*Magic*(R) Rulings & Errata
A Summary of Recent Rulings
compiled by Collin Jackson

GENERAL RULES

1) Rule 502.7b of the *Magic* Comprehensive Rules currently states, "A
permanent with protection can't be targeted by spells or abilities that
have the stated quality." It should read, "A permanent with protection
can't be targeted by spells or abilities from a source with the stated
quality."

EXAMPLE: Yavimaya Scion has protection from artifacts, so it can't be the
target of abilities with an artifact source. I target the Scion with a
green creature's ability, but the green creature becomes an artifact while
the ability is on the stack. What happens when the ability resolves? The
ability rechecks its target and finds it to be illegal, so the ability is
countered.

2) Several cards use the phrase "whenever you're attacked." (For example,
Reveille Squad reads, "Whenever you're attacked, if Reveille Squad is
untapped, you may untap all creatures you control.") This phrase means
"whenever at least one creature attacks you." In other words, trigger
events that use this phrase can trigger only once each combat.

3) Rule 409.1b of the *Magic* Comprehensive Rules describes the choices a
player must make after adding a spell or ability to the stack. The rule
should read, "If the spell or ability is modal (uses the phrase "Choose
one --"), the player chooses the mode. The player also announces the
values of any variables in the mana cost (such as X or Y), whether he or
she will pay for the spell or ability using an alternative play cost, and
whether he or she will pay any buyback costs."

4) If a new basic land type replaces a land's existing type, the name of
the land changes to match the new basic land type. In addition, the land
loses all abilities and gains the mana ability appropriate to its new land
type. The rest of its characteristics remain unchanged.

EXAMPLE: I play Animate Land on a forest I control. After that resolves,
you enchant the forest with Evil Presence. What happens?

     Animate Land
     G
     Instant
     Until end of turn, target land is a 3/3 creature
     that's still a land.

     Evil Presence
     B
     Enchant Land
     Enchanted land is a swamp.

When Evil Presence resolves, it changes the forest's land type from
"forest" to "swamp." This causes its name to change as well. The land
loses "T: Add G to your mana pool," and it gains "T: Add B to your mana
pool." However, the land is still a 3/3 creature.

ERRATA

1) Because lands automatically gain the appropriate mana ability for each
of their basic land types, the "dual lands" (Badlands, Bayou, Plateau,
Savannah, Scrubland, Taiga, Tropical Island, Tundra, Underground Sea, and
Volcanic Island) should simply have text that gives them two basic land
types. They shouldn't have mana abilities of their own. For example,
Badlands should read, "Badlands is a swamp and a mountain in addition to
its land type."

2) As printed, Rhystic Cave causes bad things to happen when played during
the announcement of a spell or ability (as do all mana abilities that may
or may not produce mana when they resolve). These situations mandate a
correction to the card. Rhystic Cave's ability should read, "T: Choose a
color. Add one mana of that color to your mana pool unless any player pays
1. You can't play this ability during the announcement of another spell or
ability."

What does "during the announcement of a spell or ability" mean? It covers
all the steps a player goes through when playing a spell or ability (rules
409.1a-f in the *Magic* Comprehensive Rules). This means, for example,
that if you want to use Rhystic Cave's ability to help you pay a mana
cost, you must play the ability and find out whether you get mana from it
before you announce the spell.

The corrected wording also makes it clear that players know what color of
mana the Cave's controller is trying to get before they decide whether to
pay to stop it.

3) As printed, Hollow Warrior can pay its own cost to block, because
attack and block costs are paid simultaneously with actual attack or block
declaration. This wasn't intended. It should read, "Hollow Warrior can't
attack or block unless you tap an untapped creature you control not
declared as an attacking or blocking creature this turn." This means you
can't pay the Hollow Warrior's attack or block cost with a creature that
will be in the combat, including the Warrior itself.

4) Mercenary Informer and Rebel Informer both work very strangely with
Conspiracy and other such effects. To make them work how the vast majority
of players think they should, the card text should read as follows:

     Mercenary Informer can't be the target of
     black spells or abilities.
     2W: Put target Mercenary on the bottom
     of its owner's library.

     Rebel Informer can't be the target of white
     spells or abilities.
     3: Put target Rebel on the bottom of its
     owner's library.

Omitting the word "card" allows the Informers to affect tokens (which
vanish when moved to other zones), but eliminates other complex rules
problems. These cards' activated abilities can still be played only on
Rebels and Mercenaries in play.

SPECIFIC CARD RULINGS

1) Remedy reads, "Prevent the next 5 damage total that would be dealt this
turn to any number of target creatures and/or players, divided as you
choose." You choose up to 5 targets when you play the spell during the
"target-choosing" step (409.1c). You also choose how you would like to
distribute its prevention effect during the "distribution" step of
announcement (409.1d). You can't change your mind and distribute the
prevention "shields" differently when Remedy resolves.

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