============================================================================== General Rulings Summary (CHANGES ONLY) Updated 12/16/98 ============================================================================== Rulings are collected from many sources. See credits and disclaimer at the end of the file for details. 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/rulings.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 11/18/98. 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 + Note - Destroying the source of the ability after the announcement will not affect the ability at all. See Rule K.4.4. For example, destroying a Prodigal Sorcerer after its ability has been announced will not prevent or modify the ability. A.16 - Echo: + A.16.Ruling.2 - Effects which modify the play cost of a spell, like the Emerald Medallion, cannot be used to modify the upkeep cost that you have to pay. They only apply to the announcing of spells, and this is a phase cost. [D'Angelo 10/08/98] The same applies to effects like Gloom. They do not apply to the Echo payment. [D'Angelo 11/25/98] C - Combat Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No changes to this section. D - DCI Tournament Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ D.13 - Classic Tournament Format + Note - As of 01/01/99, Stroke of Genius, Tolarian Academy, and Windfall are restricted. [Update 12/01/98] D.14 - Classic-Restricted Tournament Format + Note - As of 01/01/99, Stroke of Genius, Tolarian Academy, and Windfall are banned. And Feldon's Cane is removed from the banned list. [Tourney Update 12/08/98] D.15 - Extended Tournament Format + Note - As of 01/01/99, Tolarian Academy, and Windfall are banned. And Braingeyser is removed from the banned list. [Update 12/01/98] D.16 - Standard Tournament Format + Note - As of 01/01/99, Tolarian Academy, and Windfall are banned. [Update 12/01/98] E - Extracted Rulings on Cards ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No changes to this section. G - Game Terms and Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No changes to this section. K - Card and Permanent Types and Information ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ K.19 - Legendary Permanents + K.19.Ruling.8 - Due to Rule K.19.2, a Legendary Land with a mana source ability can have its ability used before it is buried. Also, a mana source ability (but not an instant or sorcery ability) of another permanent could sacrifice a legendary permanent before it is buried. [D'Angelo 11/24/98] 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.1.2 - Artifacts (and artifact creatures), sorceries, summonings, and enchantments can only be used during your main phase and only to start a Batch (see Rule T.8) of spells and abilities. [Fifth Edition, Page 53] Such spells are sometimes referred to as "non-fast effects". + T.1.3 - Instants may be used on either player's turn during the Upkeep, Draw, Main, and Discard phases, or during specific steps during the Attack. They may either start a Batch (see Rule T.8) or be added to a Batch. + T.1.Ruling.2 - Many players really want to know about the "speed" of a spell or ability. The truth is that "speed" isn't a very important concept in Magic. The type of a spell/ability really just determines when it can be played rather than how "fast" it is. Artifacts (and artifact creatures), summonings, sorceries, and enchantments are _not_ slower to resolve than instants. The only difference is when they can be announced. [D'Angelo 02/03/98] T.10 - Damage Prevention Step + T.10.1 - The Damage Prevention Step can be charted out like this: [Fifth Edition, Page 50] 0. Damage Assignment - Right before the damage prevention step, damage is "assigned". Any choices about how the damage is assigned are made first, then apply replacement effects (such as Furnace of Rath) that modify the assignment. 1. Beginning of Damage Prevention - Play all abilities which either trigger on damage being "assigned", or which automatically prevent damage. Play these as a Series (see Rule T.9). 2. Main Part of Damage Prevention - Play any number of Batches (see Rule T.8) of spells and abilities which either prevent or redirect damage. 3. End of Damage Prevention - Play all abilities which automatically redirect damage or which say they are played at the end of damage prevention. Play these as a Series (see Rule T.9). 4. Damage is Successfully Dealt - Play all abilities which trigger on damage being "dealt". Play these as a Series (see Rule T.9). 5. Remove Dead Creatures a. Play any Regeneration (see Rule G.32) spells and abilities on creatures with lethal damage. Play these in a Series (see Rule T.9). b. Destroy any creature with lethal damage (see Rule K.12.4), and damaged players lose 1 life for each point of damage done to them. This is all done simultaneously. 6. Play all abilities which trigger on creatures being destroyed. Play these as a Series (see Rule T.9). + T.10.Ruling.12 - If a continuous replacement ability (see Rule A.7.5) affects damage to multiple places, you process its effect on every place at one time. Thus, you cannot order the replacements differently for one place over another. [bethmo 11/24/98] + T.10.Ruling.13 - Because creatures are destroyed and you lose life due to damage at the same time (see Rule T.10.1, step 5b), a Worship or Ali from Cairo can help you at the same time it is being destroyed. [bethmo 11/24/98] Z - Zones of Play ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Z.6 - Limbo + Z.6.3 - Cards in this zone break one of the basic rules of zones (see Rule Z.1.3). They can leave this zone and carry editing effects with them. [bethmo 11/24/98] 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.