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This search based on the January 15, 2004 release of the Rulings.
409 - Playing Spells and Activated Abilities
- 409.1 - Playing a spell or activated ability follows the steps listed below,
in order. If, at any point during the playing of a spell or ability, a
player is unable to comply with any of the steps listed below, the spell
was played illegally; the game returns to the moment before that spell or
ability was played (see Rule 422, "Handling Illegal Actions").
Announcements and payments can't be altered after they've been made.
[CompRules 2003/07/01]
- 409.1a - The player announces that he or she is playing the spell or
activated ability. It moves from the zone it's in to the stack and
remains there until it's countered or resolves. In the case of spells,
the physical card goes onto the stack. In the case of activated
abilities, the ability goes onto the stack without any card associated
with it. Each spell has all the characteristics of the card associated
with it. Each activated ability that's on the stack has the text of the
ability that created it, and no other characteristics. The controller of
a spell is the player who played the spell. The controller of an
activated ability is the player who played the ability.
[CompRules 2003/07/01]
- 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). You can't apply two alternative methods of
playing or two alternative costs to a single spell or ability. Previously
made choices (such as choosing to play a spell with flashback from his or
her graveyard or choosing to play a creature with morph face down) may
restrict the player's options when making these choices.
[CompRules 2003/07/01]
- 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.
[CompRules 2003/07/01]
- 409.1d - 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. [CompRules 2003/07/01]
- 409.1e - If the spell or ability affects several targets in different ways,
the player announces how it will affect each target. If the spell or
ability requires the player to divide an effect (such as damage or
counters) among one or more targets, or any number of untargeted objects
or players, the player announces the division. Each of these targets,
objects, or players must receive at least one of whatever is being
divided. [CompRules 2003/12/01]
- 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 permanents, sacrificing permanents,
discarding cards, and so on. The total cost is the mana cost, activation
cost, or alternative cost, plus all cost increases and minus all cost
reductions. Once the total cost is determined, it becomes "locked in."
If effects would change the total cost after this time, they have no
effect. [CompRules 2003/07/01]
- 409.1g - The player then has a chance to play mana abilities (see Rule 411,
"Playing Mana Abilities"). Mana abilities must be played before costs
are paid. [CompRules 2003/12/01]
- 409.1h - Once the player has finished playing mana abilities, he or she pays
the total cost in any order. Partial payments are not allowed.
[CompRules 2003/12/01]
Example: You play Death Bomb, which costs {3}{B} 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, you
pay {2}{B}, not {3}{B}, even though you're sacrificing the Familiar.
[CompRules 2003/07/01]
- 409.1i - Once the steps described in Rule 409.1a through Rule 409.1h are
completed, the spell or ability becomes played. Any abilities that
trigger on a spell or ability being played or put onto the stack trigger
at this time. The spell or ability's controller gets priority.
[CompRules 2003/10/01]
- 409.2 - 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 is an exception to Rule 103.4. [CompRules 2003/07/01]
- 409.3 - Playing a spell or ability that alters costs won't do anything to
spells and abilities that are already on the stack. [CompRules 2003/07/01]
- 409.4 - A player can't begin to play a spell or activated ability that's
prohibited from being played by an effect. [CompRules 2003/07/01]
- 409.Ruling.1 - As a note on Rule 409.1e, dividing an effect can be
communicated using a bunch of possible words, including "divide"
and "distribute". This is not locked to the word "divide".
[DeLaney 2003/12/14]
This search based on the January 15,2004 release of the Rulings.
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