============================================================================== General Rulings Summary (CHANGES ONLY) Updated 2006/11/13 ============================================================================== 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 2006/10/18 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No changes to this section. 2 - Parts of the Game ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No changes to this section. 3 - Turn Structure ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No changes to this section. 4 - Spells, Abilities, and Effects ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 409 - Playing Spells and Activated Abilities + 409.Ruling.3 - A spell with no mana cost (a cost of {0} does have a mana cost and is different from something with no mana cost) cannot normally be played since it is impossible to pay a nonexistent cost in Rule 409.1h. If there is a way to play a spell without paying its mana cost, you can play a spell with no mana cost this way. [Time Spiral FAQ 2006/08/30] 5 - Additional Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 502.16 - Buyback + 502.16.Ruling.4 - If you control a copy of a spell whose Buyback cost was paid, the copy is put into your hand when it resolves, then ceases to exist. [Time Spiral FAQ 2006/08/30] + 502.16.Ruling.5 - Buyback costs do not count toward the spell's mana cost or converted mana cost. [Time Spiral FAQ 2006/08/30] 502.19 - Echo + 502.19.Ruling.8 - If the echo trigger is countered, then the echo cost never needs to be paid. [Time Spiral FAQ 2006/08/30] 502.22 - Flashback + 502.22.Ruling.4 - Paying the flashback cost does not change the mana cost of the spell. [Time Spiral FAQ 2006/08/30] + 502.22.Ruling.5 - Effects that cause you to pay more or less for a spell do apply even if playing the spell using Flashback. [Time Spiral FAQ 2006/08/30] 502.24 - Madness + 502.24.Ruling.1 - The first ability of Madness is a replacement that gives the option to remove the spell from the game. If it is removed, the second ability triggers and goes on the stack. When this ability resolves, you get the choice of playing the spell during the resolution or just putting it into the graveyard. [D'Angelo 2006/11/11] + 502.24.Ruling.2 - Madness does not allow you to discard the card just because you want to. Another spell, ability, or game rule has to cause the card to be discarded. [D'Angelo 2002/02/23] + 502.24.Ruling.3 - It does not matter how or why the discard is performed. [Time Spiral FAQ 2006/08/30] + 502.24.Ruling.4 - Paying the Madness cost does not change the mana cost of the spell. [Time Spiral FAQ 2006/08/30] + 502.24.Ruling.5 - Effects that cause you to pay more or less for a spell do apply even if playing the spell using Madness. [Time Spiral FAQ 2006/08/30] 502.30 - Storm + 502.30.Ruling.6 - Countering the triggered ability will stop the copies from being created. [Time Spiral FAQ 2006/08/30] 502.58 - Split Second + 502.58.Ruling.1 - Players still get priority while a card with Split Second is on the stack, but they cannot do as much with priority. [Time Spiral FAQ 2006/08/30] + 502.58.Ruling.2 - Does not prevent triggered abilities from triggering and being put on the stack. [Time Spiral FAQ 2006/08/30] + 502.58.Ruling.3 - Does not prevent players from performing special actions, such as turning a face down card face up. [Time Spiral FAQ 2006/08/30] + 502.58.Ruling.4 - If the resolution of a triggered ability involves playing a spell, that part of the effect won't work. [Time Spiral FAQ 2006/08/30] 502.59 - Suspend + 502.59.Ruling.1 - The phrase "if you could play this card from your hand" checks only for timing restrictions and permissions. This includes both what's inherent in the card's type (for example, if the card with suspend is a creature, it must be your main phase and the stack must be empty) and what's imposed by other abilities, such as flash or Meddling Mage's ability. Whether you could actually follow all steps in playing the card is irrelevant. If the card is impossible to play due to a lack of legal targets or an unpayable mana cost, for example, it may still be removed from the game with suspend. [Time Spiral FAQ 2006/08/30] + 502.59.Ruling.2 - The action of removing a card from the game using Suspend is a special action that does not use the stack and cannot be responded to. [Time Spiral FAQ 2006/08/30] + 502.59.Ruling.3 - If the second triggered ability of Suspend is countered, the card can't be played. It remains in the removed-from-the-game zone without any time counters on it, and it is no longer considered suspended. [Time Spiral FAQ 2006/08/30] + 502.59.Ruling.4 - When the final time counter is removed, you have to play the spell if possible, even if you don't want to. [Time Spiral FAQ 2006/08/30] + 502.59.Ruling.5 - When playing the spell and it has an additional cost, you must pay that cost if possible. [Time Spiral FAQ 2006/08/30] + 502.59.Ruling.6 - If the spell cannot be played due to lack of legal targets or other restrictions, it stays in the removed-from-the-game zone and is no longer considered suspended. [Time Spiral FAQ 2006/08/30] + 502.59.Ruling.1 - 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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. "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.