E - Extracted Rulings on Cards
E.1 - Alternate Cost Spells
- E.1.1 - Alternate cost spells provide a way to cast them without paying the
mana cost. This is typically worded "You may do <-something-> rather than
paying this card's mana cost." [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- E.1.2 - The non-mana cost is paid at the time you announce the spell or
ability and is considered to be paying the mana cost (see Rule K.18) for
you. [Duelist Magazine #11, Page 55, 1996/07/01]
- E.1.3 - If there is a condition in the alternate cost, such as "if you
control a plains, you may...", then this condition is tested only at the
time you would pay the cost. If the condition stops being true later,
the spell or ability still resolves as normal. [Nemesis FAQ 2000/02/07]
- E.1.Ruling.1 - These are sometimes called 'Pitch spells' because the first
alternate cost spells used discarding a card from your hand or removing a
card in your hand from the game as the alternate cost.
[D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- E.1.Ruling.2 - It does not actually change the mana cost of the spell for
any reasons, including spells or abilities like Spell Blast.
[Duelist Magazine #12, Page 32, 1996/09/01]
- E.1.Ruling.3 - If there is a penalty on the play cost of the spell, such
as Gloom on a Scars of the Veteran, you must pay the penalty even
if you use the alternate cost to avoid the mana cost (see Rule K.18)
portion of the play cost (see Rule K.20). [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- E.1.Ruling.4 - You cannot use Sleight of Mind to stop an alternate cost
spell which requires a card of a certain color to be discarded. This is
because the costs are paid prior to the Sleight being usable. See
Rule T.3.1. [Duelist Magazine #12, Page 32, 1996/09/01]
- E.1.Ruling.5 - You cannot discard a spell card to pay for itself.
[D'Angelo 1998/05/28] See Rule T.4.2.
E.2 - Cantrips
- E.2.1 - A 'cantrip' is a spell which has an effect and also lets you draw
a card as part of the effect. This can be done as part of the resolution,
or it may be done during the next turn. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- E.2.Ruling.1 - If instructed to draw during the next turn, do so regardless
of which player's turn that is. You'll often be drawing during your
opponent's turn. [D'Angelo 1997/04/11]
- E.2.Ruling.2 - If the spell has a target and all of its targets are illegal
on resolution, then you will not get to draw a card. See Rule G.39.6.
[D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- E.2.Ruling.3 - If the spell is countered, you do not get to draw a card.
[Duelist Magazine #7, Page 8, 1995/10/01] See Rule G.7.2.
- Note - Many of these cards received errata. It's best to check the card
listing for details.
E.3 - Comes Into Play Abilities
- E.3.1 - A card which says "When <-name of this card-> comes into play,
do <-something->" sets up a triggered ability (see Rule A.4) which will
trigger only on itself coming into play. After that, the ability is
inactive. [WotC Rules Team 1998/03/31]
- E.3.2 - A card which says "Whenever <-description of a class of permanents->
comes into play, do <-something->" sets up a triggered ability (see
Rule A.4) that watches for anything matching the description. A card with
this ability can trigger on itself entering play or on anything that
enters play at the same time this card enters play. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
For example, if two Mogg Bombers enter play simultaneously due
to Living Death, both Mogg Bombers will trigger.
- E.3.Ruling.1 - You can cast a spell that has a 'comes into play' ability
even if you know that the ability itself cannot be played. For example,
you can cast a Nekrataal when there are no legal creatures in play to
target. Simply ignore any 'comes into play' abilities when deciding if
you can play a spell. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- E.3.Ruling.2 - If the spell is countered (see Rule G.7), the permanent does
not come into play so the ability does not trigger. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- E.3.Ruling.3 - If the card does not say there is a penalty for being unable
to do the action, there is no penalty if you are unable to do it. You
still do as much of the action as possible. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- E.3.Ruling.4 - Continuous effects that will apply after the permanent is
in play are applied before deciding which abilities do and do not trigger.
See Rule A.4.21. For example, if you play a land while Living Lands is
in play, abilities which trigger off a land coming into play will trigger,
and so will ones that trigger off a creature coming into play.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- E.3.Ruling.5 - 'Comes into play' abilities trigger no matter how the card
is put into play. There is only one exception--phasing a card in will
never trigger such abilities. See Rule G.27.9. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- E.3.Ruling.6 - 'Comes into play' abilities do not trigger when a card
changes its type. For example, animating a land with Living Lands.
They only trigger on something going from being out of play to being
in play. [D'Angelo 1998/07/30]
- Note - Also see Triggered Abilities, Rule A.4.
E.4 - Copy Cards
- E.4.1 - Some cards in the game can become (or make) exact copies of other
cards. These cards include Clone, Copy Artifact, Dance of Many,
Echo Chamber, Fork, Unstable Shapeshifter,
Vesuvan Doppelganger, and Volrath's Shapeshifter. Some copy cards
can change what they copy and therefore have additional rules.
[D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- E.4.2 - Copy cards read the printed characteristics (see Rule K.6) of the
card or token, ignoring any changes made by other spells and abilities,
including type changes, temporary effects such as Giant Growth or
continuous effects. These characteristics become the new printed
characteristics of the copy. The implication of changing the printed
characteristics is that the copy itself can also be copied.
[CompRules 2001/07/23 - 503.2/3]
- E.4.3 - When the copy card is played and it resolves, it is in all ways a
copy. This means that anything that happens when it resolves or when it
enters play will happen. For example, a copy of a Tetravus will enter
play with three counters. And a copy of a Nevinyrral's Disk will
enter play tapped. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 503.5]
- E.4.4 - A copy card does not keep any of its own characteristics (see
Rule K.6) unless otherwise stated on the card.
[CompRules 2001/07/23 - 503.9] This means it assumes the name, color,
mana cost, and other characteristics.
- E.4.5 - If there are any choices that have to be made to define the card
being copied, those choices are not copied. All choices are considered to
be zero if numeric or not made otherwise. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 505.6]
There is one exception. If the copy comes into play (as opposed to
changing form in play) any "as it comes into play" choices can made at the
time the copy is made. For example, copying a Chameleon Spirit with a
Clone allows you to choose a new color. But doing the same copy with
an Unstable Shapeshifter would not. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 505.6]
Choices made on playing the card or after the card is in play are never
copied. For example, any X in the mana cost is considered to be zero and
anything tied to payments of the mana cost are considered unpaid.
[CompRules 2001/07/23 - 505.7]
- E.4.6 - If the copy card can change forms, any choices made on the original
form persist even if they are useless. These choices may become valid
again if a later form acts for a compatible choice. For example, if a
Vesuvan Doppelganger copies a Chameleon Spirit on entering play, it
lets you choose a color (let's say "blue"). If it later shifts to copying
a Quirion Elves, which also requires a color choice, this choice is
applied (so the Elves make blue mana). [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 503.8]
- E.4.7 - If the copy card can change forms, any ability usage restrictions
are not honored. If a permanent had "use this ability only once per turn"
or "you can spend no more than <-amount of mana-> this way each turn", and
it changes to another permanent, you can use the new ability even if it is
exactly the same text for the old ability. The restriction will not carry
over. [D'Angelo 2001/09/17]
- E.4.8 - If the copy card can change forms, it does not trigger any "comes
into play" abilities (see Rule E.3) when it changes to a new form.
[CompRules 2001/07/23 - 503.4] This means that changing to a Nekrataal
will not allow you to destroy a creature.
- E.4.9 - If the copy card can change forms, it does not get any counters or
other benefits (or penalties) the copied permanent would get when played,
nor do you have to pay any costs that are normally paid when playing that
permanent. [WotC Rules Team 1994/07/27] For example, when switching to a
Tetravus it gets no counters. And when switching to a
Minion of the Wastes you do not pay any life.
- E.4.10 - If the copy card can change forms, it does not trigger any "leaves
play" effects when it changes to a copy a different permanent. But, any
effects which were waiting for it to leave play will trigger when the
copy card itself leaves play. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 503.4] For example,
if a Vesuvan Doppelganger is a copy of a Gaea's Liege and it changes
to a new form, the lands it changed into Forests will not revert until the
Doppelganger's card actually leaves play.
- E.4.11 - Whenever a card refers to itself by name, it means "this card" even
if it changes its name by changing what it is copying.
[CompRules 2001/07/23 - 503.11]
- E.4.12 - When a copy card copies a spell, all characteristics are copied
and so are all choices. This includes targets, the value of X, and
optional additional costs such as Buyback. Choices made on resolution
are not copied. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 503.10]
- E.4.13 - A copy of a spell is also a spell. A copy of a spell ceases to
exist when it leaves the stack. This is a state-based effect.
[WotC Rules Team 2002/10/01]
- E.4.Ruling.1 - Most copy cards are not targeted. You can play them any
time a creature would be legal to cast. They have you choose a card to
copy as they enter play. If there is no valid choice, then it will not
copy anything and will enter with the characteristics printed on the
copy card itself. Some copy cards are targeted (notably Fork) and so
they require a target in order to be played at all.
[D'Angelo 2001/08/31]
- E.4.Ruling.2 - If a copy card is brought into play by a means other than
playing it, then you must choose a thing to copy at the time it would
enter play. See Rule G.28.4. [D'Angelo 2001/08/31]
- E.4.Ruling.3 - Because of Rule E.4.2, a copy card can copy something that
is only of the appropriate type due to an effect. The copy card ignores
all effects on the thing it is copying, however. For example, a Clone
could target a Chimeric Staff that is currently animated into a
creature. This is because the game thinks it is a creature and allows
such a target. If it does so, however, the copy is simply the base
Chimeric Staff card and it is not a creature (but it does have the
Staff's ability to turn into a creature). This is because the copy
effect does see past the temporary effect. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 503.2]
- E.4.Ruling.4 - If a copy card copies another permanent which is a copy, then
the printed values of the thing being copied are used (unless there are
some characteristics that were not copied). [D'Angelo 2001/08/31]
- E.4.Ruling.5 - Effects played on the copy card override the characteristics
it is copying. For example, a Vesuvan Doppelganger with a Flight
enchantment on it will still be Flying after changing forms. And a
Vesuvan Doppelganger modified by Ashnod's Transmogrant will act as a
Transmogrified version of the creature it copies even if it changes
creatures. [Aahz 1994/08/08]
- E.4.Ruling.6 - Creature copy cards that target a creature cannot target a
Licid which is in enchantment form, because the current type is not
creature. [D'Angelo 2002/01/10] See Rule E.4.2.
- E.4.Ruling.7 - A copy card of a token creature is still a card and not a
token. [WotC Rules Team 1994/06/01]
- E.4.Ruling.8 - If the copy card can change forms, and it changes to copy a
Legend (see Rule K.17) in play, it will be the newer copy of that Legend
in play and will be put into the graveyard (see Rule K.17.1) even if the
copy card itself was in play longer. [WotC Rules Team 1998/03/31]
- E.4.Ruling.9 - Copy cards do not copy Magical Hack or Sleight of Mind
or other textual changes. [WotC Rules Team 1998/03/31]
- E.4.Ruling.10 - All text is copied, including "counts as" text.
[bethmo 1998/07/07]
- E.4.Ruling.11 - When a copy is made of a permanent that had its Kicker
cost (see Rule A.22) paid, the Kicker has not been paid for the copy.
[DeLaney 2000/10/19]
- Note - See Rule E.6.Ruling.4 for rules on copying a face down permanent.
- Note - Also see Characteristics, Rule K.6.
E.5 - Face Down Cards
- E.5.1 - Face down cards in the removed from game zone (see Rule Z.8)
or phased out zone (see Rule Z.7) cannot be looked at by any player.
[Onslaught Rules 2002/09/15]
- E.5.2 - Face down cards in play or on the stack may be looked at by the
player that controls the card, but not by other players.
[Onslaught Rules 2002/09/15]
- E.5.3 - If you control multiple face down cards or tokens in play, you
must mark them or otherwise make it clear which is which. This
includes, but is not limited to tracking the order the permanents
entered play and which creature attacked last turn. Dice, tokens, and
location on the table are common techniques for tracking face down
permanents. [Onslaught Rules 2002/09/15]
- E.5.4 - Face down permanents in play are 2/2 (if creatures), have no color,
text, expansion symbol, or name, have no creature type or other subtype,
and have a mana cost {0}. Usually, the spell or ability that makes a
card become face down will override the defaults by specifying at least
some of the above, but if not specified these are the defaults.
[D'Angelo 2002/09/19]
- E.5.5 - Face down spells on the stack are considered spells with the same
characteristics the card will have when it enters play face down.
See Rule E.5.4. [Onslaught Rules 2002/09/15]
- E.5.6 - Face down cards in play are revealed when they leave the in-play
zone (except if phasing out), even if the new zone the card would also be
face down. They are also revealed at the end of the game. This allows
everyone to ensure that the game was played fairly.
[Onslaught Rules 2002/09/15]
- E.5.Ruling.1 - The spell or ability that turns a card face down will
specify the requirements under which the card can be turned face up.
For example, the Morph ability (see Rule A.26) requires you to pay the
Morph cost as a requirement to turn it face-up while it is in play.
[Onslaught Rules 2002/09/15]
- E.5.Ruling.2 - Turning a card face up does not trigger any "comes into
play" triggered abilities. [Onslaught Rules 2002/09/15]
- E.5.Ruling.3 - Turning a card face up does not change its state, such as
whether or not it is tapped, what effects or tokens are on it, whether
it has "summoning sickness", or so on. Only the characteristics change
away from the face-down definition. [Onslaught Rules 2002/09/15]
- E.5.Ruling.4 - If a face down card is copied, the current characteristics
are copied. If the face down card was played with Morph (see
Rule A.26), the copy does not get the Morph ability to turn face up.
[Onslaught Rules 2002/09/15]
- E.5.Ruling.5 - Phasing in and out does not turn a face down card face up
or otherwise reveal it. [Onslaught Rules 2002/09/15]
- E.5.Ruling.6 - Turning a face down creature card face up after blocking
assignment will not undo any now-illegal blocking decisions.
[Onslaugt FAQ 2002/09/24]
- E.5.Ruling.7 - Only the card itself is face down. Any enchantments on it
are still face up and counters on it are visible. [D'Angelo 2002/10/09]
- E.5.Ruling.8 - Face down creatures are not considered have the Morph
ability or any other ability. [Onslaught FAQ 2002/09/24]
- Note - Also see Morph, Rule A.26.
- Note - Also see Illusionary Mask.
E.6 - Fog Effects
- E.6.1 - A fog effect is an effect that prevents combat damage which would
be dealt by or dealt to a creature (see Rule C.1.8). [D'Angelo 2000/01/16]
- E.6.Ruling.1 - Only damage dealt due to the combat damage step in the
combat phase is stopped by a fog effect. Damage from spells and abilities
which is done during the combat phase is not stopped. See Rule C.1.8.
[D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- E.6.Ruling.2 - Does not prevent a creature from being affected by a
blocking ability such as Thicket Basilisk's.
[Duelist Magazine #2, Page 8, 1994/08/01]
- E.6.Ruling.3 - Does not prevent Is Not Blocked abilities (see Rule E.7) from
being used. [Aahz 1994/12/19]
- E.6.Ruling.4 - If a single creature is under a Fog effect and it is a member
of a band, it can still contribute Banding (see Rule A.7) to the band.
[Aahz 1994/08/31]
E.7 - Is Not Blocked Ability
- E.7.1 - An ability written as "If <-this card-> attacks and is not blocked,
you [may] do <-something->" is known as an 'Is Not Blocked' ability or as
a 'saboteur' ability. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- E.7.2 - This is a triggered ability (see Rule A.4) that triggers on the
declaration of blockers if the creature is attacking and it was not
blocked. [Aahz 1997/08/18] If the ability is optional, you have to decide
at that time if you want to play it. You cannot wait until later.
[Aahz 1997/03/17]
- E.7.3 - If a creature has multiple Is Not Blocked abilities, even multiple
copies of the same ability, all of them can be used.
[Duelist Magazine #4, Page 6, 1995/02/01]
- E.7.Ruling.1 - Some of these abilities have a targeted part and an
untargeted part of making the attacking creature not deal damage. If the
targeted part of the ability finds its target is illegal, then the
untargeted part is ignored (see Rule G.39.6).
[Duelist Magazine #6, Page 132, 1995/08/01] It is common for the
untargeted part to be "this creature deals no damage", which is ignored if
the target is illegal. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- E.7.Ruling.2 - The ability can be used even if a fog effect (see Rule E.6)
or some other Is Not Blocked ability has made it so the creature cannot
deal damage. [Duelist Magazine #4, Page 6, 1995/02/01]
E.8 - Licids
- E.8.1 - A Licid is a type of creature that can become a creature
enchantment, reside on other creatures for a while, and then revert back
to being a creature. [Tempest, Page 7]
- E.8.2 - When a Licid becomes a creature enchantment, it loses all abilities
and gains whatever ability is listed in the card text. It also stops
being whatever kind of permanent it was and becomes a local creature
enchantment (see Rule K.12.2). It retains all other characteristics (see
Rule K.6) including name, color, and so on. [Tempest, Page 8]
[WotC Rules Team 1997/12/18]
- E.8.3 - The Licid ability targets the creature it will be enchanting. If
the target becomes illegal before the ability starts to resolve, then the
ability is ignored and the Licid will remain unchanged. [Tempest, Page 9]
- E.8.4 - When a Licid changes form, any counters, effects, and damage on it
remain on it until they would normally be removed (if ever). If the
counters or effects make no sense when applied to the current card type,
then they do not do anything. But if the Licid returns to being a of the
proper card type, they may take effect again. [D'Angelo 1998/07/24]
For example, a +1/+1 counter from Dwarven Weaponsmith would remain, the
effect of Giant Growth will wear off at end of turn, and damage will be
removed at end of turn.
- E.8.Ruling.1 - Generally, the cost of using a Licid's ability includes
tapping it. This means that when it moves onto the creature, it will be
a tapped local enchantment. The enchantment's ability will work normally,
though, and the card will untap during your next untap step.
[Tempest, Page 9]
- E.8.Ruling.2 - A Licid will not get summoning sickness (see Rule G.37) by
enchanting an opponent's permanent. You are still controlling the Licid.
[D'Angelo 1997/10/15]
- E.8.Ruling.3 - If a Licid is enchanting a creature that phases out, the
Licid phases out with the creature, but when it phases back in it will
phase in still as a local enchantment. [D'Angelo 2000/04/04]
- E.8.Ruling.4 - When in creature enchantment form, it can be moved onto
another creature with an enchantment moving spell or ability (see
Rule E.9). It stays as an enchantment. [WotC Rules Team 1998/02/01]
- E.8.Ruling.5 - If a Licid targets itself, it will see itself as a legal
target at the beginning of resolution. It will then turn into an
enchantment and try to enchant itself. Rule K.12.6 kicks in at this point
and says this is illegal, so the Licid is placed into the graveyard.
[Jordan 2002/01/11]
- E.8.Ruling.6 - If a Licid targets a creature that cannot be enchanted, it
will still move through to resolution because the Licid's text does not
require its target to be a legal thing to enchant. During resolution it
will then turn into an enchantment and try to enchant its target. Since
the target is illegal, the Licid is placed into the graveyard.
[Jordan 2002/01/11]
E.9 - Moving Enchantments
- E.9.1 - Several spells and abilities can result in the moving of a local
enchantment from one permanent to another. For example,
Enchantment Alteration and Crown of the Ages. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- E.9.2 - When moving an enchantment, nothing changes about the enchantment
other than the thing it enchants and its timestamp for deciding how its
effects are ordered with other effects. The timestamp is set to the
time at which the enchantment was moved. [CompRules 1999/11/01]
- E.9.3 - The enchantment is not considered as if "just cast".
[WotC Rules Team 1998/05/01]
- E.9.4 - You cannot try to move an enchantment onto a permanent it cannot
legally enchant. Creatures which cannot be enchanted, such as
Bartel Runeaxe, or ones with Protection from Color (see Rule A.28) are
illegal things to enchant. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 214.8d]
- E.9.Ruling.1 - None of the enchantment moving spells and abilities require
the targeting of the new destination of the enchantment, so you can move
the enchantment onto a permanent that could not normally be targeted by a
spell or ability. [Mirage, Page 56] For example, you can move an
enchantment onto Deadly Insect.
- E.9.Ruling.2 - If you move an enchantment such as Firebreathing after
mana has been spent to pump it up, the effects of the pumping are applied
to whatever creature Firebreathing enchants when it resolves. It does not
lock in the affected creature on announcement. [D'Angelo 1999/06/08]
- E.9.Ruling.3 - If the enchantment was targeted by a spell or ability prior
to being moved, the moving will not cause the targeting to fail. It is
still the same enchantment. [D'Angelo 1995/09/26]
- E.9.Ruling.4 - When the enchantment is moved, any effects on the enchantment
stay on it. For example, the enchantments that play whenever you can play
an instant and are scheduled to be destroyed at end of turn will still be
destroyed at end of turn if they are moved.
[Duelist Magazine #16, Page 24, 1997/04/01]
E.10 - Poison
- E.10.1 - Poison counters are poison counters no matter what the source is.
[D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- E.10.2 - A player loses the game if they have 10 (or more) such counters at
the time state-based effects are checked. See Rule T.11.
[D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- E.10.3 - The "lose if you have 10 poison counters" effect is built into the
poison counters. You do not need a poison generating card in play for the
rule to take effect. [D'Angelo 1996/10/01]
E.11 - Tap and Hold Abilities
- E.11.1 - Abilities for which you tap the card, and the effects last as long
as the card is tapped are called 'tap and hold effects'.
[D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- E.11.2 - These abilities generate continuous effects that last until the
card is untapped. This is similar to a normal time duration effect such
as "until end of turn", but is "until the card which generated the effect
stops being tapped". [D'Angelo 1995/09/12] See Rule T.8.
- E.11.Ruling.1 - Although these cards usually only say "as long as <-this
card-> remains tapped", they also mean "and is in play". A card which is
not in play cannot be still tapped. [WotC Rules Team 1996/02/06]
- E.11.Ruling.2 - If the card which generated the ability untaps before its
tap and hold ability actually resolves, the tap and hold effect never
takes effect at all. [CompRules 1999/04/23] See Rule T.8.
- E.11.Ruling.3 - The effect continues even if the card loses its abilities.
It only ends if the card untaps or leaves play. [D'Angelo 1995/09/12]
This is possible if an artifact is animated by Titania's Song or a land
changes type by Phantasmal Terrain.
- E.11.Ruling.4 - If one of these cards or its target leaves play temporarily
by phasing out (see Rule G.27) or otherwise leaving play, the effect will
end and will not restart when it re-enters play. [D'Angelo 1996/10/15]
E.12 - Templates
- E.12.1 - The choice of wording on Magic cards is called templating. Here
are some templates and cross-references to their related rules.
- E.12.Ruling.1 - Something that affects "each X and Y" affects everything
that counts as an X and/or counts as a Y. It will not affect anything
twice. [WotC Rules Team 1995/11/10]
- E.12.Ruling.2 - The text "(this still counts as a land)" means the same
as "(if this was a land, it still is a land)". [bethmo 1999/04/10]
- E.12.Ruling.3 - The template "Do A unless you do B" means the same thing as
saying "You may do B. If you don't, do A." In other words, you choose
whether or not to do B. If you don't do B (or can't do B), then you
must do A. If you can't do A, you are not forced to do B.
[CompRules 1999/11/01] For example "return a permanent you control to
your hand unless you pay 2 life". You can pay 2 life. Or you can choose
to not pay 2 life, in which case you return a permanent you control to
your hand. If you have no permanent to return, you can still choose to
not pay the 2 life.
- E.12.Ruling.4 - The template "Before ~this~ comes into play" refers to
something that is done before doing any "as ~this~ comes into
play", "~this~ comes into play with something or in some state", and
before "When ~this~ comes into play". [DeLaney 1999/08/09]
- E.12.Ruling.5 - The three templates "Do A. Do B", "Do A and do B",
and "Do A, then do B" all mean to do A first, then do B. If something is
supposed to be simultaneous, the card should say "at the same time"
or "simultaneously". [bethmo 1999/11/17]
- E.12.Ruling.6 - If a spell or ability says you can do an action "as though"
some condition were true, the condition is not considered true for any
action other than the one specified. [CompRules 1999/11/01]
- E.12.Ruling.7 - The template "any time you could play <-something->"
means "if the rules of the game allow you to play a <-something-> at this
time, regardless of whether you actually have a <-something-> to play".
[CompRules 1999/11/01] For example, "any time you could play an instant"
works out to mean the same thing as "any time you have priority" since you
can always play an instant if you have priority (unless some effect is
preventing you from playing an instant). [DeLaney 1999/12/11]
E.13 - Text Changing
- E.13.1 - Effects that change words on cards only change words of the
appropriate type used in the appropriate way. For
example, Sleight of Mind only changes color words that are being used
to indicate a color. It will not affect these words appearing in card
names or other contexts. [WotC Rules Team 2002/10/01]
- E.13.2 - An ability added to a permanent through the use of quoted text does
not actually add that quoted text to the card. It adds the ability
described by the text. [WotC Rules Team 2001/06/07] This rule means that
you cannot alter the text on the affected card using Sleight of Mind
and similar cards.
- E.13.3 - A card with a zero mana cost may specify that it has a color in its
card text. This text is considered explanatory and is not an ability.
The text is subject to text changing effects such as Sleight of Mind.
[CompRules 1999/11/01]
- E.13.Ruling.1 - You may still use text altering spells and abilities such as
from Sleight of Mind. These spells and abilities can be used when
there is no text to alter (or when text only exists in a potential form)
and once the ability appears (when Threshold is met), the alteration will
be applied to the text as it would have been had the text been there the
whole time. [Barclay 2001/10/22]
E.14 - Vanguard Cards
- E.14.1 - The effects of Vanguard cards are treated like the first effects in
play during the game. They can be overridden by later effects, just like
any other effect can. [Aahz 1997/07/21]
- E.14.2 - Vanguard cards are only legal if they are allowed in the given
tournament format, or if not in a tournament and all players agree to
allow them. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- E.14.3 - Abilities of a Vanguard card have no color. [CompRules 1999/11/01]
- E.14.4 - Damage from a Vanguard card is not considered to come from a
permanent of any type or a source of any color. [CompRules 1999/11/01]
- E.14.5 - A Vanguard card is not considered a Magic "card" so it cannot be
affected by any spells or abilities. [CompRules 1999/11/01]
- E.14.Ruling.1 - The Barrin card does not target the creature, so
untargetable creatures are not immune. [D'Angelo 1998/01/06]
- E.14.Ruling.2 - Crovax triggers once per player or creature damaged, and not
once per point of damage. [bethmo 1998/01/07]
- E.14.Ruling.3 - A player with Gerrard who goes first skips one draw in the
first draw step, not both of them. [Aahz 1997/08/10]
- E.14.Ruling.4 - Orim gives the option of blocking as if the creature had
Flying. You can choose to block as if you did not have Flying. This is
useful with Chaosphere. [bethmo 1998/01/07]