General Rulings Summary Updated 2002/10/18
Rulings are collected from many sources. See credits and disclaimer at the
end of the file for details.
This release is under rules used by SIXTH EDITION and SEVENTH EDITION.
Both of these editions use the same rules.
These rulings are updated monthly. The most recent version is available on
the web (WWW) as the following:
A '+' is used to mark changes since the 2002/09/21 release.
Thanx,
Stephen.
Stephen D'Angelo (dangelo@crystalkeep.com)
Official Magic: The Gathering Rules Summary
Network Representative for Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Table of Contents:
A - Abilities
C - Combat Rules
- C.1 - The Combat Phase
- C.2 - Step 1: Beginning of Combat
- C.3 - Step 2: Declare Attackers
- C.4 - Step 3: Declare Blockers
- C.5 - Step 4: Combat Damage
- C.6 - Step 5: End of Combat
- C.7 - Must Attack or Block
D - DCI Tournament Rules
- D.1 - Tournament Structure
- D.2 - Deck Registration
- D.3 - Warnings, Penalties, and Ejection
- D.4 - Judges and Rulings
- D.5 - DCI Rating System
- D.6 - Card Text To Use
- D.7 - Card Sleeves
- D.8 - Deck Contents
- D.9 - Shuffling
- D.10 - Rules of Play
- D.11 - Sideboard
- D.12 - Other Rules
- D.13 - Type 1 Tournament Format
- D.14 - Type 1.5 Tournament Format
- D.15 - Extended Tournament Format
- D.16 - Standard Tournament Format
- D.17 - Sealed Deck Formats
- D.18 - Block Constructed Deck Formats
- D.19 - Booster Draft Formats
E - Extracted Rulings on Cards
- E.1 - Alternate Cost Spells
- E.2 - Cantrips
- E.3 - Comes Into Play Abilities
- E.4 - Copy Cards
- E.5 - Face Down Cards
- E.6 - Fog Effects
- E.7 - Is Not Blocked Ability
- E.8 - Licids
- E.9 - Moving Enchantments
- E.10 - Poison
- E.11 - Tap and Hold Abilities
- E.12 - Templates
- E.13 - Text Changing
- E.14 - Vanguard Cards
G - Game Terms and Rules
- G.1 - Activation Cost
- G.2 - Caster
- G.3 - Color
- G.4 - Colorless Mana
- G.5 - Controller
- G.6 - Costs
- G.7 - Countering Spells and Abilities
- G.8 - Counters
- G.9 - Counts As
- G.10 - Damage
- G.11 - Damage Prevention
- G.12 - Damage Redirection
- G.13 - Destroy
- G.14 - Discard
- G.15 - Draw
- G.16 - Exchange
- G.17 - Generic Mana
- G.18 - Infinity
- G.19 - Life
- G.20 - Losing the Game
- G.21 - Loss of Life
- G.22 - Mana Burn
- G.23 - Mana Pool
- G.24 - Modal Spells and Abilities
- G.25 - Obsolete Terms
- G.26 - Owner
- G.27 - Phasing Out and In
- G.28 - Put Into Play
- G.29 - Regeneration
- G.30 - Remove from the Game
- G.31 - Reveal
- G.32 - Rounding
- G.33 - Sacrifice
- G.34 - Simultaneous
- G.35 - Skipping a Draw
- G.36 - Skipping a Phase or Step
- G.37 - Summoning Sickness
- G.38 - Tapping a Permanent
- G.39 - Targeting--Announcing and Resolving
- G.40 - Targeting--Is Something Targeted
- G.41 - Targeting--Valid Targets
- G.42 - Unblocked
- G.43 - Untapping a Permanent
K - Card and Permanent Types and Information
- K.1 - Artifact
- K.2 - Artifact Creature
- K.3 - Card Name
- K.4 - Card Types
- K.5 - Changing a Permanent's Type
- K.6 - Characteristics
- K.7 - Color of a Spell/Permanent
- K.8 - Converted Mana Cost
- K.9 - Creature
- K.10 - Creature Power and Toughness
- K.11 - Creature Type
- K.12 - Enchantment
- K.13 - Expansion Symbol
- K.14 - Instant
- K.15 - Land
- K.16 - Land Type
- K.17 - Legendary Permanents
- K.18 - Mana Cost
- K.19 - Permanents
- K.20 - Play Cost
- K.21 - Snow-Covered Lands
- K.22 - Sorcery
- K.23 - Spells
- K.24 - Split Cards
- K.25 - Token Creatures
- K.26 - Tombstone Icon
- K.27 - Walls
- K.28 - X Costs
M - Multiplayer Rules
- M.1 - Multi-Player Rulings
- M.2 - Free-For-All Style
- M.3 - Team Play
P - Phases of the Turn
- P.1 - Starting the Game
- P.2 - Phases of the Turn
- P.3 - General Phase and Step Rules
- P.4 - Beginning Phase
- P.5 - Untap Step
- P.6 - Upkeep Step
- P.7 - Draw Step
- P.8 - First Main Phase
- P.9 - Combat Phase
- P.10 - Second Main Phase
- P.11 - End Phase
- P.12 - End of Turn Step
- P.13 - Cleanup Step
T - Timing of Spells and Abilities
- T.1 - Types of Spells and Abilities
- T.2 - Stack
- T.3 - Life Cycle of Spells and Abilities
- T.4 - Step 1: Announcing a Spell or Ability
- T.5 - Step 2: Waiting for Resolution
- T.6 - Step 3: Resolution
- T.7 - Types of Effects
- T.8 - Continuous Effects
- T.9 - One-Shot Effects
- T.10 - Replacement and Prevention Effects
- T.11 - State-Based Effects
- T.12 - Timing Conflicts
U - Unglued
Z - Zones of Play
- Z.1 - Zones of Play
- Z.2 - Ante
- Z.3 - Graveyard
- Z.4 - Hand
- Z.5 - In Play
- Z.6 - Library
- Z.7 - Phased Out
- Z.8 - Removed from Game
- Z.9 - Stack
- Abilities
- Activated, A.2
- Announcing, T.4
- Banding, A.7
- Bands, A.7
- Bands with Other, A.8
- Buyback, A.9
- Comes Into Play, E.3
- Countering, G.7
- Cumulative Upkeep, A.10
- Cycling, A.11
- Echo, A.12
- Evasion, A.13
- Fading, A.14
- First Strike, A.16
- Flanking, A.17
- Flying, A.19
- General Info, A.1
- Haste, A.20
- Horsemanship, A.21
- Is Not Blocked, E.7
- Kicker, A.22
- Landhome, A.23
- Landwalk, A.24
- Life cycle overview, T.3
- Phase Ability, G.25.Ruling.7
- Phase Cost, G.25.Ruling.8
- Phasing, A.27
- Playing, T.4
- Protection, A.28
- Rampage, A.29
- Resolving, T.6
- Responding to, T.5, T.5.Ruling.1
- Shadow, A.30
- Static, A.3
- Tap and Hold, E.11
- Trample, A.32
- Triggered, A.4
- Types, T.1
- Activated Abilities, A.2
- Activation Cost, G.1
- Active Player, T.2.3
- Alternate Cost Spells, E.1
- Animated Artifacts, K.5
- Animated Lands, K.5
- Ante, Z.2
- Artifact,
- Attack, See Combat
- Attackers, Declaring, C.3
- Banding, A.7
- Bands, A.7
- Bands with Other, A.8
- Banned Cards, see Tournament, Banned Cards
- Beginning Phase, P.4
- Blockers, Declaring, C.4
- Bury, G.25.Ruling.1
- Buyback, A.9
- Cantrip, E.1
- Card Name, K.3
- Card Type, K.4
- Caster, G.2
- Changing a Permanent's Type, K.5
- Characteristics, K.6
- Cleanup Step, P.13
- Color, G.3
- Colorless, G.3.2
- Colorless Mana, G.4
- Color of a Spell/Permanent, K.7
- Comes Into Play Ability, E.3
- Continuous Artifact, K.1.Ruling.4
- Continuous Effects, T.8
- Combat
- Beginning of, C.2
- Combat Damage, C.5
- Declaring Attackers, C.3
- Declaring Blockers, C.4
- End of, C.6
- Instants During, C.2, C.3, C.4, C.5
- Phase, C.1, P.9
- Controller, G.5
- Converted Mana Cost, K.8
- Copy Cards, E.4
- Cost
- Creature
- Countering Spells and Abilities, G.7
- Counters, G.8
- Counts As, G.9
- Cumulative Upkeep, A.10
- Cycling, A.11
- Damage
- Deck, see Library
- Delayed Ability, A.5
- Destroy, G.13
- Discard, G.14
- Discard Pile, see Graveyard
- Draw
- Action, G.15
- Pile, see Library
- Step, P.7
- Echo, A.12
- Effects
- Enchantment
- Enchant World, K.12.10
- End of Combat, C.6
- End of Turn Step, P.12
- End Phase, P.11
- Evasion Ability, A.13
- Event, T.1.6
- Exchanging Cards, G.16
- Fading, A.14
- Fast Effect, G.25.Ruling.2
- First Strike, A.16
- Fizzle, G.25.Ruling.3
- Flanking, A.17
- Flying, A.19
- Fog Effects, E.6
- Foresthome, see Landhome
- Forestwalk, see Landwalk
- Generic Mana, G.17
- Global Enchantment, K.12.1
- Graveyard, Z.3
- Hand, Z.4
- Haste, A.20
- Horsemanship, A.21
- Infinity, G.18
- In Play Zone, Z.5
- Instant, K.14
- Interrupt, G.25.Ruling.4
- Islandhome, see Landhome
- Islandwalk, see Landwalk
- Is Not Blocked Ability, E.7
- Kicker, A.22
- Land
- Landhome, A.23
- Landwalk, A.24
- Legends, K.17
- Legendary Artifact, K.17
- Legendary Enchantment, K.17
- Legendary Land, K.17
- Legendary Permanents, K.17
- Licids, E.8
- Library
- Life, G.19
- Life Cycle
- Announcing, T.4
- Overview, T.3
- Resolving, T.6
- Waiting to resolve, T.5
- Local Enchantment, K.12.2
- Losing the Game, G.20
- Loss of Life, G.21
- Main Phase, P.8, P.10
- Mana
- Mana Ability, A.6
- Mana Burn, G.22
- Mana Cost, K.18
- Mana Pool, G.23
- Mana Source, G.25.Ruling.5
- Modal Spells and Abilities, G.24
- Mono Artifact, K.1.Ruling.2
- Mountainhome, see Landhome
- Mountainwalk, see Landwalk
- Moving Enchantments, E.9
- Mulligan, P.1.7
- Multi-Player
- Free-For-All Style, M.2
- General Rulings, M.1
- Team Play, M.3
- Must Attack, C.7
- Must Block, C.7
- Obsolete Terms, G.25
- One-Shot Effects, T.9
- Owner, G.26
- Permanent, K.19
- Phase
- Beginning, P.4
- Cleanup Step, P.13
- Draw Step, P.7
- End of Turn Step, P.12
- Main, P.8, P.10
- Overview, P.2, P.3
- Skipping, G.36
- Untap Step, P.5
- Upkeep Step, P.6
- Phase Abilities, G.25.Ruling.7
- Phase Cost, G.25.Ruling.8
- Phased Out, Z.7
- Phasing
- Plainshome, see Landhome
- Plainswalk, see Landwalk
- Play Cost, K.20
- Poison, E.10
- Poly Artifact, K.1.Ruling.3
- Power, K.10
- Power/Toughness, K.10
- Protection, A.28
- Protection from Color, see Protection
- Put Into Play, G.28
- Rampage, A.29
- Regeneration, G.29
- Removed from Game Zone, Z.8
- Remove from the Game, G.30
- Replacement Effect, T.10
- Resolving a spell or ability, T.6
- Responding, T.5
- Restricted Cards, see Tournament, Restricted Cards
- Reveal, G.31
- Rounding, G.32
- Sacrifice, G.33
- Set Aside, Z.8.3
- Shadow, A.30
- Sideboard, D.11
- Simultaneous, G.34
- Skipping a Draw, G.35
- Skipping a Phase or Step, G.36
- Snow-Covered Land, K.21
- Sorcery, K.22
- Source, T.10.12
- Speed of Spells and Abilities, T.1.Ruling.2
- Spell
- Alternate Cost, E.1
- Announcing, T.4
- Countering, G.7
- Defined, K.23
- Life cycle overview, T.3
- Playing, T.4
- Resolving, T.6
- Responding to, T.5
- Types, T.1
- Split Cards, K.24
- Stack, T.2, Z.9
- Start of Game, P.1
- Static Abilities, A.3
- Step
- Beginning of Combat, C.2
- Cleanup, P.13
- Combat Damage, C.5
- Declare Attackers, C.3
- Declare Blockers, C.4
- Draw, P.7
- End of Combat, C.6
- End of Turn, P.12
- Untap, P.5
- Upkeep, P.6
- Successfully Played, T.5.1
- Summoning Sickness, G.37
- Swamphome, see Landhome
- Swampwalk, see Landwalk
- Tap, G.38.1
- Tap and Hold Abilities, E.11
- Tapping a Permanent, G.38
- Targeting
- Templates, E.12
- Timing Conflicts, T.12
- Token Cards, U.2
- Token Creatures, K.25
- Toughness, K.10
- Tournament
- Ante, D.10.2, D.17.6
- Banned Cards, D.13.9, D.14.9, D.15.8, D.15.9, D.16.11
- Banned Cards, D.17.7, D.18.3, D.18.4, D.18.5
- Block Constructed Deck Formats, D.18
- Booster Draft Formats, D.19
- Card Sleeves, D.7
- Card Text to Use, D.6
- Cheating, D.3.5, D.3.9
- Classic Format, D.13
- Classic-Restricted Format, D.14
- Deck Contents, D.8
- Ejection from, D.3
- Extended Format, D.15
- Deck Registration, D.2
- Forgetting, D.10.1
- Judges, D.4
- Mulligan, D.10.3
- Non-English Cards, D.6.3
- Penalty, D.3
- Rating System, D.5
- Restricted Cards, D.13.8, D.14.8, D.15.7, D.16.10, D.17.7
- Sealed Deck Format, D.17
- Shuffling, D.9
- Sideboard, D.11
- Structure, D.1
- Time Limit, D.1.3, D.1.4, D.1.5
- Type 1, D.13
- Type 1.5, D.14
- Type 2, D.16
- Warning, D.3
- Trample, A.32
- Triggered Ability, A.4
- Types of Abilities, T.1
- Types of Effects, T.7
- Types of Spells, T.1
- Unblocked, G.42
- Unglued, U.1
- Untap Step, P.5
- Untapping a Permanent, G.43
- Upkeep Cost, see Phase Cost
- Upkeep Step, P.6
- Vanguard Cards, E.14
- Wall, K.27
- X in Costs, K.28
- You, G.5.5
- Zones