============================================================================== General Rulings Summary (CHANGES ONLY) Updated 2006/01/22 ============================================================================== Rulings are collected from many sources. See credits and disclaimer at the end of the file for details. This release is under rules used by NINTH EDITION. These rulings have been updated monthly with the most recent version available on the web as the following: http://www.crystalkeep.com/magic/rules This document contains the complete text of the Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules document published by Wizards of the Coast. These rules are noted with numbered entries. It also contains additional rulings to clarify or explain some rules. These are marked with the word "Ruling". A '+' is used to mark changes since the 2005/12/29 release. Thanx, Stephen. ---- Stephen D'Angelo | Crystal Keep Editor dangelo@crystalkeep.com | Former Wizards of the Coast Rules NetRep ============================================================================== Table of Contents: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No changes to this section. 1 - The Game ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 101 - Starting the Game + 101.Ruling.1 - The Leyline cards from Guildpact happen after players are satisfied with their hands, but before the first player takes his or her turn. Each player chooses, in turn order, which Leylines to put into play, then they all reveal their choices simultaneously and put the cards into play simultaneously. These are put into play directly without playing them. They cannot be countered. The player who will be going first determines the timestamp order among Leylines that start the game in play. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] 2 - Parts of the Game ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No changes to this section. 3 - Turn Structure ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No changes to this section. 4 - Spells, Abilities, and Effects ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No changes to this section. 5 - Additional Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 502.50 - Bloodthirst + 502.50a - Bloodthirst is a static ability. "Bloodthirst N" means "If an opponent was dealt damage this turn, this permanent comes into play with N +1/+1 counters on it." [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] + 502.50b - "Bloodthirst X" is a special form of bloodthirst. "Bloodthirst X" means "This permanent comes into play with X +1/+1 counters on it, where X is the total damage your opponents have been dealt this turn." [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] + 502.50c - If an object has multiple instances of bloodthirst, each applies separately. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] + 502.50.Ruling.1 - It doesn't matter how an opponent was dealt damage, or even who controlled the source of the damage. If your opponent was damaged by one of his or her own painlands, for example, a creature with bloodthirst you play later that turn will come into play with +1/+1 counters. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] + 502.50.Ruling.2 - The permanents either come into play with the counters or they don't. They don't come into play small and then get the counters. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] 502.51 - Haunt + 502.51a - Haunt is a triggered ability that enables other triggered abilities to work from the removed-from-the-game zone. "Haunt" on a permanent means "When this permanent is put into a graveyard from play, remove it from the game. As long as this card remains removed from the game this way, it haunts target creature." "Haunt" on an instant or sorcery spell means "When this spell resolves, remove this card from the game. As long as this card remains removed from the game this way, it haunts target creature." [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] + 502.51b - Cards that are in the removed-from-the-game zone as the result of a haunt ability "haunt" the creature targeted by that ability. When the creature that's being haunted is put into a graveyard, an ability of each card in the removed-from-the-game zone that's haunting it will trigger. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] + 502.51c - If a creature that's being haunted leaves the in-play zone, it stops being haunted. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] + 502.51.Ruling.1 - If an instant or sorcery spell with haunt is countered, its haunt ability doesn't trigger. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] + 502.51.Ruling.2 - Instants and sorceries with haunt have the same effect when they're played as when the haunted creature is put into a graveyard. Creatures with haunt have the same effect when they come into play as when the haunted creature is put into a graveyard. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] + 502.51.Ruling.3 - You may haunt any creature in play, regardless of who controls it. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] + 502.51.Ruling.4 - The same creature may be haunted by multiple cards. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] + 502.51.Ruling.5 - The cards that are haunting a creature don't return from the removed-from-the-game zone when that creature leaves play. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] + 502.51.Ruling.6 - If there are no legal targets for the haunt ability, the card with haunt stays in the graveyard rather than being removed from the game. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] + 502.51.Ruling.7 - If a card with haunt is removed from the graveyard in response to its haunt ability triggering, the haunt ability will resolve. But since the card can't be removed from the game, it won't haunt the target creature. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] + 502.51.Ruling.8 - The same applies for a token creature with haunt or a copy of an instant or sorcery spell with haunt. The haunt ability will trigger and target a creature in play, but the token or spell copy will have vanished from the graveyard by the time the ability resolves. It can't be removed from the game and won't haunt the targeted creature. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] + 502.51.Ruling.9 - If a card that's haunting a creature leaves the removed-from-the-game zone due to a Wish (from the Judgment(TM) set), that card stops haunting that creature. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] + 502.51.Ruling.10 - The source of an ability that triggers when a haunted creature is put into a graveyard is the card with haunt in the removed-from-the-game zone. The ability is controlled by the owner of that card. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] + 502.51.Ruling.11 - If a creature with haunt controlled by Player A but owned by Player B is put into a graveyard, Player A controls the haunt triggered ability. That player chooses the target for the haunt ability and must remove the card from the game. However, when the haunted creature is put into a graveyard, Player B will control the triggered ability of the card in the removed-from-the-game zone and will make any choices it requires. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] 502.52 - Replicate + 502.52a - Replicate is a keyword that represents two abilities. The first is a static ability that functions while the spell is on the stack. The second is a triggered ability that functions while the spell is on the stack. "Replicate [cost]" means "As an additional cost to play this spell, you may pay [cost] any number of times" and "When you play this spell, if a replicate cost was paid for it, copy it for each time its replicate cost was paid. If the spell has any targets, you may choose new targets for any number of the copies." Paying a spell's replicate cost follows the rules for paying additional costs in Rule 409.1b and Rule 409.1f through Rule 409.1h. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] + 502.52b - If a spell has multiple instances of replicate, each is paid separately and triggers based on the payments made for it, not any other instance of replicate. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] + 502.52.Ruling.1 - Copies created with replicate will have replicate abilities themselves. However, since those copies aren't played, their replicate costs can't be paid and their replicate abilities won't trigger. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] + 502.52.Ruling.2 - Each copy is separate. If one of them is countered (including the actual spell card), the rest remain on the stack. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] + 502.52.Ruling.3 - If the replicate trigger is countered (by the Scourge(TM) spell Stifle, for example), no replicate copies will be created. The original spell will be unaffected. [Guildpact FAQ 2005/12/22] 6 - Multiplayer Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No changes to this section. 7 - Specialized Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No changes to this section. 8 - Tournament Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No changes to this section. 9 - Glossary ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ G12.13 - Life, Life Total + G12.13.Ruling.1 - There is no upper limit on your life total. It can go into the thousands if you find a way to do so. [D'Angelo 2006/01/20] Acknowledgements and Disclaimers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ While this work is not officially issued by Wizards of the Coast, it is the official collected rulings from official sanctioned representatives of and publications by Wizards of the Coast. This summary is collected from rulings made by officials and network representatives of Wizards of the Coast, along with a number of unofficial rulings also collected from the net. Whenever a source for a ruling is known, the name of that person is listed with the ruling. "Barclay" is Paul Barclay, a previous MTG-L mailing list NetRep. "CompRules" marks rules from the Comprehensive Rules. "D'Angelo" is Stephen D'Angelo, the former Rules Summary network representative, and former MTG-L mailing list NetRep. "DeLaney" is David DeLaney, the network representative for the "rec.games.trading-cards.magic.rules" newsgroup. "Jordan" is Jeff Jordan, the MTG-L mailing list NetRep. "WotC Rules Team" marks official rulings from the rules team. These files may be freely copied and posted anywhere you'd like. The contents can also be included in other formats (such as HTML or databases) or in products, but there are two restrictions. I insist that the files not be sold for profit. Anything you put them in must be available at no more than cost of duplication. Also, you must give credit to me and list the version date your work is derived from. Thanks. Every attempt has been made to make this summary accurate, but errors do creep in. Nothing in this work is guaranteed to be accurate. Use at your own risk. Magic: The Gathering and all of the cards listed herein are copyrighted by Wizards of the Coast.