number
211.1. Some card sets feature collector numbers. This information is printed in the form [card number]/[total cards in the set], immediately following the legal text. These numbers have no effect on game play.
212. Card Type
212.1. All cards have one or more card types: artifact, creature, enchantment, instant, land, or sorcery. Only one multiple type—artifact creature—currently exists. The artifact creature type satisfies the criteria for any effect that applies to an artifact card or a creature card. A card’s type appears below its illustration.
212.2. Some card types include subtypes, printed on the same line. Creature subtypes (including those of artifact creatures) appear after a dash that follows their card type(s). Enchantment subtypes consist of the word “enchant” and the word(s) that follows it, such as “enchant creature” or “enchant artifact.” Land subtypes are not printed on the card type line (see rule 212.2c).
212.2a
Creature subtypes are always a single word and are listed after “Creature,”
separated by a long dash: “Creature — Minotaur,” “Artifact Creature — Golem
Legend,” etc. Creature subtypes are one word each and are also called “creature
types.” Creature cards may have multiple creature types.
Example: “Creature — Minotaur” means the card is a
creature with the Minotaur subtype. “Creature — Goblin Wizard” means the card
is a creature with the creature types Goblin and Wizard.
212.2b
Enchantment subtypes consist of the word “enchant” and the word(s) that follows
it: “enchant creature,” “enchant land,” etc. (“enchant world” isn’t a type or subtype, but a special category of
enchantment found only in some older sets). A card with the type “enchantment”
has no enchantment subtype. An enchantment subtype specifies what the
enchantment can be legally attached to. “Local
enchantment” and “global enchantment”
aren’t types or subtypes; they’re categories of enchantments. (Also see rule
214.8, “Enchantments.”)
212.2c
Land subtypes are also called “land
types” and are always the same as the name of the land card; they aren’t
listed on the type line. A card named “Island” has land type “island”; a card
named “Karplusan Forest” has land type “Karplusan Forest” (Remember that it
isn’t a forest or a basic land). Only lands with a basic land type get
abilities just for being a given land type. (See rule 214.9e.) “Basic land” and
“nonbasic land” aren’t types or subtypes; they’re categories of lands.
212.2d
There are no subtypes for artifact cards, instant cards, or sorcery cards.
213. Spell Type
213.1. Every nonland card is a spell while it’s being played (see rules 409.1a–409.1f) and while it’s on the stack. Once it’s played, a card remains a spell until it resolves or is countered. For more information, see rule 401, “Spells.”
213.2. A spell’s spell type is the same as its card type. Its subtypes are the same as its card’s subtypes.
214. Permanent Type
214.1. A permanent is a card or token in play. Permanents stay in play unless moved to another zone by an effect or rule. There are four types of permanents: artifacts, creatures, enchantments, and lands. Instant and sorcery cards can’t come into play.
214.2. A nontoken permanent’s type(s) and
subtype(s) are the same as those printed on its card. A token’s type(s) and
subtype(s) are set by the spell or ability that created it.
214.3. A card becomes a permanent when it comes into play and stops being a permanent when it leaves play. The term “card” is often used to refer to a card that’s not in play, such as a creature card in a player’s hand. “Spell” is often used to refer to a card while it’s on the stack. “Spell card” is used to refer to cards that aren’t in play and aren’t land cards. For more information, see rule 217, “Zones.”
214.4. When a permanent’s type or subtype changes, the new type(s) replaces any existing type(s). This changes only the permanent type—the card type doesn’t change. Counters, effects, and damage affecting the permanent remain with it, even if they are meaningless to the new type.
214.4a
Some effects change a permanent’s type or subtype but specify that the
permanent retains a prior type or subtype. In such cases, the retained type
isn’t replaced, but any other types the permanent has are replaced.
Example: An ability reads, “All lands are 1/1 creatures
that are still lands.” The affected lands now have two types: creature and
land. If there were any lands that also had the artifact type before the
ability’s effect applied to them, those lands would become “land creatures,”
not “artifact land creatures.” The effect allows them to retain the land type,
but wipes out the artifact type.
214.4b If
a permanent’s type changes, the subtypes of its old permanent type don’t exist
in any way under the new type. The subtype disappears completely for the entire
time the card’s permanent type is changed. This does not override the rule that
a permanent retains its legendary status when its type changes (see rule
215.2).
214.5. The initial value of a permanent’s characteristic is the value printed on the card or specified by the spell or ability that created the token or changed the type of the permanent. A permanent-type-changing ability that changes one or more characteristics changes the initial values of those characteristics stated in the ability’s text, not the current values. Continuous effects that don’t change a permanent’s type affect current values of characteristics and can override characteristics set by type-changing abilities.
Example: A player plays an artifact’s ability that reads
“2: This permanent is a 3/2 artifact creature.” Later in the turn, the artifact
creature is affected by an ability that reads “Target creature is 0/2.” At this
point, playing the ability of the artifact again won’t do anything; because the
type-changing ability changes characteristics at the initial level, it can’t
override the effect. The artifact creature remains 0/2.
214.6. Artifacts
214.6a
Artifacts have no characteristics specific to their type. Because artifact
spells have no colored mana in their mana costs, they’re colorless, and the
permanents they create are also colorless. Effects can give artifact spells or
artifacts one or more colors, however.
214.6b
Artifact creatures combine the characteristics of both the creature and artifact
types and are subject to spells and abilities that affect either or both types.
214.7. Creatures
214.7a If
a card instruction requires choosing a creature subtype, any noun (even if that
creature type doesn’t exist in Magic)
may be chosen, but only one. Any existing creature type is a valid choice, even
if the creature’s type is the same as its name. A word that has some other Magic meaning isn’t a valid choice,
because that would cause confusion.
Example: Merfolk or Wizard is acceptable, but not Merfolk
Wizard. Words like “opponent,” “swamp,” or “kindle” can’t be chosen because
they have other meanings in the game.
214.7b
Plurality and gender are ignored when determining creature types.
Example: Ogre, Ogres, Ogress, and Ogresses all count as
the same creature type—Ogre.
214.8. Enchantments
214.8a A global enchantment simply has
“enchantment” as its type. Local
enchantments comprise various subtypes: enchant artifact, enchant creature,
enchant enchantment, enchant land, and enchant permanent.
214.8b A
global enchantment is put into play on the side of the player who controlled
the spell that created it, like any other spell that creates a permanent.
214.8c A
local-enchantment spell requires a target
whose type is indicated by the enchantment subtype. The local-enchantment
permanent the spell puts into play must enchant that type of permanent and
comes into play attached to the permanent the spell targeted. Any additional
targeting requirements are indicated by phrases like “[This card] can enchant
only a [permanent with specified characteristics].” These restrictions apply to
playing the spell, and they become restrictions on what the resulting permanent
can enchant. Similar restrictions can limit what a permanent can be enchanted
by. For example, a permanent might have an ability that reads “[This card]
can’t be enchanted by [local enchantments with specified characteristics].”
Example: An enchant creature spell requires a target
creature; a creature enchantment in play must enchant a creature. (See rules
420.5d and 214.8g.)
214.8d As
part of playing a local-enchantment spell, the player announces the spell’s
target. The local enchantment comes into play attached to that target
permanent. If a local enchantment is coming into play by any other means, the
player putting it into play chooses a permanent for it to enchant as it comes
into play. In this case, the enchantment doesn’t target the permanent, but the
player still must choose a permanent that the enchantment can enchant. If no
legal permanent is available, the enchantment remains in the zone from which it
attempted to move instead of coming
into play. The same rule applies to moving a local enchantment from one
permanent to another. The permanent to which the enchantment is to be moved
must be able to be enchanted by it. If it isn’t legal, the enchantment doesn’t
move.
214.8e If
a local enchantment is enchanting an illegal permanent or the permanent it was
attached to no longer exists, the enchantment card is put into its owner’s graveyard. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)
214.8f A
local enchantment can’t be attached to itself. If this occurs somehow, the
local enchantment is put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based effect (see rule 420.5d).
214.8g
The permanent a local enchantment is attached to is called “enchanted.” The
enchantment “enchants” or, in more casual terms, “is attached to” that
permanent.
214.8h A
local enchantment’s abilities don’t target the permanent it enchants unless
they state they can target it. Only the enchantment spell targets the permanent
it will enchant; the resulting enchantment permanent doesn’t continue to target
the enchanted permanent after the enchantment spell resolves. If a permanent
“can’t be enchanted” in general or by enchantments with specified
characteristics, it also can’t be the target of a spell that would enchant it
with such an enchantment.
214.8i A
local enchantment’s controller is
separate from the enchanted permanent’s controller; the two need not be the
same. Changing control of the
permanent doesn’t change control of the enchantment, and vice versa. Only the
enchantment’s controller can play its abilities. However, if the enchantment
adds an ability to the enchanted permanent (with “gains” or “has”), that
enchanted permanent’s controller is the only one who can play that ability.
214.8k An
enchant world card is a global enchantment.
214.9. Lands
214.9a A
land card isn’t a spell card, and at no time is it a spell. When a player plays
a land card, it’s simply put into play. The land card doesn’t go on the stack,
so players can’t respond to it with instants or activated abilities.
214.9b A
player may normally play only one land card during each of his or her own
turns, only during a main phase, and
only when the stack is empty. Spells and abilities may allow the playing of
additional lands; playing an additional land in this way doesn’t prevent a
player from taking the normal action of playing a land. Players can’t begin to
play a land that an effect prohibits from being played. As a player plays a
land, he or she announces whether he or she is using the once-per-turn action
of playing a land. If not, he or she specifies which effect is allowing the
additional land play. Spells and abilities may also allow you to “put” lands
into play. This isn’t the same as “playing a land” and doesn’t count as the
player’s one land played during his or her turn.
214.9c
Each land card is in one of two categories: basic
or nonbasic. Basic and nonbasic are
not types or subtypes.
214.9d
The basic land types are plains, island, swamp, mountain, and forest. A land
with one of these words as its name is a basic land. Other lands can state that
they are lands of one or more basic land types. A land that has one or more
basic land types is not necessarily a basic land. Moreover, the name of a land
with a single land type that’s basic becomes that basic land-type word.
Example: Taiga is a land with the following text in its
text box: “Taiga is a mountain and a forest in addition to its type.” Even
though Taiga has two basic land types, it’s not a basic land, because (a) its
name doesn’t match a basic land type word, and (b) it doesn’t specify that it’s
basic.
214.9e A
land with a basic land type has an intrinsic ability to produce colored mana.
(See rule 406.1, “Mana Abilities.”) The card is treated as if its text box
read, “T: Add [mana symbol] to your mana pool,” even if the text box doesn’t
actually contain text. Plains produce white mana; islands, blue; swamps, black;
mountains, red; and forests, green.
214.9f If
an effect changes a permanent into a basic land, the permanent no longer has
its old land type and has only the mana
ability of that basic land. It is now a basic land, and its name is that
basic land’s name. If that land was “Legendary,” it is no longer. This rule
doesn’t apply to effects that cause a land to gain one or more land types in
addition to its own.
214.9g
Any land that isn’t a basic land is a nonbasic land. Basic and nonbasic are not
types; they’re categories.
214.9h
Unlike basic lands and lands that have one or more basic types, nonbasic lands
don’t necessarily have mana abilities.
215. Legends and Legendary Types
215.1. The word Legend or Legendary may appear in a card’s type or subtype. The permanent created when that card enters play is subject to the Legend rule (see rule 420, “State-Based Effects”) as well as the rules for its type and subtype.
215.2. “Legend” is a creature type; “legendary” is not. If a “legendary” noncreature permanent becomes a creature, it gets the creature type “Legend” for as long as it’s a creature. If a creature of type “Legend” becomes a noncreature permanent, it’s a “legendary” permanent of the new type. In other words, they mean the same thing, except that one refers to creatures and the other to noncreatures.
215.3. If an effect makes a non-Legend
creature into a Legend, and the creature then becomes another permanent type,
such as an enchantment, that effect may no longer apply (if the permanent is no
longer a creature). If it doesn’t, the resulting permanent will not be
legendary.
216. Tokens
216.1. Some spells and abilities put a token creature into play. The token is controlled by whomever put it into play and owned by the controller of the spell or ability that created it. The rules text of the spell or ability may define any number of characteristics for the token. These are the token permanent’s initial values. A token doesn’t have any characteristics not defined by the spell or ability that created it. A token’s creature type is the same as its name. A Goblin creature token, for example, is named Goblin and has the creature subtype Goblin. If a token’s name is two words or more, it has the creature subtype for each of those words. For example, a Goblin Scout token is named Goblin Scout and has two creature subtypes: Goblin and Scout. Once a token is in play, changing its name doesn’t change its creature type, and vice versa.
216.2. A token is subject to anything that affects permanents in general or that affects the token’s type or subtype. A token isn’t considered a card (even if represented by cards from other games or Unglued cards) and isn’t subject to any effect that specifically uses the word “card.”
216.3. A token in a zone other than the in-play zone ceases to exist. This is a state-based effect. (Note that a token changing zones will set off triggered abilities before the token ceases to exist.) Once a token has left play, it can’t be returned to play by any means.
217. Zones
217.1. A zone is a place that Magic cards can be during a game. There are six basic zones: library, hand, graveyard, in play, stack, and removed from the game. Each player has his or her own set of zones, except for the in-play and stack zones, which are shared.
217.1a If
a card would go to any library, graveyard, or hand other than its owner’s, it
goes to the corresponding zone of its owner’s instead. If an instant or sorcery
card would come into play, it’s removed from the game instead.
217.1b
The order of cards in a library, a graveyard, or on the stack can’t be changed
except when effects allow it. Cards in other zones can be arranged however
their owners wish, although who controls those cards, whether they’re tapped, and what enchants them must
remain clear to both players.
217.1c A
card that moves from one zone to another is treated as a new card. Effects
connected with its previous location will no longer affect it. There are two
exceptions to this rule: Effects that edit the characteristics of a spell on
the stack will continue to apply to the permanent that spell creates, and
abilities that trigger when a card
moves from one zone to another (for example, “When Rancor is put into a
graveyard from play”) can find the card in the zone it moved to when the
ability triggered.
217.1d If
a card or permanent would move from one zone to another, first determine what
event is moving the card. Then apply any appropriate replacement effects to that event. If an effect tries to do two or
more contradictory or mutually exclusive things to a particular card or permanent,
that card or permanent’s controller—or its owner if it has no
controller—chooses what the effect does to the card or permanent. Then the
event moves the card or permanent.
217.2. Library
217.2a
When a game begins, each player’s deck becomes his or her library.
217.2b
Each library must be kept in a single face-down pile. Players can’t look at or
change the order of cards in a library.
217.2c
Any player may count the number of cards remaining in either player’s library
at any time.
217.2d If
an effect puts two or more cards on the top or bottom of a library at the same
time, the owner of those cards may arrange them in any order. That library’s
owner doesn’t reveal the order in which the cards go into his or her library.
217.3. Hand
217.3a
The hand is where a player holds cards that have been drawn but not yet played.
217.3b
Each player has a maximum hand size,
which is normally seven cards. A player may have any number of cards in his or
her hand, but as part of his or her cleanup
step, the player must discard excess cards down to the maximum
hand size.
217.3c A
player may arrange his or her hand in any convenient fashion and look at it as
much as he or she wishes. A player can’t look at the cards in another player’s
hand but may count those cards at any time.
217.4. Graveyard
217.4a A
graveyard is a discard pile. Any card that’s countered, discarded, destroyed,
or sacrificed is put on top of its
owner’s graveyard, as is any instant or sorcery spell that’s finished
resolving. Each player’s graveyard starts out empty.
217.4b
Each graveyard is kept in a single face-up pile. A player can examine the cards
in any graveyard at any time but can’t change their order.
217.4c If
an effect puts two or more cards into the same graveyard at the same time, the
owner of those cards may arrange them in any order.
217.5. In Play
217.5a
Most of the area between the players represents the in-play zone. The in-play
zone starts out empty. Permanents a player controls (other than local
enchantments enchanting the other player’s permanents) are kept in front of him
or her.
217.5b A
spell or ability affects and checks only the in-play zone unless it
specifically mentions a player or another zone. Permanents exist only in the
in-play zone. Only permanents are legal targets for spells and abilities,
unless a spell or ability (a) specifies that it can target a player or a card
in another zone, or (b) affects an object that can’t exist in the in-play zone,
such as a spell.
217.5c
Whenever a card enters the in-play zone, it’s considered a brand-new permanent
and has no relationship to any previous permanent represented by the same card
(see rule 217.8, “Phased-Out”).
217.5d A
card not in the in-play zone isn’t “in play” and isn’t considered tapped or
untapped. Cards that aren’t either in play or on the stack aren’t controlled by
either player.
217.6. Stack
217.6a
When a spell or ability is played, it goes on top of the stack and waits to
resolve. The stack keeps track of the order that spells and/or abilities were
added to it. (See rule 408, “Timing of Spells and Abilities,” and rule 409.1.)
217.6b
When a spell is played, it goes on the stack face up. Other spells or abilities
played in response go on top of it. Abilities that go on the stack are
represented by imaginary cards called pseudospells.
Each pseudospell from an activated or triggered ability has the text of the
ability that created it. The controller of a pseudospell from an activated
ability is the player who played the ability. The controller of a pseudospell
from a triggered ability is the player who controlled the ability’s source when it triggered.
217.6c
When both players pass in succession,
the top (last-played) spell or ability resolves. If the stack is empty when
both players pass, the current step
or phase ends and the next begins.
217.7. Removed from the Game
217.7a
Effects can remove cards from the game. Some effects may provide a way for the
card to return to play and use the term “set
aside.” Cards that are set aside this way are still removed from the game,
even though that removal may be temporary.
217.7b
Cards in the removed-from-the-game zone are kept face up and may be examined by
either player at any time. Cards “removed from the game face down” can’t be
examined by either player except when instructions allow it.
217.7c
Cards that might return to play should be kept in separate piles to keep track
of their respective ways of returning. Cards with no way of returning may be
kept in one pile for each player, regardless of what removed them.
217.8. Phased-Out
217.8a
Permanents that phase out are placed in the phased-out
zone. (See rule 502.15, “Phasing.”)
217.8b
Cards in the phased-out zone may be examined by either player at any time.
217.8c
Phased-out cards do not count as tapped or untapped, nor are they controlled by
anyone. However, cards in this zone “remember” their previous state and return
to play in the same state as when they left. (See rule 502.15, “Phasing.”) This
is an exception to rule 217.5c.
217.8d
Tokens in the phased-out zone cease to exist. This is a state-based effect (see
rule 420, “State-Based Effects”). Any local enchantments that were attached to
those token creatures remain phased out for
the rest of the game.
217.9 Ante
217.9a
Earlier versions of the Magic rules
included an ante rule as a way of
playing “for keeps.” Playing Magic
for ante is now considered an optional variation on the game, and it’s allowed
only where it’s not forbidden by law or by other rules. Playing for ante is
strictly forbidden under the DCI Universal Tournament Rules.
217.9b
When playing for ante, each player puts one random card from his or her deck
into his or her ante zone at the beginning of the game. Cards in the ante zone
may be examined by either player at any time. At the end of the game, the
winner becomes the owner of the cards in each player’s ante zone.
217.9c A
few cards have the text “Remove [this card] from your deck before playing if
you’re not playing for ante.” This text isn’t an ability. These are the only
cards that can add or remove cards from a player’s ante zone, or change a
card’s owner.
3. Turn Structure
300. General
300.1. A turn consists of five phases, in this order: beginning, first main, combat, second main, and end. Each of these phases takes place every turn, even if nothing happens during the phase. The beginning, combat, and end phases are further broken down into steps, which proceed in order.
300.2. A phase or step ends when the stack is empty and both players pass in succession. No game events can occur between turns, phases, or steps. (Simply having the stack become empty doesn’t cause the phase or step to end; both players have to pass with the stack empty. Because of this, each player always gets a chance to add new things to the stack before the current phase or step ends.)
300.3. When a phase or step ends, any effects scheduled to last “until end of” that phase or step expire. When a phase or step begins, any effects scheduled to last “until” that phase or step expire. Effects that last “until end of combat” expire at the end of the combat phase, not at the beginning of the end of combat step. Effects that last “until end of turn” are subject to special rules; see rule 314.1b.
300.4. When a phase ends (but not a step), any unused mana left in a player’s mana pool is lost. That player loses 1 life for each one mana lost this way. This is called mana burn. Note that mana burn is loss of life, not damage, so it can’t be prevented or altered by effects that affect damage. (See rule 406.1, “Mana Abilities.”)
300.5. When a phase or step begins, any abilities that trigger “at the beginning of” that phase or step are added to the stack.
300.6. Some spells and abilities can give a player extra turns. If a player gets multiple extra turns or if both players get extra turns during a single turn, the extra turns are taken in the order effects created them.
301. Beginning Phase
301.1. The beginning phase consists of three steps, in this order: untap, upkeep, and draw.
302. Untap Step
302.1. First, the active player determines which permanents he or she controls will untap. (Normally they all do, but effects may modify this.) Then he or she untaps them all simultaneously. Effects can keep one or more of a player’s permanents from untapping normally.
302.2. No player receives priority during the untap step, so no spells or abilities can be played or resolved. Any ability that triggers during this step will be held until a player would receive priority during the upkeep step. (See rule 303, “Upkeep Step.”)
302.3 Before a player untaps his or her permanents, all permanents with phasing that player controls phase out, and all permanents that player controlled when they phased out simultaneously phase in. (See rule 217.8, “Phased-Out,” and rule 502.15, “Phasing.”)
303. Upkeep Step
303.1. As the upkeep step begins, any abilities that trigger at the beginning of that upkeep step or that turn’s untap step go on the stack. (Upkeep-triggered abilities use the phrase “At the beginning of your upkeep” or a similar wording; see rule 404, “Triggered Abilities.”) Once all such abilities have gone onto the stack, the active player gets priority. Then players may play spells and abilities.
304. Draw Step
304.1. As the draw step begins, any abilities that trigger at the beginning of the draw step go on the stack. (Draw-step-triggered abilities use the phrase “At the beginning of your draw step” or a similar wording; see rule 404, “Triggered Abilities.”) Then the draw step action—the active player drawing a card—goes on the stack. This action is a triggered ability, but it isn’t controlled by either player. It simply goes on the stack on top of all abilities players control that trigger at the beginning of the draw step. Then the active player gets priority, and players may play spells and abilities.
305. Main Phase
305.1. There are two main phases in a turn. In each turn, the first main phase, known as the precombat main phase, and second main phase, known as the postcombat main phase, are separated by the combat phase (see rule 306, “Combat Phase”). The precombat and postcombat main phases are individually and collectively known as the “main phase.”
305.2. The main phase has no steps, so a main phase ends when both players pass in succession while the stack is empty.
305.3. As the main phase begins, any abilities that trigger at the beginning of that main phase go on the stack. (Main-phase-triggered abilities use the phrase “At the beginning of your main phase” or a similar wording; see rule 404, “Triggered Abilities.”) Then the active player gets priority, and players may play spells and abilities. (This is the only phase in which a player can normally play artifact, creature, enchantment, and sorcery spells, and only the active player may play these spells.)
305.4. During either main phase, the active
player may play one land from his or her hand if the stack is empty, the player
has priority, and he or she hasn’t yet taken this special action this turn.
(See rule 214.9, “Lands.”) This action doesn’t use the stack and it isn’t a
spell or ability of any kind. It can’t be countered, and players can’t respond
to it with instants or activated abilities.
306. Combat Phase
306.1. The combat phase has five steps, which proceed in order: beginning of combat, declare attackers, declare blockers, combat damage, and end of combat. The declare blockers and combat damage steps are skipped if no creatures are declared as attackers (see rule 308.4).
306.2. A creature is removed from combat if it stops being a creature (as a result of leaving
play by any means, such as by being destroyed or removed from the game), if it regenerates (see rule 419.6b), or if its
controller changes. “Removed from combat” means the creature stops being an
attacking, blocking, blocked, and/or unblocked
creature. Once a creature has been declared as an attacking or blocking
creature, spells or abilities that would have kept that creature from attacking
or blocking don’t remove the creature from combat. Tapping or untapping a
creature that’s already been declared as an attacker or blocker doesn’t remove
it from combat and doesn’t prevent its combat
damage.
307. Beginning of Combat Step
307.1. As this step begins, triggered abilities (if any) are added to the stack, and then the active player gets priority to play spells and abilities.
308. Declare Attackers Step
308.1. The active player declares which, if any, creatures he or she controls are attacking. Only creatures can attack, and the following creatures can’t attack: tapped creatures (even those that can attack without tapping), Walls, and creatures the active player didn’t control continuously since the beginning of the turn. This declaration is simultaneous, not sequential, and doesn’t go on the stack. Any triggered ability generated during this action waits until a player would receive priority.
308.1a A
creature is considered attacking alone
if it’s the sole creature declared as an attacker in a given combat phase.
308.2. The active player determines whether the attack is legal. (See section 5, “Additional Rules.”) If it is, he or she taps all attacking creatures. Tapping a creature when it is declared as an attacker is not a cost; attacking simply causes creatures to become tapped. Then the player pays all required costs. Other costs and/or restrictions may also apply. (See rule 409.1f.) The active player may play mana abilities at this time only if an attack cost includes a mana payment.
308.3. If the proposed attack isn’t legal or the active player can’t pay all required costs, all actions described in rules 308.1 and 308.2 are canceled. Then the active player redeclares attacking creatures. (See rule 422, “Handling Illegal Actions.”)
308.4. If no creatures are declared as attackers, the game proceeds directly to the end of combat step, skipping the remainder of the declare attackers step as well as the entire declare blockers and combat damage steps.
308.5. A creature becomes an attacking creature when it has been declared as part of a legal attack and all attack costs have been paid, but only if it’s controlled by the active player. It remains an attacking creature until it’s removed from combat or the combat phase ends, whichever comes first. The nonactive player is considered to have been attacked that turn at this time if one or more creatures are attacking.
308.6. After a legal attack has been declared and all required costs have been paid, the active player receives priority to play spells and abilities.
309. Declare Blockers Step
309.1. The defending player declares which, if any, creatures he or she controls are blocking and which attacking creature each one blocks. Tapped creatures and noncreature permanents can’t be declared as blockers. Each creature may block only one attacking creature, although any number of creatures may block the same attacking creature. (Note that blocking doesn’t cause a creature to tap.) This declaration is simultaneous, not sequential, and doesn’t go on the stack. Any triggered ability generated during this action waits until a player would receive priority.
309.1a A
creature is considered blocking alone
if it’s the sole creature declared as a blocker in a given combat phase.
309.2. The defending player determines whether the block is legal. (See section 5, “Additional Rules.”) If it is, he or she pays all required costs. A player may play mana abilities at this time only if a blocking cost that player could pay includes a mana payment.
309.2a.
If the proposed block isn’t legal or the defending player can’t pay all
required costs, all actions described in rules 309.1 and 309.2 are canceled.
Then the defending player redeclares blocking creatures. (See rule 422,
“Handling Illegal Actions.”)
309.3. A creature becomes a blocking creature when it has been declared as part of a legal block and all block costs have been paid, but only if it’s controlled by the defending player. An attacking creature with one or more creatures declared as blockers for it becomes a blocked creature; one with no blockers becomes an unblocked creature. The creature’s status remains unchanged until the creature is removed from combat or the combat phase ends, whichever comes first.
309.4. Once a creature has been declared as a blocker, the block can’t be “undone” by playing a spell or ability that removes it from combat, makes the attacking creature unblockable, or would have made the blocker unable to block earlier.
309.5. After all legal blocks have been declared and all required costs have been paid, the active player receives priority to play spells and abilities.
310. Combat Damage Step
310.1. First the active player announces how each attacking creature will assign its combat damage. Then the defending player announces how each blocking creature will assign its combat damage. (See also rule 502.2, “First Strike.”) A player may divide a creature’s combat damage as he or she chooses among the legal recipients. Dividing combat damage is subject to the following restrictions:
310.1a
Each attacking creature and each blocking creature will assign combat damage
equal to its power.
310.1b An
unblocked creature will assign all its combat damage to the defending player.
310.1c A
blocked creature will assign combat damage, divided as its controller chooses,
to the creatures blocking it. If no creatures are currently blocking it (if,
for example, they were destroyed or removed from combat), it will assign no
combat damage.
310.1d A
blocking creature will assign combat damage, divided as its controller chooses
(no fractions), to the attacking creatures it’s blocking. If it isn’t currently
blocking any creatures (if, for example, they were destroyed or removed from
combat), it will assign no combat damage.
310.2. All assignments of combat damage go on the stack as though they were a single pseudospell. Then the active player receives priority to play spells and abilities.
310.3. Although combat-damage assignments go on the stack, they aren’t spells or abilities, so they can’t be countered.
310.4. Combat damage resolves as though it were a pseudospell. When it resolves, it’s dealt as originally assigned. This happens even if the creature dealing damage is no longer in play, its power has changed, or the creature receiving damage has left combat. (Note that the source of the damage is the creature as it currently exists, or as it most recently existed if it is no longer in play.) If a creature that was supposed to receive damage is no longer in play or is no longer a creature, the damage assigned to it isn’t dealt. After combat damage finishes resolving, the active player gets priority.
311. End of Combat Step
311.1. All “at end of combat” abilities trigger and go on the stack. (See rule 404, “Triggered Abilities.”) Then the active player receives priority to play spells and abilities.
312. End Phase
312.1. The end phase consists of two steps: end of turn and cleanup.
313. End of Turn Step
313.1. The end of turn step begins with the active player having priority. All “at end of turn”-triggered abilities trigger and go on the stack. Then players may play spells and abilities.
313.2. If “at end of turn”-triggered abilities are created or if cards with “at end of turn”-triggered abilities come into play after preexisting ones have already gone on the stack at the beginning of the end of turn step, those abilities won’t go on the stack until the next turn’s end phase. In other words, the step doesn’t “back up” so new “at end of turn”-triggered abilities can go on the stack.
314. Cleanup Step
314.1. The cleanup step proceeds in the following order.
314.1a
First, if the active player’s hand contains more cards than his or her maximum hand size (normally seven), he
or she discards enough cards to reduce the hand size to that number. This
action doesn’t go on the stack.
314.1b
Then, simultaneously, all damage is removed from permanents and all “until end
of turn” and “this turn” effects end. This action doesn’t go on the stack.
314.1c Then, only if the conditions for
any state-based effects exist or if any abilities have triggered, the active
player receives priority to play spells and abilities. Once the stack is empty
and both players pass, another cleanup step begins. Otherwise, no player
receives priority and the step ends.
4. Spells, Abilities, and Effects
400. General
400.1. An ability is text in a card’s text box that generates an effect. Reminder text, flavor text, characteristic-setting text, and spell text are not abilities. Reminder text and flavor text always appear in italics. Characteristic-setting text is any text that states that that card “is” a particular characteristic of a card or permanent. Spell text is any text that’s followed as a spell is played or is resolving. Abilities generate effects only from the in-play zone unless they state otherwise. Text itself is never an effect. Spells, activated abilities, and triggered abilities generate effects when they resolve. Static abilities generate continuous effects.
401. Spells
401.1. A spell is a card on the stack. As the first step of being played, the card becomes a spell and goes on the stack from the zone it was played from (usually the player’s hand). (See rule 217.6, “Stack.”) It stops being a spell when it resolves (see rule 413.2), is countered (see rule 414, “Countering Spells and Abilities”), or leaves the stack somehow.
401.2. Each card type other than land has a corresponding spell type. For example, a played creature card is a creature spell until it resolves, is countered, or leaves the stack. An instant or sorcery spell is targeted if it uses the phrase “target [something]” in its spell text, where the “something” is a phrase that describes a permanent, spell, ability, card, or player. Also, local enchantment spells target the permanent they will enchant.
401.3. As the final part of an instant or sorcery spell’s resolution, the card is put into its owner’s graveyard. As the final part of an artifact, creature, or enchantment spell’s resolution, the card becomes a permanent and is put into the in-play zone under the control of the spell’s controller. If any spell is countered, the card is put into its owner’s graveyard as part of the resolution of the countering spell or ability. (See rule 413, “Resolving Spells and Abilities.”)
402. Abilities
402.1. An ability is text on a card or permanent that’s not reminder text, flavor text, characteristic-setting text, or spell text (see rule 400.1). The result of following such an instruction or of following a spell’s text is an effect. (See rule 416, “Effects.”) Abilities can affect the cards or permanents they’re on; they can also affect other cards, permanents, and/or players. Abilities can grant abilities to other cards or permanents or to the cards or permanents they’re on; they do so when the words “has,” “have,” “gains,” or “gain” are used.
402.2. Abilities can be beneficial or detrimental. For example, “[This creature] can’t block” is an ability.
402.3. Text on a card stating that the card “is” a particular type or color isn’t an ability. Such statements apply no matter what zone the card is in and aren’t removed by effects that cause a permanent to lose its abilities. This rule applies only to text that states a card’s type or color, not to other characteristic-setting text.
402.4. An additional cost or alternative cost to play a card isn’t an ability of the card. Such text is spell text.
402.5. An ability isn’t a spell and therefore can’t be countered by anything that counters only spells. Abilities can be countered by effects that specifically counter abilities, as well as by the rules (for example, an ability with one or more targets is countered if all its targets become illegal).
402.6. Once activated or triggered, an ability exists independently of its source (the card on which it’s printed) as a pseudospell on the stack. Destruction or removal of the source after that time won’t affect the ability. Note that some abilities cause a source to do something (for example, “Prodigal Sorcerer deals 1 damage to target creature or player”) rather than the ability doing anything directly. In these cases, any spell, activated ability, or triggered ability that references information about the source will check that information when the ability resolves, or will use the source’s last known information if it’s no longer in play.
402.7. A card may have several abilities. Aside from certain defined abilities that may be strung together on a single line (see rule 502, “Keyword Abilities”), each paragraph break in a card’s text marks a separate ability. A card may also have multiple instances of the same ability. Each instance functions independently. This may or may not produce more effects than a single instance; refer to the specific ability for more information.
402.8. Abilities function only while the permanent with the ability is in play unless the ability states otherwise.
Example: Black spells and abilities from black sources can
target a card with protection from black when it’s in a library or graveyard.
402.9. Some cards have abilities that can be played when the card is not in play. These are clearly marked (for example, “Play this ability only if [this card] is in your graveyard”). These abilities aren’t of any particular permanent type—cards not in play aren’t permanents. Some cards have abilities that can trigger while the card is in a zone other than the in-play zone. Such abilities specify the zone from which they trigger. They aren’t abilities of any particular permanent type because cards not in play aren’t permanents.
402.10. There are three general types of abilities: activated, triggered, and static. Mana abilities are an ability subtype. Abilities can generate one-shot effects or continuous effects. Replacement effects and prevention effects are effect subtypes. An activated or triggered ability is targeted if it uses the phrase “target [something]” in its text, where the “something” is a phrase that describes a permanent, spell, ability, card, or player.
403. Activated Abilities
403.1. An activated ability can exist in one of two places: on a permanent or on a card outside the in-play zone with the text “Play this ability only if [this card] is in [zone].” An activated ability is written as “cost: effect.” The activation cost is everything before the colon (:). The ability’s controller must pay its activation cost to play it.
403.2. Only a permanent’s controller can play its activated ability unless the card specifically says otherwise.
403.3. If an activated ability has a restriction on its use (for example, “Play this ability only once each turn”), the restriction continues to apply to that permanent even if its controller changes.
404. Triggered Abilities
404.1. A triggered ability begins with the word “when,” “whenever,” or “at.” The phrase containing one of these words is the trigger condition, which defines the trigger event. A delayed triggered ability will also contain one of these three words, although that word won’t usually begin the ability.
404.2. Triggered abilities aren’t played. Instead, a triggered ability automatically “triggers” each time its trigger event occurs. Once an ability has triggered, it goes on the stack the next time a player would receive priority.
404.3. A triggered ability may read “When/Whenever/At . . . , if [condition], [effect].” The ability checks for the stated condition to be true when the trigger event occurs. If it is, the ability triggers and goes on the stack. On resolution, the ability rechecks the condition. If the condition isn’t true at either of those times, the ability does nothing. This rule is referred to as the “intervening ‘if’ clause” rule. Note that the word “if” has only its normal English meaning anywhere else in the text of a card; this rule only applies to an “if” that immediately follows a trigger condition.
405. Static Abilities
405.1. A static ability does something all the time rather than being activated or triggered. The ability isn’t played—it just “is.”
406. Ability Subtypes
406.1. Mana Abilities
406.1a A
mana ability is either (a) an activated ability that puts mana into a player’s
mana pool when it resolves or (b) a triggered ability that triggers from an
activated mana ability and produces additional mana. A mana ability can
generate other effects at the same time it produces mana.
406.1b
Spells that put mana into a player’s mana pool aren’t mana abilities. They’re
played and resolved exactly like any other spells. Triggered abilities that put
mana into a player’s mana pool aren’t mana abilities if they trigger from
events other than activating mana abilities. They go on the stack and resolve
like any other triggered abilities.
406.1c A
mana ability remains a mana ability even if the game state doesn’t allow it to
produce mana.
Example: A card has an ability that reads “T: Add G to
your mana pool for each creature you control.” This is still a mana ability
even if you control no creatures, or if the card is already tapped.
406.1d A
mana ability can be activated or triggered. However, the rules for playing and
resolving mana abilities differ slightly from those for playing other
abilities. See rule 411, “Playing Mana Abilities,” for details.
406.1e
Mana abilities are played and resolved like other abilities, but they don’t go
on the stack, so they can’t be countered or responded to. (See rule 408.2,
“Actions That Don’t Use the Stack.”) Abilities (other than mana abilities) that
trigger on playing mana abilities do go on the stack, however.
406.2. Delayed Triggered Abilities
406.2a An
effect may create a delayed triggered
ability that can do something at a later time.
406.2b
Delayed triggered abilities come from spells or other abilities that create
them on resolution. That means a delayed triggered ability won’t trigger until
it has actually been created, even if its trigger event occurred just
beforehand. Other events that happen earlier may make the trigger event
impossible.
Example: Part of an effect reads “when this card leaves
play,” but the card in question leaves play before the spell or ability
creating the effect resolves. In this case, the delayed ability never triggers.
As another example, if an effect reads “when this card becomes untapped” and
the named card becomes untapped before the effect resolves, the ability waits
for the next time that card untaps.
406.2c A
delayed ability that refers to a particular permanent still affects it even if
the permanent changes characteristics.
Example: An ability reading, “At end of turn, destroy that
creature” will destroy the permanent even if it’s no longer a creature during
the end of turn step.
406.2d A
delayed ability that refers to a particular permanent will fail if the
permanent leaves play (even if it returns again before the specified time).
Similarly, delayed triggered abilities that apply to a card in a particular
zone will fail if the card leaves that zone.
Example: An ability reading, “At end of turn, remove this
creature from the game” won’t do anything if the creature leaves play before
the end of turn step.
406.2e A
delayed triggered ability will trigger only once—the next time its trigger
event occurs—unless it has a stated duration, such as “this turn.”
407. Adding and Removing Abilities
407.1. Effects can add or remove abilities of permanents. If two or more effects add and remove the same ability, in general the most recent one prevails. (See rule 418.5, “Interaction of Continuous Effects.”)
407.2. A permanent’s characteristic set by an effect is different from an ability granted by an effect. When a permanent “gains” or “has” an ability, it can be removed by another effect. If an effect defines a characteristic of the permanent (“[permanent] is [characteristic]”), it’s not granting an ability. (See also rule 402.3.)
Example: An effect reads, “Enchanted creature has ‘This
creature is an artifact. It’s still a creature.’” This effect grants an ability
to the creature that can be removed by other effects. Another effect reads,
“Enchanted creature is an artifact. It’s still a creature.” This effect simply
defines a characteristic of the creature. It doesn’t grant an ability, so
effects that would cause the creature to lose its abilities wouldn’t cause the
enchanted creature to stop being an artifact.
407.3. Effects that remove an ability remove all instances of it.
Example: If a creature with flying is enchanted with
Flight, it has two instances of the flying ability. A single effect that reads
“Target creature loses flying” will remove both.
408. Timing of Spells and Abilities
408.1. Timing, Priority, and the Stack
408.1a
Spells and abilities can be played only at certain times and follow a set of
rules for doing so.
408.1b
Spells and activated abilities are played by players (if they choose) using a
system of priority, while other types of abilities and effects are
automatically generated by the game rules. Each time a player would get
priority, all applicable state-based effects resolve first as a single event
(see rule 420, “State-Based Effects”). Then, if any new state-based effects
have been generated, they resolve as a single event. This process repeats until
no more applicable state-based effects are generated. Then triggered abilities
are added to the stack (see rule 410, “Handling Triggered Abilities”). These steps
repeat in order until no further state-based effects or triggered abilities are
generated. Then the player who would have received priority does so and may
play a spell, ability, or land as governed by the rules for that phase. The
game also checks for state-based effects and triggered abilities during the
cleanup step (see rule 314, “Cleanup Step”). If any state-based effects resolve
or abilities trigger, the active player gets priority afterward.
408.1c
The active player gets priority at the beginning of most phases and steps,
after special actions and abilities that trigger at the beginning of that phase
or step go on the stack. (The exceptions are the untap step and the cleanup
step.) The active player also gets priority after combat damage resolves. The
player with priority may either play a spell or ability, or pass. If he or she
plays a spell or ability, the player again receives priority; otherwise, his or
her opponent receives priority. If both players pass in succession, the top
spell or ability on the stack resolves, then the active player receives
priority. If the stack is empty when both players pass in succession, the phase
or step ends and the next one begins.
408.1d A
player may play a spell or activated ability only when he or she has priority.
Spells other than instants can be played only during a player’s main phase,
when that player has priority, and only when the stack is empty.
408.1e
When a spell is played, it goes on top of the stack. When an activated ability
is played, a pseudospell representing it goes on the stack.
408.1f Triggered abilities can trigger at any
time, including during the playing or resolution of a spell or another ability.
However, nothing actually happens at the time the abilities trigger. Each time
a player would receive priority, a pseudospell goes on the stack for each
ability that has triggered but that hasn’t yet been put on the stack. Then the
player gets priority and may play spells or abilities. (See rule 410, “Handling
Triggered Abilities.”)
408.1g
Combat damage goes on the stack once it’s been assigned. For more information,
see rule 310, “Combat Damage Step.”
408.1h
Static abilities aren’t played—they continuously affect the game. Priority
doesn’t apply to them. (See rule 418, “Continuous Effects,” and rule 419,
“Replacement and Prevention Effects.”)
408.2. Actions That Don’t Use the Stack
408.2a
Effects don’t go on the stack; they’re the result of spells and abilities
resolving. Effects may create delayed triggered abilities, however, and these
may go on the stack when they trigger. (See rule 406.2, “Delayed Triggered
Abilities.”)
408.2b
Static abilities continuously generate effects and don’t go on the stack.
408.2c State-based effects (see rule 420)
resolve whenever a player would receive priority as long as the required game
condition is true.
408.2d
Playing a land is a special action consisting of putting that land into play.
(See rule 214.9, “Lands.”)
408.2e
Mana abilities resolve immediately. If a mana ability produces both mana and
another effect, both the mana and the other effect resolve immediately. (See
rule 406.1, “Mana Abilities.”)
408.2f
Characteristic-setting text, such as “[This card] is a forest,” is simply read
and followed as applicable. (See also rule 402.3.)
408.2g
Game actions—untapping during the untap step, declaring attacking or blocking
creatures, cleanup, and mana burn—don’t use the stack. The two exceptions are
combat damage and the draw action of the draw step.
408.2h
The controller of a face-down creature or creature spell may turn it face up
whenever he or she has priority. (See rule 504, “Face-Down Creatures.”)
409. Playing Spells and Activated Abilities
409.1. Playing a spell or activated ability
follows the steps listed below, in order. If at the end of playing a spell or
ability a player was unable to comply with any of the steps listed below, the
game returns to the moment before that spell or ability was played (see rule
422, “Handling Illegal Actions”). Players can’t begin to play a spell or
ability that’s prohibited from being played by an effect. Announcements and
payments can’t be altered after they’ve been made. Playing a spell or ability
that alters costs won’t do anything to spells and abilities that are already on
the stack.
Some spells and abilities specify
that their controller’s opponent does something the controller would normally
do while it’s being played, such as choose a mode, choose targets, or choose how the spell or ability will
affect its targets. In these cases, the opponent does so when the spell or
ability’s controller normally would do so. If the spell or ability instructs
both players to do something at the same time as it’s being played, the spell’s
controller goes first, then his or her opponent. This applies to all parts of
rule 409.1.
409.1a
The player announces that he or she is playing the spell or ability. It goes on
the stack and remains there until it’s countered or resolves. Spell cards are
physically placed on the stack. For abilities, a pseudospell with the text of
the ability goes on the stack. All other characteristics of the pseudospell
depend on the characteristics of the ability’s source. For example, such a
pseudospell’s color would be continuously determined by the color of its
source, not just the source’s color when the pseudospell went on the stack.
409.1b If
the spell or ability is modal (uses
the phrase “Choose one —” or “[specified player] chooses one — “), the player
announces the mode choice. If the spell or ability has a variable mana cost
(indicated by “X”) or some other variable cost, the player announces the value
of that variable at this time. If the spell or ability has alternative,
additional, or other special costs (such as buyback
or kicker costs), the player
announces his or her intentions to pay any or all of those costs (see rule
409.1f).
409.1c If
the spell or ability requires any targets, the player first announces how many
targets he or she will choose (if the spell or ability has a variable number of
targets), then announces the targets themselves. A spell or ability can’t be
played unless the required number of legal targets are chosen. The same target
can’t be chosen multiple times.
If the spell or ability targets one
or more targets only if an alternative, additional, or special cost (such as a
buyback or kicker cost) is paid for it, or if a particular mode is chosen for
it, its controller chooses those targets only if he or she announced the
intention to pay that cost or chose that mode. Otherwise, the spell or ability
is played as though it did not have those targets.
409.1d If
the spell or ability affects several targets in different ways, the player
announces how it will affect each target.
409.1e If
the spell or ability requires the player to divide an effect (such as damage or
counters) among a variable number of targets, the player announces the
division. Each of these targets must receive at least one of whatever is being
divided (for example, damage or counters); this doesn’t apply when the player
isn’t given a choice.
409.1f The
player determines the total cost of the spell or ability. Usually this is just
the mana cost (for spells) or activation cost (for abilities). Some cards list
additional or alternative costs in their text, and some effects may increase or
reduce the cost to pay. Costs may include paying mana, tapping cards,
sacrificing permanents, discarding cards, and so on. The total cost is the mana
or activation cost, plus all cost increases and minus all cost reductions. Once
the total cost is determined, it becomes “locked in,” and the player then pays
all costs in any order. Partial payments are not allowed. If effects would
change the total cost after this time, they have no effect. If the cost
includes mana, mana abilities can be played at this time. (See rule 411,
“Playing Mana Abilities.”)
Example: You play Death Bomb, which costs 3B and has an additional cost of
sacrificing a creature. You sacrifice Thunderscape Familiar, whose effect makes
your black spells cost 1 less to play. Because a spell’s total cost is “locked
in” before payments are actually made, Death Bomb costs 2B, not 3B, even though
you’re sacrificing the Familiar.
409.1g
Once the steps described in 409.1a–409.1f are completed, the spell or ability
becomes played. Its controller gains priority.
409.2. Activated abilities that read “Play this ability only any time you could play [spell type]” mean the player must follow the timing rules for that spell type, though the ability isn’t actually of that spell type.
409.3. A creature’s activated ability with the tap symbol in its activation cost can’t be played unless the creature has been under its controller’s control since the start of his or her most recent turn. Creatures with haste may ignore this rule (see rule 502.5).
410. Handling Triggered Abilities
410.1. Because they aren’t played, triggered abilities can trigger even when it isn’t legal to play spells and abilities, and effects that prevent abilities from being played don’t affect them.
410.2. Whenever a game event or game state matches a triggered ability’s trigger event, that ability triggers. When a phase or step begins, all abilities that trigger “at the beginning of” that phase or step trigger. The ability doesn’t do anything when it triggers but automatically puts a pseudospell (see rule 217.6b) on the stack as soon as a player would receive priority. The ability (and the pseudospell) is controlled by the player who controlled its source at the time it triggered. If the ability says a player “may” do something, that player makes all choices for that instruction. If the ability says this for more than one player, each player specified makes the choices for their instructions. See also rule 410.6.
410.3. If multiple abilities have triggered since the last time a player received priority, pseudospells controlled by the active player go on the stack first, in any order he or she chooses, then those controlled by the opponent go on the stack in any order that opponent chooses. Then players once again check for and resolve state-based effects until none are generated, then abilities that triggered during this process go on the stack. This process repeats until no new state-based effects are generated and no abilities trigger. Then the appropriate player gets priority.
410.4. When a triggered ability goes on the stack, the controller of the pseudospell makes all required choices, following the rules for activated abilities (see rule 409, “Playing Spells and Activated Abilities”). If no legal choice can be made (or if a rule or a continuous effect otherwise makes the ability illegal), the pseudospell is simply removed from the stack.
410.5. Some triggered abilities’ effects are optional (they contain “may,” as in “At the beginning of your upkeep, you may draw a card”). These abilities go on the stack when they trigger, regardless of whether their controller intends to exercise the ability’s option or not. (The choice is made when the ability resolves.) Likewise, triggered abilities that have an effect “unless” something is true or a player chooses to do something will go on the stack normally; the “unless” part of the ability is dealt with when the ability resolves. Note that this rule is a reversal of rule 410.5 in the previous edition of this rulebook.
410.6. An ability triggers only once each time its trigger event occurs. However, it can trigger repeatedly if one event contains multiple occurrences. See also rule 410.9.
Example: A permanent has an ability whose trigger
condition reads, “Whenever a land is put into a graveyard from play, . . . .”
If someone plays a spell that destroys all lands, the ability will trigger once
for each land put into the graveyard during the spell’s resolution.
410.7. An ability triggers only if its trigger event actually occurs. An event that’s prevented or replaced won’t trigger anything.
Example: An ability that triggers on damage being dealt
won’t trigger if all the damage is prevented.
410.8. Triggered abilities with a condition directly following the trigger event (for example, “When/Whenever/At [trigger], if [condition], [effect]”), check for the condition to be true as part of the trigger event; if it isn’t, the ability doesn’t trigger. The ability checks the condition again on resolution. If it’s not satisfied, the ability does nothing. Note that this mirrors the check for legal targets. Note that this rule doesn’t apply to any triggered ability with a condition elsewhere within its text.
410.9. Some abilities trigger when creatures block or are blocked in combat. (See rules 306–311 and section 5, “Additional Rules.”) They may trigger once or repeatedly, depending on the wording of the ability.
410.9a An
ability that reads “Whenever [this creature] blocks” or “Whenever [this
creature] becomes blocked” triggers only once each combat for that creature,
even if it blocks or is blocked by multiple creatures. An effect that causes
the creature to become blocked (if the creature wasn’t already blocked) will
also trigger such abilities.
410.9b An
ability that reads “Whenever [this creature] blocks a creature” triggers once
for each attacking creature the named creature blocks.
410.9c An
ability that reads “Whenever a creature blocks [this creature]” triggers once
for each creature that blocks the named creature. It won’t trigger if the
attacking creature becomes blocked by an effect rather than a blocking
creature.
410.9d If
an ability triggers when a creature blocks or is blocked by a particular number
of creatures, the ability triggers only if the creature blocks or is blocked by
that many creatures when the attack or block declaration is made. Effects that
add or remove blockers can cause such abilities to trigger, but effects that
switch blockers cannot. This also applies to abilities that trigger on a
creature blocking or being blocked by at least a certain number of creatures.
410.10. Trigger events that involve cards or permanents changing zones are called “zone-change triggers.” Many abilities with zone-change triggers attempt to do something to that card after it changes zones. During resolution, these abilities look for the card in the zone that it moved to. If the card leaves the specified zone before the ability resolves, the part of the ability attempting to do something to the card will fail to do anything. (This rule applies even if the card leaves the zone and returns again before the ability resolves.) The most common types of zone-change triggers are comes-into-play triggers and leaves-play triggers.
410.10a
Comes-into-play abilities trigger when a permanent enters the in-play zone.
These are written, “When [this card] comes into play, . . . “ or “Whenever a
[type] comes into play, . . .” Each time an event puts one or more permanents
into play, all permanents in play (including the newcomers) are checked for any
comes-into-play triggers that match the event.
410.10b
Continuous effects that modify characteristics of a permanent do so the moment
the permanent is in play (and not before then). The permanent is never in play
with its unmodified characteristics. Continuous effects don’t apply before the
permanent is in play, however (see rule 410.10e).
Example: If an effect reads “All lands are creatures” and
a land card is played, the effect makes the land card into a creature the
moment it enters play, so it would trigger abilities that trigger when a
creature comes into play. Conversely, if an effect reads “All creatures lose
all abilities” and a creature card with a comes-into-play triggered ability
enters play, that effect will cause it to lose its abilities the moment it
enters play, so the comes-into-play ability won’t trigger.
410.10c
Leaves-play abilities trigger when a permanent leaves the in-play zone. These
are written as, but aren’t limited to, “Whenever [this card] leaves play, . .
.” or “Whenever [permanent type] is put into a graveyard from play, . . . .” An
ability that attempts to do something to the card that left play checks for it
only in the first zone that it went to.
410.10d
Abilities that trigger on one or more permanents leaving play, or on a player
losing control of a permanent, must be treated specially because the permanent
with the ability may no longer be in play after the event. The game has to
“look back in time” to determine what triggered. Each time an event removes
from play or changes who controls one or more permanents, all the permanents in
play just before the event (with continuous effects that existed at that time)
are checked for trigger events that match what just left play or changed
control.
Example: Two creatures are in play along with an artifact
that has the ability “Whenever a creature is put into a graveyard from play,
you gain 1 life.” Someone plays a spell that destroys all artifacts, creatures,
and enchantments. The artifact’s ability triggers twice, even though the
artifact goes to its owner’s graveyard at the same time as the creatures.
“Leaves play” triggers are zone-change
triggers, even if the trigger condition doesn’t care what zone the permanent is
going to. If they attempt to do something to the card that left play, they’ll
look for it only in the first zone that it went to after leaving play.
410.10e
Some permanents have text that reads “[This permanent] comes into play with . .
. ,” “As [this permanent] comes into play . . . ,” “[This permanent] comes into
play as . . . ,” or “[This permanent] comes into play tapped.” Such text is a
static ability—not a triggered ability—whose effect occurs as part of the event
that puts the permanent into play.
410.11. Some triggered abilities trigger on a game state, such as a player controlling no permanents of a particular type, rather than triggering when an event occurs. These abilities trigger as soon as the game state matches the condition (even if it’s not legal to play a spell or ability at that time). These are called state triggers. (Note that state triggers aren’t the same as state-based effects.) A state-triggered ability doesn’t trigger again until the pseudospell it created has resolved or been countered. Then, if the permanent with the ability is still in play and the game state still matches its trigger condition, the ability will trigger again.
Example: A permanent’s ability reads, “When your hand is
empty, draw a card.” If its controller plays the last card from his or her
hand, the ability will trigger once and won’t trigger again until it has resolved.
If its controller plays a spell that reads “Discard your hand, then draw the
same number of cards,” the ability will trigger during the spell’s resolution
because the player’s hand was momentarily empty.
411. Playing Mana Abilities
411.1. To play a mana ability, the player announces that he or she is playing it and pays the activation cost. It resolves immediately afterward and doesn’t go on the stack. (See rule 408.2e.)
411.2. A player may play an activated mana ability whenever he or she has priority. A player may also play one whenever a rule or effect asks for a mana payment, even in the middle of playing or resolving a spell or ability.
411.3. Triggered mana abilities trigger when an activated mana ability is played. These abilities resolve immediately after the mana ability that triggered them, without waiting for priority. If an activated or triggered ability produces both mana and another effect, both the mana and the other effect resolve immediately.
Example: An enchantment reads, “Whenever a player taps a
land for mana, that land produces one additional mana of the same color.” If a
player taps lands for mana while playing a spell, the additional mana is added
to the player’s mana pool immediately and can be used to pay for the spell.
411.3a If
a triggered mana ability adds mana “of the same type” to a player’s mana pool,
and the mana ability that triggered it produced more than one type of mana, the
player to whose mana pool the mana is being added chooses which type of mana
the triggered ability adds.
412. Handling Static Abilities
412.1. A static ability may generate a continuous effect or a prevention or replacement effect. These effects last as long as the permanent with the static ability remains in play.
412.2. Many local enchantments have static abilities that modify their enchanted permanent, but those abilities don’t target that permanent. If a local enchantment is moved to a different permanent, the ability stops applying to the original permanent and starts modifying the new one.
412.3. Some static abilities apply while a spell is on the stack. These are often abilities that refer to countering the spell.
412.4. Some static abilities apply while a card is in your hand. These are limited to those that read, “you may play [this spell] . . .” and “you can’t play [this spell] . . . .”
412.5. Unlike spells and other kinds of abilities, static abilities can’t use a card or permanent’s last known information for purposes of determining how their effects are applied.
413. Resolving Spells and Abilities
413.1. Each time both players pass in succession, the spell, ability, or combat damage on top of the stack resolves. (See rule 416, “Effects.”)
413.2. Resolution of a spell or ability may involve several steps but is treated by the game as a single indivisible action. These steps are followed in the order listed below.
413.2a If
the spell or ability specifies targets, it checks whether the targets are still
legal. A target that’s removed from play, or from the zone designated by the
spell or ability, is illegal. A target may also become illegal if its
characteristics changed since the spell or ability was played or if an effect
changed the wording of the spell or ability. If all targets are now illegal,
the spell or ability is countered. If the spell or ability is not countered it
will resolve normally, affecting only the targets that are still legal. If the
spell or ability needs to know information about one or more targets that are
now illegal, it will use the illegal targets’ current or last known
information.
413.2b
The controller of the spell or ability follows its instructions in the order
written. However, replacement effects may modify these actions. In some cases,
later text on the card may modify the meaning of earlier text (for example,
“Destroy target creature. It can’t be regenerated” or “Counter target spell.
Put it on top of its owner’s library instead of into its owner’s graveyard.”)
Don’t just apply effects step by step without thinking in these cases—read the
whole card and apply the rules of English to the text.
413.2c If
an effect offers any choices other than choices already made as part of playing
the spell or ability, the player announces these while applying the effect. The
player can’t choose an option that’s illegal or impossible. If the effect
provides an optional action with a consequence for not doing so, the player
can’t choose that action unless he or she can meet all requirements.
Example: A spell’s instruction reads, “You may sacrifice a
creature. If you don’t, you lose 4 life.” A player who controls no creatures
can’t choose the sacrifice option.
413.2d If
an effect requires both players to make choices or take actions at the same
time, the active player makes and announces his or her choices first, and then
his or her opponent does (knowing the first player’s choices). Then the actions
take place simultaneously. This is called the “active player rule.” If a player
must make more than one choice at a time, he or she makes the choices in the
order written, or in the order he or she chooses if the choices aren’t ordered.
Then, the actions are processed simultaneously.
Some spells and abilities have
multiple steps or actions, denoted by separate sentences or clauses. In these
cases, the active player does the first action, then the nonactive player does
that action, then the active player does the second action, then the nonactive
player does that action, and so on.
Example: Stronghold Gambit reads, “Each player chooses a
card in his or her hand. Then each player reveals his or her chosen card. . .
.” First the active player chooses a card, then the nonactive player does so,
then the active player reveals his or her chosen card, and then the nonactive
player does so.
413.2e If
an effect gives a player the option to pay mana, he or she may play mana
abilities as part of the action. No other spells or abilities can be played
during resolution.
413.2f If
an effect requires information from the game (such as the number of creatures
in play), the answer is determined when the effect is applied. The effect uses
the current information of a specific permanent if that permanent is still in
play, or of a specific card in the stated zone; otherwise, the effect uses the
last known information the card or permanent had before leaving that zone. The
exception is that static abilities can’t use last known information; see rule
412.5. If the ability text states that a permanent does something, it’s the
permanent as it exists (or most recently existed) that does it, not the
ability.
413.2g An
effect that refers to characteristics of a permanent checks only for the value
of the specified characteristics, regardless of any related ones the permanent
may also have.
Example: An effect that reads “Destroy all black creatures”
destroys a white-and-black creature, but one that reads “Destroy all nonblack
creatures” doesn’t.
413.2h A
spell card is put into play under the control of the spell’s controller (for
permanents) or is put into its owner’s graveyard (for instants and sorceries)
as the final step of the spell’s resolution.
413.2i If
an effect could result in a tie, the
text of the spell or ability that created the effect will specify what to do in
the event of a tie. The Magic game
has no default for ties.
414. Countering Spells and Abilities
414.1. To counter a spell is to move the spell card from the stack to its owner’s graveyard. Countering an ability removes its pseudospell from the stack. Spells and abilities that are countered don’t resolve and none of their effects occur.
414.2. The player who played the countered spell or ability doesn’t get a “refund” of any costs that were paid.
415. Editing a Spell or Ability
415.1. A few effects can “edit” a spell or ability after it goes on the stack, changing its target, rules text, or other characteristics.
415.2. The target of a spell or ability can change only to another legal target. If the new target is illegal when the change resolves, the original target is unchanged.
415.2a
Modal spells may have different targeting requirements for each mode. Changing
a spell or ability’s target can’t change its mode.
415.2b
The word “you” in a card’s text isn’t a target. If a spell affects only its
controller, its target can’t be changed.
415.3. If an effect edits any characteristics of a spell that becomes a permanent, the effect continues to apply to the permanent when the spell resolves.
Example: If an effect changes a black creature spell to
white, the creature is white when it comes into play and remains white for the
duration of the effect changing its color.
415.4. An effect that changes the text of a spell or permanent can’t change a proper noun (such as a card name or creature type), even if that proper noun contains a word or a series of letters which is the same as a Magic color word or basic land type.
416. Effects
416.1. When a spell or ability resolves, it may create one or more effects. There are three main types: one-shot effects, continuous effects, and replacement and prevention effects. Effects of a fourth category, state-based effects, are generated by specific states of the game.
416.2. Effects apply only to permanents unless the instruction’s text states otherwise or they clearly can apply only to cards in one or more other zones.
Example: An effect that changes all lands to creatures
won’t alter land cards in the players’ graveyards.
416.3. If an effect attempts to do something impossible, it does only as much as possible.
Example: If a player is holding only one card, an effect
that reads “Discard two cards” causes him or her to discard only that card. If
an effect moves cards out of the library (as opposed to drawing), it moves as
many as possible.
417. One-Shot Effects
417.1. A one-shot effect does something just once and doesn’t have a duration. Examples include damage dealing, destruction of permanents, and moving cards between zones.
417.2. Some one-shot effects instruct a player to do something later in the game (usually at a specific time) rather than when they resolve. This kind of effect actually creates a new ability that waits to be triggered. (See rule 406.2, “Delayed Triggered Abilities.”)
418. Continuous Effects
418.1. A continuous effect modifies characteristics of cards and/or permanents or modifies the rules of the game for a fixed or indefinite period. A continuous effect may be generated by the resolution of a spell or ability or by a static ability of a permanent.
418.2. Continuous effects that modify characteristics of permanents do so simultaneously with the permanent coming into play. They don’t wait until the permanent is in play and then change it. Because such effects apply as the permanent comes into play, apply them before determining whether the permanent will cause an ability to trigger when it comes into play.
418.3. Continuous Effects from Spells or Abilities
418.3a A
continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability lasts as
long as stated by the spell or ability creating it (such as “until end of
turn”). If no duration is stated, it lasts until the end of the game.
418.3b
Continuous effects from spells, activated abilities, and triggered abilities
that modify the characteristics or change the controller of one or more cards
and/or permanents don’t affect cards and/or permanents that weren’t affected
when the continuous effect began. Note that these work differently than
continuous effects from static abilities. Continuous effects that don’t modify
characteristics of cards and/or permanents modify the rules of the game, so
they can affect cards and/or
permanents that weren’t affected when the continuous effect began.
Example: An effect that reads “All white creatures get
+1/+1 until end of turn” gives the bonus to all permanents that are white
creatures when the spell or ability resolves—even if they change color
later—and doesn’t affect those that come into play or turn white afterward.
Example: An effect that reads “Prevent all damage
creatures would deal this turn” doesn’t modify any card’s or permanent’s
characteristics, so it’s modifying the rules of the game. That means the effect
will apply even to creatures that weren’t in play when the continuous effect
began. It also affects permanents that become creatures later in the turn.
418.3c If
the spell or ability creating a continuous effect is variable, the effect is
determined only once, on resolution.
Example: A spell that reads “Target creature gets +X/+X
until end of turn, where X is the number of cards in your hand” counts the
number of cards in the controller’s hand when the spell resolves and grants
that bonus for the rest of the turn, even if the hand size changes.
418.3d If
an effect’s duration is over before it would begin, the effect does nothing—it
doesn’t start and immediately stop again, and it doesn’t last forever.
Example: Endoskeleton is an artifact with an activated
ability that reads “2, T:
Target creature gets +0/+3 as long as Endoskeleton remains tapped.” If you play
this ability and then Endoskeleton becomes untapped before the ability
resolves, it does nothing, because its duration—remaining tapped—was over
before the effect began.
418.4. Continuous Effects from Permanents
418.4a A
continuous effect generated by a static ability of a permanent isn’t “locked
in”; it applies at any given moment to whatever its text indicates.
418.4b
The effect applies at all times that the permanent generating it is in play.
Example: A permanent with the static ability “All white
creatures get +1/+1” generates an effect that continuously gives +1/+1 to each
white creature in play. If a creature becomes white, it gets this bonus; a
creature that stops being white loses it. A creature spell that would normally
create a 1/1 white creature instead creates a 2/2 white creature. The creature
doesn’t come into play as 1/1 and then change to 2/2.
418.5. Interaction of Continuous Effects
418.5a
Sometimes the results of one effect determine whether another effect applies or
what it does. For example, one effect might read, “All white creatures get
+1/+1” and another, “Enchanted creature is white.”
418.5b An
effect is said to “depend on” another if applying the other would change the
text or the existence of the first effect, what it applies to, or what it does
to any of the things it applies to. Otherwise, the effect is considered to be
independent of the first effect.
418.5c
Whenever one effect depends on another, the independent one is applied first.
If several dependent effects form a loop, or if none depends on another,
they’re applied in “timestamp order.” A permanent’s timestamp is the time it
came into play, with two exceptions: (1) If two or more permanents enter play
simultaneously, the active player determines their timestamp order at the time
they come into play, but a local enchantment must be timestamped after what it
enchants; (2) Whenever a local enchantment becomes attached to a permanent, the
enchantment receives a new timestamp. Continuous effects generated by static
abilities have the same timestamp as the permanent that generated them.
Continuous effects generated by the resolution of a spell or ability receive a
timestamp when the spell or ability creating them resolves.
418.5d A
continuous effect can override another.
Example: Two enchantments are played on the same creature:
“Enchanted creature gains flying” and “Enchanted creature loses flying.”
Neither of these depends on the other, since nothing changes what they affect
or what they’re doing to it. Applying them in timestamp order means the one
that was generated last “wins.” It’s irrelevant whether an effect is temporary
(such as “Target creature loses flying until end of turn”) or global (such as
“All creatures lose flying”).
418.5e
The value of a permanent’s characteristic is determined by starting with the
printed or token value, then applying copy effects (see rule 503, “Copying
Spells and Abilities”), then applying continuous effects generated by
type-changing abilities, then applying any power or toughness changes due to
counters, and then applying all other continuous effects.
419. Replacement and Prevention Effects
419.1. Replacement and prevention effects are continuous effects that watch for a particular event to happen and then completely or partially replace that event. (A prevention effect replaces an event with nothing or with a lessened version of the event.) These effects act like “shields” around whatever they’re affecting. All replacement effects use the word “instead” to indicate what events will be replaced with other events, and prevention effects use “prevent” to indicate what events will not occur. Abilities that contain “instead” or “prevent” generate replacement or prevention effects, respectively.
419.2. Replacement and prevention effects apply continuously as events happen—they aren’t locked in ahead of time.
419.3. There are no special restrictions on playing a spell or ability that generates a replacement or prevention effect. Such effects last until they’re used up or their duration has expired.
419.4. Replacement or prevention effects must exist before the appropriate event occurs—they can’t “go back in time” and change something that’s already happened. Usually spells and abilities that generate these effects are played in response to whatever would produce the event and thus resolve before that event would occur.
Example: A player can play a regeneration ability in
response to a spell that would destroy a creature he or she controls.
419.5. If an event is prevented or replaced, it never happens. A modified event occurs instead, which may in turn trigger abilities. Note that the modified event may contain instructions that can’t be carried out, in which case the player simply ignores the impossible instruction. If a source would deal 0 damage, it does not deal damage at all. That means abilities that trigger on damage being dealt won’t trigger. It also means that replacement effects that increase damage dealt have no event to replace when 0 damage is dealt, so they have no effect. Some abilities read, “Whenever [X], you may [Y]. If you do, [Z].” The ”if you do” clause refers to doing any part of the event Y. If Y is replaced entirely or in part by a different event, the “if you do” clause refers to the event that replaced Y.
419.6. Replacement Effects
419.6a A
replacement effect doesn’t invoke itself repeatedly and gets only one
opportunity for each event.
Example: A player controls two permanents, each with an
ability that reads “Instead of dealing their normal damage, creatures you
control deal double that damage.” A creature that normally deals 1 damage will
deal 4 damage—not just 2, and not an infinite amount.
419.6b
Regeneration is a destruction-replacement effect. The key word “instead”
doesn’t appear on the card but is implicit in its definition. “Regenerate
[permanent]” means “The next time [permanent] would be destroyed this turn,
instead remove all damage from it, tap it, and (if it’s in combat) remove it
from combat.” Note that if destruction is caused by lethal damage, any abilities that trigger from that damage being
dealt still trigger even if the permanent regenerates.
419.6c
Some effects replace damage dealt to one creature or player with the same
damage dealt to another creature or player; such effects are called
“redirection” effects. If either creature is no longer in play or is no longer
a creature when the damage would be redirected, the effect does nothing.
Likewise, if either player is no longer in the game, the effect does nothing.
419.6d Some spells and abilities replace part or all of
their own effect(s) when they resolve. Such effects are called
“self-replacement effects.” When applying replacement effects to an event,
apply self-replacement effects first, then apply other replacement effects.
419.7. Prevention Effects
419.7a
Prevention effects usually apply to damage that would be dealt.
419.7b
Some prevention effects refer to a specific amount of damage—for example,
“Prevent the next 3 damage to target creature or player this turn.” These work
like ablative shields. Each 1 damage that would be dealt to the “shielded”
creature or player instead reduces the shield by 1. Once the shield has been
reduced to 0, any remaining damage is dealt normally. Such effects count only
the amount of damage; the number of events or sources dealing it doesn’t
matter.
419.7c
Some prevention effects apply to damage from a specified source—for example,
“The next time a red source of your choice would deal damage to you this turn,
prevent that damage.” The source is chosen when the spell or ability resolves.
If an effect requires a player to choose a source, he or she may choose either
a permanent or a spell on the stack (including one that creates a permanent) or
any card or permanent referred to by a spell or pseudospell on the stack. If
the player chooses a permanent or a permanent spell, the prevention will apply
to the next damage from that permanent or the permanent resulting from the
spell, regardless of whether it’s from one of that permanent’s abilities or
combat damage dealt by it. It’s possible for the source to be out of play by
the time the spell or ability resolves.
Some abilities that generate
prevention effects can affect damage only from a source with certain
characteristics, such as a creature or a source of a particular color. When
prevention “shields” with these types of restrictions are used, they recheck
the source from which they’re preventing damage. If the characteristics no
longer match, the damage isn’t prevented.
419.8. Interaction of Replacement or Prevention Effects
419.8a If
two or more replacement or prevention effects are attempting to modify the way
an event affects a permanent or player, the affected permanent’s controller or
the affected player chooses one to apply to that permanent or player. Then the
other applies if it is still appropriate. If one or more of the applicable
replacement effects is a “self-replacement effect” (see rule 419.6d), that
effect is applied before any other replacement effects.
Example: Two cards are in play. One is an enchantment that
reads “If a card would be put into a graveyard, instead remove it from the
game,” and the other is a creature that reads “If [this card] would be put into
a graveyard, instead shuffle it into its owner’s library.” The controller of
the creature that would be destroyed decides which replacement to apply first;
the other does nothing.
419.8b A
replacement effect can become applicable to an event as the result of another
replacement effect that modifies the event.
Example: One effect reads, “For each 1 life you would
gain, instead draw a card,” and another reads, “Instead of drawing a card,
return target card from your graveyard to your hand.” Both effects combine
(regardless of the order they came into play): Instead of gaining 1 life, the
player puts a card from his or her graveyard into his or her hand.
420. State-Based Effects
420.1. State-based effects are a special category that applies only to those conditions listed below. Abilities that watch for a specified game state are triggered abilities. (See rule 410.8.)
420.2. State-based effects are always active and are not controlled by either player.
420.3. Whenever a player would get priority to play a spell or ability (see rule 408, “Timing of Spells and Abilities”), the game checks for any of the listed conditions for state-based effects. All applicable effects resolve as a single event, then the check is repeated. Once no more state-based effects have been generated, triggered abilities go on the stack, then the appropriate player gets priority. This check is also made during the cleanup step (see rule 314); if any of the listed conditions apply, the active player receives priority.
420.4. Unlike triggered abilities, state-based effects pay no attention to what happens during the resolution of a spell or ability.
Example: A player controls a creature with the ability
“This creature’s power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in
your hand” and plays a spell whose effect is “Discard your hand, then draw
seven cards.” The creature will temporarily have toughness 0 in the middle of
the spell’s resolution but will be back up to toughness 7 when the spell
finishes resolving. Thus the creature will survive when state-based effects are
checked. In contrast, an ability that triggers when the player has no cards in
hand goes on the stack after the spell resolves, because its trigger event
happened during resolution.
420.5. The state-based effects are as follows:
420.5a A
player with 0 life or less loses the game.
420.5b A
creature with toughness 0 or less is put into its owner’s graveyard.
Regeneration can’t replace this event.
420.5c A
creature with lethal damage is destroyed. Lethal damage is an amount of damage
greater than 0 and greater than or equal to a creature’s toughness.
Regeneration does replace this event.
420.5d A
local enchantment that enchants an illegal or nonexistent permanent is put into
its owner’s graveyard.
420.5e If
two or more Legends or legendary permanents with the same name are in play, all
except the one that has been a Legend or legendary permanent with that name the
longest are put into their owners’ graveyards. This is called ‘the Legend
rule.’ In the event of a tie, each Legend or legendary permanent with the same
name is put into its owner’s graveyard. (If two permanents have the same name
but only one is a Legend or is legendary, this rule doesn’t apply.)
420.5f A
token in a zone other than the in-play zone ceases to exist.
420.5g A
player who was required to draw more cards than were in his or her library
loses the game.
420.5h A
player with ten or more poison counters loses the game.
420.5i If
two or more enchant worlds are in play, all except the one that has been an
enchant world for the shortest amount of time are put into their owners’
graveyards. In the event of a tie for the shortest amount of time, all are put
into their owners’ graveyards.
421. Handling “Infinite” Loops
421.1. Occasionally the game can get into a state where a set of actions could be repeated forever. The “infinity rule” governs how to break such loops.
421.2. If the loop contains one or more optional actions and one player controls them all, that player chooses a number. The loop is treated as repeating that many times or until the other player intervenes, whichever comes first.
421.3. If the loop contains at least one optional action controlled by each player and actions by both players are required to continue the loop, the active player chooses a number. The nonactive player then has two choices. He or she can choose a lower number, in which case the loop continues that number of times plus whatever fraction is necessary for the active player to “have the last word.” Or he or she can agree to the number the active player chose, in which case the loop continues that number of times plus whatever fraction is necessary for the nonactive player to “have the last word.” (Note that either fraction may be zero.)
Example: One player controls a creature with the ability “0: [This creature] gains flying.” Another player
controls a permanent with the ability “0: Target creature loses flying.” The
“infinity rule” ensures that regardless of which player initiated the gain/lose
flying ability, the nonactive player will always have the final choice
and therefore be able to determine whether the creature has flying. (Note that
this assumes that the first player attempted to give the creature flying at
least once.)
421.4. If the loop contains only mandatory actions, the game ends in a draw. (See rule 102.6.)
421.5. If the loop contains at least one optional action controlled by each player and these actions don’t depend on one another, the active player chooses a number. The nonactive player can either agree to that number or choose a higher number. Note that this rule applies even if the actions could exist in separate loops rather than in a single loop.
422. Handling Illegal Actions
422.1. If a player realizes that he or she
can’t legally take an action after starting to do so, the entire action is
reversed and any payments already made are canceled. No abilities trigger as a
result of an undone action. If the action was playing a spell, the spell card
returns to the zone it came from. The player may also reverse any legal mana
abilities played while making the illegal play, unless mana from them or from
any triggered mana abilities they triggered was spent on another mana ability
that wasn’t reversed. Players may not reverse actions that moved cards to or
from a library or that involved a random choice or random zone change.
422.2. When reversing illegal spells and abilities, the player who had priority retains it and may take another action or pass. The player may redo the reversed action in a legal way or take any other action allowed by the rules.
5. Additional Rules
500. Legal Attacks and Blocks
500.1. Some abilities and continuous effects restrict declaring attackers or blockers in combat. (See rule 308, “Declare Attackers Step,” and rule 309, “Declare Blockers Step.”)
500.2. As part of declaring attackers, the active player checks each creature he or she controls to see whether it must attack, can’t attack, or has some other attacking restriction or requirement. If such a restriction or requirement conflicts with the proposed attack, the attack is illegal, and the active player must then propose another set of attacking creatures. (Tapped creatures and creatures with unpaid costs to attack are exempt from effects that would require them to attack.)
Example: A player controls two creatures, each with a
restriction that states “[This creature] can’t attack alone.” It’s legal to
declare both as attackers.
Example: A player controls one creature that “attacks if
able” and another creature with no abilities. An effect states “Only one
creature may attack each turn.” It’s legal to declare either creature as an
attacker but illegal to attack with both or neither.
500.3. As part of declaring blockers, the defending player checks each creature he or she controls to see whether it must block, can’t block, or has some other blocking restriction or requirement. If such a restriction or requirement conflicts with the proposed set of blocking creatures, the block is illegal, and the defending player must then propose another set of blocking creatures. (Creatures with unpaid costs to block are exempt from effects that would require them to block.)
501. Evasion Abilities
501.1. Evasion abilities restrict what can block an attacking creature. These are static abilities that modify the declare blockers step of combat.
501.2. Evasion abilities are cumulative.
Example: A Wall without flying can’t block a creature
that can be blocked only by Walls and by creatures with flying.
501.3. Some creatures have abilities that restrict how they can block. As with evasion abilities, these modify only the rules for the declare blockers step of combat. (If a creature gains an evasion ability after a legal block has been declared, it doesn’t affect that block.)
502. Keyword Abilities
502.1. Most creature abilities describe exactly what they do in the card’s rules text. Some, though, are very common or would require too much space to define on the card. In these cases, the card lists only the name of the ability as a “keyword”; sometimes reminder text summarizes the game rule.
502.2. First Strike
502.2a First strike is a static ability that
modifies the rules for the combat damage step.
502.2b
During the combat damage step, if at least one attacking or blocking creature
has first strike, creatures without first strike don’t assign combat damage.
Instead of proceeding to end of combat, the phase gets a second combat damage
step to handle the remaining creatures.
502.2c Adding
or removing first strike after the first combat damage step won’t prevent a
creature from dealing combat damage or allow it to deal combat damage twice.
502.2d
Multiple instances of first strike on the same creature are redundant.
502.3. Flanking
502.3a Flanking is a triggered ability that
triggers during the declare blockers step.
502.3b
Whenever a creature with flanking is blocked by a creature without flanking,
the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
502.3c If
a creature has multiple instances of flanking, each triggers separately.
502.4. Flying
502.4a Flying is an evasion ability.
502.4b A
creature with flying can’t be blocked by creatures without flying. A creature
with flying can block a creature with or without flying.
502.4c
Multiple instances of flying on the same creature are redundant.
502.5. Haste
502.5a Haste is a static ability.
502.5b A
creature with haste can attack or use activated abilities whose cost includes
the tap symbol even if it hasn’t been controlled by its controller continuously
since the beginning of his or her most recent turn.
502.5c
Multiple instances of haste on the same creature are redundant.
502.6. Landwalk
502.6a Landwalk and snow-covered landwalk are generic terms; a card’s rules text usually
names a specific type of land (such as in “islandwalk” or “snow-covered
swampwalk”).
502.6b
Landwalk and snow-covered landwalk are evasion abilities. A creature with
landwalk is unblockable as long as the defending player controls at least one
land of the specified type. A creature with snow-covered landwalk is
unblockable as long as the defending player controls at least one land of the
specified type that has snow-covered.
502.6c
Snow-covered landwalk is a special type of landwalk. If a player is allowed to
choose any landwalk ability, that player may choose a snow-covered landwalk
ability. If an effect causes a permanent to lose all landwalk abilities,
snow-covered landwalk abilities are removed as well.
502.6d
Landwalk or snow-covered landwalk abilities don’t “cancel” one another.
Example: If a player controls a snow-covered forest, that
player can’t block an attacking creature with snow-covered forestwalk even if
he or she also controls a creature with snow-covered forestwalk.
502.6e
Multiple instances of the same type of landwalk or snow-covered landwalk on the
same creature are redundant.
502.7. Protection
502.7a Protection is a static ability, written
“Protection from [quality].” This quality is usually a color (as in “protection
from black”) but can be any characteristic, such as a permanent type.
502.7b A
permanent with protection can’t be targeted by spells with the stated quality,
can’t be targeted by abilities from a source with the stated quality, and can’t
be enchanted by enchantments that have the stated quality. Such enchantments
enchanting the permanent with protection will be put into their owners’
graveyards as a state-based effect. In addition, any damage that would be dealt
to it from sources having that quality is prevented. If it attacks, it can’t be
blocked by creatures having that quality.
502.7c
Multiple instances of protection from the same quality on the same permanent
are redundant.
502.8. Shadow
502.8a Shadow is an evasion ability.
502.8b A
creature with shadow can’t be blocked by creatures without shadow, and a
creature without shadow can’t be blocked by creatures with shadow.
502.8c
Multiple instances of shadow on the same creature are redundant.
502.9. Trample
502.9a Trample is a static ability that
modifies the rules for assigning an attacking creature’s combat damage. A
creature with trample has no special abilities when blocking or dealing
noncombat damage.
502.9b
The controller of an attacking creature with trample first assigns damage to
the creature(s) blocking it. If all those blocking creatures are assigned
lethal damage, any remaining damage is assigned as its controller chooses among
the blocking creatures and the defending player. When checking for assigned
lethal damage, take into account damage already on the creature and damage from
other creatures that is to be assigned at the same time (see rule 502.9f). The
controller need not assign lethal damage to all blocking creatures but in that
case can’t assign any damage to the defending player.
502.9c If
all the creatures blocking an attacking creature with trample are removed from
combat before the combat damage step, all its damage is assigned to the
defending player.
502.9d
Ignore this rule.
502.9e
Assigning damage from a creature with trample considers only the actual
toughness of a blocking creature, not any abilities or effects that might
change the final amount of damage dealt.
502.9f
When there are several attacking creatures, it’s legal to assign damage from
those without trample so as to maximize the damage of those with trample.
Example: A 2/2 creature with an ability that enables it to
block multiple attackers blocks two attackers: a 1/1 with no special abilities
a 3/3 with trample. The active player could assign 1 damage from the first
attacker and 1 damage from the second to the blocking creature and 2 damage to
the defending player from the creature with trample.
502.9g
Multiple instances of trample on the same creature are redundant.
502.10. Banding
502.10a Banding is a static ability that
modifies the rules for declaring attackers, declaring blockers, and assigning
combat damage.
502.10b
As a player declares attackers, he or she may declare that any number of
attacking creatures with banding, and up to one attacking creature without banding,
are all in a “band.” (Defending players can’t declare bands but may use banding
in a different way; see rule 502.10h.)
502.10c A
player may declare as many attacking bands as he or she wants, but each
creature may be a member of only one of them.
502.10d
Once an attacking band has been announced, it lasts for the rest of combat,
even if something later removes the banding ability from one or more creatures.
However, creatures in a band that are removed from combat are also removed from
the band.
502.10e
If an attacking creature becomes blocked by a creature, each other creature in
the same band as the attacking creature becomes blocked by that same blocking
creature.
Example: A player attacks with a band consisting of a
creature with flying and a creature with swampwalk. The defending player, who
controls a swamp, can block the flying creature if able. If he or she does,
then the creature with swampwalk will also become blocked by the blocking
creature(s).
502.10f
Banding doesn’t cause attacking creatures to share abilities, nor does it
remove any abilities. The attacking creatures in a band are separate
permanents.
502.10g
If one member of a band would become blocked as the result of a spell or
ability, the entire band becomes blocked.
502.10h A
player who controls a banding creature chooses how combat damage is assigned by
creatures blocking or blocked by that creature. If the creature had banding
when it attacked or blocked, but the ability was removed before the combat
damage step, damage is assigned normally.
502.10i
Multiple instances of banding on the same creature are redundant.
502.11. Bands with Other
502.11a Bands with other is a special form of
banding. If an effect causes a permanent to lose banding, the permanent loses
all bands with other abilities as well.
502.11b
An attacking creature with “bands with other [creature type]” can form an
attacking band with other creatures that have the same “bands with other
[creature type]” ability. Creatures with banding can also join this band, but
creatures without banding can’t. The creatures in this band don’t have to have
the creature type specified in the “bands with other [creature type]” ability.
Blocking this band follows the same general rules as for banding.
502.11c
If a creature is blocked by at least two creatures with the same “bands with
other [creature type]” ability, the defending player chooses how the attacking
creature’s damage is assigned. Similarly, if a creature blocks at least two
attacking creatures with the same “bands with other [creature type]” ability,
the attacking player chooses how the blocking creature’s damage is assigned.
502.12. Rampage
502.12a Rampage is a triggered ability. “Rampage
[X]” means “Whenever this creature becomes blocked by two or more creatures, it
gets +X/+X until end of turn for each creature blocking it beyond the first.”
502.12b
The rampage bonus is calculated only once per combat, when the triggered
ability resolves. Adding or removing blockers later in combat won’t change the
bonus.
502.12c
If a creature has multiple instances of rampage, each triggers separately.
502.13. Cumulative Upkeep
502.13a Cumulative upkeep is a triggered ability
that imposes an increasing cost on a permanent. The phrase “Cumulative upkeep
[cost]” means “At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this
permanent, then sacrifice this permanent unless you pay [cost] for each age
counter on it.”
502.13b
If a permanent has multiple instances of cumulative upkeep, each triggers
separately. However, the age counters are not linked to any particular ability;
each cumulative upkeep ability will count the total number of age counters on
the permanent at the time that ability resolves.
Example: A creature has two instances of “Cumulative
upkeep—Pay 1 life.” The creature currently has no counters but both cumulative
upkeep abilities trigger. When the first ability resolves, the controller adds
a counter and then chooses to pay 1 life. When the second ability resolves, the
controller adds another counter and then chooses to pay an additional 2 life.
502.14. Snow-Covered
502.14a
Snow-covered is an ability that doesn’t do anything in its own right; it’s
simply a keyword that other cards look for. When a card refers to a
“snow-covered land,” it means a land with the snow-covered ability. When a card
refers to a “snow-covered forest,” it means a forest with the snow-covered
ability, and so on.
502.14b
Five snow-covered lands were printed in the Ice
Age expansion. Their names are Snow-Covered Plains, Snow-Covered Island,
Snow-Covered Swamp, Snow-Covered Mountain, and Snow-Covered Forest. These lands
are basic lands, even though they have a different name and they have the
snow-covered ability.
502.14c
Some effects can add or remove the snow-covered ability. This doesn’t change
the existing name of the land. For example, a card named Snow-Covered Forest is
named “Snow-Covered Forest,” while a forest that has been granted the
snow-covered ability is still named “Forest.”
502.15. Phasing
502.15a
Phasing is a static ability that modifies the rules of the untap step.
502.15b
During each player’s untap step, before that player untaps his or her
permanents, all permanents with phasing the player controls phase out.
Simultaneously, all permanents that had phased out under that player’s control
phase in. (See rule 217.8, “Phased-Out,” and rule 302.3.)
502.15c
If a spell or ability causes a player to skip his or her untap step, the
phasing event simply doesn’t occur that turn.
502.15d
Permanents phasing in don’t trigger any comes-into-play abilities, and effects
that modify how a permanent comes into play are ignored. Abilities and effects
that specifically mention phasing can modify or trigger on this event, however.
Permanents phasing out trigger leaves-play abilities as usual. (Because no
player receives priority during the untap step, any abilities triggering off of
the phasing event won’t go onto the stack until the upkeep step begins.)
502.15e
When a permanent phases out, all damage dealt to it is removed.
502.15f A
card that returns to play from the phased-out zone is in some respects
considered the same permanent it was when it left. This is an exception to rule
217.8, which stipulates that a permanent “forgets” its previous existence when
it changes zones.
502.15g
Effects with limited duration and delayed triggered abilities that specifically
reference a permanent will be unable to further affect that permanent if it
phases out. However, other effects that reference the permanent (including
effects with unlimited duration) can affect the permanent when it returns to
play.
Example: A creature is affected by Giant Growth and then
phases out during the same turn. If the creature phases back in somehow before
the turn is over, it won’t get the +3/+3 bonus from the Giant Growth because
its effect has a limited duration.
502.15h
Phased-out cards “remember” their past histories and will return to play in the
same state. They “remember” any counters they had on them, any choices made
when they first came into play, and whether they were tapped or untapped when
they left play. They also “remember” who controlled them when they phased out,
although they may phase in under the control of a different player if a control
effect with limited duration has expired.
Example: Diseased Vermin reads, in part, “At the beginning
of your upkeep, Diseased Vermin deals X damage to target opponent previously
dealt damage by it, where X is the number of infection counters on it.” If
Diseased Vermin phases out, it “remembers” how many counters it has and also
which opponents it has previously damaged. When it phases back in, it will
still be able to target those opponents with its upkeep-triggered ability.
502.15i
When a permanent phases out, any local enchantments attached to that permanent
phase out at the same time. This alternate way of phasing out is known as
phasing out “indirectly.” An enchantment that phased out indirectly won’t phase
in by itself, but instead phases in along with the card it’s attached to.
502.15j
If a local enchantment phased out directly (rather than phasing out along with
the permanent it’s attached to), then it “remembers” the permanent it was
enchanting and returns to play attached to that permanent. If the permanent has
left play or is no longer legal to enchant, the enchantment returns to play and
then is placed in its owner’s graveyard afterwards. (This is a state-based
effect. See rule 420.)
502.15k
If two or more permanents phase in at the same time, the active player
determines their relative timestamp order at the time they come into play.
Local enchantments that phase in indirectly must always have later timestamps
than the permanents they enchant, and if several enchantments phase in
indirectly on the same permanent, their original relative timestamp order must be
maintained. (See glossary, “Timestamp Order.”) This doesn’t change the fact
that the permanents phase in simultaneously, however. For example, if two
Legends with the same name phase in, they both go to their owners’ graveyards.
502.15m A
permanent that phases in can attack and tap to play abilities as though it has
haste. (This applies even if that permanent phased out and phased back in the
turn it came into play.) The permanent remains able to attack and tap to play
abilities until it changes controllers or leaves play.
502.15n A
spell or ability that targets a permanent will resolve normally with respect to
that permanent if the permanent phases out and back in before the spell or
ability resolves.
502.15p
Multiple instances of phasing on the same permanent are redundant.
502.16. Buyback
502.16a
Buyback is a static ability of some instants and sorceries that functions while
the card is on the stack (that is, while it’s a spell). The phrase “Buyback
[cost]” means “You may pay an additional [cost] as you play this spell. If you
do, put this card into your hand instead of into your graveyard as the spell
resolves.” Paying a spell’s buyback cost follows the rules for paying
additional costs in rules 409.1b and 409.1f.
502.17. Horsemanship
502.17a Horsemanship is an evasion ability that
appeared in the Portal Three Kingdoms™
set.
502.17b A
creature with horsemanship can’t be blocked by creatures without horsemanship.
A creature with horsemanship can block a creature with or without horsemanship.
502.17c
Multiple instances of horsemanship on the same creature are redundant.
502.18. Cycling
502.18a Cycling is an activated ability that
functions only while the card with cycling is in a player’s hand. The phrase
“Cycling [cost]” means “[Cost], Discard this card from your hand: Draw a card.
Play this ability only if this card is in your hand.”
502.18b
Although the cycling ability is playable only if the card is in a player’s
hand, it continues to exist while the card is in play. Therefore cards with
cycling will be affected by effects that depend on a card in a graveyard or a
permanent having one or more activated abilities.
502.19. Echo
502.19a Echo is an upkeep-triggered ability.
“Echo” in a permanent’s rules text means “At the beginning of your upkeep, if
this permanent came under your control since the beginning of your last upkeep,
sacrifice it unless you pay its mana cost.”
502.20. Fading
502.20a Fading is a keyword that represents two
abilities. The first is a static ability that puts counters onto a permanent as
it comes into play. The second is a triggered ability that makes the
permanent’s controller remove one of these counters at the beginning of each of
his or her upkeeps. If the player can’t remove a counter, he or she sacrifices
the permanent. The phrase “Fading [X]” means “This permanent comes into play
with X fade counters on it” and “At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a fade
counter from this permanent. If you can’t, sacrifice the permanent.”
502.21. Kicker
502.21a
Kicker is a static ability that functions while the card is on the stack (that
is, while it’s a spell). The phrase “Kicker [cost]” means “You may pay an
additional [cost] as you play this spell.” The phrase “Kicker [cost 1] and/or
[cost 2]” means the same thing as “Kicker [cost 1], kicker [cost 2].” Paying a
spell’s kicker cost(s) follows the rules for paying additional costs in rules
409.1b and 409.1f.
502.21b
Cards with kicker have additional spell text or abilities that specify what
happens if the kicker cost is paid. Cards with more than one kicker cost will
have spell text and/or abilities that correspond to each kicker cost.
502.21c
If spell text that depends on a kicker cost being paid targets one or more
permanents and/or players, the spell’s controller chooses those targets only if
he or she declared the intention to pay the appropriate kicker cost. Otherwise,
the targets aren’t chosen at all.
502.21d A
card with kicker may contain the phrases “if you paid the [A] kicker cost” and
“if you paid the [B] kicker cost,” where A and B are the first and second
kicker costs listed on the card, respectively. This text just refers to one
kicker cost or the other, regardless of what the spell’s controller actually
spent when paying the cost. In other words, read “if you paid the [A] kicker
cost” as “if you paid the first kicker cost listed,” and read “if you paid the
[B] kicker cost” as “if you paid the second kicker cost listed.”
502.22. Flashback
502.22a
Flashback is a static ability of some instant and sorcery cards that functions
while the card is in a player’s graveyard. The phrase “Flashback [cost]” means
“You may play this card from your graveyard by paying [cost] rather than paying
its mana cost. If you do, remove this card from the game instead of putting it
anywhere else any time it would leave the stack.” Playing a spell using its
flashback ability follows the rules for paying alternative costs in rules
409.1b and 409.1f.
502.23. Threshold
502.23a
Threshold is a static ability, written “Threshold — [text].” The text can be a
static ability, activated ability, triggered ability, characteristic-setting
text, spell text, or any combination of the five. The phrase “Threshold —
[text]” means “As long as you have seven or more cards in your graveyard, this
card has ‘[text].’”
502.23b
Cards and permanents with threshold have the threshold text only if their
controller has seven or more cards in his or her graveyard. Otherwise, the text
after “Threshold —” is treated as though it did not appear on the card or
permanent.
502.23c An instant or sorcery card with threshold has the threshold text only while the card is on the stack (that is, while it’s a spell). An artifact, creature, enchantment, or land card with threshold, or any permanent with threshold, has the threshold text only if the card or permanent is in play.
503. Copying Spells and Abilities
503.1. A copy card is a card that creates or becomes a “copy” of another spell, permanent, or card. (Certain older cards were printed with the phrase “search for a copy.” These aren’t copy cards; they have received new text in the Oracle™ card reference.)
503.2. When copying a permanent, the copy acquires the printed values of the name, mana cost, color, type and subtype, expansion symbol, rules text, power, and toughness of the permanent being copied. Also, if the copied permanent was printed as legendary or as an enchant world, this is copied as well. Effects (including type-changing effects) and counters are not copied. (The exception is that copy effects are themselves copied; see rule 503.3.)
Example: Chimeric Staff is an artifact that reads “X:
Chimeric Staff becomes an X/X artifact creature until end of turn.” Clone is a
creature that reads “As Clone comes into play, you may choose a creature in
play. If you do, Clone comes into play as a copy of that creature.” After a Staff
has become a 5/5 artifact creature, a Clone comes into play as a copy of it.
The Clone is an artifact, not a 5/5 artifact creature. (The copy has the
Staff’s ability, however, and will become a creature if that ability is
activated.)
503.3. The copied information becomes the printed values for the copy, replacing its originally printed values. Cards that copy the copy will use the new printed values.
Example: A Vesuvan Doppelganger comes into play as a copy
of Grizzly Bears (a 2/2 green creature with no abilities). Vesuvan Doppelganger
reads, “As Vesuvan Doppelganger comes into play, you may choose a creature in
play. If you do, Vesuvan Doppelganger comes into play as a copy of that
creature except for its color and gains ‘At the beginning of your upkeep, you
may have this creature become a copy of another creature except for its color.
If you do, this creature gains this ability.’” Then, a Clone comes into play as
a copy of the Doppelganger. The Clone is a 2/2 blue Grizzly Bears that has the
Doppelganger’s upkeep ability.
503.4. Some effects cause a permanent to become a copy of another permanent or card while remaining in play. The change doesn’t trigger comes-into-play or leaves-play abilities. This also doesn’t change any noncopy effects presently affecting the copy.
Example: Unstable Shapeshifter reads, “Whenever a creature
comes into play, Unstable Shapeshifter becomes a copy of that creature and
gains this ability.” A Shapeshifter is affected by Giant Growth, which reads
“Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn.” If a creature comes into play
later this turn, the Shapeshifter will become a copy of that creature, but it
will still get +3/+3 from the Giant Growth.
503.5. A copy card that comes into play “as a copy” of another permanent will come into play with any copied abilities of that permanent. If the copy gains any abilities that modify the comes-into-play event (such as “comes into play with” or “as [this] comes into play” abilities), those abilities will take effect. Also, any comes-into-play triggered abilities of the copy will have a chance to trigger.
Example: Skyshroud Behemoth reads, “Fading 2 (This
creature comes into play with two fade counters on it. At the beginning of your
upkeep, remove a fade counter from it. If you can’t, sacrifice it.) / Skyshroud
Behemoth comes into play tapped.” A Clone that comes into play as a copy of a
Skyshroud Behemoth will also come into play tapped with two fade counters on
it.
Example: Striped Bears reads, “When Striped Bears comes
into play, draw a card.” A Clone comes into play as a copy of Striped Bears.
The Clone has the Bears’ comes-into-play triggered ability, so the Clone’s
controller draws a card.
503.6. When copying a permanent, the “choices” of the permanent aren’t copied. Instead, if a card comes into play as a copy of another permanent, the copy’s controller will get to make any “as comes into play” choices for it.
Example: A Clone comes into play as a copy of Chameleon
Spirit. Chameleon Spirit reads, in part, “As Chameleon Spirit comes into play,
choose a color.” The Clone won’t copy the color choice of the Spirit; rather,
the controller of the Clone will get to make a new choice.
503.7. Because the “choices” of a permanent aren’t copied, sometimes a copy card will gain an ability that refers to a choice that was never made. In that case, the choice is considered to be “zero” or “undefined.”
Example: Voice of All comes into play and Unstable
Shapeshifter copies it. Voice of All reads, in part, “As Voice of All comes
into play, choose a color. / Voice of All has protection from the chosen
color.” Unstable Shapeshifter never got a chance to choose a color, because it
didn’t come into play as a Voice of All card, so the Shapeshifter’s protection
ability doesn’t protect it from anything at all.
503.8. If an ability of a copy card causes a player to make a choice as the copy comes into play, the copy will “remember” that choice and continue to use it for its abilities if appropriate. If the choice is not appropriate, it is considered to be “zero” or “undefined.”
Example: A Vesuvan Doppelganger comes into play as a copy
of Chameleon Spirit, and the Doppelganger’s controller chooses blue. Later, the
Doppelganger copies Quirion Elves. The Elves has the ability, “T: Add one mana
of the chosen color to your mana pool.” If the mana ability of the Doppelganger
is played, it will produce blue mana.
Example: A Vesuvan Doppelganger comes into play as a copy
of Caller of the Hunt. Caller of the Hunt reads, in part, “As Caller of the
Hunt comes into play, choose a creature type.” The Doppelganger’s controller
chooses Goblin. Later, the Doppelganger copies Quirion Elves. If the mana
ability of the Doppelganger is played, it will fail to produce any mana. It
won’t produce Goblin mana.
503.9. Some copy cards give an ability to the copy as part of the copying process. This ability becomes part of the printed values for the copy, along with any other abilities that were copied. Also, some copy cards specifically state that they don’t copy certain values; they retain their original values instead.
Example: Quirion Elves comes into play and an Unstable
Shapeshifter copies it. The printed values of the Shapeshifter now match those
of the Elves, except that the Shapeshifter also has the printed ability
“Whenever a creature comes into play, Unstable Shapeshifter becomes a copy of
that creature and gains this ability.” Then, a Clone comes into play as a copy
of the Unstable Shapeshifter. The Clone copies the new printed values of the
Shapeshifter, including the ability that the Shapeshifter gave itself when it
copied the Elves.
503.10. When copying a spell, all information that is normally copied from a permanent is copied. In addition, all decisions made when the spell was played are copied. These include mode, targets, the value of X, and optional additional costs such as buyback. (See rule 409, “Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.”) Choices that are normally made on resolution are not copied.
Example: A player plays Fork, targeting an Emerald Charm.
Fork reads, “Put a copy of target instant or sorcery spell onto the stack,
except that it copies Fork’s color and you may choose new targets for the
copy.” Emerald Charm reads, “Choose one — Untap target permanent; or destroy
target global enchantment; or target creature loses flying until end of turn.”
When the Fork resolves, it puts a copy of the Emerald Charm on the stack. The
copy has the same mode that was chosen for the original Emerald Charm. It does
not necessarily have the same target, but only because Fork allows choosing of
new targets.
503.11. If an effect refers to a permanent by name, the effect still tracks that permanent even if it changes names or becomes a copy of something else.
Example: An Unstable Shapeshifter copies a Crazed Armodon.
Crazed Armodon reads, “G: Crazed Armodon gets +3/+0 and gains trample until end
of turn. Destroy Crazed Armodon at end of turn. Play this ability only once
each turn.” If this activated ability of the Shapeshifter is played, the
Shapeshifter will be destroyed at end of turn, even if it’s no longer a copy of
Crazed Armodon at that time.
504. Face-Down Creatures
504.1. Two old cards (Camouflage and Illusionary Mask) allow creatures (in play) to be face down.
504.2. Creatures that are in play face down or that come into play face down are 0/1 colorless creatures with no name, creature type, expansion symbol, or abilities, and a mana cost of 0. Creatures that come into play face down are turned face down before they come into play, so the creature’s comes-into-play abilities won’t trigger (if triggered) or have any effect (if static).
504.3. The controller of a face-down creature may turn it face up whenever he or she has priority. This action doesn’t use the stack. (Other effects may also cause a player to turn the creature face-up.)
504.4. When a face-down creature is turned face up, its characteristics revert to the normal characteristics of the card. Any abilities relating to the creature coming into play don’t trigger and don’t have any effect, because the creature has already come into play.
505. Split Cards
505.1. Split cards have two card faces on a single card. The back of a split card is the normal Magic: The Gathering card back.
505.2. In every zone except the stack, split cards have two sets of characteristics. As long as a split card is on the stack, only the characteristics of the half being played exist. The other half’s characteristics are treated as though they didn’t exist.
505.3. Because every split card consists of two halves with different colored mana symbols in their mana costs, each split card is a multicolored card except while it’s on the stack. While it’s on the stack, it’s only the color of the half being played.
505.4. Although split cards have two playable halves, each split card is only one card. For example, a player who has drawn or discarded a split card has drawn or discarded one card, not two.
505.5. Effects that ask for a particular characteristic of a split card while it’s in a zone other than the stack get an answer that consists of a combination of the split card’s two halves.
Example: Infernal Genesis has an ability that reads “At
the beginning of each player’s upkeep, that player puts the top card of his or
her library into his or her graveyard. He or she then puts X 1/1 black Minion
creature tokens into play, where X is that card’s converted mana cost.” If the
top card of your library is Assault/Battery when this ability resolves, you get
five 1/1 creature tokens because Assault’s converted mana cost is 1 and
Battery’s is 4, for a total of 5.
505.6. Effects that ask if a split card’s characteristic matches a given value get only one answer. This answer is “yes” if either side of the split card matches the given value.
Example: Void reads, “Choose a number. Destroy all
artifacts and creatures with converted mana cost equal to that number. Then
target player reveals his or her hand and discards from it all nonland cards
with converted mana cost equal to the number.” If a player plays Void and
chooses 1 or 4, his or her opponent would discard Assault/Battery. If the
player chooses 5, Assault/Battery would be unaffected, because neither half has
a converted mana cost of 5.
505.7. If an effect instructs a player to name a card and the player wants to name a split card, the player must name both halves of the split card.
Glossary
Ability
“Ability” and “effect” are often confused with one
another. An instruction in a card’s or permanent’s text is an ability. The
result of following such an instruction, or of following a spell’s instruction,
is an effect.
A card
or permanent may have one or more abilities or no abilities at all. For more
information, see section 4, “Spells, Abilities, and Effects.”
When an effect states that a card or
permanent “gains” or “has” an ability, it’s granting that card or permanent an
ability. If an effect defines a characteristic of a card or permanent (“[card
or permanent] is [characteristic]”), it’s not granting an ability. For example,
an enchant creature might read, “Enchanted creature is red.” The enchantment
isn’t granting an ability of any kind; it’s simply changing the enchanted
creature’s color to red.
Activated Ability
An
activated ability is written as “activation cost: effect.” By paying the
activation cost, a player may play such an ability whenever he or she has
priority. See rule 403, “Activated Abilities.”
Activation Cost
The activation cost of an activated ability is
everything before the colon in “activation cost: effect.” It must be paid to
play the ability. For example, the activation cost of an ability that reads “2,
T: Gain 1 life” is two mana of any color plus tapping the permanent. See rule
403, “Activated Abilities.”
Active Player
The active player is the player whose turn it is.
The active player gets priority at the start of each phase or step (except for
the untap and cleanup steps), after any spell or ability (except a mana
ability) resolves, and after combat damage resolves.
Whenever both players are instructed to
make choices at the same time, the active player makes all his or her choices
first, then the nonactive player.
Additional Cost
Some spells have additional costs listed in their
text. These are paid at the same time the player pays the spell’s mana cost.
See rule 409, “Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.”
Alternative Cost
The rules
text of some spells reads, “You may [action] rather than pay [this card’s] mana
cost.” These are alternative costs. Other spells and abilities that refer to a
spell’s mana cost don’t consider the alternative cost. If an effect requires
paying additional costs to play a spell, it still applies to the alternative
cost.
Ante (Obsolete)
Earlier versions of the Magic rules included an ante rule as a way of playing “for keeps.”
Playing Magic for ante is now
considered an optional variation on the game, and it is allowed only where it’s
not forbidden by law or by other rules. Playing for ante is strictly forbidden
under DCI tournament rules. When using the ante rule, each player puts one
random card from his or her deck into his or her ante zone at the beginning of
the game. At the end of the game, the winner becomes the owner of the cards in
each player’s ante zone. See rule 217.9, “Ante.”
Artifact
Artifact is both a card type and a permanent type.
The active player can play artifact spells only during his or her main phase
when the stack is empty.
Artifact Creature
This permanent is a combination of artifact and
creature, and it’s subject to the rules for both. (See rule 214, “Permanent
Type.”) Some artifact creatures don’t have a creature type. Those that do will
say “Artifact Creature — [creature type]”; for example, “Artifact Creature —
Golem.” “Artifact” isn’t a creature type.
“As though”
Text that states a player or card may do something
“as though” some condition were true applies only to the stated action. For
purposes of that action, treat the game exactly as if the stated condition is
true. For all other purposes, treat the game normally.
Example: “Giant Spider may block as though it had
flying.” You may treat the Spider as a creature with flying, but only for the
purpose of declaring blockers. This allows Giant Spider to block a creature
with flying (and creatures that “can’t be blocked except by creatures with
flying”), assuming no other blocking restrictions apply. For example, Giant
Spider can’t normally block a creature with both flying and shadow.
Example: “You may play that card as though it were in your
hand.” The card may be played by the usual rules. If it’s a spell, it’s placed
on the stack as the first step of playing it (see rule 409, “Playing Spells and
Activated Abilities”); if it’s a land, it’s put directly into play. Because the
card isn’t actually in your hand, it can’t be discarded, removed from the game
to pay a cost, cycled, or counted toward the number of cards in your hand.
Example: “Walls may attack as though they weren’t Walls.”
As long as this effect is active, Walls are treated exactly like creatures that
don’t have the Wall creature type. They’re still subject to all other rules and
effects that determine whether an attack is legal.
Attack
A creature attacks when it is declared as an
attacker during the combat phase. (See rule 308, “Declare Attackers Step.”)
Playing a spell or ability (even during the combat phase) is never considered
to be an attack.
Attack Alone
A creature
is attacking alone when it’s the sole creature declared as an attacker in a
given combat phase.
Attacked
Some triggered abilities trigger when a player is
“attacked.” At least one creature must actually be attacking that player for
such abilities to trigger. Also, “attacked” means “attacked by one or more
creatures,” so such abilities can trigger only once each combat phase.
Attacking Creature
A creature becomes an attacking creature when (a)
it’s declared as part of a legal attack during the combat phase and (b) all
attack costs have been paid. It remains an attacking creature until it’s
removed from combat, it stops being a creature, its controller changes, or the
combat phase ends. Attacking creatures don’t exist outside of the combat phase.
See rule 308, “Declare Attackers Step.”
Attacks and Isn’t Blocked
An ability that triggers when a creature “attacks
and isn’t blocked” triggers when the creature becomes an unblocked attacking
creature. See rule 309.3.
Banding, Bands with Other
Banding is a static ability that affects the
combat phase. “Bands with other” is a specialized version of the ability. See
rule 502.10, “Banding,” and rule 502.11, “Bands with Other.”
Basic Land
There are five basic land types: plains, island,
swamp, mountain, and forest. Any land whose name is one of these five types is
a basic land. Every basic land has an intrinsic mana ability. (See rule 214.9,
“Lands.”) Snow-covered lands are still basic lands. For example, Snow-Covered
Plains is considered a plains.
Becomes
Some trigger events use the word “becomes.” (For
example, “becomes tapped” or “becomes
blocked.”) These trigger only at the time the named event happens—they don’t
trigger if that state already exists or retrigger if it persists. For example,
“becomes tapped” triggers only once, and only when a permanent’s status changes
from untapped to tapped.
Beginning Phase
The
beginning phase is the first phase of the turn. It has three steps: untap,
upkeep, and draw. See rule 301, “Beginning Phase.”
Block
A creature
blocks when it’s declared as a blocker during the combat phase. See rule 309,
“Declare Blockers Step.”
Block Alone
A creature is blocking alone when it’s the sole
creature declared as a blocker in a given combat phase.
Blocked Creature
An attacking
creature becomes a blocked creature when another creature blocks it or an
effect causes it to become blocked during the combat phase. It remains a
blocked creature until it’s removed from combat, it stops being a creature, its
controller changes, or the combat phase ends. A blocked creature doesn’t become
unblocked if the blocking creature is later removed from combat. Blocked
creatures don’t exist outside of the combat phase. See rule 309, “Declare
Blockers Step.”
Blocking Creature
A creature
becomes a blocking creature when (a) it’s declared as part of a legal block
during the combat phase and (b) all block costs have been paid. It remains a
blocking creature until it’s removed from combat, it stops being a creature,
its controller changes, or the combat phase ends. Blocking creatures don’t
exist outside of the combat phase. See rule 309, “Declare Blockers Step.”
Bury (Obsolete)
Some older cards were printed with the term
“bury,” which meant to put a permanent into its owner’s graveyard. In general,
cards that were printed with the term “bury” now read “destroy [a permanent].
It can’t be regenerated.”
Buyback
Buyback is a replacement effect modifying rule
413.2h. When playing an instant or sorcery spell with buyback, the controller
of the spell may pay an additional cost specified on the card. If he or she
does, when the spell resolves, the card is put into his or her hand instead of
into his or her graveyard. If the card goes to some zone other than its owner’s
graveyard as it resolves, buyback’s effect “loses track” of it, and the card
isn’t returned to its owner’s hand.
Cantrip (Informal)
This is a nickname for any spell that has “Draw a
card” as part of its effect.
Card
This is specifically a Magic card, and is always considered a card regardless of which
zone it’s in. Tokens aren’t cards. See section 2, “Cards.”
Cast (Obsolete)
Some older cards were used the term “cast” to
describe the playing of a spell. In general, cards that were printed with the
term “cast” now use the term “play.”
Caster (Obsolete)
Some older cards used the term “caster” to
describe the player who played a spell. In general, cards that were printed
with the term “caster” now refer to the spell’s “controller.”
Casting Cost (Obsolete)
Some older cards used the term “casting cost” to
describe the mana cost of a spell. In general, cards that were printed with the
term “casting cost” now use the term “mana cost.” Cards that used the term
“total casting cost” now use the term “converted mana cost.”
Characteristics
A card, spell, or permanent’s characteristics are
name, mana cost, color, type and subtype, expansion symbol, rules text, power,
and toughness. A card, spell, or permanent’s characteristics at any given time
start with the initial values, then are adjusted by any counters (on a permanent), then by continuous effects.
Characteristics don’t include any other information, such as whether a
permanent is tapped, a spell or permanent’s controller, a spell’s target, what
a local enchantment enchants, and so on.
Cleanup
Cleanup is
the second and final step of the end phase. Spells and abilities may be played
during this step only if the conditions for any state-based effects exist or if
any abilities have triggered. In that case, the step repeats. See rule 314,
“Cleanup Step.”
Color
The only colors in Magic are white, blue, black, red, and green. A permanent can be
one or more of those colors or it can be colorless. “Colorless” isn’t a color;
neither are “artifact,” “land,” “brown,” etc.
A
card’s initial color is determined by the color(s) of the mana symbols in its
mana cost.
Spells
and abilities may change a permanent’s color temporarily or permanently. If an
effect gives a permanent a new color, the new color replaces all previous
colors the permanent had.
Colorless
A card with no color is colorless. Lands are
colorless because they have no mana cost. Artifacts are colorless because they
have no colored mana in their mana costs. A land or artifact can be given a
color by an effect.
Combat Damage
Combat damage is dealt during the combat damage
step of the combat phase by attacking creatures and blocking creatures. It
doesn’t include damage dealt by spells and abilities during the combat phase.
See rule 310, “Combat Damage Step.”
Combat Phase
Combat is
the third phase of the turn. The combat phase has five steps: beginning of
combat, declare attackers, declare blockers, combat damage, and end of combat.
See rules 306–311.
Comes into Play
A permanent comes into play when the card or token
representing it is moved into the in-play zone. A permanent whose type or
controller changes doesn’t “come into play.”
Permanents come into play untapped and under the
control of whoever put them into play.
Instructions that alter permanents coming into play do so as they come
into play. For example, if an instruction causes something to come into play
tapped, it isn’t put into play untapped and then tapped. The controller-to-be
of that permanent makes any choices required by the instruction.
When a
permanent comes into play, first apply any “as [this card] comes into play”
text, then apply any “[this card] comes into play with” text, then apply
continuous effects, then check to determine if the current form of the
permanent generates any triggered abilities.
Continuous Ability (Obsolete)
In earlier versions of the rules, static abilities
were known as “continuous abilities.”
Continuous Effect
Continuous
effects are usually active as long as the permanent with the associated static
ability remains in play. A spell or ability can also create a continuous effect
that doesn’t depend on a permanent; these last for the specified time. See rule
418, “Continuous Effects.”
Continuous Artifact (Obsolete)
Earlier versions of the rules provided support for
a “continuous artifact” card type. All continuous artifact cards are now simply
artifact cards. Artifacts printed with the continuous artifact card type
generally have no activated abilities.
Control, Controller
Every permanent, spell, and ability has a
controller.
When a
permanent comes into play, its controller is whoever put it into play unless
the spell or ability that generated the permanent states otherwise. Other
effects can later change a permanent’s controller.
Cards
in zones other than in play or the stack have no controller. A spell or
activated ability on the stack is controlled by whoever played it. A triggered
ability is controlled by the player who controlled its source at the time it
triggered.
Converted Mana Cost
The converted mana cost of a card is the total amount
of mana in its mana cost, regardless of color. For example, Air Elemental has a
mana cost of 3UU and a converted mana cost of 5. See rule 203, “Mana Cost.”
Copy Card
A “copy card” is a card that creates or becomes a
“copy” of another spell, permanent, or card. See rule 503, “Copying Spells and
Abilities.”
Cost
Playing spells and activated abilities requires
paying a cost. Most costs are paid in mana, but they may also include paying
life, tapping or sacrificing permanents, discarding cards, and so on.
It’s
illegal to pay a cost without having the necessary resources to pay it fully.
For example, a player with only 1 life can’t pay a cost of 2 life, and a
permanent that’s already tapped can’t be tapped to pay a cost. See rule 203,
“Mana Cost,” and rule 403, “Activated Abilities.”
Counter
Counter has two meanings in the Magic game.
1. To
counter a spell or ability is to cancel it, removing it from the stack zone. It
doesn’t resolve and none of its effects occur. A countered spell is put into its
owner’s graveyard.
2. A counter is a marker placed on a
permanent, either modifying its characteristics or interacting with an ability.
For example, some creatures come into play with a number of +1/+1 counters,
increasing their power and toughness. Counters with the same name or
description are interchangeable. Counters may also be given to players. For
information about poison counters, see rule 102.8.
Counts As (Obsolete)
Some older cards were printed with text stating
that the card “counts as” something. As far as the game rules and other cards
are concerned the card is that thing. (Newer Magic cards use “is” instead.) This isn’t an ability; it applies
even when the card’s not in play. For example, a card that “counts as a forest”
can be retrieved with a spell that searches the library for a forest card, and
once in play it may be tapped for green mana and allows forestwalk.
Creature
Creature is
both a card type and permanent type. The active player can play creature spells
only during his or her main phase when the stack is empty. See rule 214.7,
“Creatures.”
Cumulative Upkeep
Cumulative upkeep is an upkeep-triggered ability.
“Cumulative upkeep [cost]” means “At
the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent. You may pay
[cost]
for each age counter on the permanent. If you don’t, sacrifice it.” Note that
if a permanent has more than one instance of cumulative upkeep, each creates a
separate triggered ability at the beginning of upkeep that counts all the age
counters on the permanent from both
abilities. See rule 502.13, “Cumulative Upkeep.”
Cycling
Cycling is an activated ability. “Cycling [cost]” means “[Cost], Discard this card from your hand: Draw a card. Play this
ability only if this card is in your hand.” See rule 502.18, “Cycling.”
Damage
Many spells and abilities deal damage to creatures
and/or players. Creatures may also deal combat damage during the combat phase.
Damage
dealt to a player is subtracted from his or her life total.
Damage
dealt to a creature stays on the permanent, even if it stops being a creature.
A creature with damage greater than or equal to its toughness (and greater than
0) has been dealt lethal damage and is destroyed. (See rule 420, “State-Based
Effects.”) Damage doesn’t alter a creature’s toughness. A noncreature permanent
isn’t affected by damage (but if it becomes a creature again before the damage
is removed, the creature may be destroyed). During the cleanup step, all damage
is removed from permanents.
Costs
and effects that read “lose life” or “pay life” don’t deal damage, and that
loss of life can’t be prevented or otherwise altered by damage-prevention
effects.
Damage-Prevention Ability
A damage-prevention ability is a static or
activated ability that generates a damage-prevention effect. See rule 419.7,
“Prevention Effects.”
Deck
A player’s deck is the collection of cards that
player starts the game with. When the game begins, each player’s deck becomes
his or her library.
Defending Player
During the combat phase, the active player’s
opponent is the defending player. (In a multiplayer game, there may be one
defending player at a time or there may be more than one, depending on which
variant is being played.) Creatures can attack only the defending player; they
can’t attack other players or creatures. During phases other than combat, there
is no defending player.
Delayed Triggered Ability
A delayed triggered ability is created by effects
generated when some spells or abilities resolve. See rule 406.2, “Delayed
Triggered Abilities.”
Destroy
To destroy
a permanent is to move it from the in-play zone to its owner’s graveyard.
Regeneration or other destruction-replacement effects can replace this action.
See rule 419, “Replacement and Prevention Effects.”
Discard
A player discards a card by putting a card from
his or her hand into his or her graveyard. By default, spells and abilities
that cause a player to discard a card allow the affected player to choose which
card to discard. Some spells and abilities, however, require a random discard
or allow another player to choose which card is discarded.
Draw
Draw has two meanings in the Magic game.
1. A
player draws a card by putting the top card of his or her library into his or
her hand. A spell or ability may move cards from a player’s library to that
player’s hand without the player “drawing” them; this makes a difference for
abilities that trigger on drawing cards or that replace card draws.
2. A
game ends in a draw if both players lose or win simultaneously.
Draw Step
The draw
step is the third step of the beginning phase, with a triggered ability that
requires the active player to draw a card at the beginning of the step. A
player may play spells and abilities during this step whenever he or she has
priority. See rule 304, “Draw Step.”
Dual Land (Informal)
Ten “dual land” cards were printed in early Magic editions; each of these has two
basic land types in addition to its inherent land type. For example, Taiga has
the land types Taiga, forest, and mountain. Dual land cards have the default
abilities of both basic land types and are treated as both by all spells and
abilities that specifically refer to those types. However, they are not basic
lands. A dual land card doesn’t count as two lands while in play—it’s just one
land with multiple land types. Changing one of the land type words on a dual
land also changes which mana ability it has. Thus, if you play a spell or
ability that edits Taiga to read, “Taiga is a plains and a forest in addition
to its land type,” it could then be tapped for white or green mana.
Duel (Obsolete)
In earlier versions of the rules, a game of Magic was known as a “duel.” See also Match.
During (Obsolete)
Earlier
versions of the rules provided support for “phase abilities,” which were written
“During [phase], [action]” In general, cards that were printed with phase
abilities now have abilities that trigger at the beginning of a step or phase.
“During” still appears in current card text, but only in its normal English
sense and not as game terminology.
Echo
Echo is an upkeep-triggered ability. “Echo” in a
permanent’s rules text means “At the beginning of your upkeep, if this
permanent came under your control since the beginning of your last upkeep,
sacrifice it unless you pay its mana cost.” See rule 502.19, “Echo.”
Effect
“Ability”
and “effect” are often confused with one another. An instruction in a
permanent’s text is an ability. The result of carrying out such an instruction,
or that of a spell, is an effect. See rule 416, “Effects.”
When a spell or ability resolves, it creates
an effect. There are three basic types: one-shot effects, continuous effects,
and replacement or prevention effects.
Some
effects may in turn create delayed triggered abilities that trigger later.
Enchant World
A card printed with the type “Enchant World” is a
global enchantment. If two or more enchant worlds are in play, all except for
the one that has been an enchant world for the shortest amount of time are put
into their owners’ graveyards. This is a state-based effect; see rule 420.
Enchantment
Enchantment is both a card type and a permanent
type. The active player can play enchantment spells only during his or her main
phase when the stack is empty. See rule 214.8, “Enchantments.” See also Global Enchantment, Local
Enchantment.
End of Turn
This is the first step of the end phase. See rule
313, “End of Turn Step.”
End Phase
The end phase is the fifth and final phase of the
turn. It has two steps: end of turn and cleanup. See rule 312, “End Phase.”
Evasion Ability
Evasion abilities restrict what creatures can
block an attacking creature. These are static abilities that modify the declare
blockers step of the combat phase. See rule 501, “Evasion Abilities.”
Event
Anything
that happens in a game is an event. Multiple events may take place during the
resolution of a spell or ability. The text of triggered abilities and
replacement effects defines the event they’re looking for; one “happening” may
be treated as a single event by one ability and as multiple events by another.
For example, if an attacking creature is blocked by two defending creatures,
this is one event for a triggered ability that reads “Whenever [name] becomes
blocked” but two events for a triggered ability that reads “Whenever [name] becomes
blocked by a creature.”
Exchange
A spell or ability may instruct players to
exchange something (for example, life totals or control of two permanents) as
part of its resolution. When such a spell or ability resolves, if it can’t
exchange the chosen things, it has no effect on them. For example, if a spell
attempts to exchange control of two target creatures but one of those creatures
is destroyed before it resolves, the spell does nothing to the other creature.
When
life totals are exchanged, each player gains or loses the amount of life
necessary to equal the other player’s previous life total. Replacement effects
may modify these gains and losses, and triggered abilities may trigger on them.
Expansion Symbol
The small icon printed below the right edge of the
illustration on a Magic card is the
expansion symbol, indicating in which set the card was published. Cards
reprinted in the basic set receive its expansion symbol and no longer count as
part of their original set. This is important only to spells and abilities that
affect cards from a particular expansion. The first five editions of the basic
set had no expansion symbol.
The expansion symbols to date are:
Expansions
and Editions
Arabian Nights® [symbol]
Antiquities® [symbol]
Legends®
[symbol]
The Dark®
[symbol]
Fallen Empires™ [symbol]
Ice Age™
[symbol]
Homelands™
[symbol]
Alliances™
[symbol]
Mirage™
[symbol]
Visions™
[symbol]
Weatherlight™ [symbol]
Tempest™
[symbol]
Stronghold™
[symbol]
Exodus™
[symbol]
Urza’s Saga™ [symbol]
Urza’s Legacy™
[symbol]
Urza’s Destiny™
[symbol]
Classic™
(Sixth Edition) [symbol]
Mercadian
Masques™ [symbol]
Nemesis™ [symbol]
Prophecy™ [symbol]
Invasion™ [symbol]
Planeshift™ [symbol]
Apocalypse™ [symbol]
Seventh Edition™ [symbol]
Starter-Level Sets
Portal™
[symbol]
Portal Second Age™ [symbol]
Portal Three Kingdoms™ [symbol]
Starter™ [symbol]
Promotional
Cards
DragonCon [symbol]
Magic novels
[symbol]
Arena™ league cards [symbol]
Social-Play
Sets
Unglued™ [symbol]
Fading
Fading is a keyword ability that causes permanents
to stay in play for a limited time. Cards with fading come into play with a
specified number of fade counters on them, as if the card read, “[This card]
comes into play with [a number of] fade counters on it.” They also have a
triggered ability that reads “At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a fade
counter from [this card]. If you can’t, sacrifice [this card].” See rule
502.20, “Fading.”
Fast Effect (Obsolete)
In earlier versions of the rules, instants and
activated abilities were also known as “fast effects.”
First Strike
First strike is a static ability that modifies the
rules for the combat phase. Creatures with first strike assign and deal their
damage first, then surviving creatures without first strike assign and deal
their damage in a separate step. See rule 502.2, “First Strike.”
Fizzle (Obsolete)
In earlier versions of the rules, the term
“fizzle” was used when a spell or ability was countered as a result of all its
targets being missing or illegal when it resolved.
Flanking
Flanking is a triggered ability that triggers
during the declare blockers step of the combat phase. The word “flanking” in a
creature card’s rules text means “Whenever this creature becomes blocked by a
creature without flanking, the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.”
See rule 502.3, “Flanking.”
Flashback
Flashback is a static ability of some
instant and sorcery cards that functions while the card is in its owner’s
graveyard. The card’s owner can play the spell from his or her graveyard by
paying its flashback cost. If a spell is played this way, it’s removed from the
game instead of being put anywhere else any time it would leave the stack.
Playing a spell using its flashback ability follows the rules for paying
alternative costs in rules 409.1b and 409.1f.
Flavor Text
This is text in italics appearing below the rules
text on a card. It provides a mood or gives interesting background detail for
the game world but has no effect on play.
Flying
Flying is an evasion ability. A creature with
flying can’t be blocked by creatures without flying. A creature with flying can
block a creature with or without flying. See rule 502.4, “Flying.”
Forestwalk
See
Landwalk.
Generic Mana Cost
A generic mana cost is represented by a number in
a gray circle. Any color of mana, as well as colorless mana, may be used to pay
a generic mana cost.
Global Enchantment
Global enchantments are a category of
enchantments. A global enchantment is labeled “Enchantment” and isn’t attached
to another permanent while it’s in play.
Graveyard
Each player’s discard pile is his or her
graveyard. Countered spells, destroyed or sacrificed permanents, and discarded
cards are put into their owner’s graveyard. See rule 217, “Zones.”
Hand
The hand is the zone where a player holds cards
that haven’t been played yet. See rule 217, “Zones.”
Haste
Normally a creature can’t attack or use activated
abilities whose cost includes tapping the creature (that is, the tap symbol)
unless it’s been controlled by the player continuously since the beginning of
that controller’s most recent turn. Haste is a static ability that allows a
creature to ignore this rule. See rule 502.5, “Haste.”
Hidden Information (Obsolete)
In earlier versions of the rules, choices involved
in playing spells and abilities were made during announcement, except
sacrifices and certain categories of choices involving “hidden information”
defined by complex rules. Under current Magic
rules, a clearly defined set of choices is made during the announcement of a
spell or ability, and all other choices are made when the spell or ability
resolves. See rule 409, “Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.”
Horsemanship
Horsemanship is an evasion ability. A creature
with horsemanship can’t be blocked by creatures without horsemanship. A
creature with horsemanship can block a creature with or without horsemanship.
See rule 502.17, “Horsemanship.”
If
A triggered ability may read “When/Whenever/At
[trigger], if [condition], [effect].” The ability checks for the stated
condition to be true when the trigger event occurs. If it is, the ability
triggers and goes on the stack. On resolution, the ability rechecks the
condition. If the condition isn’t true at either of those times, the ability
does nothing. This rule is referred to as the “intervening ‘if’ clause” rule.
Note that the word “if” has only its normal English meaning anywhere else in
the text of a card; this rule only applies to an “if” that immediately follows
the trigger condition.
In Play
In play is the zone in which permanents exist.
When an artifact, creature, or enchantment spell resolves, the card is put into
the in-play zone as a permanent. Tokens and lands also exist in this zone. See
rule 217, “Zones.”
Infinity Rule
There’s no such thing as “infinity” in Magic rules. Occasionally the game can
get into a state where a set of actions could be repeated forever. The
“infinity rule” governs how to break such loops. See rule 421, “Handling
‘Infinite’ Loops.”
Initial Value
The initial values of a permanent’s
characteristics are printed on the card or in the rules text of the spell or
ability that created the token.
Effects that change a permanent’s type change the initial values for one
or more of its characteristics, not the current values. They don’t override
continuous effects that are changing those characteristics. See rule 214.5.
Instant
Instant is a card type. A player may play instant
spells whenever he or she has priority. An instant spell is put into its
owner’s graveyard as the last step of its resolution. See rule 409, “Playing
Spells and Activated Abilities.”
Interrupt (Obsolete)
Earlier versions of the rules provided support for
the “interrupt” spell type. All interrupt cards are now instant cards. All
abilities that were played as interrupts are now played like normal activated
abilities (and mana abilities if they produce mana).
Islandwalk
See
Landwalk.
Kicker
Kicker is a keyword ability with a cost and an
effect. Paying a spell’s kicker cost causes the spell to have an additional or
alternative effect. See rule 502.21, “Kicker.”
A
kicker cost is an additional cost to play a spell. You declare whether you
intend to pay a spell’s kicker cost at the same time you would choose the
spell’s mode (see rule 409.1b), and you actually pay the cost when you pay the
rest of the spell’s costs (see rule 409.1f). Paying a kicker cost is always optional.
A
spell’s controller chooses targets (see rule 409.1c) for a kicker effect only
if he or she declared the intention to pay the kicker cost for that effect. If
the spell’s controller declared that he or she wouldn’t pay a particular kicker
cost, he or she doesn’t choose the targets for the effect associated with that
kicker cost.
Lair
Lair is a land type. Having the type Lair does not
make a land a basic land.
Land
Land is both a card type and a permanent type.
Lands aren’t spells and don’t go on the stack;
they are simply put in play from the hand. The active player may play a land
once each turn during his or her main phase when he or she has priority and the
stack is empty. See rule 214.9, “Lands.”
Land Type
A land’s type is its card name. For example, a
Forest is type “forest” and an Adarkar Wastes is type “Adarkar Wastes.” Note
that “basic” and “nonbasic” aren’t land types.
Landhome (Obsolete)
Earlier versions of the rules provided support for
a class of abilities called “landhome.” The term itself is generic; a card’s
rules text usually named a specific type of land, such as “islandhome.” This
means, “This creature can’t attack unless defending player controls an island”
and “When you control no islands, sacrifice this creature.” Cards that
previously had landhome now simply have the two parts of landhome written out
without using the keyword.
Landwalk
“Landwalk” is a generic term; a card’s rules text
usually names a specific type of land, such as “islandwalk.”
Landwalk is an evasion ability. A creature with landwalk is unblockable
as long as the defending player controls at least one land of the specified
type. See rule 502.6, “Landwalk.”
Leaves Play
A permanent leaves play when it moves from the
in-play zone to any other zone. See rule 410.10c.
If a
token leaves play, it ceases to exist. This is a state-based effect.
If a
card leaves play and later returns, it’s treated as an entirely new permanent
with no “memory” of anything from its former existence. (Phasing is an exception
to this; see rule 502.15, “Phasing.”)
Legend, Legendary
Legend is a special creature type. Legendary is a
supertype that may apply to any type (“Legendary Land,” “Legendary Artifact,”
etc.).
If two
or more Legends or legendary permanents with the same name are in play, all
except the one that has been a Legend or legendary permanent with that name the
longest are put into their owners’ graveyards. This “Legend rule” is a
state-based effect.
A
Legend that stops being a creature is still legendary, and a legendary
permanent that becomes a creature gets the creature type Legend in addition to
any other creature type it may have.
A
Legend that changes creature type to a creature type other than Legend is no
longer a Legend and is no longer subject to the Legend rule. A creature that
changes creature type to Legend is now a Legend, and is subject to the Legend
rule.
Lethal Damage
Lethal damage is an amount of damage greater than
0 and greater than or equal to a creature’s toughness. A creature with lethal
damage is destroyed. This is a state-based effect.
Library
The library is the zone from which a player draws
cards. When a game begins, each player’s deck becomes his or her library. See
rule 217.2, “Library.”
Life, Life Total
Life total is a sort of score. Each player starts
the game with 20 life, and a player whose life total drops to 0 or less loses.
This is a state-based effect.
LIFO
An acronym for “Last In, First Out,” LIFO is the
order in which spells and abilities resolve after going on the stack. The last
played is resolved first. See rule 413, “Resolving Spells and Abilities.”
Local Enchantment
Local enchantments are a category of enchantments.
A local enchantment is labeled “Enchant [type]” and is attached to another
permanent while in play. See rule 214.8, “Enchantments.”
Main Phase
The term “main phase” comprises the first main and
second main phases, also called the “precombat” and “postcombat” main phases.
Artifact, creature, enchantment, and sorcery spells may be played only by the
active player during his or her main phase, and only when the stack is empty. A
player may also play one land each turn during his or her main phase.
Mana
Mana is the energy used to play spells and it’s
usually produced by lands. Mana is created by mana abilities (and sometimes by
spells), and it can be used to pay costs immediately or can go into the
player’s mana pool.
Colored mana costs, represented by colored mana symbols, can be paid
only with the appropriate color of mana. Generic mana costs can be paid with
any color of, or with colorless, mana.
Specialized types of mana can exist. For example, an ability might
produce mana that can be used only to play creature spells, or to pay
activation costs.
Mana Ability
This is an ability category. A mana ability is
either activated or triggered. A mana ability doesn’t go on the stack—it
resolves immediately.
A
player may play a mana ability whenever he or she has priority and whenever a
rule or effect asks for a mana payment. This is the only type of ability that
can be played in the middle of playing or resolving a spell or ability. See
rule 406.1, “Mana Abilities.”
Mana Burn
When a phase ends, any unused mana remaining in a
player’s mana pool is lost. The player loses 1 life for each mana lost this
way. This is called “mana burn.”
Mana Cost
The mana cost of a nonland card is indicated by
the mana symbols printed on its upper-right corner. The mana cost of a land
card or a token is 0. See rule 203, “Mana Cost.”
Mana Pool
When a spell or ability creates mana that’s not
used immediately to pay a cost, the mana is stored in the mana pool, an
imaginary area. From there, it can be used to pay for spells and abilities. The
mana pool is cleared at the end of each phase. See also Mana Burn.
Mana Source (Obsolete)
Earlier versions of the rules provided support for
the “mana source” spell type. All mana source cards are now instant cards.
Abilities that read, “Play this ability as a mana source” are now mana
abilities.
Mana Symbol
The mana symbols are W, U, B, R, G, 0, numerals,
X, and Y.
Each
of the colored mana symbols represents one colored mana: W white, U blue, B
black, R red, and G green.
Numeral symbols (such as 1) are generic mana costs and represent an
amount of mana that can be paid with any color of, or colorless, mana.
The
symbols X and Y represent unspecified amounts of mana; when playing a spell or
activated ability with X or Y in its cost, its controller decides the value of
that variable.
The
symbol 0 represents zero mana and is used as a placeholder when a spell or
activated ability costs nothing to play. A spell or ability whose cost is 0
must still be played the same way as one with a cost greater than zero; it
won’t play itself automatically.
Match
A match is a series of Magic games and is important only for tournament or league play. A
match usually consists of the best two of three games, or sometimes the best
three of five. For more information, consult the Magic DCI Floor Rules.
Maximum Hand Size
Each player’s maximum hand size is normally seven
cards, though effects may modify this. As the first part of the active player’s
cleanup step, if he or she has too many cards in his or her hand, that player
chooses and discards as many cards as needed to reduce his or her hand to its
maximum size (but no more than that). See rule 314, “Cleanup Step.”
Modal, Mode
A spell is modal if it offers a choice of effects.
Its controller must choose the mode as part of playing the spell. On current
cards, modal spells are always written “Choose one — ” or “[a specified player]
chooses one— .”
Mono Artifact (Obsolete)
Earlier versions of the rules provided support for
the “mono artifact” card type. All mono artifact cards are now simply artifact
cards. Artifacts printed with the mono artifact card type generally have the
tap symbol in their activation cost. If there is none printed, “tap” must be
added to the printed cost.
Mountainwalk
See
Landwalk.
Move
A spell or ability may instruct a player to “move”
a local enchantment or a counter from one permanent to another. If the
enchantment or counter no longer exists or the new permanent is no longer in
play when the spell or ability resolves, nothing happens. Similarly, an
enchantment can’t be moved onto a permanent it couldn’t enchant; if this kind
of move is attempted, the enchantment stays where it was.
A
moved enchantment stops enchanting the previous permanent and starts enchanting
the new one, and it receives a new timestamp. Nothing else about the
enchantment changes. The enchantment never left play, so no comes-into-play or
leaves-play triggered abilities will trigger. If an ability of the moved
enchantment affecting “enchanted [permanent]” was on the stack when the
enchantment moved, it will affect the new enchanted permanent when it resolves,
not the old one.
Mulligan
A player can “mulligan” by shuffling his or her
hand back into his or her library and drawing a new hand with one fewer card
before taking the first turn. Any player dissatisfied with his or her starting
hand may mulligan as often as he or she wishes, drawing one fewer card each
time. See rule 101.5.
Multicolored
A multicolored card has two or more colors.
Multicolored cards are printed with gold frames to reinforce this.
A
multicolored permanent is affected by anything that singles out any of its
colors. For example, a black-and-green creature is destroyed by a spell that
reads “Destroy all green creatures.” Something that can’t affect a particular
color won’t affect a multicolored permanent with that color, so that same
creature can’t be targeted by a spell or ability that reads “Destroy target
nonblack creature.”
Name
The name of a card is printed on its upper-left
corner. See rule 202, “Name.”
Nonbasic Land
Any land with a name other than Plains, Island,
Swamp, Mountain, or Forest is nonbasic. A nonbasic land that is a basic land
type has that land’s mana ability and is subject to any spells or abilities
that act on that land type, but it isn’t a basic land.
Number
Magic
uses only natural numbers. You may not choose a fractional number, deal
fractional damage, and so on. When a spell or ability could generate a
fractional number, the spell or ability will tell you whether to round up or
down.
If a
creature’s power or toughness, a mana cost, a player’s life total, an amount of
damage, or an amount of life loss would be less than zero, it’s treated as zero
for all purposes except adding to or subtracting from that total.
Example: A 0/2 creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn. It
is now a -1/1 creature, which acts exactly like a 0/1 creature except for
things that would change its power further. If it is later given +2/+0, then it
becomes a 1/1 creature, not a 2/1 creature.
Obsolete
Terms marked “(Obsolete)” in this glossary were
used on older cards or in older editions of the rules. Updated wordings for all
cards using these terms are available in the Oracle card reference.
One-Shot Effect
One-shot effects are effects that do something
only once and then end. See also
Continuous Effects.
Opponent
The word “opponent” in a spell or ability’s rules
text always refers to the opponent of the player controlling the spell or
ability.
In a
team game, only members of the opposing team are opponents; teammates aren’t
opponents. In a free-for-all, all other players are a player’s opponents.
Owner
The owner of a card is the player who started the
game with that card in his or her deck. (Legal ownership is irrelevant to the
game rules.) The owner of a token is the controller of the spell or ability
that created it.
A
spell or ability can change a permanent’s controller but never its owner.
A card is always put into its owner’s
library, hand, or graveyard, regardless of who controlled the card in its
previous zone.
Pass
To pass is
to decline to play a spell or ability. When a player passes, his or her
opponent receives priority. If both players pass in succession, the spell,
ability, or combat damage on top of the stack resolves. If the stack is empty,
the phase or step ends.
Pay
Playing most spells and activated abilities
requires paying costs.
Paying
mana is done by removing the indicated amount of mana from the player’s mana
pool. Any time a player is asked to pay mana, mana abilities may be played.
Paying life subtracts the indicated amount of life from the player’s life
total. A player can’t pay a nonzero mana cost greater than the amount of mana
in his or her mana pool or a life cost greater than his or her life total.
Costs of zero can always be paid.
To pay
any other cost, the player carries out the instructions specified in the card’s
rules text. It’s illegal to attempt paying a cost when unable to successfully
follow the instructions. For example, a player can’t pay a cost that requires
tapping a creature if that creature is already tapped.
Each
payment applies to only one spell or ability. For example, a player can’t
sacrifice just one creature to play the activated abilities of two permanents
that require sacrificing a creature as a cost. Also, the resolution of a spell
or ability doesn’t pay another spell or ability’s cost, even if part of its
effect is doing the same thing the other cost asks for.
Permanent
A permanent
is any card or token in the in-play zone. See rule 214, “Permanent Type.”
Permanently (Obsolete)
Certain older cards were printed with the term
“permanently” to indicate effects with no expiration. In general, cards that
were printed with the term “permanently” now instead use reminder text to
indicate that the effect lasts past the end of the turn.
Example: An ability that originally had the text “Gain
control of target creature permanently” would now have the following text:
“Gain control of target creature. (This effect doesn’t end at end of turn.)” This effect grants control of the
permanent until something else changes the controller or it leaves play. It
doesn’t make the permanent immune to other control effects.
Phase
Each turn is divided into five phases: beginning,
first main, combat, second main, and end. See section 3, “Turn Structure.”
Phase Ability (Obsolete)
Earlier versions of the rules provided support for
“phase abilities,” which were written “During [phase], . . . .” In general,
cards that were printed with phase abilities now have abilities that trigger at
the beginning of a step or phase.
Phased-Out
The phased-out zone is a special zone for
permanents with phasing that are temporarily out of play. See rule 502.15,
“Phasing.”
Phasing
Phasing is a static ability that causes a
permanent to leave play and later return, without losing its “memory.” See rule
502.15, “Phasing.”
Plainswalk
See
Landwalk.
Play
The act of
playing a spell, land, or ability involves announcing the action and taking the
necessary steps to complete it.
Playing a spell or activated ability requires paying any costs and
choosing any required modes and/or targets. See rule 409, “Playing Spells and
Activated Abilities.”
Playing a land simply requires choosing a land card from the hand and
putting it into play.
Playing a mana ability requires paying any costs, then immediately
resolving the ability. See rule 411, “Playing Mana Abilities.”
Triggered abilities and static abilities aren’t played—they happen
automatically.
Play/Draw
At the start of a game, one player gets to choose
the order of play. Whoever plays first skips his or her first draw step. This
is referred to as the play/draw rule. See rule 101, “Starting the Game.”
Poly Artifact (Obsolete)
Earlier versions of the rules provided support for
the “poly artifact” card type. All poly artifact cards are now artifact cards.
Artifacts printed with the poly artifact card type generally have an activated
ability that doesn’t require tapping the artifact as part of the activation
cost.
Postcombat
The second main phase in each turn is called the
postcombat main phase. If an effect causes a turn to have an extra combat phase
and another main phase, the additional one is also a postcombat main phase.
Power
The number
before the slash printed on the lower-right corner of a creature card is the
creature’s power. A creature’s current power is the initial value (the printed
number), modified by any counters that adjust power and then by any continuous
effects.
Creatures that attack or block assign combat damage equal to their
power. See rule 310, “Combat Damage Step.”
A few
creature cards have power represented by *
instead of a number. This signifies that the creature has a static ability that
sets its power according to some stated condition. If a spell or ability
attempts to read the power when the creature card isn’t in play, the * is equal
to 0.
Precombat
The first main phase in each turn is called the
precombat main phase.
Prevention
Effects
that prevent something from happening replace it with “do nothing.” (See rule
419, “Replacement and Prevention Effects.”) A prevention effect must be active
before the event it’s intended to prevent.
Effects that prevent a specific amount of damage act as “shields” and
stay active until that amount of damage has been prevented or the turn ends.
The damage doesn’t have to be dealt by a single source or all at once.
Effects that prevent all damage from a specific source apply to the next
damage dealt by that source, regardless of the amount. These effects expire
when the turn ends.
Priority
The player who has the option to play a spell or
ability at any given time has priority.
Each
time a spell, an ability (other than a mana ability), or combat damage
resolves, and at the beginning of most phases or steps, the active player
receives priority. After a player plays a spell, ability, or land, he or she
again receives priority. When a player passes, his or her opponent receives
priority. (If both players pass in succession, the spell, ability, or combat
damage on top of the stack resolves or, if the stack is empty, the phase or
step ends.)
Each
time a player would get priority, all applicable state-based effects resolve
first as a single event (see rule 420). Then, if any new state-based effects
have been generated, they resolve as a single event. This process repeats until
no more applicable state-based effects are generated. Then triggered abilities
are added to the stack (see rule 410). These steps repeat in order until no
further state-based effects or triggered abilities are generated.
Protection
Protection
is a static ability. A permanent with protection from [quality] can’t be
targeted by [quality] spells, targeted by abilities from a [quality] source, or
enchanted by [quality] enchantments. Such enchantments enchanting the permanent
with protection will be put into their owners’ graveyards as a state-based
effect. If a creature with protection attacks, it can’t be blocked by [quality]
creatures. In addition, all damage dealt to it from [quality] sources is
prevented. See rule 502.7, “Protection.”
Pseudospell
A pseudospell is an activated or triggered ability
that goes on the stack like a spell. See rule 217.6b.
Rampage
Rampage is a triggered ability. “Rampage X” means
“When this creature becomes blocked by two or more creatures, it gets +X/+X
until end of turn for each creature blocking it beyond the first.” See rule
502.12, “Rampage.”
Redirect (Obsolete)
Some older cards were printed with the term
“redirect” to describe the act of dealing damage to a different player or
creature than originally specified by a spell, ability, or combat-damage
assignment, without changing the source or type of damage. In general, cards
that were printed with the term “redirect” now have abilities that generate
replacement effects which modify where the damage will be dealt. “Redirect” is
still used informally to describe what these replacement effects do.
Regenerate
Regeneration is a destruction-replacement effect.
“Regenerate [permanent]” means “The
next time [permanent] would be destroyed this turn, instead remove all damage
from it, tap it, and (if it’s in combat) remove it from combat.” Because it’s a
replacement effect, it must be active before the attempted destruction event.
Note that if destruction is caused by lethal damage, any abilities that trigger
from that damage being dealt still trigger even if the permanent regenerates.
Reminder Text
Reminder text appears after a keyword ability
printed on a card or on cards that might otherwise be commonly misunderstood.
Reminder text is italicized and in parentheses. This text provides a summary of
the game rule but isn’t itself considered rules text.
Removed from Combat
An attacking or blocking creature that is removed
from combat stops being an attacking or blocking creature and can no longer assign
combat damage or have combat damage assigned to it. Any combat damage that’s
already on the stack assigned to or by the creature will still resolve
normally.
Removed from the Game
A card
removed from the game is out of play and can’t be affected by spells or
abilities. However, the spell or ability that removed the card may specify a
way for it to return. Some cards use the expression “set aside” for situations
in which a card removed from the game can return to play. See rule 217.7,
“Removed from the Game.”
Replacement Effect
A replacement effect is a type of continuous
effect that “watches” for a specified event and replaces it with a different
one. See rule 419, “Replacement and Prevention Effects.”
Resolve
When a
spell or ability on top of the stack resolves, its controller carries out the
instructions printed on the card, in the order written. When combat damage
resolves, it’s dealt as previously assigned to the fullest extent possible. See
rule 413, “Resolving Spells and Abilities.”
Respond, Response (Informal)
A player
can choose to play an instant spell or activated ability when something else is
already on the stack, rather than waiting for the earlier spell or ability to
resolve first. The spell or ability is said to be played “in response to” the
earlier spell or ability.
Reveal
To reveal a card is to show that card to all
players. This is a one-shot effect;
after all players have seen the card, it’s returned to its former state.
Sacrifice
To
sacrifice a permanent, its controller moves it from the in-play zone directly
to its owner’s graveyard. If an effect instructs a player to sacrifice a
permanent that he or she doesn’t control, nothing happens. Sacrificing a
permanent doesn’t destroy it, so regeneration or other effects that replace destruction
can’t affect it.
Search
If you’re required to search a zone not revealed
to all players for cards matching some criteria, you aren’t required to find
those cards even if they’re present. Even if you don’t find any cards, you are
still considered to have searched the zone. If you’re simply searching for “any
card,” however, you must find a card (if possible). If you’re required to
search for a specific number of cards, you must choose that many cards (or as
many as possible.) For example, if an effect causes you to search a player’s
library for all duplicates of a particular card and remove them from the game,
you may choose to leave some of them alone, but if an effect causes you to
search your library for three cards and it contains at least three, you can’t
choose less than three.
Separating Cards into Piles
If a player is asked to separate a group of cards
into two or more piles, the cards do not leave the zone they’re currently in.
If cards in a graveyard are split into piles, the order of the graveyard must
be maintained as much as possible.
Set Aside
To set aside a card is to remove it from the game;
however, the effect will specify some condition that allows the set-aside card
to return to the game. See also
Removed from the Game.
Shadow
Shadow is
an evasion ability. Attacking creatures with shadow can’t be blocked by
creatures without shadow, and attacking creatures without shadow can’t be
blocked by creatures with shadow. See rule 502.8, “Shadow.”
Skip
To skip a
step, phase, or turn is to proceed past it as though it didn’t exist. Skipping
is a replacement effect. “Skip [something]” is the same as “Instead of doing
[something], do nothing.”
Once a
step, phase, or turn has started, it can no longer be skipped—any skip effects
will wait until the next occurrence.
Anything scheduled for a skipped step, phase, or turn won’t happen.
Anything scheduled for the “next” occurrence of something waits for the first
occurrence that isn’t skipped. If two effects each cause a player to skip his
or her next occurrence, that player must skip the next two; one effect will be
satisfied in skipping the first occurrence, while the other will remain until
another occurrence can be skipped
Snow-Covered
Snow-covered is an ability that doesn’t do anything
in its own right; it’s simply a keyword that other cards look for. When a card
refers to a “snow-covered land,” it means a land with the snow-covered ability.
When a card refers to a “snow-covered forest,” it means a forest with the
snow-covered ability, and so on. See rule 502.14, “Snow-Covered.”
Snow-Covered Landwalk
Snow-covered landwalk is a special form of
landwalk. A creature with snow-covered landwalk is unblockable as long as the
defending player controls at least one land of the specified type that has the
snow-covered ability. See rule 502.6, “Landwalk.”
Sorcery
Sorcery is
a card type. The active player can play sorcery spells only during his or her
main phase when the stack is empty. A sorcery spell is put into its owner’s
graveyard as part of its resolution. See rule 408.1d.
Source
The source
of an ability or of damage is the card or token that generated it. If an effect
requires a player to choose a source, he or she may choose either a permanent
or a spell on the stack (including one that creates a permanent) or any card or
permanent referred to by a spell or pseudospell on the stack. The effect will
apply in the way specified to the damage dealt by that spell or by that
permanent (in combat or by one of its abilities). A source doesn’t need to be
capable of dealing damage to be a legal choice.
Spell
A nonland card becomes a spell when it’s played
and remains a spell until it’s countered or it resolves. Nonland cards can also
be referred to as “spell cards.” See rule 213, “Spell Type.”
Split Cards
Split cards have two card faces on a single card.
The back of a split card is the normal, full-size Magic card back. Split cards have two sets of characteristics: two
names, two mana costs, and so on. They always have both sets, except when
they’re on the stack. When you play a split card, you announce which side of
the card you’re playing. While it’s on the stack, the other side of the card is
ignored completely.
Split
cards have two mana costs with different colors of mana in them. That means
they are multicolored cards, except while they’re on the stack. If an effect
tells you to name a card, you must name all of a split card’s names.
Effects that ask for a split card’s characteristic get both answers.
Effects that ask if a split card’s characteristic matches a given value get
only one answer. This answer is “yes” if either side of the split card matches
the given value. See rule 505, “Split Cards.”
Stack
A spell or ability goes on top of the stack when
it’s played or triggered. Combat-damage assignments also go on top of the stack
as though they were a single pseudospell. Whenever both players pass in
succession, the spell, ability, or combat damage on top of the stack resolves
and the active player receives priority again. See rule 217.6, “Stack,” and
rule 408.1, “Timing, Priority, and the Stack.”
State-Based Effects
State-based
effects continually “watch” the game for a particular state. Whenever a player
would receive priority, state-based effects are checked and applied. See rule
420, “State-Based Effects."
State Triggers
State triggers are triggered abilities that watch
for a game state rather than an event and trigger as soon as the game state
matches the condition. Once a state trigger has triggered, it won’t trigger
again until the pseudospell it created has resolved or been countered. See rule
410.11.
Static Ability
Static
abilities do something all the time rather than being played at specific times.
Static abilities create continuous effects, which are active as long as the permanent
with the ability remains in play and has the ability. A spell or ability can
also create a continuous effect that doesn’t depend on a permanent; these may
last a specified length of time or for the rest of the game. See rule 412,
“Handling Static Abilities.”
Step
Some phases
of the turn are further subdivided into steps. See section 3, “Turn Structure.”
Successfully Cast (Obsolete)
Earlier versions of the rules provided support for
“successfully cast” as a step in the announcement and resolution of a spell or
ability. In general, any ability that’s written as triggering when a spell is
“successfully cast” should be read as triggering when the spell is played.
Summon (Obsolete)
Older creature cards were printed with the type
“Summon [creature subtype].” All “Summon [creature subtype]” cards should be
read as “Creature — [creature subtype].”
Summoning Sickness (Obsolete)
In earlier versions of the rules, the term
“summoning sickness” was used to describe a creature’s inability to attack or
to use activated abilities which include the tap symbol when it has come under
a player’s control since the beginning of that player’s most recent turn. See also Haste.
Swampwalk
See
Landwalk.
Tap
To tap a permanent is to turn it sideways. The tap
symbol (T in these rules) in an activation cost means “Tap this permanent”—a
permanent that’s already tapped can’t be tapped again to pay the cost.
Creatures that haven’t been under a player’s control continuously since the
beginning of his or her most recent turn can’t use any ability with the tap
symbol in the cost.
Target
Whenever
the word target appears in the rules text of a spell or ability, the controller
of the spell or ability chooses something that matches whatever follows that
word. This may be as simple as “target land”
or as complex as “target tapped creature an opponent controls.” The choice of a
spell or ability’s targets is made when the spell or ability is played.
A
spell or pseudospell on the stack can’t target itself.
Text Box
The text box is printed below the illustration on
a Magic card and contains rules,
reminder text, and flavor text.
Threshold
Threshold is a static ability. A card
with threshold has the text after “Threshold —” if its controller has seven or
more cards in his or her graveyard. Otherwise, the text after “Threshold —” is
treated as though it did not appear on the card. An instant or sorcery card
with threshold has the threshold text only if the card is on the stack. An
artifact, creature, enchantment, or land card with threshold, or any permanent
with threshold, has the threshold text only if the card or permanent is in
play.
Tie
If an effect could result in a tie, the text of
the spell or ability that created the effect will specify what to do in the
event of a tie. The Magic game has
no default for ties.
Timestamp Order
A permanent’s timestamp is the time it came into
play, with two exceptions: (1) If two or more permanents enter play
simultaneously, the active player determines their timestamp order at the time
they come into play, but a local enchantment must be timestamped after what it
enchants; (2) Whenever a local enchantment becomes attached to a permanent, the
enchantment receives a new timestamp.
Continuous effects generated by static abilities have the same timestamp
as the permanent that generated them. Continuous effects generated by the
resolution of a spell or ability receive a timestamp when the spell or ability
creating them resolves.
Token
A token is
an object in play representing a noncard permanent created by a spell or
ability. Tokens can be tapped and untapped just like cards, though an
alternative to rotation might be needed to distinguish their status. See rule
216, “Tokens.”
Total Casting Cost (Obsolete)
Some older cards were printed with the term “total
casting cost” to describe the converted mana cost of a spell. In general, cards
that were printed with the term “total casting cost” now use the term
“converted mana cost.”
Toughness
The number after the slash printed on the
lower-right corner of a creature card is the creature’s toughness. A creature’s
current toughness is the initial value (the printed number), modified by any
counters that adjust toughness and then by any continuous effects.
A
creature that’s been dealt damage greater than or equal to its toughness (and
greater than 0) has lethal damage and will be destroyed the next time any
player would receive priority. This is a state-based effect.
A few
creature cards have toughness represented by * instead of a number. This
signifies that the creature has a static ability that sets its toughness
according to some stated condition. If a spell or ability attempts to read the
toughness when the creature card isn’t in play, the * is equal to 0.
Trample
Trample is
a static ability modifying the combat damage step of the combat phase. It lets
an attacking creature “trample over” blocking creatures and assign part of its
combat damage to the defending player. See rule 502.9, “Trample.”
Trigger, Triggered Ability
A triggered ability begins with the word “when,”
“whenever,” or “at.” Whenever the trigger event occurs, the ability goes on top
of the stack the next time a player would receive priority. See rule 404,
“Triggered Abilities.”
Type
The word type by itself is ambiguous—it may mean the
basic type of a card, spell, and so on, or the subtype of a creature,
enchantment, or land. See rules 212–215.
A
card’s type (and subtype, if applicable) is printed directly below the
illustration on the card. The spell type for a nonland card is the same as its
card type, even if its rules text states it can be played “as” some other type
(that is, following the timing rules for playing that other type). The
permanent type for a card in play is the same as its card type. Tokens have no
card or spell type but do have a permanent type.
When a
spell or ability changes a permanent’s type, the new type replaces all previous
types. If the spell or ability is adding a type, it will say so.
A
creature’s type is printed after the word “creature” below the illustration on
the card or defined by the spell or ability that created a token. A creature
may have multiple types. A noncreature card that’s changed into a creature by a
spell or ability has no creature type unless the spell or ability gives it one.
A
land’s type is the same as its name.
A
local enchantment’s type is printed after the word “Enchant” on the card’s type
line.
Categories of cards, such as basic land or local enchantment, aren’t
types or subtypes and can’t be named when a type must be chosen.
The
“type” of mana includes both its color and any restrictions placed upon it (for
example, mana that can be used only to play artifact spells).
Unblockable
If an attacking creature “is unblockable,” no
creature can legally block it. Spells or abilities may still cause it to become
blocked.
Unblocked Creature
An attacking creature becomes an unblocked
creature during the declare blockers step of the combat phase if no creature
blocks it. It remains an unblocked creature until a spell or ability causes it
to become blocked, it’s removed from combat, it stops being a creature, its
controller changes, or the combat phase ends. Unblocked creatures don’t exist
outside of the combat phase or before the declare blockers step. See rule 309,
“Declare Blockers Step.”
Unless
Some cards use the phrase “[Do something] unless
you [do something else].” This means the same thing as “You may [do something
else]. If you don’t, [do something].”
Untap
1. To untap a tapped card, rotate it back to the
upright position. See also Tap.
2. Untap is the first step of the beginning phase
of the turn. All permanents controlled by the active player normally untap at
this time. See rule 302, “Untap Step.”
Upkeep
Upkeep is the second step of the beginning phase
of the turn. Some cards have abilities that trigger at the beginning of the
upkeep step; such an ability is called an “upkeep cost” or an “upkeep effect.” An upkeep cost is usually written in
the form “At the beginning of your upkeep, you may [pay cost]. If you don’t,
sacrifice [this card].” See rule 303, “Upkeep Step.”
Vanguard
Card
The Vanguard™
supplements consist of oversized cards that modify the game. A Vanguard card is selected before the
game begins, adjusting a player’s starting and maximum hand size and starting
life total. Any abilities printed on a Vanguard
card are played exactly like those of an in-play Magic card; however, these abilities have no color, and damage from
them isn’t damage from a permanent of any type or a source of any color. A Vanguard card isn’t a Magic card, so it can’t be affected by
spells or abilities.
Wall
A Wall is a type of creature that can’t be
declared as an attacker. In all other respects, a Wall is the same as any other
creature.
X
If a cost
has an “X” in it, the value of X must be announced as part of playing the spell or ability. (See
rule 409, “Playing Spells and Abilities.”) While the spell or ability is on the
stack, the X in its mana cost
equals that amount of generic mana. If a card in any other zone has X in its mana cost, the amount
is treated as 0. In other cases, X will be defined by the text of a spell or
ability. If X isn’t defined, the controller of the spell or ability chooses the
value of X. All Xs on a card have the same value.
Y, Z
See
X.
Yield Priority (Obsolete)
In earlier versions of the rules, the term “yield
priority” was used instead of “pass.”
You, Your
The words “you” and “your” in on a card or permanent refer to the spell or
ability’s controller. For static abilities, this is the current controller of
the card or permanent (or the card’s owner if it isn’t in play). For activated
abilities, this is the player who played the ability For triggered abilities,
this is the controller of the card when the ability triggered (or the card’s
owner if it wasn’t in play).
Zone
A zone is any place that Magic cards can be during a game. See rule 217, “Zones.”
Credits
Magic: The Gathering Original Game Design: Richard Garfield
Comprehensive
Rules Design and Development: Beth Moursund and Bill
Rose, with contributions from William Jockusch, Paul Barclay, Charlie Camino,
Laurie Cheers, Stephen D’Angelo, Dave DeLaney, Brady Dommermuth, Skaff Elias,
Mike Elliott, Richard Garfield, Dan Gray, Robert Gutschera, Collin Jackson,
Jeff Jordan, Jim Lin, Steve Lord, Michael Phoenix, Mark Rosewater, David Sachs,
Henry Stern, Ingo Warnke, Tom Wylie, and Donald X
Editing:
Del Laugel and Bill “Quill” McQuillan
Magic Lead Design:
Bill Rose
Magic: The Gathering
was designed by Richard Garfield, with contributions from Charlie Camino, Skaff
Elias, Don Felice, Tom Fontaine, Jim Lin, Joel Mick, Chris Page, Dave Pettey,
Barry “Bit” Reich, Bill Rose, and Elliott Segal. The mana symbols were designed
by Christopher Rush.
Thanks
to all our project team members and the many others too numerous to mention who
have contributed to this product.
Special thanks
to Peter Adkison for recognizing good ideas while having them himself, and for
recognizing good people while being one himself.
These rules are current as of September 24, 2001.
Published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., P.O. Box
707, Renton WA 98057-0707, U.S.A. All trademarks, including character names and
their distinctive likenesses, and the WUBRGT symbols, are property of Wizards.
©1993–2001 Wizards. U.S.A. patent 5662332.
Questions?
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U.K.,
Eire, and South Africa
Wizards of the Coast, U.K. Ltd.
attn: Magic Questions
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Stockley Park
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Middx UB11 1AZ
ENGLAND
Tel.: 08457-125599
(within the U.K.)
(+44) 208-744-5822 (from the Republic of Ireland and other countries)
Fax: (+44)
1628-78-06-02
Email: uk@wizards.com
European
Headquarters
Wizards of the Coast, Belgium
attn: Magic Questions
PB 2031
2600 Berchem
BELGIUM
Tel.: +32.70.233.277
Fax: +32.70.233.288
Email: custserv@wizards.be
France
Wizards of the Coast, France
attn: Magic Questions
BP 103
94222 Charenton Cedex
FRANCE
Tel.: 01.43.96.35.65
Fax: 01.43.96.52.53
Email: custserv-fr@wizards.com
Italy
Wizards of the Coast, Italia srl
attn: Magic Questions
Via G.Stephenson 43/a
20157 Milano
ITALIA
Tel.: +39.02.39005006
Fax: +39.02.39005009
Email: wotcit@tin.it
Visit
our website: www.wizards.com