============================================================================= General Rulings Summary (CHANGES ONLY) Updated 02/19/98 ============================================================================= Rulings are collected from many sources. See credits and disclaimer at the end of the file for details. The most recent mtg-l digest used was "18 Feb 1998". These rulings are updated monthly. The most recent version is available on the web (WWW) as either of the following: http://www.activesw.com/~sdangelo/magic.html ftp://ftp.activesw.com/pub/sdangelo/magic/rule-general.txt The above files are also available via FTP to "ftp.activesw.com" under "pub/sdangelo/magic" as "rule-general.txt". If you have neither WWW nor FTP access, send e-mail to "dangelo@netcom.com" requesting a copy of the current Rulings Summaries. A '+' is used to mark changes since the last released version on 01/14/97. Thanx, Stephen. ---- Stephen D'Angelo | Official Magic: The Gathering Rules Summary dangelo@netcom.com | Network Representative for Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ============================================================================= Table of Contents: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- No changes to this section. Turn Order Rules and Rulings ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Phase 0: Beginning of Turn + You may not use mana source between turns. [WotC Rules Team 02/01/98] (REVERSAL) The first chance to use mana sources after the end of turn series of the previous turn is the beginning of turn series for the new turn. Attack Phase Rules and Rulings ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- No changes to this section. Spell and Ability Timing ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Step 1: Announcing a Spell/Ability + All characteristics of the source of an ability are "locked in" at this time. This means that the ability keeps its own copy of the characteristics of its source. [Mirage Page 27] + For a long while there was a rule that if an ability targeted (or otherwise affected) the source of that ability, then you did not recheck the characteristics of the source as a target. You used the characteristics that were recorded as a source instead. This rule has been REVERSED so that characteristics of a target are always checked on resolution as normal and there is no longer a special rule about this. [WotC Rules Team 02/01/98] Triggered Abilities: + Triggers on "leaves play" triggered abilities lock in the characteristics of the permanent just before it left play. [WotC Rules Team 02/01/98] + Triggers on "comes into play" triggered abilities lock in the characteristics based on the card or token-creating ability and the associated permanent type. If the card refers to itself by name, its identity is also recorded so the effect knows exactly what card/token it is associated with even if it changes names after entering play. [WotC Rules Team 02/01/98] Damage Prevention: + Being reduced to toughness less than or equal to the damage on the creature does not cause a damage prevention. The creature just dies of lethal damage. [Mirage Page 4] This happens as a "rules trigger", and Regeneration spells and abilities may be used to save the creature. [bethmo 01/20/98] + Being reduced to zero toughness is treated just like being reduced to toughness less than or equal to the damage on the creature (which is zero). Regeneration can be used, but note that since the toughness is zero, the creature will die again and again until you give up and just let it go to the graveyard. [D'Angelo 02/12/98] Characteristics: + If the source of a spell/ability targets itself, then the characteristics of itself as a target are not locked in on announcement even though the characteristics of itself as a source are locked in. The characteristics of the target are always checked on resolution. [WotC Rules Team 02/01/98] (REVERSAL) Glossary of Magic Topics ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Animated Lands and Animated Artifacts: + When a land or artifact animates into a creature, the power/toughness specified in the ability are considered as its base power/toughness just as if those numbers were written on the bottom-right corner of the card. [WotC Rules Team 02/01/98] This is actually true because all cards which animate lands and artifacts have been issued errata to say they set the base power/toughness and not the current power/toughness. + If an effect re-animates an already animated land or artifact, the effects changes the base power/toughness of the creature and not the current power/toughness of the creature. This change is being issued via errata to all animating effects to add the word "base" to their text. [WotC Rules Team 02/01/98] Thus, a Mishra's Factory with a -1/-1 counter cannot override the counter no matter how many times it is used. + If an effect which animates a land or artifact also grants abilities, such as Flying, these abilites are not considered part of the base card. They are considered to be applied at the time the animating effect is being played. [Aahz 06/19/97] Casting Cost: + Cost decreasing effects can be applied to any costs included in the card text or to any costs applied by external effects. The "play cost" can therefore be calculated like this: a) start with the casting cost (or activation cost for an ability). b) Apply all cost increases (such as Gloom) or extra costs described in the text (such as Buyback). c) Apply all cost reductions (such as Helm of Awakening and the Medallions). [WotC Rules Team 02/01/98] (REVERSAL. Cost decreasers did not apply to external costs before this.) + An effect which allows you to play a spell/ability without paying its casting/activation cost, does not reduce any of the additional play costs (such as Gloom) applied to the playing of the spell/ability. [WotC Rules Team 02/01/98] Creature Power and Toughness: + The current power/toughness is calculated like this: a) Start with the base value as printed on the card or set when the creature was created. b) Apply any plusses and minuses from counters. c) Apply other effects. [WotC Rules Team 02/01/98] Note that because counters are applied before other effects, Unstable Mutation cannot kill a creature while Humility is in play, since Humility will set the power/toughness to 1/1 after the counters are applied. Licid: + When in creature enchantment form, it can be moved onto another creature with an enchantment moving effect. In this case, it is subject to the enchantment moving rules, but it stays an enchantment. This is because the enchantment status is a duration effect which does not wear off when it is moved. [WotC Rules Team 02/01/98] + If any phase costs or phase abilities on the Licid are dealt with, and then the Licid changes into an enchantment and back into a creature (or visa versa), the phase cost or phase ability must be dealt with again. [WotC Rules Team 02/01/98] Losing the Game: + Check to see if a player loses only after fully resolving a spell/ability and not part way through (unless the spell/ability is split into events because of use of the word "then", in which case you can lose at any "then" in the card text). For example, if Wheel of Fortune is cast and neither player has enough cards in their library, they both lose. It is not the first one to draw that loses. [Duelist Magazine #5, Page 123] [bethmo 02/07/98] This most often only applies to draw effects since that is one of the few ways to lose because of an effect. Modal Effects: + If a spell is modal and has different kinds of targets depending on the mode, you choose the mode before picking targets. [WotC Rules Team 02/01/98] + If the opponent gets to pick the mode, the caster must make all choices before knowing the mode. This means, he may have to pick targets which won't actually be targeted upon resolution. [WotC Rules Team 02/01/98] Order to Apply Effects: + The rule for effects is that they are applied in the order in which they enter play. [Mirage Page 29] This also means that the most recent one takes precedence if the order matters. For example, if Earthbind is placed on a creature and then Flight is placed on the creature, the Flight will take precedence because it is the newer effect. + The "order they enter play" rule needs a further qualification. If an effect depends on checking a characteristic, you first must evaluate anything which changes that characteristic, unless doing so forms a loop of effects. When effects of any kind conflict or when dependencies form a loop, the order in which the abilities were played decides the order in which their effects are applied. [WotC Rules Team 02/01/98] For example, Kormus Bell turns all Swamps into creatures, even lands that become Swamps after it is played. Crusade gives +1/+1 to all white creatures, even those that become white or creatures after Crusade is played. Humility turns all creatures into 1/1 creatures with no abilities even if they become creatures after Humility is played. Phase Cost: + Mandatory phase abilities count as non-optional, so they may be played before the phase cost is paid. [bethmo 01/17/98] + If a phase cost for a permanent is dealt with, and then the permanent stops being and then returns to being affected by the phase cost, the permanent does not gain a new, unpaid phase cost. [WotC Rules Team 02/01/98] For example, if a creature phases out and back in during the same upkeep, you do not pay the phase cost again. Similarly, if an artifact deanimates and then re-animates, any phase cost applied to creatures would not have to be re-paid. Phase Abilities and Phase Effects: + If a phase ability for a permanent is dealt with, and then the permanent stops being and then returns to being affected by the phase ability, the permanent does not gain a new, un-dealt-with phase ability. [WotC Rules Team 02/01/98] For example, if a creature phases out and back in during the same upkeep, you do not do the phase ability again. When You Play: + A card which will have undefined characteristics when it enters play will have text like "When you play , do " to set these characteristics. This is normally done when playing/casting the card, but if the card enters play by a means other than casting it, then you must do the just before it enters play. [WotC Rules Team 02/01/98] For example, Primal Clay has you choose a form, Minion of the Wastes has you pay life to set its life total, and Clone has you pick a target creature to copy. Tournament Rulings ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- No changes to this section. 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. "bethmo" is Beth Moursund, the network representative for the "mtg-l" mailing list. "D'Angelo" is Stephen D'Angelo, the previous "mtg-l" representative. "Peterson" is Paul Peterson, the previous "mtg-l" representative. "bethmo" was also the representative before Paul. "Aahz" is Tom Wylie, the Magic Rules Guru. "DeLaney" is David DeLaney, the network representative for the "rec.games.trading-cards.magic.rules" newsgroup. "Snark" is Dave Howell of WotC. Official rulings from the rules team are marked as "WotC Rules Team". Rules from the Mirage rule book are marked with "Mirage Page #". Errata from the Magic Official Encyclopedia are marked with "Encyclopedia Page #". 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 are not 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.