============================================================================== General Rulings Summary Updated 2009/05/31 ============================================================================== 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 TENTH EDITION. These rulings have been updated monthly with the most recent version available on the web as the following: http://www.crystalkeep.com/magic/rules This document contains the complete text of the Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules document published by Wizards of the Coast. These rules are noted with numbered entries. It also contains additional rulings to clarify or explain some rules. These are marked with the word "Ruling". A '+' is used to mark changes since the 2009/04/18 release. Thanx, Stephen. ---- Stephen D'Angelo | Crystal Keep Editor dangelo@crystalkeep.com | Former Wizards of the Coast Rules NetRep ============================================================================== Table of Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 - The Game ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 104 - Numbers and Symbols + 104.1b - Most of the time, the Magic game uses only positive numbers. You can't choose a negative number, deal negative damage, gain negative life, and so on. However, it's possible for a game value, such as a creature's power, to be less than zero. If a calculation or comparison that would determine the result of an effect needs to use a negative value, it does so. If such a calculation yields a negative number, zero is used instead, unless that effect sets a player's life total to a specific value, sets a creature's power or toughness, changes a creature's power or toughness to a specific value, or otherwise modifies a creature's power or toughness. [CompRules 2008/05/01] Example: If a 3/4 creature gets -5/-0, it's a -2/4 creature. It assigns 0 damage in combat. Its total power and toughness is 2. You'd have to give it +3/+0 to raise its power to 1. [CompRules 2009/05/01] Example: Viridian Joiner is a 1/2 creature that says "{Tap}: Add an amount of {G} to your mana pool equal to Viridian Joiner's power." An effect gives it -2/-0, then its ability is activated. The ability adds no mana to your mana pool. [CompRules 2007/05/01] 2 - Parts of the Game ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 217 - Zones + 217.1c - An object that moves from one zone to another becomes a new object with no memory of, or relation to, its previous existence. There are seven exceptions to this rule: (1) Effects from spells, activated abilities, and triggered abilities that change the characteristics of an artifact, creature, enchantment, or planeswalker spell on the stack continue to apply to the permanent that spell becomes. (2) Prevention effects that apply to damage from an artifact, creature, enchantment, or planeswalker spell on the stack will continue to apply to damage from the permanent that spell becomes. (3) Abilities of a permanent that require information about choices made when that permanent was played use information about the spell that became that permanent. (4) 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 new object that it became in the zone it moved to when the ability triggered. (5) Abilities of Auras that trigger when the enchanted permanent leaves play can find the new object that permanent became in the zone it moved to; they can also find the new object the Aura became in its owner's graveyard after state-based effects have been checked. (6) If an effect grants a nonland card an ability that allows it to be played, that ability will continue to apply to the new object that card became after it moved to the stack as a result of being played this way. (7) Permanents that phase out or in "remember" their earlier states. See Rule 217.8c. [CompRules 2009/05/01] + 217.1f - If an object in the removed-from-the-game zone is removed from the game, it doesn't change zones, but it becomes as a new object that has just been removed from the game. [CompRules 2009/05/01] 217.2 - Library + 217.2g - If an effect causes a player to play with the top card of his or her library revealed, and that particular card stops being revealed for any length of time before being revealed again, it becomes a new object. [CompRules 2009/05/01] 217.7 - Removed from the Game + 217.7e - If an object in the removed-from-the-game zone is removed from the game, it doesn't change zones, but it becomes a new object that has just been removed from the game. [CompRules 2009/05/01] 217.9 - Ante + 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 the ante zone or change a card's owner. [CompRules 2009/05/01] 3 - Turn Structure ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 310 - Combat Damage Step + 310.2a - Each attacking creature and each blocking creature will assign combat damage equal to its power. Creatures with power less than 0 assign 0 combat damage. [CompRules 2009/05/01] 4 - Spells, Abilities, and Effects ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 409 - Playing Spells and Activated Abilities + 409.1c - The player checks whether 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 will need to choose 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. All of a spell or ability's targets are chosen at the same time. [CompRules 2009/05/01] + 409.1d - 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 his or her choice of an appropriate player, object, or zone for each of those targets. The chosen players, objects, and/or zones each become a target of that spell or ability. A spell or ability can't be played unless the required number of legal targets are chosen for it. The same target can't be chosen multiple times for any one instance of the word "target" on the spell or ability. If the spell or ability uses the word "target" in multiple places, the same object, player, or zone can be chosen once for each instance of the word "target" (as long as it fits the targeting criteria). [CompRules 2009/05/01] Example: If an ability reads "Tap two target creatures," then the same target can't be chosen twice; the ability requires two different legal targets. An ability that reads "Destroy target artifact and target land," however, can target the same artifact land twice because it uses the word "target" in multiple places. [CompRules 2009/05/01] + 409.1e - If the spell or ability requires the player to divide or distribute an effect (such as damage or counters) among one or more targets, the player announces the division. Each of these targets must receive at least one of whatever is being divided. [CompRules 2009/05/01] 410 - Handling Triggered Abilities + 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. An ability that triggers when a card is put into a certain zone "from anywhere" is never treated as a leaves-play ability, even if an object is put into that zone from play. [CompRules 2009/05/01] + 410.10d - Normally, objects that exist immediately after an event are checked to see if the event matched any trigger conditions. Continuous effects that exist at that time are used to determine what the trigger conditions are and what the objects involved in the event look like. However, some triggered abilities must be treated specially because the object with the ability may no longer be in play, may have moved to a hand or library, or may no longer be controlled by the appropriate player. The game has to "look back in time" to determine if these abilities trigger. Leaves-play abilities, abilities that trigger when an object that all players can see is put into a hand or library, abilities that trigger specifically when an object becomes unattached, and abilities that trigger when a player loses control of an object will trigger based on their existence, and the appearance of objects, prior to the event rather than afterward. [CompRules 2009/05/01] 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. [CompRules 2003/07/01] + 410.10f - Some Auras have triggered abilities that trigger on the enchanted permanent leaving play. These triggered abilities can find the new object that permanent card became in the zone it moved to; they can also find the new object the Aura card became in its owner's graveyard after state-based effects have been checked. See Rule 217.1c. [CompRules 2009/05/01] 418.3 - Continuous Effects from Spells or Abilities + 418.3c - If a resolving spell or ability that creates a continuous effect contains a variable such as X, the value of that variable is determined only once, on resolution. See Rule 413.2f. [CompRules 2009/05/01] 420 - State-Based Effects + 420.5q - If two or more planeswalkers that share a planeswalker type are in play, all are put into their owners' graveyards. This is called the "planeswalker uniqueness rule." [CompRules 2009/05/01] 5 - Additional Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 502.7 - Protection + 502.7g - "Protection from [quality A] and from [quality B]" is shorthand for "protection from [quality A]" and "protection from [quality B]"; it behaves as two separate protection abilities. If an effect causes an object with such an ability to lose protection from [quality A], for example, that object would still have protection from [quality B]. [CompRules 2009/05/01] + 502.7h - "Protection from all [characteristic]" is shorthand for "protection from [quality A]," "protection from [quality B]," and so on for each possible quality the listed characteristic could have; it behaves as multiple separate protection abilities. If an effect causes an object with such an ability to lose protection from [quality A], for example, that object would still have protection from [quality B], [quality C], and so on. [CompRules 2009/05/01] + 502.7i - "Protection from everything" is a variant of the protection ability. A permanent with protection from everything has protection from each object regardless of that object's characteristic values. Such a permanent can't be targeted by spells or abilities, enchanted by Auras, equipped by Equipment, fortified by Fortifications, or blocked by creatures, and all damage that would be dealt to it is prevented. [CompRules 2009/05/01] + 502.7j - Multiple instances of protection from the same quality on the same permanent or player are redundant. [CompRules 2009/05/01] 502.18 - Cycling + 502.18c - Some cards with cycling have abilities that trigger when they're cycled. "When you cycle [this card]" means "When you discard [this card] to pay a cycling cost." These abilities trigger from whatever zone the card winds up in after it's cycled. [CompRules 2009/05/01] 502.37 - Sunburst + 502.37a - Sunburst is a static ability that functions as an object is coming into play from the stack. "Sunburst" means "If this object is coming into play from the stack as a creature, it comes into play with a +1/+1 counter on it for each color of mana spent to play it. If this object is coming into play from the stack and isn't coming into play as a creature, it comes into play with a charge counter on it for each color of mana spent to play it." [CompRules 2009/05/01] + 502.37b - Sunburst applies only as the spell is resolving and only if one or more colored mana was spent on its costs. Mana paid for additional or alternative costs applies. [CompRules 2009/05/01] + 502.37c - Sunburst can also be used to set a variable number for another ability. If the keyword is used in this way, it doesn't matter whether the ability is on a creature spell or on a noncreature spell. Example: The ability "Modular-Sunburst" means "This permanent comes into play with a +1/+1 counter on it for each color of mana spent to play it" and "When this permanent is put into a graveyard from play, you may put a +1/+1 counter on target artifact creature for each +1/+1 counter on this permanent." [CompRules 2009/05/01] 502.75 - Hideaway + 502.75a - Hideaway represents a static ability and a triggered ability. "Hideaway" means "This permanent comes into play tapped" and "When this permanent comes into play, look at the top four cards of your library. Remove one of them from the game face down and put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order. The removed card gains 'Any player who has controlled the permanent that removed this card from the game may look at this card in the removed-from-the-game zone.'" [CompRules 2009/05/01] 502.85 - Cascade + 502.85a - Cascade is a triggered ability that functions only while the spell with cascade is on the stack. "Cascade" means "When you play this spell, remove cards from the top of your library from the game until you remove a nonland card whose converted mana cost is less than this spell's converted mana cost. You may play that card without paying its mana cost. Then put all cards removed from the game this way that weren't played on the bottom of your library in a random order." [CompRules 2009/05/01] + 502.85b - If a spell has multiple instances of cascade, each triggers separately. [CompRules 2009/05/01] + 502.85.Ruling.1 - The timing works out so that you first play the spell, then Cascade triggers and goes on the stack on top of the spell you played. The Cascade ability resolves, and if you choose to play the card it finds, that spell goes on the stack on top of the original spell. Then the new spell resolves. And finally, the original spell resolves. [Alara Reborn FAQ 2009/04/30] + 502.85.Ruling.2 - You must remove cards from the top of your deck and then put them back on the bottom of your deck even if you know there is nothing you want to play. This isn't optional. The only optional part is whether or not you play the card that you find. [Alara Reborn FAQ 2009/04/30] + 502.85.Ruling.3 - Cascade will not trigger when you put a copy of a spell on the stack. This is because copies are not "played", so even if the copy has Cascade, it won't trigger. [Alara Reborn FAQ 2009/04/30] + 502.85.Ruling.4 - Countering the original spell will not counter the Cascade ability. [Alara Reborn FAQ 2009/04/30] + 502.85.Ruling.5 - The cards removed by Cascade are revealed to all players. [Alara Reborn FAQ 2009/04/30] + 502.85.Ruling.6 - The card played during the resolution of Cascade ignores timing rules about when that card could be played (for example, you can play a Sorcery even though the stack isn't empty or even if it isn't your turn), but any other restrictions on when the card can be played (such as if it explicitly says "Play only before attackers are declared") still must be obeyed. [Alara Reborn FAQ 2009/04/30] + 502.85.Ruling.7 - If you choose not to play the spell or are unable to play it, then simply shuffle it into the other removed cards prior to putting them on the bottom of your library. [Alara Reborn FAQ 2009/04/30] + 502.85.Ruling.8 - The card played via Cascade is played from the "removed from the game" zone and not from the library. [Alara Reborn FAQ 2009/04/30] + 502.85.Ruling.9 - When you play a card without paying its mana cost, you any X in its cost must be zero and you cannot use alternate costs (such as with Morph), but you can pay optional additional costs, such as Conspire. [Alara Reborn FAQ 2009/04/30] + 502.85.Ruling.10 - The spell played via Cascade is in all ways a normal spell, so it can be countered, any Cascade ability it has will trigger, and so on. [Alara Reborn FAQ 2009/04/30] + 502.85.Ruling.11 - If you have no cards in your library that Cascade can legally find, then your whole library will be remove from the game, shuffled, then put back. Since the shuffle happens in the "removed from the game" zone, it does not count as shuffling your library for anything that cares about such. [Alara Reborn FAQ 2009/04/30] 6 - Multiplayer Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 600 - General + 600.4g - When a player leaves the game, objects that player owns in the ante zone do not leave the game. This is an exception to Rule 600.4a. See Rule 217.9, "Ante." [CompRules 2009/05/01] 601 - Limited Range of Influence Option + 601.14 - The "planeswalker uniqueness rule" (see Rule 420.5q) applies to a planeswalker only if other planeswalkers with the same planeswalker type are within its controller's range of influence. [CompRules 2009/05/01] + 601.15 - Replacement and prevention effects watch for a particular event to happen and then completely or partially replace that event. The limited range of influence option can cause the modified event to contain instructions that can't be carried out, in which case the player simply ignores the impossible instructions. See Rule 419, "Replacement and Prevention Effects." [CompRules 2009/05/01] + 601.15a - If a replacement effect tries to cause a spell or ability to affect an object or player outside its controller's range of influence, that portion of the event does nothing. [CompRules 2009/05/01] Example: Alex plays Lava Axe ("Lava Axe deals 5 damage to target player") targeting Rob. In response, Rob plays Captain's Maneuver ("The next X damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn is dealt to another target creature or player instead.") with X = 3, targeting Carissa. Carissa isn't in Alex's range of influence. When Lava Axe resolves, it deals only 2 damage to Rob and no damage to Carissa. [CompRules 2009/05/01] + 601.15b - If a spell or ability creates an effect that prevents damage that would be dealt by a source, it can affect only sources within the spell or ability's controller's range of influence. If a spell or ability creates an effect that prevents damage that would be dealt to a creature or player, it can affect only creatures and players within the spell or ability's controller's range of influence. If a spell or ability creates an effect that prevents damage, but neither the source nor the would-be recipient of the damage is specified, it prevents damage only if both the source and recipient of that damage are within the spell or ability's controller's range of influence. [CompRules 2009/05/01] Example: Rob is within Alex's range of influence, but Carissa is not. Carissa plays Lightning Blast ("Lightning Blast deals 4 damage to target creature or player") targeting Rob. In response, Alex plays Mending Hands ("Prevent the next 4 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn.") targeting Rob. The damage to Rob is prevented. [CompRules 2007/05/01] Example: Rob is within Alex's range of influence, but Carissa is not. Carissa attacks Rob with a creature, and Rob blocks with a creature. Alex plays Holy Day ("Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn.") Carissa and Rob's creatures deal combat damage to each other. [CompRules 2006/02/01] + 601.16 - If an effect states that a player wins the game, all of that player's opponents within his or her range of influence lose the game instead. [CompRules 2009/05/01] 7 - Specialized Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8 - Tournament Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9 - Glossary ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ G1.14 - Ante (Obsolete) + G1.14b - When using the ante rule, each player puts one random card from his or her deck into the ante zone at the beginning of the game. At the end of the game, the winner becomes the owner of the cards in the ante zone. [CompRules 2009/05/01] G3.4 - Cascade + G3.4a - Cascade is a triggered ability that functions only while the spell with cascade is on the stack. "Cascade" means "When you play this spell, remove cards from the top of your library from the game until you remove a nonland card whose converted mana cost is less than this spell's converted mana cost. You may play that card without paying its mana cost. Then put all cards removed from the game this way that weren't played on the bottom of your library in a random order." [CompRules 2009/05/01] + Note - Also see Rule 502.85, "Cascade." G8.6 - Hideaway + G8.6a - Hideaway is a keyword ability that represents a static ability and a triggered ability. "Hideaway" means "This permanent comes into play tapped" and "When this permanent comes into play, look at the top four cards of your library. Remove one of them from the game face down and put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order. The removed card gains 'Any player who has controlled the permanent that removed this card from the game may look at this card in the removed-from-the-game zone.'" [CompRules 2009/05/01] G12.6 - Leaves Play + G12.6c - If a permanent leaves play and later returns to play, it becomes an entirely new permanent with no "memory" of anything from its former existence. (Phasing is an exception to this; see Rule 502.15, "Phasing.") Permanents that phase out also don't trigger any comes-into-play or leaves-play abilities. [CompRules 2009/05/01] G14.4 - Number + G14.4b - Most of the time, the Magic game uses only positive numbers. You can't choose a negative number, deal negative damage, gain negative life, and so on. However, it's possible for a game value, such as a creature's power, to be less than zero. If a calculation or comparison that would determine the result of an effect needs to use a negative value, it does so. If such a calculation yields a negative number, zero is used instead, unless that effect sets a creature's power or toughness, changes a creature's power or toughness, or sets a player's life total. [CompRules 2007/05/01] Example: If a 3/4 creature gets -5/-0, it's a -2/4 creature. It assigns 0 damage in combat. Its total power and toughness is 2. You'd have to give it +3/+0 to raise its power to 1. [CompRules 2009/05/01] G16.17 - Planeswalker Type + G16.17b - If two or more planeswalkers that share a planeswalker type are in play, all are put into their owners' graveyards. This "planeswalker uniqueness rule" is a state-based effect. See Rule 420.5. [CompRules 2009/05/01] G19.40 - Sunburst + G19.40a - Sunburst is a static ability that functions as an object is coming into play from the stack. "Sunburst" means "If this object is coming into play from the stack as a creature, it comes into play with a +1/+1 counter on it for each color of mana spent to play it. If this object is coming into play from the stack and isn't coming into play as a creature, it comes into play with a charge counter on it for each color of mana spent to play it." [CompRules 2009/05/01] G20.17 - Tournament + G20.17a - A tournament is an organized event where players compete against other players to win prizes. Use the Magic Locator at http://locator.wizards.com to find tournaments in your area; just select "Events" and type in the name of your city. [CompRules 2009/05/01] Acknowledgements and Disclaimers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ While this work is not officially issued by Wizards of the Coast, it is the official collected rulings from official sanctioned representatives of and publications by Wizards of the Coast. This summary is collected from rulings made by officials and network representatives of Wizards of the Coast, along with a number of unofficial rulings also collected from the net. Whenever a source for a ruling is known, the name of that person is listed with the ruling. "Barclay" is Paul Barclay, a previous MTG-L mailing list NetRep. "CompRules" marks rules from the Comprehensive Rules. "D'Angelo" is Stephen D'Angelo, the former Rules Summary network representative, and former MTG-L mailing list NetRep. "DeLaney" is David DeLaney, and was the network representative for the "rec.games.trading-cards.magic.rules" newsgroup. "Jordan" is Jeff Jordan, and was the MTG-L mailing list NetRep. "WotC Rules Team" marks official rulings from the rules team. These files may be freely copied and posted anywhere you'd like. The contents can also be included in other formats (such as HTML or databases) or in products, but there are two restrictions. I insist that the files not be sold for profit. Anything you put them in must be available at no more than cost of duplication. Also, you must give credit to me and list the version date your work is derived from. Thanks. Every attempt has been made to make this summary accurate, but errors do creep in. Nothing in this work is guaranteed to be accurate. Use at your own risk. Magic: The Gathering and all of the cards listed herein are copyrighted by Wizards of the Coast.