Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules

These rules are current as of December 1, 2003.

Introduction

This booklet is designed for people who've moved beyond the basics of the Magic: The Gathering® 
game. If you're a beginning Magic® player, you'll probably find these rules intimidating. They're intended 
to be the ultimate authority for the game, and you won't usually need to refer to them except in specific 
cases or during competitive games.

For casual play and most ordinary situations, you'll find what you need in the general rulebook included in 
the Magic: The Gathering core game. You can download a copy of that rulebook from the Wizards of the 
Coast® Magic rules website at www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/rules. If you're sure this is where 
you want to be, keep reading.

This document includes a series of numbered rules followed by a glossary. Many of the numbered rules are 
divided into subrules, and each separate rule and subrule of the game has its own number. The glossary 
defines many of the words and phrases used in these rules, along with a few concepts that don't really fit 
anywhere among the numbered rules. So if you can't find what you're looking for, check the glossary.

We at Wizards of the Coast recognize that no matter how detailed the rules, situations will arise in which 
the interaction of specific cards requires a precise answer. If you have questions, you can get the answers 
from us. Contact information is on the last page of these rules.



In response to play issues and to keep these rules as current as possible, changes may have been made 
to this document since its publication. See the Wizards of the Coast website for the current version of 
the official rules.

www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/rules


Contents

1. The Game
100. General
101. Starting the Game
102. Winning and Losing
103. The Magic Golden Rules
104. Numbers and Symbols

2. Parts of the Game
200. General
201. Characteristics
202. Name
203. Mana Cost and Color
204. Illustration
205. Type Line
206. Expansion Symbol
207. Text Box
208. Power/Toughness
209. Illustration Credit
210. Legal Text
211. Collector Number
212. Type, Supertype, and Subtype
213. Spells
214. Permanents
215. Legends and Legendary Objects
216. Tokens
217. Zones

3. Turn Structure
300. General
301. Beginning Phase
302. Untap Step
303. Upkeep Step
304. Draw Step
305. Main Phase
306. Combat Phase
307. Beginning of Combat Step
308. Declare Attackers Step
309. Declare Blockers Step
310. Combat Damage Step
311. End of Combat Step
312. End Phase
313. End of Turn Step
314. Cleanup Step
 
4. Spells, Abilities, and Effects
400. General
401. Spells on the Stack
402. Abilities
403. Activated Abilities
404. Triggered Abilities
405. Static Abilities
406. Mana Abilities
407. Adding and Removing Abilities
408. Timing of Spells and Abilities
409. Playing Spells and Activated Abilities
410. Handling Triggered Abilities
411. Playing Mana Abilities
412. Handling Static Abilities
413. Resolving Spells and Abilities
414. Countering Spells and Abilities
415. Targeted Spells and Abilities
416. Effects
417. One-Shot Effects
418. Continuous Effects
419. Replacement and Prevention Effects
420. State-Based Effects
421. Handling "Infinite" Loops
422. Handling Illegal Actions

5. Additional Rules
500. Legal Attacks and Blocks
501. Evasion Abilities
502. Keyword Abilities
503. Copying Objects
504. Face-Down Spells and Permanents
505. Split Cards
506. Subgames
507. Controlling Another Player's Turn

Glossary

Credits

Questions?


1. The Game

100. General

100.1. These Magic rules assume a game between two players. Optional rules allow for more players 
but aren't discussed here. These rules can be found at the Wizards of the Coast website at 
www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/rules/multiplayer.

100.2. In constructed play, each player needs his or her own deck of at least sixty cards, small items to 
represent any tokens and counters, and some way to clearly track life totals. A constructed deck can 
have any number of basic land cards and no more than four of any card with a particular English 
name other than basic land cards.

100.3. For sealed deck or draft play, only forty cards are required in a deck, and a player may use as 
many duplicates of a card as he or she has. Each player still needs small items to represent any 
tokens and counters, and some way to clearly track life totals.

100.4. There is no maximum deck size.

100.5. Most Magic tournaments have special rules (not included here) and may limit the use of some 
cards, including barring all cards from some older sets. See the most current Magic: The 
Gathering DCI™ Floor Rules for more information. They can be found at 
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci/utr/intro.

100.6. A player can concede the game at any time. A player who concedes leaves the game 
immediately. He or she loses the game.

101. Starting the Game

101.1. At the start of a game, each player shuffles his or her own deck so that the cards are in a random 
order. Each player may then shuffle his or her opponent's deck. The players' decks become their 
libraries.

101.2. After the decks have been shuffled, the players determine who chooses which player goes first 
using any mutually agreeable method (flipping a coin, rolling dice, etc.). In a match of several 
games, the loser of the previous game decides who will take the first turn. If the previous game was 
a draw, the person who determined who would take the first turn in the previous game decides.

101.3. Once the starting player has been determined, each player sets his or her life total to 20 and 
draws a hand of seven cards.

101.4. A player who is dissatisfied with his or her initial hand may mulligan. First, the starting player 
takes any mulligans. To take a mulligan, that player shuffles his or her hand back into the deck and 
then draws a new hand of six cards. He or she may repeat this process as many times as desired, 
drawing one fewer card each time, until the hand size reaches zero cards. Once the starting player 
has decided to keep a hand, the other player may take any number of mulligans. A player can't take 
any mulligans once he or she has decided to keep a hand.

101.5. Once both players are satisfied with their hands, the starting player takes his or her turn. The 
player who plays first skips the draw step (see rule 304, "Draw Step") of his or her first turn.

102. Winning and Losing

102.1. If a player's life total is 0 or less, he or she loses the game the next time a player would receive 
priority. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)

102.2. When a player is required to draw more cards than are left in his or her library, he or she draws 
the remaining cards, and then loses the game the next time a player would receive priority. (This is 
a state-based effect. See rule 420.)

102.3. A game immediately ends when a player loses or wins or when the game is a draw.

102.4. If both players lose simultaneously, the game is a draw.

102.5. If a player would both win and lose simultaneously, he or she loses.

102.6. If the game somehow enters a "loop," repeating a sequence of events with no way to stop, the 
game is a draw. Loops that contain an optional action don't result in a draw.

102.7. A player who concedes a game leaves the game immediately. He or she loses the game.

102.8. If a player has ten or more poison counters, he or she loses the game the next time a player 
would receive priority. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)

103. The Magic Golden Rules

103.1. Whenever a card's text directly contradicts these rules, the card takes precedence. The card 
overrides only the rule that applies to that specific situation. The only exception is that the rules in 
section 100, "General," and section 101, "Starting the Game," can't be overridden by the cards. 
Those rules apply at all times, regardless of what the cards say.

103.2. When one effect says something can happen and another says it can't, the "can't" effect wins. 
For example, if one effect reads "You may play an additional land this turn" and another reads 
"You can't play land cards this turn," the effect that keeps you from playing lands wins out. Note 
that adding abilities to objects and removing abilities from objects don't fall under this rule. See rule 
407, "Adding and Removing Abilities."

103.3. If an instruction requires taking an impossible action, it's ignored. (In many cases the card will 
specify consequences for this; if it doesn't, there's no effect.)

103.4. If both players would take an action at the same time, the active player (the player whose turn it 
is) makes any choices required, then the nonactive player makes any choices required, then the 
actions happen simultaneously. This rule is often referred to as the "Active Player, Nonactive Player 
(APNAP) rule."
Example: A card reads "Each player sacrifices a creature." First, the active player chooses 
a creature he or she controls. Then the nonactive player chooses a creature he or she 
controls. Then both creatures are sacrificed simultaneously.

104. Numbers and Symbols

104.1. The Magic game uses only natural numbers. You may not choose a fractional number, deal 
fractional damage, and so on. When a spell or ability could generate a fractional number, the spell 
or ability will tell you whether to round up or down.

104.2. If a creature's power or toughness, a mana cost, a player's life total, or an amount of damage 
would be less than 0, it's treated as 0 for all purposes except changing that total. If anything needs 
to use a number that can't be determined, it uses 0 instead.
Example: If a 3/3 creature gets -5/-0, it deals 0 damage in combat. But to raise its power 
back to 1, you'd have to give it +3/+0 (3 minus 5 plus 3 is 1).
Example: If you control no permanents, the "highest converted mana cost among 
permanents you control" can't be determined, so 0 is used instead.

104.3. The mana symbols are {oW}, {oU}, {oB}, {oR}, {oG}, {oX}, {oY}, {oZ} and the numerals 
{o0}, {o1}, {o2}, {o3}, {o4}, and so on.

104.3a Each of the colored mana symbols represents one colored mana: {oW} is white, {oU} blue, 
{oB} black, {oR} red, and {oG} green.

104.3b Numeral symbols (such as {o1}) are generic mana costs and represent an amount of mana 
that can be paid with any color of, or colorless, mana.

104.3c The symbols {oX}, {oY}, and {oZ} represent unspecified amounts of mana; when playing a 
spell or activated ability with {oX}, {oY}, or {oZ} in its cost, its controller decides the value of 
that variable.

104.3d Numeral symbols (such as {o1}) and variable symbols (such as {oX}) can also represent 
colorless mana if they appear in the effect of a spell or ability that reads "add [mana symbol] to 
your mana pool" or something similar.

104.3e The symbol {o0} 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 {o0} must still be played the same 
way as one with a cost greater than zero; it won't play itself automatically.

104.4. The tap symbol is {oT}. The tap symbol in an activation cost means "Tap this permanent." A 
permanent that's already tapped can't be tapped again to pay the cost. Creatures that haven't been 
under a player's control continuously since the beginning of his or her most recent turn can't use 
any ability with the tap symbol in the cost. See rule 212.3d.

104.5. A tombstone icon appears to the left of the name of many Odyssey™ block cards with abilities 
that are 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.



2. Parts of the Game

200. General

200.1. When a rule or text on a card refers to a "card," it means a Magic card with a Magic card front 
and the Magic card back. Tokens aren't considered cards—even a card that represents a token isn't 
considered a card for rules purposes.

200.1a A card's owner is the player who started the game with it in his or her deck or, for cards that 
didn't start the game in a player's deck, the player who brought the card into the game.

200.2. Use the Oracle™ card reference when determining a card's wording. It can be found at 
www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci/oracle.

200.3. A player is one of the two people in the game. A player's opponent is the other player. The 
active player is the player whose turn it is. The other player is the nonactive player.

200.4. A token is a marker used to represent any permanent that isn't represented by a card. (See rule 
216, "Tokens.")

200.4a A token's owner is the player who controlled the spell or ability that put it into play. A 
token's controller is the player who put it into play.

200.5. A spell is a card or copy of a spell that's on the stack. (See rule 213, "Spells.")

200.5a A spell's owner is the same as the owner of the card that represents it. A spell's controller is 
the player who played it.

200.6. A permanent is a card or token that's in play. (See rule 214, "Permanents.")

200.6a A nontoken permanent's owner is the same as the owner of the card that represents it. A 
permanent's controller is the player who put it into play.

200.7. An ability can be one of two things. First, it can be an activated or triggered ability on the stack. 
Second, it can be text on an object that explains what the object does. (See rule 402, "Abilities," and 
section 4, "Spells, Abilities, and Effects.")

200.7a The owner of an ability on the stack is the player who controlled its source when it was 
played or triggered. The controller of an ability on the stack is the player who played the ability, 
or the player who controlled the ability's source when it triggered.

200.8. An object is an ability on the stack, a card, a token, a spell, or a permanent. The term "object" is 
used in these rules when a rule applies to abilities on the stack, cards, tokens, spells, and 
permanents. Combat damage on the stack is also an object, although many uses of the term "object" 
in these rules don't apply to it.

200.9. If a spell or ability uses a type, supertype, or subtype without either the word "card," "spell," or 
"source," it means a permanent of that type in play.

200.9a If a spell or ability uses a type, supertype, or subtype in conjunction with the word "card," 
and the name of a zone, it means a card with that type in the stated zone.

200.9b If a spell or ability uses a type, supertype, or subtype in conjunction with the word "spell," it 
means a spell of that type on the stack.

200.9c If a spell or ability uses a type, supertype, or subtype in conjunction with the word "source," 
it means a source of that type—either a source of an ability or a source of damage. See rule 
419.8 "Sources of Damage."

200.10. A counter is a marker placed on an object or player, either modifying its characteristics or 
interacting with an ability. A counter is not a token, and a token is not a counter. 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. Similarly, -X/-Y counters subtract from power and toughness. Counters 
with the same name or description are interchangeable.

201. Characteristics

201.1. The parts of a card are name, mana cost, illustration, type line, expansion symbol, text box, 
power and toughness, illustration credit, legal text, and collector number. Some cards may have 
more than one of any or all of these parts.

201.2. An object's characteristics are name, mana cost, color, type, subtype, supertype, expansion 
symbol, rules text, abilities, power, and toughness. Objects can have some or all of these 
characteristics. Any other information about an object isn't a characteristic. Characteristics don't 
include any other information, such as whether a permanent is tapped, a spell's target, an object's 
owner or controller, what a local enchantment enchants, and so on.

202. Name

202.1. The name of a card is printed on its upper left corner.

202.2. Text that refers to the object it's on by name means just that particular object and not any other 
duplicates of it, regardless of any name changes caused by game effects.

202.2a If an ability of an object uses a phrase such as "this [something]" to identify an object, where 
[something] is a category or characteristic, it is referring to that particular object, even if it isn't 
the appropriate category or characteristic at the time.
Example: An ability reads "Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Destroy that 
creature at end of turn." The ability will destroy the object it gave +2/+2 at the end of 
the turn, even if that object isn't a creature anymore.

202.2b If an object grants to another object an ability that includes the first object's name, the name 
refers only to the object granting the ability, not to any other object with the same name.
Example: Saproling Burst has an ability that reads "Remove a fade counter from 
Saproling Burst: Put a green Saproling creature token into play. It has 'This creature's 
power and toughness are each equal to the number of fade counters on Saproling 
Burst.'" The ability granted to the token only looks at the Saproling Burst that created 
the token, not at any other Saproling Burst in play.

202.3. Two cards have the same name if the English versions of their names are identical, regardless of 
anything else printed on the cards.

203. Mana Cost and Color

203.1. The mana cost of a card is indicated by mana symbols printed on its upper right corner. Tokens 
and lands have a mana cost of {o0}. Paying an object's mana cost requires matching the color of 
any colored mana symbols as well as paying the generic mana cost indicated.

203.2. An object is the color or colors of the mana symbols in its mana cost, regardless of the color of 
its frame.

203.2a Objects with no colored mana symbols in their mana costs are colorless.

203.2b Objects with two or more different 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.

203.2c The five colors are white, blue, black, red, and green. The white mana symbol is represented 
by {oW}, blue by {oU}, black by {oB}, red by {oR}, and green by {oG}.
Example: An object with a mana cost of {o2}{oW} is white, an object with a mana cost of 
{o2} is colorless, and one with a mana cost of {o2}{oW}{oB} is both white and black.

203.2d If a player is asked to choose a color, he or she must choose one of the five colors.

203.3. The converted mana cost of an object is a number equal to the total amount of mana in its mana 
cost, regardless of color. Some effects ask a player to pay mana equal to an object's converted mana 
cost; this is a generic mana cost—it may be paid with any combination of colored and/or colorless 
mana, regardless of the colors in the object's mana cost.
Example: A mana cost of {o3}{oU}{oU} translates to a converted mana cost of 5.

203.4. Any additional cost listed in an object's rules text or imposed by an effect isn't part of the mana 
cost. (See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.") Such costs are paid at the same time 
as the spell's other costs.
 
204. Illustration

204.1. The illustration is printed on the upper half of a card and has no game significance. For example, 
a creature doesn't have the flying ability unless stated in its rules text, even if it's depicted as flying.

205. Type Line

205.1. The type (and subtype and supertype, if applicable) of a card is printed directly below the 
illustration. (See rule 212, "Type, Supertype, and Subtype.")

205.2. Types

205.2a The types are artifact, creature, enchantment, instant, land, and sorcery.

205.2b. Some objects can have more than one type (for example, an artifact creature). Such objects 
satisfy the criteria for any effect that applies to any of their types.

205.3. Subtypes

205.3a A card can have one or more subtypes printed on its type line.

205.3b Artifact, creature, and land subtypes are always single words and are listed after a long dash. 
Each word after the dash is a separate subtype. Artifact subtypes are also called artifact types. 
Creature subtypes are also called creature types. Land subtypes are also called land types. 
Artifacts, creatures, and lands may have multiple subtypes.
Example: "Basic Land — Mountain" means the card is a land with the Mountain 
subtype. "Creature — Goblin Wizard" means the card is a creature with the subtypes 
Goblin and Wizard. "Artifact — Equipment" means the card is an artifact with the 
subtype Equipment.

205.3c Enchantment subtypes consist of the word "enchant" and the word(s) that follows it: 
"enchant creature," "enchant land," etc. A card with the type "enchantment" has no subtype. An 
enchantment's subtype specifies what the enchantment can be legally attached to. (See also rule 
212.4, "Enchantments.")

205.3d Instants and sorceries don't have subtypes.

205.3e If an artifact creature card has subtypes printed on its type line, those subtypes are creature 
types. If an artifact land card has subtypes printed on its type line, those types are land types.

205.4. Supertypes

205.4a A card can also have one or more supertypes. These are printed directly before the card's 
types. If an object's types or subtypes change, any supertypes it has are kept, although they may 
not be relevant to the new type.

205.4b Any land with the supertype "basic" is a basic land. Any land that doesn't have this 
supertype is a nonbasic land.
Example: Note that cards printed in sets prior to the Eighth Edition core set didn't use 
the word "basic" to indicate a basic land. Cards from those sets with the following 
names are basic lands: Forest, Island, Mountain, Plains, Swamp, Snow-Covered Forest, 
Snow-Covered Island, Snow-Covered Mountain, Snow-Covered Plains, and Snow-
Covered Swamp.

205.4c Any permanent with the supertype "legendary" is subject to the rules for Legends and 
legendary permanents. See rule 215, "Legends and Legendary Objects."

206. Expansion Symbol

206.1. The expansion symbol indicates which Magic set a card is from. It's printed below the right 
edge of the illustration.

206.2. The color of the expansion symbol indicates the rarity of the card within its set. A gold symbol 
signifies the card is rare; silver, uncommon; and black, common or basic land. (Prior to the 
Exodus™ set, all expansion symbols were black, regardless of rarity. Also, prior to the Sixth Edition 
core set, Magic core sets didn't have expansion symbols at all.)

206.3. A spell or ability that affects cards from a particular set "looks" only for that set's expansion 
symbol. A card reprinted in the core set receives the core set's expansion symbol; any reprinted 
version of the card no longer counts as part of its original set unless it was reprinted with that set's 
expansion symbol. The first five editions of the core set had no expansion symbol.

207. Text Box

207.1. The text box is printed on the lower half of the card. It usually contains rules text defining the 
card's abilities.

207.2. The text box may also contain italicized reminder text (in parentheses), which summarizes a rule 
that applies to that card, and italicized flavor text, which has no game function, but like the 
illustration, adds artistic appeal to the game.

208. Power/Toughness

208.1. A creature card has two numbers separated by a slash printed on its lower right corner. The first 
number is the creature's power (the amount of damage it deals in combat); the second is its 
toughness (the amount of damage needed to destroy it). For example, 2/3 means the creature has 
power 2 and toughness 3. Power and toughness can be modified or set to particular values by 
effects.

208.2. Some objects have power and/or toughness of *, where * is a value determined by the abilities of 
the object. As long as the object is in play, the ability sets the value of *. The * is 0 while the object 
is not in play.

209. Illustration Credit

209.1. The illustration credit for a card is printed directly below the text box. The credit has no effect on 
game play.

210. Legal Text

210.1. Legal text (the fine print at the bottom of the card) lists the copyright information. It has no 
effect on game play.

211. Collector Number

211.1. Some card sets feature collector numbers. This information is printed in the form [card 
number]/[total cards in the set], immediately following the legal text. These numbers have no effect 
on game play.

212. Type, Supertype, and Subtype

212.1. General

212.1a Cards, tokens, permanents, and spells can all have types, supertypes, and subtypes. Abilities 
don't have types, supertypes, or subtypes. Instead, there are various categories of abilities. (See 
rule 402, "Abilities.")

212.1b. When an object's type changes, the new type(s) replaces any existing types. Counters, 
effects, and damage affecting the object remain with it, even if they are meaningless to the new 
type. Similarly, when the subtypes of one of an object's types change, the new subtype(s) 
replaces any existing subtypes of that type. If an object's type is removed, the subtypes of its old 
type don't exist in any way under the new type. Those subtypes disappear completely for the 
entire time the object's type is removed. Removing an object's subtype doesn't affect its types 
at all.

212.1c Some effects change an object's type or subtype but specify that the object retains a prior 
type or subtype. In such cases, all the object's prior types and subtypes are retained. (This is a 
reversal of previous rules.) This rule applies to effects that use the phrase "in addition to its 
types" or that state that something is "still a [type]." Some effects state that an object becomes 
an "artifact creature"; these effects also allow the object to retain all of its prior types and 
subtypes.
Example: An ability reads, "All lands are 1/1 creatures that are still lands." The 
affected lands now have two types: creature and land. If there were any lands that also 
had the artifact type before the ability's effect applied to them, those lands would 
become "artifact land creatures," not just "creatures," or "land creatures." The effect 
allows them to retain both the artifact type and the land type.
Example: An ability reads, "All artifacts are 1/1 artifact creatures." If a permanent is 
both an artifact and an enchantment, it will become an "artifact enchantment creature."

212.1d An object's supertype is independent of its type and subtype. Changing an object's type or 
subtype won't change its supertype. Changing an object's supertype won't change its type or 
subtype.
Example: An ability reads, "All lands are 1/1 creatures that are still lands." If any of 
the affected lands were legendary, they are still legendary.

212.1e If an instruction requires choosing a subtype, you must choose one, and only one, existing 
subtype, and the subtype you choose must be for the appropriate type. For example, you can't 
choose a land type if an instruction requires choosing a creature type. (Use the Oracle card 
reference to determine whether a creature type exists; see rule 200.2. You can also find a 
complete list of creature types in the "Creature Types" entry in the glossary at the end of this 
document.)
Example: When choosing a creature type, "Merfolk" or "Wizard" is acceptable, but 
"Merfolk Wizard" is not. Words like "artifact," "opponent," "Swamp," or "truck" 
can't be chosen because they aren't creature types.

212.2. Artifacts

212.2a A player may play an artifact card from his or her hand during a main phase of his or her 
turn, when he or she has priority and the stack is empty. Playing an artifact as a spell uses the 
stack. (See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.")

212.2b When an artifact spell resolves, its controller puts it into play under his or her control.

212.2c Artifact subtypes are always a single word and are listed after a long dash: "Artifact — 
Equipment." Artifact subtypes are also called artifact types. Artifacts may have multiple 
subtypes.

212.2d Artifacts have no characteristics specific to their type. Because artifacts have no colored 
mana in their mana costs, they're colorless. Effects can give artifacts one or more colors, 
however, and colored objects can become artifacts without losing any colors they had.

212.2e Artifact creatures combine the characteristics of both the creature and artifact types and are 
subject to spells and abilities that affect either or both types.

212.2f Artifact lands combine the characteristics of both the land and artifact types, and are subject 
to spells and abilities that affect either or both types. Artifact lands can only be played as lands. 
They can't be played as spells.

212.2g Some artifacts have the subtype "Equipment." An Equipment can be attached to a creature. 
It can't legally be attached to an object that isn't a creature.

212.2h An Equipment is played and comes into play just like any other artifact. An Equipment 
doesn't come into play attached to a creature. The equip keyword ability moves the Equipment 
onto a creature you control (see rule 502.33, "Equip"). Control of the creature matters only 
when the equip ability is played and resolved.

212.2i An Equipment that's also a creature can't equip a creature. Equipment that loses the subtype 
"Equipment" can't equip a creature. An Equipment can't equip itself. An Equipment that equips 
an illegal or nonexistent permanent stops equipping that permanent, but remains in play. (This is 
a state-based effect. See rule 420.)

212.2j The creature an Equipment is attached to is called the "equipped creature." The Equipment is 
attached to, or "equips," that creature.

212.2k An Equipment's controller is separate from the equipped creature's controller; the two need 
not be the same. Changing control of the creature doesn't change control of the Equipment, and 
vice versa. Only the Equipment's controller can play its abilities. However, if the Equipment 
adds an ability to the equipped creature (with "gains" or "has"), the equipped creature's 
controller is the only one who can play that ability.

212.3. Creatures

212.3a A player may play a creature card from his or her hand during a main phase of his or her 
turn, when he or she has priority and the stack is empty. Playing a creature as a spell uses the 
stack. (See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.")

212.3b When a creature spell resolves, its controller puts it into play under his or her control.

212.3c Creature subtypes are always a single word and are listed after a long dash: "Creature — 
Minotaur," "Artifact Creature — Golem Legend," etc. Creature subtypes are also called creature 
types. Creatures may have multiple subtypes.
Example: "Creature — Goblin Wizard" means the card is a creature with the subtypes 
Goblin and Wizard.

212.3d 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. This rule is informally called the "summoning sickness" rule. Ignore this 
rule for creatures with haste (see rule 502.5).

212.4. Enchantments

212.4a A player may play an enchantment card from his or her hand during a main phase of his or 
her turn, when he or she has priority and the stack is empty. Playing an enchantment as a spell 
uses the stack. (See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.")

212.4b When an enchantment spell resolves, its controller puts it into play under his or her control.

212.4c A global enchantment simply has "enchantment" as its type. Local enchantments use the 
word "enchant," followed by what it can enchant. Examples of enchantment subtypes include 
enchant artifact, enchant artifact creature, enchant creature, enchant permanent, enchant player, 
and enchant Swamp. If a local enchantment's subtype includes more than one word after 
"enchant," the enchanted permanent must match each of those words.

212.4d A local-enchantment spell requires a target whose properties are indicated by the 
enchantment's subtype. The local-enchantment permanent the spell puts into play can only 
enchant that type of permanent or player and comes into play attached to the permanent or 
player the spell targeted. Any additional restrictions on what it can enchant are indicated by 
phrases like "[This local enchantment] can enchant only a [permanent or player with specified 
properties]." These restrictions also limit what the local-enchantment spell can target. Similar 
restrictions can limit what a permanent can be enchanted by. For example, a permanent might 
have an ability that reads "[This permanent] can't be enchanted by [local enchantments with 
specified properties]." These restrictions limit whether local-enchantment spells can target the 
permanent.
Example: An enchant creature spell requires a target creature; an enchant creature in 
play must enchant a creature.

212.4e If a local enchantment is coming into play by any other means than being played, and the 
effect putting it into play doesn't specify what it will enchant, the player putting it into play 
chooses a permanent or player for it to enchant as it comes into play. In this case, the 
enchantment doesn't target the permanent, but the player who is putting it into play still must 
choose a permanent or player that the enchantment can enchant. If no legal permanent or player 
is available, the enchantment remains in the zone from which it attempted to move instead of 
coming into play. The same rule applies to moving a local enchantment from one permanent to 
another or from one player to another. The permanent or player to which the enchantment is to 
be moved must be able to be enchanted by it. If it isn't legal, the enchantment doesn't move.

212.4f If a local enchantment is enchanting an illegal permanent or player, or the permanent or 
player it was attached to no longer exists, the enchantment is put into its owner's graveyard. 
(This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)

212.4g A local enchantment can't be attached to itself. If this occurs somehow, the local 
enchantment is put into its owner's graveyard. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)

212.4h The permanent or player a local enchantment is attached to is called enchanted. The 
enchantment "enchants" or, in more casual terms, "is attached to" that permanent.

212.4i A local enchantment's controller is separate from the enchanted permanent's controller; the 
two need not be the same. Changing control of the permanent doesn't change control of the 
enchantment, and vice versa. Only the enchantment's controller can play its abilities. However, 
if the enchantment adds an ability to the enchanted permanent (with "gains" or "has"), that 
enchanted permanent's controller is the only one who can play that ability.

212.4j An object that is an "enchant world" is a global enchantment. It's subject to the state-based 
effect for enchant worlds. (See rule 420.5i.)

212.5. Instants

212.5a A player may play an instant card from his or her hand any time he or she has priority. 
Playing an instant as a spell uses the stack. (See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated 
Abilities.")

212.5b When an instant spell resolves, the actions stated in its rules text are followed. Then it's put 
into its owner's graveyard.

212.5c Instants have no subtypes.

212.5d Instants can't come into play. If an instant would come into play, it remains in its previous 
zone instead.

212.5e If text states that a player may do something "any time he or she could play an instant," it 
means only that the player must have priority. The player doesn't need to have an instant he or 
she could actually play.

212.6. Land

212.6a A player may play a land card from his or her hand only during a main phase of his or her 
turn, and only when he or she has priority and the stack is empty. A land card isn't a spell card, 
and at no time is it a spell. When a player plays a land card, it's simply put into play. The land 
card doesn't go on the stack, so players can't respond to it with instants or activated abilities.

212.6b A player may play only one land card during each of his or her own turns. Effects may allow 
the playing of additional lands; playing an additional land in this way doesn't prevent a player 
from taking the normal action of playing a land. Players can't begin to play a land that an effect 
prohibits from being played. As a player plays a land, he or she announces whether he or she is 
using the once-per-turn action of playing a land. If not, he or she specifies which effect is 
allowing the additional land play. Effects may also allow you to "put" lands into play. This isn't 
the same as "playing a land" and doesn't count as the player's one land played during his or her 
turn.

212.6c Land subtypes are always a single word and are listed after a long dash. Land subtypes are 
also called land types. Lands may have multiple subtypes.
Example: "Basic Land – Mountain" means the card is a land with the Mountain 
subtype.

212.6d The basic land types are Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest. If an object uses the 
words "basic land type," it's referring to one of these subtypes. A land with a basic land type 
has an intrinsic ability to produce colored mana. (See rule 406, "Mana Abilities.") The land is 
treated as if its text box included, "{oT}: Add [mana symbol] to your mana pool," even if the 
text box doesn't actually contain text. Plains produce white mana; Islands, blue; Swamps, black; 
Mountains, red; and Forests, green.

212.6e If an effect changes a land's type to one of the basic land types, the land no longer has its old 
land type. It loses any rules text it had in its text box, other than the rules text for the snow-
covered ability, and it gains the rules text for the appropriate mana ability for that basic land 
type. Note that this doesn't remove any abilities that were granted to the land by other effects. 
Changing a land's type doesn't add or remove any types (such as creature) or supertypes (such 
as basic and legendary) the land may have. If a land gains one or more land types in addition to 
its own, it keeps its land types and rules text, and it gains the new land types and mana abilities.

212.6f Any land with the supertype "basic" is a basic land. Any land that doesn't have this 
supertype is a nonbasic land.

212.6g If an object is both a land and another type, it can be played only as a land. It can't be played 
as a spell.

212.7. Sorceries

212.7a A player may play a sorcery card from his or her hand during a main phase of his or her turn, 
when he or she has priority and the stack is empty. Playing a sorcery as a spell uses the stack. 
(See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.")

212.7b When a sorcery spell resolves, the actions stated in its rules text are followed. Then it's put 
into its owner's graveyard.

212.7c Sorceries have no subtypes.

212.7d Sorceries can't come into play. If a sorcery would come into play, it remains in its previous 
zone instead.

212.7e If a spell, ability, or effect states that a player can do something only "any time he or she 
could play an sorcery," it means only that the player must have priority, it must be during the 
main phase of his or her turn, and the stack must be empty. The player doesn't need to have an 
sorcery he or she could actually play.

213. Spells

213.1. Every nonland card is a spell while it's being played (see rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated 
Abilities") and while it's on the stack. Once it's played, a card remains a spell until it resolves, is 
countered, or otherwise leaves the stack. For more information, see rule 401, "Spells on the Stack."

213.2. Spell type is the type of a spell on the stack. A spell's type, supertype, and subtype are the same 
as those of its card.

213.3. The term "spell" is used to refer to a card while it's on the stack. The term "card" isn't used to 
refer to a card that's on the stack as a spell. It's only used to refer to a card that's not in play or on 
the stack, such as a creature card in a player's hand.

213.4. Every spell has a controller. By default, a spell's controller is the player who played it.

213.5. If an effect changes any characteristics of a spell that becomes a permanent, the effect continues 
to apply to the permanent when the spell resolves.
Example: If an effect changes a black creature spell to white, the creature is white when it 
comes into play and remains white for the duration of the effect changing its color.

214. Permanents

214.1. A permanent is a card or token in play. Permanents stay in play unless moved to another zone by 
an effect or rule. There are four types of permanents: artifacts, creatures, enchantments, and lands. 
Instant and sorcery cards can't come into play.

214.2. Permanent type is the type of a card or token that's in play. A nontoken permanent's types, 
supertypes, and subtypes are the same as those printed on its card. A token's types, supertypes, and 
subtypes are set by the spell or ability that created it.

214.3. A card or token becomes a permanent when it comes into play and it stops being a permanent 
when it leaves play. Permanents come into play untapped. The term "permanent" is used to refer to 
a card or token while it's in play. The term "card" isn't used to refer to a card that's in play as a 
permanent. It's only used to refer to a card that's not in play and not on the stack, such as a creature 
card in a player's hand. For more information, see rule 217, "Zones."

214.4. Every permanent has a controller and is either tapped or untapped. By default, a permanent's 
controller is the player who put it into play.

215. Legends and Legendary Objects

215.1. The word Legend or legendary may appear as an object's subtype or supertype. Permanents with 
the subtype Legend or the supertype legendary are subject to the Legend rule (see rule 420, "State-
Based Effects") as well as any other rules for their types, subtypes, and supertypes.

215.2. Legend is a creature type; legendary is not. If a legendary noncreature permanent becomes a 
creature, it's still legendary, but it doesn't get the creature type Legend. If a creature of type Legend 
becomes a noncreature permanent, it loses the creature type Legend, but it doesn't become 
legendary.

216. Tokens

216.1. Some effects put token creatures into play. A token is controlled by whomever put it into play 
and owned by the controller of the spell or ability that created it. The spell or ability may define any 
number of characteristics for the token. A token doesn't have any characteristics not defined by the 
spell or ability that created it. The spell or ability that creates the token sets both its name and 
creature type at the same time. A "Goblin creature token," for example, is named "Goblin" and has 
the creature subtype Goblin. If a token's name is two words or more, it has the creature subtype for 
each of those words. For example, a "Goblin Scout creature token" is named "Goblin Scout" and 
has two creature subtypes: Goblin and Scout. Once a token is in play, changing its name doesn't 
change its creature type, and vice versa.

216.2. A token is subject to anything that affects permanents in general or that affects the token's type 
or subtype. A token isn't a card (even if represented by cards from other games or Unglued cards).

216.3. A token in a zone other than the in-play zone ceases to exist. This is a state-based effect. (Note 
that a token changing zones will set off triggered abilities before the token ceases to exist.) Once a 
token has left play, it can't be returned to play by any means.

217. Zones

217.1. A zone is a place where objects can be during a game. There are normally six zones: library, 
hand, graveyard, in play, stack, and removed from the game. Some older cards also use the ante and 
phased-out zones. Each player has his or her own library, hand, and graveyard. The other zones are 
shared by all players.

217.1a If an object would go to any library, graveyard, or hand other than its owner's, it goes to the 
corresponding zone of its owner's instead. If an instant or sorcery card would come into play, it 
remains in its previous zone instead.

217.1b The order of objects in a library, in a graveyard, or on the stack can't be changed except 
when effects or rules allow it. Objects in other zones can be arranged however their owners 
wish, although who controls those objects, whether they're tapped, and what enchants or equips 
them must remain clear to both players.

217.1c An object that moves from one zone to another is treated as a new object. Effects connected 
with its previous location will no longer affect it. There are two exceptions to this rule: Effects 
that edit the characteristics of an artifact, creature, or enchantment spell on the stack will 
continue to apply to the permanent that spell creates, and abilities that trigger when an object 
moves from one zone to another (for example, "When Rancor is put into a graveyard from 
play") can find the object in the zone it moved to when the ability triggered.

217.1d If an object would move from one zone to another, first determine what event is moving the 
object. Then apply any appropriate replacement effects to that event. If an effect or rule tries to 
do two or more contradictory or mutually exclusive things to a particular object, that object's 
controller—or its owner if it has no controller—chooses what the effect does to the object. Then 
the event moves the object.

217.1e An object is outside the game if it's in the removed-from-the-game zone, or if it isn't in any 
of the game's zones. All other objects are inside the game. Outside the game is not a zone.

217.2. Library

217.2a When a game begins, each player's deck becomes his or her library.

217.2b Each library must be kept in a single face-down pile. Players can't look at or change the 
order of cards in a library.

217.2c Any player may count the number of cards remaining in either player's library at any time.

217.2d If an effect puts two or more cards on the top or bottom of a library at the same time, the 
owner of those cards may arrange them in any order. That library's owner doesn't reveal the 
order in which the cards go into his or her library.

217.2e Some effects tell a player to play with the top card of his or her library revealed. If the top 
card of the player's library changes while a spell or ability is being played, the new top card 
won't be revealed until the spell or ability becomes played (see rule 409.1i).

217.3. Hand

217.3a The hand is where a player holds cards that have been drawn but not yet played. At the 
beginning of the game, each player draws a hand of seven cards. (See rule 101, "Starting the 
Game.")

217.3b Each player has a maximum hand size, which is normally seven cards. A player may have 
any number of cards in his or her hand, but as part of his or her cleanup step, the player must 
discard excess cards down to the maximum hand size.

217.3c A player may arrange his or her hand in any convenient fashion and look at it as much as he 
or she wishes. A player can't look at the cards in another player's hand but may count those 
cards at any time.

217.4. Graveyard

217.4a A graveyard is a discard pile. Any object that's countered, discarded, destroyed, or sacrificed 
is put on top of its owner's graveyard, as is any instant or sorcery spell that's finished resolving. 
Each player's graveyard starts out empty.

217.4b Each graveyard is kept in a single face-up pile. A player can examine the cards in any 
graveyard at any time but can't change their order.

217.4c If an effect or rule puts two or more cards into the same graveyard at the same time, the 
owner of those cards may arrange them in any order.

217.5. In Play

217.5a Most of the area between the players represents the in-play zone. The in-play zone starts out 
empty. Permanents a player controls (other than local enchantments enchanting the other 
player's permanents) are kept in front of him or her in the in-play zone.

217.5b A spell or ability affects and checks only the in-play zone unless it specifically mentions a 
player or another zone. Permanents exist only in the in-play zone.

217.5c Whenever a permanent enters the in-play zone, it's considered a brand-new permanent and 
has no relationship to any previous permanent represented by the same object. This is also true 
for any objects entering any zone (see rule 217.1c).

217.5d An object not in the in-play zone isn't "in play" and isn't considered tapped or untapped. 
Objects that aren't either in play or on the stack aren't controlled by either player.

217.6. Stack

217.6a When a spell is played, the physical card is put on the stack. When an ability is played, it 
goes on top of the stack without any card associated with it. (See rule 409.1, "Playing Spells and 
Activated Abilities.")

217.6b The stack keeps track of the order that spells and/or abilities were added to it. Each time an 
object is put on the stack, it is put on top of all objects already there. (See rule 408, "Timing of 
Spells and Abilities.")

217.6c Each spell has all the characteristics of the card associated with it. Each activated or 
triggered ability that's on the stack has the text of the ability that created it and no other 
characteristics. The controller of a spell is the person who played the spell. The controller of an 
activated ability is the player who played the ability. The controller of a triggered ability is the 
player who controlled the ability's source when it triggered.

217.6d When both players pass in succession, the top (last-added) spell or ability on the stack 
resolves. If the stack is empty when both players pass, the current step or phase ends and the 
next begins.

217.6e Combat damage also uses the stack, in the same way as other objects that use the stack.

217.7. Removed from the Game

217.7a Effects can remove objects from the game. Some effects may provide a way for a card to 
return to a zone and use the term "set aside." Cards that are set aside this way are still removed 
from the game, even though that removal may be temporary. Objects that aren't cards can't be 
returned in any way.

217.7b Cards in the removed-from-the-game zone are kept face up and may be examined by either 
player at any time. Cards "removed from the game face down" can't be examined by either 
player except when instructions allow it.

217.7c Cards that might return to play should be kept in separate piles to keep track of their 
respective ways of returning.

217.8. Phased-Out

217.8a Permanents that phase out are placed in the phased-out zone. (See rule 502.15, "Phasing.")

217.8b Face-up objects in the phased-out zone may be examined by either player at any time. Face-
down objects in the phased-out zone are covered by the rules for face-down creatures. (See rule 
502.26, "Morph," and rule 504, "Face-Down Spells and Permanents.")

217.8c Phased-out objects are not in play, so they do not count as tapped or untapped, nor are they 
controlled by anyone. However, an object in this zone "remembers" the state of the permanent 
as it phased out and returns to play in the same state as when it left. (See rule 502.15, 
"Phasing.") This is an exception to rule 217.1c.
 
217.8d Tokens in the phased-out zone cease to exist. This is a state-based effect (see rule 420, 
"State-Based Effects"). Any phased-out local enchantments or Equipment that were attached to 
those tokens remain phased out for the rest of the game.

217.9. Ante

217.9a Earlier versions of the Magic rules included an ante rule as a way of playing "for keeps." 
Playing Magic games for ante is now considered an optional variation on the game, and it's 
allowed only where it's not forbidden by law or by other rules. Playing for ante is strictly 
forbidden under the DCI Universal Tournament Rules 
(www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci/utr/intro).

217.9b When playing for ante, each player puts one random card from his or her deck into the ante 
zone at the beginning of the game. Cards in the ante zone may be examined by either player at 
any time. At the end of the game, the winner becomes the owner of all the cards in the ante 
zone.

217.9c A few cards have the text "Remove [this card] from your deck before playing if you're not 
playing for ante." These are the only cards that can add or remove cards from a player's ante 
zone or change a card's owner.

217.9d To ante an object is to put that object into the ante zone from whichever zone it's currently 
in. The owner of an object is the only person who can ante that object.



3. Turn Structure

300. General

300.1. A turn consists of five phases, in this order: beginning, precombat main, combat, postcombat 
main, and end. Each of these phases takes place every turn, even if nothing happens during the 
phase. The beginning, combat, and end phases are further broken down into steps, which proceed in 
order.

300.2. A phase or step ends when the stack is empty and both players pass in succession. No game 
events can occur between turns, phases, or steps. Simply having the stack become empty doesn't 
cause the phase or step to end; both players have to pass with the stack empty. Because of this, each 
player always gets a chance to add new things to the stack before the current phase or step ends.

300.3. When a phase ends (but not a step), any unused mana left in a player's mana pool is lost. That 
player loses 1 life for each one mana lost this way. This is called mana burn. Note that mana burn is 
loss of life, not damage, so it can't be prevented or altered by effects that affect damage. This game 
action doesn't use the stack. (See rule 406, "Mana Abilities.")

300.4. When a phase or step ends, any effects scheduled to last "until end of" that phase or step expire. 
When a phase or step begins, any effects scheduled to last "until" that phase or step expire. Effects 
that last "until end of combat" expire at the end of the combat phase, not at the beginning of the end 
of combat step. Effects that last "until end of turn" are subject to special rules; see rule 314.2.

300.5. When a phase or step begins, any abilities that trigger "at the beginning of" that phase or step are 
added to the stack.

300.6. Some effects 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.

300.7. Some effects can add phases to a turn. They do this by adding the phases directly after the 
specified phase. If multiple extra phases are created after the same phase, the most recently created 
phase will occur first.

300.8. Some effects can add steps to a phase. They do this by adding the steps directly after a specified 
step (or directly before a specified step). If multiple extra steps are created after the same step, the 
most recently created step will occur first.

300.9. Some effects can cause a step, phase, or turn to be skipped. To skip a step, phase, or turn is to 
proceed past it as though it didn't exist. See rule 419.6e and rule 419.6f.

301. Beginning Phase

301.1. The beginning phase consists of three steps, in this order: untap, upkeep, and draw.

302. Untap Step

302.1 First, all permanents with phasing that the active player controls phase out, and all phased-out 
objects that the active player controlled when they phased out simultaneously phase in (this game 
action doesn't use the stack). See rule 217.8, "Phased-Out," and rule 502.15, "Phasing."

302.2. Next the active player determines which permanents he or she controls will untap. Then he or 
she untaps them all simultaneously (this game action doesn't use the stack). Normally, all of a 
player's permanents untap, but effects can keep one or more of a player's permanents from 
untapping.

302.3. No player receives priority during the untap step, so no spells or abilities can be played or 
resolved. Any ability that triggers during this step will be held until a player would receive priority 
during the upkeep step. (See rule 303, "Upkeep Step.")

303. Upkeep Step

303.1. As the upkeep step begins, any abilities that trigger at the beginning of that upkeep step and any 
abilities that triggered during the turn's untap step go on the stack. (See rule 410, "Handling 
Triggered Abilities.") Then the active player gets priority and players may play spells and abilities.

304. Draw Step

304.1 First, the active player draws a card. This special action doesn't use the stack. (This is a reversal 
of previous rules.) Then any abilities that trigger at the beginning of the draw step and any other 
abilities that have triggered go on the stack. Then the active player gets priority and players may 
play spells and abilities.

305. Main Phase

305.1. There are two main phases in a turn. In each turn, the first main phase, known as the precombat 
main phase, and the second main phase, known as the postcombat main phase, are separated by the 
combat phase (see rule 306, "Combat Phase"). The precombat and postcombat main phases are 
individually and collectively known as the main phase.

305.2. The main phase has no steps, so a main phase ends when both players pass in succession while 
the stack is empty.

305.3. As the main phase begins, any abilities that trigger at the beginning of that main phase go on the 
stack. (See rule 410, "Handling Triggered Abilities.") Then the active player gets priority and 
players may play spells and abilities. (This is the only phase in which a player can normally play 
artifact, creature, enchantment, and sorcery spells, and only the active player may play these spells.)

305.4. During either main phase, the active player may play one land card from his or her hand if the 
stack is empty, if the player has priority, and if he or she hasn't yet taken this special action this 
turn. (See rule 212.6, "Lands.") This action doesn't use the stack and it isn't a spell or ability of any 
kind. It can't be countered, and players can't respond to it with instants or activated abilities.

306. Combat Phase

306.1. The combat phase has five steps, which proceed in order: beginning of combat, declare attackers, 
declare blockers, combat damage, and end of combat. The declare blockers and combat damage 
steps are skipped if no creatures are declared as attackers (see rule 308.4). There are two combat 
damage steps if any attacking or blocking creature has first strike (see rule 502.2) or double strike 
(see rule 502.28).

306.2. A creature is removed from combat if it leaves play (such as by being destroyed or removed 
from the game), if it regenerates (see rule 419.6b), if its controller changes, if it stops being a 
creature, or if an effect removes it from combat. Removed from combat means the creature stops 
being an attacking, blocking, blocked, and/or unblocked creature.

306.2a Once a creature has been declared as an attacking or blocking creature, spells or abilities that 
would have kept that creature from attacking or blocking don't remove the creature from 
combat.

306.2b Tapping or untapping a creature that's already been declared as an attacker or blocker 
doesn't remove it from combat and doesn't prevent its combat damage.

306.3. During the combat phase, the active player is attacking and is the attacking player. The 
nonactive player is being attacked and is the defending player.

306.4. An attacking creature is attacking alone if no other creatures are attacking. A blocking creature 
is blocking alone if no other creatures are blocking.

307. Beginning of Combat Step

307.1. As the beginning of combat step begins, any abilities that trigger at the beginning of combat go 
on the stack. (See rule 410, "Handling Triggered Abilities.") Then the active player gets priority and 
players may play spells and abilities.

308. Declare Attackers Step

308.1. As the declare attackers step begins, the active player declares attackers (this game action 
doesn't use the stack). Then any abilities that triggered on attackers being declared go on the stack. 
(See rule 410, "Handling Triggered Abilities.") Then the active player gets priority and players may 
play spells and abilities.

308.2. To declare attackers, the active player follows the steps below, in order. If at any point during the 
declaration of attackers, the active player is unable to comply with any of the steps listed below, the 
declaration was illegal; the game returns to the moment before the declaration (see rule 422, 
"Handling Illegal Actions," and rule 500, "Legal Attacks and Blocks").

308.2a The active player either chooses to not attack, or chooses one or more creatures he or she 
controls and then determines whether this set of creatures could attack. Only creatures can 
attack, and the following creatures can't attack: tapped creatures (even those that can attack 
without tapping), creatures with creature type Wall, and creatures the active player didn't 
control continuously since the beginning of the turn (except those with haste). Other effects may 
also affect whether or not a set of creatures could attack. (See rule 500, "Legal Attacks and 
Blocks.")

308.2b If any of the chosen creatures have banding or a bands with other ability, the active player 
announces which creatures, if any, are banded with which. (See rule 502.10, "Banding.")

308.2c The active player taps the chosen creatures. Tapping a creature when it's declared as an 
attacker isn't a cost; attacking simply causes creatures to become tapped.

308.2d If any of the creatures require paying costs to attack, the active player determines the total 
cost to attack. Costs may include paying mana, tapping permanents, sacrificing permanents, 
discarding cards, and so on. Once the total cost is determined, it becomes "locked in." If effects 
would change the total cost after this time, ignore this change.

308.2e If any of the costs require mana, the active player then has a chance to play mana abilities 
(see rule 411, "Playing Mana Abilities").

308.2f Once the player has enough mana in his or her mana pool, he or she pays all costs in any 
order. Partial payments are not allowed.

308.2g Each chosen creature becomes an attacking creature if all costs have been paid, but only if 
it's still controlled by the active player. It remains an attacking creature until it's removed from 
combat or the combat phase ends, whichever comes first. See rule 306.2.

308.3. Abilities that trigger on a creature attacking trigger only at the point the creature starts to attack. 
They will not trigger if a creature attacks and the characteristics of that creature are then changed to 
match the ability's trigger condition.
Example: A permanent has the ability "Whenever a green creature attacks, destroy that 
creature at end of combat." If a blue creature attacks and is later turned green, the ability 
will not trigger.

308.4. If no creatures are declared as attackers, finish the declare attackers step, but skip the declare 
blockers and combat damage steps.

309. Declare Blockers Step

309.1. As the declare blockers step begins, the defending player declares blockers (this game action 
doesn't use the stack). Then any abilities that triggered on blockers being declared go on the stack. 
(See rule 410, "Handling Triggered Abilities.") Then the active player gets priority and players may 
play spells and abilities.

309.2. To declare blockers, the defending player follows the steps below, in order. If at any point during 
the declaration of blockers, the defending player is unable to comply with any of the steps listed 
below, the declaration was illegal; the game returns to the moment before the declaration (see rule 
422, "Handling Illegal Actions," and rule 500, "Legal Attacks and Blocks").

309.2a The defending player chooses zero or more creatures he or she controls, chooses one 
attacking creature for each one to block, then determines whether this set of blocks is legal. 
Only untapped creatures can block, but blocking does not cause creatures to tap. Other effects 
may also affect whether or not a set of creatures could block. (See rule 500, "Legal Attacks and 
Blocks.")

309.2b If any of the creatures require paying costs to block, the defending player determines the 
total cost to block. Costs may include paying mana, tapping permanents, sacrificing permanents, 
discarding cards, and so on. Once the total cost is determined, it becomes "locked in." If effects 
would change the total cost after this time, ignore this change.

309.2c If any of the costs require mana, the defending player then has a chance to play mana 
abilities (see rule 411, "Playing Mana Abilities").

309.2d Once the player has enough mana in his or her mana pool, he or she pays all costs in any 
order. Partial payments are not allowed.

309.2e Each chosen creature becomes a blocking creature, but only if it's controlled by the 
defending player. Each one is blocking the attacking creature chosen for it. It remains a blocking 
creature until it's removed from combat or the combat phase ends, whichever comes first. See 
rule 306.2.

309.2f An attacking creature with one or more creatures declared as blockers for it becomes a 
blocked creature; one with no blockers becomes an unblocked creature. The creature's status 
remains unchanged until the creature is removed from combat or the combat phase ends, 
whichever comes first. (Some effects can change a creature's status.)

309.3. Abilities that trigger on a creature blocking or becoming blocked trigger only at the point the 
creature blocks or becomes blocked. They will not trigger if a creature blocks or becomes blocked, 
and then the characteristics of that creature are changed to match the ability's trigger condition.
Example: A creature has the ability "Whenever this creature becomes blocked by a white 
creature, destroy that creature at end of combat." If that creature is blocked by a black 
creature that is later turned white, the ability will not trigger.

310. Combat Damage Step

310.1. As the combat damage step begins, the active player announces how each attacking creature will 
assign its combat damage. Then the defending player announces how each blocking creature will 
assign its combat damage. All assignments of combat damage go on the stack as a single object. 
Then any abilities that triggered on damage being assigned go on the stack. (See rule 410, 
"Handling Triggered Abilities.") Then the active player gets priority and players may play spells 
and abilities.

310.2. A player may divide a creature's combat damage as he or she chooses among the legal 
recipients. Dividing combat damage is subject to the following restrictions:

310.2a Each attacking creature and each blocking creature will assign combat damage equal to its 
power.

310.2b An unblocked attacking creature will assign all its combat damage to the defending player.

310.2c A blocked creature will assign combat damage, divided as its controller chooses, to the 
creatures blocking it. If no creatures are currently blocking it (if, for example, they were 
destroyed or removed from combat), it will assign no combat damage.

310.2d A blocking creature will assign combat damage, divided as its controller chooses, to the 
attacking creatures it's blocking. If it isn't currently blocking any creatures (if, for example, they 
were destroyed or removed from combat), it will assign no combat damage.

310.2e An effect that states a creature deals its combat damage in a different manner than normal 
affects the assignment of combat damage.

310.3. Although combat-damage assignments go on the stack as an object, they aren't spells or abilities, 
so they can't be countered.

310.4. Combat damage resolves as an object on the stack. When it resolves, it's all dealt at once, as 
originally assigned. After combat damage finishes resolving, the active player gets priority.

310.4a Combat damage is dealt as it was originally assigned even if the creature dealing damage is 
no longer in play, its power has changed, or the creature receiving damage has left combat.

310.4b The source of the combat damage is the creature as it currently exists, or as it most recently 
existed if it is no longer in play.

310.4c If a creature that was supposed to receive combat damage is no longer in play or is no longer 
a creature, the damage assigned to it isn't dealt.

310.5. At the start of the combat damage step, if at least one attacking or blocking creature has first 
strike (see rule 502.2) or double strike (see rule 502.28), creatures without first strike or double 
strike don't assign combat damage. Instead of proceeding to end of combat, the phase gets a second 
combat damage step to handle the remaining creatures. In the second combat damage step, 
surviving attackers and blockers that didn't assign combat damage in the first step, plus any 
creatures with double strike, assign their combat damage.

311. End of Combat Step

311.1. All "at end of combat" abilities trigger and go on the stack. (See rule 410, "Handling Triggered 
Abilities.") Then the active player gets priority and players may play spells and abilities.

311.2. As soon as the end of combat step ends, all creatures are removed from combat. After the end of 
combat step ends, the combat phase is over and the postcombat main phase begins.

312. End Phase

312.1. The end phase consists of two steps: end of turn and cleanup.

313. End of Turn Step

313.1. As the end of turn step begins, all abilities that trigger "at end of turn" go on the stack. (See rule 
410, "Handling Triggered Abilities.") Then the active player gets priority and players may play 
spells and abilities.

313.2. If "at end of turn"-triggered abilities are created or if cards with "at end of turn"-triggered 
abilities come into play after preexisting ones have already gone on the stack at the beginning of the 
end of turn step, those abilities won't go on the stack until the next turn's end phase. In other words, 
the step doesn't "back up" so new "at end of turn"-triggered abilities can go on the stack. This only 
applies to triggered abilities that say "at end of turn." It doesn't apply to continuous effects whose 
durations say "until end of turn" or "this turn." (See rule 314, "Cleanup Step.")

314. Cleanup Step

314.1. If the active player's hand contains more cards than his or her maximum hand size (normally 
seven), he or she discards enough cards to reduce the hand size to that number (this game action 
doesn't use the stack).

314.2 Simultaneously, all damage is removed from permanents and all "until end of turn" and "this 
turn" effects end (this game action doesn't use the stack).

314.3 If the conditions for any state-based effects exist or if any triggered abilities are waiting to be put 
onto the stack, the active player gets priority and players may play spells and abilities. Once the 
stack is empty and both players pass, another cleanup step begins. Otherwise, no player receives 
priority and the step ends.



4. Spells, Abilities, and Effects

400. General

400.1. An ability is something an object does or can do. Abilities generate effects. An object's abilities 
are defined in the object's text box (if it has one) or by the effect that created the object. Abilities 
can also be granted to objects by effects. Reminder text and flavor text are not abilities. Reminder 
text and flavor text always appear in italics.

400.2. Spells, activated abilities, and triggered abilities generate effects when they resolve. Static 
abilities generate continuous effects. Text itself is never an effect.

401. Spells on the Stack

401.1. A card on the stack is a spell. As the first step of being played, the card becomes a spell and goes 
on the stack from the zone it was played from (usually the player's hand). (See rule 217.6, "Stack.") 
A copy of a spell is also a spell, even if it has no card associated with it.

401.2. A spell stops being a spell when it resolves (see rule 413, "Resolving Spells and Abilities"), is 
countered (see rule 414, "Countering Spells and Abilities"), or otherwise leaves the stack.
Example: A played creature card is a creature spell until it resolves, is countered, or leaves 
the stack.

401.3. Instant and sorcery spells have abilities, just like any other objects. These abilities are 
instructions that are followed when the spells resolve, unless the instructions can only be applied at 
some other time.
Example: Some abilities that are not followed when the spell resolves are activated abilities 
or triggered abilities, any abilities that define the zone from which it can be played (see rule 
401.4), any abilities that apply while the spell is in a zone from which it can be played (see 
rule 401.5), or any abilities that apply while the spell is on the stack (see rule 401.6).

401.4. Any object can have static abilities that allow it to be played from a zone other than a player's 
hand. These abilities are active while the object is in that zone.

401.5. Any object can have static abilities that apply while the object is in a zone from which it can be 
played. These include restrictions on playing the object and abilities that allow the object to be 
played at a time that it otherwise could not or in a manner that it otherwise could not.

401.6. Any spell can have static abilities that apply while the spell is on the stack. These include, but 
are not limited to, additional costs, alternative costs, and cost reductions. See rule 409, "Playing 
Spells and Activated Abilities."

401.7. As the final part of an instant or sorcery spell's resolution, the card is put into its owner's 
graveyard. As the final part of an artifact, creature, or enchantment spell's resolution, the card 
becomes a permanent and is put into the in-play zone under the control of the spell's controller. If 
any spell is countered, the card is put into its owner's graveyard as part of the resolution of the 
countering spell or ability. (See rule 413, "Resolving Spells and Activated Abilities.")

402. Abilities

402.1. An ability is text on an object that's not reminder text or flavor text (see rule 400.1). The result 
of following such an instruction is an effect. (See rule 416, "Effects.") Abilities can affect the 
objects they're on; they can also affect other objects and/or players. Abilities can grant abilities to 
other objects or to the objects they're on; they do so when the words "has," "have," "gains," or 
"gain" are used.

402.2. There are three general categories of abilities: activated, triggered, and static. Activated and 
triggered abilities can also be mana abilities. Abilities can generate one-shot effects or continuous 
effects. Some effects are replacement effects or prevention effects.

402.3. Abilities can be beneficial or detrimental. For example, "[This creature] can't block" is an 
ability.

402.4. An additional cost or alternative cost to play a card is an ability of the card.

402.5. An ability isn't a spell and therefore can't be countered by anything that counters only spells. 
Abilities can be countered by effects that specifically counter abilities, as well as by the rules (for 
example, an ability with one or more targets is countered if all its targets become illegal).

402.6. Once activated or triggered, an ability exists independently of its source as an ability on the 
stack. Destruction or removal of the source after that time won't affect the ability. Note that some 
abilities cause a source to do something (for example, "Prodigal Sorcerer deals 1 damage to target 
creature or player") rather than the ability doing anything directly. In these cases, any activated or 
triggered ability that references information about the source will check that information when the 
ability resolves, or will use the source's last known information if it's no longer in play.

402.7. An object may have multiple abilities. Aside from certain defined abilities that may be strung 
together on a single line (see rule 502, "Keyword Abilities"), each paragraph break in a card's text 
marks a separate ability. An object may also have multiple instances of the same ability. Each 
instance functions independently. This may or may not produce more effects than a single instance; 
refer to the specific ability for more information.

402.8. Abilities function only while the permanent with the ability is in play unless the ability is a 
characteristic-setting ability that sets type or color, an ability of an instant or sorcery, an additional 
cost, an alternative cost, or a play restriction. Abilities can also function in other zones if they state 
otherwise or if the ability can only trigger or be played in a zone other than the in-play zone. An 
ability whose cost or effect specifies that it moves the object it's on out of a particular zone 
functions only in that 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.

402.9. Some objects have activated abilities that can be played when the object is not in play. Some 
objects have triggered abilities that can trigger while the object is in a zone other than the in-play 
zone.

403. Activated Abilities

403.1. An activated ability is written as "[cost]: [effect]." The activation cost is everything before the 
colon (:). An ability's activation cost must be paid by the player who is playing it.

403.2. Only an object's controller (or its owner, if it doesn't have a controller) can play its activated 
ability unless the object specifically says otherwise.

403.3. If an activated ability has a restriction on its use (for example, "Play this ability only once each 
turn"), the restriction continues to apply to that object even if its controller changes.

403.4. A creature's activated ability with the tap symbol ({oT}) 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. Creatures with haste may ignore this rule (see rule 502.5).

403.5. Activated abilities that read "Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery" mean the 
player must follow the timing rules for playing a sorcery, though the ability isn't actually a sorcery. 
Activated abilities that read "Play this ability only any time you could play an instant" mean the 
player must follow the timing rules for playing an instant, though the ability isn't actually an 
instant.

404. Triggered Abilities

404.1. A triggered ability begins with the word "when," "whenever," or "at." The phrase containing one 
of these words is the trigger condition, which defines the trigger event.

404.2. Triggered abilities aren't played. Instead, a triggered ability automatically "triggers" each time 
its trigger event occurs. Once an ability has triggered, it goes on the stack the next time a player 
would receive priority. See rule 408.1, "Timing, Priority, and the Stack," and rule 410, "Handling 
Triggered Abilities."

404.3. A triggered ability may read "When/Whenever/At . . . , if [condition], [effect]." The ability 
checks for the stated condition to be true when the trigger event occurs. If it is, the ability triggers. 
On resolution, the ability rechecks the condition. If the condition isn't true at either of those times, 
the ability does nothing. This rule is referred to as the "intervening 'if' clause" rule. Note that the 
word "if" has only its normal English meaning anywhere else in the text of a card; this rule only 
applies to an "if" that immediately follows a trigger condition.

404.4. An effect may create a delayed triggered ability that can do something at a later time. A delayed 
triggered ability will contain "when," "whenever," or "at," although that word won't usually begin 
the ability.

404.4a Delayed triggered abilities come from spells or other abilities that create them on resolution. 
That means a delayed triggered ability won't trigger until it has actually been created, even if its 
trigger event occurred just beforehand. Other events that happen earlier may make the trigger 
event impossible.
Example: Part of an effect reads "When this creature leaves play," but the creature in 
question leaves play before the spell or ability creating the effect resolves. In this case, 
the delayed ability never triggers. As another example, if an effect reads "When this 
creature becomes untapped" and the named creature becomes untapped before the 
effect resolves, the ability waits for the next time that creature untaps.

404.4b A delayed triggered ability will trigger only once—the next time its trigger event occurs—
unless it has a stated duration, such as "this turn."

404.4c A delayed triggered ability that refers to a particular object still affects it even if the object 
changes characteristics.
Example: An ability reading, "At end of turn, destroy that creature" will destroy the 
permanent even if it's no longer a creature during the end of turn step.

404.4d A delayed triggered ability that refers to a particular permanent will fail if the permanent 
leaves play (even if it returns again before the specified time). Similarly, abilities that create a 
one-shot effect that applies to an object in a particular zone will fail if the object leaves that 
zone.
Example: An ability reading, "At end of turn, remove this creature from the game" 
won't do anything if the creature leaves play before the end of turn step.

404.5. Some objects have a static ability that's linked to a triggered ability. These objects combine both 
abilities into one paragraph, with the static ability first, followed by the triggered ability. A very few 
objects have triggered abilities which are written with the trigger condition in the middle of the 
ability, rather than at the beginning.
Example: An ability that reads "Reveal the first card you draw each turn. Whenever you 
reveal a basic land card this way, draw a card" is a static ability linked to a triggered 
ability.
Example: An ability that reads "The controller of enchanted creature sacrifices it at the end 
of his or her turn" is a triggered ability.

405. Static Abilities

405.1. A static ability does something all the time rather than being activated or triggered. The ability 
isn't played—it just "exists." Such abilities apply only while the ability is on a permanent in play, 
unless the ability is covered by rule 402.8 or 402.9.

405.2. Some objects have static abilities which state that the object "has" one or more abilities or 
characteristic values; "is" a particular type, supertype, subtype, or color; or that one or more of its 
characteristics "is" or "are" a particular value. These abilities are characteristic-setting abilities. 
Abilities of an object that affect the characteristics of another object are not characteristic-setting 
abilities. See rule 201, "Characteristics," and rule 418.5a.

405.2a A characteristic-setting ability that states that an object is a particular type, supertype, 
subtype, or color applies no matter which zone the object it's on is in. This rule doesn't apply to 
other characteristic-setting abilities.

406. Mana Abilities

406.1. A mana ability is either (a) an activated ability that could put mana into a player's mana pool 
when it resolves or (b) a triggered ability that triggers from a mana ability and could produce 
additional mana. A mana ability can generate other effects at the same time it produces mana.

406.2. Spells that put mana into a player's mana pool aren't mana abilities. They're played and resolved 
exactly like any other spells. Triggered abilities that put mana into a player's mana pool aren't mana 
abilities if they trigger from events other than activating mana abilities. They go on the stack and 
resolve like any other triggered abilities.

406.3. A mana ability remains a mana ability even if the game state doesn't allow it to produce mana.
Example: A permanent has an ability that reads "{oT}: Add {oG} to your mana pool for 
each creature you control." This is still a mana ability even if you control no creatures or if 
the permanent is already tapped.

406.4. A mana ability can be activated or triggered. Mana abilities are played and resolved like other 
abilities, but they don't go on the stack, so they can't be countered or responded to. See rule 411, 
"Playing Mana Abilities," and rule 408.2, "Actions That Don't Use the Stack."

406.5. Abilities (other than mana abilities) that trigger on playing mana abilities do use the stack.

406.6. If a mana ability would produce one or more mana of an undefined type, it produces no mana 
instead.
Example: If you control no lands, an ability that reads "{oT}: Add to your mana pool one 
mana of any type that a land you control could produce" will not produce any mana.

407. Adding and Removing Abilities

407.1. Effects can add or remove abilities of objects. An effect that adds an ability will state that the 
object "gains" or "has" that ability. An effect that removes an ability will state that the object 
"loses" that ability. If two or more effects add and remove the same ability, in general the most 
recent one prevails. (See rule 418.5, "Interaction of Continuous Effects.")

407.2. An effect that sets an object's characteristic, or simply states a quality of that object, is different 
from an ability granted by an effect. When an object "gains" or "has" an ability, that ability can be 
removed by another effect. If an effect defines a characteristic of the object ("[permanent] is 
[characteristic value]"), it's not granting an ability. (See rule 405.2.)
Example: An effect reads, "Enchanted creature has 'This creature is an artifact creature.'" 
This effect grants an ability to the creature that can be removed by other effects. Another 
effect reads, "Enchanted creature is an artifact creature." This effect simply defines a 
characteristic of the creature. It doesn't grant an ability, so effects that would cause the 
creature to lose its abilities wouldn't cause the enchanted creature to stop being an artifact.

407.3. Effects that remove an ability remove all instances of it.
Example: If a creature with flying is enchanted with Flight, it has two instances of the flying 
ability. A single effect that reads "Target creature loses flying" will remove both.

408. Timing of Spells and Abilities

408.1. Timing, Priority, and the Stack

408.1a Spells and activated abilities can be played only at certain times and follow a set of rules for 
doing so.

408.1b Spells and activated abilities are played by players (if they choose) using a system of 
priority, while other types of abilities and effects are automatically generated by the game rules. 
Each time a player would get priority, all applicable state-based effects resolve first as a single 
event (see rule 420, "State-Based Effects"). Then, if any new state-based effects have been 
generated, they resolve as a single event. This process repeats until no more applicable state-
based effects are generated. Then triggered abilities are added to the stack (see rule 410, 
"Handling Triggered Abilities"). These steps repeat in order until no further state-based effects 
or triggered abilities are generated. Then the player who would have received priority does so 
and may play a spell or ability, take a special action (such as playing a land), or pass, as 
governed by the rules for that phase or step.

408.1c The active player gets priority at the beginning of most phases and steps, after any game 
actions are dealt with and abilities that trigger at the beginning of that phase or step go on the 
stack. No player gets priority during the untap step and players usually don't get priority during 
the cleanup step (see rule 314.3). The player with priority may either play a spell or ability, take 
a special action, or pass. If he or she plays a spell or ability, or takes a special action, the player 
again receives priority; otherwise, his or her opponent receives priority. If both players pass in 
succession (that is, if both players pass without taking any actions in between passing), the top 
object on the stack resolves, then the active player receives priority. If the stack is empty when 
both players pass in succession, the phase or step ends and the next one begins.

408.1d A player may play a spell or activated ability only when he or she has priority. Spells other 
than instants can be played only during a player's main phase, when that player has priority, and 
only when the stack is empty.

408.1e When a spell is played, it goes on top of the stack. When an activated ability is played, it 
goes on top of the stack.

408.1f Triggered abilities can trigger at any time, including during the playing or resolution of a 
spell or another ability. However, nothing actually happens at the time the abilities trigger. Each 
time a player would receive priority, each ability that has triggered is put on the stack (if it 
hasn't already been put on the stack). Then the player gets priority and may play spells or 
abilities. (See rule 410, "Handling Triggered Abilities.")

408.1g Combat damage goes on the stack once it's been assigned. For more information, see rule 
310, "Combat Damage Step."

408.1h Static abilities aren't played—they continuously affect the game. Priority doesn't apply to 
them. (See rule 405, "Static Abilities," rule 418, "Continuous Effects," and rule 419, 
"Replacement and Prevention Effects.")

408.1i Special actions don't use the stack. The special actions are playing a land (see rule 408.2d), 
turning a face-down creature face up (see rule 408.2h), ending continuous effects or preventing 
delayed triggered abilities (see rule 408.2i), and suspending or ignoring continuous effects (see 
rule 408.2j).

408.2. Actions That Don't Use the Stack

408.2a Effects don't go on the stack; they're the result of spells and abilities resolving. Effects may 
create delayed triggered abilities, however, and these may go on the stack when they trigger (see 
rule 404.4).

408.2b Static abilities continuously generate effects and don't go on the stack.

408.2c State-based effects (see rule 420) resolve whenever a player would receive priority as long 
as the required game condition is true.

408.2d Playing a land is a special action consisting of putting that land into play. (See rule 212.6, 
"Lands.") A player can play a land only during a main phase of his or her turn, when he or she 
has priority and the stack is empty. The player who played the land gets priority after this 
special action.

408.2e Mana abilities resolve immediately. If a mana ability produces both mana and another effect, 
both the mana and the other effect happen immediately. If a player had priority before a mana 
ability was played, that player gets priority after it resolves. (See rule 406, "Mana Abilities.")

408.2f Characteristic-setting abilities, such as "[This object] is red," are simply read and followed as 
applicable. (See also rule 405.2.)

408.2g Game actions—phasing in and out during the untap step, untapping during the untap step, 
drawing a card during the draw step, declaring attacking or blocking creatures, cleanup, and 
mana burn—don't use the stack.

408.2h The controller of a face-down permanent may turn it face up. This is a special action. (See 
rule 504, "Face-Down Spells and Permanents.") A player can turn a face-down permanent face 
up only when he or she has priority. That player gets priority after this special action.

408.2i Some effects allow a player to take an action at a later time, usually to end a continuous 
effect or to stop a delayed triggered ability. This is a special action. A player can end a 
continuous effect or stop a delayed triggered ability only if the effect or ability allows it and 
only when he or she has priority. The player who took the action gets priority after this special 
action.

408.2j Some effects from static abilities allow a player to take an action to ignore or suspend the 
effect from that ability for a duration. This is a special action. A player can take an action to 
ignore or suspend an effect only when he or she has priority. The player who took the action 
gets priority after this special action.

409. Playing Spells and Activated Abilities

409.1. Playing a spell or activated ability follows the steps listed below, in order. If, at any point during 
the playing of a spell or ability, a player is unable to comply with any of the steps listed below, the 
spell was played illegally; the game returns to the moment before that spell or ability was played 
(see rule 422, "Handling Illegal Actions"). Announcements and payments can't be altered after 
they've been made.

409.1a The player announces that he or she is playing the spell or activated ability. It moves from 
the zone it's in to the stack and remains there until it's countered or resolves. In the case of 
spells, the physical card goes onto the stack. In the case of activated abilities, the ability goes 
onto the stack without any card associated with it. Each spell has all the characteristics of the 
card associated with it. Each activated ability that's on the stack has the text of the ability that 
created it, and no other characteristics. The controller of a spell is the player who played the 
spell. The controller of an activated ability is the player who played the ability.

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 {oX}) 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). You can't apply two alternative methods of playing or two 
alternative costs to a single spell or ability. Previously made choices (such as choosing to play a 
spell with flashback from his or her graveyard or choosing to play a creature with morph face 
down) may restrict the player's options when making these choices.

409.1c If the spell or ability requires any targets, the player first announces how many targets he or 
she will choose (if the spell or ability has a variable number of targets), then announces the 
targets themselves. A spell or ability can't be played unless the required number of legal targets 
are chosen. The same target can't be chosen multiple times.

409.1d If the spell or ability targets one or more targets only if an alternative, additional, or special 
cost (such as a buyback or kicker cost) is paid for it, or if a particular mode is chosen for it, its 
controller chooses those targets only if he or she announced the intention to pay that cost or 
chose that mode. Otherwise, the spell or ability is played as though it did not have those targets.

409.1e If the spell or ability affects several targets in different ways, the player announces how it 
will affect each target. If the spell or ability requires the player to divide an effect (such as 
damage or counters) among one or more targets, or any number of untargeted objects or players, 
the player announces the division. Each of these targets, objects, or players must receive at least 
one of whatever is being divided.

409.1f The player determines the total cost of the spell or ability. Usually this is just the mana cost 
(for spells) or activation cost (for abilities). Some cards list additional or alternative costs in 
their text, and some effects may increase or reduce the cost to pay. Costs may include paying 
mana, tapping permanents, sacrificing permanents, discarding cards, and so on. The total cost is 
the mana cost, activation cost, or alternative cost, plus all cost increases and minus all cost 
reductions. Once the total cost is determined, it becomes "locked in." If effects would change 
the total cost after this time, they have no effect.

409.1g The player then has a chance to play mana abilities (see rule 411, "Playing Mana Abilities"). 
Mana abilities must be played before costs are paid.

409.1h Once the player has finished playing mana abilities, he or she pays the total cost in any 
order. Partial payments are not allowed.
Example: You play Death Bomb, which costs {o3}{oB} and has an additional cost of 
sacrificing a creature. You sacrifice Thunderscape Familiar, whose effect makes your 
black spells cost {o1} less to play. Because a spell's total cost is "locked in" before 
payments are actually made, you pay {o2}{oB}, not {o3}{oB}, even though you're 
sacrificing the Familiar.

409.1i Once the steps described in 409.1a–409.1h are completed, the spell or ability becomes 
played. Any abilities that trigger on a spell or ability being played or put onto the stack trigger at 
this time. The spell or ability's controller gets priority.

409.2. Some spells and abilities specify that their controller's opponent does something the controller 
would normally do while it's being played, such as choose a mode, choose targets, or choose how 
the spell or ability will affect its targets. In these cases, the opponent does so when the spell or 
ability's controller normally would do so. If the spell or ability instructs both players to do 
something at the same time as it's being played, the spell's controller goes first, then his or her 
opponent. This is an exception to rule 103.4.

409.3. Playing a spell or ability that alters costs won't do anything to spells and abilities that are already 
on the stack.

409.4 A player can't begin to play a spell or activated ability that's prohibited from being played by an 
effect.

410. Handling Triggered Abilities

410.1. Because they aren't played, triggered abilities can trigger even when it isn't legal to play spells 
and abilities, and effects that prevent abilities from being played don't affect them.

410.2. Whenever a game event or game state matches a triggered ability's trigger event, that ability 
triggers. When a phase or step begins, all abilities that trigger "at the beginning of" that phase or 
step trigger. The ability doesn't do anything when it triggers but automatically puts the ability on 
the stack as soon as a player would receive priority. The ability is controlled by the player who 
controlled its source at the time it triggered. It has the text of the ability that created it, and no other 
characteristics.

410.3. If multiple abilities have triggered since the last time a player received priority, the abilities 
controlled by the active player go on the stack first, in any order he or she chooses, then those 
controlled by the opponent go on the stack in any order that opponent chooses. Then players once 
again check for and resolve state-based effects until none are generated, then abilities that triggered 
during this process go on the stack. This process repeats until no new state-based effects are 
generated and no abilities trigger. Then the appropriate player gets priority.

410.4. When a triggered ability goes on the stack, the controller of the ability makes any choices that 
would be required while playing an activated ability, following the same procedure (see rule 409, 
"Playing Spells and Activated Abilities"). If no legal choice can be made (or if a rule or a 
continuous effect otherwise makes the ability illegal), the ability is simply removed from the stack.

410.5. Some triggered abilities' effects are optional (they contain "may," as in "At the beginning of 
your upkeep, you may draw a card"). These abilities go on the stack when they trigger, regardless of 
whether their controller intends to exercise the ability's option or not. The choice is made when the 
ability resolves. Likewise, triggered abilities that have an effect "unless" something is true or a 
player chooses to do something will go on the stack normally; the "unless" part of the ability is 
dealt with when the ability resolves.

410.6. An ability triggers only once each time its trigger event occurs. However, it can trigger 
repeatedly if one event contains multiple occurrences. See also rule 410.9.
Example: A permanent has an ability whose trigger condition reads, "Whenever a land is 
put into a graveyard from play, . . . ." If someone plays a spell that destroys all lands, the 
ability will trigger once for each land put into the graveyard during the spell's resolution.

410.7. An ability triggers only if its trigger event actually occurs. An event that's prevented or replaced 
won't trigger anything.
Example: An ability that triggers on damage being dealt won't trigger if all the damage is 
prevented.

410.8. Triggered abilities with a condition directly following the trigger event (for example, 
"When/Whenever/At [trigger], if [condition], [effect]"), check for the condition to be true as part of 
the trigger event; if it isn't, the ability doesn't trigger. The ability checks the condition again on 
resolution. If it's not satisfied, the ability does nothing. Note that this mirrors the check for legal 
targets. Note that this rule doesn't apply to any triggered ability with an "if" condition elsewhere 
within its text. This rule is referred to as the "intervening 'if' clause" rule.

410.9. Some abilities trigger when creatures block or are blocked in combat. (See rules 306–311 and 
section 500, "Legal Attacks and Blocks.") They may trigger once or repeatedly, depending on the 
wording of the ability.

410.9a An ability that reads "Whenever [this creature] blocks" or "Whenever [this creature] 
becomes blocked" triggers only once each combat for that creature, even if it blocks or is 
blocked by multiple creatures. An effect that causes the creature to become blocked (if the 
creature wasn't already blocked) will also trigger such abilities.

410.9b An ability that reads "Whenever [this creature] blocks a creature" triggers once for each 
attacking creature the named creature blocks.

410.9c An ability that reads "Whenever a creature blocks [this creature]" triggers once for each 
creature that blocks the named creature. It doesn't trigger if the attacking creature becomes 
blocked by an effect rather than a blocking creature.

410.9d If an ability triggers when a creature blocks or is blocked by a particular number of 
creatures, the ability triggers only if the creature blocks or is blocked by that many creatures 
when the attack or block declaration is made. Effects that add or remove blockers can cause 
such abilities to trigger. This also applies to abilities that trigger on a creature blocking or being 
blocked by at least a certain number of creatures.

410.10. Trigger events that involve objects changing zones are called "zone-change triggers." Many 
abilities with zone-change triggers attempt to do something to that object after it changes zones. 
During resolution, these abilities look for the object in the zone that it moved to. If the object is 
unable to be found in the zone it went to, the part of the ability attempting to do something to the 
object will fail to do anything. The ability could be unable to find the object because the object 
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 object 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.

410.10a Comes-into-play abilities trigger when a permanent enters the in-play zone. These are 
written, "When [this card] comes into play, . . . " or "Whenever a [type] comes into play, . . ." 
Each time an event puts one or more permanents into play, all permanents in play (including the 
newcomers) are checked for any comes-into-play triggers that match the event.

410.10b Continuous effects that modify characteristics of a permanent do so the moment the 
permanent is in play (and not before then). The permanent is never in play with its unmodified 
characteristics. Continuous effects don't apply before the permanent is in play, however (see 
rule 410.10e).
Example: If an effect reads "All lands are creatures" and a land card is played, the 
effect makes the land card into a creature the moment it enters play, so it would trigger 
abilities that trigger when a creature comes into play. Conversely, if an effect reads "All 
creatures lose all abilities" and a creature card with a comes-into-play triggered ability 
enters play, that effect will cause it to lose its abilities the moment it enters play, so the 
comes-into-play ability won't trigger.

410.10c Leaves-play abilities trigger when a permanent leaves the in-play zone. These are written 
as, but aren't limited to, "When [this object] leaves play, . . ." or "Whenever [something] is put 
into a graveyard from play, . . . ." An ability that attempts to do something to the card that left 
play checks for it only in the first zone that it went to.

410.10d Abilities that trigger on one or more permanents leaving play, or on a player losing control 
of a permanent, must be treated specially because the permanent with the ability may no longer 
be in play after the event. The game has to "look back in time" to determine what triggered. 
Each time an event removes from play or changes who controls one or more permanents, all the 
permanents in play just before the event (with continuous effects that existed at that time) are 
checked for trigger events that match what just left play or changed control.
Example: Two creatures are in play along with an artifact that has the ability 
"Whenever a creature is put into a graveyard from play, you gain 1 life." Someone plays 
a spell that destroys all artifacts, creatures, and enchantments. The artifact's ability 
triggers twice, even though the artifact goes to its owner's graveyard at the same time as 
the creatures.

410.10e Some permanents have text that reads "[This permanent] comes into play with . . . ," "As 
[this permanent] comes into play . . . ," "[This permanent] comes into play as . . . ," or "[This 
permanent] comes into play tapped." Such text is a static ability—not a triggered ability—
whose effect occurs as part of the event that puts the permanent into play.

410.11. Some triggered abilities trigger on a game state, such as a player controlling no permanents of a 
particular type, rather than triggering when an event occurs. These abilities trigger as soon as the 
game state matches the condition. They'll go onto the stack at the next available opportunity. These 
are called state triggers. (Note that state triggers aren't the same as state-based effects.) A state-
triggered ability doesn't trigger again until the ability has resolved, has been countered, or has 
otherwise left the stack. Then, if the object with the ability is still in the same zone and the game 
state still matches its trigger condition, the ability will trigger again.
Example: A permanent's ability reads, "Whenever you have no cards in hand, draw a 
card." If its controller plays the last card from his or her hand, the ability will trigger once 
and won't trigger again until it has resolved. If its controller plays a spell that reads 
"Discard your hand, then draw the same number of cards," the ability will trigger during 
the spell's resolution because the player's hand was momentarily empty.

411. Playing Mana Abilities

411.1. To play a mana ability, the player announces that he or she is playing it and pays the activation 
cost, following the steps in rules 409.1b–i. It resolves immediately after it is played and doesn't go 
on the stack. (See rule 408.2e.)

411.2. A player may play an activated mana ability whenever he or she has priority. A player may also 
play one whenever a rule or effect asks for a mana payment, even in the middle of playing or 
resolving a spell or ability.

411.3. Triggered mana abilities trigger when an activated mana ability is played. These abilities resolve 
immediately after the mana ability that triggered them, without waiting for priority. If an activated 
or triggered ability produces both mana and another effect, both the mana and the other effect 
resolve immediately.
Example: An enchantment reads, "Whenever a player taps a land for mana, that land 
produces one additional mana of the same color." If a player taps lands for mana while 
playing a spell, the additional mana is added to the player's mana pool immediately and can 
be used to pay for the spell.

411.3a If a triggered mana ability adds mana "of the same type" or "of the same color" to a player's 
mana pool and the mana ability that triggered it produced more than one type or color of mana, 
the player to whose mana pool the mana is being added chooses which type or color of mana the 
triggered ability adds.

412. Handling Static Abilities

412.1. A static ability may generate a continuous effect or a prevention or replacement effect. These 
effects last as long as the object with the static ability remains in the appropriate zone.

412.2. Many local enchantments and Equipment have static abilities that modify the permanent they're 
attached to, but those abilities don't target that permanent. If a local enchantment or Equipment is 
moved to a different permanent, the ability stops applying to the original permanent and starts 
modifying the new one.

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 . . . ," "You may pay 
[cost] rather than pay [this object]'s mana cost," and "You may play [this object] without paying its 
mana cost" work while a spell is 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] . . . ."

412.5. Unlike spells and other kinds of abilities, static abilities can't use an object's last known 
information for purposes of determining how their effects are applied.

413. Resolving Spells and Abilities

413.1. Each time both players pass in succession, the object (a spell, an ability, or combat damage) on 
top of the stack resolves. (See rule 416, "Effects.")

413.2. Resolution of a spell or ability may involve several steps. These steps are followed in the order 
listed below.

413.2a If the spell or ability specifies targets, it checks whether the targets are still legal. A target 
that's removed from play, or from the zone designated by the spell or ability, is illegal. A target 
may also become illegal if its characteristics changed since the spell or ability was played or if 
an effect changed the text of the spell. If all targets are now illegal, the spell or ability is 
countered. If the spell or ability is not countered, it will resolve normally, affecting only the 
targets that are still legal. If a target is illegal, the spell or ability can't perform any actions on it 
or make the target perform any actions. If the spell or ability needs to know information about 
one or more targets that are now illegal, it will use the illegal targets' current or last known 
information.

413.2b The controller of the spell or ability follows its instructions in the order written. However, 
replacement effects may modify these actions. In some cases, later text on the card may modify 
the meaning of earlier text (for example, "Destroy target creature. It can't be regenerated" or 
"Counter target spell. If you do, put it on top of its owner's library instead of into its owner's 
graveyard.") Don't just apply effects step by step without thinking in these cases—read the 
whole text and apply the rules of English to the text.

413.2c If an effect offers any choices other than choices already made as part of playing the spell or 
ability, the player announces these while applying the effect. The player can't choose an option 
that's illegal or impossible. (For example, a player can't avoid the consequences of not taking an 
optional action if he or she can't meet all the immediate requirements of that action.)
Example: A spell's instruction reads, "You may sacrifice a creature. If you don't, you 
lose 4 life." A player who controls no creatures can't choose the sacrifice option.

413.2d If an effect requires both players to make choices or take actions at the same time, the active 
player makes and announces his or her choices first, and then the nonactive player does 
(knowing the active player's choices). Then the actions take place simultaneously. See rule 
103.4. If a player must make more than one choice at a time, he or she makes the choices in the 
order written, or in the order he or she chooses if the choices aren't ordered. Then the actions 
are processed simultaneously.
          Some spells and abilities have multiple steps or actions, denoted by separate sentences or 
clauses. In these cases, the active player makes any choices required for the first action, then the 
nonactive player makes any choices required for that action, then the first action is processed 
simultaneously. Then the active player makes any choices required for the second action, then 
the nonactive player makes any choices required for that action, then that action is processed 
simultaneously, and so on.
Example: Stronghold Gambit reads, in part, "Each player chooses a card in his or her 
hand. Then each player reveals his or her chosen card." First the active player chooses 
a card, then the nonactive player does so. Each player reveals the cards simultaneously.

413.2e If an effect gives a player the option to pay mana, he or she may play mana abilities as part 
of the action. No other spells or abilities can be played during resolution.

413.2f If an effect requires information from the game (such as the number of creatures in play), the 
answer is determined only once, when the effect is applied. The effect uses the current 
information of a specific permanent if that permanent is still in play, or of a specific card in the 
stated zone; otherwise, the effect uses the last known information the object had before leaving 
that zone. The exception is that static abilities can't use last known information; see rule 412.5. 
If the ability text states that an object does something, it's the object as it exists (or most 
recently existed) that does it, not the ability.

413.2g An effect that refers to characteristics of an object checks only for the value of the specified 
characteristics, regardless of any related ones the object may also have.
Example: An effect that reads "Destroy all black creatures" destroys a white-and-black 
creature, but one that reads "Destroy all nonblack creatures" doesn't.

413.2h A spell is put into play from the stack under the control of the spell's controller (for 
permanents) or is put into its owner's graveyard from the stack (for instants and sorceries) as the 
final step of the spell's resolution.

413.2i If an effect could result in a tie, the text of the spell or ability that created the effect will 
specify what to do in the event of a tie. The Magic game has no default for ties.

414. Countering Spells and Abilities

414.1. To counter a spell is to move the spell from the stack to its owner's graveyard. Countering an 
ability removes it from the stack. Spells and abilities that are countered don't resolve and none of 
their effects occur.

414.2. The player who played the countered spell or ability doesn't get a "refund" of any costs that 
were paid.

415. Targeted Spells and Abilities

415.1. An instant or sorcery spell is targeted if the text that will be followed when it resolves uses the 
phrase "target [something]," where the "something" is a phrase that describes an object or player. 
(If an activated or triggered ability of an instant or sorcery uses the word target, that ability is 
targeted, but the spell is not.)
Example: A sorcery card has the ability "When you cycle this card, target creature gets -1/-
1 until end of turn." This triggered ability is targeted, but that doesn't make the card it's on 
targeted.

415.2. An activated or triggered ability is targeted if it uses the phrase "target [something]," where the 
"something" is a phrase that describes an object or player.

415.3. Local-enchantment spells are always targeted, even though they don't use the phrase "target 
[something]." They target the permanent or player they will enchant. A local-enchantment 
permanent doesn't target anything; only the spell is targeted. An activated or triggered ability of the 
local-enchantment permanent can be targeted.
          Neither Equipment spells nor Equipment permanents target anything. The equip ability is 
targeted; see rule 502.33, "Equip." An activated or triggered ability of an Equipment permanent can 
be targeted.

415.4. Spells and abilities that can have zero or more targets are targeted only if one or more targets 
have been chosen for them.

415.5. Only permanents are legal targets for spells and abilities, unless a spell or ability (a) specifies 
that it can target an object in another zone or a player or (b) targets an object that can't exist in the 
in-play zone, such as a spell or ability.

415.6. A spell or ability on the stack is an illegal target for itself.

415.7. Changing Targets

415.7a The target of a spell or ability can change only to another legal target. If the target can't be 
changed to another legal target, the original target is unchanged.

415.7b Modal spells and abilities may have different targeting requirements for each mode. 
Changing a spell or ability's target can't change its mode.

415.7c The word "you" in an object's text isn't a target.

416. Effects

416.1. When a spell or ability resolves, it may create one or more one-shot or continuous effects. Static 
abilities may create one or more continuous effects. Some effects are replacement effects or 
prevention effects. State-based effects are not created by spells or abilities; they are generated by 
specific rules of the game.

416.2. Effects apply only to permanents unless the instruction's text states otherwise or they clearly can 
apply only to objects in one or more other zones.
Example: An effect that changes all lands into creatures won't alter land cards in players' 
graveyards. But an effect that says spells cost more to play will apply only to spells on the 
stack, since a spell is always on the stack while you are playing it.

416.3. If an effect attempts to do something impossible, it does only as much as possible.
Example: If a player is holding only one card, an effect that reads "Discard two cards" 
causes him or her to discard only that card. If an effect moves cards out of the library (as 
opposed to drawing), it moves as many as possible.

417. One-Shot Effects

417.1. A one-shot effect does something just once and doesn't have a duration. Examples include 
damage dealing, destruction of permanents, and moving objects between zones.

417.2. Some one-shot effects instruct a player to do something later in the game (usually at a specific 
time) rather than when they resolve. This kind of effect actually creates a new ability that waits to 
be triggered. (See rule 404.4.)

418. Continuous Effects

418.1. A continuous effect modifies characteristics of objects or modifies the rules of the game for a 
fixed or indefinite period. A continuous effect may be generated by the resolution of a spell or 
ability or by a static ability of an object.

418.2. Continuous effects that modify characteristics of permanents do so simultaneously with the 
permanent coming into play. They don't wait until the permanent is in play and then change it. 
Because such effects apply as the permanent comes into play, apply them before determining 
whether the permanent will cause an ability to trigger when it comes into play.

418.3. Continuous Effects from Spells or Abilities

418.3a A continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability lasts as long as stated by 
the spell or ability creating it (such as "until end of turn"). If no duration is stated, it lasts until 
the end of the game.

418.3b Continuous effects from spells, activated abilities, and triggered abilities that modify the 
characteristics or change the controller of one or more objects don't affect objects that weren't 
affected when the continuous effect began. Note that these work differently than continuous 
effects from static abilities. Continuous effects that don't modify characteristics or change the 
controller of objects modify the rules of the game, so they can affect objects that weren't 
affected when the continuous effect began.
Example: An effect that reads "All white creatures get +1/+1 until end of turn" gives 
the bonus to all permanents that are white creatures when the spell or ability resolves—
even if they change color later—and doesn't affect those that come into play or turn 
white afterward.
Example: An effect that reads "Prevent all damage creatures would deal this turn" 
doesn't modify any object's characteristics, so it's modifying the rules of the game. That 
means the effect will apply even to damage from creatures that weren't in play when the 
continuous effect began. It also affects damage from permanents that become creatures 
later in the turn.

418.3c If a resolving spell or ability that creates a continuous effect contains a variable, the value of 
that variable is determined only once, on resolution. See rule 413.2f.

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 playing 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.
Example: Endoskeleton is an artifact with an activated ability that reads "{o2}, {oT}: 
Target creature gets +0/+3 as long as Endoskeleton remains tapped." If you play this 
ability and then Endoskeleton becomes untapped before the ability resolves, it does 
nothing, because its duration—remaining tapped—was over before the effect began.

418.4. Continuous Effects from Static Abilities

418.4a A continuous effect generated by a static ability isn't "locked in"; it applies at any given 
moment to whatever its text indicates.

418.4b The effect applies at all times that the permanent generating it is in play or the object 
generating it is in the appropriate zone.
Example: A permanent with the static ability "All white creatures get +1/+1" generates 
an effect that continuously gives +1/+1 to each white creature in play. If a creature 
becomes white, it gets this bonus; a creature that stops being white loses it. A creature 
spell that would normally create a 1/1 white creature instead creates a 2/2 white 
creature. The creature doesn't come into play as 1/1 and then change to 2/2.

418.5. Interaction of Continuous Effects

418.5a The values of an object's characteristics are determined by starting with the actual object, 
then applying continuous effects in a series of layers in the following order: (1) copy effects (see 
rule 503, "Copying Objects"), (2) control-changing effects, (3) text-changing effects, (4) type-, 
subtype-, and supertype-changing effects, (5) all other continuous effects, except those that 
change power or toughness, and (6) power- or toughness-changing effects.
          Inside each layer, apply effects from characteristic-setting abilities first, then effects from all 
other abilities. For power- or toughness-changing effects, apply changes from counters after 
changes from characteristic-setting abilities. See also the rules for timestamp order and 
dependency (rules 418.5b–418.5g).
Example: Crusade is an enchantment that reads "White creatures get +1/+1." Crusade 
and a 2/2 black creature are in play. If an effect then turns the creature white, it gets 
+1/+1 from Crusade, becoming 3/3. If the creature's color is later changed to red, 
Crusade's effect stops applying to it, and it will return to being a 2/2.

418.5b If an effect other than a type-, subtype-, and supertype-changing effect should be applied in 
different layers, the parts of the effect each apply in their appropriate layers. If a type-, subtype-, 
and supertype-changing effect should be applied in different layers, all are applied only in layer 
four (type-, subtype- and supertype changing effects). 
Example: A player plays an ability that reads "{o2}: Until end of turn, Chimeric Sphere 
becomes a 3/2 artifact creature," which is a both a type-changing effect and a power- 
and toughness-changing effect. Since it's a type-changing effect, the entire effect is 
applied when type-changing effects are applied, in layer four, even though power- and 
toughness-changing effects are normally applied in layer six. Later in the turn, Chimeric 
Sphere is affected by an ability that reads "Target creature becomes 0/2 until end of 
turn," which is applied only in layer six since it's solely a power- and toughness-
changing effect. At this point, playing Chimeric Sphere's (layer 4) ability again won't do 
anything, as the layer-six effect will always be applied after it. The artifact creature 
remains 0/2.
Example: An effect that reads "Wild Mongrel gets +1/+1 and becomes the color of your 
choice until end of turn" is both a power- and toughness changing effect and an "other" 
kind of effect. The "becomes the color of your choice" part is applied in layer five, and 
then the "gets +1/+1" part is applied in layer six.
Example: Grab the Reins has an effect that reads "Until end of turn, you gain control of 
target creature and it gains haste." This is both a control-changing effect and an 
"other" effect. The "you gain control" part is applied in layer two, and then the "it 
gains haste" part is applied in layer five.

418.5c An effect is said to "depend on" another if (a) it is applied in the same layer as the other 
effect (see rule 418.5a) and (b) applying the other would change the text or the existence of the 
first effect, what it applies to, or what it does to any of the things it applies to. Otherwise, the 
effect is considered to be independent of the other effect.

418.5d Whenever one effect depends on another, the independent one is applied first. If several 
dependent effects form a loop, or if none depends on another, they're applied in "timestamp 
order."

418.5e An object's timestamp is the time it entered the zone it's currently in, with three exceptions: 
(1) If two or more objects enter a zone (or zones) simultaneously, the active player determines 
their timestamp order at the time they enter that zone. (2) Whenever a local enchantment or 
Equipment becomes attached to a permanent, the enchantment or Equipment receives a new 
timestamp. (3) Permanents that phase in keep the same timestamps they had when they phased 
out.

418.5f Continuous effects generated by static abilities have the same timestamp as the objects that 
generate them.

418.5g Continuous effects generated by the resolution of a spell or ability receive a timestamp at the 
time they're created.

418.5h One continuous effect can override another. Sometimes the results of one effect determine 
whether another effect applies or what another effect does.
Example: Two enchantments are played on the same creature: "Enchanted creature 
gains flying" and "Enchanted creature loses flying." Neither of these depends on the 
other, since nothing changes what they affect or what they're doing to it. Applying them 
in timestamp order means the one that was generated last "wins." It's irrelevant 
whether an effect is temporary (such as "Target creature loses flying until end of turn") 
or global (such as "All creatures lose flying").
Example: One effect reads, "White creatures get +1/+1," and another, "Enchanted 
creature is white." The enchanted creature gets +1/+1 from the first effect, regardless of 
its previous color.

418.5i Some effects can switch a creature's power and toughness. When they're applied, they take 
the value of power and apply it to the object's toughness, and take the object's toughness and 
apply it to the object's power. Any effects that are applied after the switching effect apply 
normally.
Example: A 1/3 creature is given +0/+1 by an effect. Then another effect switches the 
creature's power and toughness. Its new power and toughness is 4/1. After the "switch" 
effect resolves, another effect gives the creature +5/+0. Its power and toughness is 9/1.
Example: A 1/3 creature is given +0/+1 by an effect. Then another effect switches the 
creature's power and toughness. Its new power and toughness is 4/1. If the +0/+1 effect 
ends before the switch effect ends, the creature becomes a 3/1.

418.6. Text-Changing Effects

418.6a An effect that changes the text of an object changes only those words that are used in the 
correct way (for example, a Magic color word being used as a color word, a land type word 
used as a land type, or a creature type word used as a creature type). The effect can't change a 
proper noun, such as a card name, even if that proper noun contains a word or a series of letters 
that is the same as a Magic color word, basic land type, or creature type.

418.6b Effects that add or remove abilities don't change the text of the objects they affect, so any 
abilities that are granted to an object can't be changed by effects that change the text of that 
object.

418.6c Spells and abilities that create creature tokens use creature types to define both the creature 
types and the names of the tokens. These words can be changed, because they are being used as 
creature types, even though they're also being used as names.

418.6d A creature token's creature type and rules text are defined by the spell or ability that created 
the token. These characteristics can be changed by text-changing effects.

419. Replacement and Prevention Effects

419.1. Replacement and prevention effects are continuous effects that watch for a particular event to 
happen and then completely or partially replace that event. These effects act like "shields" around 
whatever they're affecting.

419.1a Effects that use the word "instead" are replacement effects. Most replacement effects use the 
word "instead" to indicate what events will be replaced with other events and use the word 
"skip" to indicate what events, steps, phases, or turns will be replaced with nothing.

419.1b Effects that read "[This permanent] comes into play with . . . ," "As [this permanent] comes 
into play . . . ," or "[This permanent] comes into play as . . . " are replacement effects.

419.1c Continuous effects that read "[This permanent] comes into play . . ." or "[Objects] come into 
play . . ." are replacement effects.

419.1d Effects that use the word "prevent" are prevention effects. Prevention effects use "prevent" 
to indicate what events will not occur.

419.2. Replacement and prevention effects apply continuously as events happen—they aren't locked in 
ahead of time.

419.3. There are no special restrictions on playing a spell or ability that generates a replacement or 
prevention effect. Such effects last until they're used up or their duration has expired.

419.4. Replacement or prevention effects must exist before the appropriate event occurs—they can't 
"go back in time" and change something that's already happened. Usually spells and abilities that 
generate these effects are played in response to whatever would produce the event and thus resolve 
before that event would occur.
Example: A player can play a regeneration ability in response to a spell that would destroy 
a creature he or she controls.

419.5. If an event is prevented or replaced, it never happens. A modified event occurs instead, which 
may in turn trigger abilities. Note that the modified event may contain instructions that can't be 
carried out, in which case the player simply ignores the impossible instruction.

419.5a If a source would deal 0 damage, it does not deal damage at all. That means abilities that 
trigger on damage being dealt won't trigger. It also means that replacement effects that increase 
damage dealt have no event to replace when 0 damage is dealt, so they have no effect.

419.5b Some abilities read, "Whenever [X], you may [Y]. If you do, [Z]." The "if you do" clause 
refers to choosing to do the event Y, regardless of what events actually occur as a result of that 
decision. If Y is replaced entirely or in part by a different event, the "if you do" clause refers to 
the event that replaced Y.

419.6. Replacement Effects

419.6a A replacement effect doesn't invoke itself repeatedly and gets only one opportunity for each 
event.
Example: A player controls two permanents, each with an ability that reads "If a 
creature you control would deal damage to a creature or player, it deals double that 
damage to that creature or player instead." A creature that normally deals 2 damage 
will deal 8 damage—not just 4, and not an infinite amount.

419.6b Regeneration is a destruction-replacement effect. The word "instead" doesn't appear on the 
card but is implicit in the definition of regeneration. "Regenerate [permanent]" means "The next 
time [permanent] would be destroyed this turn, instead remove all damage from it, tap it, and (if 
it's in combat) remove it from combat." Abilities that trigger from damage being dealt still 
trigger even if the permanent regenerates.

419.6c Some effects replace damage dealt to one creature or player with the same damage dealt to 
another creature or player; such effects are called "redirection" effects. If either creature is no 
longer in play or is no longer a creature when the damage would be redirected, the effect does 
nothing.

419.6d Some spells and abilities replace part or all of their own effect(s) when they resolve. Such 
effects are called self-replacement effects. When applying replacement effects to an event, apply 
self-replacement effects first, then apply other replacement effects.

419.6e Skipping an action, step, phase, or turn is a replacement effect. "Skip [something]" is the 
same as "Instead of doing [something], do nothing." Once a step, phase, or turn has started, it 
can no longer be skipped—any skip effects will wait until the next occurrence.

419.6f Anything scheduled for a skipped step, phase, or turn won't happen. Anything scheduled for 
the "next" occurrence of something waits for the first occurrence that isn't skipped. If two 
effects each cause a player to skip his or her next occurrence, that player must skip the next two; 
one effect will be satisfied in skipping the first occurrence, while the other will remain until 
another occurrence can be skipped.

419.7. Prevention Effects

419.7a Prevention effects usually apply to damage that would be dealt.

419.7b Some prevention effects refer to a specific amount of damage—for example, "Prevent the 
next 3 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn." These work like 
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 chooses 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.

419.8. Sources of Damage

419.8a Some effects apply to damage from a source—for example, "The next time a red source of 
your choice would deal damage to you this turn, prevent that damage." If an effect requires a 
player to choose a source, he or she may choose either a permanent, a spell on the stack 
(including an artifact, creature, or enchantment spell), or any card or permanent referred to by a 
spell or ability on the stack. The source is chosen when the effect is created. If the player 
chooses a permanent, the prevention will apply to the next damage from that permanent, 
regardless of whether it's from one of that permanent's abilities or combat damage dealt by it. If 
the player chooses an artifact, creature, or enchantment spell, the prevention will apply to any 
damage from that spell and from the permanent that it becomes when it resolves.

419.8b Some effects from spells and abilities prevent or replace damage from sources with certain 
properties, such as a creature or a source of a particular color. When the source would deal 
damage, the "shield" rechecks the source's properties. If the properties no longer match, the 
damage isn't prevented or replaced. If for any reason the shield prevents no damage or replaces 
no damage, the shield isn't used up.

419.8c Some effects from static abilities prevent or replace damage from sources with certain 
properties. For these effects, the prevention or replacement applies to sources that are 
permanents with that property and to any sources that aren't in play that have that property.

419.9. Interaction of Replacement or Prevention Effects

419.9a If two or more replacement or prevention effects are attempting to modify the way an event 
affects an object or player, the affected object's controller (or its owner if it has no controller) or 
the affected player chooses one to apply. Then the other effect applies if it is still appropriate. If 
one or more of the applicable replacement effects is a self-replacement effect (see rule 419.6d), 
that effect is applied before any other replacement effects. If both players have to make these 
choices at the same time, follow the "Active Player, Nonactive Player rule" (see rule 103.4).
Example: Two cards are in play. One is an enchantment that reads "If a card would be 
put into a graveyard, instead remove it from the game," and the other is a creature that 
reads "If [this creature] would be put into a graveyard from play, instead shuffle it into 
its owner's library." The controller of the creature that would be destroyed decides 
which replacement to apply first; the other does nothing.

419.9b A replacement effect can become applicable to an event as the result of another replacement 
effect that modifies the event.
Example: One effect reads "For each 1 life you would gain, instead draw a card," and 
another reads "If you would draw a card, return a card from your graveyard to your 
hand instead." Both effects combine (regardless of the order they came into existence): 
Instead of gaining 1 life, the player puts a card from his or her graveyard into his or her 
hand.

420. State-Based Effects

420.1. State-based effects are a special category that apply only to those conditions listed below. 
Abilities that watch for a specified game state are triggered abilities, not state-based effects. (See 
rule 404, "Triggered Abilities.")

420.2. State-based effects are always active and are not controlled by either player.

420.3. Whenever a player would get priority (see rule 408, "Timing of Spells and Abilities"), the game 
checks for any of the listed conditions for state-based effects. All applicable effects resolve as a 
single event, then the check is repeated. Once no more state-based effects have been generated, 
triggered abilities go on the stack, and then the appropriate player gets priority. This check is also 
made during the cleanup step (see rule 314); if any of the listed conditions apply, the active player 
receives priority.

420.4. Unlike triggered abilities, state-based effects pay no attention to what happens during the 
resolution of a spell or ability.
Example: A player controls a creature with the ability "This creature's power and 
toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your hand" and plays a spell whose 
effect is "Discard your hand, then draw seven cards." The creature will temporarily have 
toughness 0 in the middle of the spell's resolution but will be back up to toughness 7 when 
the spell finishes resolving. Thus the creature will survive when state-based effects are 
checked. In contrast, an ability that triggers when the player has no cards in hand goes on 
the stack after the spell resolves, because its trigger event happened during resolution.

420.5. The state-based effects are as follows:

420.5a A player with 0 or less life loses the game.

420.5b A creature with toughness 0 or less is put into its owner's graveyard. Regeneration can't 
replace this event.

420.5c A creature with lethal damage, but greater than 0 toughness, is destroyed. Lethal damage is 
an amount of damage greater than or equal to a creature's toughness. Regeneration does replace 
this event.

420.5d A local enchantment that enchants an illegal or nonexistent permanent is put into its owner's 
graveyard.

420.5e If two or more permanents with the same name have the subtype Legend or the supertype 
legendary, all except the one that has been a Legend or legendary permanent with that name the 
longest are put into their owners' graveyards. This is called "the Legend rule." In the event of a 
tie, each Legend or legendary permanent with the same name is put into its owner's graveyard. 
(If two permanents have the same name but only one is a Legend or is legendary, this rule 
doesn't apply.)

420.5f A token in a zone other than the in-play zone ceases to exist.

420.5g A player who was required to draw more cards than were in his or her library since the last 
time state-based effects were checked loses the game.

420.5h A player with ten or more poison counters loses the game.

420.5i If two or more enchant worlds are in play, all except the one that has been an enchant world 
in play for the shortest amount of time are put into their owners' graveyards. In the event of a tie 
for the shortest amount of time, all are put into their owners' graveyards.

420.5j A copy of a spell in a zone other than the stack ceases to exist. A copy of a card in any zone 
other than the stack or the in-play zone ceases to exist.

420.5k An Equipment that equips an illegal or nonexistent permanent stops equipping that 
permanent but remains in play.

421. Handling "Infinite" Loops

421.1. Occasionally the game can get into a state in which a set of actions could be repeated forever. 
These rules (sometimes called the "infinity rules") govern how to break such loops.

421.2. If the loop contains one or more optional actions and one player controls them all, that player 
chooses a number. The loop is treated as repeating that many times or until the other player 
intervenes, whichever comes first.

421.3. If the loop contains at least one optional action controlled by each player and actions by both 
players are required to continue the loop, the active player chooses a number. The nonactive player 
then has two choices. He or she can choose a lower number, in which case the loop continues that 
number of times plus whatever fraction is necessary for the active player to "have the last word." Or 
he or she can agree to the number the active player chose, in which case the loop continues that 
number of times plus whatever fraction is necessary for the nonactive player to "have the last 
word." (Note that either fraction may be zero.)
Example: One player controls a creature with the ability "{o0}: [This creature] gains 
flying." Another player controls a permanent with the ability "{o0}: Target creature loses 
flying." The "infinity rule" ensures that regardless of which player initiated the gain/lose 
flying ability, the nonactive player will always have the final choice and therefore be able to 
determine whether the creature has flying. (Note that this assumes that the first player 
attempted to give the creature flying at least once.)

421.4. If the loop contains only mandatory actions, the game ends in a draw. (See rule 102.6.)

421.5. If the loop contains at least one optional action controlled by each player and these actions don't 
depend on one another, the active player chooses a number. The nonactive player can either agree to 
that number or choose a higher number. Note that this rule applies even if the actions could exist in 
separate loops rather than in a single loop.

422. Handling Illegal Actions

422.1. If a player realizes that he or she can't legally take an action after starting to do so, the entire 
action is reversed and any payments already made are canceled. No abilities trigger and no effects 
apply as a result of an undone action. If the action was playing a spell, the spell returns to the zone it 
came from. The player may also reverse any legal mana abilities played while making the illegal 
play, unless mana from them or from any triggered mana abilities they triggered was spent on 
another mana ability that wasn't reversed. Players may not reverse actions that moved cards to a 
library or from a library to any zone other than the stack. Players may not reverse actions that 
involved a random choice or random zone change.

422.2. When reversing illegal spells and abilities, the player who had priority retains it and may take 
another action or pass. The player may redo the reversed action in a legal way or take any other 
action allowed by the rules.



5. Additional Rules

500. Legal Attacks and Blocks

500.1. Some effects restrict declaring attackers or blockers in combat or require certain creatures to be 
declared as attackers or blockers. (See rule 308, "Declare Attackers Step," and rule 309, "Declare 
Blockers Step.") A restriction is an effect which says that a creature can't block (or attack) or that it 
can't block (or attack) unless some condition is met. A requirement is an effect which says that a 
creature must block (or attack) or that it must block (or attack) if some condition is met.

500.2. As part of declaring attackers, the active player checks each creature he or she controls to see 
whether it must attack, can't attack, or has some other attacking restriction or requirement. If such a 
restriction or requirement conflicts with the proposed attack, the attack is illegal, and the active 
player must then propose another set of attacking creatures. (Tapped creatures and creatures with 
unpaid costs to attack are exempt from effects that would require them to attack.)
Example: A player controls two creatures, each with a restriction that states "[This 
creature] can't attack alone." It's legal to declare both as attackers.
Example: A player controls two creatures: one that "attacks if able" and one with no 
abilities. An effect states, "No more than one creature may attack each turn." The only legal 
attack is for just the creature that "attacks if able" to attack. It's illegal to attack with the 
other creature, attack with both, or attack with neither.

500.3. As part of declaring blockers, the defending player checks each creature he or she controls to see 
whether it must block, can't block, or has some other blocking restriction or requirement. If such a 
restriction or requirement conflicts with the proposed set of blocking creatures, the block is illegal, 
and the defending player must then propose another set of blocking creatures. (Tapped creatures and 
creatures with unpaid costs to block are exempt from effects that would require them to block.)

500.4. A restriction conflicts with a proposed set of attackers or blockers if it isn't being followed. A 
requirement conflicts with a proposed set of attackers or blockers if it isn't being followed and (1) 
the requirement could be obeyed without violating a restriction and (2) doing so will allow the total 
number of requirements that the set obeys to increase.

500.5. When determining what requirements could be obeyed without violating restrictions, you don't 
need to consider any options for a creature that don't satisfy a requirement on it. But you do need to 
consider any options for any creature(s) that will satisfy a requirement, as long as the total number 
of obeyed requirements is increased (even if the option means not obeying another requirement that 
was previously met).
Example: A player controls one creature that "blocks if able" and another creature with no 
abilities. An effect states, "Creatures can't be blocked except by two or more creatures." 
The creature with no abilities isn't required to block. It's legal to declare both creatures as 
blockers, or to declare neither creature as a blocker, but illegal to block with only one of the 
two.

501. Evasion Abilities

501.1. Evasion abilities restrict what can block an attacking creature. These are static abilities that 
modify the declare blockers step of combat.

501.2. Evasion abilities are cumulative.
Example: A Wall without flying can't block a creature that can be blocked only by Walls 
and by creatures with flying.

501.3. Some creatures have abilities that restrict how they can block. As with evasion abilities, these 
modify only the rules for the declare blockers step of combat. (If a creature gains or loses an 
evasion ability after a legal block has been declared, it doesn't affect that block.)

502. Keyword Abilities

502.1. Most abilities describe exactly what they do in the card's rules text. Some, though, are very 
common or would require too much space to define on the card. In these cases, the object lists only 
the name of the ability as a "keyword"; sometimes reminder text summarizes the game rule.

502.2. First Strike

502.2a First strike is a static ability that modifies the rules for the combat damage step. (See rule 
310, "Combat Damage Step.")

502.2b At the start of the combat damage step, if at least one attacking or blocking creature has first 
strike or double strike (see rule 502.28), creatures without first strike or double strike don't 
assign combat damage. Instead of proceeding to end of combat, the phase gets a second combat 
damage step to handle the remaining creatures. In the second combat damage step, surviving 
attackers and blockers that didn't assign combat damage in the first step, plus any creatures with 
double strike, assign their combat damage.

502.2c Adding or removing first strike after the first combat damage step won't prevent a creature 
from dealing combat damage or allow it to deal combat damage twice.

502.2d Multiple instances of first strike on the same creature are redundant.

502.3. Flanking

502.3a Flanking is a triggered ability that triggers during the declare blockers step. (See rule 309, 
"Declare Blockers Step.") "Flanking" means "Whenever this creature becomes blocked by a 
creature without flanking, the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn."

502.3b If a creature has multiple instances of flanking, each triggers separately.

502.4. Flying

502.4a Flying is an evasion ability.

502.4b A creature with flying can't be blocked by creatures without flying. A creature with flying 
can block a creature with or without flying. (See rule 309, "Declare Blockers Step.")

502.4c Multiple instances of flying on the same creature are redundant.

502.5. Haste

502.5a Haste is a static ability.

502.5b A creature with haste can attack or use activated abilities whose cost includes the tap symbol 
even if it hasn't been controlled by its controller continuously since the beginning of his or her 
most recent turn. (See rule 212.3d.)

502.5c Multiple instances of haste on the same creature are redundant.

502.6. Landwalk

502.6a Landwalk and snow-covered landwalk are generic terms; a card's rules text will give a 
specific subtype or supertype (such as in "islandwalk," "snow-covered swampwalk," or 
"legendary landwalk").

502.6b Landwalk and snow-covered landwalk are evasion abilities. A creature with landwalk is 
unblockable as long as the defending player controls at least one land with the specified subtype 
or supertype. (See rule 309, "Declare Blockers Step.")

502.6c Snow-covered landwalk is a special type of landwalk. A creature with snow-covered 
landwalk is unblockable as long as the defending player controls at least one land with the 
specified subtype or supertype that has snow-covered. If a player is allowed to choose any 
landwalk ability, that player may choose a snow-covered landwalk ability. If an effect causes a 
permanent to lose all landwalk abilities, snow-covered landwalk abilities are removed as well.

502.6d Landwalk or snow-covered landwalk abilities don't "cancel" one another.
Example: If a player controls a snow-covered Forest, that player can't block an 
attacking creature with snow-covered forestwalk even if he or she also controls a 
creature with snow-covered forestwalk.

502.6e Multiple instances of the same type of landwalk or snow-covered landwalk on the same 
creature are redundant.

502.7. Protection

502.7a Protection is a static ability, written "Protection from [quality]." This quality is usually a 
color (as in "protection from black") but can be any characteristic value. If the quality is a type, 
subtype, or supertype, the protection applies to sources that are permanents with that type, 
subtype, or supertype and to any sources not in play that are of that type, subtype, or supertype.

502.7b A permanent with protection can't be targeted by spells with the stated quality and can't be 
targeted by abilities from a source with the stated quality.

502.7c A permanent with protection can't be enchanted by enchantments that have the stated 
quality. Such enchantments enchanting the permanent with protection will be put into their 
owners' graveyards as a state-based effect. (See rule 420, "State-Based Effects.")

502.7d A permanent with protection can't be equipped by Equipment that have the stated quality. 
Such an Equipment stops equipping that permanent, but remains in play. (See rule 420, "State-
Based Effects.")

502.7e Any damage that would be dealt by sources that have the stated quality to a permanent that 
has protection is prevented.

502.7f If a creature with protection attacks, it can't be blocked by creatures that have the stated 
quality.

502.7g Multiple instances of protection from the same quality on the same permanent are 
redundant.

502.8. Shadow

502.8a Shadow is an evasion ability.

502.8b A creature with shadow can't be blocked by creatures without shadow, and a creature 
without shadow can't be blocked by creatures with shadow. (See rule 309, "Declare Blockers 
Step.")

502.8c Multiple instances of shadow on the same creature are redundant.

502.9. Trample

502.9a Trample is a static ability that modifies the rules for assigning an attacking creature's 
combat damage. A creature with trample has no special abilities when blocking or dealing 
noncombat damage. (See rule 310, "Combat Damage Step.")

502.9b The controller of an attacking creature with trample first assigns damage to the creature(s) 
blocking it. If all those blocking creatures are assigned lethal damage, any remaining damage is 
assigned as its controller chooses among the blocking creatures and the defending player. When 
checking for assigned lethal damage, take into account damage already on the creature and 
damage from other creatures that is to be assigned at the same time (see rule 502.9e). The 
controller need not assign lethal damage to all blocking creatures but in that case can't assign 
any damage to the defending player.

502.9c If all the creatures blocking an attacking creature with trample are removed from combat 
before the combat damage step, all its damage is assigned to the defending player.

502.9d Assigning damage from a creature with trample considers only the actual toughness of a 
blocking creature, not any abilities or effects that might change the final amount of damage 
dealt.
Example: A 6/6 green creature with trample is blocked by a 2/2 creature with protection 
from green. The attacking creature's controller must assign at least 2 damage to the 
blocker, even though that damage will be prevented by the blocker's protection ability. 
The attacking creature's controller can then choose to assign the rest of the damage to 
the defending player.

502.9e When there are several attacking creatures, it's legal to assign damage from those without 
trample so as to maximize the damage of those with trample.
Example: A 2/2 creature with an ability that enables it to block multiple attackers blocks 
two attackers: a 1/1 with no special abilities a 3/3 with trample. The attacking player 
could assign 1 damage from the first attacker and 1 damage from the second to the 
blocking creature, and 2 damage to the defending player from the creature with trample.

502.9f Multiple instances of trample on the same creature are redundant.

502.10. Banding

502.10a Banding is a static ability that modifies the rules for declaring attackers and assigning 
combat damage.

502.10b As a player declares attackers, he or she may declare that any number of those creatures 
with banding, and up to one of those creatures without banding, are all in a "band." (Defending 
players can't declare bands but may use banding in a different way; see rule 502.10h.)

502.10c A player may declare as many attacking bands as he or she wants, but each creature may be 
a member of only one of them.

502.10d Once an attacking band has been announced, it lasts for the rest of combat, even if 
something later removes the banding ability from one or more creatures. However, creatures in 
a band that are removed from combat are also removed from the band.

502.10e If an attacking creature becomes blocked by a creature, each other creature in the same 
band as the attacking creature becomes blocked by that same blocking creature.
Example: A player attacks with a band consisting of a creature with flying and a 
creature with swampwalk. The defending player, who controls a Swamp, can block the 
flying creature if able. If he or she does, then the creature with swampwalk will also 
become blocked by the blocking creature(s).

502.10f Banding doesn't cause attacking creatures to share abilities, nor does it remove any 
abilities. The attacking creatures in a band are separate permanents.

502.10g If one member of a band would become blocked due to an effect, the entire band becomes 
blocked.

502.10h A player who controls an attacking creature with banding chooses how combat damage is 
assigned by creatures blocking that creature. A player who controls a blocking creature with 
banding chooses how combat damage is assigned by creatures it blocks. If the creature had 
banding when it attacked or blocked, but the ability was removed before the combat damage 
step, damage is assigned normally.

502.10i Multiple instances of banding on the same creature are redundant.

502.11. Bands with Other

502.11a Bands with other is a special form of banding. If an effect causes a permanent to lose 
banding, the permanent loses all bands with other abilities as well.

502.11b An attacking creature with "bands with other [creature type]" can form an attacking band 
with other creatures that have the same "bands with other [creature type]" ability. Creatures with 
banding can also join this band, but creatures without banding can't. The creatures in this band 
don't have to have the creature type specified in the "bands with other [creature type]" ability. 
Blocking this band follows the same general rules as for banding.

502.11c If an attacking creature is blocked by at least two creatures with the same "bands with other 
[creature type]" ability, the defending player chooses how the attacking creature's damage is 
assigned. Similarly, if a blocking creature blocks at least two attacking creatures with the same 
"bands with other [creature type]" ability, the attacking player chooses how the blocking 
creature's damage is assigned.

502.11d Multiple instances of bands with other of the same type on the same creature are redundant.

502.12. Rampage

502.12a Rampage is a triggered ability. "Rampage [X]" means "Whenever this creature becomes 
blocked, it gets +X/+X until end of turn for each creature blocking it beyond the first." (See rule 
309, "Declare Blockers Step.")

502.12b The rampage bonus is calculated only once per combat, when the triggered ability resolves. 
Adding or removing blockers later in combat won't change the bonus.

502.12c If a creature has multiple instances of rampage, each triggers separately.

502.13. Cumulative Upkeep

502.13a Cumulative upkeep is a triggered ability that imposes an increasing cost on a permanent. 
The phrase "Cumulative upkeep [cost]" means "At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age 
counter on this permanent, then sacrifice this permanent unless you pay [cost] for each age 
counter on it."

502.13b If a permanent has multiple instances of cumulative upkeep, each triggers separately. 
However, the age counters are not linked to any particular ability; each cumulative upkeep 
ability will count the total number of age counters on the permanent at the time that ability 
resolves.
Example: A creature has two instances of "Cumulative upkeep—Pay 1 life." The 
creature currently has no counters but both cumulative upkeep abilities trigger. When 
the first ability resolves, the controller adds a counter and then chooses to pay 1 life. 
When the second ability resolves, the controller adds another counter and then chooses 
to pay an additional 2 life.

502.14. Snow-Covered

502.14a Snow-covered is an ability that doesn't do anything in its own right; it's simply a keyword 
that other cards look for. When a rule or an effect refers to a "snow-covered land," it means a 
land with the snow-covered ability. When a rule or an effect refers to a "snow-covered Forest," 
it means a Forest with the snow-covered ability, and so on.

502.14b Five snow-covered lands were printed in the Ice Age™ expansion. Their names are Snow-
Covered Plains, Snow-Covered Island, Snow-Covered Swamp, Snow-Covered Mountain, and 
Snow-Covered Forest. These lands are basic lands, even though they have a different name and 
they have the snow-covered ability.

502.14c Some effects can add or remove the snow-covered ability. This doesn't change the existing 
name of the land, or any types, subtypes, or supertypes it has. For example, a card named Snow-
Covered Forest is named "Snow-Covered Forest," while a Forest that has been granted the 
snow-covered ability is still named "Forest."

502.14d Multiple instances of snow-covered on the same land are redundant.

502.15. Phasing

502.15a Phasing is a static ability that modifies the rules of the untap step.

502.15b During each player's untap step, before the active player untaps his or her permanents, all 
permanents with phasing the player controls phase out. Simultaneously, all objects that had 
phased out under that player's control phase in. (See rule 217.8, "Phased-Out," and rule 302.1.)

502.15c If an effect causes a player to skip his or her untap step, the phasing event simply doesn't 
occur that turn.

502.15d Permanents phasing in don't trigger any comes-into-play abilities, and effects that modify 
how a permanent comes into play are ignored. Abilities and effects that specifically mention 
phasing can modify or trigger on this event, however. Permanents phasing out trigger leaves-
play abilities as usual. (Because no player receives priority during the untap step, any abilities 
triggering off of the phasing event won't go onto the stack until the upkeep step begins.)

502.15e When a permanent phases out, all damage dealt to it is removed.

502.15f A card that returns to play from the phased-out zone is considered the same permanent it 
was when it left. This is an exception to rule 217.1c, which stipulates that a permanent "forgets" 
its previous existence when it changes zones.

502.15g Effects with limited duration and delayed triggered abilities that specifically reference a 
permanent will be unable to further affect that permanent if it phases out. However, other effects 
that reference the permanent (including effects with unlimited duration) can affect the 
permanent when it returns to play.
Example: A creature is affected by Giant Growth and then phases out during the same 
turn. If the creature phases back in somehow before the turn is over, it won't get the 
+3/+3 bonus from the Giant Growth because its effect has a limited duration.

502.15h Phased-out cards "remember" their past histories and will return to play in the same state. 
They "remember" any counters they had on them, any choices made when they first came into 
play, and whether they were tapped or untapped when they left play. They also "remember" 
who controlled them when they phased out, although they may phase in under the control of a 
different player if a control effect with limited duration has expired.
Example: Diseased Vermin reads, in part, "At the beginning of your upkeep, Diseased 
Vermin deals X damage to target opponent previously dealt damage by it, where X is the 
number of infection counters on it." If Diseased Vermin phases out, it "remembers" how 
many counters it has and also which opponents it has previously damaged. When it 
phases back in, it will still be able to target those opponents with its upkeep-triggered 
ability.

502.15i When a permanent phases out, any local enchantments or Equipment attached to that 
permanent phase out at the same time. This alternate way of phasing out is known as phasing 
out "indirectly." An enchantment or Equipment that phased out indirectly won't phase in by 
itself, but instead phases in along with the card it's attached to.

502.15j If a local enchantment or Equipment phased out directly (rather than phasing out along with 
the permanent it's attached to), then it "remembers" the permanent it was enchanting or 
equipping and returns to play attached to that permanent. If a local enchantment phases in and 
the permanent has left play or is no longer legal to enchant, the enchantment returns to play and 
then is placed in its owner's graveyard afterwards. This is a state-based effect; see rule 420. If 
an Equipment phases in and the permanent has left play or is no longer legal to equip, the 
Equipment returns to play and then stays in play, not equipping anything. This is a state-based 
effect; see rule 420.

502.15k Permanents that phase in keep the same timestamps (see rules 418.5d and 418.5e) they had 
when they phased out. This doesn't change the fact that the permanents phase in simultaneously, 
however. For example, if two Legends with the same name phase in, they both go to their 
owners' graveyards.

502.15m A permanent that phases in can attack and tap to play abilities as though it had haste. This 
applies even if that permanent phased out and phased back in the turn it came into play. The 
permanent remains able to attack and tap to play abilities until it changes controllers or leaves 
play.

502.15n A spell or ability that targets a permanent will resolve normally with respect to that 
permanent if the permanent phases out and back in before the spell or ability resolves.

502.15p Multiple instances of phasing on the same permanent are redundant.

502.16. Buyback

502.16a Buyback is a static ability of some instants and sorceries that functions while the spell is on 
the stack. The phrase "Buyback [cost]" means "You may pay an additional [cost] as you play 
this spell. If you do, put the spell into your hand instead of into your graveyard as it resolves." 
Paying a spell's buyback cost follows the rules for paying additional costs in rules 409.1b and 
409.1f–h.

502.17. Horsemanship

502.17a Horsemanship is an evasion ability that appeared in the Portal Three Kingdoms™ set.

502.17b A creature with horsemanship can't be blocked by creatures without horsemanship. A 
creature with horsemanship can block a creature with or without horsemanship. (See rule 309, 
"Declare Blockers Step.")

502.17c Multiple instances of horsemanship on the same creature are redundant.

502.18. Cycling

502.18a Cycling is an activated ability that functions only while the card with cycling is in a 
player's hand. The phrase "Cycling [cost]" means "[Cost], Discard this card from your hand: 
Draw a card."

502.18b Although the cycling ability is playable only if the card is in a player's hand, it continues to 
exist while the object is in play and in all other zones. Therefore objects with cycling will be 
affected by effects that depend on objects having one or more activated abilities.

502.18c Landcycling is a variant of the cycling ability. The phrase "[Land type]cycling [cost]" 
means "[Cost], Discard this card from your hand: Search your library for a [land type] card, 
reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library." Any cards that trigger when a 
player cycles a card will trigger when a card's landcycling ability is played. Any effect that 
stops players from cycling cards will stop players from playing cards' landcycling abilities.

502.19. Echo

502.19a Echo is a triggered ability. "Echo" means "At the beginning of your upkeep, if this 
permanent came under your control since the beginning of your last upkeep, sacrifice it unless 
you pay its mana cost."

502.20. Fading

502.20a Fading is a keyword that represents two abilities. The phrase "Fading [X]" means "This 
permanent comes into play with X fade counters on it" and "At the beginning of your upkeep, 
remove a fade counter from this permanent. If you can't, sacrifice the permanent."

502.21. Kicker

502.21a Kicker is a static ability that functions while the spell is on the stack. The phrase "Kicker 
[cost]" means "You may pay an additional [cost] as you play this spell." The phrase "Kicker 
[cost 1] and/or [cost 2]" means the same thing as "Kicker [cost 1], kicker [cost 2]." Paying a 
spell's kicker cost(s) follows the rules for paying additional costs in rules 409.1b and 409.1f–h.

502.21b Objects with kicker have additional abilities that specify what happens if the kicker cost is 
paid. Objects with more than one kicker cost have abilities that correspond to each kicker cost.

502.21c If the text that depends on a kicker cost being paid targets one or more permanents and/or 
players, the spell's controller chooses those targets only if he or she declared the intention to pay 
the appropriate kicker cost. Otherwise, the targets aren't chosen at all.

502.21d A card with kicker may contain the phrases "if the [A] kicker cost was paid" and "if the [B] 
kicker cost was paid," where A and B are the first and second kicker costs listed on the card, 
respectively. This text just refers to one kicker cost or the other, regardless of what the spell's 
controller actually spent when paying the cost. In other words, read "if the [A] kicker cost was 
paid" as "if the first kicker cost listed was paid," and read "if the [B] kicker cost was paid" as "if 
the second kicker cost listed was paid."

502.22. Flashback

502.22a Flashback is a static ability of some instant and sorcery cards that functions while the card 
is in a player's graveyard. The phrase "Flashback [cost]" means "You may play this card from 
your graveyard by paying [cost] rather than paying its mana cost. If you do, remove this card 
from the game instead of putting it anywhere else any time it would leave the stack." Playing a 
spell using its flashback ability follows the rules for paying alternative costs in rules 409.1b and 
409.1f–h.

502.23. Threshold

502.23a Threshold is a characteristic-setting ability, written "Threshold — [text]." It alters the rules 
text of the object it's on, based on a condition. The text can create any kind of ability. The 
phrase "Threshold — [text]" means "As long as you have seven or more cards in your 
graveyard, [this object] has '[text].'"

502.23b Spells and permanents with threshold have the threshold text only if their controller has 
seven or more cards in his or her graveyard. Otherwise, the text after "Threshold —" is treated 
as though it did not appear on the spell or permanent.

502.23c An instant or sorcery with threshold has the threshold text only while the spell is on the 
stack. An artifact, creature, enchantment, or land with threshold has the threshold text only if the 
permanent is in play. 

502.24. Madness

502.24a Madness is a keyword that represents two abilities. The first is a static ability that functions 
while the card with madness is in a player's hand. The second is a triggered ability that 
functions when the first ability is applied. The phrase "Madness [cost]" means "If a player 
would discard this card from his or her hand, that player discards it, but may remove it from the 
game instead of putting it into his or her graveyard" and "When this card is removed from the 
game this way, until that player passes next, the player may play it any time he or she could play 
an instant as though it were in his or her hand by paying [cost] rather than paying its mana cost. 
When the player passes next, he or she puts this card into his or her graveyard."

502.24b Playing a spell using its madness ability follows the rules for paying alternative costs in 
rules 409.1b and 409.1f–h.

502.25. Fear

502.25a Fear is an evasion ability.

502.25b A creature with fear can't be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or black creatures. 
(See rule 309, "Declare Blockers Step.")

502.25c Multiple instances of fear on the same creature are redundant.

502.26. Morph

502.26a Morph is a static ability that functions in any zone from which you could play the card it's 
on, and the morph effect works any time the card is face down. The phrase "Morph [cost]" 
means "You may play this card as a 2/2 face-down creature, with no text, no name, no subtypes, 
no expansion symbol, and a mana cost of {o0} by paying {o3} rather than its mana cost." Any 
time you could play an instant, you may show all players the morph cost for any face-down 
permanent you control, pay that cost, then turn the permanent face up. This action does not use 
the stack. (See rule 504, "Face-Down Spells and Permanents.")

502.26b To play a card using its morph ability, turn it face down. It becomes a 2/2 face-down 
creature card, with no text, no name, no subtypes, no expansion symbol, and a mana cost of 
{o0}. These values are the copiable values of that object's characteristics. (See rule 418.5, 
"Interaction of Continuous Effects," and rule 503, "Copying Objects.") Put it onto the stack (as 
a face-down spell with the same characteristics), and pay {o3} rather than pay its mana cost. 
This follows the rules for paying alternative costs. You can use morph to play a card from any 
zone from which you could normally play it. When the spell resolves, it comes into play with 
the same characteristics the spell had. The morph effect applies to the face-down object 
wherever it is, and it ends when the permanent is turned face up.

502.26c You can't play a card face down if it doesn't have morph.

502.26d Any time you could play an instant, you may turn a face-down permanent you control face 
up. To do this, show all players what the permanent's morph cost will be when the effect ends, 
pay that cost, then turn the permanent face up. The morph effect on it ends, and it regains its 
normal characteristics. Any abilities relating to the permanent coming into play don't trigger 
when it's turned face up and don't have any effect, because the permanent has already come into 
play.

502.26e If a face-up permanent is turned face down by a spell or ability, it becomes a 2/2 face-down 
creature, with no text, no name, no subtypes, no expansion symbol, and a mana cost of {o0}. 
These values are the copiable values of that object's characteristics. (See rule 418.5, "Interaction 
of Continuous Effects," and rule 503, "Copying Objects.") The rules for morph and face-down 
permanents apply to it normally.

502.26f See rule 504, "Face-Down Spells and Permanents," for more information on how to play 
cards with morph.

502.27. Amplify

502.27a Amplify is a static ability. "Amplify [X]" means "As this object comes into play, reveal 
any number of cards from your hand that share a creature type with it. This permanent comes 
into play with X +1/+1 counters on it for each card revealed this way. You can't reveal this card 
or any other cards that are coming into play at the same time as this card."

502.27b If a creature has multiple instances of amplify, each one works separately.

502.28. Double Strike

502.28a Double strike is a static ability that modifies the rules for the combat damage step. (See rule 
310, "Combat Damage Step.")

502.28b At the start of the combat damage step, if at least one attacking or blocking creature has 
double strike or first strike, creatures without double strike or first strike (see rule 502.2, "First 
Strike") don't assign combat damage. Instead of proceeding to end of combat, the phase gets a 
second combat damage step to handle the remaining creatures. In the second combat damage 
step, surviving attackers and blockers that didn't assign combat damage in the first step, plus 
any creatures with double strike, assign their combat damage.

502.28c Removing double strike from a creature during the first combat damage step will stop it 
from assigning combat damage in the second combat damage step.

502.28d Giving double strike to a creature with first strike after it has already put first strike combat 
damage onto the stack in the first combat damage step will allow the creature to assign combat 
damage in the second combat damage step.

502.28e Multiple instances of double strike on the same creature are redundant.

502.29. Provoke

502.29a Provoke is a triggered ability. "Provoke" means "Whenever this creature attacks, you may 
choose to have target creature defending player controls block this creature this combat if able. 
If you do, untap that creature."

502.29b If a creature has multiple instances of provoke, each triggers separately.

502.30. Storm

502.30a Storm is a triggered ability that functions while the spell is on the stack. "Storm" means 
"When you play this spell, put a copy of it onto the stack for each other spell that was played 
before it this turn. If the spell has any targets, you may choose new targets for any number of the 
copies."

502.30b If a spell has multiple instances of storm, each triggers separately.

502.31. Affinity

502.31a Affinity is a static ability that functions while the spell is on the stack. "Affinity for [text]" 
means "This spell costs you {o1} less to play for each [text] you control."

502.31b The affinity ability reduces only generic mana costs; it doesn't reduce how much colored 
mana you have to pay for a spell. Affinity can't reduce the cost to play a spell to less than 0.

502.31c If a spell has multiple instances of affinity, each of them applies.

502.32. Entwine

502.32a Entwine is a static ability that functions while the spell is on the stack. The phrase 
"Entwine [cost]" means "You may choose to use all modes of this spell instead of just one. If 
you do, you pay an additional [cost]." Using the entwine ability follows the rules for choosing 
modes and paying additional costs in rules 409.1b and 409.1f–h.

502.32b If the entwine cost was paid, follow the text of each of the modes in the order written on 
the card when the spell resolves.

502.33. Equip

502.33a Equip is an activated ability of artifact Equipment cards. The phrase "Equip [cost]" means 
"[cost]: Move this Equipment onto target creature you control. Play this ability only any time 
you could play a sorcery."

502.33b For more information about Equipment, see rule 212.2, "Artifacts."

502.33c If an artifact has multiple instances of equip, any of its equip abilities may be used.

502.34. Imprint

502.34a Imprint is an activated or triggered ability, written "Imprint — [text]," where "[text]" is a 
triggered or activated ability. Cards that are in the removed-from-game zone because they were 
removed from the game by an imprint ability are imprinted on the source of that ability.

502.34b The phrase "imprinted [type] card" means the card of that type that's imprinted on the 
permanent. If a permanent has more than one card of that type imprinted on it, each of those 
cards is an "imprinted [type] card."

503. Copying Objects

503.1. Some objects create or become a "copy" of a spell, permanent, or card. (Certain older cards were 
printed with the phrase "search for a copy." This section doesn't cover those cards, which have 
received new text in the Oracle card reference.)

503.2. When copying an object, the copy acquires the copiable values of the original object's 
characteristics (name, mana cost, color, type, supertype, subtype, expansion symbol, rules text, 
power, and toughness) and, for an object on the stack, choices made when playing it (mode, targets, 
the value of X, whether a kicker cost was paid, how it will affect multiple targets, and so on). The 
"copiable values" are the values that are printed on the object, as modified by other copy effects, 
plus any values set for face-down spells or permanents. Other effects (including type-changing 
effects) and counters are not copied.
Example: Chimeric Staff is an artifact that reads "{oX}: Chimeric Staff becomes an X/X 
artifact creature until end of turn." Clone is a creature that reads, "As Clone comes into 
play, you may choose a creature in play. If you do, Clone comes into play as a copy of that 
creature." After a Staff has become a 5/5 artifact creature, a Clone comes into play as a 
copy of it. The Clone is an artifact, not a 5/5 artifact creature. (The copy has the Staff's 
ability, however, and will become a creature if that ability is activated.)

503.3. The copied information becomes the copiable values for the copy, replacing its previous copiable 
values. Objects that copy the object will use the new copiable values.
Example: Vesuvan Doppelganger reads, "As Vesuvan Doppelganger comes into play, you 
may choose a creature in play. If you do, Vesuvan Doppelganger comes into play as a copy 
of that creature except for its color and gains 'At the beginning of your upkeep, you may 
have this creature become a copy of target creature except for its color. If you do, this 
creature gains this ability.'" A Vesuvan Doppelganger comes into play as a copy of Grizzly 
Bears (a 2/2 green creature with no abilities). Then a Clone comes into play as a copy of the 
Doppelganger. The Clone is a 2/2 blue Bear named Grizzly Bears that has the 
Doppelganger's upkeep-triggered ability.

503.4. Some effects cause a permanent that's copying a permanent to copy a different permanent while 
remaining in play. The change doesn't trigger comes-into-play or leaves-play abilities. This also 
doesn't change any noncopy effects presently affecting the permanent.
Example: Unstable Shapeshifter reads, "Whenever a creature comes into play, Unstable 
Shapeshifter becomes a copy of that creature and gains this ability." A Shapeshifter is 
affected by Giant Growth, which reads "Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn." If a 
creature comes into play later this turn, the Shapeshifter will become a copy of that 
creature, but it will still get +3/+3 from the Giant Growth.

503.5. An object that comes into play "as a copy" of another permanent becomes a copy as it comes 
into play. It doesn't come into play, and then become a copy of that permanent. If the text that's 
being copied includes any abilities that replace the comes-into-play event (such as "comes into play 
with" or "as [this] comes into play" abilities), those abilities will take effect. Also, any comes-into-
play triggered abilities of the copy will have a chance to trigger.
Example: Skyshroud Behemoth reads, "Fading 2 (This creature comes into play with two 
fade counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a fade counter from it. If you 
can't, sacrifice it.) / Skyshroud Behemoth comes into play tapped." A Clone that comes into 
play as a copy of a Skyshroud Behemoth will also come into play tapped with two fade 
counters on it.
Example: Striped Bears reads, "When Striped Bears comes into play, draw a card." A 
Clone comes into play as a copy of Striped Bears. The Clone has the Bears' comes-into-play 
triggered ability, so the Clone's controller draws a card.

503.6. When copying a permanent, any choices that have been made for that permanent aren't copied. 
Instead, if an object comes into play as a copy of another permanent, the object's controller will get 
to make any "as comes into play" choices for it.
Example: A Clone comes into play as a copy of Chameleon Spirit. Chameleon Spirit reads, 
in part, "As Chameleon Spirit comes into play, choose a color." The Clone won't copy the 
color choice of the Spirit; rather, the controller of the Clone will get to make a new choice.

503.7. Because any choices that have been made for a permanent aren't copied, sometimes a copy card 
will gain an ability that refers to a choice that was never made. In that case, the choice is considered 
to be "zero" or "undefined."
Example: Voice of All comes into play and Unstable Shapeshifter copies it. Voice of All 
reads, in part, "As Voice of All comes into play, choose a color. / Voice of All has protection 
from the chosen color." Unstable Shapeshifter never got a chance to choose a color, 
because it didn't come into play as a Voice of All card, so the Shapeshifter's protection 
ability doesn't protect it from anything at all.

503.8. If an ability causes a player to make a choice as a copy comes into play, the copy will 
"remember" that choice and continue to use it for its abilities if appropriate. If the choice is not 
appropriate, it is considered to be "zero" or "undefined."
Example: A Vesuvan Doppelganger comes into play as a copy of Chameleon Spirit, and the 
Doppelganger's controller chooses blue. Later, the Doppelganger copies Quirion Elves. The 
Elves has the ability, "{oT}: Add one mana of the chosen color to your mana pool." If the 
mana ability of the Doppelganger is played, it will produce blue mana.
Example: A Vesuvan Doppelganger comes into play as a copy of Caller of the Hunt. Caller 
of the Hunt reads, in part, "As Caller of the Hunt comes into play, choose a creature type." 
The Doppelganger's controller chooses Goblin. Later, the Doppelganger copies Quirion 
Elves. If the mana ability of the Doppelganger is played, it will fail to produce any mana. It 
won't produce Goblin mana.

503.9. Some copy effects give an ability to the copy as part of the copying process. This ability 
becomes part of the copiable values for the copy, along with any other abilities that were copied. 
Also, some copy effects specifically state that they don't copy certain characteristics; they retain 
their original values instead.
Example: Quirion Elves comes into play and an Unstable Shapeshifter copies it. The 
copiable values of the Shapeshifter now match those of the Elves, except that the 
Shapeshifter also has the ability "Whenever a creature comes into play, Unstable 
Shapeshifter becomes a copy of that creature and gains this ability." Then a Clone comes 
into play as a copy of the Unstable Shapeshifter. The Clone copies the new copiable values 
of the Shapeshifter, including the ability that the Shapeshifter gave itself when it copied the 
Elves.

503.10. To copy a spell means to put a copy of the spell onto the stack; a copy of a spell isn't "played." 
In addition to copying the characteristics of the spell, all decisions made when the spell was played 
are copied. These include mode, targets, the value of X, and optional additional costs such as 
buyback. (See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.") Choices that are normally made 
on resolution are not copied. A copy of a spell is itself a spell, but it has no spell card associated 
with it. It works just like a normal spell: it can be countered or it can resolve, and it uses the same 
timing rules as normal spells.
Example: A player plays Fork, targeting an Emerald Charm. Fork reads, "Put a copy of 
target instant or sorcery spell onto the stack, except that it copies Fork's color and you may 
choose new targets for the copy." Emerald Charm reads, "Choose one — Untap target 
permanent; or destroy target global enchantment; or target creature loses flying until end of 
turn." When the Fork resolves, it puts a copy of the Emerald Charm on the stack. The copy 
has the same mode that was chosen for the original Emerald Charm. It does not necessarily 
have the same target, but only because Fork allows choosing of new targets.

503.10a A copy of a spell in a zone other than the stack ceases to exist. This is a state-based effect. 
See rule 420.

503.11. If an effect refers to a permanent by name, the effect still tracks that permanent even if it 
changes names or becomes a copy of something else.
Example: An Unstable Shapeshifter copies a Crazed Armodon. Crazed Armodon reads, 
"{oG}: Crazed Armodon gets +3/+0 and gains trample until end of turn. Destroy Crazed 
Armodon at end of turn. Play this ability only once each turn." If this activated ability of the 
Shapeshifter is played, the Shapeshifter will be destroyed at end of turn, even if it's no 
longer a copy of Crazed Armodon at that time.

503.12. An effect that instructs a player to "play a copy" of an object follows the rules for playing spells 
and abilities, except that the copy is played while another spell or ability is resolving. Playing a 
copy of a nonland object follows steps 409.1a-409.1h of rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated 
Abilities," then the copy becomes played. The played copy is a spell on the stack, and just like any 
other spell it can resolve or be countered.

504. Face-Down Spells and Permanents

504.1. One old card (Illusionary Mask) and the morph ability (see rule 502.26) allow spells and 
permanents to be face down.

504.2. Face-down spells on the stack, face-down permanents in play, and face-down cards in the 
phased-out zone have no characteristics other than those listed by the ability or rules that allow the 
card, spell, or permanent to be face down. Any listed characteristics are the copiable values of that 
object's characteristics. (See rule 418.5, "Interaction of Continuous Effects," and rule 503, 
"Copying Objects.") Objects that are put into play face down are turned face down before they 
come into play, so the permanent's comes-into-play abilities won't trigger (if triggered) or have any 
effect (if static). Objects that are played face down are turned face down before they are put onto the 
stack, so effects that care about the characteristics of a spell will see only the face-down spell's 
characteristics.

504.3. You may look at a face-down spell you control on the stack or a face-down permanent you 
control at any time. You can't look at face-down cards in any other zone or face-down spells or 
permanents controlled by another player. The ability or rules that allow a permanent to be face 
down may also allow the permanent's controller to turn it face up. Spells normally can't be turned 
face up.

504.4. If you control multiple face-down spells on the stack or face-down permanents in play, you must 
ensure at all times that your face-down spells and permanents can be easily differentiated from each 
other. This includes, but is not limited to, knowing the order spells were played, the order that face-
down permanents came into play, which creature attacked last turn, and any other differences 
between face-down spells or permanents. Common methods for distinguishing between face-down 
objects include using counters or dice to mark the different objects, or clearly placing those objects 
in order on the table.

504.5. As a face-down permanent is turned face up, its copiable values revert to its normal copiable 
values. Any effects that have been applied to the face-down permanent still apply to the face-up 
permanent. Any abilities relating to the permanent coming into play don't trigger and don't have 
any effect, because the permanent has already come into play.

504.6. If a face-down permanent moves from the in-play zone to any zone other than the phased-out 
zone, its owner must reveal it to all players as he or she moves it. If a phased-out face-down object 
moves to any zone other than the in-play zone, its owner must reveal it as he or she moves it. If a 
face-down spell moves from the stack to any zone other than the in-play zone, its owner must reveal 
it to all players as he or she moves it. At the end of each game, all face-down objects in play, in the 
phased-out zone, or on the stack must be revealed to all players.

505. Split Cards

505.1. Split cards have two card faces on a single card. The back of a split card is the normal Magic: 
The Gathering card back.

505.2. In every zone except the stack, split cards have two sets of characteristics. As long as a split card 
is a spell on the stack, only the characteristics of the half being played exist. The other half's 
characteristics are treated as though they didn't exist.

505.3. Because every split card consists of two halves with different colored mana symbols in their 
mana costs, each split card is a multicolored card except while it's a spell on the stack. While it's a 
spell on the stack, it's only the color of the half being played.

505.4. Although split cards have two playable halves, each split card is only one card. For example, a 
player who has drawn or discarded a split card has drawn or discarded one card, not two.

505.5. Effects that ask for a particular characteristic of a split card while it's in a zone other than the 
stack get an answer that consists of a combination of the split card's two halves.
Example: Infernal Genesis has an ability that reads, "At the beginning of each player's 
upkeep, that player puts the top card from his or her library into his or her graveyard. He or 
she then puts X 1/1 black Minion creature tokens into play, where X is that card's converted 
mana cost." If the top card of your library is Assault/Battery when this ability resolves, you 
get five 1/1 creature tokens because Assault's converted mana cost is 1 and Battery's is 4, 
for a total of 5.

505.6. Effects that ask if a split card's characteristic (in any zone other than the stack) matches a given 
value get only one answer. This answer is "yes" if either side of the split card matches the given 
value.
Example: Void reads, "Choose a number. Destroy all artifacts and creatures with 
converted mana cost equal to that number. Then target player reveals his or her hand and 
discards from it all nonland cards with converted mana cost equal to the number." If a 
player plays Void and chooses 1 or 4, his or her opponent would discard Assault/Battery. If 
the player chooses 5, Assault/Battery would be unaffected, because neither half has a 
converted mana cost of 5.

505.7. 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.

506. Subgames

506.1. One card (Shahrazad) allows players to play a Magic subgame. A "subgame" is the game 
created by Shahrazad. The "main game" is the game in which Shahrazad was played. The main 
game is suspended while the subgame is in progress. It resumes when the subgame ends.

506.2. Any main-game abilities that trigger while the subgame is in progress aren't put onto the stack 
until the subgame is completed.

506.3. To start the subgame, each player removes his or her library from the game face down. It 
becomes that player's deck in the subgame. Abilities that trigger on cards being removed from the 
main game face down will trigger.

506.3a A player's deck in the subgame may have less than the minimum number of cards. If a 
player's deck contains less than seven cards, the player will lose the game as soon as it starts, 
even if he or she mulligans. (See rule 420, "State-Based Effects.")

506.4. The subgame proceeds like a normal game. Randomly determine which player goes first.

506.5. All objects in the main game and all cards outside the main game are considered outside the 
subgame (except those specifically brought into the subgame).

506.5a Some effects can bring cards into a game from outside of it. Cards brought into a subgame 
from a main game are considered to be removed from the main game. Abilities in the main 
game that trigger on objects being removed from the main game will trigger.

506.6. At the end of a subgame, each player puts all objects that were brought into the subgame into his 
or her library in the main game, then shuffles that library. Cards removed from the game in the 
subgame are not put into the player's main-game library. Instead they remain removed from the 
game in the main game.
Example: If a card was brought into the subgame either from the main game or from 
outside the main game, that card will be put into its owner's main-game library when the 
subgame ends.

506.7. If another subgame is created during a subgame, there can be multiple subgames and main 
games. Each main game has one subgame, and each subgame has one main game. In this case, some 
games will be considered both a main game and a subgame at the same time.

507. Controlling Another Player's Turn

507.1. One card (Mindslaver) allows a player's turn to be controlled by another player. This effect 
applies to the next turn that the affected player actually takes. The entire turn is controlled; the 
effect doesn't end until the beginning of the next turn.

507.1a Multiple turn-controlling effects that affect the same player overwrite each other. The last 
one to be created is the one that works.

507.1b If a turn is skipped, any pending turn-controlling effects wait until the player who would be 
affected actually takes a turn.

507.1c Only the control of the turn changes. All objects are controlled by their normal controllers.

507.2. If information about an object would be visible to the player whose turn is controlled, it's visible 
to both that player and the controller of the turn.
Example: The controller of a player's turn can see that player's hand and the identity of 
any face-down creatures he or she controls.

507.3. The controller of another player's turn makes all choices and decisions that player is allowed to 
make or is told to make during that turn by the rules or by any objects. This includes choices and 
decisions about what to play, and choices and decisions called for by spells and abilities.
Example: The controller of the turn decides which spells to play and what those spells 
target, and makes any required decisions when those spells resolve.
Example: The controller of the turn decides which of the player's creatures attack, and how 
those creatures assign their combat damage.
Example: The controller of the turn decides which card the player chooses from outside the 
game with one of the Judgment™ Wishes. The player can't choose a card of the wrong type.

507.3a The controller of another player's turn can use only that player's resources (cards, mana, and 
so on) to pay costs for that player.
Example: If the controller of the turn decides that the player will play a spell with an 
additional cost of discarding cards from hand, the cards are discarded from the player's 
hand.

507.3b The controller of another player's turn can't make that player concede. A player may 
concede the game at any time, even if his or her turn is controlled by another player. See rule 
102.7.

507.3c The controller of another player's turn can't make choices or decisions for that player that 
aren't called for by the rules, or by any objects. The controller also can't make any choices or 
decisions for the player that would be called for by the tournament rules.
Example: The player whose turn it is still chooses whether he or she leaves to visit the 
restroom, trades a card to someone else, takes an intentional draw, or calls a judge 
about an error or infraction.

507.3d A player who controls another player's turn also continues to make his or her own choices 
and decisions.

507.4. A player doesn't lose life due to mana burn while another player controls his or her turn. 
(Unused mana in players' mana pools is still lost when a phase ends. See rule 300.3.)


Glossary

Ability
"Ability" and "effect" are often confused with one another. An instruction in an object's text is an ability. 
The result of following such an instruction is an effect. For more information, see section 4, "Spells, 
Abilities, and Effects."
     When an activated ability is played, it goes onto the stack and stays there until it resolves or is 
countered.
     When an effect states that an object "gains" or "has" an ability, it's granting that object an ability. If an 
effect defines a property of an object ("[card or permanent] is [property]"), it's not granting an ability. For 
example, an enchant creature might read, "Enchanted creature is red." The enchantment isn't granting an 
ability of any kind; it's simply changing the enchanted creature's color to red.

Activated Ability
An activated ability is written as "activation cost: effect." By paying the activation cost, a player may play 
such an ability whenever he or she has priority. See rule 403, "Activated Abilities."

Activation Cost
The activation cost of an activated ability is everything before the colon in "activation cost: effect." It must 
be paid to play the ability. See rule 403, "Activated Abilities."
Example: The activation cost of an ability that reads "{o2}, {oT}: You gain 1 life" is two mana of any 
color plus tapping the permanent.

Active Player
The active player is the player whose turn it is. The active player gets priority at the start of each phase or 
step (except for the untap and cleanup steps), after any spell or ability (except a mana ability) resolves, and 
after combat damage resolves. See rule 200.3.

Active Player, Nonactive Player Rule
Whenever both players are instructed to make choices at the same time, the active player makes all his or 
her choices first, then the nonactive player. This is called the "Active Player, Nonactive Player" rule, or 
"APNAP" rule. See rule 103.4.

Additional Cost
Some spells have additional costs listed in their text. These are paid at the same time the player pays the 
spell's mana cost. See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities."

Affinity
Affinity is a static ability that functions while the spell is on the stack. "Affinity [text]" means "This spell 
costs you {o1} less to play for each [text] you control." The affinity ability only reduces generic mana 
costs. It doesn't reduce how much colored mana you have to pay for a spell. It can't reduce the cost to play 
a spell to less than 0. See rule 502.31, "Affinity."

Alternative Cost
The rules text of some spells reads, "You may [action] rather than pay [this object's] mana cost," or include 
the phrase, "you may play [this object] without paying its mana cost." These are alternative costs. Only one 
such alternative cost can be applied to any one spell. Other spells and abilities that refer to a spell's mana 
cost don't consider the alternative cost. If an effect requires paying additional costs to play a spell, it still 
applies to the alternative cost. See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities."

Amplify
Amplify is a static ability. "Amplify [X]" means "As this object comes into play, reveal any number of 
cards from your hand that share a creature type with this object. This object comes into play with X +1/+1 
counters on it for each card revealed this way. You can't reveal this card or any other cards that are coming 
into play at the same time as this card." See rule 502.27, "Amplify."

Ante (Obsolete)
Earlier versions of the Magic rules included an ante rule as a way of playing "for keeps." Playing Magic 
games for ante is now considered an optional variation on the game, and it is allowed only where it's not 
forbidden by law or by other rules. Playing for ante is strictly forbidden under DCI tournament rules. When 
using the ante rule, each player puts one random card from his or her deck into his or her ante zone at the 
beginning of the game. At the end of the game, the winner becomes the owner of the cards in each player's 
ante zone. See rule 217.9, "Ante."

APNAP
See Active Player, Nonactive Player Rule.

Artifact
Artifact is a type. The active player can play artifacts only during his or her main phase when the stack is 
empty. When an artifact spell resolves, its controller puts it into play under his or her control. See rule 
212.2, "Artifacts."

Artifact Creature
An artifact creature is a combination of artifact and creature, and it's subject to the rules for both. (See rule 
212.2, "Artifacts.") Some artifact creatures don't have a creature type. Those that do will say "Artifact 
Creature — [creature type]"; for example, "Artifact Creature — Golem." "Artifact" isn't a creature type.

Artifact Land
An artifact land is a combination of artifact and land, and it's subject to the rules for both. (See rule 212.2, 
"Artifacts.") Artifact lands can only be played as lands. They can't be played as spells. Some artifact lands 
don't have a land type. Those that do will say "Artifact Land — [land type]."

"As though"
Text that states a player or card may do something "as though" some condition were true applies only to the 
stated action. For purposes of that action, treat the game exactly as if the stated condition is true. For all 
other purposes, treat the game normally.
Example: Giant Spider reads, "Giant Spider may block as though it had flying." You may treat the 
Spider as a creature with flying, but only for the purpose of declaring blockers. This allows Giant 
Spider to block a creature with flying (and creatures that "can't be blocked except by creatures with 
flying"), assuming no other blocking restrictions apply. For example, Giant Spider can't normally 
block a creature with both flying and shadow.
Example: Future Sight reads, "Play with the top card of your library revealed. / You may play the top 
card of your library as though it were in your hand." The revealed card may be played by the usual 
rules. If it's a spell, it's placed on the stack as the first step of playing it (see rule 409, "Playing Spells 
and Activated Abilities"); if it's a land, it's put directly into play. Because the card isn't actually in 
your hand, it can't be discarded, removed from the game to pay a cost, cycled, or counted toward the 
number of cards in your hand.
Example: Rolling Stones reads, "Walls may attack as though they weren't Walls." As long as this 
effect is active, Walls are treated exactly like creatures that don't have the Wall creature type for the 
purposes of declaring attackers. They're still subject to all other rules and effects that determine 
whether an attack is legal.
     If two cards state that a player or card may do the same thing "as though" different conditions were true, 
both conditions could apply. If one "as though" effect satisfies the requirements for another "as though" 
effect, then both effects will apply.
Example: Two effects read, "You may play cards in your graveyard as though they were in your 
hand," and "You may play cards from other players' graveyards as though they were in your 
graveyard." Both effects apply. You may play cards in your graveyard and cards in your opponents' 
graveyards. (The cards may be played by the usual rules.)

Assign Combat Damage
As the combat damage step begins, the active player announces how each attacking creature will assign its 
combat damage. Then the defending player announces how each blocking creature will assign its combat 
damage. All assignments of combat damage go on the stack as a single entry. See rule 310, "Combat 
Damage Step.

Attack
A creature attacks when it is declared as an attacker during the combat phase. (See rule 308, "Declare 
Attackers Step.") Playing a spell or ability (even during the combat phase) is never considered to be an 
attack.

Attack Alone
A creature is attacking alone when it's the only creature declared as an attacker in a given combat phase. 
See rule 306.4.

Attacked
Some triggered abilities trigger when a player is "attacked." At least one creature must actually be attacking 
that player for such abilities to trigger. Also, "attacked" means "attacked by one or more creatures," so such 
abilities can trigger only once each combat phase. See rule 306.3.

Attacking Creature
A creature becomes an attacking creature when (a) it's declared as part of a legal attack during the combat 
phase and (b) all attack costs have been paid. It remains an attacking creature until it's removed from 
combat, it stops being a creature, its controller changes, or the combat phase ends. Attacking creatures 
don't exist outside of the combat phase. See rule 308, "Declare Attackers Step."

Attacks and Isn't Blocked
An ability that triggers when a creature "attacks and isn't blocked" triggers when the creature becomes an 
unblocked attacking creature. See rule 309.2f.

Banding, "Bands with Other"
Banding is a static ability that affects the combat phase. "Bands with other" is a specialized version of the 
ability. See rule 502.10, "Banding," and rule 502.11, "Bands with Other."

Basic
Basic is a supertype. Any land with the supertype basic is a basic land. Any land without that supertype is a 
nonbasic land. See rule 205.4, "Supertypes."

Basic Land Type
There are five basic land types: Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest. Every basic land type has a 
mana ability associated with it. (See rule 212.6, "Lands.") 

Becomes
Some trigger events use the word "becomes" (for example, "becomes tapped" or "becomes blocked"). 
These trigger only at the time the named event happens—they don't trigger if that state already exists or 
retrigger if it persists. For example, "becomes tapped" triggers only once and only when a permanent's 
status changes from untapped to tapped.

Beginning of Combat Step
The beginning of combat step is the first step of the combat phase. A player may play spells and abilities 
during this step whenever he or she has priority. See rule 307, "Beginning of Combat Step."

Beginning Phase
The beginning phase is the first phase of the turn. It has three steps: untap, upkeep, and draw. See rule 301, 
"Beginning Phase."

Block
A creature blocks when it's declared as a blocker during the combat phase. See rule 309, "Declare Blockers 
Step."

Block Alone
A creature is blocking alone when it's the sole creature declared as a blocker in a given combat phase. See 
rule 306.4.

Blocked Creature
An attacking creature becomes a blocked creature when another creature blocks it or an effect causes it to 
become blocked during the combat phase. It remains a blocked creature until it's removed from combat, it 
stops being a creature, its controller changes, or the combat phase ends. A blocked creature doesn't become 
unblocked if the blocking creature is later removed from combat. Blocked creatures don't exist outside of 
the combat phase. See rule 309, "Declare Blockers Step."

Blocking Creature
A creature becomes a blocking creature when (a) it's declared as part of a legal block during the combat 
phase and (b) all block costs have been paid. It remains a blocking creature until it's removed from combat, 
it stops being a creature, its controller changes, or the combat phase ends. Blocking creatures don't exist 
outside of the combat phase. See rule 309, "Declare Blockers Step."

Bury (Obsolete)
Some older cards were printed with the term "bury," which meant to put a permanent into its owner's 
graveyard. In general, cards that were printed with the term "bury" now read, "Destroy [a permanent]. It 
can't be regenerated."

Buyback
Buyback is a replacement effect modifying rule 413.2h. When playing a spell with buyback, the controller 
of the spell may pay an additional cost specified on the card. If he or she does, when the spell resolves, the 
spell is put into his or her hand instead of into his or her graveyard. If the spell goes to some zone other 
than its owner's graveyard as it resolves, buyback's effect "loses track" of it, and it isn't returned to its 
owner's hand. See rule 502.16, "Buyback."

Cantrip (Informal)
This is a nickname for any spell that has "Draw a card" as part of its effect.

Card
When a rule or text on a card refers to a "card," it means a Magic card with a Magic card front and the 
Magic card back. Tokens aren't considered cards—even a card that represents a token isn't considered a 
card for rules purposes. See rule 200.1.
     Use the Oracle card reference to determine a card's text.

Cast (Obsolete)
Some older cards used the term "cast" to describe the playing of a spell. In general, cards that were printed 
with the term "cast" now use the term "play."

Caster (Obsolete)
Some older cards used the term "caster" to describe the player who played a spell. In general, cards that 
were printed with the term "caster" now refer to the object's "controller."

Casting Cost (Obsolete)
Some older cards used the term "casting cost" to describe the mana cost of a spell. In general, cards that 
were printed with the term "casting cost" now use the term "mana cost." Cards that used the term "total 
casting cost" now use the term "converted mana cost."

Change a Target
The target of a spell or ability can change only to another legal target. If the target can't change to another 
legal target, the original target is unchanged. Changing a spell or ability's target can't change its mode. You 
can change the target of a spell or ability only if an effect tells you to change its target. See rule 415.7, 
"Changing Targets."

Characteristics
An object's characteristics are name, mana cost, color, type, subtype, supertype, expansion symbol, 
abilities, rules text, power, and toughness. Characteristics don't include any other information, such as 
whether a permanent is tapped, a spell or permanent's controller, a spell's target, what a local enchantment 
enchants, and so on. See rule 201, "Characteristics."

Characteristic-Setting Ability
Some objects have static abilities which state that that object "has" one or more abilities; "is" a particular 
type, supertype, subtype, or color; or that one or more of its characteristics "is" or "are" a particular value. 
These abilities are characteristic-setting abilities. See rule 405.2.

Characteristic-Setting Effect
An effect from a characteristic-setting ability is a characteristic-setting effect. See rule 405.2.

Cleanup Step
Cleanup is the second and final step of the end phase. Spells and abilities may be played during this step 
only if the conditions for any state-based effects exist or if any abilities have triggered. In that case, the step 
repeats. See rule 314, "Cleanup Step."

Collector Number
Some card sets feature collector numbers. This information is printed in the form [card number]/[total cards 
in the set], immediately following the legal text. These numbers have no effect on game play. See rule 211, 
"Collector Number."

Color
The only colors in the Magic game are white, blue, black, red, and green. An object can be one or more of 
those colors or it can be colorless. "Colorless" isn't a color; neither are "artifact," "land," "brown," "gold," 
and so on. See rule 203.2.
     An object's color is determined by the color(s) of the mana symbols in its mana cost.
     Effects may change an object's color. If an effect gives an object a new color, the new color replaces all 
previous colors the object had.

Colorless
An object with no color is colorless. Lands are colorless because they have no mana cost. Artifacts are 
colorless because they have no colored mana in their mana costs. Face-down creatures are colorless due to 
the effects that turn them face down. A colorless object can be given a color by an effect. See rule 203.2.

Colorless mana
Numeral symbols (such as {o1}) and variable symbols (such as {oX}) can represent colorless mana if they 
appear in the effect of a spell or ability that reads, "add [mana symbol] to your mana pool," or something 
similar. See rule 104.3d.

Combat Damage
Combat damage is dealt during the combat damage step of the combat phase by attacking creatures and 
blocking creatures. It doesn't include damage dealt by spells and abilities during the combat phase. See rule 
310, "Combat Damage Step."

Combat Damage Step
The combat damage step is the fourth step of the combat phase. Attacking and blocking creatures deal 
damage in the combat damage step. A player may play spells and abilities during this step whenever he or 
she has priority. See rule 310, "Combat Damage Step." If any attacking or blocking creature has first strike 
(see rule 502.2) or double strike (see rule 502.28), there are two combat damage steps.

Combat Phase
Combat is the third phase of the turn. The combat phase has five steps: beginning of combat, declare 
attackers, declare blockers, combat damage, and end of combat. See rules 306–311.

Comes into Play
A permanent comes into play when the card or token representing it is moved into the in-play zone. A 
permanent whose type or controller changes doesn't "come into play."
     Permanents come into play untapped and under the control of whoever put them into play.
     When a permanent comes into play, first apply any replacement effects, then apply continuous effects, 
then check to determine if the current form of the permanent generates any triggered abilities.
Example: If an instruction causes something to come into play tapped, it isn't put into play untapped 
and then tapped.

Concede
A player may concede a game at any time. A player who concedes leaves the game immediately. He or she 
loses the game. See rule 102.7.

Constructed
In constructed play, each player needs his or her own deck of at least sixty cards, small items to represent 
any tokens and counters, and some way to clearly track life totals. A constructed deck can have any number 
of basic land cards and no more than four of any card with a particular English name other than basic land 
cards. See rule 100.2.

Continuous Effect
Continuous effects are usually active as long as the permanent with the associated static ability remains in 
play or the object with the associated static ability remains in the appropriate zone. A spell or ability can 
also create a continuous effect that doesn't depend on a permanent; these last as long as the spell or ability 
specifies. See rule 418, "Continuous Effects."

Continuous Artifact (Obsolete)
Some older cards used the term "continuous artifact" on the card's type line. They were artifacts without 
activated abilities. Cards that were printed with the term "continuous artifact" now simply use "artifact."

Control, Controller
A permanent's controller is whoever put it into play unless the spell or ability that put the permanent into 
play states otherwise. Other effects can later change a permanent's controller.
     A spell or activated ability on the stack is controlled by whoever played it. A triggered ability on the 
stack is controlled by the player who controlled its source at the time it triggered.
     Objects in zones other than in play or the stack have no controller. If anything asks for the controller of 
an object that doesn't have a controller, use its owner instead.

Controlling Another Player's Turn
One card (Mindslaver) allows a player to control another player's turn. The controller of another player's 
turn makes all choices and decisions that player is allowed to make or is told to make during that turn by 
rules or by any objects. A player doesn't lose life due to mana burn while another player controls his or her 
turn. See rule 507, "Controlling Another Player's Turn."

Converted Mana Cost
The converted mana cost of an object is the total amount of mana in its mana cost, regardless of color. See 
rule 203, "Mana Cost and Color."
Example: An Air Elemental has a mana cost of {o3}{oU}{oU} and a converted mana cost of 5.

Copiable Values
An object's "copiable values" are the values that are printed on the object, as modified by other copy 
effects, plus any values set for face-down spells or permanents. Other effects (including type-changing 
effects) and counters are not copied. See rules 503.2 and 503.3.

Copy
A "copy" of an object is an object whose copiable values have been set to those of the first object. See rule 
503, "Copying Objects."

Cost
Playing spells and activated abilities requires paying a cost. Most costs are paid in mana, but they may also 
include paying life, tapping or sacrificing permanents, discarding cards, and so on.
     A player can't pay a cost unless he or she has the necessary resources to pay it fully. For example, a 
player with only 1 life can't pay a cost of 2 life, and a permanent that's already tapped can't be tapped to 
pay a cost. See rule 203, "Mana Cost and Color," and rule 403, "Activated Abilities."

Counter
Counter has two meanings in the Magic game.
     1. To counter a spell or ability is to cancel it, removing it from the stack. It doesn't resolve and none of 
its effects occur. A countered spell is put into its owner's graveyard. See rule 414, "Countering Spells and 
Abilities."
     2. A counter is a marker placed on an object, either modifying its characteristics or interacting with an 
effect. 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. Similarly, -X/-Y counters subtract from power and 
toughness. 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.

Counts As (Obsolete)
Some older cards were printed with text stating that the card "counts as" something. As far as the game 
rules and other cards are concerned the card is that thing. (Newer Magic cards use "is" instead.) 

Creature
Creature is a type. The active player can play creatures only during his or her main phase when the stack is 
empty. When a creature spell resolves, its controller puts it into play under his or her control. See rule 
212.3, "Creatures."

Creature Type
Creature subtypes are always a single word and are listed after a long dash: "Creature — Minotaur," 
"Artifact Creature — Golem Legend," etc. Creature subtypes are also called creature types. Creatures may 
have multiple subtypes.
     The list of creature types, updated through the Mirrodin™ set, is as follows:
     Abomination, Aboroth, Advisor, Aladdin, Albatross, Alchemist, Ali-Baba, Ali-from-Cairo, Alligator, 
Ambush-Party, Ancestor, Angel, Ant, Antelope, Ape, Archaeologist, Archer, Asp, Assassin, Assembly-
Worker, Atog, Aurochs, Avatar, Avenger, Avizoa, Badger, Ball-Lightning, Bandit, Banshee, Barbarian, 
Barishi, Basilisk, Bat, Bear, Beast, Bee, Beeble, Behemoth, Being, Berserker, Bird, Boar, Bodyguard, 
Brother, Brownie, Brushwagg, Bull, Bureaucrat, Butterfly, Camarid, Camel, Caravan, Caribou, Carnivore, 
Carriage, Carrier, Cat, Cavalry, Cave-People, Centaur, Cephalid, Cheetah, Chicken, Chimera, Citizen, 
Clamfolk, Cleric, Clone, Cobra, Cockatrice, Constable, Cow, Crab, Crocodile, Crusader, Dandan, Demon, 
Dervish, Deserter, Devil, Devouring-Deep, Dinosaur, Djinn, Dog, Doppelganger, Dragon, Dragonfly, 
Drake, Drill-Sergeant, Drone, Druid, Dryad, Dwarf, Eater, Eel, Effigy, Efreet, Egg, Elder, Elemental, 
Elephant, Elf, El-Hajjaj, Enchantress, Entity, Erne, Essence, Exorcist, Faerie, Fallen, Farmer, Ferret, Fiend, 
Fish, Flagbearer, Flying-Men, Force, Fox, Frog, Frostbeast, Fungus, Fungusaur, Gaea's-Avenger, Gaea's-
Liege, Gargoyle, Gatekeeper, General, Ghost, Ghoul, Giant, Gnome, Goat, Goblin, Golem, Gorgon, 
Graveborn, Gremlin, Griffin, Guardian, Gus, Gypsy, Hag, Harlequin, Hell's-Caretaker, Heretic, Hero, 
Hipparion, Hippo, Homarid, Hornet, Horror, Horse, Horseman, Hound, Human, Hunter, Hydra, Hyena, 
Illusion, Imp, Incarnation, Infernal-Denizen, Inquisitor, Insect, Island-Fish, Jackal, Jellyfish, Kavu, Keeper, 
Kelp, King, Kithkin, Knight, Kobold, Kraken, Lady-of-Proper-Etiquette, Leech, Legend, Legionnaire, 
Lemure, Leper, Leviathan, Lhurgoyf, Lichenthrope, Licid, Lion, Lizard, Lord, Lurker, Lycanthrope, Mage, 
Maggot, Maiden, Mammoth, Manticore, Mantis, Marid, Martyr, Master, Medusa, Meerkat, Mercenary, 
Merchant, Merfolk, Mindsucker, Minion, Minor, Minotaur, Miracle-Worker, Mist, Mistfolk, Mob, Mold-
Demon, Monger, Mongoose, Monkey, Monster, Mosquito, Mummy, Murk-Dwellers, Mutant, Mystic, Myr, 
Nameless-Race, Narwhal, Necrosavant, Nekrataal, Niall-Silvain, Nightmare, Nightstalker, Noble, Nomad, 
Octopus, Ogre, Ooze, Orb, Orc, Orgg, Ouphe, Ox, Oyster, Paladin, Peacekeeper, Pegasus, Pentavite, 
People-of-the-Woods, Pest, Phantasm, Phelddagrif, Phoenix, Pig, Pikemen, Pirate, Pixie-Queen, Plant, 
Poison-Snake, Poltergeist, Pony, Preacher, Priest, Prism, Pyknite, Rabbit, Raider, Ranger, Rat, Rebel, 
Reflection, Rhino, Robber, Roc, Rock-Sled, Rogue, Rukh, Sage, Salamander, Sand, Saproling, Satyr, 
Scavenger, Scorpion, Scout, Serf, Serpent, Shade, Shaman, Shapeshifter, Shark, Sheep, Ship, Shyft, 
Sindbad, Singing-Tree, Sister, Skeleton, Slith, Sliver, Slug, Smith, Snake, Soldier, Sorceress, Spawn, 
Speaker, Specter, Spellshaper, Sphinx, Spider, Spike, Spirit, Sponge, Sprite, Spuzzem, Spy, Squire, 
Squirrel, Stangg-Twin, Starfish, Stone, Strider, Survivor, Swarm, Tactician, Tarpan, Taskmaster, Tetravite, 
Thief, The-Biggest-Baddest-Nastiest-Scariest-Creature-You'll-Ever-See, Thopter, Thrull, Thundermare, 
Tiger, Titan, Toad, Tombspawn, Tortoise, Townsfolk, Tracker, Treefolk, Troll, Turtle, Uncle-Istvan, 
Undead, Unicorn, Vampire, Vedalken, Viashino, Villain, Viper, Volver, Vulture, Walking-Dead, Wall, 
War-Rider, Warrior, Warthog, Wasp, Wave, Whale, Whippoorwill, Wight, Wiitigo, Wildebeest, Will-o'-
the-Wisp, Witch, Wizard, Wolf, Wolverine, Wolverine-Pack, Wolves-of-the-Hunt, Wombat, Wood, Worm, 
Wraith, Wretched, Wurm, Yeti, Zombie

Cumulative Upkeep
Cumulative upkeep is a triggered ability. "Cumulative upkeep [cost]" means "At the beginning of your 
upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then sacrifice this permanent unless you pay [cost] for each 
age counter on it." Note that if a permanent has more than one instance of cumulative upkeep, each creates 
a separate triggered ability at the beginning of upkeep that counts all the age counters on the permanent 
from both abilities. See rule 502.13, "Cumulative Upkeep."

Cycling
Cycling is an activated ability that functions only while the card with cycling is in a player's hand. 
"Cycling [cost]" means "[Cost], Discard this card from your hand: Draw a card." See rule 502.18, 
"Cycling."

Damage
Damage can be dealt to creatures and/or players.
     Damage dealt to a player is subtracted from his or her life total.
     Damage dealt to a creature stays on the permanent until end of turn, even if it stops being a creature. A 
creature with damage greater than or equal to its toughness has been dealt lethal damage and is destroyed. 
(See rule 420, "State-Based Effects.") Damage doesn't alter a creature's toughness. A noncreature 
permanent isn't affected by damage (but if it becomes a creature again before the damage is removed, the 
creature may be destroyed). During the cleanup step, all damage is removed from permanents.
     Costs and effects that read "lose life" or "pay life" don't deal damage, and that loss of life can't be 
prevented or otherwise altered by damage-prevention effects.

Damage-Prevention Ability
A damage-prevention ability is a static or activated ability that generates a damage-prevention effect. See 
rule 419.7, "Prevention Effects."

Deck
A player's deck is the collection of cards that player starts the game with. When the game begins, each 
player's deck becomes his or her library.

Declare Attackers
To declare attackers, the active player chooses a set of creatures that will attack and pays any costs they 
require to attack. Only creatures can attack, and the following creatures can't attack: tapped creatures (even 
those that can attack without tapping), creatures with creature type "Wall," and creatures the active player 
didn't control continuously since the beginning of the turn (except those with haste). Other effects may also 
affect whether or not a set of creatures could attack. See rule 500, "Legal Attacks and Blocks."

Declare Attackers Step
The declare attackers step is the second step of the combat phase. The active player declares attackers 
during this step. Then the active player gets priority and players may play spells and abilities. See rule 308, 
"Declare Attackers Step."

Declare Blockers
To declare blockers, the defending player chooses a set of creatures that will block and pays any costs they 
require to block. Only untapped creatures can block, but blocking doesn't cause creatures to tap. Other 
effects may also affect whether or not a set of creatures could block. See rule 500, "Legal Attacks and 
Blocks."

Declare Blockers Step
The declare blockers step is the third step of the combat phase. The defending player declares blockers 
during this step. Then the active player gets priority and players may play spells and abilities. See rule 309, 
"Declare Blockers Step."

Defending Player
During the combat phase, from the start of the declare attackers step until the end of the combat phase, the 
active player's opponent is the defending player. Creatures can attack only the defending player; they can't 
attack other players or creatures. During phases other than combat, there is no defending player. See rule 
306.3.

Delayed Triggered Ability
A delayed triggered ability is created by effects generated when some spells or abilities resolve. See rule 
404.4.

Depend On
An effect is said to "depend on" another if it is applied at the same time as the other effect and applying the 
other would change the text or the existence of the first effect, what it applies to, or what it does to any of 
the things it applies to. See rule 418.5, "Interaction of Continuous Effects."

Destroy
To destroy a permanent is to move it from the in-play zone to its owner's graveyard. Regeneration or other 
destruction-replacement effects can replace this action. See rule 419, "Replacement and Prevention 
Effects."

Discard
A player discards a card by putting a card from his or her hand into his or her graveyard. By default, effects 
that cause a player to discard a card allow the affected player to choose which card to discard. Some 
effects, however, require a random discard or allow another player to choose which card is discarded.

Divide
If a spell or ability requires a player to divide something as he or she chooses (such as damage or counters) 
among one or more targets, or any number of untargeted objects or players, each of these targets, objects, 
or players must receive at least one of whatever is being divided. This doesn't apply to dividing combat 
damage. See rules 409.1e and 310.2.

Double Strike
Double strike is a static ability that modifies the rules for the combat damage step. Creatures with double 
strike deal combat damage in both the first-strike combat damage step and the normal combat damage step. 
See rule 502.28, "Double Strike."

Draw
Draw has two meanings in the Magic game.
     1. A player draws a card by putting the top card of his or her library into his or her hand. If an 
instruction tells a player to draw more than one card, the cards are drawn one at a time. An effect may 
move cards from a player's library to that player's hand without the player "drawing" them; this makes a 
difference for abilities that trigger on drawing cards or that replace card draws.
     2. A drawn game is a game where the game ends, and there is no winner. A game ends in a draw if both 
players lose simultaneously. See rule 102.4.

Draw Step
The draw step is the third step of the beginning phase. As the draw step begins, the active player draws a 
card (this game action does not use the stack). Then the active player gets priority and players may play 
spells and abilities. See rule 304, "Draw Step."

Dual Land (Informal)
Ten "dual land" cards were printed in early Magic editions; each of these has two basic land types. For 
example, Taiga has the land types Forest and Mountain. Dual land cards have the default abilities of both 
basic land types and are treated as both by all spells and abilities that specifically refer to those types. 
However, they are not basic lands. A dual land card doesn't count as two lands while in play—it's just one 
land with multiple land types. 

During (Obsolete)
Some older cards used the phrase "during [phase], [action]." These abilities were called "phase abilities. In 
general, cards that were printed with phase abilities now have abilities that trigger at the beginning of a step 
or phase. "During" still appears in current card text, but only in its normal English sense and not as game 
terminology.

Echo
Echo is a triggered ability. "Echo" means "At the beginning of your upkeep, if this permanent came under 
your control since the beginning of your last upkeep, sacrifice it unless you pay its mana cost." See rule 
502.19, "Echo."

Effect
"Ability" and "effect" are often confused with one another. When a spell or ability resolves, it may create 
one or more one-shot or continuous effects. Static abilities may create one or more continuous effects. 
Some effects are replacement effects or prevention effects. State-based effects are not created by spells or 
abilities; they are generated by specific states of the game. See rule 416, "Effects."

Enchant Artifact
An enchant artifact is a local enchantment. It can enchant only a permanent that's an artifact. See also 
Local Enchantment.

Enchant Artifact Creature
An enchant artifact creature is a local enchantment. It can enchant only a permanent that's both an artifact 
and a creature. It is treated as an enchant artifact creature, an enchant artifact, and an enchant creature. See 
also Local Enchantment.

Enchant Creature 
An enchant creature is a local enchantment. It can enchant only a permanent that's a creature. See also 
Local Enchantment.

Enchant Enchantment 
An enchant enchantment is a local enchantment. It can enchant only a permanent that's an enchantment. 
See also Local Enchantment.

Enchant Land 
An enchant land is a local enchantment. It can enchant only a permanent that's a land. See also Local 
Enchantment.

Enchant Permanent 
An enchant permanent is a local enchantment. It can enchant any type of permanent. See also Local 
Enchantment.

Enchant Player 
An enchant player is a local enchantment. It can enchant only a player. See also Local Enchantment.

Enchant World
An object that is an "enchant world" is a global enchantment. See rule 212.4, "Enchantments." If two or 
more enchant worlds are in play, all except for the one that has been an enchant world for the shortest 
amount of time are put into their owners' graveyards. This is a state-based effect; see rule 420.

Enchantment
Enchantment is a type. The active player can play enchantments only during his or her main phase when 
the stack is empty. See rule 212.4, "Enchantments." See also Global Enchantment, Local Enchantment.

End of Combat Step
The end of combat step is the fifth step of the combat phase. A player may play spells and abilities during 
this step whenever he or she has priority. See rule 311, "End of Combat Step."

End of Turn Step
This is the first step of the end phase. A player may play spells and abilities during this step whenever he or 
she has priority. See rule 313, "End of Turn Step."

End Phase
The end phase is the fifth and final phase of the turn. It has two steps: end of turn and cleanup. See rule 
312, "End Phase."

Entwine
Entwine is a static ability that functions while the spell is on the stack. The phrase "Entwine [cost]" means 
"You may choose to use all modes of this spell instead of just one. If you do, you pay an additional [cost]." 
When the spell resolves, if the entwine cost was paid, follow the text of each of the modes in the order 
they're written on the card. See rule 502.32, "Entwine."

Equip
Equip is an activated ability. The phrase "Equip [cost]" means "[cost]: Move this Equipment onto target 
creature you control. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery." See rule 502.33, "Equip," 
and rule 212.2, "Artifacts."

Equipment
Some artifacts have the subtype "Equipment." These artifacts can be attached to (can "equip") creatures. 
They can't equip objects that aren't creatures. An Equipment is played and comes into play just like any 
other artifact. Equipment doesn't come into play equipping a creature. The equip keyword ability moves 
the Equipment onto a creature you control. (See rule 502.33, "Equip.") The creature an Equipment is 
attached to is called "equipped." The Equipment is attached to, or "equips," that creature.
     An Equipment that's also a creature or an Equipment that loses the subtype "Equipment" can't equip a 
creature. An Equipment can't equip itself. An Equipment that equips an illegal or nonexistent permanent 
stops equipping that permanent, but remains in play. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)

Evasion Ability
Evasion abilities restrict what creatures can block an attacking creature. These are static abilities that 
modify the declare blockers step of the combat phase. See rule 501, "Evasion Abilities."

Event
Anything that happens in a game is an event. Multiple events may take place during the resolution of a 
spell or ability. The text of triggered abilities and replacement effects defines the event they're looking for. 
One "happening" may be treated as a single event by one ability and as multiple events by another.
Example: If an attacking creature is blocked by two defending creatures, this is one event for a 
triggered ability that reads "Whenever [name] becomes blocked" but two events for a triggered 
ability that reads "Whenever [name] becomes blocked by a creature."

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.
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 one zone with cards in a different 
zone (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.
     If a spell or ability instructs a player to simply exchange two zones, and one of the zones is empty, the 
cards in the zones are still exchanged.

Expansion Symbol
The small icon printed below the right edge of the illustration on a Magic card is the expansion symbol, 
indicating in which set the card was published. Cards reprinted in the core set receive its expansion symbol 
and no longer count as part of their original set. This is important only to spells and abilities that affect 
cards from a particular expansion. The first five editions of the core set had no expansion symbol. See rule 
206, "Expansion Symbol. Visit the products section of MagicTheGathering.com for the full list of 
expansions and expansion symbols (www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/products/cardsets).

Extra Turn
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. See rule 300.6.

Face-Down
Face-down spells on the stack, face-down permanents in play, and face-down cards in the phased-out zone 
have no characteristics other than those listed by the ability or rules that allow the card, spell, or permanent 
to be face down. Any listed characteristics are the copiable values of that object's characteristics.
     You may look at a face-down spell you control on the stack or a face-down permanent you control at 
any time.
     You can't look at face-down cards in any other zone or face-down spells or permanents controlled by 
another player. The ability or rules that allow a permanent to be face down may also allow the permanent's 
controller to turn it face up. Spells normally can't be turned face up.
     If you control multiple face-down spells on the stack or face-down permanents in play, you must ensure 
at all times that your face-down spells and permanents can be easily differentiated from each other.
     See rule 504, "Face-Down Spells and Permanents," and rule 502.26, "Morph."

Fading
Fading is a keyword ability that causes permanents to stay in play for a limited time. The phrase "Fading 
[X]" means "This permanent comes into play with X fade counters on it" and "At the beginning of your 
upkeep, remove a fade counter from this permanent. If you can't, sacrifice the permanent." See rule 502.20, 
"Fading."

Fear
Fear is an evasion ability. A creature with fear can't be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or black 
creatures." See rule 502.25, "Fear."

First Strike
First strike is a static ability that modifies the rules for the combat damage step. At the start of the combat 
damage step, if at least one attacking or blocking creature has first strike or double strike (see rule 502.28), 
creatures without first strike or double strike don't assign combat damage. Instead of proceeding to end of 
combat, the phase gets a second combat damage step to handle the remaining creatures. See rule 502.2, 
"First Strike."

Fizzle (Informal)
The term "fizzle" is an informal term, used when a spell or ability was countered as a result of all its targets 
being missing or illegal when it resolved. See rule 413.2a.

Flanking
Flanking is a triggered ability that triggers during the declare blockers step of the combat phase. The word 
"flanking" means "Whenever this creature becomes blocked by a creature without flanking, the blocking 
creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn." See rule 502.3, "Flanking."

Flashback
Flashback is a static ability of some instant and sorcery cards that functions while the card is in its owner's 
graveyard. The card's owner can play the spell from his or her graveyard by paying its flashback cost. If a 
spell is played this way, it's removed from the game instead of being put anywhere else any time it would 
leave the stack. Playing a spell using its flashback ability follows the rules for paying alternative costs in 
rules 409.1b and 409.1f–h. See rule 502.22, "Flashback."

Flavor Text
This is text in italics (but not in parentheses) in the text box of a card. It provides a mood or gives 
interesting background detail for the game world but has no effect on play. See rule 207.2.

Flip a Coin
To flip a coin, one player flips the coin, and the other player calls "heads" or "tails" in the air. If the coin 
you're using doesn't have an obvious "heads" or "tails," designate one side to be "heads," and the other 
side to be "tails." Rolling a die is an acceptable alternative if no coin is available.

Floor Rules
The current DCI Magic: The Gathering Floor Rules can be found at 
www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci/utr/intro.

Flying
Flying is an evasion ability. A creature with flying can't be blocked by creatures without flying. A creature 
with flying can block a creature with or without flying. See rule 502.4, "Flying."

Forest
"Forest" is one of the five basic land types. Any land with the land type Forest has the ability "{oT}: Add 
{oG} to your mana pool." See rule 212.6d.

Forestcycling
See Landcycling.

Forestwalk
See Landwalk.

Game Action
Several steps contain actions that don't use the stack. These actions are game actions. The game actions are 
phasing in and out at the start of the untap step (see rule 302), untapping at the start of the untap step (see 
rule 302), drawing a card at the start of the draw step (see rule 303), declaring attackers at the start of the 
declare attackers step (see rule 308), declaring blockers at the start of the declare blockers step (see rule 
309), the active player discarding down to his or her maximum hand size at the start of the cleanup step 
(see rule 314), and removing damage from permanents and ending "until end of turn" effects at the start of 
the cleanup step (see rule 314). Mana burn at the end of a phase is also a game action (see rule 300.3).

Generic Mana Cost
A generic mana cost is represented by a number in a gray circle. Any color of mana, as well as colorless 
mana, may be used to pay a generic mana cost. See rule 104.3b.

Global Enchantment
Global enchantments are a category of enchantments. A global enchantment is labeled "Enchantment" or 
"Enchant World" and isn't attached to another permanent while it's in play. See rule 212.4, 
"Enchantments."

Graveyard
Each player's discard pile is his or her graveyard. Countered spells, destroyed or sacrificed permanents, and 
discarded cards are put into their owner's graveyard. See rule 217, "Zones."

Hand
The hand is the zone where a player holds cards that haven't been played yet. See rule 217, "Zones."

Haste
Normally a creature can't attack or use activated abilities with costs that include the tap symbol unless it's 
been controlled by the player continuously since the beginning of that controller's most recent turn. Haste 
is a static ability that allows a creature to ignore this rule. See rule 502.5, "Haste."

Horsemanship
Horsemanship is an evasion ability. A creature with horsemanship can't be blocked by creatures without 
horsemanship. A creature with horsemanship can block a creature with or without horsemanship. See rule 
502.17, "Horsemanship."

If
See "Intervening 'If' Clause."

Illegal Action
If a player realizes that he or she can't legally take an action after starting to do so, the entire action is 
reversed and any payments already made are canceled. No abilities trigger and no effects apply as a result 
of an undone action. When reversing illegal spells and abilities, the player who had priority retains it and 
may take another action or pass. The player may redo the reversed action in a legal way or take any other 
action allowed by the rules. See rule 422, "Handling Illegal Actions."

Illegal Target
If a spell or ability specifies targets, it checks whether the targets are legal when it resolves. A target that's 
removed from play, or from the zone designated by the spell or ability, is illegal. A target may also become 
illegal if its characteristics changed since the spell or ability was played or if an effect changed the text of 
the spell. See rule 413.2a.

Illustration
The illustration is printed on the upper half of a card and has no game significance. See rule 204, 
"Illustration."

Illustration Credit
The illustration credit for a card is printed directly below the text box. The credit has no effect on game 
play. See rule 209, "Illustration Credit."

Imprint
Imprint is a static ability, written "Imprint — [text]." The phrase "Imprint — [ability]" means "Cards in the 
removed-from-game zone that were removed from the game by this ability are imprinted on this 
permanent." See rule 502.34, "Imprint."

Imprinted [type] card
The phrase "imprinted [type] card" means the card of that type that's imprinted on the permanent. If a 
permanent has more than one card of that type imprinted on it, each of those cards is an "imprinted [type] 
card." See rule 502.34, "Imprint."

In Play
In play is the zone in which permanents exist. When an artifact, creature, or enchantment spell resolves, it's 
put into the in-play zone as a permanent. When a land is played, it's put into the in-play zone as a 
permanent. Tokens also exist in this zone. See rule 217, "Zones."

Independent
An effect is said to "depend on" another if it is applied at the same time as the other effect, and applying the 
other would change the text or the existence of the first effect, what it applies to, or what it does to any of 
the things it applies to. Otherwise, the effect is considered to be independent of the first effect. See rule 
418.5, "Interaction of Continuous Effects."

Infinity Rule (Informal)
There's no such thing as "infinity" in Magic rules. Occasionally the game can get into a state where a set of 
actions could be repeated forever. The "infinity rule" governs how to break such loops. See rule 421, 
"Handling 'Infinite' Loops."

Instant
Instant is a type. A player may play instants whenever he or she has priority. An instant spell is put into its 
owner's graveyard as the last step of its resolution. See rule 212.5, "Instants," and rule 409, "Playing Spells 
and Activated Abilities."

Instead
Effects that use the word "instead" are replacement effects. Most replacement effects use the word 
"instead" to indicate what events will be replaced with other events. See rule 419, "Replacement and 
Prevention Effects."

Interrupt (Obsolete)
Some older cards used the term "interrupt" on the card's type line. All interrupt cards are now instant cards. 
All abilities that were played as interrupts are now played like normal activated abilities (and are mana 
abilities if they produce mana).

Intervening "If" Clause
Triggered abilities with a condition directly following the trigger event (for example, "When/Whenever/At 
[trigger], if [condition], [effect]") check for the condition to be true as part of the trigger event; if it isn't, 
the ability doesn't trigger. The ability checks the condition again on resolution. If it's not satisfied, the 
ability does nothing. Note that this mirrors the check for legal targets. Note that this rule doesn't apply to 
any triggered ability with an "if" condition elsewhere within its text. See rule 404.3.

Island
"Island" is one of the five basic land types. Any land with the land type Island has the ability "{oT}: Add 
{oU} to your mana pool." See rule 212.6d.

Islandcycling
See Landcycling.

Islandhome (Obsolete)
Some older cards were printed with the term islandhome, which means "This creature can't attack unless 
the defending player controls an Island" and "When you control no Islands, sacrifice this creature." Cards 
that previously had islandhome now simply have the two parts of islandhome written out without using the 
keyword.

Islandwalk
See Landwalk.

Keyword Ability
Some abilities are very common or would require too much space to define on a card. These abilities list 
only the name of the ability as a "keyword"; sometimes reminder text summarizes the game rule. See rule 
502, "Keyword Abilities."

Kicker
Kicker is a keyword ability with a cost and an effect. Paying a spell's kicker cost causes the spell to have an 
additional or alternative effect. See rule 502.21, "Kicker."
     A kicker cost is an additional cost to play a spell. You declare whether you intend to pay a spell's kicker 
cost at the same time you would choose the spell's mode (see rule 409.1b), and you actually pay the cost 
when you pay the rest of the spell's costs (see rule 409.1f–h). Paying a kicker cost is always optional.
     A spell's controller chooses targets (see rule 409.1d) for a kicker effect only if he or she declared the 
intention to pay the kicker cost for that effect. If the spell's controller declared that he or she wouldn't pay a 
particular kicker cost, he or she doesn't choose the targets for the effect associated with that kicker cost.

Land
Land is a type. Lands aren't spells and don't go on the stack; they are simply played from the hand. The 
active player may play a land once each turn during his or her main phase when he or she has priority and 
the stack is empty. If an object is both a land and another type, it can only be played as a land. It can't be 
played as a spell. See rule 212.6, "Lands."

Land Type
A land's subtype (its "land type") is listed after a long dash on the land's type line. Note that "basic," 
"legendary," and "nonbasic" aren't land types. See rule 212.6, "Lands." See also Basic Land Type.

Landcycling
"Landcycling" is a generic term; a card's rules text usually names a specific type of land, such as 
"plainscycling."
     Landcycling is an activated ability. "Plainscycling [cost]" means "[Cost], Discard this card from your 
hand: Search your library for a plains card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library." 
See rule 502.18, "Cycling."

Landwalk
"Landwalk" is a generic term; a card's rules text will give a specific property to look for, such as 
"islandwalk."
     Landwalk is an evasion ability. A creature with landwalk is unblockable as long as the defending player 
controls at least one land which has the specified subtype or supertype. See rule 502.6, "Landwalk."

Last Known Information
The last known information about an object is the information that it had just before it left the zone it was 
in. Effects from resolving spells and abilities use last known information if the object they require 
information from is not in the zone it was expected to be in. See rule 413.2f.

Layer
Continuous effects are applied in order, in six layers: (1) copy effects (see rule 503, "Copying Objects"), 
(2) control-changing effects, (3) text-changing effects, (4) type-, subtype-, and supertype-changing effects, 
(5) all other continuous effects, except those that change power or toughness, and (6) power- or toughness-
changing effects. See rule 418.5, "Interaction of Continuous Effects."

Leaves Play
A permanent leaves play when it moves from the in-play zone to any other zone. See rule 410.10c.
     If a token leaves play, it ceases to exist. This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.5.
     If a permanent leaves play and later returns to play, it's treated as an entirely new permanent with no 
"memory" of anything from its former existence. (Phasing is an exception to this; see rule 502.15, 
"Phasing.")

Legal Text
Legal text (the fine print at the bottom of the card) lists the copyright information. It has no effect on game 
play. See rule 210, "Legal Text."

Legend, Legendary
Legend is a special creature type. Legendary is a supertype that may apply to any type ("Legendary Land," 
"Legendary Artifact," and so on).
     If two or more permanents with the same name have the subtype Legend or the supertype legendary, all 
except the one that has been a Legend or legendary permanent with that name the longest are put into their 
owners' graveyards. This "Legend rule" is a state-based effect. See rule 420.5.
     Legend is a creature type; legendary is not. If a legendary noncreature permanent becomes a creature, 
it's still "legendary," but it doesn't get the creature type Legend. If a creature of type Legend becomes a 
noncreature permanent, it loses the creature type Legend, but it doesn't become legendary.
     A Legend whose creature type changes to a creature type other than Legend is no longer a Legend and is 
no longer subject to the Legend rule. A creature that changes creature type to Legend is now a Legend and 
is subject to the Legend rule.

Lethal Damage
Lethal damage is an amount of damage greater than or equal to a creature's toughness. A creature with 
lethal damage, but greater than 0 toughness, is destroyed. This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.5.

Library
The library is the zone from which a player draws cards. When a game begins, each player's deck becomes 
his or her library. See rule 217.2, "Library."

Life, Life Total
Life total is a sort of score. Each player starts the game with 20 life. Any increase in a player's life total is 
considered to be gaining life. Any decrease in a player's life total is considered to be losing life. A player 
whose life total drops to 0 or less loses. This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.5.

LIFO (Informal)
An acronym for "Last In, First Out," LIFO is the order in which spells and abilities resolve after going on 
the stack. The last played is resolved first. See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities," and rule 
413, "Resolving Spells and Abilities."

Local Enchantment
Local enchantments are a category of enchantments. A local enchantment is labeled "Enchant [something]" 
and is attached to that [something] while in play. See rule 212.4, "Enchantments."
     If a local enchantment is enchanting an illegal permanent or player, the permanent it was attached to no 
longer exists, or the player it was attached to has left the game, the enchantment is put into its owner's 
graveyard. This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.5.

Lose the Game
A game immediately ends when a player loses. See rule 102, "Winning and Losing."

Madness
Madness is a keyword that represents two abilities. The phrase "Madness [cost]" means "If a player would 
discard this card from his or her hand, that player discards it, but may remove it from the game instead of 
putting it into his or her graveyard" and "When this card is removed from the game this way, until that 
player passes next, the player may play it any time he or she could play an instant as though it were in his 
or her hand by paying [cost] rather than paying its mana cost. When the player passes next, he or she puts it 
into his or her graveyard." See rule 502.24, "Madness."

Main Game
One card (Shahrazad) allows players to play a Magic subgame. The "main game" is the game in which 
Shahrazad was played. See rule 506, "Subgames."

Main Phase
The term "main phase" comprises the first main and second main phases, also called the "precombat" and 
"postcombat" main phases. Artifact, creature, enchantment, and sorcery spells may be played only by the 
active player during his or her main phase, and only when the stack is empty. A player may also play one 
land each turn during his or her main phase.

Mana
Mana is the energy used to play spells and is usually produced by lands. Mana is created by mana abilities 
(and sometimes by spells), and it can be used to pay costs immediately or can stay in the player's mana 
pool. See rule 406, "Mana Abilities."
     Colored mana costs, represented by colored mana symbols, can be paid only with the appropriate color 
of mana. Generic mana costs can be paid with any color of, or with colorless, mana. See rule 104.3.
     The spell or ability that adds mana to a mana pool may restrict how it can be used. An ability might 
produce mana that can be used only to play creature spells or only to pay activation costs.
     The type of mana a permanent "could produce" is the type of mana that any ability of that permanent 
can generate, taking into account any applicable replacement effects. If the type of mana can't be defined, 
there's no type of mana that that permanent could produce. The "type" of mana includes both its color (if 
any) and any restrictions placed upon it.

Mana Ability
A mana ability is either activated or triggered. A mana ability doesn't go on the stack—it resolves 
immediately. See rule 411, "Playing Mana Abilities."
     A player may play an activated mana ability whenever he or she has priority and whenever a rule or 
effect asks for a mana payment. This is the only type of ability that can be played in the middle of playing 
or resolving a spell or ability. See rule 406, "Mana Abilities."

Mana Burn
When a phase ends, any unused mana remaining in a player's mana pool is lost. The player loses 1 life for 
each mana lost this way. This is called "mana burn." See rule 300.3.

Mana Cost
The mana cost of a nonland card is indicated by the mana symbols printed on its upper right corner. The 
mana cost of a land card, token, or face-down creature is 0. See rule 203, "Mana Cost and Color."

Mana Pool
When an effect creates mana, that mana goes into the player's mana pool. From there, it can be used to pay 
for spells and abilities. The mana can be used immediately to pay a cost, or stored in the mana pool for use 
later in the phase. The mana pool is cleared at the end of each phase. See also Mana Burn.

Mana Source (Obsolete)
Some older cards were printed with the type "mana source." All mana source cards are now instant cards. 
Abilities that read "Play this ability as a mana source" are now mana abilities.

Mana Symbol
The mana symbols are {oW}, {oU}, {oB}, {oR}, {oG}, {oX}, {oY}, {oZ} and the numerals {o0}, {o1}, 
{o2}, {o3}, {o4}, and so on. See rule 104.3.
     Each of the colored mana symbols represents one colored mana: {oW} white, {oU} blue, {oB} black, 
{oR} red, and {oG} green. See rule 104.3a.
     Numeral symbols (such as {o1}) are generic mana costs and represent an amount of mana that can be 
paid with any color of, or colorless, mana. See rule 104.3b.
     The symbols {oX}, {oY} and {oZ} represent unspecified amounts of mana; when playing a spell or 
activated ability with {oX}, {oY}, or {oZ} in its cost, its controller decides the value of that variable. See 
rule 104.3c.
     Numeral symbols and variable symbols 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. See 
rule 104.3d.
     The symbol {o0} 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 {o0} must still be played the same way as one with a 
cost greater than zero; it won't play itself automatically. See rule 104.3e.

Match
A match is a series of Magic games and is important only for tournament or league play. A match usually 
consists of the best two of three games, or sometimes the best three of five. For more information, consult 
the DCI Magic Floor Rules (www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci/utr/intro).

Maximum Hand Size
Each player's maximum hand size is normally seven cards, though effects may modify this. As the first part 
of the active player's cleanup step, if he or she has too many cards in his or her hand, that player chooses 
and discards as many cards as needed to reduce his or her hand to its maximum size (but no more than 
that). See rule 314, "Cleanup Step."

Modal, Mode
A spell or ability is modal if it is written "Choose one —" or "[a specified player] chooses one —." Modal 
spells and abilities offer a choice of effects. A modal spell or ability's controller must choose the mode as 
part of playing the spell or ability or as part of putting the ability on the stack (in the case of triggered 
abilities). See rule 409.1b.

Mono Artifact (Obsolete)
Some older cards  used the term "mono artifact" on the card's type line. They were artifacts that had 
activated abilities that included the tap symbol. Cards that were printed with the term "mono artifact" now 
simply use "artifact."

Morph
Morph is a static ability that functions any time you could play the card it's on, and the morph effect works 
any time the card is face down. The phrase "Morph [cost]" means "You may play this card as a 2/2 face-
down creature, with no text, no name, no subtypes, no expansion symbol, and a mana cost of 0 by paying 3 
rather than its mana cost." Any time you could play an instant, you may show all players the morph cost for 
any face-down permanent you control, pay that cost, then turn the permanent face up. This action does not 
use the stack. See rule 502.26, "Morph."

Mountain
"Mountain" is one of the five basic land types. Any land with the land type Mountain has the ability "{oT}: 
Add {oR} to your mana pool." See rule 212.6d.

Mountaincycling
See Landcycling.

Mountainwalk
See Landwalk.

Move
An effect may instruct a player to "move" a local enchantment, Equipment, or a counter from one 
permanent to another. If the enchantment, Equipment, or counter no longer exists or the new permanent is 
no longer in play when the effect would move it, nothing happens. Similarly, an enchantment or Equipment 
can't be moved onto a permanent it couldn't enchant or equip; if this kind of move is attempted, the 
enchantment or Equipment stays where it is.
     A moved enchantment stops enchanting the previous permanent and starts enchanting the new one, and 
it receives a new timestamp. Nothing else about the enchantment changes. The enchantment never left play, 
so no comes-into-play or leaves-play triggered abilities will trigger. If an ability of the moved enchantment 
affecting "enchanted [permanent]" was on the stack when the enchantment moved, it will affect the new 
enchanted permanent when it resolves, not the old one. The same is true for moved Equipment.
     The equip ability can move Equipment onto a creature or from one creature to another.

Mulligan
A player can "mulligan" by shuffling his or her hand back into his or her library and drawing a new hand 
with one fewer card before taking the first turn. Any player dissatisfied with his or her starting hand may 
mulligan as often as he or she wishes, drawing one fewer card each time. See rule 101.4.

Multicolored
A multicolored card has two or more colors. Multicolored cards are printed with gold frames to reinforce 
this. See rule 203.2.
     A multicolored object is affected by anything that singles out any of its colors. For example, a black-
and-green creature is destroyed by a spell that reads, "Destroy all green creatures." Something that can't 
affect a particular color doesn't affect a multicolored object with that color, so that same creature can't be 
targeted by a spell or ability that reads, "Destroy target nonblack creature."

Name
The name of a card is printed on its upper left corner. See rule 202, "Name."

Nonbasic Land
Any land that doesn't have the supertype "basic" is nonbasic. Use the Oracle reference to determine 
whether a land has the supertype "basic."

Number
The Magic game uses only natural numbers. You may not choose a fractional number, deal fractional 
damage, and so on. When a spell or ability could generate a fractional number, the spell or ability will tell 
you whether to round up or down. See rule 104, "Numbers and Symbols."
     If a creature's power or toughness, a mana cost, a player's life total, or an amount of damage is less than 
zero, it's treated as zero for all purposes except adding to or subtracting from that total. If anything needs to 
use a number that can't be determined, it uses 0 instead.
Example: If a 3/3 creature gets -5/-0, it deals 0 damage in combat. But to raise its power back to 1, 
you'd have to give it +3/+0 (3 minus 5 plus 3 is 1).

Object
An "object" is a card, a token, a spell, a permanent, an ability on the stack, or combat damage on the stack. 
The term "object" is used in these rules when a rule applies to cards, tokens, spells, permanents, abilities on 
the stack, and combat damage on the stack. See rule 200.8.

Obsolete
Terms marked "(Obsolete)" in this glossary were used only on older cards. Updated wordings for all cards 
that used these terms are available in the Oracle card reference.

One-Shot Effect
One-shot effects do something only once and then end. See rule 417, "One-Shot Effects." See also 
Continuous Effects.

Opponent
A player's opponent is the other player.

Oracle
Use the Oracle card reference when determining a card's wording. It can be found at 
www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci/oracle. See rule 200.2.

Order
The order of objects in a library, in a graveyard, or on the stack can't be changed except when effects allow 
it. Objects in other zones can be arranged however their owners wish, although who controls those objects, 
whether they're tapped, and what enchants or equips them must remain clear to both players. See rule 
217.1b.

Outside the Game
An object is "outside the game" if it's in the removed-from-the-game zone, or if it isn't in any of the 
game's zones. All other objects are inside the game. "Outside the game" is not a zone. See rule 217.1e.

Owner
The owner of a card is the player who started the game with that card in his or her deck or, for cards that 
didn't start the game in a player's deck, the player who brought the card into the game. (Legal ownership is 
irrelevant to the game rules, except for the rules for ante.) The owner of a token is the controller of the 
effect that created it. See rule 200.1a.
     An effect can change a permanent's controller but never its owner. (A few cards have the text "Remove 
[this card] from your deck before playing if you're not playing for ante." These are the only cards that can 
change a card's owner. See rule 217.9, "Ante.")
     A card is always put into its owner's library, hand, or graveyard, regardless of who controlled the card 
in its previous zone. See rule 217.1a.

Pass
To pass is to decline to take any action (usually playing a spell or ability) when you have priority. When a 
player passes, his or her opponent receives priority. See rule 408.1, "Timing, Priority, and the Stack."

Pass in Succession
To pass in succession means that both players pass without playing any spells, playing any abilities, or 
performing any special actions in between. If both players pass in succession, the spell, ability, or combat 
damage on top of the stack resolves. If the stack is empty, the phase or step ends. See rule 408.1, "Timing, 
Priority, and the Stack."

Pay
Playing most spells and activated abilities requires paying costs; see rule 409, "Playing Spells and 
Activated Abilities." Declaring attackers (see rule 308, "Declare Attackers Step") and declaring blockers 
(see rule 309, "Declare Blockers Step") can also require paying costs.
     Paying mana is done by removing the indicated amount of mana from the player's mana pool. Any time 
a player is asked to pay mana, mana abilities may be played. Mana abilities must be played before the costs 
are paid. Paying life subtracts the indicated amount of life from the player's life total. A player can't pay 
more mana than the amount of mana in his or her mana pool or more life than his or her life total. Zero life 
or zero mana can always be paid, even if the player has less than zero life.
     To pay any cost, the player carries out the instructions specified by the spell, ability, or effect. It's illegal 
to attempt paying a cost when unable to successfully follow the instructions. For example, a player can't 
pay a cost that requires tapping a creature if that creature is already tapped.
     Each payment applies to only one spell or ability. For example, a player can't sacrifice just one creature 
to play the activated abilities of two permanents that require sacrificing a creature as a cost. Also, the 
resolution of a spell or ability doesn't pay another spell or ability's cost, even if part of its effect is doing 
the same thing the other cost asks for.

Permanent
A permanent is any card or token in the in-play zone. See rule 214, "Permanents."

Permanently (Obsolete)
Certain older cards were printed with the term "permanently" to indicate effects with no expiration. In 
general, cards that were printed with the term "permanently" now instead use reminder text to indicate that 
the effect lasts past the end of the turn.
Example: An ability that originally read "Gain control of target creature permanently" would now 
read as follows: "Gain control of target creature. (This effect doesn't end at end of turn.)" This effect 
grants control of the permanent until something else changes the controller or it leaves play. It doesn't 
make the permanent immune to other control effects.

Phase
Each turn is divided into five phases: beginning, precombat main, combat, postcombat main, and end. See 
section 3, "Turn Structure."

Phased-Out
The phased-out zone is a special zone for permanents with phasing that are temporarily out of play. See 
rule 502.15, "Phasing."

Phasing
Phasing is a static ability that causes a permanent to leave play and later return, without losing its 
"memory." See rule 502.15, "Phasing."

Pile
If a player is asked to separate a group of objects into two or more piles, the objects do not leave the zone 
they're currently in. If cards in a graveyard are split into piles, the order of the graveyard must be 
maintained. A pile can contain zero or more objects.

Plains
"Plains" is one of the five basic land types. Any land with the land type Plains has the ability "{oT}: Add 
{oW} to your mana pool." See rule 212.6d.

Plainscycling
See Landcycling.

Plainswalk
See Landwalk.

Play
The act of playing a spell, land, or ability involves announcing the action and taking the necessary steps to 
complete it.
     Playing a spell or activated ability requires paying any costs and choosing any required modes and/or 
targets. See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities."
     Playing a land simply requires choosing a land card from the hand and putting it into play. See rule 
212.6, "Lands."
     Playing a mana ability requires paying any costs, then immediately resolving the ability. See rule 411, 
"Playing Mana Abilities."
     Triggered abilities and static abilities aren't played—they happen automatically. See rule 410, 
"Handling Triggered Abilities."

Play/Draw (Informal)
At the start of a game, one player gets to choose the order of play. Whoever plays first skips his or her first 
draw step. This is referred to as the play/draw rule. See rule 101, "Starting the Game."

Player
A player is one of the two people in the game. A player's opponent is the other player. The active player is 
the player whose turn it is. The other player is the nonactive player. See rule 200.3.

Poison Counter
Some cards give poison counters to players. If a player has ten or more poison counters, he or she loses the 
game the next time a player would receive priority. See rule 420, "State-Based Effects."

Poly Artifact (Obsolete)
Some older cards used the term "poly artifact" on the card's type line. They were artifacts that had 
activated abilities that don't include the tap symbol. Cards that were printed with the term "poly artifact" 
now simply use "artifact."

Postcombat
The second main phase in each turn is called the postcombat main phase. If an effect causes a turn to have 
an extra combat phase and another main phase, the additional one is also a postcombat main phase. See rule 
305, "Main Phase."

Power
The number before the slash printed on the lower right corner of a creature card is the creature's power. See 
rule 208, "Power/Toughness."
     Creatures that attack or block assign combat damage equal to their power. See rule 310, "Combat 
Damage Step."
     Some objects have power represented by * instead of a number. The object has a characteristic-setting 
ability that sets its power according to some stated condition. The * is 0 while the object isn't in play.

Precombat
The first main phase in each turn is called the precombat main phase. See rule 305, "Main Phase."

Prevention Effect
Effects that prevent something from happening replace it with "do nothing." (See rule 419, "Replacement 
and Prevention Effects.") A prevention effect must be active before the event it's intended to prevent.
     Effects that prevent a specific amount of damage act as "shields" and stay active until that amount of 
damage has been prevented or the turn ends. The damage doesn't have to be dealt by a single source or all 
at once.
     Effects that prevent the next damage from a specific source apply the next time that source would deal 
damage, regardless of the amount. These effects expire when the turn ends. See rule 419.8, "Sources of 
Damage."

Priority
The player who has the option to play a spell or ability at any given time has priority. See rule 408, 
"Timing of Spells and Abilities."
     Each time a spell, an ability (other than a mana ability), or combat damage resolves, and at the 
beginning of most phases and steps, the active player receives priority. After a player plays a spell, ability, 
or land, or takes a special action, he or she again receives priority. When a player passes, his or her 
opponent receives priority.
     If both players pass in succession, the spell, ability, or combat damage on top of the stack resolves or, if 
the stack is empty, the phase or step ends.
     Each time a player would get priority, all applicable state-based effects resolve first as a single event 
(see rule 420). Then, if any new state-based effects have been generated, they resolve as a single event. 
This process repeats until no more applicable state-based effects are generated. Then triggered abilities are 
added to the stack (see rule 410). These steps repeat in order until no further state-based effects or triggered 
abilities are generated. 

Protection
Protection is a static ability, written "Protection from [quality]." See rule 502.7, "Protection."
     A permanent with protection can't be targeted by spells with the stated quality and can't be targeted by 
abilities from a source with the stated quality.
     A permanent with protection can't be enchanted by enchantments that have the stated quality. Such 
enchantments enchanting the permanent with protection will be put into their owners' graveyards as a state-
based effect. (See rule 420, "State-Based Effects.")
     A permanent with protection can't be equipped by Equipment that has the stated quality. Such 
Equipment stops equipping that permanent, but remains in play. (See rule 420, "State-Based Effects.")
     Any damage that would be dealt by sources that have the stated quality to a permanent that has 
protection is prevented. 
     Any damage that would be dealt to a permanent with protection from sources having that quality is 
prevented.
     If a creature with protection attacks, it can't be blocked by creatures that have the stated quality.

Provoke
Provoke is a triggered ability. "Provoke" means "Whenever this creature attacks, you may choose to have 
target creature defending player controls block this creature this combat if able. If you do, untap that 
creature." See rule 502.29, "Provoke."

Put Into Play
If an effect instructs a player to put an object into play, that object is not considered "played."

Rampage
Rampage is a triggered ability. "Rampage X" means "When this creature becomes blocked, it gets +X/+X 
until end of turn for each creature blocking it beyond the first." See rule 502.12, "Rampage."

Random
If a spell, ability, or effect requires a player to choose something at random, that player can use any method 
of making a random choice (rolling dice, flipping a coin, and so on). The outcome must be truly random.

Redirect (Obsolete)
Some older cards were printed with the term "redirect" to describe the act of dealing damage to a different 
player or creature than originally specified by a spell, ability, or combat-damage assignment, without 
changing the source or type of damage. In general, cards that were printed with the term "redirect" now 
create replacement effects that modify where the damage will be dealt. "Redirect" is still used informally to 
describe what these replacement effects do.

Regenerate
Regeneration is a destruction-replacement effect. "Regenerate [permanent]" means "The next time 
[permanent] would be destroyed this turn, instead remove all damage from it, tap it, and (if it's in combat) 
remove it from combat." Because it's a replacement effect, it must be active before the attempted 
destruction event. Abilities that trigger from damage being dealt still trigger even if the permanent 
regenerates. See rule 419.6b.

Reminder Text
Reminder text appears after a keyword ability printed on a card and on cards that might otherwise be 
commonly misunderstood. Reminder text is text that is italicized and in parentheses in the text box of a 
card. This text provides a summary of the game rule or clarifies what the card does, but it isn't itself 
considered rules text. See rule 207.2.

Removed from Combat
An attacking or blocking creature is removed from combat if it leaves play (such as by being destroyed or 
removed from the game), if it regenerates (see rule 419.6b), if its controller changes, if it stops being a 
creature, or if an effect removes it from combat. A creature that is removed from combat stops being an 
attacking or blocking creature and can no longer assign combat damage or have combat damage assigned to 
it. Any combat damage that's already on the stack assigned to or by the creature will still resolve normally. 
See rule 306.2 and rule 310.4a.

Removed from the Game
A card removed from the game is out of play and can't be affected by spells or abilities. However, the 
effect that removed the card may specify a way for it to return. Some objects use the expression "set aside" 
for situations in which a card removed from the game can return to play. See rule 217.7, "Removed from 
the Game."

Replacement Effect
A replacement effect is a type of continuous effect that "watches" for a specified event and replaces it with 
a different one. See rule 419, "Replacement and Prevention Effects."

Requirement
A requirement to attack or block is any effect that forces one or more creatures to attack or block. All 
attacks and blocks must still be legal. See rule 500, "Legal Attacks and Blocks."

Resolve
When a spell or ability on top of the stack resolves, its controller carries out the instructions printed on the 
card, in the order written. When combat damage resolves, it's dealt as previously assigned to the fullest 
extent possible. See rule 413, "Resolving Spells and Abilities."

Respond, Response (Informal)
A player can choose to play an instant spell or activated ability when something else is already on the stack, 
rather than waiting for the earlier spell or ability to resolve first. The spell or ability is said to be played "in 
response to" the earlier spell or ability. See rule 408, "Timing of Spells and Abilities."

Restriction
A restriction on attacking or blocking is any effect that could prevent a creature from attacking or blocking. 
All attacks and blocks must still be legal. See rule 500, "Legal Attacks and Blocks."

Reveal
To reveal an object is to show that object to all players. If a one-shot effect reveals a card, the card is 
returned to its former state after all players have seen it.

Rules Text
An object's rules text defines many of that object's properties. Changing an object's rules text changes the 
object's properties.

Sacrifice
To sacrifice a permanent, its controller moves it from the in-play zone directly to its owner's graveyard. A 
player can't sacrifice something that isn't a permanent, or something that's a permanent he or she doesn't 
control. If an effect instructs a player to sacrifice a permanent that he or she doesn't control, nothing 
happens. Sacrificing a permanent doesn't destroy it, so regeneration or other effects that replace destruction 
can't affect it.

Sealed-Deck
For sealed deck or draft play, only forty cards are required in a deck, and a player may use as many 
duplicates of a card as he or she has. Each player still needs small items to represent any tokens and 
counters, and some way to clearly track life totals. See rule 100.3.

Search
If you're required to search a zone not revealed to all players for cards matching some criteria, you aren't 
required to find those cards even if they're present; however, if you do choose to find cards, you must 
reveal those cards to all players. Even if you don't find any cards, you are still considered to have searched 
the zone.
     If you're simply searching for "any card," you must find a card (if possible).
     If you're required to search for a specific number of cards, you must choose that many cards (or as many 
as possible.)
Example: If an effect causes you to search a player's library for all duplicates of a particular card 
and remove them from the game, you may choose to leave some of them alone, but if an effect causes 
you to search your library for three cards and it contains at least three, you can't choose less than 
three.
     If an effects states to search for a [type, supertype, or subtype] card, it can only find cards that have that 
type, supertype, or subtype. It can't find a card that has a name equal to that type, supertype, or subtype 
unless that card also has the type, supertype, or subtype.

Set Aside
To set aside a card is to remove it from the game; however, the effect will specify some condition that 
allows the set-aside card to return to the game. See also Removed from the Game.

Shadow
Shadow is an evasion ability. Attacking creatures with shadow can't be blocked by creatures without 
shadow, and attacking creatures without shadow can't be blocked by creatures with shadow. See rule 502.8, 
"Shadow."

Shield
Replacement and prevention effects act like "shields" around whatever they're affecting. See rule 419, 
"Replacement and Prevention Effects."

Shuffle
To shuffle a deck, library, or pile is to make the order of that deck, library, or pile random. After a player 
shuffles a deck, library, or pile, he or she owns, the opponent has the option to shuffle or cut that pile. See 
rule 101.1.

Skip
To skip an event, step, phase, or turn is to proceed past it as though it didn't exist. Skipping an event, step, 
phase, or turn is a replacement effect. "Skip [something]" is the same as "Instead of doing [something], do 
nothing." See rule 300.9 and rule 419.6e.
     Once a step, phase, or turn has started, it can no longer be skipped—any skip effects will wait until the 
next occurrence.
     Anything scheduled for a skipped step, phase, or turn won't happen. Anything scheduled for the "next" 
occurrence of something waits for the first occurrence that isn't skipped. If two effects each cause a player 
to skip his or her next occurrence, that player must skip the next two; one effect will be satisfied in skipping 
the first occurrence, while the other will remain until another occurrence can be skipped. See rule 419.6f.

Snow-Covered
Snow-covered is an ability that doesn't do anything in its own right; it's simply a keyword that other cards 
look for. When a card refers to a "snow-covered land," it means a land with the snow-covered ability. 
When a card refers to a "snow-covered Forest," it means a Forest with the snow-covered ability, and so on. 
See rule 502.14, "Snow-Covered."

Snow-Covered Landwalk
Snow-covered landwalk is a special form of landwalk. A creature with snow-covered landwalk is 
unblockable as long as the defending player controls at least one land of the specified subtype or supertype 
that has the snow-covered ability. See rule 502.6, "Landwalk."

Sorcery
Sorcery is a type. The active player can play sorceries only during his or her main phase when the stack is 
empty. A sorcery spell is put into its owner's graveyard as part of its resolution. See rule 212.7, 
"Sorceries."

Source of an Ability
The source of an ability is the object that generated it. See rule 402, "Abilities."

Source of Damage
The source of damage is the object that dealt it. If an effect requires a player to choose a source of damage, 
he or she may choose either a permanent or a spell on the stack (including one that creates a permanent) or 
any object referred to by a spell or ability on the stack. A source doesn't need to be capable of dealing 
damage to be a legal choice. See rule 419.8, "Sources of Damage."

Special Action
Special actions don't use the stack. The special actions are playing a land, turning a face-down creature 
face up, ending continuous effects or preventing delayed triggered abilities, and suspending or ignoring 
continuous effects. See rule 408.1i and rule 408.2, "Actions That Don't Use the Stack."

Spell
A nonland card becomes a spell when it's played and remains a spell until it's countered, it resolves, or it 
otherwise leaves the stack. A copy of a spell is also a spell, even if it has no card associated with it. See rule 
213, "Spells," and rule 401, "Spells on the Stack."

Split Cards
Split cards have two card faces on a single card. The back of a split card is the normal, full-size Magic card 
back. Split cards have two sets of characteristics: two names, two mana costs, and so on. They always have 
both sets, except when they're spells on the stack. When you play a split card, you announce which side 
you're playing. While it's on the stack, the other side is ignored completely. See rule 505, "Split Cards."
     Split cards have two mana costs with different colors of mana in them. That means they are multicolored 
cards, except while they're on the stack.
     If an effect tells you to name a card, you must name all of a split card's names.
     Effects that ask for a split card's characteristic get both answers. Effects that ask if a split card's 
characteristic matches a given value get only one answer. This answer is "yes" if either side of the split 
card matches the given value.

Stack
A spell or ability goes on top of the stack when it's played or put onto the stack. Combat-damage 
assignments also go on top of the stack as though they were a single object. Whenever both players pass in 
succession, the spell, ability, or combat damage on top of the stack resolves and the active player receives 
priority again. See rule 217.6, "Stack," and rule 408.1, "Timing, Priority, and the Stack."

State-Based Effects
State-based effects continually "watch" the game for a particular state. Whenever a player would receive 
priority, state-based effects are checked and applied. See rule 420, "State-Based Effects."

State Triggers
State triggers are triggered abilities that watch for a game state rather than an event and trigger as soon as 
the game state matches the condition. Once a state trigger has triggered, it won't trigger again until the 
ability it created has resolved or been countered. See rule 410.11.

Static Ability
Static abilities do something all the time rather than being played at specific times. Static abilities create 
continuous effects, which are active as long as the permanent with the ability remains in play and has the 
ability, or as long as the object with the ability remains in the appropriate zone. A spell or ability can also 
create a continuous effect that doesn't depend on a permanent; these may last a specified length of time or 
for the rest of the game. See rule 412, "Handling Static Abilities."

Step
Some phases of the turn are further subdivided into steps. See section 3, "Turn Structure."

Storm
Storm is a triggered ability that functions while the spell is on the stack. "Storm" means "When you play 
this spell, put a copy of it onto the stack for each other spell that was played before it this turn. If the spell 
has any targets, you may choose new targets for any number of the copies." See rule 502.30, "Storm."

Subgame
One card (Shahrazad) allows players to play a Magic subgame. A "subgame" is the game created by 
Shahrazad. See rule 506, "Subgames."

Subtype
A card can have one or more subtypes printed on its type line. Artifact, creature, and land subtypes are 
always single words and are listed after a long dash. Each word after the dash is a separate subtype. Artifact 
subtypes are also called "artifact types." Creature subtypes are also called "creature types." Land subtypes 
are also called "land types." Artifacts, creatures, and lands may have multiple subtypes. If an artifact 
creature card has subtypes printed on its type line, those subtypes are creature types. If an artifact land card 
has subtypes printed on its type line, those types are land types. Enchantment subtypes consist of the word 
"enchant" and the word(s) that follows it: "enchant creature," "enchant land," etc. A card with the type 
"enchantment" has no subtype. Instants and sorceries don't have subtypes. See rule 205.3, "Subtypes," and 
rule 212, "Type, Supertype, and Subtype."

Successfully Cast (Obsolete)
Some older cards were printed with the term "successfully cast." In general, any ability that's written as 
triggering when a spell is "successfully cast" should be read as triggering when the spell is played.

Summon (Obsolete)
Older creature cards were printed with the type "Summon [creature type]." All "Summon [creature type]" 
cards should be read as "Creature — [creature type]."

Summoning Sickness (Informal)
The term "summoning sickness" is an informal term which describes a creature's inability to attack or to 
use activated abilities that include the tap symbol when it has come under a player's control since the 
beginning of that player's most recent turn. See rule 212.3d. See also Haste.

Supertype
A card can have one or more "supertypes." These are printed directly before the card's types. If an object's 
types or subtypes change, any supertypes it has are kept, although they may not be relevant to the new type. 
See rule 205.4, "Supertypes."

Swamp
"Swamp" is one of the five basic land types. Any land with the land type Swamp has the ability "{oT}: 
Add {oB} to your mana pool." See rule 212.6d.

Swampcycling
See Landcycling.

Swampwalk
See Landwalk.

Tap
To tap a permanent is to turn it sideways. The tap symbol ({oT} in these rules) in an activation cost means 
"Tap this permanent"—a permanent that's already tapped can't be tapped again to pay the cost. Creatures 
that haven't been under a player's control continuously since the beginning of his or her most recent turn 
can't use any ability of theirs with the tap symbol in the cost. See rule 104.4.

Tapped
A permanent that's turned sideways is tapped. Tapping permanents shows that they've been used. 
Permanents untap during their controllers' untap steps. See also Tap, Untap, and Untapped.

Target
Whenever the phrase "target [something]," where [something] is a phrase that describes an object or player, 
appears in a spell or ability, the controller of the spell or ability chooses something that matches whatever 
follows that word. The choice of a spell or ability's targets is made when the spell or ability is played. See 
rule 415, "Targeted Spells and Abilities."
     An instant or sorcery is targeted if the text that will be followed when it resolves uses the phrase "target 
[something]," where the "something" is a phrase that describes an object or player. (If an activated or 
triggered ability of an instant or sorcery uses the word target, that ability is targeted, but the spell is not.)
     An activated or triggered ability is targeted if it uses the phrase "target [something]," where the 
"something" is a phrase that describes an object or player.
     Local-enchantment spells are always targeted, even though they don't use the phrase "target 
[something]." They target the permanent or player they will enchant. (See rule 415.3.) A local-enchantment 
permanent doesn't target anything.
     Neither Equipment spells nor Equipment permanents are targeted. (See rule 415.3.) An Equipment may 
have abilities which are targeted.
     A spell or ability on the stack can't target itself.

Text Box
The text box is printed below the illustration on a Magic card and contains rules text that defines the card's 
abilities, reminder text, and flavor text. See rule 207, "Text Box."

Text-Changing Effect
An effect that changes the text of an object changes only words that are used in the correct way. The effect 
can't change a proper noun, such as a card name, even if that proper noun contains a word or a series of 
letters that is the same as a Magic color word, basic land type, or creature type. See rule 418.6, "Text-
Changing Effects."

Threshold
Threshold is a characteristic-setting ability. An object with threshold has the text after "Threshold —" if its 
controller has seven or more cards in his or her graveyard. Otherwise, the text after "Threshold —" is 
treated as though it did not appear on the object. An instant or sorcery with threshold has the threshold text 
only if it's on the stack. An artifact, creature, enchantment, or land with threshold has the threshold text 
only if it's in play. See rule 502.23, "Threshold."

Tie
If an effect could result in a tie, the text of the spell or ability that created the effect will specify what to do 
in the event of a tie. The Magic game has no default for ties.

Timestamp Order
An object's timestamp is the time it entered the zone it's currently in, with three exceptions: (1) If two or 
more objects enter a zone simultaneously, the active player determines their timestamp order at the time 
they enter that zone. (2) Whenever a local enchantment or Equipment becomes attached to a permanent, the 
enchantment or Equipment receives a new timestamp. (3) Permanents that phase in keep the same 
timestamps they had when they phased out. See rule 418.5e. See also Depend On.
     Continuous effects generated by static abilities have the same timestamp as the object that generated 
them. Continuous effects generated by the resolution of a spell or ability receive a timestamp at the time 
they're created.

Token
A token is a marker used to represent any permanent that isn't represented by a card. Tokens are created by 
effects. Tokens can be tapped and untapped just like cards, though an alternative to rotation might be 
needed to distinguish their status. See rule 216, "Tokens."

Tombstone Icon
A tombstone icon appears to the left of the name of many Odyssey block cards with abilities that are 
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. See rule 104.5.

Total Cost
The total cost of a spell or activated ability is the mana cost, activation cost, or alternative cost, plus all cost 
increases and minus all cost reductions. See rule 409.1f

Total Casting Cost (Obsolete)
Some older cards were printed with the term "total casting cost" to describe the converted mana cost of a 
spell. In general, cards that were printed with the term "total casting cost" now use the term "converted 
mana cost."

Toughness
The number after the slash printed on the lower right corner of a creature card is the creature's toughness. 
See rule 208, "Power/Toughness."
     A creature that's been dealt damage greater than or equal to its toughness (and greater than 0) has lethal 
damage and will be destroyed the next time any player would receive priority. This is a state-based effect.
     Some objects have toughness represented by * instead of a number. The object has a characteristic-
setting ability that sets its toughness according to some stated condition. The * is 0 while the object isn't in 
play.

Tournament
A tournament is an organized event where players compete against other players to win prizes. See the 
Tournament Locator on the DCI home page (www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci) to find tournaments in 
your area.

Trample
Trample is a static ability modifying the combat damage step of the combat phase. It lets an attacking 
creature "trample over" blocking creatures and assign part of its combat damage to the defending player. 
See rule 502.9, "Trample."

Trigger, Triggered Ability
A triggered ability begins with the word "when," "whenever," or "at." Whenever the trigger event occurs, 
the ability goes on top of the stack the next time a player would receive priority. See rule 404, "Triggered 
Abilities."

Trigger Condition
A triggered ability begins with the word "when," "whenever," or "at." The phrase containing one of these 
words is the trigger condition, which defines the trigger event. See rule 404, "Triggered Abilities."

Type
The word "type" has two meanings:
     1. A card's type (and subtype, if applicable) is printed directly below the illustration on the card, on its 
type line. Cards, tokens, permanents, and spells all have types. Abilities don't have types. See rule 205, 
"Type Line," and rule 212, "Type, Supertype, and Subtype."
     When an effect changes an object's type, the new type replaces all previous types. If the effect is adding 
a type, or allowing an object to retain its types, it will say so. See rule 212.1c.
     2. The "type" of mana includes both its color (if any) and any restrictions placed upon it (for example, 
mana that can be used only to play artifact spells). See also Mana.

Type-Changing Effect
A type-changing effect is an effect that changes the type of an object. It's generated by a type-changing 
ability. See rule 418.5a.

Type Line
The type (and subtype and supertype, if applicable) of a card is printed directly below the illustration. See 
rule 205, "Type Line," and rule 212, "Type, Supertype, and Subtype."

Unblockable
If an attacking creature "is unblockable," no creature can legally block it. Spells or abilities may still cause 
it to become blocked.

Unblocked Creature
An attacking creature becomes an unblocked creature during the declare blockers step of the combat phase 
if no creature blocks it. It remains an unblocked creature until an effect causes it to become blocked, it's 
removed from combat, it stops being a creature, its controller changes, or the combat phase ends. 
Unblocked creatures don't exist outside of the combat phase or before the declare blockers step. See rule 
309, "Declare Blockers Step."

Universal Tournament Rules
The DCI Universal Tournament Rules (www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci/utr/intro) cover tournament 
play for all DCI-sanctioned games, including the Magic game.

Unless
Some cards use the phrase "[Do something] unless you [do something else]." This means the same thing as 
"You may [do something else]. If you don't, [do something]."

Untap
To untap a tapped card, rotate it back to the upright position. See also Tap, Tapped, and Untapped.

Untap Step
The untap step is the first step of the beginning phase. All permanents controlled by the active player 
normally untap at this time. See rule 302, "Untap Step."

Untapped
A permanent that's upright is untapped. Tapping permanents shows that they've been used. Permanents 
untap during their controllers' untap steps. See also Tap, Tapped, and Untap.

Upkeep Step
The upkeep step is the second step of the beginning phase. Some cards have abilities that trigger at the 
beginning of the upkeep step; such an ability is informally called an "upkeep cost" or an "upkeep effect." 
An upkeep cost is usually written in the form "At the beginning of your upkeep, you may [pay cost]. If you 
don't, sacrifice [this card]." These are normal triggered abilities—there are no special rules for them. See 
rule 303, "Upkeep Step."

Vanguard Card
The Vanguard™ supplements consist of oversized cards that modify the game. A Vanguard card is selected 
before the game begins, adjusting a player's starting and maximum hand size and starting life total. Any 
abilities printed on a Vanguard card have no color, and damage from them isn't damage from a permanent 
of any type or a source of any color. A Vanguard card can't be affected by spells or abilities.

Wall
A Wall is a type of creature that can't be declared as an attacker. In all other respects, a Wall is the same as 
any other creature. See rule 308.2a.

Win the Game
A game immediately ends when a player wins. See rule 102, "Winning and Losing."

X
If a cost has an "X" in it, the value of X must be announced as part of playing the spell or ability. (See rule 
409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.") While the spell or ability is on the stack, the {oX} in its 
mana cost equals the amount announced as part of playing the spell or ability. If a card in any other zone 
has {oX} in its mana cost, the amount is treated as 0. If you're playing a spell that has X in its mana cost 
and an effect lets you play it without paying any cost, that includes X and the only legal choice for X is 0. 
This does not apply to effects that only reduce a cost, even if they reduce it to zero. See rule 409, "Playing 
Spells and Activated Abilities."
     In triggered abilities, X is defined when the ability resolves. It may be defined by the text of the ability, 
by a keyword ability of the card, or by the trigger event. See rule 410, "Handling Triggered Abilities."
     In other cases, X is defined by the text of a spell or ability. If X isn't defined, the controller of the spell 
or ability chooses the value of X. All Xs on an object have the same value.

Y, Z
See X.

You, Your
The words "you" and "your" on an object refer to the object's controller (or its owner if it has no 
controller). For static abilities, this is the current controller of the object it's on. For activated abilities, this 
is the player who played the ability. For triggered abilities, this is the controller of the object when the 
ability triggered. See also Controller, Owner.

Zone
A zone is any place that Magic cards can be during a game. See rule 217, "Zones."

Zone-Change Triggers
Trigger events that involve objects changing zones are called "zone-change triggers." Many abilities with 
zone-change triggers attempt to do something to that object after it changes zones. During resolution, these 
abilities look for the object in the zone that it moved to. If the object is unable to be found in the zone it 
went to, the part of the ability attempting to do something to the object will fail to do anything. The most 
common types of zone-change triggers are comes-into-play triggers and leaves-play triggers. See rule 
410.10.




Credits

Magic: The Gathering Original Game Design: Richard Garfield
Comprehensive Rules Design and Development: Paul Barclay, Beth Moursund, and Bill Rose, with 
contributions from Charlie Camino, Elaine Chase, Laurie Cheers, Stephen D'Angelo, Dave DeLaney, 
Brady Dommermuth, Mike Donais, Skaff Elias, Mike Elliott, Richard Garfield, Dan Gray, Robert 
Gutschera, Collin Jackson, William Jockusch, Jeff Jordan, Jim Lin, Steve Lord, Michael Phoenix, Mark 
Rosewater, David Sachs, Henry Stern, Ingo Warnke, Tom Wylie, Donald X, and Bryan Zembruski
Editing: Del Laugel and Justin Webb
Magic Lead Design: Bill Rose
Magic Rules Manager: Paul Barclay

The Magic: The Gathering game was designed by Richard Garfield, with contributions from Charlie 
Camino, Skaff Elias, Don Felice, Tom Fontaine, Jim Lin, Joel Mick, Chris Page, Dave Pettey, Barry "Bit" 
Reich, Bill Rose, and Elliott Segal. The mana symbols were designed by Christopher Rush.

Thanks to all our project team members and the many others too numerous to mention who have 
contributed to this product.












These rules are current as of December 1, 2003.

Published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., P.O. Box 707, Renton WA 98057-0707, U.S.A. Wizards of the 
Coast, Magic: The Gathering, Magic, DCI, Oracle, Ice Age, Vanguard, Exodus, Portal Three Kingdoms, 
Odyssey, Judgment, and Mirrodin are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the U.S.A. and other 
countries. ©1993–2003 Wizards. U.S. Pat. No. RE 37,957.



Questions?
Contact the office nearest you.

U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific, and Latin America
Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
P.O. Box 707
Renton WA 98057-0707
U.S.A.
Tel: 1-800-324-6496 (within the U.S.)
Tel: 1-206-624-0933 (outside the U.S.)
Fax: 1-425-204-5818
Email: custserv@wizards.com

U.K., Eire, and South Africa
Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Consumer Affairs
P.O. Box 43
Caswell Way
Newport
NP19 4YD
GREAT BRITAIN
Tel: + 800 22 427276
Fax: + 44 1633 282693
Email: wizards@hasbro.co.uk

All Other European Countries
Wizards of the Coast
p/a Hasbro Belgium
't Hofveld 6D
B-1702 Groot-Bijgaarden
BELGIUM
Tel: +32.70.233.277
Fax: +32.2.464.09.59
Email: custserv@hasbro.co.uk

Visit our website: www.magicthegathering.com