============================================================================== General Rulings Summary (CHANGES ONLY) Updated 99/10/20 ============================================================================== Rulings are collected from many sources. See credits and disclaimer at the end of the file for details. This release is under the SIXTH EDITION rules. These rulings are updated monthly. The most recent version is available on the web (WWW) as the following: http://www.crystalkeep.com/magic/rules/index.html If you do not have web access, send e-mail to "dangelo@crystalkeep.com" requesting a copy of the current Rulings Summaries be e-mailed to you. A '+' is used to mark changes since the 99/09/22 release. Thanx, Stephen. ---- Stephen D'Angelo | Official Rulings Summary NetRep dangelo@crystalkeep.com | Network Representative, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ============================================================================== Table of Contents: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No changes to this section. A - Abilities ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A.1 - General Rulings on Abilities + A.1.12 - A sub-ability is put on the stack directly and is not "played" (in much the same way that triggered abilities are). [bethmo 99/09/22] It is put on the stack before the resolving ability is actually removed, so you do get an unusual case where the thing resolving is not top item on the stack, but this is not a rules problem. [bethmo 99/09/23] A.4 - Triggered Abilities + A.4.Ruling.8 - If a card reads like "Whenever a player plays a or spell, do something", then it triggers only once if the played spell is of both colors. It would need two "Whenever" statements in order to trigger twice. This ruling applies to an "or" between descriptions. [bethmo 99/09/22] In contrast, if the "or" falls between action as with "Whenever this card comes into play or goes to the graveyard from play, do something", then it triggers if either action occurs. [DeLaney 99/10/17] C - Combat Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ C.3 - Step 2: Declare Attackers + C.3.8 - A creature becomes an attacking creature during the declaration (just after the attack is determined to be valid) and remains an attacking creature until removed from combat or until the end of the phase. [CompRules 99/04/23] [bethmo 99/10/05] D - DCI Tournament Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ D.13 - Classic Tournament Format + D.13.8 - Some cards are 'restricted' so that only one may appear in the combination of deck and sideboard. These cards are: [Tournament Rules 10/01/97] [Update 12/01/98] [Update 03/01/99] [Upadate 99/09/01] Ancestral Recall, Hurkyl's Recall, Regrowth, Balance, Library of Alexandria, Sol Ring, Berserk, Lotus Petal, Strip Mine, Black Lotus, Mana Crypt, Stroke of Genius, Black Vise, Mana Vault, Time Spiral, Braingeyser, Memory Jar, Timetwister, Crop Rotation, Mind Over Matter, Time Walk, Demonic Tutor, Mox Diamond, Tinker, Doomsday, Mox Emerald, Tolarian Academy, Dream Halls, Mox Jet, Vampiric Tutor, Enlightened Tutor, Mox Pearl, Voltaic Key, Fastbond, Mox Ruby, Wheel of Fortune, Fork, Mox Sapphire, Windfall, Frantic Search, Mystical Tutor, Yawgmoth's Bargain, Grim Monolith, Recall, Yawgmoth's Will + D.13.9 - Some cards are 'banned' so that none may appear in the deck or sideboard. These cards are: [Tournament Rules 10/01/97] [Upadate 99/09/01] Amulet of Quoz, Darkpact, Mind Twist, Bronze Tablet, Demonic Attorney, Rebirth, Channel, Falling Star, Tempest Efreet, Chaos Orb, Jeweled Bird, Timmerian Fiends, Contract from Below D.14 - Classic-Restricted Tournament Format + D.14.9 - Some cards are 'banned' so that none may appear in the deck or sideboard. These cards are: [Tournament Rules 10/01/97] [Tourney Updated 12/08/98] [Update 03/01/99] [Update 99/09/01] Amulet of Quoz, Fork, Recall, Ancestral Recall, Frantic Search, Regrowth, Balance, Grim Monolith, Sol Ring, Berserk, Hurkyl's Recall, Strip Mine, Black Lotus, Jeweled Bird, Stroke of Genius, Black Vise, Library of Alexandria, Tempest Efreet, Braingeyser, Lotus Petal, Time Spiral, Bronze Tablet, Mana Crypt, Timetwister, Channel, Mana Vault, Time Walk, Chaos Orb, Memory Jar, Timmerian Fiends, Contract from Below, Mind Over Matter, Tinker, Crop Rotation, Mind Twist, Tolarian Academy, Darkpact, Mox Diamond, Vampiric Tutor, Demonic Attorney, Mox Emerald, Voltaic Key, Demonic Tutor, Mox Jet, Wheel of Fortune, Doomsday, Mox Pearl, Windfall, Dream Halls, Mox Ruby, Yawgmoth's Bargain, Enlightened Tutor, Mox Sapphire, Yawgmoth's Will, Falling Star, Mystical Tutor, Fastbond, Rebirth D.15 - Extended Tournament Format + D.15.1 - Can be composed of cards from any edition of the basic set from Fifth Edition on plus any expansion of Magic from Ice Age on, plus the "dual land" cards from Revised Edition (Badlands, Bayou, Plateau, Savannah, Scrubland, Taiga, Tropical Island, Tundra, Underground Sea, and Volcanic Island) are specifically allowed even though they are not in the listed sets. Collector's Edition cards are not allowed. Promotional cards are allowed. The poker cards are not allowed (despite the April Fools article in the Duelist). [Tournament Update 99/09/01] To be more clear, Arabian Nights through Fallen Empires, Limited Edition through Fourth Edition, and Chronicles are disallowed. + D.15.9 - These cards are explicitly banned even though they are from legal sets: [Tournament Rules 10/01/97] [Update 06/01/98] [Update 12/01/98] [Update 06/01/99] [Update 07/16/99] [Update 99/09/01] Amulet of Quoz, Memory Jar, Windfall, Dream Halls, Mind Over Matter, Yawgmoth's Bargain, Earthcraft, Time Spiral, Yawgmoth's Will, Lotus Petal, Timmerian Fiends, Zuran Orb, Mana Crypt, Tolarian Academy + D.15.Ruling.1 - Here is a (hopefully) complete list of cards are banned because they have not been reprinted: LIMITED/UNLIMITED> Ancestral Recall, Berserk, Black Lotus, Blaze of Glory, Camouflage, Chaos Orb, Consecrate Land, Copper Tablet, Cyclopean Tomb, Dwarven Demolition Team, False Orders, Forcefield, Gauntlet of Might, Ice Storm, Illusionary Mask, Invisibility, Jade Statue, Lich, Mox Emerald, Mox Jet, Mox Pearl, Mox Ruby, Mox Sapphire, Natural Selection, Psionic Blast, Raging River, Sinkhole, Timetwister, Time Vault, Time Walk, Two-Headed Giant of Foriys, and Word of Command. ARABIAN NIGHTS> Ali from Cairo, Army of Allah, Bazaar of Baghdad, Camel, City in a Bottle, Desert, Desert Nomads, Diamond Valley, Drop of Honey, Elephant Graveyard, Flying Men, Guardian Beast, Ifh-Biff Efreet, Island of Wak-Wak, Jihad, Juzam Djinn, Khabal Ghoul, King Suleiman, Library of Alexandria, Merchant Ship, Moorish Cavalry, Old Man of the Sea, Oubliette, Pyramids, Ring of Ma'ruf, Rukh Egg, Sandals of Abdallah, Serendib Djinn, Shahrazad, Singing Tree, Stone-Throwing Devils, and Ydwen Efreet. ANTIQUITIES> Argivian Archaeologist, Argivian Blacksmith, Argothian Treefolk, Artifact Blast, Artifact Possession, Artifact Ward, Candelabra of Tawnos, Citanul Druid, Damping Field, Drafna's Restoration, Gaea's Avenger, Gate to Phyrexia, Golgothian Sylex, Haunting Wind, Martyrs of Korlis, Mightstone, Mishra's Workshop, Orcish Mechanics, Phyrexian Gremlins, Power Artifact, Powerleech, Priest of Yawgmoth, Sage of Lat-Nam, Staff of Zegon, Su-Chi, Tablet of Epityr, Tawnos's Coffin, Transmute Artifact, Urza's Chalice, Urza's Miter, and Weakstone. LEGENDS> Acid Rain, Adventurers' Guildhouse, The Abyss, Adun Oakenshield, AErathi Berserker, Aisling Leprechaun, Al-abara's Carpet, Alchor's Tomb, All Hallow's Eve, Angus Mackenzie, Arboria, Avoid Fate, Backdraft, Barbary Apes, Barktooth Warbeard, Bartel Runeaxe, Blazing Effigy, Boris Devilboon, Brine Hag, Cathedral of Serra, Caverns of Despair, Chain Lightning, Chains of Mephistopheles, Cleanse, Clergy of the Holy Nimbus, Crevasse, Crimson Kobolds, Crookshank Kobolds, Darkness, Deadfall, Demonic Torment, Devouring Deep, Disharmony, Divine Intervention, Dream Coat, Dwarven Song, Elder Spawn, Enchanted Being, Equinox, Eureka, Falling Star, Feint, Field of Dreams, Fire Sprites, Firestorm Phoenix, Flash Counter, Floral Spuzzem, Forethought Amulet, Frost Giant, Ghosts of the Damned, Giant Turtle, Glyph of Delusion, Glyph of Destruction, Glyph of Doom, Glyph of Life, Glyph of Reincarnation, Gosta Dirk, Gravity Sphere, Great Defender, Great Wall, Gwednlyn Di Corci, Halfdane, Hammerheim, Hazezon Tamar, Headless Horseman, Heaven's Gate, Hellfire, Hell Swarm, Holy Day, Hornet Cobra, Horror of Horrors, Hunding Gjornersen, Hyperion Blacksmith, Ichneumon Druid, Imprison, Infernal Medusa, Infinite Authority, In the Eye of Chaos, Invoke Prejudice, Jacques le Vert, Jasmine Boreal, Jedit Ojanen, Jerrard of the Closed Fist, Jovial Evil, Karakas, Kasimir the Lone Wolf, Knowledge Vault, Kobold Drill Sergeant, Kobold Overlord, Kobolds of Kher Keep, Kobold Taskmaster, Kry Shield, Lady Caleria, Lady Evangela, The Lady of the Mountain, Lady Orca, Land Equilibrium, Lesser Werewolf, Lifeblood, Life Chisel, Life Matrix, Living Plane, Livonya Silone, Lord Magnus, Mana Drain, Mana Matrix, Marble Priest, Master of the Hunt, Mirror Universe, Moat, Mold Demon, Moss Monster, Mountain Stronghold, Nether Void, North Star, Nova Pentacle, Part Water, Pavel Maliki, Pendelhaven, Pixie Queen, Planar Gate, Princess Lucrezia, Psychic Purge, Quagmire, Quarum Trench Gnomes, Raging Bull, Ragnar, Ramirez DePietro, Ramses Overdark, Rapid Fire, Rasputin Dreamweaver, Reincarnation, Relic Barrier, Reset, Remove Enchantments, Reverberation, Righteous Avengers, Ring of Immortals, Riven Turnbull, Rohgahh of Kher Keep, Rust, Seafarer's Quay, Sea King's Blessing, Shelkin Brownie, Silhuette, Sir Shandlar of Eberyn, Spectral Cloak, Spinal Villain, Spiritual Sanctuary, Storm World, Subdue, Sunastian Falconer, Sword of the Ages, Sylvan Paradise, The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale, Telekinesis, Tetsuo Umezawa, Thunder Spirit, Tolaria, Torsten Von Ursus, Touch of Darkness, Tuknir Deathlock, Typhoon, Undertow, Underworld Dreams, Unholy Citadel, Urborg, Ur-Drago, Venarian Gold, Walking Dead, Wall of Caltrops, Wall of Earth, Wall of Light, Wall of Putrid Flesh, Wall of Tombstones, Willow Satyr, and Wood Elemental. THE DARK> Amnesia, Bone Flute, City of Shadows, Cleansing, Coal Golem, Curse Artifact, Dark Heart of the Wood, Dark Sphere, Deep Water, Drowned, Eater of the Dead, Electric Eel, Elves of Deep Shadow, Eternal Flame, Exorcist, Fasting, Festival, Fire and Brimstone, Frankenstein's Monster, Gaea's Touch, Giant Shark, Goblin Caves, Goblin Wizard, Grave Robbers, Hidden Path, Holy Light, Inquisition, Knights of Thorn, Lurker, Mana Vortex, Martyr's Cry, Maze of Ith, Merfolk Assassin, Miracle Worker, Nameless Race, Necropolis, Niall Silvain, Orc General, People of the Woods, Preacher, Psychic Allergy, Reflecting Mirror, Riptide, Savaen Elves, Scarecrow, Scarwood Bandits, Scarwood Goblins, Scarwood Hag, Season of the Witch, Skull of Orm, Sorrow's Path, Spitting Slug, Squire, Standing Stones, Stone Calendar, Tangle Kelp, Tivadar's Crusade, Tower of Coireall, Tracker, Wand of Ith, War Barge, Water Wurm, Whippoorwill, Worms of the Earth, and Wormwood Treefolk. FALLEN EMPIRES> Aeolipile, Armor Thrull, Balm of Restoration, Basal Thrull, Combat Medic, Conch Horn, Deep Spawn, Delif's Cone, Delif's Cube, Draconian Cylix, Dwarven Armorer, Dwarven Lieutenant, Ebon Praetor, Elven Fortress, Elven Lyre, Elvish Farmer, Elvish Hunter, Elvish Scout, Farrelite Priest, Farrel's Mantle, Farrel's Zealot, Feral Thallid, Fungal Bloom, Goblin Chirurgeon, Goblin Flotilla, Goblin Grenade, Goblin Kites, Hand of Justice, Heroism, High Tide, Homarid, Homarid Shaman, Homarid Spawning Bed, Hymn to Tourach, Icatian Infantry, Icatian Javelineers, Icatian Lieutenant, Icatian Moneychanger, Icatian Priest, Icatian Skirmishers, Implements of Sacrifice, Merseine, Night Soil, Orcish Spy, Orcish Veteran, Order of Leitbur, Order of the Ebon Hand, Raiding Party, Rainbow Vale, Ring of Renewal, River Merfolk, Soul Exchange, Spirit Shield, Spore Cloud, Spore Flower, Svyelunite Priest, Thallid, Thallid Devourer, Thelonite Druid, Thelonite Monk, Thelon's Chant, Thelon's Curse, Thorn Thallid, Thrull Champion, Thrull Wizard, Tidal Flats, Tidal Influence, Tourach's Chant, Tourach's Gate, Vodalian Knights, Vodalian Mage, Vodalian War Machine, and Zeylon Sword. REVISED EDITION> Basalt Monolith, Braingeyser, Clone, Contract from Below, Copy Artifact, Darkpact, Demonic Attorney, Demonic Hordes, Demonic Tutor, Dwarven Weaponsmith, Earthbind, Farmstead, Fastbond, Fork, Granite Gargoyle, Guardian Angel, Jandor's Ring, Juggernaut, Kird Ape, Kudzu, Lance, Living Wall, Mijae Djinn, Nettling Imp, Reconstruction, Regrowth, Resurrection, Reverse Polarity, Rocket Launcher, Rock Hydra, Roc of Kher Ridges, Sacrifice, Sedge Troll, Serendib Efreet, Sol Ring, Vesuvan Doppelganger, Veteran Bodyguard, and Wheel of Fortune. FOURTH EDITION> Abomination, Aladdin's Lamp, Ali Baba, Amrou Kithkin, Animate Artifact, Apprentice Wizard, Armageddon Clock, Ashnod's Battle Gear, Backfire, Balance, Black Mana Battery, Black Vise, Black Ward, Blessing, Blue Elemental Blast, Blue Mana Battery, Blue Ward, Brass Man, Bronze Tablet, Carnivorous Plant, Celestial Prism, Channel, Chaoslace, Clockwork Avian, Conservator, Control Magic, Conversion, Cosmic Horror, Creature Bond, Cursed Rack, Cyclopean Mummy, Deathlace, Dragon Whelp, Earth Elemental, Ebony Horse, Elder Land Wurm, El-Hajjaj, Energy Tap, Erosion, Fissure, Fortified Area, Gaea's Liege, Ghost Ship, Giant Tortoise, Goblin Balloon Brigade, Goblin Rock Sled, Gray Ogre, Green Mana Battery, Green Ward, Holy Armor, Hurr Jackal, Hypnotic Specter, Immolation, Island Fish Jasconius, Ivory Tower, Jump, Junun Efreet, Kormus Bell, Land Leeches, Land Tax, Lifelace, Lightning Bolt, Magnetic Mountain, Mahamoti Djinn, Marsh Gas, Mind Twist, Mishra's Factory, Mishra's War Machine, Morale, Nafs Asp, Northern Paladin, Oasis, Onulet, Osai Vultures, Piety, Power Leak, Power Surge, Psionic Entity, Purelace, The Rack, Rebirth, Red Elemental Blast, Red Mana Battery, Red Ward, Relic Bind, Royal Assassin, Savannah Lions, Scavenging Ghoul, Seeker, Sengir Vampire, Serra Angel, Simulacrum, Sindbad, Siren's Call, Sisters of the Flame, Spirit Shackle, Strip Mine, Sunglasses of Urza, Sunken City, Swords to Plowshares, Tawnos's Wand, Tempest Efreet, Tetravus, Thoughtlace, Timber Wolves, Triskelion, Tunnel, Uncle Istvan, Uthden Troll, Visions, Volcanic Eruption, Wall of Dust, Wall of Ice, Wall of Water, Wall of Wood, Water Elemental, Web, White Mana Battery, White Ward, Will-O'-The-Wisp, Word of Binding, and Yotian Soldier. CHRONICLES> Abu Ja'far, Active Volcano, Aladdin, Angelic Voices, Arcades Sabboth, Arena of the Ancients, Argothian Pixies, Axelrod Gunnarson, Ayesha Tanaka, Banshee, Beasts of Bogardan, Blood Moon, Blood of the Martyr, Book of Raas, Bronze Horse, Chromium, Cocoon, Concordant Crossroads, Cuombajj Witches, Cyclone, Dakkon Blackblade, Emerald Dragonfly, Erhnam Djinn, The Fallen, Fishliver Oil, Flash Flood, Gabriel Angelfire, Giant Slug, Goblin Artisans, Goblin Shrine, Goblins of the Flarg, Hasran Ogress, Hell's Caretaker, Horn of Deafening, Indestructible Aura, Jeweled Bird, Johan, Keepers of the Faith, Kei Takahashi, Land's Edge, Living Armor, Marhault Elsdragon, Metamorphosis, Mountain Yeti, Nebuchadnezzar, Nicol Bolas, Palladia-Mors, Petra Sphinx, Puppet Master, Rakalite, Revelation, Rubinia Soulsinger, Runesword, Safe Haven, Sentinel, Shimian Night Stalker, Sivitri Scarzam, Sol'kanar the Swamp King, Stangg, Storm Seeker, Takklemaggot, Teleport, Tobias Andrion, Tormod's Crypt, Tor Wauki, Transmutation, Triassic Egg, Vaevictis Asmadi, Voodoo Doll, Wall of Heat, Wall of Opposition, Wall of Shadows, Wall of Vapor, Wall of Wonder, War Elephant, Witch Hunter, Xira Arien, and Yawgmoth Demon. D.16 - Standard Tournament Format + Note - As of 99/11/01, Mercadian Masques becomes legal and the entire block of Tempest/Stronghold/Exodus stops being legal. D.18 - Block Constructed Deck Formats + D.18.6 - No cards are currently banned or restricted for the Mercadian Masques format. E - Extracted Rulings on Cards ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No changes to this section. G - Game Terms and Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ G.40 - Targeting--Is Something Targeted + G.40.3 - Local enchantments on a permanent target the permanent (as a spell) when cast. They do not target the permanent they enchant while in play. The abilities of enchantments generally do not target the card they are on. For example, Firebreathing's effect does not target the creature to give it +1/+0 and Regeneration does not target the creature when it is used. [CompRules 99/04/23]] See Rule K.12.5 and Rule K.12.8. G.41 - Targeting--Valid Targets + G.41.1 - A spell may never target itself. [bethmo 99/09/27] + G.41.Ruling.6 - The pseudospell for an ability may never target itself. [DeLaney 99/10/17] K - Card and Permanent Types and Information ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ K.17 - Legendary Permanents + K.17.6 - Removing the type "legend" from a creature makes it no longer a legend. [bethmo 99/09/22] + K.17.Ruling.8 - Legend and Legendary have the same meaning. For example, a card with "Creature - Goblin Legend" would be identical to a card with "Legendary Creature - Goblin". [bethmo 99/09/22] K.24 - Token Creatures + K.24.Ruling.5 - A spell or ability putting a token into play may specify what player puts the token into play. This is a way of specifying what player controls the token. [D'Angelo 99/10/16] + K.24.Ruling.6 - Changing the creature type of a token will not change the token's name. [bethmo 99/10/05] 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.4 - Step 1: Announcing a Spell or Ability + T.4.Ruling.3 - If an alternative cost has a condition, check the condition at the time you would pay the cost. [MM FAQ 99/09/22] T.10 - Replacement and Prevention Effects + T.10.Ruling.5 - Replacement effects do not check whether or not the new action can be completed. They make the replacement any time they apply. For example, a card that replaces "lose 1 life" with "remove 1 card from your library" will make the replacement even if you have no cards in your library. [bethmo 99/09/22] U - Unglued ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No changes to this section. Z - Zones of Play ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Z.6 - Library + Z.6.9 - All cards which tell a player to search a library for a specific type or name of card allow the player to optionally not find the card even if it is there. [bethmo 99/09/27] This rule pretty much exists to avoid the need to have a judge verify that the player really did so. Cards may override this rule by making a search mandatory, as the the "lobotomy" cards (Eradicate, Lobotomy, Scour, Sowing Salt, and Splinter) do. [D'Angelo 99/10/16] Effects which tell a player to search a library for "a card" or a specific number of cards do not fall under this rule and do not allow a player to find fewer cards (unless there are not enough in the library). For example, Demonic Tutor and Jester's Cap are not optional since they have you search for a specific number of cards. [DeLaney 99/10/17] 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. "Aahz" is Tom Wylie, the former Magic Rules Manager. "Barclay" is Paul Barclay, the network representative for the MTG-L mailing list. "bethmo" is Beth Moursund, the Rules Manager at Wizards of the Coast, and former MTG-L mailing list NetRep. "CompRules" marks rules from the Sixth Edition Comprehensive Rules. "D'Angelo" is Stephen D'Angelo, the 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. "Encyclopedia, Page " marks errata from the Magic Official Encyclopedia. "Fifth Edition, Page " marks rules from the Fifth Edition rulebook. "Mirage, Page " marks rules from the Mirage rulebook. "Peterson" is Paul Peterson, a previous MTG-L mailing list NetRep. "Tempest, Page " marks rules from the Tempest rulebook. "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 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.