============================================================================== General Rulings Summary Updated 2009/10/23 ============================================================================== 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 Magic 2010. 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 2009/08/20 release. Thanx, Stephen. ---- Stephen D'Angelo | Crystal Keep Editor dangelo@crystalkeep.com | Former Wizards of the Coast Rules NetRep ============================================================================== Table of Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 - Game Concepts ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 100 - General + 100.2 - To play, each player needs his or her own deck of traditional Magic cards, small items to represent any tokens and counters, and some way to clearly track life totals. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 100.2b - In limited play (a way of playing in which each player gets a quantity of unopened Magic product and creates his or her own deck on the spot), each deck must contain at least forty cards. A limited deck may contain as many duplicates of a card as a player has. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 100.3 - Some casual variants (either constructed or limited) require additional items, such as specially designated cards, nontraditional Magic cards, and dice. See Section 9, "Casual Variants." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 100.4 - Each player may also have a sideboard, which is a group of additional cards the player may use to modify his or her deck between games of a match. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 100.4a - In constructed play, a sideboard (if used) must contain exactly fifteen cards. The four-card limit (see Rule 100.2a) applies to the combined deck and sideboard. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 100.4b - In limited play involving individual players, all cards a player opens but doesn't include in his or her deck are in that player's sideboard. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 100.4c - In limited play involving the Two-Headed Giant multiplayer variant, all cards a team opens but doesn't include in either player's deck are in that team's sideboard. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 100.4d - In limited play involving other multiplayer team variants, each card a team opens but doesn't include in any player's deck is assigned to the sideboard of one of those players. Each player has his or her own sideboard; cards may not be transferred between players. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 100.5 - There is no maximum deck size. [CompRules 2003/10/01] + 100.6 - Most Magic tournaments (organized play activities where players compete against other players to win prizes) have additional rules covered in the Magic: The Gathering Tournament Rules (found at ). These rules may limit the use of some cards, including barring all cards from some older sets. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 100.6a - Tournaments usually consist of a series of matches. A two-player match usually consists of the best two of three games, or sometimes the best three of five. A multiplayer match usually consists of only one game. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 100.6b - Players can use the Magic Locator at to find tournaments in their area by selecting "Events" and typing in the name of their city. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 103 - Starting the Game + 103.3b - In a Vanguard game, each player sets his or her life total to 20, as modified by the life modifier of his or her vanguard card, and draws a hand of seven cards, as modified by the hand modifier of his or her vanguard card. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 103.3c - In an EDH game, each player sets his or her life total to 40. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 103.4 - A player who is dissatisfied with his or her initial hand may take a mulligan. First, the starting player declares whether or not he or she will take a mulligan. Then each other player in turn order does the same. Once each player has made a declaration, all players who decided to take mulligans do so at the same time. To take a mulligan, a player shuffles his or her hand back into his or her library, then draws a new hand of one fewer cards than he or she had before. If a player kept his or her hand of cards, those cards become the player's opening hand, and that player may not take any further mulligans. This process is then repeated until no player takes a mulligan. (Note that if a player's hand size reaches zero cards, that player must keep that hand.) [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 103.4b - In a multiplayer game, the first time a player takes a mulligan, he or she draws a new hand of as many cards as he or she had before. Subsequent hands decrease by one card as normal. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 103.4d - The EDH casual variant uses an alternate mulligan rule. Each time a player takes a mulligan, rather than shuffling his or her entire hand of cards into his or her library, that player exiles any number of cards from his or her hand. Then the player draws a number of cards equal to one less than the number of cards he or she exiled this way. Once a player keeps an opening hand, that player shuffles all cards he or she exiled this way into his or her library. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 103.6 - In a Planar Magic game, the starting player moves the top card of his or her planar deck off that planar deck and turns it face up. (See Rule 901, "Planar Magic.") [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 103.7 - The starting player takes his or her first turn. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 103.7a - In a two-player game, the player who plays first skips the draw step (see Rule 504, "Draw Step") of his or her first turn. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 103.7b - In a Two-Headed Giant game, the team who plays first skips the draw step of their first turn. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 103.7c - In all other multiplayer games, no player skips the draw step of his or her first turn. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 104 - Winning and Losing + 104.2a - A player still in the game wins the game if all of that player's opponents have left the game. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 104.2c - In a multiplayer game between teams, a team with at least one player still in the game wins the game if all other teams have left the game. Each player on the winning team wins the game, even if one or more of those players had previously lost that game. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 104.3i - In an Emperor game, a team loses the game if its emperor loses the game. (See Rule 807.) [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 104.3j - In an EDH game, a player that's been dealt 21 or more combat damage by the same general over the course of the game loses the game. (This is a state-based action. See Rule 704. Also see Rule 903.) [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 104.3k - In a tournament game, a player can be awarded a Game Loss or a Match Loss by a judge. See Rule 100.6. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 104.4d - In a multiplayer game between teams, the game is a draw if all remaining teams lose simultaneously. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 104.4e - In a multiplayer game using the limited range of influence option, the effect of a spell or ability that states that the game is a draw causes the game to be a draw for that spell or ability's controller and all players within his or her range of influence. Only those players leave the game; the game continues for all other players. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 104.4f - In a multiplayer game between teams, the game is a draw for a team if the game is a draw for all remaining players on that team. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 104.4g - In the Emperor variant, the game is a draw for a team if the game is a draw for its emperor. See Rule 807.5. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 104.5 - If a player loses the game, he or she leaves the game. If the game is a draw for a player, he or she leaves the game. The multiplayer rules handle what happens when a player leaves the game; see Rule 800.4. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 106 - Mana + 106.4 - When an effect produces mana, that mana goes into a player's mana pool. From there, it can be used to pay costs immediately, or it can stay in the player's mana pool. Each player's mana pool empties at the end of each step and phase. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 106.6 - Some spells or abilities that produce mana restrict how that mana can be spent, or have an additional effect that affects the spell or ability that mana is spent on. This doesn't affect the mana's type. [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: A player's mana pool contains {1}{U} which can be spent only to pay cumulative upkeep costs. That player activates Doubling Cube's ability, which reads "{3},{Tap},Double the amount of each type of mana in your mana pool." The player's mana pool now has {2}{U}{U} in it, {1}{U} of which can be spent on anything. [CompRules 2009/07/08] 107 - Numbers and Symbols + 107.3a - If a spell or activated ability has a mana cost, alternative cost, additional cost, and/or activation cost with an {X}, <-X>, or X in it, and the value of X isn't defined by the text of that spell or ability, the controller of that spell or ability chooses and announces the value of X as part of casting the spell or activating the ability. (See Rule 601, "Casting Spells.") While a spell is on the stack, any X in its mana cost equals the announced value. While an activated ability is on the stack, any X in its activation cost equals the announced value. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 107.3c - If a spell or activated ability has an {X}, <-X>, or X in its cost and/or its text, and the value of X is defined by the text of that spell or ability, then that's the value of X while that spell or ability is on the stack. The controller of that spell or ability doesn't get to choose the value. Note that the value of X may change while that spell or ability is on the stack. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 107.4e - Hybrid mana symbols are also colored mana symbols. Each one represents a cost that can be paid in one of two ways, as represented by the two halves of the symbol. A hybrid symbol such as {W/U} can be paid with either white or blue mana, and a monocolored hybrid symbol such as {2/B} can be paid with either one black mana or two mana of any type. A hybrid mana symbol is all of its component colors. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: {G/W}{G/W} can be paid by spending {G}{G}, {G}{W}, or {W}{W}. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 107.10 - The planeswalker symbol is {P}. It appears on one face of the planar die used in the Planar Magic casual variant. See Rule 901, "Planar Magic." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 107.11 - The chaos symbol is {C}. It appears on one face of the planar die used in the Planar Magic casual variant, as well as in triggered abilities that refer to the results of rolling the planar die. See Rule 901, "Planar Magic." [CompRules 2009/10/01] 108 - Cards + 108.2 - 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. This includes both traditional Magic cards, which measure approximately 2.5 inches (6.3 cm) by 3.5 inches (8.8 cm) and have a "Deckmaster" back, and nontraditional Magic cards, which are oversized and have different backs. Tokens aren't considered cards--even a card that represents a token isn't considered a card for rules purposes. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 108.3 - A card's owner is the player who started the game with it in his or her deck. If a card is brought into the game from outside the game rather than starting in a player's deck, its owner is the player who brought it into the game. If a card starts the game in the command zone, its owner is the player who put it into the command zone at the start of the game. (Legal ownership of a card is irrelevant to the game rules except for the rules for ante; see Rule 407.) [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 108.3a - In a Planar Magic game using the single planar deck option, the planar controller is considered to be the owner of all the plane cards. See Rule 901.6. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 108.5 - Nontraditional Magic cards can't start the game in any zone other than the command zone (see Rule 408). If an effect would bring a nontraditional Magic card into the game from outside the game, it doesn't; that card remains outside the game. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 108.6 - For more information about cards, see Section 2, "Parts of a Card." [CompRules 2009/10/01] 109 - Objects + 109.3 - An object's characteristics are name, mana cost, color, card type, subtype, supertype, expansion symbol, rules text, abilities, power, toughness, loyalty, hand modifier, and life modifier. Objects can have some or all of these characteristics. Any other information about an object isn't a characteristic. For example, characteristics don't include whether a permanent is tapped, a spell's target, an object's owner or controller, what an Aura enchants, and so on. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 109.4 - Only objects on the stack or on the battlefield have a controller. Objects that are neither on the stack nor on the battlefield aren't controlled by any player. See Rule 108.4. There are two exceptions to this rule: [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 109.4a - In a Planar Magic game, a face-up plane card is controlled by the player designated as the planar controller. This is usually the active player. See Rule 901.6. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 109.4b - In a Vanguard game, each vanguard card is controlled by its owner. See Rule 902.6. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 110 - Permanents + 110.6c - A permanent retains its status until a spell, ability, or turn-based action changes it, even if that status is not relevant to it. [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: Dimir Doppelganger says "{1}{U}{B}: Exile target creature card from a graveyard. Dimir Doppelganger becomes a copy of that card and gains this ability." It becomes a copy of Jushi Apprentice, a flip card. Through use of Jushi Apprentice's ability, this creature flips, making it a copy of Tomoya the Revealer with the Dimir Doppelganger ability. If this permanent then becomes a copy of Ruleclaw Bear, it will retain its flipped status even though that has no relevance to Runeclaw Bear. If its copy ability is activated again, this time targeting a Nezumi Shortfang card (another flip card), this permanent's flipped status means it will have the characteristics of Stabwhisker the Odious (the flipped version of Nezumi Shortfang) with the Dimir Doppelganger ability. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 112 - Abilities + 112.2c - An object may have multiple abilities. If the object is represented by a card, then aside from certain defined abilities that may be strung together on a single line (see Rule 702, "Keyword Abilities"), each paragraph break in a card's text marks a separate ability. If the object is not represented by a card, the effect that created it may have given it multiple abilities. An object may also be granted additional abilities by a spell or ability. If an object has 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. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 112.5 - Some activated abilities are loyalty abilities. Loyalty abilities follow special rules: A player may activate a loyalty ability of a permanent he or she controls any time he or she has priority and the stack is empty during a main phase of his or her turn, but only if none of that permanent's loyalty abilities have been activated that turn. See Rule 606, "Loyalty Abilities." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 112.6 - Abilities of an instant or sorcery spell usually function only while that object is on the stack. Abilities of all other objects usually function only while that object is on the battlefield. The exceptions are as follows: [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 112.6a - Characteristic-defining abilities function everywhere, even outside the game. (See Rule 604.3.) [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 112.6b - An ability that states which zones it functions in functions only from those zones. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 112.6c - An object's ability that modifies what that particular object costs to cast functions on the stack. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 112.6d - An object's ability that restricts or modifies how that particular object can be played or cast functions in any zone from which it could be played or cast. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 112.6e - An object's ability that restricts or modifies what zones that particular object can be played or cast from functions in all zones. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 112.6f - An object's ability that modifies how that particular object enters the battlefield functions as that object is entering the battlefield. See Rule 613.12. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 112.6g - An object's activated ability that has a cost that can't be paid while the object is on the battlefield functions from any zone in which its cost can be paid. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 112.6h - A trigger condition that can't trigger from the battlefield functions in all zones it can trigger from. Other trigger conditions of the same triggered ability may function in different zones. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: Absolver Thrull has the ability "When Absolver Thrull enters the battlefield or the creature it haunts is put into a graveyard, destroy target enchantment." The first trigger condition triggers from the battlefield and the second trigger condition functions from the exile zone. (See Rule 702.52, "Haunt.") [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 112.6i - 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, unless that ability's trigger condition, or a previous part of that ability's cost or effect, specifies that the object is put into that zone. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: Necrosavant says "{3}{B}{B}, Sacrifice a creature: Return Necrosavant from your graveyard to the battlefield. Activate this ability only during your upkeep." A player may activate this ability only if Necrosavant is in his or her graveyard. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 112.6j - An ability that modifies the rules for deck construction functions before the game begins. Such an ability modifies not just the Comprehensive Rules, but also the Magic: The Gathering Tournament Rules and any other documents that set the deck construction rules for a specific Constructed format. However, such an ability can't affect the format legality of a card, including whether it's banned or restricted. The current Magic: The Gathering Tournament Rules can be found at . [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 112.6k - Abilities of plane cards and vanguard cards function in the command zone. See Rule 901, "Planar Magic," and Rule 902, "Vanguard." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 112.7 - The source of an ability on the stack is the object that generated that ability. For an activated ability, it's the object whose ability was activated. For a triggered ability (other than a delayed triggered ability), it's the object whose ability triggered. For a delayed triggered ability created by another ability, it's the source of that other ability. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 112.7a - Once activated or triggered, an ability exists on the stack independently of its source. 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 because the effect needs to be divided checks that information when the ability is put onto the stack. Otherwise, it will check that information when it resolves. In both instances, if the source is no longer in the zone it's expected to be in at that time, its last known information is used. The source can still perform the action even though it no longer exists. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 112.8 - The controller of an activated ability on the stack is the player who activated it. The controller of a triggered ability on the stack (other than a delayed triggered ability) is the player who controlled the ability's source when it triggered, or, if it had no controller, the player who owned the ability's source when it triggered. The controller of a delayed triggered ability on the stack is the player who controlled the spell or ability that created it. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 112.9 - Activated and triggered abilities on the stack aren't spells, and therefore can't be countered by anything that counters only spells. Activated and triggered abilities on the stack 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). Static abilities don't use the stack and thus can't be countered at all. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 112.10 - 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. Effects that remove an ability remove all instances of it. If two or more effects add and remove the same ability, in general the most recent one prevails. (See Rule 613, "Interaction of Continuous Effects.") [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 112.11 - 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 (" is "), it's not granting an ability. (See Rule 604.3.) [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: Muraganda Petroglyphs reads, "Creatures with no abilities get +2/+2." A Runeclaw Bear (a creature with no abilities) enchanted by an Aura that says "Enchanted creature has flying" would not get +2/+2. A Runeclaw Bear enchanted by an Aura that says "Enchanted creature is red" or "Enchanted creature is indestructible" would get +2/+2. [CompRules 2009/07/08] 113 - Targets + 113.2 - 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, (b) targets an object that can't exist on the battlefield, such as a spell or ability, or (c) targets a zone. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 114 - Special Actions + 114.2 - There are six special actions: [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 114.2f - In a Planar Magic game, rolling the planar die is a special action. A player can take this action any time he or she has priority and the stack is empty during a main phase of his or her turn. Taking this action costs a player an amount of mana equal to the number of times he or she has previously taken this action on that turn. See Rule 901, "Planar Magic." [CompRules 2009/10/01] 115 - Timing and Priority + 115.1 - Unless a spell or ability is instructing a player to take an action, which player can take actions at any given time is determined by a system of priority. The player with priority may cast spells, activate abilities, and take special actions. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 115.2 - Other kinds of abilities and actions are automatically generated or performed by the game rules, or are performed by players without receiving priority. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 115.2e - Resolving spells and abilities may instruct players to make choices or take actions, or may allow players to activate mana abilities. Even if a player is doing so, no player has priority while a spell or ability is resolving. See Rule 608, "Resolving Spells and Abilities." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 115.7 - If a player with priority casts an spell or activates an activated ability while another spell or ability is already on the stack, the new spell or ability has been cast or activated "in response to" the earlier spell or ability. The new spell or ability will resolve first. See Rule 608, "Resolving Spells and Abilities." [CompRules 2009/10/01] 116 - Costs + 116.7 - What a player actually needs to do to pay a cost may be changed or reduced by effects. If the mana component of a cost is reduced to nothing by cost reduction effects, it is considered to be {0}. Paying a cost changed or reduced by an effect counts as paying the original cost. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 116.9a - Only one alternative cost can be applied to any one spell as it's being cast. The controller of the spell announces his or her intentions to pay that cost as described in Rule 601.2b. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 116.12 - Some spells, activated abilities, and triggered abilities read, ". If , ." or " may . If , ." The action is a cost, paid when the spell or ability resolves. The "If " clause checks whether the player chose to pay an optional cost or started to pay a mandatory cost, regardless of what events actually occurred. [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: You control Hesitation, an enchantment that says "When a player casts a spell, sacrifice Hesitation. If you do, counter that spell." A spell is cast, causing Hesitation's ability to trigger. Then an ability is played that exiles Hesitation. When Hesitation's ability resolves, you're unable to pay the "sacrifice Hesitation" cost. The spell is not countered. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: Your opponent has cast Gather Specimens, a spell that says "If a creature would enter the battlefield under an opponent's control this turn, it enters the battlefield under your control instead." You control a face-down Dermoplasm, a creature with morph that says "When Dermoplasm is turned face up, you may put a creature card with morph from your hand onto the battlefield face up. If you do, return Dermoplasm to its owner's hand." You turn Dermoplasm face up, and you choose to put a creature card with morph from your hand onto the battlefield. Due to Gather Specimens, it enters the battlefield under your opponent's control instead of yours. However, since you chose to pay the cost, Dermoplasm is still returned to its owner's hand. [CompRules 2009/07/08] 117 - Life + 117.1 - Each player begins the game with a life total of 20. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 117.1a - In a Two-Headed Giant game, each team begins the game with a shared life total of 30 instead; see Rule 806, "Two-Headed Giant Variant." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 117.1b - In a Vanguard game, each player begins the game with a starting life total of 20, as modified by his or her vanguard card's life modifier. See Rule 902, "Vanguard." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 117.1c - In an EDH game, each player begins the game with a starting life total of 40 instead; see Rule 903, "EDH." [CompRules 2009/10/01] 118 - Damage + 118.1 - Objects can deal damage to creatures, planeswalkers, and players. This is generally detrimental to the object or player that receives that damage. An object that deals damage is the source of that damage. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 118.3 - Damage may have one or more of the following results, depending on whether the recipient of the damage is a player or permanent, the characteristics of the damage's source, and the characteristics of the damage's recipient (if it's a permanent). [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 118.7 - 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 a permanent; a spell on the stack (including a permanent spell); any object referred to by an object on the stack, by a prevention or replacement effect that's waiting to apply, or by a delayed triggered ability that's waiting to trigger (even if that object is no longer in the zone it used to be in); or, in certain casual variant games, a face-up card in the command zone. A source doesn't need to be capable of dealing damage to be a legal choice. See Rule 609.7, "Sources of Damage." [CompRules 2009/10/01] 119 - Drawing a Card + 119.5 - If an effect moves cards from a player's library to that player's hand without using the word "draw," the player has not drawn those cards. This makes a difference for abilities that trigger on drawing cards and effects that replace card draws, as well as if the player's library is empty. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 120 - Counters + 120.3 - If a permanent with an ability that says it can't have more than N counters of a certain kind on it has more than N counters of that kind on it, all but N of those counters are removed from it as a state-based action. See Rule 704. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 120.4 - If an effect says to "move" a counter, it means to take that counter from the object it's currently on and put it onto a second object. If the first and second objects are the same object, nothing happens. If the first object has no counters, nothing happens; the second object doesn't get a counter put on it. If the second object (or any possible second objects) are no longer in the correct zone when the effect would move the counter, nothing happens; a counter isn't removed from the first object. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 120.5 - If a spell or ability refers to a counter being "placed" on a permanent, it means putting a counter on that permanent while it's on the battlefield, or that permanent entering the battlefield with a counter on it. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 2 - Parts of a Card ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 200 - General + 200.1 - The parts of a card are name, mana cost, illustration, type line, expansion symbol, text box, power and toughness, loyalty, hand modifier, life modifier, illustration credit, legal text, and collector number. Some cards may have more than one of any or all of these parts. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 202 - Mana Cost and Color + 202.1b - Some objects have no mana cost. This normally includes all land cards, any other cards that have no mana symbols where their mana cost would appear, tokens (unless the effect that creates them specifies otherwise), and nontraditional Magic cards. Having no mana cost represents an unpayable cost (see Rule 116.6). Note that lands are played without paying any costs (see Rule 305, "Lands"). [CompRules 2009/10/01] 204 - Type Line + 204.1a - When an object's card type changes, the new card type(s) replaces any existing card types. Counters, effects, and damage marked on the object remain with it, even if they are meaningless to the new card type. Similarly, when one or more of an object's subtypes changes, the new subtype(s) replaces any existing subtypes from the appropriate set (creature types, land types, artifact types, enchantment types, planeswalker types, or spell types). If an object's card type is removed, the subtypes correlated with that card type will remain if they are also the subtypes of a card type the object currently has; otherwise, they are also removed for the entire time the object's card type is removed. Removing an object's subtype doesn't affect its card types at all. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 204.2a - The card types are artifact, creature, enchantment, instant, land, plane, planeswalker, sorcery, and tribal. See Section 3, "Card Types." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 204.3b - Subtypes of each card type except plane are always single words and are listed after a long dash. Each word after the dash is a separate subtype; such objects may have multiple types. Subtypes of planes are also listed after a long dash, but may be multiple words. Each word after the dash is, collectively, a single subtype. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: "Basic Land - Mountain" means the card is a land with the subtype Mountain. "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. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 204.3j - Instants and sorceries share their lists of subtypes; these subtypes are called spell types. The spell type are Arcane and Trap. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 204.3k - Creatures and tribals share their lists of subtypes; these subtypes are called creature types. The creature types are Advisor, Ally, Angel, Anteater, Antelope, Ape, Archer, Archon, Artificer, Assassin, Assembly-Worker, Atog, Aurochs, Avatar, Badger, Barbarian, Basilisk, Bat, Bear, Beast, Beeble, Berserker, Bird, Blinkmoth, Boar, Bringer, Brushwagg, Camarid, Camel, Caribou, Carrier, Cat, Centaur, Cephalid, Chimera, Citizen, Cleric, Cockatrice, Construct, Coward, Crab, Crocodile, Cyclops, Dauthi, Demon, Deserter, Devil, Djinn, Dragon, Drake, Dreadnought, Drone, Druid, Dryad, Dwarf, Efreet, Egg, Elder, Elemental, Elephant, Elf, Elk, Eye, Faerie, Ferret, Fish, Flagbearer, Fox, Frog, Fungus, Gargoyle, Giant, Gnome, Goat, Goblin, Golem, Gorgon, Graveborn, Griffin, Hag, Harpy, Hellion, Hippo, Homarid, Homunculus, Horror, Horse, Hound, Human, Hydra, Hyena, Illusion, Imp, Incarnation, Insect, Jellyfish, Juggernaut, Kavu, Kirin, Kithkin, Knight, Kobold, Kor, Kraken, Lammasu, Leech, Leviathan, Lhurgoyf, Licid, Lizard, Manticore, Masticore, Mercenary, Merfolk, Metathran, Minion, Minotaur, Monger, Mongoose, Monk, Moonfolk, Mutant, Myr, Mystic, Nautilus, Nephilim, Nightmare, Nightstalker, Ninja, Noggle, Nomad, Octopus, Ogre, Ooze, Orb, Orc, Orgg, Ouphe, Ox, Oyster, Pegasus, Pentavite, Pest, Phelddagrif, Phoenix, Pincher, Pirate, Plant, Prism, Rabbit, Rat, Rebel, Reflection, Rhino, Rigger, Rogue, Salamander, Samurai, Sand, Saproling, Satyr, Scarecrow, Scorpion, Scout, Serf, Serpent, Shade, Shaman, Shapeshifter, Sheep, Siren, Skeleton, Slith, Sliver, Slug, Snake, Soldier, Soltari, Spawn, Specter, Spellshaper, Sphinx, Spider, Spike, Spirit, Splinter, Sponge, Squid, Squirrel, Starfish, Surrakar, Survivor, Tetravite, Thalakos, Thopter, Thrull, Treefolk, Triskelavite, Troll, Turtle, Unicorn, Vampire, Vedalken, Viashino, Volver, Wall, Warrior, Weird, Whale, Wizard, Wolf, Wolverine, Wombat, Worm, Wraith, Wurm, Yeti, Zombie, and Zubera. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 204.3m - Planes have their own unique set of subtypes; these subtypes are called planar types. The planar types are Alara, Arkhos, Bolas's Meditation Realm, Dominaria, Equilor, Iquatana, Ir, Kaldheim, Kamigawa, Lorwyn, Mercadia, Mirrodin, Moag, Muraganda, Phyrexia, Rabiah, Rath, Ravnica, Segovia, Serra's Realm, Shadowmoor, Shandalar, Ulgrotha, Valla, Wildfire, and Zendikar. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 204.3n - Vanguard cards have no subtypes. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 205 - Expansion Symbol + 205.2 - The color of the expansion symbol indicates the rarity of the card within its set. A red-orange symbol indicates the card is mythic rare. A gold symbol indicates the card is rare. A silver symbol indicates the card is uncommon. A black or white symbol indicates the card is common or is a basic land. A purple symbol signifies a special rarity; to date, only the Time Spiral "timeshifted" cards, which were rarer than that set's rare cards, have had purple expansion symbols. (Prior to the Exodus set, all expansion symbols were black, regardless of rarity. Also, prior to the Sixth Edition core set, with the exception of the Chinese Fifth Edition core set, Magic core sets didn't have expansion symbols at all.) [CompRules 2009/10/01] 206 - Text Box + 206.2c - An ability word appears in italics at the beginning of some abilities on cards. Ability words are similar to keywords in that they tie together cards that have similar functionality, but they have no special rules meaning and no individual entries in the Comprehensive Rules. The ability words are channel, chroma, domain, grandeur, hellbent, imprint, kinship, landfall, radiance, sweep, and threshold. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 206.4 - The chaos symbol {C} appears in the text box of each plane card to the left of a triggered ability that triggers whenever {C} is rolled on the planar die. The symbol itself has no special rules meaning. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 207 - Power/Toughness + 207.2a - The card may have a characteristic-defining ability that sets its power and/or toughness according to some stated condition. (See Rule 604.3.) Such an ability is worded " is equal to ..." or " power and toughness are each equal to ..." This ability functions everywhere, even outside the game. If the ability needs to use a number that can't be determined, use 0 instead of that number. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: Lost Order of Jarkeld has power and toughness each equal to 1+*. It says "As Lost Order of Jarkeld enters the battlefield, choose an opponent" and "Lost Order of Jarkeld's power and toughness are each equal to 1 plus the number of creatures that opponent controls." While Lost Order of Jarkeld isn't on the battlefield, there won't be a chosen opponent. Its power and toughness will each be equal to 1 plus 0, so it's 1/1. [CompRules 2009/07/08] 208 - Loyalty + 208.2 - An activated ability with a loyalty symbol in its cost is a loyalty ability. Loyalty abilities follow special rules: A player may activate a loyalty ability of a permanent he or she controls any time he or she has priority and the stack is empty during a main phase of his or her turn, but only if none of that permanent's loyalty abilities have been activated that turn. See Rule 606, "Loyalty Abilities." [CompRules 2009/10/01] 209 - Hand Modifier + 209.1 - Each vanguard card has a hand modifier printed in its lower left corner. This is a number preceded by a plus sign, a number preceded by a minus sign, or a zero. This modifier is applied to the maximum hand size of the vanguard card's owner (normally seven) to determine both how many cards that player draws at the beginning of the game and his or her maximum hand size. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 210 - Life Modifier + 210.1 - Each vanguard card has a life modifier printed in its lower right corner. This is a number preceded by a plus sign, a number preceded by a minus sign, or a zero. This modifier is applied to the starting life total of the vanguard card's owner (normally 20) to determine how much life that player begins the game with. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 211 - Information Below the Text Box + 211.1 - Each card features text printed below the text box that has no effect on game play. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 211.1a - The illustration credit for a card is printed on the first line below the text box. It follows the paintbrush icon or, on older cards, the abbreviation "Illus." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 211.1b - Legal text (the fine print at the bottom of the card) lists the trademark and copyright information. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 211.1c - Some card sets feature collector numbers. This information is printed in the form /, immediately following the legal text. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 3 - Card Types ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 300 - General + 300.1 - The card types are artifact, creature, enchantment, instant, land, plane, planeswalker, sorcery, tribal, and vanguard. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 301 - Artifacts + 301.8 - Some artifacts have the subtype "Fortification." A Fortification can be attached to a land. It can't legally be attached to an object that isn't a land. Rule 301.7a through Rule 301.7d apply to Fortifications in relation to lands just as they apply to Equipment in relation to creatures, with one clarification relating to Rule 301.7b: a Fortification that's also a creature (not a land) can't equip a land. Fortification's analog to the equip keyword ability is the fortify keyword ability. (See Rule 702.64, "Fortify.") [CompRules 2009/10/01] 303 - Enchantments + 303.4c - An Aura can't enchant itself. If this occurs somehow, the Aura is put into its owner's graveyard. An Aura that's also a creature can't enchant anything. If this occurs somehow, the Aura becomes unattached, then is put into its owner's graveyard. (These are a state-based actions. See Rule 704.) [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 303.4e - An Aura's controller is separate from the enchanted object's controller or the enchanted player; the two need not be the same. If an Aura enchants and object, changing control of the object doesn't change control of the Aura, and vice versa. Only the Aura's controller can activate its abilities. However, if the Aura grants an ability to the enchanted object (with "gains" or "has"), the enchanted object's controller is the only one who can activate that ability. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 305 - Lands + 305.1 - A player who has priority may play a land card from his or her hand during a main phase of his or her turn when the stack is empty. Playing a land is a special action; it doesn't use the stack (see Rule 114). Rather, the player simply puts the land onto the battlefield. Since the land doesn't go on the stack, it is never a spell, and players can't respond to it with instants or activated abilities. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 305.2 - A player may normally play only one land during his or her turn; however, continuous effects may increase this number. If any such effects exist, the player announces which effect, or this rule, applies to each land play as it happens. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 306 - Planeswalkers + 306.5d - Each planeswalker has a number of loyalty abilities, which are activated abilities with loyalty symbols in their costs. Loyalty abilities follow special rules: A player may activate a loyalty ability of a permanent he or she controls any time he or she has priority and the stack is empty during a main phase of his or her turn, but only if none of that permanent's loyalty abilities have been activated that turn. See Rule 606, "Loyalty Abilities." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 306.7 - If noncombat damage would be dealt to a player by a source controlled by an opponent, that opponent may have that source deal that damage to a planeswalker the first player controls instead. This is a redirection effect (see Rule 614.9) and is subject to the normal rules for ordering replacement effects (see Rule 616). The opponent chooses whether to redirect the damage as the redirection effect is applied. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 306.8 - Damage dealt to a planeswalker results in that many loyalty counters being removed from it. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 306.9 - If a planeswalker's loyalty is 0, it's put into its owner's graveyard as a state-based action. See Rule 704. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 309 - Planes + 309.1 - Plane is a card type seen only on nontraditional Magic cards. Only the Planar Magic casual variant uses plane cards. See Section 901, "Planar Magic." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 309.2 - Plane cards remain in the command zone throughout the game, both while they're part of a planar deck and while they're face up. They're not permanents. They can't be cast. If a plane card would leave the command zone, it remains in the command zone. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 309.3 - Plane subtypes are listed after a long dash, and may be multiple words: "Plane - Serra's Realm." Each word after the dash is, collectively, a single subtype. Planar subtypes are called planar types. A plane can have only one subtype. See Rule 204.3m for the complete list of planar types. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 309.4 - A plane card may have any number of static, triggered, and/or activated abilities. As long as a plane card is face up in the command zone, its static abilities affect the game, its triggered abilities may trigger, and its activated abilities may be activated. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 309.5 - The controller of a face-up plane card is the player designated as the planar controller. Normally, the planar controller is whoever the active player is. However, if the current planar controller would leave the game, instead the next player in turn order that wouldn't leave the game becomes the planar controller, then the old planar controller leaves the game. The new planar controller retains that designation until he or she leaves the game or a different player becomes the active player, whichever comes first. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 309.6 - A plane card is treated as if its text box included "When you roll {P}, put this card on the bottom of its owner's planar deck face down, then move the top card of your planar deck face up." This is called the "planeswalking ability." A face-up plane card that's turned face down becomes a new object. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 309.7 - Each plane card has a triggered ability that triggers "Whenever you roll {C}." These are called "chaos abilities." Each one is indicated by a {C} to its left, though the symbol itself has no special rules meaning. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 310 - Vanguards + 310.1 - Vanguard is a card type seen only on nontraditional Magic cards. Only the Vanguard casual variant uses vanguards. See Section 902, "Vanguard." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 310.2 - Vanguard cards remain in the command zone throughout the game. They're not permanents. They can't be cast. If a vanguard card would leave the command zone, it remains in the command zone. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 310.3 - Vanguard cards have no subtypes. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 310.4 - A vanguard card may have any number of static, triggered, and/or activated abilities. As long as a vanguard card is in the command zone, its static abilities affect the game, its triggered abilities may trigger, and its activated abilities may be activated. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 310.5 - The owner of a vanguard card is the player who started the game with it in the command zone. The controller of a face-up vanguard card is its owner. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 310.6 - Each vanguard card has a hand modifier printed in its lower left corner. This is a number preceded by a plus sign, a number preceded by a minus sign, or a zero. This modifier is applied to the maximum hand size of the vanguard card's owner (normally seven) to determine both how many cards that player draws at the beginning of the game and his or her maximum hand size. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 310.7 - Each vanguard card has a life modifier printed in its lower right corner. This is a number preceded by a plus sign, a number preceded by a minus sign, or a zero. This modifier is applied to the starting life total of the vanguard card's owner (normally 20) to determine how much life that player begins the game with. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 4 - Zones ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 400 - General + 400.1 - A zone is a place where objects can be during a game. There are normally six zones: library, hand, battlefield, graveyard, stack, and exile. Some older cards also use the ante zone. Some casual variants use the command zone. (See Section 9, "Casual Variants.") Each player has his or her own library, hand, and graveyard. The other zones are shared by all players. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 400.2 - Public zones are zones in which all players can see the cards' faces, except for those cards that some rule or effect specifically allow to be face down. Graveyard, battlefield, stack, exile, ante, and command are public zones. Hidden zones are zones in which not all players can be expected to see the cards's faces. Library and hand are hidden zones, even if all the cards in one such zone happen to be revealed. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 400.4 - Cards with certain card types can't enter certain zones. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 400.4a - If an instant or sorcery card would enter the battlefield, it remains in its previous zone. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 400.4b - If a plane card would leave the command zone, it remains in the command zone. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 400.5 - 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. The same is true for objects arranged in face-down piles in other zones. Other objects in other zones can be arranged however their owners wish, although who controls those objects, whether they're tapped or flipped, and what other objects are attached to them must remain clear to all players. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 400.9 - If a face-up object in the command zone is turned face down, it becomes a new object. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 400.10 - An object is outside the game if it isn't in any of the game's zones. Outside the game is not a zone. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 400.10a - Cards in a player's sideboard are outside the game. See Rule 100.2 and Rule 100.4. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 400.11 - Some effects instruct a player to do something to a zone (such as "Shuffle your hand into your library.") That action is performed on all cards in that zone. The zone itself is not affected. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 401 - Library + 401.6 - Some effects tell a player to play with the top card of his or her library revealed, or say that a player may look at the top card of his or her library. If the top card of the player's library changes while a spell is being cast, the new top card won't be revealed and can't be looked at until the spell becomes cast (see Rule 601.2). The same is true with relation to an ability being activated. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 403 - Battlefield + 403.5 - For many years, the battlefield was called the "in-play zone." Cards that were printed with text that contains the phrases "in play," "from play," "into play," or the like are referring to the battlefield. Cards that were printed with that text have received errata in the Oracle card reference. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 405 - Stack + 405.6c - 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 activated, that player gets priority after it resolves. (See Rule 605, "Mana Abilities.") [CompRules 2009/10/01] 406 - Exile + 406.4 - Exiled cards that might return to the battlefield or any other zone should be kept in separate piles to keep track of their respective ways of returning. Exiled cards that may have an impact on the game due to their own abilities (such as cards with haunt) or the abilities of the cards that exiled them should likewise be kept in separate piles. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 406.7 - For many years, the exile zone was called the "removed-from-the-game zone." Cards that were printed with text that "removes from the game" exiles that object. The same is true for cards printed with text that "sets aside." Cards that were printed with that text have received errata in the Oracle card reference. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 408 - Command + 408.1 - In certain casual variants, nontraditional Magic cards and/or specially designated cards start the game in the command zone. Each variant has its own rules regarding such cards. See Section 9, "Casual Variants." [CompRules 2009/10/01] 5 - Turn Structure ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 500 - General + 500.2 - A phase or step in which players receive priority ends when the stack is empty and all players pass in succession. Simply having the stack become empty doesn't cause such a phase or step to end; all players have to pass in succession with the stack empty. Because of this, each player gets a chance to add new things to the stack before that phase or step ends. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 500.4 - When a step or phase ends, any unused mana left in a player's mana pool empties. This turn-based action doesn't use the stack. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 502 - Untap Step + 502.3 - No player receives priority during the untap step, so no spells can be cast or resolve and no abilities can be activated or resolved. Any ability that triggers during this step will be held until the next time a player would receive priority, which is usually during the upkeep step. (See Rule 503, "Upkeep Step.") [CompRules 2009/10/01] 506 - Combat Phase + 506.2a - During the combat phase of a multiplayer game, there may be one or more defending players, depending on the variant being played and the options chosen for it. Unless all the attacking player's opponents automatically become defending players during the combat phase, the attacking player chooses one of his or her opponents as a turn-based action during the beginning of combat step. (Note that the choice may be dictated by the variant being played or the options chosen for it.) That player becomes the defending player. See Rule 802, "Attack Multiple Players Option," Rule 803, "Attack Left and Attack Right Options," and Rule 807, "Emperor Variant." [CompRules 2009/10/01] 509 - Declare Blockers Step + 509.1g - Each chosen creature still controlled by the defending player becomes a blocking creature. Each one is blocking the attacking creatures chosen for it. It remains a blocking creature until it's removed from combat or the combat phase ends, whichever comes first. See Rule 506.4. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 509.1h - An attacking creature with one or more creatures declared as blockers for it becomes a blocked creature; one with no creatures declared as blockers for it becomes an unblocked creature. This remains unchanged until the creature is removed from combat, an effect says that it becomes blocked or unblocked, or the combat phase ends, whichever comes first. A creature remains blocked even if all the creatures blocking it are removed from combat. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 509.2 - Second, for each attacking creature that's become blocked by multiple creatures, the active player announces its damage assignment order among the blocking creatures. This turn-based action doesn't use the stack. (During the combat damage step, an attacking creature can't assign combat damage to a creature that's blocking it unless each creature ahead of that blocking creature in its order is assigned lethal damage.) [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: Craw Wurm is blocked by Llanowar Elves, Runeclaw Bear, and Serra Angel. The Craw Wurm's controller announces the Craw Wurm's damage assignment order as Serra Angel, then Runeclaw Bear, then Llanowar Elves. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 509.2a - During the declare blockers step, if a blocking creature is removed from combat or a spell or ability causes it to stop blocking an attacking creature, the blocking creature is removed from all relevant damage assignment orders. The relative order among the remaining blocking creatures is unchanged. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 509.3a - During the declare blockers step, if an attacking creature is removed from combat or a spell or ability causes it to stop being blocked by a blocking creature, the attacking creature is removed from all relevant damage assignment orders. The relative order among the remaining attacking creatures is unchanged. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 509.4d - An ability that reads "Whenever becomes blocked by a creature, ..." triggers once for each creature that blocks the named creature. It will also trigger if an effect causes a creature to block the attacking creature, even if it had already been blocked that combat. It won't trigger if the creature becomes blocked by an effect rather than a creature. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 509.6. - If a spell or ability causes a creature on the battlefield to block an attacking creature, the active player announces the blocking creature's placement in the attacking creature's damage assignment order. The relative order among the remaining blocking creatures is unchanged. Then the defending player announces the attacking creature's placement in the blocking creature's damage assignment order. The relative order among the remaining attacking creatures is unchanged. This is done as part of the blocking effect. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 509.7. - If a creature is put onto the battlefield blocking, its controller chooses which attacking creature it's blocking as it enters the battlefield (unless the effect that put it onto the battlefield specifies what it's blocking), then the active player announces the new creature's placement in the blocked creature's damage assignment order. The relative order among the remaining blocking creatures is unchanged. A creature put onto the battlefield this way is "blocking" but, for the purposes of trigger events and effects, it never "blocked." [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: Lumengrid Warden is blocked by Runeclaw Bear. The defending player casts Flash Foliage, which puts a Saproling token onto the battlefield blocking the Lumengrid Warden. Lumengrid Warden's controller announces the Lumengrid Warden's damage assignment order as the Saproling token, then Runeclaw Bear. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 510 - Combat Damage Step + 510.1c - A blocked creature assigns its combat damage to the creatures blocking it. If no creatures are currently blocking it (if, for example, they were destroyed or removed from combat), it assigns no combat damage. If exactly one creature is blocking it, it assigns all its combat damage to that creature. If two or more creatures are blocking it, it assigns its combat damage to those creatures according to the damage assignment order announced for it. This may allow the blocked creature to divide its combat damage. However, it can't assign combat damage to a creature that's blocking it unless each creature that precedes that blocking creature in its order is assigned lethal damage. When checking for assigned lethal damage, take into account damage already marked on the creature and damage from other creatures that's being assigned during the same combat damage step, but not any abilities or effects that might change the amount of damage that's actually dealt. An amount of damage that's greater than a creature's lethal damage may be assigned to it. [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: The damage assignment order of an attacking Craw Wurm (a 6/4 creature) is Wall of Wood (a 0/3 creature) then Eager Cadet (a 1/1 creature). Craw Wurm can assign 3 damage to the Wall and 3 damage to the Cadet, 4 damage to the Wall and 2 damage to the Cadet, 5 damage to the Wall and 1 damage to the Cadet, or 6 damage to the Wall. [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: The damage assignment order of an attacking Craw Wurm (a 6/4 creature) is Wall of Wood (a 0/3 creature) then Eager Cadet (a 1/1 creature). During the declare blockers step, the defending player casts Giant Growth targeting Wall of Wood, which gives it +3/+3 until end of turn. Craw Wurm must assign its 6 damage to the Wall. [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: The damage assignment order of an attacking Craw Wurm (a 6/4 creature) is Wall of Wood (a 0/3 creature) then Eager Cadet (a 1/1 creature). During the declare blockers step, the defending player casts Mending Hands targeting Wall of Wood, which prevents the next 4 damage that would be dealt to it. Craw Wurm can assign 3 damage to the Wall and 3 damage to the Cadet, 4 damage to the Wall and 2 damage to the Cadet, 5 damage to the Wall and 1 damage to the Cadet, or 6 damage to the Wall. [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: The damage assignment order of an attacking Enormous Baloth (a 7/7 creature) is Trained Armodon (a 3/3 creature) that already has 2 damage marked on it, then Foriysian Brigade (a 2/4 creature that can block an additional creature), then Silverback Ape (a 5/5 creature). The damage assignment order of an attacking Durkwood Boars (a 4/4 creature) is the same Foriysian Brigade, then Goblin Piker (a 2/1 creature). Among other possibilities, the active player may have the Baloth assign 1 damage to the Armodon, 1 damage to the Brigade, and 5 damage to the Ape, and have the Boars assign 3 damage to the Brigade and 1 damage to the Piker. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 510.1f - Once a player has assigned combat damage from each attacking or blocking creature he or she controls, the total damage assignment is checked to see if it complies with the above rules. If it doesn't, the combat damage assignment was illegal; the game returns to the moment before that player began to assign combat damage. (See Rule 714, "Handling Illegal Actions"). [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 510.5 - If at least one attacking or blocking creature has first strike (see Rule 702.7) or double strike (see Rule 702.4) as the combat damage step begins, the only creatures that assign combat damage in that step are those with first strike or double strike. After that step, instead of proceeding to the end of combat step, the phase gets a second combat damage step. The only creatures that assign combat damage in that step are the remaining attackers and blockers that had neither first strike nor double strike as the first combat damage step began, as well as the remaining attackers and blockers that currently have double strike. After that step, the phase proceeds to the end of combat step. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 511 - End of Combat Step + 511.3 - As soon as the end of combat step ends, all creatures and planeswalkers (including those that are phased out) are removed from combat. After the end of combat step ends, the combat phase is over and the postcombat main phase begins (see Rule 505). [CompRules 2009/10/01] 513 - End Step + 513.3 - If a permanent with an ability that triggers "at the beginning of the end step" enters the battlefield during this step, that ability won't trigger until the next turn's end step. Likewise, if a delayed triggered ability that triggers "at the beginning of the next end step" is created during this step, that ability won't trigger until the next turn's end step. In other words, the step doesn't "back up" so those abilities can go on the stack. This rule applies only to triggered abilities; it doesn't apply to continuous effects whose durations say "until end of turn" or "this turn." (See Rule 514, "Cleanup Step.") [CompRules 2009/10/01] 514 - Cleanup Step + 514.3a - At this point, the game checks to see if any state-based actions would be performed and/or any triggered abilities are waiting to be put onto the stack (including those that trigger "at the beginning of the next cleanup step"). If so, those state-based actions are performed, then those triggered abilities are put on the stack, then the active player gets priority. Players may cast spells and activate abilities. Once the stack is empty and all players pass in succession, another cleanup step begins. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 6 - Spells, Abilities, and Effects ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 601 - Casting Spells + 601.2a - The player announces that he or she is casting the spell. That card (or that copy of a card) moves from the zone it's in to the stack. It becomes the topmost object on the stack. It has all the characteristics of the card (or the copy of a card) associated with it, and that player becomes its controller. The spell remains on the stack until it's countered or resolves. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 601.2c - The player announces his or her choice of an appropriate player, object, or zone for each target the spell requires. A spell may require some targets only if an alternative, additional, or special cost (such as a buyback or kicker cost), or a particular mode, was chosen for it; otherwise, the spell is cast as though it did not have those targets. If the spell has a variable number of targets, the player announces how many targets he or she will choose before he or she announces those targets. The same target can't be chosen multiple times for any one instance of the word "target" on the spell. However, if the spell 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). If any effects say that an object or player must be chosen as a target, the player chooses targets so that he or she obeys the maximum possible number of such effects without violating any rules or effects that say that an object or player can't be chosen as a target. The chosen players, objects, and/or zones each become a target of that spell. (Any abilities that trigger when those players, objects, and/or zones become the target of a spell trigger at this point; they'll wait to be put on the stack until the spell has finished being cast.) [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: If a spell says "Tap two target creatures," then the same target can't be chosen twice; the spell requires two different legal targets. A spell that says "Destroy target artifact and target land," however, can target the same artifact land twice because it uses the word "target" in multiple places. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 601.4 - Casting a spell that alters costs won't affect spells and abilities that are already on the stack. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 602 - Activating Activated Abilities + 602.1 - Activated abilities have a cost and an effect. They are written as ": " The activation cost is everything before the colon (:). An ability's activation cost must be paid by the player who is activating it. [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: The activation cost of an ability that reads "{2},{Tap}: You gain 1 life" is two mana of any type plus tapping the permanent that has the ability. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 602.2a - The player announces that he or she is activating the ability. If an activated ability is being activated from a hidden zone, the card that has that ability is revealed. That ability is created on the stack as an object that's not a card. It becomes the topmost object on the stack. It has the text of the ability that created it, and no other characteristics. Its controller is the player who activated the ability. The ability remains on the stack until it's countered or resolves. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 602.4 - Activating an ability that alters costs won't affect spells and abilities that are already on the stack. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 603 - Handling Triggered Abilities + 603.3 - Once an ability has triggered, its controller puts it on the stack as an object that's not a card the next time a player would receive priority. See Rule 115, "Timing and Priority." The ability becomes the topmost object on the stack. It has the text of the ability that created it, and no other characteristics. It remains on the stack until it's countered, it resolves, or an effect moves it elsewhere. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 603.6d - 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 on the battlefield, 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-the-battlefield abilities, abilities that trigger when a permanent phases out, 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, abilities that trigger when a player loses control of an object, and abilities that trigger when a player planeswalks away from a plane will trigger based on their existence, and the appearance of objects, prior to the event rather than afterward. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: Two creatures are on the battlefield along with an artifact that has the ability "Whenever a creature is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, 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 2009/07/08] + 603.9 - Some triggered abilities trigger specifically when a player loses the game. These abilities trigger when a player loses or leaves the game, regardless of the reason, unless that player leaves the game as the result of a draw. See Rule 104.3. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 606 - Loyalty Abilities + 606.1 - Some activated abilities are loyalty abilities, which are subject to special rules. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 606.2 - An activated ability with a loyalty symbol in its cost is a loyalty ability. Normally, only planeswalkers have loyalty abilities. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 606.3 - A player may activate a loyalty ability of a permanent he or she controls any time he or she has priority and the stack is empty during a main phase of his or her turn, but only if none of its loyalty abilities have been activated that turn. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 606.4 - The cost to activate a loyalty ability of a permanent is to put on or remove from that permanent a certain number of loyalty counters, as shown by the loyalty symbol in the ability's cost. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 606.5 - A loyalty ability with a negative loyalty cost can't be activated unless the permanent has at least that many loyalty counters on it. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 607 - Linked Abilities + 607.1 - An object may have two abilities printed on it such that one of them causes actions to be taken or objects to be affected and the other one directly refers to those actions or objects. If so, these two abilities are linked: the second refers only to actions that were taken or objects that were affected by the first, and not by any other ability. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 607.1a - An ability printed on an object within another ability that grants that ability to that object is still considered to be "printed on" that object for these purposes. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 607.2 - There are different kinds of linked abilities. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 607.2a - If an object has an activated or triggered ability printed on it that exiles one or more cards, and another ability printed on it that refers either to "the exiled cards" or to cards "exiled with ," these abilities are linked. The second ability refers only to cards in the exile zone that were put there as a result of the first ability. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 607.2b - If an object has an ability printed on it that generates a replacement effect which causes one or more cards to be exiled, and another ability printed on it that refers either to "the exiled cards" or to cards "exiled with ," these abilities are linked. The second ability refers only to cards in the exile zone that were put there as a direct result of a replacement event caused by the first ability. See Rule 614, "Replacement Effects." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 607.2c - If an object has an activated or triggered ability printed on it that puts one or more objects onto the battlefield, and another ability printed on it that refers to objects "put onto the battlefield with ," those abilities are linked. The second can refer only to objects put onto the battlefield as a result of the first. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 607.2d - If an object has an ability printed on it that causes a player to "choose a " or "name a card," and another ability printed on it that refers to "the chosen ," "the last chosen ," or "the named card," these abilities are linked. The second ability refers only to a choice made as a result of the first ability. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 607.2e - If an object has both a static ability and a triggered ability printed on it in the same paragraph, those abilities are linked. The triggered ability refers only to actions taken as a result of the static ability. See Rule 603.10. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 607.2f - If an object has a kicker ability printed on it, and another ability printed on it that refers to whether that object was kicked, those abilities are linked. The second refers only to whether the intent to pay the kicker cost listed in the first was declared as the object was cast as a spell. If a kicker ability lists multiple costs, it will have multiple abilities linked to it. Each of those abilities will specify which kicker cost it refers to. See Rule 702.30, "Kicker." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 607.2g - The two abilities represented by the champion keyword are linked abilities. See Rule 702.69, "Champion." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 607.3 - An ability may be part of more than one pair of linked abilities. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: Paradise Plume has the following three abilities: "As Paradise Plume enters the battlefield, choose a color," "Whenever a player casts a spell of the chosen color, you may gain 1 life," and "{Tap}: Add one mana of the chosen color to your mana pool." The first and second abilities are linked. The first and third abilities are linked. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 607.4 - If an object acquires a pair of linked abilities as part of the same effect, the abilities will be similarly linked to one another on that object even though they weren't printed on that object. They can't be linked to any other ability, regardless of what other abilities the object may currently have or may have had in the past. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: Arc-Slogger has the ability "{R}: Exile the top ten cards of your library: Arc-Slogger deals 2 damage to target creature or player." Sisters of Stone Death has the ability "{B}{G}: Exile target creature blocking or blocked by Sisters of Stone Death" and the ability "{2}{B}: Put a creature card exiled with Sisters of Stone Death onto the battlefield under your control." Quicksilver Elemental has the ability "{U}: Quicksilver Elemental gains all activated abilities of target creature until end of turn." If a player has Quicksilver Elemental gain Arc-Slogger's ability, activates it, then has Quicksilver Elemental gain Sisters of Stone Death's abilities, activates the exile ability, and then activates the return-to-the-battlefield ability, only the creature card Quicksilver Elemental exiled with Sisters of Stone Death's ability can be returned to the battlefield. Creature cards Quicksilver Elemental exiled with Arc-Slogger's ability can't be returned. [CompRules 2009/07/08] 608 - Resolving Spells and Abilities + 608.1 - Each time all players pass in succession, the spell or ability on top of the stack resolves. (See Rule 609, "Effects.") [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 608.2 - If the object that's resolving is an instant spell, a sorcery spell, or an ability, its resolution may involve several steps. The steps described in Rule 608.2a and Rule 608.2b are followed first. The steps described in Rule 608.2c through Rule 608.2i are then followed as appropriate, in no specific order. The step described in Rule 608.2j is followed last. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 608.2a - If a triggered ability has an intervening "if" clause, it checks whether the clause's condition is true. If it isn't, the ability is removed from the stack and does nothing. Otherwise, it continues to resolve. See Rule 603.4. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 608.2b - If the spell or ability specifies targets, it checks whether the targets are still legal. A target that's no longer in the zone it was in when it was targeted is illegal. Other changes to the game state may cause a target to no longer be legal; for example, its characteristics may have changed or an effect may have changed the text of the spell. If the source of an ability has left the zone it was in, its last known information is used during this process. The spell or ability is countered if all its targets, for every instance of the word "target," are now illegal. 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. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: Aura Blast is a white instant that reads, "Destroy target enchantment. Draw a card." If the enchantment isn't a legal target during Aura Blast's resolution (say, if it has gained protection from white or left the battlefield), then Aura Blast is countered. Its controller doesn't draw a card. [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: Plague Spores reads, "Destroy target nonblack creature and target land. They can't be regenerated." Suppose the same animated land is chosen both as the nonblack creature and as the land, and the color of the creature land is changed to black before Plague Spores resolves. Plagues Spores isn't countered because the black creature land is still a legal target for the "target land" part of the spell. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 608.2c - 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 that spell is countered this way, 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. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 608.2d - If an effect of a spell or ability offers any choices other than choices already made as part of casting the spell, activating the ability, or otherwise putting the spell or ability on the stack, the player announces these while applying the effect. The player can't choose an option that's illegal or impossible, with the exception that having an empty library doesn't make drawing a card an impossible action (see Rule 119.3). [CompRules 2009/10/01] 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. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 608.2e - Some spells and abilities have multiple steps or actions, denoted by separate sentences or clauses, that involve multiple players. In these cases, the choices for the first action are made in APNAP order, and then the first action is processed simultaneously. Then the choices for the second action are made in APNAP order, and then that action is processed simultaneously, and so on. See Rule 101.4. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 608.2f - If an effect gives a player the option to pay mana, he or she may activate mana abilities before taking that action. If an effect specifically instructs or allows a player to cast a spell during resolution, he or she does so by putting that spell on top of the stack, then continuing to cast it by following the steps in Rule 601.2a through Rule 601.2h, except no player receives priority after it's cast. The currently resolving spell or ability then continues to resolve, which may include casting other spells this way. No other spells can normally be cast and no other abilities can normally be activated during resolution. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 608.2g - If an effect requires information from the game (such as the number of creatures on the battlefield), the answer is determined only once, when the effect is applied. If the effect requires information from a specific object, including the source of the ability itself or a target that's become illegal, the effect uses the current information of that object if it's in the zone it was expected to be in; otherwise, the effect uses the object's last known information. See Rule 112.7a. (Note that if an effect divides or distributes something, such as damage or counters, as a player chooses among some number of creatures or players, the amount and division were determined as the spell or ability was put onto the stack rather than at this time; see Rule 601.2d). If the ability text states that an object does something, it's the object as it exists--or as it most recently existed--that does it, not the ability. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 608.2h - If an effect refers to certain characteristics, it checks only for the value of the specified characteristics, regardless of any related ones an object may also have. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 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. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 608.2i - If an ability's effect refers to a specific untargeted object that has been previously referred to by that ability's cost or trigger condition, it still affects that object even if the object has changed characteristics. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: Wall of Tears says "Whenever Wall of Tears blocks a creature, return that creature to its owner's hand at end of combat." If Wall of Tears blocks a creature, then that creature ceases to be a creature before the triggered ability resolves, the permanent will still be returned to its owner's hand. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 608.2j - If an instant spell, sorcery spell, or ability that can legally resolve leaves the stack once it starts to resolve, it will continue to resolve fully. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 608.2k - As the final part of an instant or sorcery spell's resolution, the spell is put into its owner's graveyard. As the final part of an ability's resolution, the ability is removed from the stack and ceases to exist. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 608.3 - If the object that's resolving is a permanent spell, its resolution involves a single step (unless it's an Aura). The spell card becomes a permanent and is put onto the battlefield under the control of the spell's controller. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 608.3a - If the object that's resolving is an Aura spell, its resolution involves two steps. First, it checks whether the target specified by its enchant ability is still legal, as described in Rule 608.2b. (See Rule 702.5, "Enchant.") If so, the spell card becomes a permanent and is put onto the battlefield under the control of the spell's controller attached to the object it was targeting. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 608.3b - If a permanent spell resolves but its controller can't put it onto the battlefield, that player puts it into its owner's graveyard. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: Worms of the Earth says "If a land would enter the battlefield, instead it doesn't." Clone says "You may have Clone enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield." If a player casts Clone and chooses to copy Dryad Arbor (a land creature) while Worms of the Earth is on the battlefield, Clone can't enter the battlefield from the stack. It's put into its owner's graveyard. [CompRules 2009/07/08] 609 - Effects + 609.1 - An effect is something that happens in the game as a result of a spell or ability. When a spell, activated ability, or triggered ability resolves, it may create one or more one-shot or continuous effects. Static abilities may create one or more continuous effects. Text itself is never an effect. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 609.2 - 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. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 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 cast will apply only to spells on the stack, since a spell is always on the stack while a player is casting it. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 609.3 - If an effect attempts to do something impossible, it does only as much as possible. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 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. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 609.4 - Some effects state that a player may do something "as though" some condition were true or a creature can do something "as though" some condition were true. This applies only to the stated effect. For purposes of that effect, treat the game exactly as if the stated condition were true. For all other purposes, treat the game normally. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 609.4a - If two effects state that a player may (or a creature can) 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. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: A player controls Vedalken Orrery, an artifact that says "You may cast nonland cards as though they had flash." That player casts Shaman's Trance, an instant that says, in part, "You may play cards from other players' graveyards as though they were in your graveyard." The player may cast a sorcery with flashback from another player's graveyard as though it were in that player's graveyard and as though it had flash. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 609.5 - 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. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 609.6 - Some continuous effects are replacement effects or prevention effects. See Rule 614 and Rule 615. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 609.7 - 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." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 609.7a - If an effect requires a player to choose a source of damage, he or she may choose a permanent; a spell on the stack (including a permanent spell); any object referred to by an object on the stack, by a replacement or prevention effect that's waiting to apply, or by a delayed triggered ability that's waiting to trigger (even if that object is no longer in the zone it used to be in); or, for certain casual variant games, a face-up card in the command zone. A source doesn't need to be capable of dealing damage to be a legal choice. The source is chosen when the effect is created. If the player chooses a permanent, the effect will apply to the next damage dealt by that permanent, regardless of whether it's combat damage or damage dealt as the result of a spell or ability. If the player chooses a permanent spell, the effect will apply to any damage dealt by that spell and any damage dealt by the permanent that spell becomes when it resolves. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 609.7b - Some effects from resolved 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. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 609.7c - 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 on the battlefield that have that property. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 610 - One-Shot Effects + 610.1 - A one-shot effect does something just once and doesn't have a duration. Examples include dealing damage, destroying a permanent, putting a token onto the battlefield, and moving an object from one zone to another. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 610.2 - Some one-shot effects create a delayed triggered ability, which instructs a player to do something later in the game (usually at a specific time) rather than as the spell or ability that's creating the one-shot effect resolves. See Rule 603.7. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 611 - Continuous Effects + 611.1 - A continuous effect modifies characteristics of objects, modifies control of objects, or affects players or the rules of the game, for a fixed or indefinite period. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 611.2 - A continuous effect may be generated by the resolution of a spell or ability. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 611.2a - 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. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 611.2b - Some continuous effects generated by the resolution of a spell or ability have durations worded "for as long as ... ." If the "for as long as" duration never starts, or it ends before the moment the effect would first be applied, the effect does nothing. It doesn't start and immediately stop again, and it doesn't last forever. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: Endoskeleton is an artifact with an activated ability that reads "{2},{Tap}: Target creature gets +0/+3 for as long as Endoskeleton remains tapped." If you activate 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. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 611.2c - If a continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability modifies the characteristics or changes the controller of any objects, the set of objects it affects is determined when that continuous effect begins. After that point, the set won't change. (Note that this works differently than a continuous effect from a static ability.) A continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability that doesn't modify the characteristics or change the controller of any objects modifies the rules of the game, so it can affect objects that weren't affected when that continuous effect began. [CompRules 2009/07/08] 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 enter the battlefield or turn white afterward. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 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 on the battlefield when the continuous effect began. It also affects damage from permanents that become creatures later in the turn. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 611.2d - 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 608.2g. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 611.3 - A continuous effect may be generated by the static ability of an object. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 611.3a - A continuous effect generated by a static ability isn't "locked in"; it applies at any given moment to whatever its text indicates. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 611.3b - The effect applies at all times that the permanent generating it is on the battlefield or the object generating it is in the appropriate zone. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 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 on the battlefield. If a creature becomes white, it gets this bonus; a creature that stops being white loses it. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 611.3c - Continuous effects that modify characteristics of permanents do so simultaneously with the permanent entering the battlefield. They don't wait until the permanent is on the battlefield and then change it. Because such effects apply as the permanent enters the battlefield, they are applied before determining whether the permanent will cause an ability to trigger when it enters the battlefield. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: A permanent with the static ability "All white creatures get +1/+1" is on the battlefield. A creature spell that would normally create a 1/1 white creature instead creates a 2/2 white creature. The creature doesn't enter the battlefield as 1/1 and then change to 2/2. [CompRules 2009/07/08] 612 - Text-Changing Effects + 612.1 - Some continuous effects change an object's text. This can apply to any words or symbols printed on that object, but generally affects only that object's rules text (which appears in its text box) and/or the text that appears in its type line. Such an effect is a text-changing effect. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 612.2 - A text-changing effect 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). An effect that changes a color word or a subtype can't change a card name, even if that name contains a word or a series of letters that is the same as a Magic color word, basic land type, or creature type. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 612.2a - Most spells and abilities that create creature tokens use creature types to define both the creature types and the names of the tokens. A text-changing effect that affects such a spell or an object with such an ability can change these words because they're being used as creature types, even though they're also being used as names. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 612.3 - 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 modified by text-changing effects that affect that object. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 612.4 - A token's subtypes and rules text are defined by the spell or ability that created the token. A text-changing effect that affects a token can change these characteristics. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 612.5 - One card (Volrath's Shapeshifter) states that an object has the "full text" of another object. This changes not just the text that appears in the object's text box and type line, but also changes the text that represents its name, mana cost, expansion symbol, power, and toughness. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 613 - Interaction of Continuous Effects + 613.1 - The values of an object's characteristics are determined by starting with the actual object. For a card, that means the values of the characteristics printed on that card. For a token or a copy of a spell or card, that means the values of the characteristics defined by the effect that created it. Then all applicable continuous effects are applied in a series of layers in the following order: [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.1a - Layer 1: Copy effects are applied. See Rule 706, "Copying Objects." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.1b - Layer 2: Control-changing effects are applied. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.1c - Layer 3: Text-changing effects are applied. See Rule 612, "Text-Changing Effects." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.1d - Layer 4: Type-changing effects are applied. This includes effects that change an object's card type, subtype, and/or supertype. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.1e - Layer 5: Color-changing effects are applied. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.1f - Layer 6: Ability-adding and ability-removing effects are applied. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.1g - Layer 7: Power- and/or toughness-changing effects are applied. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.2 - Within layers 1-6, apply effects from characteristic-defining abilities first (see Rule 604.3), then all other effects in timestamp order (see Rule 613.6). Note that dependency may alter the order in which effects are applied within a layer or sublayer. (See Rule 613.7.) [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.3 - Within layer 7, apply effects in a series of sublayers in the order described below. Within each sublayer, apply effects in timestamp order. (See Rule 613.6.) Note that dependency may alter the order in which effects are applied within a layer or sublayer. (See Rule 613.7.) [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.3a - Layer 7a: Effects from characteristic-defining abilities are applied. See Rule 604.3. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.3b - Layer 7b: Effects that set power and/or toughness to a specific number or value are applied. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.3c - Layer 7c: Effects that modify power and/or toughness (but don't set power and/or toughness to a specific number or value) are applied. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.3d - Layer 7d: Power and/or toughness changes from counters are applied. See Rule 120. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.3e - Layer 7e: Effects that switch a creature's power and toughness are applied. Such effects take the value of power and apply it to the creature's toughness, and take the value of toughness and apply it to the creature's power. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 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. A new effect gives the creature +5/+0. Its "unswitched" power and toughness would be 6/4, so its actual power and toughness is 4/6. [CompRules 2009/07/08] 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 3/1. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 613.4 - The application of continuous effects as described by the layer system is continually and automatically performed by the game. All resulting changes to an object's characteristics are instantaneous. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: Crusade is an enchantment that reads "White creatures get +1/+1." Crusade and a 2/2 black creature are on the battlefield. If an effect then turns the creature white (layer 5), it gets +1/+1 from Crusade (layer 7c), becoming 3/3. If the creature's color is later changed to red (layer 5), Crusade's effect stops applying to it, and it will return to being 2/2. [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: Gray Ogre, a 2/2 creature, is on the battlefield. An effect puts a +1/+1 counter on it (layer 7d), making it 3/3. A spell targeting it that says "Target creature gets +4/+4 until end of turn" resolves (layer 7c), making it 7/7. An enchantment that says "Creatures you control get +0/+2" enters the battlefield (layer 7c), making it 7/9. An effect that says "Target creature becomes 0/1 until end of turn" is applied to it (layer 7b), making it 5/8 (0/1, plus +4/+4 from the resolved spell, plus +0/+2 from the enchantment, plus +1/+1 from the counter). [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 613.5 - If an effect should be applied in different layers and/or sublayers, the parts of the effect each apply in their appropriate ones. If an effect starts to apply in one layer and/or sublayer, it will continue to be applied to the same set of objects in each other applicable layer and/or sublayer, even if the ability generating the effect is removed during this process. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 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 a color-changing effect. The "becomes the color of your choice" part is applied in layer 5, and then the "gets +1/+1" part is applied in layer 7. [CompRules 2009/07/08] 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 effect that adds an ability to an object. The "you gain control" part is applied in layer 2, and then the "it gains haste" part is applied in layer 6. [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: An effect that reads "All noncreature artifacts become 2/2 artifact creatures until end of turn" is both a type-changing effect and a power- and toughness-setting effect. The type-changing effect is applied to all noncreature artifacts in layer 4 and the power- and toughness-setting effect is applied to those same permanents in layer 7, even though those permanents aren't noncreature artifacts by then. [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: Svogthos, the Restless Tomb, is on the battlefield. An effect that says "Until end of turn, target land becomes a 3/3 creature that's still a land" is applied to it (layers 4 and 7b). An effect that says "Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn" is applied to it (layer 7c), making it a 4/4 land creature. Then while you have ten creature cards in your graveyard, you activate Svogthos's ability: "Until end of turn, Svogthos, the Restless Tomb becomes a black and green Plant Zombie creature with 'This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of creature cards in your graveyard.' It's still a land." (layers 4, 5, and 7b). It becomes an 11/11 land creature. If a creature card enters or leaves your graveyard, Svogthos's power and toughness will be modified accordingly. If the first effect is applied to it again, it will become a 4/4 land creature again. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 613.6 - Within a layer or sublayer, determining which order effects are applied in is usually done using a timestamp system. An effect with an earlier timestamp is applied before an effect with a later timestamp. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.6a - A continuous effect generated by a static ability has the same timestamp as the object the static ability is on, or the timestamp of the effect that created the ability, whichever is later. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.6b - A continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability receives a timestamp at the time it's created. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.6c - An object's timestamp is the time it entered the zone it's currently in, unless it's an Aura, Equipment, or Fortification that's attached to another object or player, or it's a face-up plane card. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.6d - If an Aura, Equipment, or Fortification becomes attached to an object or player, the Aura, Equipment, or Fortification receives a new timestamp at that time. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.6e - A face-up plane card receives a timestamp at the time it's turned face up. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.6f - A face-up vanguard card receives a timestamp at the beginning of the game. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.6g - If two or more objects would receive a timestamp simultaneously, such as by entering a zone simultaneously or becoming attached simultaneously, the active player determines their timestamp order at that time. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.7 - Within a layer or sublayer, determining which order effects are applied in is sometimes done using a dependency system. If a dependency exists, it will override the timestamp system. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.7a - An effect is said to "depend on" another if (a) it's applied in the same layer (and, if applicable, sublayer) as the other effect (see Rule 613.1 and Rule 613.3); (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; and (c) neither effect is from a characteristic-defining ability. Otherwise, the effect is considered to be independent of the other effect. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.7b - An effect dependent on one or more other effects waits to apply until just after all of those effects have been applied. If multiple dependent effects would apply simultaneously in this way, they're applied in timestamp order relative to each other. If several dependent effects form a dependency loop, then this rule is ignored and the effects in the dependency loop are applied in timestamp order. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.8 - One continuous effect can override another. Sometimes the results of one effect determine whether another effect applies or what another effect does. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: Two Auras are enchanting the same creature: one that says "Enchanted creature gains flying" and one that says "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"). [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: One effect reads, "White creatures get +1/+1," and another reads, "Enchanted creature is white." The enchanted creature gets +1/+1 from the first effect, regardless of its previous color. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 613.9 - Some continuous effects affect players rather than objects. For example, an effect might give a player protection from red. All such effects are applied in timestamp order after the determination of objects' characteristics. See also the rules for timestamp order and dependency (Rule 613.6 and Rule 613.7). [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 613.10 - Some continuous effects affect game rules rather than objects. For example, effects may modify a player's maximum hand size, or say that a creature is indestructible. These effects are applied after all other continuous effects have been applied. Continuous effects that affect the costs of spells or abilities are applied according to the order specified in Rule 601.2e. All other such effects are applied in timestamp order. See also the rules for timestamp order and dependency (Rule 613.6 and Rule 613.7). [CompRules 2009/10/01] 614 - Replacement Effects + 614.1 - Some continuous effects are replacement effects. Like prevention effects (see Rule 615), replacement effects apply continuously as events happen--they aren't locked in ahead of time. Such effects watch for a particular event that would happen and completely or partially replace that event with a different event. They act like "shields" around whatever they're affecting. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 614.1a - 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. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 614.1b - Effects that use the word "skip" are replacement effects. These replacement effects use the word "skip" to indicate what events, steps, phases, or turns will be replaced with nothing. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 614.1c - Effects that read " enters the battlefield with ...," "As enters the battlefield ...," or " enters the battlefield as ..." are replacement effects. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 614.1d - Continuous effects that read " enters the battlefield ..." or " enter the battlefield ..." are replacement effects. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 614.1e - Effects that read "As is turned face up ...," are replacement effects. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 614.2 - Some replacement effects apply to damage from a source. See Rule 609.7. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 614.3 - There are no special restrictions on casting a spell or activating an ability that generates a replacement effect. Such effects last until they're used up or their duration has expired. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 614.4 - Replacement effects must exist before the appropriate event occurs--they can't "go back in time" and change something that's already happened. Spells or abilities that generate these effects are often cast or activated in response to whatever would produce the event and thus resolve before that event would occur. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: A player can activate an ability to regenerate a creature in response to a spell that would destroy it. Once the spell resolves, though, it's too late to regenerate the creature. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 614.5 - A replacement effect doesn't invoke itself repeatedly and gets only one opportunity for each event. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 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. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 614.6 - If an event is 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 impossible instruction is simply ignored. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 614.7 - If a replacement effect would replace an event, but that event never happens, the replacement effect simply doesn't do anything. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 614.7a - If a source would deal 0 damage, it does not deal damage at all. Replacement effects that would increase the damage dealt by that source, or would have that source deal that damage to a different object or player, have no event to replace, so they have no effect. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 614.8 - Regeneration is a destruction-replacement effect. The word "instead" doesn't appear on the card but is implicit in the definition of regeneration. "Regenerate " means "The next time would be destroyed this turn, instead remove all damage marked on it and tap it. If it's an attacking or blocking creature, remove it from combat." Abilities that trigger from damage being dealt still trigger even if the permanent regenerates. See Rule 701.11. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 614.9 - Some effects replace damage dealt to one creature, planeswalker, or player with the same damage dealt to another creature, planeswalker, or player; such effects are called redirection effects. If either creature or planeswalker is no longer on the battlefield when the damage would be redirected, or is no longer a creature or planeswalker when the damage would be redirected, the effect does nothing. If damage would be redirected to or from a player who has left the game, the effect does nothing. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 614.10 - An effect that causes a player to skip an event, step, phase, or turn is a replacement effect. "Skip " is the same as "Instead of doing , 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. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 614.10a - 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. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 614.10b - Some effects cause a player to skip a step, phase, or turn, then take another action. That action is considered to be the first thing that happens during the next step, phase, or turn to actually occur. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 614.11 - Some effects replace card draws. These effects are applied even if no cards could be drawn because there are no cards in the affected player's library. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 614.11a - If an effect replaces a draw within a sequence of card draws, all actions required by the replacement are completed, if possible, before resuming the sequence. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 614.11b - If an effect would have a player both draw a card and perform an additional action on that card, and the draw is replaced, the additional action is not performed on any cards that are drawn as a result of that replacement effect. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 614.12 - Some replacement effects modify how a permanent enters the battlefield. (See Rule 614.1c and Rule 614.1d.) Such effects may come from the permanent itself if they affect only that permanent (as opposed to a general subset of permanents that includes it). They may also come from other sources. To determine how and whether these replacement effects apply, check the characteristics of the permanent as it would exist on the battlefield, taking into account replacement effects that have already modified how it enters the battlefield, continuous effects generated by the resolution of spells or abilities that changed the permanent's characteristics on the stack (see Rule 400.7a), and continuous effects from the permanent's own static abilities, but ignoring continuous effects from any other source that would affect it. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: Voice of All says "As Voice of All enters the battlefield, choose a color" and "Voice of All has protection from the chosen color." An effect creates a token that's a copy of Voice of All. As that token is put onto the battlefield, its controller chooses a color for it. [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: Yixlid Jailer says "Cards in graveyards have no abilities." Scarwood Treefolk says "Scarwood Treefolk enters the battlefield tapped." A Scarwood Treefolk that's put onto the battlefield from a graveyard enters the battlefield tapped. [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: Orb of Dreams is an artifact that says "Permanents enter the battlefield tapped." It will not affect itself, so Orb of Dreams enters the battlefield untapped. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 614.13 - An object may have one ability printed on it that generates a replacement effect which causes one or more cards to be exiled, and another ability that refers either to "the exiled cards" or to cards "exiled with ." These abilities are linked: the second refers only to cards in the exile zone that were put there as a direct result of the replacement event caused by the first. If another object gains a pair of linked abilities, the abilities will be similarly linked on that object. They can't be linked to any other ability, regardless of what other abilities the object may currently have or may have had in the past. See Rule 607, "Linked Abilities." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 614.14 - Some replacement effects are not continuous effects. Rather, they are an effect of a resolving spell or ability that replace part or all of that spell or ability's own effect(s). Such effects are called self-replacement effects. When applying replacement effects to an event, self-replacement effects are applied before other replacement effects. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 615 - Prevention Effects + 615.1 - Some continuous effects are prevention effects. Like replacement effects (see Rule 614), prevention effects apply continuously as events happen--they aren't locked in ahead of time. Such effects watch for a damage event that would happen and completely or partially prevent the damage that would be dealt. They act like "shields" around whatever they're affecting. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 615.1a - Effects that use the word "prevent" are prevention effects. Prevention effects use "prevent" to indicate what damage will not be dealt. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 615.2 - Many preventions effects apply to damage from a source. See Rule 609.7. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 615.3 - There are no special restrictions on casting a spell or activating an ability that generates a prevention effect. Such effects last until they're used up or their duration has expired. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 615.4 - Prevention effects must exist before the appropriate damage event occurs--they can't "go back in time" and change something that's already happened. Spells or abilities that generate these effects are often cast or activated in response to whatever would produce the event and thus resolve before that event would occur. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: A player can activate an ability that prevents damage in response to a spell that would deal damage. Once the spell resolves, though, it's too late to prevent the damage. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 615.5 - Some prevention effects also include an additional effect, which may refer to the amount of damage that was prevented. The prevention takes place at the time the original event would have happened; the rest of the effect takes place immediately afterward. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 615.6 - If damage that would be dealt is prevented, it never happens. A modified event may occur 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 impossible instruction is simply ignored. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 615.7 - Some prevention effects generated by the resolution of a spell or ability 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 applicable sources at the same time, the player or the controller of the creature chooses which damage the shield prevents. 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. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 615.8 - Some prevention effects generated by the resolution of a spell or ability refer to the next time a specific source would deal damage. These effects prevent the next instance of damage from that source, regardless of how much damage that is. Once an instance of damage from that source has been prevented, any subsequent instances of damage that would be dealt by that source are dealt normally. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 615.9 - Some prevention effects generated by static abilities refer to a specific amount of damage--for example, "If a source would deal damage to you, prevent 1 of that damage." Such an effect prevents only the indicated amount of damage from any applicable damage event at any given time. It will apply separately to damage from other applicable events that would happen at the same tmie, or at a different time. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: Daunting Defender says "If a source would deal damage to a Cleric creature you control, prevent 1 of that damage." Pyroclasm says "Pyroclasm deals 2 damage to each creature." Pyroclasm will deal 1 damage to each Cleric creature controlled by Daunting Defender's controller. It will deal 2 damage to each other creature that player controls. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 615.10 - Some prevention effects prevent the next N damage that would be dealt to each of a number of untargeted creatures. Such an effect creates a prevention shield for each applicable creature when the spell or ability that generates that effect resolves. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: Wojek Apothecary has an ability that says "{Tap}: Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to target creature and each other creature that shares a color with it this turn." When the ability resolves, it gives the target creature and each other creature on the battlefield that shares a color with it at that time a shield preventing the next 1 damage that would be dealt to it. Changing creatures' colors after the ability resolves doesn't add or remove shields, and creatures that enter the battlefield later in the turn don't get the shield. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 615.11 - Some effects state that damage "can't be prevented." If unpreventable damage would be dealt, any applicable prevention effects are still applied to it. Those effects won't prevent any damage, but any additional effects they have will take place. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 615.11a - A prevention effect is applied to any particular unpreventable damage event just once. It won't invoke itself repeatedly trying to prevent that damage. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 616 - Interaction of Replacement and/or Prevention Effects + 616.1 - If two or more replacement and/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, following the steps listed below. If two or more players have to make these choices at the same time, choices are made in APNAP order (see Rule 101.4). [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 616.1a - If any of the replacement and/or prevention effects are self-replacement effects (see Rule 614.14), one of them must be chosen. If not, proceed to Rule 616.1b. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 616.1b - If any of the replacement and/or prevention effects would modify under whose control an object would enter the battlefield, one of them must be chosen. If not, proceed to Rule 616.1c. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 616.1c - Any of the applicable replacement and/or prevention effects may be chosen. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 616.1d - Once the chosen effect has been applied, this process is repeated (taking into account only replacement or prevention effects that would now be applicable) until there are no more left to apply. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: Two permanents are on the battlefield. One is an enchantment that reads "If a card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead exile it," and the other is a creature that reads "If would be put into a graveyard from the battlefield, 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. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 616.2 - A replacement or prevention effect can become applicable to an event as the result of another replacement or prevention effect that modifies the event. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: One effect reads "If you would gain life, draw that many cards instead," 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. [CompRules 2009/07/08] 7 - Additional Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 700 - General + 700.2d - Some spells and abilities specify that a player other than their controller chooses a mode for it. In that case, the other player does so when the spell or ability's controller normally would do so. If there is more than one other player who could make such a choice, the spell or ability's controller decides which of those players will make the choice. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 701.11 - Regenerate + 701.11c - Neither activating an ability that creates a regeneration shield nor casting a spell that creates a regeneration shield is the same as regenerating a permanent. Effects that say that a permanent can't be regenerated don't prevent such abilities from being activated or such spells from being cast; rather, they prevent regeneration shields from having any effect. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 701.15 - Tap and Untap + 701.15a - To tap a permanent, turn it sideways from an upright position. Only untapped permanents can be tapped. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 701.15b - To untap a permanent, rotate it back to the upright position from a sideways position. Only tapped permanents can be untapped. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 701.19 - Planeswalk + 701.19a - A player may planeswalk only during a Planar Magic game. Only the planar controller may planeswalk. See Rule 901, "Planar Magic." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 701.19b - To planeswalk is to put the face-up plane card on the bottom of its owner's planar deck face down, then move the top card of your planar deck off that planar deck and turn it face up. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 701.19c - A player may planeswalk as the result of the "planeswalking ability" (see Rule 309.6) or because the owner of the face-up plane card leaves the game (see Rule 901.9). [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 701.19d - The plane card that's turned face up is the plane the player planeswalks to. The plane card that's turned face down, or that leaves the game, is the plane the player planeswalks away from. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 702.2 - Deathtouch + 702.2d - If a permanent leaves the battlefield before an effect causes it to deal damage, its last known information is used to determine whether it had deathtouch. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 702.2e - The deathtouch rules function no matter what zone an object with deathtouch deals damage from. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 702.2f - Multiple instances of deathtouch on the same object are redundant. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 702.4 - Double Strike + 702.4b - If at least one attacking or blocking creature has first strike (see Rule 702.7) or double strike as the combat damage step begins, the only creatures that assign combat damage in that step are those with first strike or double strike. After that step, instead of proceeding to the end of combat step, the phase gets a second combat damage step. The only creatures that assign combat damage in that step are the remaining attackers and blockers that had neither first strike or double strike as the first combat damage step began, as well as the remaining attackers and blockers that currently have double strike. After that step, the phase proceeds to the end of combat step. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 702.4d - Giving double strike to a creature with first strike after it has already dealt combat damage in the first combat damage step will allow the creature to assign combat damage in the second combat damage step. [CompRules 2009/07/08] 702.7 - First Strike + 702.7b - If at least one attacking or blocking creature has first strike or double strike (see Rule 702.4) as the combat damage step begins, the only creatures that assign combat damage in that step are those with first strike or double strike. After that step, instead of proceeding to the end of combat step, the phase gets a second combat damage step. The only creatures that assign combat damage in that step are the remaining attackers and blockers that had neither first strike nor double strike as the first combat damage step began, as well as the remaining attackers and blockers that currently have double strike. After that step, the phase proceeds to the end of combat step. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 702.7c - Giving first strike to a creature without it after combat damage has already been dealt in the first combat damage step won't prevent that creature from assigning combat damage in the second combat damage step. Removing first strike from a creature after it has already dealt combat damage in the first combat damage step won't allow it to also assign combat damage in the second combat damage step (unless the creature has double strike). [CompRules 2009/10/01] 702.12 - Landwalk + 702.12a - Landwalk is a generic term that appears within an object's rules text as "walk," where is usually a subtype, but can be the card type land, any land type, any supertype, or any combination thereof. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 702.12b - Landwalk is an evasion ability. A creature with landwalk is unblockable as long as the defending player controls at least one land with the specified subtype (as in "islandwalk"), with the specified supertype (as in "legendary landwalk"), without the specified supertype (as in "nonbasic landwalk"), or with both the specified supertype and the specified subtype (as in "snow swampwalk"). (See Rule 509, "Declare Blockers Step.") [CompRules 2009/10/01] 702.13 - Lifelink + 702.13b - If a permanent leaves the battlefield before an effect causes it to deal damage, its last known information is used to determine whether it had lifelink. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 702.13c - The lifelink rules function no matter what zone an object with lifelink deals damage from. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 702.13d - Multiple instances of lifelink on the same object are redundant. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 702.19 - Banding + 702.19k - During the combat damage step, if a blocking creature is blocking a creature with banding, or both a creature with "bands with other " and another creature, the active player (rather than the defending player) chooses how the blocking creature's damage is assigned. That player can divide that creature's combat damage as he or she chooses among any number of creatures it's blocking. This is an exception to the procedure described in Rule 510.1d. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 702.30 - Kicker + 702.30b - If a spell's controller declares the intention to pay any of that spell's kicker costs, that spell has been "kicked." See Rule 601.2b. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 702.30c - Objects with kicker have additional abilities that specify what happens if it was kicked. These abilities are linked to the kicker abilities printed on that object: they can refer only to those specific kicker abilities. See Rule 607, "Linked Abilities." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 702.30d - Objects with more than one kicker cost have abilities that each correspond to a specific kicker cost. They contain the phrases "if it was kicked with its [A] kicker" and "if it was kicked with its [B] kicker," where A and B are the first and second kicker costs listed on the card, respectively. Each of those abilities is linked to the appropriate kicker ability. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 702.30e - If part of a spell's ability has its effect only if that spell was kicked, and that part of the ability includes any targets, the spell's controller chooses those targets only if that spell was kicked. Otherwise, the spell is cast as if it did not have those targets. See Rule 601.2c. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 702.77 - Wither + 702.77a - Wither is a static ability. Damage dealt to a creature by a source with wither isn't marked on that creature. Rather, it causes that many -1/-1 counters to be put on that creature. See Rule 118.3. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 702.77b - If a permanent leaves the battlefield before an effect causes it to deal damage, its last known information is used to determine whether it had wither. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 702.77c - The wither rules function no matter what zone an object with wither deals damage from. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 702.77d - Multiple instances of wither on the same object are redundant. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 703 - Turn-Based Actions + 703.4n - When each step or phase ends, any unused mana left in a player's mana pool empties. See Rule 500.4. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 704 - State-Based Actions + 704.5q - If a creature is attached to an object or player, it becomes unattached and remains on the battlefield. Similarly, if a permanent that's neither an Aura, an Equipment, nor a Fortification is attached to an object or player, it becomes unattached and remains on the battlefield. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 704.5s - If a permanent with an ability that says it can't have more than N counters of a certain kind on it has more than N counters of that kind on it, all but N of those counters are removed from it. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 704.5t - In a Two-Headed Giant game, if a team has 0 or less life, that team loses the game. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 704.5u - In an EDH game, a player that's been dealt 21 or more combat damage by the same general over the course of the game loses the game. (See Rule 903.) [CompRules 2009/10/01] 706 - Copying Objects + 706.2 - When copying an object, the copy acquires the copiable values of the original object's characteristics and, for an object on the stack, choices made when casting or activating it (mode, targets, the value of X, whether it was kicked, how it will affect multiple targets, and so on). The "copiable values" are the values derived from the text printed on the object (that text being name, mana cost, card type, subtype, supertype, expansion symbol, rules text, power, toughness, and/or loyalty), as modified by other copy effects, by "as ... enters the battlefield" and "as ... is turned face up" abilities that set characteristics, and by abilities that caused the object to be face down. Other effects (including type-changing and text-changing effects), status, and counters are not copied. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: Chimeric Staff is an artifact that reads "{X}: Chimeric Staff becomes an X/X artifact creature until end of turn." Clone is a creature that reads, "You may have Clone enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield." After a Staff has become a 5/5 artifact creature, a Clone enters the battlefield 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.) [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: Clone enters the battlefield as a copy of a face-down Grinning Demon (a creature with morph {2}{B}{B}). The Clone is a colorless 2/2 creature with no name, no types, no abilities, and no mana cost. It will still be face up. Its controller can't pay {2}{B}{B} to turn it face up. [CompRules 2009/07/08] 710 - Controlling Another Player's Turn + 710.1 - Two cards (Mindslaver and Sorin Markov) allow 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. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 710.4 - 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. [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: The controller of the turn decides which spells the active player casts and what those spells target, and makes any required decisions when those spells resolve. [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: The controller of the turn decides which of active player's creatures attack, which player or planeswalker each one attacks, what the damage assignment order the creatures that block them is, and how those attacking creatures assign their combat damage. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 711 - Ending the Turn + 711.1a - Exile every object on the stack, including the object that's resolving. Remove all creatures and planeswalkers (including those that are phased out) from combat. All objects not on the battlefield that aren't represented by cards will cease to exist the next time state-based actions are checked (see Rule 704, "State-Based Actions"). [CompRules 2009/07/08] 712 - Subgames + 712.1a - A "subgame" is a completely separate Magic game created by an effect. Essentially, it's a game within a game. The "main game" is the game in which the spell or ability that created the subgame was cast or activated. The main game is temporarily discontinued while the subgame is in progress. It resumes when the subgame ends. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 713 - Taking Shortcuts + 713.3 - Sometimes a loop can be fragmented, meaning that each player involved in the loop performs an independent action that results in the same game state being reached multiple times. If that happens, the active player (or, if the active player is not involved in the loop, the first player in turn order who is involved) must then make a different game choice so the loop does not continue. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: In a two-player game, the active player controls a creature with the ability "{0}: gains flying," the nonactive player controls a permanent with the ability "{0}: Target creature loses flying," and nothing in the game cares how many times an ability has been activated. Say the active player activates his creature's ability, it resolves, then the nonactive player activates her permanent's ability targeting that creature, and it resolves. This returns the game to a game state it was at before. The active player must make a different game choice (in other words, anything other than activating that creature's ability again). The creature doesn't have flying. Note that the nonactive player could have prevented the fragmented loop simply by not activating her permanent's ability, in which case the creature would have had flying. The nonactive player always has the final choice and is therefore able to determine whether the creature has flying. [CompRules 2009/07/08] 717 - Keyword Abilities + 717.9 - Landfall - Landfall is a keyword written as "Landfall - [ability]". ". + 717.9.Ruling.1 - Landfall has no meaning in itself and has no game effect in itself. The ability listed following the keyword is the actual effect. Landfall is simply used to show that the card has a similar ability to other cards that use this keyword. [D'Angelo 2009/10/01] 8 - Multiplayer Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 800 - General + 800.4i - In a Planar Magic game, if the player designated as the planar controller would leave the game, instead the next player in turn order that wouldn't leave the game becomes the planar controller, then the old planar controller leaves the game. See Rule 309.5. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 801 - Limited Range of Influence Option + 801.7 - A triggered ability doesn't trigger unless its trigger event happens entirely within the range of influence of its source's controller. [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: In a game in which all players have range of influence 1, Alex is seated to the left of Rob. Rob controls two Auras attached to Alex's Runeclaw Bear: One with the trigger condition "Whenever enchanted creature becomes blocked," and one with the trigger condition "Whenever enchanted creature becomes blocked by a creature." Alex's Runeclaw Bear attacks the player to Alex's left and becomes blocked. The ability of Rob's first Aura triggers because the entire event (Runeclaw Bear becomes blocked) happens within Rob's range of influence. The ability of Rob's second Aura doesn't trigger, however, because that event includes the blocking creature, which is out of Rob's range. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 801.17 - If the effect of a spell or ability states that the game is a draw, the game is a draw for that spell or ability's controller and all players within his or her range of influence. They leave the game. All remaining players continue to play the game. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 801.18 - In multiplayer Planar Magic games other than Grand Melee games, plane cards are exempt from the limited range of influence option. Their abilities, and the effects of those abilities, affect all applicable objects and players in the game. See Rule 901, "Planar Magic." [CompRules 2009/10/01] 802 - Attack Multiple Players Option + 802.2a - Any rule, object, or effect that refers to a "defending player" refers to one specific defending player, not to all of the defending players. If the source of an ability that refers to a defending player is an attacking creature, it will usually refer to the player it's attacking or the controller of the planeswalker it's attacking. If there are multiple defending players that could be chosen, the controller of the ability chooses one. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: Rob attacks Alex with Runeclaw Bear and attacks Carissa with a creature with mountainwalk. Whether the creature with mountainwalk is unblockable depends only on whether Carissa controls a Mountain. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 806 - Two-Headed Giant Variant + 806.2 - No multiplayer options are used in Two-Headed Giant games. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 806.6a - A player who is dissatisfied with his or her initial hand may mulligan. First, each player on the starting team declares whether or not he or she will take a mulligan. Then the players on each other team in turn order do the same. Teammates may consult during this process, but a player can't see the result of his or her teammate's mulligan before deciding whether to take a mulligan at the same time. A player may take a mulligan even after his or her teammate has decided to keep his or her opening hand. Once each player has made a declaration, all players who decided to take mulligans do so at the same time. To take a mulligan, a player shuffles his or her hand back into his or her library, then draws a new hand. In a multiplayer game, the first time a player takes a mulligan, his or her new hand is seven cards; each subsequent mulligan that player takes results in a hand of one fewer cards than the last. If a player kept his or her hand of cards, those cards become the player's opening hand, and that player may not take any further mulligans. This process is then repeated until no player takes a mulligan. (Note that if a player's hand size reaches zero cards, that player must keep that hand.) [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 806.8 - The Two-Headed Giant variant uses the normal rules for winning or losing the game (see Rule 104), with the following additions and specifications. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 806.8a - Players win and lose the game only as a team, not as individuals. If either player on a team loses the game, the team loses the game. If either player on a team wins the game, the entire team wins the game. If an effect would prevent a player from winning the game, that player's team can't win the game. If an effect would prevent a player from losing the game, that player's team can't lose the game. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: In a Two-Headed Giant game, a player controls Transcendence, which reads, in part, "You don't lose the game for having 0 or less life." If that player's team's life total is 0 or less, that team doesn't lose the game. [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: In a Two-Headed Giant game, a player attempts to draw a card while there are no cards in that player's library. That player loses the game, so that player's entire team loses the game. [CompRules 2009/07/08] Example: In a Two-Headed Giant game, a player controls Platinum Angel, which reads, "You can't lose the game and your opponents can't win the game." Neither that player nor his or her teammate can lose the game while Platinum Angel is on the battlefield, and neither player on the opposing team can win the game. [CompRules 2009/07/08] + 806.8b - If a player concedes, his or her team leaves the game immediately. That team loses the game. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 806.8c - If a team's life total is 0 or less, the team loses the game. (This is a state-based action. See Rule 704.) [CompRules 2009/10/01] 807 - Emperor Variant + 807.5 - The Emperor variant includes the following specifications for winning and losing the game. All other rules for winning and losing the game also apply. (See Rule 104.) [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 807.5b - The game is a draw for a team if the game is a draw for its emperor. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 809 - Teams Variant + 809.5 - In the Teams variant, a team's resources (cards in hand, mana, and so on) are not shared. Teammates can't review each other's hands unless they are sitting next to each other. Teammates may discuss strategies at any time. Teammates can't manipulate each other's cards or permanents. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 9 - Casual Variants and Tournament Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 900 - General + 900.1 - This section contains additional optional rules that can be used for certain casual game variants. It is by no means comprehensive. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 900.2 - The casual variants detailed here use supplemental zones, rules, cards, and other game implements not used in traditional Magic games. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 901 - Planar Magic + 901.1 - In the Planar Magic variant, plane cards add additional abilities and randomness to the game. At any given time, one plane card will be face up and its abilities will affect the game. The Planar Magic variant uses all the normal rules for a Magic game, with the following additions. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.2 - A Planar Magic game may be a two-player game or a multiplayer game. The default multiplayer setup is the Free-for-All variant with the attack multiple players option and without the limited range of influence option. See Rule 805, "Free-for-All Variant." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.3 - In addition to the normal game materials, each player needs a planar deck of at least ten plane cards and the game needs one planar die. Each card in a planar deck must have a different English name. (See Rule 309, "Planes.") [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.3a - A planar die is a six-sided die. One face has the planeswalker symbol {P}. One face has the chaos symbol {C}. The other faces are blank. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.4 - At the start of the game, each player shuffles his or her planar deck so that the cards are in a random order. Each deck is placed face down next to its owner's library. All plane cards remain in the command zone throughout the game, both while they're part of a planar deck and while they're face up. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.5 - Once all players have kept their opening hands and used the abilities of cards that allow them to start the game with those cards on the battlefield, the starting player moves the top card of his or her planar deck off that planar deck and turns it face up. (See Rule 103.6.) No abilities of that card trigger as a result. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.6 - The owner of a plane card is the player who started the game with it in his or her planar deck. The controller of a face-up plane card is the player designated as the planar controller. Normally, the planar controller is whoever the active player is. However, if the current planar controller would leave the game, instead the next player in turn order that wouldn't leave the game becomes the planar controller, then the old planar controller leaves the game. The new planar controller retains that designation until he or she leaves the game or a different player becomes the active player, whichever comes first. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.7 - Any abilities of a face-up plane card in the command zone function from that zone. The card's static abilities affect the game, its triggered abilities may trigger, and its activated abilities may be activated. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.7a - Each plane card is treated as if its text box included "When you roll {P}, put this card on the bottom of its owner's planar deck face down, then move the top card of your planar deck off your planar deck and turn it face up." This is called the "planeswalking ability." A face-up plane card that's turned face down becomes a new object. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.8 - Any time the active player has priority and the stack is empty, but only during a main phase of his or her turn, that player may roll the planar die. Taking this action costs a player an amount of mana equal to the number of times he or she has previously taken this action on that turn. This is a special action and doesn't use the stack. (See Rule 114.2f.) [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.8a - If the die roll is a blank face, nothing happens. The active player gets priority. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.8b - If the die roll is the chaos symbol {C}, any ability of the plane that starts "When you roll {C}" triggers and is put on the stack. The active player gets priority. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.8c - If the die roll is the planeswalker symbol {P}, the plane's "planeswalking ability" triggers and is put on the stack. The active player gets priority. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.9 - When a player leaves the game, all objects owned by that player leave the game. (See Rule 800.4a.) If that includes the face-up plane card, the planar controller turns the top card of his or her planar deck face up. This is not a state-based action. It happens as soon as the player leaves the game. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.9a - If a plane leaves the game while a "planeswalking ability" for which it was the source is on the stack, that ability ceases to exist. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.10 - After the game has started, if a player moves the top card of his or her planar deck off that planar deck and turns it face up, that player has "planeswalked." Continuous effects with durations that last until a player planeswalks end. Abilities that trigger when a player planeswalks trigger. See Rule 701.19. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.10a - A player may planeswalk as the result of the "planeswalking ability" (see Rule 309.6) or because the owner of the face-up plane card leaves the game (see Rule 901.9). [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.10b - The plane card that's turned face up is the plane the player planeswalks to. The plane card that's turned face down, or that leaves the game, is the plane the player planeswalks away from. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.11 - A Two-Headed Giant Planar Magic game uses all the rules for the Two-Headed Giant multiplayer variant and all the rules for the Planar Magic casual variant, with the following additions. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.11a - Each player has his or her own planar deck. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.11b - The planar controller is normally the primary player of the active team. However, if the current planar controller's team would leave the game, instead the primary player of the next team in turn order that wouldn't leave the game becomes the planar controller, then the old planar controller's team leaves the game. The new planar controller retains that designation until he or she leaves the game or a different team becomes the active team, whichever comes first. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.11c - Even though the face-up plane is controlled by just one player, any ability of that plane that refers to "you" applies to both members of the planar controller's team. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.11d - Since each member of the active team is an active player, each of them may roll the planar die. Each player's cost to roll the planar die is based on the number of times that particular player has already rolled the planar die that turn. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.12 - In multiplayer formats other than Grand Melee, plane cards are exempt from the limited range of influence option. Their abilities, and the effects of those abilities, affect all applicable objects and players in the game. (See Rule 801, "Limited Range of Influence Option.") [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.13 - In Grand Melee Planar Magic games, multiple plane cards may be face up at the same time. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.13a - Before the first turn of the game of the game, each player who will start the game with a turn marker moves the top card of his or her planar deck off that planar deck and turns it face up. Each of them is a planar controller. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.13b - If a player would leave the game and that player leaving the game would reduce the number of turn markers in the game, that player first ceases to be a planar controller (but no other player becomes a planar controller), then that player leaves the game. The face-up plane card that player controlled is put on the bottom of its owner's planar deck. No player is considered to have planeswalked. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.14 - Single Planar Deck Option [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.14a - As an alternative option, a Planar Magic game may be played with just a single communal planar deck. In that case, the number of cards in the planar deck must be at least forty or at least ten times the number of players in the game, whichever is smaller. Each card in the planar deck must have a different English name. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.14b - In a Planar Magic game using the single planar deck option, the planar controller is considered to be the owner of all the plane cards. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 901.14c - If any rule or ability refers to a player's planar deck, the communal planar deck is used. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 902 - Vanguard + 902.1 - In the Vanguard variant, a vanguard card allows each player to play the role of a famous character. Each player will have one face-up vanguard card whose abilities and other characteristics affect the game. The Vanguard variant uses all the normal rules for a Magic game, with the following additions. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 902.2 - A Vanguard game may be a two-player game or a multiplayer game. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 902.3 - In addition to the normal game materials, each player needs a vanguard card. Each vanguard card is placed face up next to its owner's library before the game begins. All vanguard cards remain in the command zone throughout the game. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 902.4 - Each player's starting life total is 20, as modified by the life modifier of his or her vanguard card. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: The life modifier of a player's vanguard card is -3. That player starts the game with 17 life. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 902.5 - Each player draws a hand of seven cards, as modified by the hand modifier of his or her vanguard card. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 902.5a - If a player takes a mulligan in a Vanguard game, just like in a normal game, that player shuffles his or her hand back into his or her library, then draws a new hand of one fewer cards than he or she had before. (In a multiplayer game, a player's first mulligan is for the same number of cards as he or she had before.) [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: The hand modifier of a player's vanguard card is +2. That player starts the game with a hand of 9 cards. If the player takes a mulligan, he or she draws a new hand of 8 cards. The next mulligan is for 7 cards, and so on. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 902.5b - A player's maximum hand size is seven, as modified by the hand modifier of his or her vanguard card. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: The hand modifier of a player's vanguard card is -1. That player's maximum hand size is six. If that player has more than six cards in his or her hand as the cleanup step begins, he or she will discard all but six of them. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 902.6 - The owner of a vanguard card is the player who started the game with it in the command zone. The controller of a face-up vanguard card is its owner. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 902.7 - Any abilities of a face-up vanguard card in the command zone function from that zone. The card's static abilities affect the game, its triggered abilities may trigger, and its activated abilities may be activated. [CompRules 2009/10/01] 903 - EDH + 903.1 - In the EDH variant, each deck is led by a legendary creature designated as that deck's general. The EDH variant uses all the normal rules for a Magic game, with the following additions. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 903.2 - An EDH game may be a two-player game or a multiplayer game. The default multiplayer setup is the Free-for-All variant with the attack multiple players option and without the limited range of influence option. See Rule 805, "Free-for-All Variant." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 903.3 - Each deck has a legendary creature card designated as its general. This designation is not a characteristic of the object represented by the card; rather, it is an attribute of the card itself. The card retains this designation even when it changes zones. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: A general that's been turned face down (due to Ixidron's effect, for example) is still a general. A general that's copying another card (due to Cytoshape's effect, for example) is still a general. A permanent that's copying a general (such as a Body Double, for example, copying a general in a player's graveyard) is not a general. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 903.4 - Each EDH deck is subject to the following deck construction rules. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 903.4a - Each deck must contain exactly 100 cards, including its general. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 903.4b - Other than basic lands, each card in an EDH deck must have a different English name. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 903.4c - A card may be included in an EDH deck only if each mana symbol contained within its mana cost or rules text is colorless or is a color or colors that's in the general's mana cost. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: A deck has a white-blue general. Each mana symbol in each card in that deck must be white, blue, white-blue hybrid, or colorless. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 903.4d - A basic land card may be included in an EDH deck only if it could produce a color of mana that's in the general's mana cost. [CompRules 2009/10/01] Example: A deck has a white-blue general. It may include basic Plains and basic Islands, but not basic Swamps, basic Mountains, or basic Forests. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 903.5 - At the start of the game, each player puts his or her general face up next to his or her library. The generals start the game in the command zone. Then each player shuffles the remaining 99 cards of his or her deck so that the cards are in a random order. Those cards become the player's library. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 903.6 - Once the starting player has been determined, each player sets his or her life total to 40 and draws a hand of seven cards. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 903.7 - The EDH casual variant uses an alternate mulligan rule. Each time a player takes a mulligan, rather than shuffling his or her entire hand of cards into his or her library, that player exiles any number of cards from his or her hand. Then the player draws a number of cards equal to one less than the number of cards he or she exiled this way. Once a player keeps an opening hand, that player shuffles all cards he or she exiled this way into his or her library. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 903.8 - If a player would add mana to his or her mana pool of a color that isn't in the mana cost of his or her deck's general, that player adds colorless mana to his or her mana pool instead. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 903.9 - A player may cast a general he or she owns from the command zone. Doing so costs that player an additional {2} for each previous time he or she cast that general from the command zone that game. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 903.10 - If a general would be put into its owner's graveyard from anywhere, that player may put it into the command zone instead. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 903.11 - If a general would be put into the exile zone from anywhere, its owner may put it into the command zone instead. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 903.12 - The EDH variant includes the following specification for winning and losing the game. All other rules for winning and losing the game also apply. (See Rule 104.) [CompRules 2009/10/01] + 903.12a - A player that's been dealt 21 or more combat damage by the same general over the course of the game loses the game. (This is a state-based action. See Rule 704.) [CompRules 2009/10/01] G - Glossary ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ G1.10 - Additional Cost + G1.10a - A cost a spell may have that its controller must pay (or, in some cases, must pay) in addition to its mana cost to cast that spell. See Rule 116, "Costs," and Rule 601, "Casting Spells." [CompRules 2009/10/01] G3.1 - Card + G3.1a - The standard component of the game: a Magic card with a Magic card front and the Magic card back. Cards may be traditional or nontraditional. Tokens aren't considered cards. In the text of spells or abilities, the term "card" is used only to refer to a card that's not on the battlefield or on the stack, such as a creature card in a player's hand. See Rule 108, "Cards." [CompRules 2009/10/01] G3.10 - Chaos Ability + G3.10a - An ability of a plane card that triggers "Whenever you roll {C}" on the planar die in the Planar Magic casual variant. See Rule 309.7. [CompRules 2009/10/01] G3.11 - Chaos Symbol + G3.11a - The chaos symbol {C} appears on the planar die and in some triggered abilities of plane cards in the Planar Magic casual variant. See Rule 107.11. [CompRules 2009/10/01] G3.22 - Command + G3.22a - A zone used for nontraditional Magic cards in certain casual variants. See Rule 408, "Command." [CompRules 2009/10/01] G4.1 - Damage + G4.1a - Objects can deal "damage" to creatures, planeswalkers, and players. This is generally detrimental to the object or player that receives that damage. [CompRules 2009/10/01] G5.2 - EDH + G5.2 - A casual variant in which each deck is led by a legendary general. [CompRules 2009/10/01] + Note - See Rule 903, "EDH." G6.15 - Forecast + G6.15a - A keyword ability that allows an activated ability to be activated from a player's hand. [CompRules 2009/10/01] G7.1 - General + G7.1a - 1. Any player in the Emperor multiplayer variant who isn't an emperor. See Rule 807, "Emperor Variant." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + G7.1b - 2. A designation given to a card in the EDH casual variant. See Rule 903, "EDH." [CompRules 2009/10/01] G8.2 - Hand Modifier + G8.2a - A characteristic that only vanguards have. See Rule 209, "Hand Modifier." [CompRules 2009/10/01] G8.5 - Hidden Zone + G8.5a - A zone in which not all players can be expected to see the cards' faces. See Rule 400.2. [CompRules 2009/10/01] G11.3 - Kicker, Kicked + G11.3a - Kicker is a keyword ability that represents an optional additional cost. A spell has been kicked if its controller declared the intention to pay any or all of its kicker costs. [CompRules 2009/10/01] G12.15 - Life Modifier + G12.15 - A characteristic that only vanguards have. See Rule 210, "Life Modifier." [CompRules 2009/10/01] G12.23 - Loyalty Ability + G12.23a - An activated ability with a loyalty symbol in its cost. See Rule 606, "Loyalty Abilities." [CompRules 2009/10/01] G14.4 - Nontraditional Magic Card + G14.4a - An oversized Magic card that has a Magic back but not a "Deckmaster" back. See Rule 108.2 [CompRules 2009/10/01] G16.17 - Planar Deck + G16.17 - A deck of at least ten plane cards needed to play the Planar Magic casual variant. See Rule 901.3. [CompRules 2009/10/01] G16.18 - Planar Die + G16.18a - A specialized six-sided die needed to play the Planar Magic casual variant. See Rule 901.3. [CompRules 2009/10/01] G16.19 - Planar Magic + G16.19a - A casual variant in which plane cards add additional abilities and randomness to the game. See Rule 901, "Planar Magic." [CompRules 2009/10/01] G16.20 - Plane + G16.20a - A card type seen only on nontraditional Magic cards in the Planar Magic casual variant. A plane card is not a permanent. See Rule 309, "Planes." [CompRules 2009/10/01] G16.21 - Planeswalk + G16.21a - To put the face-up plane card on the bottom of its owner's planar deck face down, then move the top card of your planar deck off that planar deck and turn it face up in a Planar Magic game. See Rule 701.19, "Planeswalk." [CompRules 2009/10/01] G16.23 - Planeswalker Symbol + G16.23a - The planeswalker symbol {P} appears on the planar die in the Planar Magic casual variant. See Rule 107.10. [CompRules 2009/10/01] G16.40 - Public Zone + G16.40a - A zone in which all players can be expected to see the cards' faces. See Rule 400.2. [CompRules 2009/10/01] G20.19 - Traditional Magic Card + G20.19a - A Magic card that measures approximately 2.5 inches (6.3 centimeters) by 3.5 inches (8.8 centimeters) and has a "Deckmaster" back. See Rule 108.2. [CompRules 2009/10/01] G22.1 - Vanguard + G22.1a - 1. A casual variant in which each player plays the role of a famous character. See Rule 902, "Vanguard." [CompRules 2009/10/01] + G22.1b - 2. A card type seen only on nontraditional Magic cards in the Vanguard casual variant. A vanguard card is not a permanent. See Rule 310, "Vanguards." [CompRules 2009/10/01] 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. "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. "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.