_Magic_(R) Rulings & Errata
A Summary of Recent Rulings
February 2002
Compiled by Paul Barclay and the _Magic_ Rules Team

REVERSALS AND CORRECTIONS

1) Duration of effects (Rule 418.3d)
Rule 418.3d used to read "If an effect's duration is over before it would begin, the effect does nothing--it doesn't start and immediately stop again, and it doesn't last forever." This rule was only intended to apply to cards with "tap and hold" abilities, but actually affected a much broader range of cards. It has been replaced with a more accurate rule that limits its scope to effects using the phrase "as long as."

418.3d Some effects from activated or triggered abilities have durations worded "as long as . . . ." If the "as long as" duration ends between the end of announcing the activated ability or putting the triggered ability onto the stack and the moment when the effect would first be applied, the effect does nothing. It doesn't start and immediately stop again, and it doesn't last forever.


2) Zone-change triggered abilities (Rule 410.10)
The rules for zone-change triggered abilities have been updated to remove weird corner cases involving Ęther Rift and Yawgmoth's Agenda, where a card would be discarded to a zone other than the graveyard.

410.10. Trigger events that involve cards or permanents changing zones are called "zone-change triggers." Many abilities with zone-change triggers attempt to do something to that card after it changes zones. During resolution, these abilities look for the card in the zone that it moved to. If the card is unable to be found in the zone it went to, the part of the ability attempting to do something to the card will fail to do anything. The ability could be unable to find the card because the card never entered the specified zone, because it left the zone before the ability resolved, or because it is in a zone that is hidden from a player, such as a library or an opponent's hand. (This rule applies even if the card leaves the zone and returns again before the ability resolves.) The most common types of zone-change triggers are comes-into-play triggers and leaves-play triggers.


3) Abilities that work outside the in-play zone (Rules 402.8, 412.3, 412.4)
The rules for the abilities that work in each zone have been clarified to fully cover all abilities that can be played from zones other than the in-play zone (rule 402.8). Abilities of cards that allowed you to pay an alternative or additional cost to play the card have now been defined as working on the stack (rule 412.3). Abilities of cards that defined when you could play a card used to be limited to working only in your hand (rule 412.4). These abilities have been extended to work in all zones where you could play the card.

402.8. Abilities function only while the permanent with the ability is in play unless the ability states otherwise or unless the ability can only work, trigger, or be played in a zone other than the in-play zone.
Example: An ability with a cost that includes "discard this card from your hand" can be played only if the card is in your hand.

412.3. Some static abilities apply while a spell is on the stack. These are often abilities that refer to countering the spell. Also, abilities that say "As an additional cost to play . . ." and "You may pay [cost] rather than paying [this card]'s mana cost" work while the card is a spell on the stack.

412.4. Some static abilities apply while a card is in any zone that you could play it from (usually your hand). These are limited to those that read, "you may play [this card] . . ." and "you can't play [this card] . . . ."


4) Damage prevention shields (Rule 419.7b)
The rules for spells and abilities that set up ablative damage shields now explicitly state what happens when damage is dealt to the shielded creature or player from two or more sources at the same time. The shielded player or the controller of the shielded creature chooses how to apply the shields.

Unpreventable damage (such as from an Urza's Rage played with kicker) doesn't reduce or remove any shields. Shields are only reduced or removed if they prevent damage.

419.7b Some prevention effects refer to a specific amount of damage--for example, "Prevent the next 3 damage to target creature or player this turn." These work like ablative shields. Each 1 damage that would be dealt to the "shielded" creature or player is prevented. Preventing 1 damage reduces the remaining shield by 1. If damage would be dealt to the shielded creature or player by two or more sources at the same time, the player or the controller of the creature can choose which damage the shield prevents first. Once the shield has been reduced to 0, any remaining damage is dealt normally. Such effects count only the amount of damage; the number of events or sources dealing it doesn't matter.


5) REVERSAL: Extra turns (Rule 300.6)
The rule for gaining extra turns during one turn did not match up with the rule for gaining extra turns in consecutive turns (due to Time Stretch). This has been corrected, and the most recently created extra turn will always be taken first. The new rule for gaining multiple extra turns is below.

300.6. Some spells and abilities can give a player extra turns. They do this by adding the turns directly after the current turn. If a player gets multiple extra turns or if both players get extra turns during a single turn, the extra turns are added one at a time. The most recently created turn will be taken first.

This is a reversal of the previous rule, where extra turns were taken in the order that they were created. The new rule has all extra turns resolve Last In, First Out.


CLARIFICATIONS

1) Exchange (Glossary)
The rules for "exchange" in the Magic Comprehensive Rules have been updated to clarify that an exchange of permanents must involve two players. Previously, the rules for "exchange" were ambiguous in this area. The range of things that may be exchanged has also been expanded.

Exchange
A spell or ability may instruct two players to exchange something (for example, life totals or control of two permanents) as part of its resolution. When such a spell or ability resolves, if it can't exchange the chosen things, it has no effect on them. For example, if a spell attempts to exchange control of two target creatures but one of those creatures is destroyed before the spell resolves, the spell does nothing to the other creature. Or if a spell attempts to exchange control of two target creatures but both of those creatures are controlled by the same player, the spell does nothing to the two creatures.
     When control of two permanents is exchanged, each player simultaneously gains control of the permanent that was controlled by the other player.
     When life totals are exchanged, each player gains or loses the amount of life necessary to equal the other player's previous life total. Replacement effects may modify these gains and losses, and triggered abilities may trigger on them.
     Some spells or abilities may instruct a player to exchange cards in two different zones (for example, cards removed from the game and cards in a player's hand). These spells and abilities work the same as other "exchange" spells and abilities, except they can exchange the cards only if all the cards are owned by the same player.


2) "Summoning Sickness" (Rule 214.7c)
A new rule has been added to the rulebook (214.7c), consolidating the rules for "summoning sickness" from other areas of the rulebook.

214.7c A creature's activated ability with the tap symbol in its activation cost can't be played unless the creature has been under its controller's control since the start of his or her most recent turn. A creature can't attack unless it has been under its controller's control since the start of his or her most recent turn. Ignore this rule for creatures with haste (see rule 502.5).


3) The tombstone icon (Glossary)
Some cards in the _Odyssey(TM)_ set and later sets have a tombstone icon next to their names. A new glossary entry has been added to clarify the purpose of this icon.

Tombstone Icon
Starting with the _Odyssey_ set, a tombstone icon appears to the left of the name of any card with an ability that's relevant in a player's graveyard. The purpose of the icon is to make those cards stand out when they're in a graveyard. This icon has no effect on game play.


4) Alternative costs rule (Rule 409.1b)
Alternative costs due to abilities such as flashback are not optional. If you play a spell via its flashback ability, you must pay its flashback cost rather than its mana cost. Rule 409.1b has been updated to reflect this fact.

409.1b If the spell or ability is modal (uses the phrase "Choose one --" or "[specified player] chooses one -- "), the player announces the mode choice. If the spell or ability has a variable mana cost (indicated by "X") or some other variable cost, the player announces the value of that variable at this time. If the spell or ability has alternative, additional, or other special costs (such as buyback or kicker costs), the player announces his or her intentions to pay any or all of those costs (see rule 409.1f). Previously made choices (such as choosing to play a spell with flashback from his or her graveyard) may restrict the player's options when making these choices.


5) Multicolored spells (Rule 203.2)
Rule 203.2 was unclear. It could have been interpreted as saying that a spell with a mana cost of 2WW was a multicolored spell. It has been rewritten to clarify that this is not the case.

203.2. A card is the color or colors of the mana symbols in its mana cost, regardless of the color of its border. For example, a card with a mana cost of 2W is white, and one with a mana cost of 2WB is both white and black. Cards with no colored mana symbols in their mana costs are colorless. Cards with more than one of the five colored mana symbols in their mana costs are multicolored. Multicolored cards are printed with a gold frame, but this is not a requirement for a card to be multicolored.


6) Counters that affect power and toughness (Glossary)
The Magic Comprehensive Rules now defines the effect of counters that give bonuses or penalties to power and toughness (+X/+Y counters). This does not change the function of these counters, but it was omitted from previous versions of the rulebook.

Counter (definition 2)
     2. A counter is a marker placed on a permanent, either modifying its characteristics or interacting with an ability. A +X/+Y counter on a permanent, where X and Y are numbers, adds X to that permanent's power and Y to that permanent's toughness. These bonuses are added after permanent type changing effects and before other power and toughness changing effects. Counters with the same name or description are interchangeable. Counters may also be given to players. For information about poison counters, see rule 102.8.


7) Text-changing effects (Rule 415)
The simple rule to remember for any spell (such as Sleight of Mind or Magical Hack) that changes a permanent or spell's text is: "If you can see the word in the card's text box, you can change it; otherwise you can't." For copy cards and tokens, you can change text that you can't see, but it must still be text that would normally be present in the text box if it were not a copy card or a token.

415.1. A few effects can "edit" a spell or ability after it goes on the stack, changing its target, rules text, or other characteristics.

415.4. An effect that changes the text of a spell or permanent can't change a proper noun (such as a card name or creature type), even if that proper noun contains a word or a series of letters which is the same as a Magic color word or basic land type.


8) Colorless and generic mana (Glossary)
The mana symbol "1" can be used either to represent a generic mana cost, or to represent production of colorless mana. If a card tells you to "add 1 to your mana pool," it works exactly the same way as a card that says "add one colorless mana to your mana pool."

Colorless mana
The numeral mana symbols, X, and Y can represent colorless mana as well as a generic mana cost.

Mana Symbol
The mana symbols are W, U, B, R, G, 0, numerals, X, and Y.
     Each of the colored mana symbols represents one colored mana: W white, U blue, B black, R red, and G green.
     Numeral symbols (such as 1) are generic mana costs and represent an amount of mana that can be paid with any color of, or colorless, mana.
     The symbols X and Y represent unspecified amounts of mana; when playing a spell or activated ability with X or Y in its cost, its controller decides the value of that variable. 
     Numeral symbols, X, and Y can also represent colorless mana if they appear in the effect of a spell or of a mana ability that reads "add [mana symbol] to your mana pool" or something similar.
     The symbol 0 represents zero mana and is used as a placeholder when a spell or activated ability costs nothing to play. A spell or ability whose cost is 0 must still be played the same way as one with a cost greater than zero; it won't play itself automatically.


SPECIFIC CARD RULINGS

1) Liquid Fire
Liquid Fire allows you to divide damage between a target creature and that creature's controller. Since this spell has only one target (the creature), the rule for dividing between multiple targets doesn't apply to it. (If a spell or ability tells you to divide something among multiple targets, the division must be chosen when the spell or ability is announced. Each of the targets must receive at least one of whatever is being divided.) Rather, the division of damage is done when Liquid Fire resolves. If you choose to do so, you may deal the full 5 damage to either the creature or its controller.

Liquid Fire
4RR
Sorcery
Liquid Fire deals 5 damage divided as you choose between target creature and that creature's controller.


2) Alloy Golem and phasing
A phased-out Alloy Golem will remember the color you chose for it as it first came into play. It is that color while phased out, although no currently printed cards care about this fact. It remains that color when it phases back in; you don't choose a new color for it.

Alloy Golem
As Alloy Golem comes into play, choose a color.
Alloy Golem is the chosen color. (It's still an artifact.)


3) Whipkeeper and regeneration
Whipkeeper deals damage to a creature based on the amount of damage that has already been dealt to that creature during the turn. If damage that would have been dealt to the creature was prevented, that damage was not dealt to the creature, and thus won't be counted by Whipkeeper. If the creature had taken lethal damage and regenerated, that damage will be counted by Whipkeeper, even though regeneration removes all damage from a creature.

Whipkeeper
T: Whipkeeper deals damage to target creature equal to the damage already dealt to it this turn.


4) Tsabo's Web and threshold lands (such as Barbarian Ring)
While you don't have threshold, cards with the threshold ability are treated as if they didn't have the threshold text. So, while you don't have threshold, the only activated ability a Barbarian Ring has produces mana. This means that the Ring will untap normally if Tsabo's Web is in play. While you have threshold, the Ring will have the activated ability it gains at threshold, and will not untap as normal.

Tsabo's Web
When Tsabo's Web comes into play, draw a card.
Lands with an activated ability that doesn't produce mana don't untap during their controllers' untap steps.

Barbarian Ring
T: Add R to your mana pool. Barbarian Ring deals 1 damage to you.
Threshold - R, T, Sacrifice Barbarian Ring: Barbarian Ring deals 2 damage to target creature or player. #(Play this ability only if seven or more cards are in your graveyard.)#


5) Fellwar Stone and Meteor Crater
You control a Fellwar Stone, and your opponent controls a Meteor Crater. The Fellwar Stone can produce any color of mana that matches the color of a permanent your opponent controls.

Fellwar Stone
T: Add to your mana pool one mana of any color and type that a land an opponent controls could produce.

Meteor Crater
T: Choose a color of a permanent you control. Add one mana of that color to your mana pool.


ERRATA
An Oracle(TM) update will be released shortly. At the same time, a document will be released, explaining the reasons behind the major changes to cards.