February 2000
*Magic*(R) Rulings & Errata
A Summary of Recent Rulings
compiled by Brady Dommermuth

GENERAL RULES

1) Rule 410.5 stated that if an optional triggered ability had a simple
enough effect (you may do what this ability states or do nothing), its
controller could choose not to put it on the stack. This led some players to
think a triggered ability is "played" by its controller, which caused
confusion over exactly when an optional triggered ability had to go on the
stack.
        This rule has been eliminated. Now, when a triggered ability's trigger
event occurs, the ability simply goes on the stack (unless it has an “if”
clause that isn’t true at the time--see the _Comprehensive Rules_ glossary
entry for “if”). Its controller makes all choices for the ability when it
resolves.

2) If an effect causes a player to put two or more cards on the top or
bottom of his or her library, the owner of the cards chooses their order.
Furthermore, the owner doesn't need to reveal the chosen order to any other
player. This applies to cards such as Abundance, Harmonic Convergence, and
Plow Under.

3) A "limited-duration" effect is a continuous effect that lasts "until"
some time or "as long as" a condition is true. An "unlimited-duration"
effect is a continuous effect that lasts indefinitely, even if the effect
enables a player to end it somehow. (For example, the unlimited-duration
effect that makes a Licid an enchant creature can be ended by paying some
mana.) The distinction between these two classes of continuous effects is
relevant for phasing; limited-duration effects end when a permanent phases
out, but unlimited-duration effects don't.

4) Some replacement effects "redirect" damage from one creature or player to
another; they cause the damage to be dealt to the second creature or player
instead of to the first. A new rule applies to these effects: If either
creature is no longer in play or is no longer a creature when the
replacement effect would occur, the effect does nothing. Likewise, if either
player is no longer in the game, the effect does nothing.

5) Some cards have trigger events that read, "Whenever [this creature]
becomes blocked by [some number of] creatures, . . . ." If later effects add
enough blockers to trigger the ability, it will trigger. If blockers are
replaced, however, the new blocker doesn’t count as an additional blocker.
     For example, Johtull Wurm reads, "Whenever Johtull Wurm becomes blocked
by two or more creatures, it gets -2/-1 until end of turn for each creature
blocking it beyond the first." Let's say Johtull Wurm attacks and is blocked
by one creature. If an effect later causes an additional creature to block
the Wurm, its ability will trigger. But if an effect switches the first
blocker for another one, the Wurm's ability won't trigger. In other words,
the Wurm's trigger event means "Whenever Johtull Wurm becomes blocked by two
or more creatures at the same time, . . . ."

ERRATA

1) Three _Nemesis(TM)_ cards--Parallax Nexus, Parallax Tide, and Parallax
Wave--were worded in a way that made them work differently than intended.
Here are the corrected wordings for these cards:

     Fading 5
     Remove a fade counter from Parallax Nexus: Target
     opponent removes a card in his or her hand from the
     game if Parallax Nexus is in play. Play this ability
     only any time you could play a sorcery.
     When Parallax Nexus leaves play, each player returns
     to his or her hand all cards he or she owns removed
     from the game with Parallax Nexus.

     Fading 5
     Remove a fade counter from Parallax Tide: Remove
     target land from the game if Parallax Tide is in
     play.
     When Parallax Tide leaves play, each player returns
     to play all cards he or she owns removed from the
     game with Parallax Tide.

     Fading 5
     Remove a fade counter from Parallax Wave: Remove
     target creature from the game if Parallax Wave is
     in play.
     When Parallax Wave leaves play, each player
     returns to play all cards other than Parallax
     Wave he or she owns removed from the game with
     Parallax Wave.

This wording means if the card is no longer in play when its activated
ability starts to resolve, nothing will be removed from the game.
Additionally, Parallax Wave can no longer return itself to play. This
prevents unintended interactions with cards such as Opalescence.

2) When the _Visions(TM)_ "bounce lands" were corrected last month, a
similar card was overlooked: Glacial Chasm, an _Ice Age(TM)_ land card.
Glacial Chasm is now worded the same as Coral Atoll and so on:

     Cumulative upkeep--Pay 2 life
     If Glacial Chasm would come into play, sacrifice
     a land instead. If you do, put Glacial Chasm into
     play. If you don't, put it into its owner's
     graveyard.
     Skip your combat phase.
     Prevent all damage that would be dealt to you.

This wording means there's no way to avoid sacrificing a land to put the
Chasm into play. We apologize for the delay on this correction.

SPECIFIC CARD RULINGS

1) Some players have asked if it's ever mandatory to pay a cost, such as
when the cost is 0. The answer is no. For example, let's say your opponent
attacks with a creature enchanted with Lure ("All creatures able to block
enchanted creature do so"). You control War Cadence ("XR: Creatures can't
block this turn unless their controller pays X for each blocking creature he
or she controls"). What happens if you play War Cadence's ability, choosing
0 for X? You'll have to pay 0 for each of your creatures to block. Because
War Cadence imposes a cost to block, you can choose not to pay it--even
though the cost is 0. If you don't pay it, your creatures won't be able to
block the attacker enchanted with Lure.

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