============================================================================== General Rulings Summary (CHANGES ONLY) Updated 06/17/98 ============================================================================== 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 "15 Jun 1998 to 16 Jun 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 05/20/98. 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. A - Abilities ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A.1 - General Rulings on Abilities + A.1.1 - An "ability" is any capability of the card described in the card's text area. For token permanents, any abilities are described in the spell or ability which created the token (see Rule K.25). The result of an ability is called its "effect". Note that the text describing the effects of a spell (see Rule K.3) that is not going to be a permanent are not considered abilities. A.2 - Activated Abilities + Note - This same format is used on instants, sorceries, and mana sources to indicate part of the play cost (see Rule K.21.3). Something is an activated ability only if it appears on cards which can become permanents. [D'Angelo 05/28/98] A.5 - Phase Abilities + Note - Untap costs (see Rule A.10) are different from phase abilities, so the phase ability rules do not apply to them. A.6 - Phase Cost + Note - Untap costs (see Rule A.10) are different from phase costs, so the phase cost rules do not apply to them. A.8 - Triggered Abilities + A.8.3 - Triggered abilities check for their condition after each event (see Rule T.1.9) in the game and after each transition in game state (such as a spell becoming "successfully cast). Triggered abilities are played at the next available time. They do not check during the middle of part/event of spell or ability's resolution. See Rule T.5, Rule T.6, and Rule T.7 for when triggered abilities are played. A.14 - Cumulative Upkeep: + A.14.7 - Cumulative upkeep follows all the normal rules for phase costs (see Rule A.6). This means they are merged with other phase costs (see Rule A.6.4). + A.14.Ruling.2 - If a new cumulative upkeep is added by adding text to a card, such as with Mana Chains, then the new cumulative upkeep is merged with any existing cumulative upkeep. For example, adding a Mana Chains to a Polar Kraken with a last-paid cumulative upkeep of 6 will require a cumulative upkeep of 7 islands and 7 mana. [D'Angelo 05/28/98] Note that most times the cumulative upkeep is not added by adding text. A.17 - Flanking: + A.17.Ruling.4 - If an attacking creature has multiple instances of the Flanking ability, even one instance of Flanking on the blocking creature will negate the effect. [D'Angelo 06/15/98] C - Combat Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ C.6 - Step 4: Declare Blockers + C.6.2 - A creature can be declared as a blocker if it is untapped, and does not have any other effect preventing it from blocking. [Fifth Edition, Page 24] Pacifism is an example of a preventing effect. D - DCI Tournament Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ D.15 - Extended Tournament Format + Note - Land Tax becomes banned as of 07/01/98. [Update 06/01/98] D.18 - Block Constructed Deck Formats + Note - Cursed Scroll becomes banned in Tempest/Stronghold/Exodus format as of 07/01/98. [Update 06/01/98] E - Extracted Rulings on Cards ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ E.3 - Comes Into Play Abilities + E.3.Ruling.5 - Since these are triggered abilities (see Rule A.8), you can only play mana sources (plus other triggered abilities) between the time the card enters play and the time the triggered ability is played. [bethmo 11/06/96] This means you cannot use an instant speed ability, such as Altar of Dementia to sacrifice the card before you deal with its 'comes into play' ability. Also note that Rule E.3.3 applies. + E.3.Ruling.7 - 'Comes into play' abilities trigger no matter how the card is put into play. There is only one exception--phasing a card in will never trigger such abilities. See Rule G.30.9. E.10 - Pitch Spells + E.10.Ruling.4 - You cannot discard a spell card to pay for itself. [D'Angelo 05/28/98] See Rule T.4.4. E.13 - Templates + E.13.Ruling.21 - The text "at the end of any turn" means "at the end of every turn". [D'Angelo 06/05/98] G - Game Terms and Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ G.6 - Controller + G.6.Ruling.2 - It is possible for a player to play one of the abilities of a permanent they do not control. When this happens, the controller of the permanent is still considered to be the controller of the ability. [WotC Rules Team 05/02/98] For example, the controller of Zur's Weirding is the controller of the ability and its effect even when the other player uses it. G.9 - Counters + G.9.4 - Counters are considered to apply themselves to the permanent just after any built-in abilities of that permanent, but before any other effects are applied. [Aahz 09/28/97] G.20 - Generic Mana + G.20.Ruling.1 - You can never have generic mana in your mana pool. Generic mana only appears in the cost of spells and abilities. It indicates a freedom to apply any colored or colorless mana to that cost. [D'Angelo 05/28/98] + G.20.Ruling.2 - A few older cards used the generic mana symbol when they talk about mana they generate. All such cards have errata to say they generate colorless mana instead of using that symbol. [D'Angelo 05/28/98] G.23 - Losing the Game + G.23.1 - If both players lose the game at the same time or during the resolution of a single part/event of a spell or ability, then they both lose. It does not matter if one player has a more negative life total. [Fifth Edition, Page 57] G.30 - Phasing Out and In + G.30.1 - When a permanent "phases out", it goes to the Out of Play zone (see Rule Z.7). Phased out permanents are not in play and cannot be affected by any spell or ability which does not explicitly say it affects phased out cards. [Mirage, Page 1] G.38 - Skipping a Phase + G.38.Ruling.4 - If an effect has you skip a phase, but you have already started that phase, it does not affect the current phase. [WotC Rules Team 10/18/95] G.41 - Targeting--Announcing and Resolving + G.41.2 - If a spell or ability has you (or other players) pick multiple targets, the same target may not be picked more than once. There is an implied "multiple different targets". [Fifth Edition, Page 37] K - Card and Permanent Types and Information ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ K.4 - Characteristics + K.4.3 - The characteristics of a spell start out with the characteristics of the card. They are then tracked through the spell's life cycle. Changing the spell (with a Sleight of Mind or Chaoslace or similar effect) can change the spell's characteristics. If the spell becomes a permanent, however, it enters play with its base characteristics and with an effect on it, just as if Sleight of Mind (or whatever) were cast after it came into play. [bethmo 05/22/98] K.5 - Animating Artifacts and Lands + K.5.Ruling.2 - Since the animated cards are both creatures and some other type, they can be affected by spells which affect either type. For example, an animated land can be killed by Stone Rain or Terror. [D'Angelo 06/05/98] + K.5.Ruling.3 - It does not matter if the land or artifact was a creature at the start of your most recent turn. You just had to control the permanent at that time. [Mirage, Page 14] So if you animate a land or artifact that you controlled at the start of the turn, then it is not subject to the effects of summoning sickness. See Rule G.39.3. + K.5.Ruling.4 - When a land or artifact de-animates, any enchant creatures on it are immediately buried. See Rule K.14.4. K.14 - Enchantment + K.14.5 - Local enchantments may have text saying "Play on a " or "target something with ". The is considered a targeting restriction which applies when casting and while in play. If at any time the card it is on does not meet that restriction, the enchantment will bury itself as a Rule Effect (see Rule T.13). [Mirage, Page 22] For example, Armor of Thorns says "Play only on a nonblack creature" and it will bury itself if it ends up on a black creature. K.17 - Land + K.17.Ruling.5 - Tapping a land for an effect other than just generating mana is done as an instant unless otherwise stated on the card. [D'Angelo 06/05/98] See Rule A.2.3. K.20 - Mana Source + Note - There are only a few spells of type Mana Source, including Culling of the Weak, Dark Ritual, Sacrifice, Burnt Offering, and Songs of the Damned. K.27 - X Costs + K.27.Ruling.2 - If a card is put into play by means other than casting, any X in the casting cost is considered to be zero. [D'Angelo 06/05/98] M - Multi-Player Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No changes to this section. P - Phases of the Turn ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No changes to this section. T - Timing of Spells and Abilities ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ T.1 - Types of Spells and Abilities + T.1.9 - An "event" is an atomic action in the game. It can also be defined as an uninteruptable timing step. Announcing a spell or ability, declaring attackers or blockers, and the resolution of a spell or ability are events (although a spell or ability's resolution may include multiple events, see Rule T.7.1). [bethmo 06/10/98] T.11 - Interrupts + Note - All interrupts which can target a permanent say they are played as instants when doing so. T.12 - Mana Sources + Note - There are only a few spells of type Mana Source, including Culling of the Weak, Dark Ritual, Sacrifice, Burnt Offering, and Songs of the Damned. T.13 - Rule Effects + T.13.Ruling.3 - They are played just after cards phase in (see Rule G.30). [D'Angelo 05/28/98] T.14 - Order to Apply Effects + T.14.6 - Changing a permanent's text with Sleight of Mind or Magical Hack does not change the base card, but it is ordered before other effects due to Rule T.14.2. T.16 - Timing Conflicts + T.16.Ruling.5 - You cannot make someone back up because you forgot to do something, even if it is something you "usually do". They may allow you to in friendly play if they want but they are not bound to do so, and are in fact not allowed to do so during tournaments. Z - Zones of Play ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No changes to this section. Index ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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. "WotC Rules Team" marks official rulings from the rules team. "Mirage, Page " marks rules from the Mirage rulebook. "Tempest, Page " marks rules from the Tempest rulebook. "Fifth Edition, Page " marks rules from the Fifth Edition rulebook. "Encyclopedia, Page " marks errata from the Magic Official Encyclopedia. "bethmo" is Beth Moursund, the Rules Manager at Wizards of the Coast. "Barclay" is Paul Barclay, the network representative for the "mtg-l" mailing list. "DeLaney" is David DeLaney, the network representative for the "rec.games.trading-cards.magic.rules" newsgroup. "D'Angelo" is Stephen D'Angelo, the Rules Summary network representative. "bethmo" was the previous "mtg-l" representative. "D'Angelo" was the previous "mtg-l" representative. "Peterson" is Paul Peterson, the previous "mtg-l" representative. "bethmo" was also the "mtg-l" representative before Paul. "Aahz" is Tom Wylie, the former Magic Rules Manager. "Snark" is Dave Howell of WotC. 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.