_Dissension_(TM) Frequently Asked Questions Compiled by Mark L. Gottlieb, with contributions from Laurie Cheers, Jeff Jordan, and Lee Sharpe Document last modified April 13, 2006 Dissension Prerelease tournaments: April 22-23, 2006 Dissension official release date: May 5, 2006 The Dissension set becomes legal for sanctioned Constructed play May 20, 2006. Set size: 180 cards (60 common, 60 uncommon, 60 rare) This FAQ has two sections, each of which serves a different purpose. The first section ("General Notes") explains the new mechanics and concepts in the set. The second section ("Card-Specific Notes") contains answers to the most important questions players might ask about a given card. Items in the "Card-Specific Notes" section include full rules text for your reference. Not all cards in the set are listed. ----- GENERAL NOTES Guilds Each two-color combination in the _Magic_(TM) game is represented in the world of _Ravnica_(TM) by a guild -- an organized association of people with common beliefs. Four of these guilds appeared in the _Ravnica: City of Guilds_(TM) set, three appeared in the _Guildpact_(TM) set, and the remaining three appear in this set. You can tell if a card is identified with a guild by the appearance of a guild symbol in the background of its text box. For example, the symbol of the green-blue Simic guild appears on green-blue cards, cards with the graft mechanic, lands that produce green and blue mana, and so on. The guild symbols have no effect on game play. ----- Forecast Forecast is an activated ability you can play only from your hand. Only cards from the Azorius guild (white, blue, or white-blue) have forecast. Steeling Stance {1}{W}{W} Instant Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn. Forecast -- {W}, Reveal Steeling Stance from your hand: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. (Play this ability only during your upkeep and only once each turn.) The official rules for the forecast ability are as follows: 502.53. Forecast 502.53a A forecast ability is a special kind of activated ability that can be played only from a player's hand. It's written "Forecast — [Activated ability]." 502.53b A forecast ability may be played only during its controller's upkeep step and only once each turn. The controller of the forecast ability reveals the card with that ability from his or her hand as the ability is played. That player plays with that card revealed in his or her hand until the upkeep step ends or until it leaves the player's hand, whichever comes first. * Playing a forecast ability doesn't cause the card it's on to leave its owner's hand. * Unless the card the forecast ability is on leaves its owner's hand, that card remains continuously revealed from the time the ability is announced until that upkeep step ends. * When a card that's been revealed to play a forecast ability leaves its owner's hand, it stops being revealed. If that happens before the forecast ability resolves, it will resolve as normal. * A player may play the forecast ability of any number of cards during his or her upkeep. However, the forecast ability of any card in that player's hand may be played a maximum of once during that upkeep. * If a player plays a card's forecast ability, then that card leaves that player's hand, then that card is returned to that player's hand, all during the same upkeep, the card is considered a new object. The player may play that card's forecast ability again during that upkeep. ----- Graft Graft is an ability that lets creatures donate +1/+1 counters to new creatures that come into play. Only creatures from the Simic guild (green, blue, or green-blue) have graft. Helium Squirter {4}{U} Creature -- Beast Mutant 0/0 Graft 3 (This creature comes into play with three +1/+1 counters on it. Whenever another creature comes into play, you may move a +1/+1 counter from this creature onto it.) {1}: Target creature with a +1/+1 counter on it gains flying until end of turn. The official rules for the graft ability are as follows: 502.54. Graft 502.54a Graft represents both a static ability and a triggered ability. "Graft N" means "This permanent comes into play with N +1/+1 counters on it" and "Whenever another creature comes into play, you may move a +1/+1 counter from this permanent onto that creature." 502.54b If a creature has multiple instances of graft, each one works separately. * All creatures with graft in this set are 0/0 creatures. When the last +1/+1 counter is moved off of it, it will be put into its owner's graveyard as a state-based effect unless some other effect is boosting its toughness. * Graft's triggered ability triggers each time a creature comes into play, regardless of who controls the new creature. A player may move a +1/+1 counter onto another player's creature this way. * When a creature comes into play, all graft abilities will trigger. The controllers of those abilities choose, one at a time as those abilities resolve, whether to move a counter. A creature that has just come into play may receive multiple +1/+1 counters this way. * Graft isn't targeted. The ability can move a counter onto an untargetable creature or a creature with protection from creatures. * The counter moved off a creature with graft as the graft ability resolves doesn't have to be one of the counters put on the card as a result of the graft ability. It can be any +1/+1 counter on it. No other types of counters may be moved this way. * If a permanent with graft isn't a creature when a new creature comes into play, the graft ability will still trigger and a +1/+1 counter may still be moved. * If a creature with graft and another creature come into play simultaneously, the graft ability will trigger. The ability's controller may move a +1/+1 counter onto the other creature. * Many creatures with graft also have an activated ability that targets a creature with a +1/+1 counter on it. In most cases, that means it can target itself. The target creature may have any number of +1/+1 counters on it. The target creature doesn't need to have graft. * If the target of such an activated ability loses all its +1/+1 counters before the ability resolves, the ability will be countered for having an illegal target. If the targeted creature loses all its +1/+1 counters after the ability resolves, it won't lose the bonus it was granted by the ability. ----- Hellbent Hellbent is an ability word that indicates that a spell or permanent is better if its controller has no cards in his or her hand. Only cards from the Rakdos guild (black, red, or black-red) have hellbent. Demon's Jester {3}{B} Creature -- Imp 2/2 Flying Hellbent -- Demon's Jester gets +2/+1 as long as you have no cards in hand. * If a hellbent ability of a spell or permanent is a static ability, the number of cards in its controller's hand is continually checked. * If a hellbent ability of a spell is a self-replacement that changes the effect of that spell, the number of cards in its controller's hand is checked as the spell resolves. It is not checked when the spell is played. * If a hellbent ability of a permanent is an activated ability, the number of cards in the permanent's controller's hand is checked when that player tries to play the ability. It is not checked when the ability resolves. * If a hellbent ability of a permanent is a triggered ability, the number of cards in the permanent's controller's hand is checked both when that ability would trigger and when that ability would resolve. If the player has one or more cards in his or her hand when the ability would trigger, it won't trigger. If the player has one or more cards in his or her hand when the ability would resolve, the ability does nothing. ----- "Enhanced" Creatures The _Ravnica_ set's "enhanced" spells had extra effects if you spent a certain color of mana when you paid for them. The _Guildpact_ set's enhanced creatures had comes-into-play abilities if you spent a certain color of mana when you paid for them. The _Dissension_ set's enhanced creatures are different. Each one has a comes-into-play ability that its controller always gets. However, that player keeps the *creature* only if a certain color of mana was spent to pay for it. Azorius Herald {2}{W} Creature -- Spirit 2/1 Azorius Herald is unblockable. When Azorius Herald comes into play, you gain 4 life. When Azorius Herald comes into play, sacrifice it unless {U} was spent to play it. * Both comes-into-play abilities will trigger when the creature comes into play. (This is different than the _Guildpact_ "enhanced" creatures.) The creature's controller can put the abilities on the stack in either order. Once they're on the stack, both abilities will resolve regardless of the order chosen, what color of mana was spent on the creature, or whether the creature is still in play. * If the creature is put directly into play without having been played as a spell, no mana was spent to play it, so it will be sacrificed. * If a card such as Clone comes into play as a copy of one of these creatures, it will not be sacrificed if mana of the appropriate color was spent to play the copy card. ----- Multicolored and Monocolored The _Dissension_ set features a number of cards that refer to "multicolored" or "monocolored." Psychotic Fury {1}{R} Instant Target multicolored creature gains double strike until end of turn. Draw a card. Guardian of the Guildpact {3}{W} Creature -- Spirit 2/3 Protection from monocolored * A spell, permanent, or card is multicolored if it's more than one color. For example, a card that costs {3}{B}{R} is multicolored, as is a hybrid card. * A spell, permanent, or card is monocolored if it's exactly one color. * Colorless spells, permanents, and cards are neither multicolored nor monocolored. (Artifacts and lands are generally colorless.) * Spells and abilities that target multicolored or monocolored permanents will be countered if that permanent doesn't match the description when the spell or ability resolves. After the spell or ability resolves, it doesn't matter what color or colors that permanent becomes. For example, after Psychotic Fury resolves, the creature affected by it will have double strike for the rest of the turn even if it becomes colorless. ----- Split Cards Split cards have two card faces on a single card. They've appeared before in the _Invasion_(TM) and _Apocalypse_(TM) sets. The primary difference between the _Dissension_ split cards and earlier ones is that each half of each _Dissension_ split card is also multicolored. The _Invasion_ block split cards were multicolored when the whole card was considered, but each half was only a single color. Bound {3}{B}{G} Instant Sacrifice a creature. Return up to X cards from your graveyard to your hand, where X is the number of colors that creature was. Then remove this card from the game. // Determined {G}{U} Instant Other spells you control can't be countered by spells or abilities this turn. Draw a card. * When a split card is played, only one half of it is played. That half is the spell on the stack. As long as it's on the stack, only that half's characteristics are considered. The other half is treated as though it didn't exist. * In any zone other than the stack, a split card has two sets of characteristics: two names, two mana costs, and so on. Whenever its characteristics are checked, the game will see two values. For example, when the game checks Bound/Determined's converted mana cost, it will get a result of "5, and 2." If an effect such as Void wants to know if this card has converted mana cost 5, the answer will be "yes." If an effect such as Dark Confidant wants to know the converted mana cost of the card, the answer will be "5, and 2," which, in this case, translates into a total life loss of 7. * Anything that affects half of a split card affects the whole card. For example, if Bound/Determined is in your hand when your opponent plays Persecute and chooses black, you'll have to discard Bound/Determined. If he or she chose blue instead, you'd still have to discard it. * If an effect instructs a player to name a card and the player wants to name a split card, the player must name both halves of the split card. * When an effect gives a player permission to play a split card, that player may play only one half of it. The half he or she chooses to play doesn't have to be a half referred to previously. For example, a player may use Sunforger's ability to find Hit/Run in his or her library, since Hit is a red instant with converted mana cost 4 or less. When that player plays that card, he or she may play either the Hit half or the Run half. ----- CARD-SPECIFIC NOTES AEthermage's Touch {2}{W}{U} Instant Reveal the top four cards of your library. You may put a creature card from among them into play with "At the end of your turn, return this creature to its owner's hand." Then put the rest of the cards revealed this way on the bottom of your library in any order. * If you reveal more than one creature card, you may put up to one of them into play, and the rest of the revealed cards go on the bottom of your library. If you don't reveal any creature cards, all the revealed cards go on the bottom of your library. * If the creature leaves play before the end of your turn, it won't return to your hand at the end of your turn. * If you put a creature into play this way during your end-of-turn step, it won't be returned to your hand until the end of your next turn. * If the triggered ability granted to the creature is countered (with Voidslime, for example), the creature will stay in play. At the end of your next turn, the ability will trigger again. * If a creature such as Clone copies the creature, it will not copy the triggered ability. ----- Anthem of Rakdos {2}{B}{R}{R} Enchantment Whenever a creature you control attacks, it gets +2/+0 until end of turn and Anthem of Rakdos deals 1 damage to you. Hellbent -- As long as you have no cards in hand, if a source you control would deal damage to a creature or player, it deals double that damage to that creature or player instead. * The first ability triggers once for each creature you attack with. If you attack with three creatures, for example, they'll each get +2/+0 and you'll be dealt 3 damage. * The hellbent ability doubles the damage dealt to you by Anthem of Rakdos itself. * If damage that would be dealt to a player or creature is affected by both Anthem of Rakdos and a damage prevention effect, that player or that creature's controller chooses the order to apply the effects. In most cases that player will want to prevent damage, then double what's left. * If a source you control would deal damage to multiple creatures and/or players simultaneously, all of that damage is doubled. ----- Azorius AEthermage {1}{W}{U} Creature -- Human Wizard 1/1 Whenever a permanent is returned to your hand, you may pay {1}. If you do, draw a card. * This ability will trigger whenever any permanent, including a token creature or Azorius AEthermage itself, is returned to your hand. It doesn't matter who controlled the permanent or if it had ever actually been in your hand before. ----- Azorius First-Wing {W}{U} Creature -- Griffin 2/2 Flying, protection from enchantments * "Protection from enchantments" means that Azorius First-Wing can't be enchanted, it can't be targeted by Aura spells or by abilities of enchantments, all damage that would be dealt to it by enchantments is prevented, and it can't be blocked by creatures that are also enchantments. * If an effect tries to move an Aura onto this creature, the effect will fail and the Aura will stay where it was. * Azorius First-Wing doesn't have protection from creatures that are enchanted. ----- Azorius Ploy {1}{W}{W}{U} Instant Prevent all combat damage target creature would deal this turn. Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to target creature this turn. * The two targets may be the same creature or they may be different creatures. ----- Biomantic Mastery {4}{G/U}{G/U}{G/U} Sorcery ({G/U} can be paid with either {G} or {U}.) Draw a card for each creature target player controls, then draw a card for each creature another target player controls. * You choose both targets before you draw any cards. The targets must be different. One of them may be you. ----- Bond of Agony {X}{B} Sorcery As an additional cost to play Bond of Agony, pay X life. Each other player loses X life. * You can't choose an X that's greater than your life total. * You can choose an X that's equal to your life total. If you do, you'll pay that much life when the spell is played and will lose the game before it resolves. ----- Bound {3}{B}{G} Instant Sacrifice a creature. Return up to X cards from your graveyard to your hand, where X is the number of colors that creature was. Then remove this card from the game. // Determined {G}{U} Instant Other spells you control can't be countered by spells or abilities this turn. Draw a card. * The creature is sacrificed when Bound resolves. It's not an additional cost. It's not optional. If you can't sacrifice a creature or a colorless creature is sacrificed, no cards are returned. * The cards in the graveyard that you return as part of Bound's effect aren't targeted. They're chosen when the spell resolves. The creature you sacrificed may be one of them. * After Determined resolves, any spells or abilities that would counter a spell you control that turn will still resolve. They just won't counter that spell. * Spells you control may be countered by spells or abilities while Determined is on the stack, waiting to resolve. ----- Brain Pry {1}{B} Sorcery Name a nonland card. Target player reveals his or her hand. That player discards a card with that name. If he or she can't, you draw a card. * You name the card during Brain Pry's resolution, then the player reveals his or her hand and discards if appropriate. There is no way for the player to do anything between you naming the card and the player discarding. ----- Bronze Bombshell {4} Artifact Creature -- Construct 4/1 When a player other than Bronze Bombshell's owner controls it, that player sacrifices it. If the player does, Bronze Bombshell deals 7 damage to him or her. * This ability is a state trigger. Once it triggers, it won't trigger again while the ability is on the stack. If the triggered ability leaves the stack and the creature is still in play under the control of a player other than its owner, the ability will immediately trigger again. * Bronze Bombshell deals 7 damage only if it was sacrificed as a result of its ability. If it leaves play or changes controllers before the ability resolves, it can't be sacrificed and won't deal damage. ----- Carom {1}{W} Instant The next 1 damage that would be dealt to target creature this turn is dealt to another target creature instead. Draw a card. * If either target has left play before the damage would be dealt, that damage isn't redirected. * Carom's controller draws a card when Carom resolves, not when the damage is redirected. ----- Crypt Champion {3}{B} Creature -- Zombie 2/2 Double strike When Crypt Champion comes into play, each player puts a creature card with converted mana cost 3 or less from his or her graveyard into play. When Crypt Champion comes into play, sacrifice it unless {R} was spent to play it. * The first triggered ability isn't targeted, so the creature cards aren't chosen until the ability resolves. Each player chooses which creature card from his or her own graveyard to return. If a player doesn't have an applicable creature card, that player does nothing. If a player does have any applicable cards, that player must return one to play. ----- Cytoplast Manipulator {2}{U}{U} Creature -- Human Wizard Mutant 0/0 Graft 2 (This creature comes into play with two +1/+1 counters on it. Whenever another creature comes into play, you may move a +1/+1 counter from this creature onto it.) {U}, {T}: Gain control of target creature with a +1/+1 counter on it as long as Cytoplast Manipulator remains in play. * The control change lasts as long as Cytoplast Manipulator is in play. It doesn't end if the creature loses all its +1/+1 counters, it stops being a creature, or if Cytoplast Manipulator becomes untapped. * If the ability is activated and Cytoplast Manipulator leaves play before it resolves, the ability does nothing. The target creature will remain under its current controller's control. ----- Cytoshape {1}{G}{U} Instant Choose a nonlegendary creature in play. Target creature becomes a copy of that creature until end of turn. * Only the creature that's becoming a copy is targeted. The creature that it will copy isn't chosen until Cytoshape resolves. * The creature copies the printed values of the chosen creature, plus any copy effects that have been applied to it. It won't copy counters on that creature. It won't copy effects that have changed the creature's power, toughness, types, color, or so on. * If the creature copies a creature that's copying a creature, it will become whatever the chosen creature is copying. * If the creature becomes a copy of a face-down creature, it will become a 2/2 creature with no name, creature type, abilities, mana cost, or color. It will not become face-down and thus can't be turned face up. * This effect can cause the target to stop being a creature. For example, if it becomes a copy of an animated Blinkmoth Nexus, the printed wording will be copied and it will become an unanimated Blinkmoth Nexus. * Effects that have already applied to the target creature will continue to apply to it. For example, if Giant Growth had given it +3/+3 earlier in the turn, then Cytoshape makes it a copy of Grizzly Bears, it will be a 5/5 Grizzly Bears. * A creature may become a copy of itself this way. This generally won't have any visible effect. * At the end of the turn, the creature reverts to what it was before. If two Cytoshapes affect the same creature on the same turn, they'll both wear off at the same time. ----- Delirium Skeins {2}{B} Sorcery Each player discards three cards. * First the active player chooses which cards to discard, then the nonactive player chooses, then all cards are discarded at the same time. No one sees what the other players are discarding before deciding which cards to discard. ----- Dovescape {3}{W/U}{W/U}{W/U} Enchantment ({W/U} can be paid with either {W} or {U}.) Whenever a player plays a noncreature spell, counter that spell. That player puts X 1/1 white and blue Bird creature tokens with flying into play, where X is the spell's converted mana cost. * The Bird tokens are created even if the spell isn't countered by Dovescape's ability. This may happen because the spell can't be countered, because it's already been countered, or because it's otherwise been removed from the stack by the time Dovescape's ability resolves. * If a split card is played, Dovescape makes tokens equal to the converted mana cost of the half that was played. ----- Elemental Resonance {2}{G}{G} Enchantment -- Aura Enchant permanent At the beginning of your precombat main phase, add mana equal to enchanted permanent's mana cost to your mana pool. (Mana cost includes color. If a mana symbol has multiple colors, choose one.) * If the enchanted permanent's mana cost is {2}{W}{U}, this Aura's controller adds {2}{W}{U} to his or her mana pool. If its mana cost is {X}{G}, this Aura's controller adds {G} to his or her mana pool. If its mana cost is (W/U)(W/U), this Aura's controller chooses whether to add {W}{W}, {W}{U}, or {U}{U} to his or her mana pool. The choice may be different each time the ability resolves. * This ability isn't a mana ability. It uses the stack. * Only the first main phase in a turn is the "precombat main phase," even if additional main phases are generated by some effect. * If this mana isn't spent during this main phase, it will cause mana burn. ----- Experiment Kraj {2}{G}{G}{U}{U} Legendary Creature -- Ooze Mutant 4/6 Experiment Kraj has all activated abilities of each other creature with a +1/+1 counter on it. {T}: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. * Unlike with _Mirrodin_(R) set's Quicksilver Elemental, the costs of the activated abilities Experiment Kraj gains must be paid with the correct colors of mana. ----- Flame-Kin War Scout {3}{R} Creature -- Elemental Scout 2/4 When another creature comes into play, sacrifice Flame-Kin War Scout. If you do, Flame-Kin War Scout deals 4 damage to that creature. * If multiple creatures come into play at the same time, Flame-Kin War Scout's ability will trigger multiple times. When the first of these triggers resolves, if Flame Kin War Scout can be sacrificed by the ability's controller, it will be sacrificed and deal 4 damage. When the other triggers resolve, it won't be in play, so it can't be sacrificed and the other creatures won't be dealt any damage. ----- Flash Foliage {2}{G} Instant Put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token into play blocking target creature attacking you. Draw a card. * The Saproling token is blocking the attacking creature, even if the block couldn't legally be declared (for example, if the attacking creature has flying, or is Vindictive Mob). * Putting a blocking creature into play doesn't trigger "When this creature blocks" abilities. It also won't check blocking restrictions, costs, or requirements. * Putting a blocking creature into play will trigger "When this creature becomes blocked by a creature" abilities. It may trigger "When this creature becomes blocked" abilities, but only if the creature the Saproling is blocking had not yet been blocked that combat. * The target creature can be blocked by other creatures. * Flash Foliage can be played only during an opponent's combat phase, after attackers have been declared. If it's played after combat damage is assigned, the Saproling will come into play blocking the attacking creature, but will neither deal combat damage to it nor be dealt combat damage by it. ----- Ghost Quarter Land {T}: Add {1} to your mana pool. {T}, Sacrifice Ghost Quarter: Destroy target land. Its controller may search his or her library for a basic land card, put it into play, then shuffle his or her library. * The target land's controller gets to search for a basic land card even if that land wasn't destroyed by Ghost Quarter's ability. This may happen because the land is indestructible or because it was regenerated. * If you target Ghost Quarter with its own ability, the ability will be countered because its target is no longer in play. You won't get to search for a land card. ----- Gnat Alley Creeper {2}{R} Creature -- Human Rogue 3/1 Gnat Alley Creeper can't be blocked by creatures with flying. * A creature that "can block as though it had flying" can't block Gnat Alley Creeper. ----- Grand Arbiter Augustin IV {2}{W}{U} Legendary Creature -- Human Advisor 2/3 White spells you play cost {1} less to play. Blue spells you play cost {1} less to play. Spells your opponents play cost {1} more to play. * Spells you play that are both blue and white cost {2} less to play. * This reduces only generic mana costs. A spell you play with mana cost {1}{W}{U} will cost {W}{U} to play. ----- Ignorant Bliss {1}{R} Instant Remove all cards in your hand from the game face down. At end of turn, return those cards to your hand, then draw a card. * No player may look at the cards while they're face down. * If you play this during the end-of-turn step, you won't return the cards to your hand or draw a card until the next turn's end-of-turn step. * If the delayed triggered ability is countered (for example, with Voidslime), the cards remain removed from the game forever. ----- Isperia the Inscrutable {1}{W}{W}{U}{U} Legendary Creature -- Sphinx 3/6 Flying Whenever Isperia the Inscrutable deals combat damage to a player, name a card. That player reveals his or her hand. If he or she reveals the named card, search your library for a creature card with flying, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library. * The card is named when the ability resolves. The named card can't be played after it's named but before the player's hand is revealed. ----- Kill-Suit Cultist {R} Creature -- Goblin Berserker 1/1 Kill-Suit Cultist attacks each turn if able. {B}, Sacrifice Kill-Suit Cultist: The next time damage would be dealt to target creature this turn, destroy that creature instead. * This ability causes a creature to be destroyed instead of being dealt damage. Damage replaced this way isn't dealt, and effects that would happen based on this damage (such as Demonfire's "remove it from the game" effect) don't happen. ----- Kindle the Carnage {1}{R}{R} Sorcery Discard a card at random. If you do, Kindle the Carnage deals damage equal to that card's converted mana cost to each creature. You may repeat this process any number of times. * You decide whether to repeat the process after each iteration. In other words, you discard a card, see what it is, Kindle the Carnage deals damage, then you decide whether to continue. If so, you discard a card, see what it is, Kindle the Carnage deals damage, then you decide whether to continue, and so on. * Any damage prevention or regeneration abilities must be played before Kindle the Carnage starts resolving in order to have any effect. You can't wait to see which (if any) cards are discarded. * A creature that's been dealt lethal damage by an iteration of this effect will remain in play and be dealt more damage by any further iterations. After you stop, all creatures that have been dealt lethal damage are put into their owners' graveyards at the same time. * All the damage has the same source. However, each iteration of this process is a separate instance of damage. An effect that prevents damage the "next time" this card would deal it will prevent damage from only one iteration. * A single regeneration shield is sufficient to save a particular creature, no matter how many instances of damage are on it. ----- Loaming Shaman {2}{G} Creature -- Centaur Shaman 3/2 When Loaming Shaman comes into play, target player shuffles any number of target cards from his or her graveyard into his or her library. * Loaming Shaman's controller chooses all the targets when the ability is put on the stack. ----- Lyzolda, the Blood Witch {1}{B}{R} Legendary Creature -- Human Cleric 3/1 {2}, Sacrifice a creature: Lyzolda, the Blood Witch deals 2 damage to target creature or player if the sacrificed creature was red. Draw a card if the sacrificed creature was black. * You can sacrifice any creature you control to pay for this ability. If the creature was neither red nor black, the ability has no effect. * You must choose a target for the ability, even if the creature you sacrifice isn't red. If the target becomes illegal before the ability resolves, the ability will be countered; you won't draw a card, even if the creature you sacrificed was black. ----- Magewright's Stone {2} Artifact {1}, {T}: Untap target creature that has an activated ability with {T} in its cost. * If an activated ability with {T} in its cost is granted to a creature by an effect (such as Hypervolt Grasp's effect, for instance), Magewright's Stone can untap that creature. * This looks for the {T} symbol. The phrase "tap an untapped creature you control" isn't the same and doesn't count. ----- Momir Vig, Simic Visionary {3}{G}{U} Legendary Creature -- Elf Wizard 2/2 Whenever you play a green creature spell, you may search your library for a creature card and reveal it. If you do, shuffle your library and put that card on top of it. Whenever you play a blue creature spell, reveal the top card of your library. If it's a creature card, put that card into your hand. * If you play a green and blue creature spell, both abilities will trigger. The abilities may be stacked so that when they resolve, you search your library for a creature card, put it on top of your library, and then put that card into your hand. The abilities may also be stacked in the other order, of course. ----- Muse Vessel {4} Artifact {3}, {T}: Target player removes a card in his or her hand from the game. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery. {1}: Choose a card removed from the game with Muse Vessel. You may play that card this turn. * Only cards removed from the game as a result of the first ability can be played as a result of the second ability. ----- Nightcreep {B}{B} Instant Until end of turn, all creatures become black and all lands become Swamps. * This effect overwrites all creatures' colors. Creatures will be black instead of any other color or colors. * This effect overwrites all lands' land types. Lands will be Swamps instead of any other land types. This won't affect a land's supertypes (such as basic or legendary). Lands will lose their normal abilities and have the ability "{T}: Add {B} to your mana pool" instead. * If a permanent is both a creature and a land, Nightcreep replaces all of its land types with Swamp, but it doesn't affect its creature types. The creature land loses all abilities generated by its rules text and its previous land types but retains any abilities granted to it by other effects. For example, an animated Blinkmoth Nexus becomes a black creature land with the land subtype Swamp whose only abilities are flying and "{T}: Add {B} to your mana pool." * A land or creature that comes into play after Nightcreep resolves won't be affected by it. ----- Novijen, Heart of Progress Land {T}: Add {1} to your mana pool. {G}{U}, {T}: Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature that came into play this turn. * The second ability puts a counter on each applicable creature regardless of who controls it. ----- Novijen Sages {4}{U}{U} Creature -- Human Advisor Mutant 0/0 Graft 4 (This creature comes into play with four +1/+1 counters on it. Whenever another creature comes into play, you may move a +1/+1 counter from this creature onto it.) {1}, Remove two +1/+1 counters from among creatures you control: Draw a card. * To play the activated ability, either remove two +1/+1 counters from a single creature you control or remove one +1/+1 counter from each of two different creatures you control. ----- Odds {U}{R} Instant Flip a coin. If it comes up heads, counter target instant or sorcery spell. If it comes up tails, copy that spell and you may choose new targets for the copy. // Ends {3}{R}{W} Instant Target player sacrifices two attacking creatures. * The Odds coin flip has no winner or loser, and no player calls "heads" or "tails." ----- Omnibian {1}{G}{G}{U} Creature -- Frog 3/3 {T}: Target creature becomes a 3/3 Frog until end of turn. * If the target creature has had any one-time effects that modified its power or toughness (such as Giant Growth) applied to it earlier in the turn, Omnibian's effect will override those effects. The creature will be 3/3. * If there's a permanent in play with a static ability that modifies the target creature's power or toughness (such as Night of Souls' Betrayal, which gives all creatures -1/-1), it will still affect the creature after it becomes 3/3. In the example given, it will be 2/2. * If the target creature has any counters on it that modify its power and toughness (such as a +1/+1 counter), those counters will continue to affect the creature after it becomes 3/3. In the example given, it will be 4/4. ----- Overrule {X}{W}{U} Instant Counter target spell unless its controller pays {X}. You gain X life. * You gain the life whether or not the spell's controller pays {X} and whether or not the spell is countered. ----- Pain Magnification {1}{B}{R} Enchantment Whenever an opponent is dealt 3 or more damage by a single source, that player discards a card. * This triggers only if all 3 or more damage is dealt at the same time. It doesn't trigger if damage that adds up to 3 or more is dealt at different times by the same source. * If a source deals 3 or more damage to multiple opponents at the same time, this ability will trigger once for each of those opponents. They will each have to discard a card. ----- Psychic Possession {2}{U}{U} Enchantment -- Aura Enchant opponent Skip your draw step. Whenever enchanted opponent draws a card, you may draw a card. * Enchanting an opponent works very much like enchanting a permanent. The Aura spell targets the opponent. When it resolves, it comes into play "attached" to that player. Once it's in play, it no longer targets that player. * Psychic Possession's controller, not the enchanted player, skips his or her draw step. * If Psychic Possession's controller ever happens to be the player it's enchanting, Psychic Possession will be put into its owner's graveyard as a state-based effect. * An Aura with enchant opponent can't be attached to a permanent. * In a multiplayer game, if the enchanted opponent leaves the game, Psychic Possession will be put into its owner's graveyard as a state-based effect. If Psychic Possession's owner leaves the game, Psychic Possession immediately leaves the game; this is not a state-based effect. ----- Rakdos Guildmage {B/R}{B/R} Creature -- Zombie Shaman 2/2 ({B/R} can be paid with either {B} or {R}.) {3}{B}, Discard a card: Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn. {3}{R}: Put a 2/1 red Goblin creature token with haste into play. Remove it from the game at end of turn. * If the second ability is played during the end-of-turn step, the token won't be removed from the game until the following turn's end of turn step. ----- Rakdos Pit Dragon {2}{R}{R} Creature -- Dragon 3/3 {R}{R}: Rakdos Pit Dragon gains flying until end of turn. {R}: Rakdos Pit Dragon gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Hellbent -- Rakdos Pit Dragon has double strike as long as you have no cards in hand. * If Rakdos Pit Dragon loses double strike after first strike combat damage has been assigned, it won't deal damage during the normal combat damage step. ----- Rakdos the Defiler {2}{B}{B}{R}{R} Legendary Creature -- Demon 7/6 Flying, trample Whenever Rakdos the Defiler attacks, sacrifice half the non-Demon permanents you control, rounded up. Whenever Rakdos deals combat damage to a player, that player sacrifices half the non-Demon permanents he or she controls, rounded up. * To calculate the number of permanents that must be sacrificed, count the number of permanents the affected player controls that don't have the subtype Demon, then divide that number in half and round up. For example, a player who controls eleven non-Demon permanents will need to sacrifice six of them. * A permanent with the subtype Demon, including Rakdos the Defiler itself, can't be sacrificed this way. ----- Research {G}{U} Instant Choose up to four cards you own from outside the game and shuffle them into your library. // Development {3}{U}{R} Instant Put a 3/1 red Elemental creature token into play unless an opponent lets you draw a card. Repeat this process two more times. * For Research, a card "from outside the game" may be a card that's been removed from the game, a card from your collection, or a card from your sideboard. In tournament play, you can't choose a card from your collection. The cards you choose don't all have to come from the same place. If you choose any cards that have been removed from the game face down, you do so randomly and you don't get to see what they are. * Development has received some minor errata. The new text is: Put a 3/1 red Elemental creature token into play unless any opponent lets you draw a card. Repeat this process two more times. * Development's effect is repeated three times no matter which option the opponent chooses. The opponent may choose a different option each time. You'll wind up with three Elemental tokens, two tokens and a card, one token and two cards, or three cards, whichever your opponent chooses. * In a multiplayer game, each opponent, in turn, has the option to let you draw a card. If no opponent does, you put a token into play. Then the process repeats two more times. A different opponent may let you draw a card each time. ----- Rix Maadi, Dungeon Palace Land {T}: Add {1} to your mana pool. {1}{B}{R}, {T}: Each player discards a card. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery. * When the second ability resolves, first the active player chooses a card to discard, then the nonactive player chooses, then all chosen cards are discarded at the same time. No one sees what the other players are discarding before deciding which cards to discard. ----- Simic Guildmage {G/U}{G/U} Creature -- Elf Wizard 2/2 ({G/U} can be paid with either {G} or {U}.) {1}{G}: Move a +1/+1 counter from target creature onto another target creature with the same controller. {1}{U}: Attach target Aura enchanting a permanent to another permanent with the same controller. * For the first ability, the first target creature doesn't need to have a +1/+1 counter on it. If it doesn't, the ability does nothing. * For the first ability, if the two target creatures aren't controlled by the same player when the ability resolves, the ability does nothing. The player who controls the two creatures doesn't have to be the same player who controlled them when the ability was played, and that player doesn't have to be Simic Guildmage's controller. * For the second ability, only the Aura is targeted. When the ability resolves, you choose a permanent to move the Aura onto. It can't be the permanent the Aura is already attached to, it must be controlled by the player who controls the permanent the Aura is attached to, and it must be able to be enchanted by the Aura. (It doesn't matter who controls the Aura or who controls Simic Guildmage.) If no such permanent exists, the Aura doesn't move. ----- Slithering Shade {B} Creature -- Shade 0/1 Defender (This creature can't attack.) {B}: Slithering Shade gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Hellbent -- Slithering Shade can attack as though it didn't have defender as long as you have no cards in hand. * If you declare Slithering Shade as an attacker, then a card is put into your hand, the Shade won't be removed from combat. It continues to attack. ----- Sprouting Phytohydra {4}{G} Creature -- Plant Hydra 0/2 Defender (This creature can't attack.) Whenever Sprouting Phytohydra is dealt damage, you may put a token into play that's a copy of Sprouting Phytohydra. * A token copy of Sprouting Phytohydra is created even if the damage dealt to Sprouting Phytohydra destroys it. * If a token copy of Sprouting Phytohydra is dealt damage, it will create another token copy. * If Cytoshape turns a creature into a copy of Sprouting Phytohydra, and that creature is dealt damage, the token that is put into play is simply a copy of Sprouting Phytohydra. At the end of the turn, the Cytoshaped creature will revert back to what it was, but the token copying it will not. ----- Squealing Devil {1}{R} Creature -- Devil 2/1 Fear When Squealing Devil comes into play, you may pay {X}. If you do, target creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn. When Squealing Devil comes into play, sacrifice it unless {B} was spent to play it. * For this creature to not be sacrificed, {B} must have been spent on the {1}{R} mana cost. It doesn't matter if {B} is spent on {X}. * You choose the value of X as Squealing Devil's ability resolves. X can be 0. ----- Stomp and Howl {2}{G} Sorcery Destroy target artifact and target enchantment. * This spell can't be played unless there are both an artifact and an enchantment in play to target. If a permanent is both an artifact and an enchantment, it can be both targets. ----- Stormscale Anarch {2}{R}{R} Creature -- Viashino Shaman 2/2 {2}{R}, Discard a card at random: Stormscale Anarch deals 2 damage to target creature or player. If the discarded card was multicolored, Stormscale Anarch deals 4 damage to that creature or player instead. * You can't discard a card at random, see what it is, and then decide whether or not to pay the mana. Mana abilities must be played before costs are paid. At the time you pay the cost of discarding a card, you either have enough mana in your mana pool to pay the {2}{R}, in which case you must continue no matter what you discarded, or you don't have enough mana in your mana pool to pay the {2}{R}, in which case you must back up no matter what you discarded. ----- Street Savvy {G} Enchantment -- Aura Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +0/+2 and can block creatures with landwalk abilities as though they didn't have those abilities. * "Landwalk abilities" are abilities such as "forestwalk" or "legendary landwalk" that have "walk" in the name and make the creature with the ability unblockable as long as the defending player controls a land matching the description. ----- Transguild Courier {4} Artifact Creature -- Golem 3/3 Transguild Courier is all colors (even if this card isn't in play). * This card is white, blue, black, red, and green. It is multicolored. This is a characteristic-setting ability and applies in all zones. * Transguild Courier appears in a multicolored card frame, but it's still an artifact. ----- Unliving Psychopath {2}{B}{B} Creature -- Zombie Assassin 0/4 {B}: Unliving Psychopath gets +1/-1 until end of turn. {B}, {T}: Destroy target creature with power less than Unliving Psychopath's power. * The creature must have less power than Unliving Psychopath both when the ability is played and when it resolves. ----- Vigean Hydropon {1}{G}{U} Creature -- Plant Mutant 0/0 Graft 5 (This creature comes into play with five +1/+1 counters on it. Whenever another creature comes into play, you may move a +1/+1 counter from this creature onto it.) Vigean Hydropon can't attack or block. * Even though this creature can't attack, it doesn't have defender. ----- Wakestone Gargoyle {3}{W} Creature -- Gargoyle 3/4 Defender (This creature can't attack.) Flying {1}{W}: Creatures you control with defender can attack this turn as though they didn't have defender. * Wakestone Gargoyle's ability allows itself to attack. * Wakestone Gargoyle's ability will affect creatures with defender that come under your control after the ability resolves but before you declare attackers (though those creatures still can't attack unless they have haste). ----- War's Toll {3}{R} Enchantment Whenever an opponent taps a land for mana, tap all lands that player controls. If a creature an opponent controls attacks, all creatures that opponent controls attack if able. * Your opponent can tap lands for mana in response to the triggered ability. The effect won't prevent your opponent from playing spells or abilities, but it will make it difficult for that player to play other spells or abilities later in the turn because players' mana pools empty at the end of each phase. ----- Windreaver {3}{W}{U} Creature -- Elemental 1/3 Flying {W}: Windreaver gains vigilance until end of turn. {W}: Windreaver gets +0/+1 until end of turn. {U}: Switch Windreaver's power and toughness until end of turn. {U}: Return Windreaver to its owner's hand. * All instances of the second ability are applied before any instances of the third ability, regardless of what order they were played in. For example, giving Windreaver +0/+1, then switching its power and toughness, then giving it +0/+1 again will result in a 5/1 creature. ----- All trademarks are property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the U.S.A. and other countries. ©2006 Wizards.