Z.6 - Library


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Z.6.1- Your library is where the cards in your deck sit until they are drawn. It is also called your "draw pile". [CompRules 1999/04/23]

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Z.6.2- The contents of a player's library are not public. No player (not even the owner of the library) may look at the cards therein unless instructed to do so by a spell or ability. [CompRules 1999/04/23]

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Z.6.3- The library has an order to it. No player may change this order unless instructed to do so. [CompRules 1999/04/23]

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Z.6.4- The number of cards in your library is public information and every player has the right to know the count. [CompRules 1999/04/23]

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Z.6.5- All cards that are placed on the library are placed on top of it, and all cards taken from the library are taken from the top of it, unless otherwise specified. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]

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Z.6.6- If more than one card is to be placed on top of the library or on the bottom of the library at one time, the owner of that library decides the order the cards get stacked in it. [CompRules 1999/11/01] [WotC Rules Team 2000/02/16]

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Z.6.7- If a spell or ability has you do something to more cards in your library than you currently have in your library, it affects all the remaining cards. [Mirage, Page 59]

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Z.6.8- If a player is instructed to draw a card and their library is empty, that player loses the game the next time state-based effects (see Rule T.11) are checked. [CompRules 1999/11/01]

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Z.6.9- All cards which tell a player to search a library for a card based on some criteria (such as type, subtype, or name), you may choose not to find such a card even if one is in your library. This rule pretty much exists to avoid the need to have a judge verify that the player really did so. Effects which tell a player to search a library for "a card" or a specific number of cards do not fall under this rule and do not allow a player to find fewer cards (unless there are not enough in the library). For example, Demonic Tutor and Jester's Cap are not optional since they have you search for a specific number of cards. [CompRules 1999/11/01]

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Z.6.Ruling.1- You do not need to show any other player what cards are going into or coming out of a Library unless the cards came from a publicly viewable place, in which case you may only hide the order in which you place the cards. [WotC Rules Team 2000/02/16] [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]

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Z.6.Ruling.2- If a spell or ability has you choose one or more cards from your library, shuffle the rest of the library, and then put the chosen cards on top, the chosen cards are considered to be in your library during this entire process. The entire action is one step and not even mana abilities can be used in between the choosing and putting back. [Aahz 1997/03/17]

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Z.6.Ruling.3- If a zone is partially revealed (for example, the top card of your library is revealed), then rule Z.6.9 still applies as if the entire zone were not revealed. So even if you're asked to search for something that everyone knows is on the top of the library, you can choose not to find it. [Barclay 2003/02/10]

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Note- You must start the game with at least 60 cards in your library before you draw your initial hand (unless the rules you are playing with specify a different size). See Rule P.1.2.

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