Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules These rules are current as of February 1, 2007. Introduction This booklet is designed for people who've moved beyond the basics of the Magic: The Gathering(r) game. If you're a beginning Magic(tm) player, you'll probably find these rules intimidating. They're intended to be the ultimate authority for the game, and you won't usually need to refer to them except in specific cases or during competitive games. For casual play and most ordinary situations, you'll find what you need in the general rulebook included in the Magic: The Gathering core game. You can download a copy of that rulebook from the Wizards of the Coast(tm) Magic rules website at www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/rules. If you're sure this is where you want to be, keep reading. This document includes a series of numbered rules followed by a glossary. Many of the numbered rules are divided into subrules, and each separate rule and subrule of the game has its own number. The glossary defines many of the words and phrases used in these rules, along with a few concepts that don't really fit anywhere among the numbered rules. So if you can't find what you're looking for, check the glossary. We at Wizards of the Coast recognize that no matter how detailed the rules, situations will arise in which the interaction of specific cards requires a precise answer. If you have questions, you can get the answers from us at www.wizards.com/customerservice. Additional contact information is on the last page of these rules. In response to play issues and to keep these rules as current as possible, changes may have been made to this document since its publication. See the Wizards of the Coast website for the current version of the official rules. www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/rules Contents 1. The Game 100. General 101. Starting the Game 102. Winning and Losing 103. The Magic Golden Rules 104. Numbers and Symbols 2. Parts of the Game 200. General 201. Characteristics 202. Name 203. Mana Cost and Color 204. Illustration 205. Type Line 206. Expansion Symbol 207. Text Box 208. Power/Toughness 209. Illustration Credit 210. Legal Text 211. Collector Number 212. Type, Supertype, and Subtype 213. Spells 214. Permanents 216. Tokens 217. Zones 3. Turn Structure 300. General 301. Beginning Phase 302. Untap Step 303. Upkeep Step 304. Draw Step 305. Main Phase 306. Combat Phase 307. Beginning of Combat Step 308. Declare Attackers Step 309. Declare Blockers Step 310. Combat Damage Step 311. End of Combat Step 312. End Phase 313. End of Turn Step 314. Cleanup Step 4. Spells, Abilities, and Effects 400. General 401. Spells on the Stack 402. Abilities 403. Activated Abilities 404. Triggered Abilities 405. Static Abilities 406. Mana Abilities 407. Adding and Removing Abilities 408. Timing of Spells and Abilities 409. Playing Spells and Activated Abilities 410. Handling Triggered Abilities 411. Playing Mana Abilities 412. Handling Static Abilities 413. Resolving Spells and Abilities 414. Countering Spells and Abilities 415. Targeted Spells and Abilities 416. Effects 417. One-Shot Effects 418. Continuous Effects 419. Replacement and Prevention Effects 420. State-Based Effects 421. Handling "Infinite" Loops 422. Handling Illegal Actions 423. Drawing a Card 5. Additional Rules 500. Legal Attacks and Blocks 501. Evasion Abilities 502. Keyword Abilities 503. Copying Objects 504. Face-Down Spells and Permanents 505. Split Cards 506. Subgames 507. Controlling Another Player's Turn 508. Flip Cards 509. Ending the Turn 510. Status 511. Flipping a Coin 6. Multiplayer Rules 600. General 601. Limited Range of Influence Option 602. Attack Multiple Players Option 603. Deploy Creatures Option 604. Attack Left and Attack Right Options 605. Free-for-All Variant 606. Two-Headed Giant Variant 607. Emperor Variant 608. Grand Melee Variant 609. Teams Variant Glossary Credits Questions? 1. The Game 100. General 100.1. These Magic rules apply to any Magic game with two or more players, including two-player games and multiplayer games. 100.1a A two-player game is a game that begins with only two players. 100.1b A multiplayer game is a game that begins with more than two players. See section 6, "Multiplayer Rules." 100.2. In constructed play, each player needs his or her own deck of at least sixty cards, small items to represent any tokens and counters, and some way to clearly track life totals. A constructed deck can have any number of basic land cards and no more than four of any card with a particular English name other than basic land cards. 100.3. For sealed deck or draft play, only forty cards are required in a deck, and a player may use as many duplicates of a card as he or she has. Each player still needs small items to represent any tokens and counters, and some way to clearly track life totals. 100.4. There is no maximum deck size. 100.5. Most Magic tournaments have special rules (not included here) and may limit the use of some cards, including barring all cards from some older sets. See the most current Magic: The Gathering DCI(r) Floor Rules for more information. They can be found at www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci/doccenter/home. 101. Starting the Game 101.1. At the start of a game, each player shuffles his or her deck so that the cards are in a random order. Each player may then shuffle his or her opponents' decks. The players' decks become their libraries. 101.2. After the decks have been shuffled, the players determine who chooses which player goes first using any mutually agreeable method (flipping a coin, rolling dice, etc.). In a match of several games, the loser of the previous game decides who will take the first turn. If the previous game was a draw, the person who determined who would take the first turn in the previous game decides. 101.3. Once the starting player has been determined, each player sets his or her life total to 20 and draws a hand of seven cards. 101.4. A player who is dissatisfied with his or her initial hand may mulligan. First, the starting player takes any mulligans. To take a mulligan, that player shuffles his or her hand back into the deck and then draws a new hand of six cards. He or she may repeat this process as many times as desired, drawing one fewer card each time, until the hand size reaches zero cards. Once the starting player has decided to keep a hand, those cards become his or her opening hand. Then each other player (in turn order) may take any number of mulligans. A player can't take any mulligans once he or she has decided to keep an opening hand. 101.4a The Two-Headed Giant variant uses the standard mulligan rule, with some modifications. First, the starting team takes any mulligans. For a team to take a mulligan, each player on that team decides whether or not to take a mulligan, then all players who chose to do so take their mulligans at the same time. The first time a player takes a mulligan, he or she draws a new hand of seven cards. After each player on that team who took a mulligan looks at his or her new hand, the team repeats the process. (Subsequent hands decrease by one card as normal.) Once a player has decided to keep a hand, those cards become his or her opening hand. That player can't take any more mulligans, but his or her teammate may. Once each player on the starting team decides to keep an opening hand, the other team may take mulligans. Example: Bob and Clare are the starting team in a Two-Headed Giant game. They've each draw seven cards. After reviewing each other's hands, both Bob and Clare decide to mulligan. Each shuffles his or her hand into his or her deck and draws seven cards. Clare isn't sure about Bob's new hand, but he decides to keep it. Clare decides to take another mulligan. Bob's hand becomes his opening hand, and Clare shuffles her hand into her deck and draws six cards. Then only Clare has the option to mulligan. She decides to keep her hand of six cards and that becomes her opening hand. After that, the other team decides whether to take mulligans. 101.5. Once all players have kept their opening hands, the starting player takes his or her first turn. 101.5a In a two-player game, the player who plays first skips the draw step (see rule 304, "Draw Step") of his or her first turn. 101.5b In multiplayer games, no player skips the draw step of his or her first turn. However, the Two-Headed Giant variant has a special rule: Although the starting team's first draw step isn't skipped, only the secondary player on that team draws a card during that step. See rule 606, "Two-Headed Giant Variant." 102. Winning and Losing 102.1. A game ends immediately when either a player wins or the game is a draw. 102.2. There are several ways to win the game. 102.2a A player still in the game wins the game if all of that player's opponents have lost the game. 102.2b An effect may state that a player wins the game. 102.2c. 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 lost the game. Each player on the winning team wins the game, even if one or more of those players had previously lost that game. 102.3. There are several ways to lose the game. 102.3a A player can concede the game at any time. A player who concedes loses the game immediately. 102.3b If a player's life total is 0 or less, he or she loses the game the next time a player would receive priority. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.) 102.3c When a player is required to draw more cards than are left in his or her library, he or she draws the remaining cards, and then loses the game the next time a player would receive priority. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.) 102.3d If a player has ten or more poison counters, he or she loses the game the next time a player would receive priority. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.) 102.3e If a player would both win and lose simultaneously, he or she loses. 102.3f In a multiplayer game between teams, a team loses the game if all players on that team have lost. 102.4. There are several ways to draw the game. 102.4a If all the players remaining in a game lose simultaneously, the game is a draw. 102.4b If the game somehow enters a "loop," repeating a sequence of events with no way to stop, the game is a draw. Loops that contain an optional action don't result in a draw. 102.4c In a multiplayer game between teams, the game is a draw if all remaining teams lose at once. 102.5. If a player loses the game, he or she leaves the game. Likewise, if a player leaves the game, he or she loses the game. The multiplayer rules handle what happens when a player leaves the game; see rule 600.4. 103. The Magic Golden Rules 103.1. Whenever a card's text directly contradicts these rules, the card takes precedence. The card overrides only the rule that applies to that specific situation. The only exception is that a player can concede the game at any time (see rule 102.3a). 103.2. When a rule or effect says something can happen and another effect says it can't, the "can't" effect wins. For example, if one effect reads "You may play an additional land this turn" and another reads "You can't play land cards this turn," the effect that keeps you from playing lands wins out. Note that adding abilities to objects and removing abilities from objects don't fall under this rule. See rule 407, "Adding and Removing Abilities." 103.3. If an instruction requires taking an impossible action, it's ignored. (In many cases the card will specify consequences for this; if it doesn't, there's no effect.) 103.4. If multiple players would make choices and/or take actions at the same time, the active player (the player whose turn it is) makes any choices required, then the next player in turn order (usually the player seated to the active player's left) makes any choices required followed by the remaining nonactive players in turn order. Then the actions happen simultaneously. This rule is often referred to as the "Active Player, Nonactive Player (APNAP) order" rule. Example: A card reads "Each player sacrifices a creature." First, the active player chooses a creature he or she controls. Then each of the nonactive players chooses a creature he or she controls. Then all creatures are sacrificed simultaneously. 103.4a A player knows the choices made by the previous players when he or she makes his or her choice. 103.4b If a player would make more than one choice at the same time, the player makes the choices in the order written, or in the order he or she chooses if the choices aren't ordered. 104. Numbers and Symbols 104.1. The Magic game uses only natural numbers. You can't choose a fractional number, deal fractional damage, and so on. When a spell or ability could generate a fractional number, the spell or ability will tell you whether to round up or down. 104.2. If a numerical value (such as a creature's power, toughness, or total power and toughness; a mana cost; a player's life total; or an amount of damage) would be less than 0, it's treated as 0 for all purposes except changing that total, if applicable. If anything needs to use a number that can't be determined, it uses 0 instead. Example: If a 3/3 creature gets -5/-0, it deals 0 damage in combat. But to raise its power back to 1, you'd have to give it +3/+0 (3 minus 5 plus 3 is 1). Example: If you control no permanents, the "highest converted mana cost among permanents you control" can't be determined, so 0 is used instead. 104.3. The mana symbols are {W}, {U}, {B}, {R}, {G}, {X}, {Y}, and {Z}; the numerals {0}, {1}, {2}, {3}, {4}, and so on; the hybrid symbols {W/U}, {W/B}, {U/B}, {U/R}, {B/R}, {B/G}, {R/G}, {R/W}, {G/W}, and {G/U}; and the snow symbol {S}. 104.3a Each of the colored mana symbols represents one colored mana: {W} is white, {U} blue, {B} black, {R} red, and {G} green. 104.3b Numeral symbols (such as {1}) are generic mana costs and represent an amount of mana that can be paid with any color of, or colorless, mana. 104.3c The symbols {X}, {Y}, and {Z} represent unspecified amounts of mana; when playing a spell or activated ability with {X}, {Y}, or {Z} in its cost, its controller decides the value of that variable. 104.3d Numeral symbols (such as {1}) and variable symbols (such as {X}) can also represent colorless mana if they appear in the effect of a spell or ability that reads "add [mana symbol] to your mana pool" or something similar. 104.3e The symbol {0} represents zero mana and is used as a placeholder when a spell or activated ability costs nothing to play. A spell or ability whose cost is {0} must still be played the same way as one with a cost greater than zero; it won't play itself automatically. 104.3f Each of the hybrid mana symbols represents a cost that can be paid with one of two colors: {W/U} in a cost can be paid with either white or blue mana, {W/B} white or black, {U/B} blue or black, {U/R} blue or red, {B/R} black or red, {B/G} black or green, {R/G} red or green, {R/W} red or white, {G/W} green or white, and {G/U} green or blue. Example: {G/W}{G/W} can be paid by spending {G}{G}, {G}{W}, or {W}{W}. 104.3g If an effect would add one mana represented by a hybrid mana symbol to a player's mana pool, that player chooses either of that symbol's colors and adds one mana of that color to his or her mana pool. 104.3h The snow mana symbol {S} represents a cost that can be paid with one mana produced by a snow permanent. This is a generic mana cost that can be paid with any color of, or colorless, mana. Effects that reduce the amount of generic mana you pay don't affect {S} costs. 104.4. The tap symbol is {T}. The tap symbol in an activation cost means "Tap this permanent." A permanent that's already tapped can't be tapped again to pay the cost. Creatures that haven't been under a player's control continuously since the beginning of his or her most recent turn can't use any ability with the tap symbol in the cost. See rule 212.3d. 104.5. A tombstone icon appears to the left of the name of many Odyssey(tm) block cards with abilities that are relevant in a player's graveyard. The purpose of the icon is to make those cards stand out when they're in a graveyard. This icon has no effect on game play. 2. Parts of the Game 200. General 200.1. 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. Tokens aren't considered cards-even a card that represents a token isn't considered a card for rules purposes. 200.1a A card's owner is the player who started the game with it in his or her deck or, for cards that didn't start the game in a player's deck, the player who brought the card into the game. 200.2. Use the Oracle(tm) card reference when determining a card's wording. A card's Oracle text can be found using the Gatherer card database at http://gatherer.wizards.com. 200.3. A player is one of the people in the game. The active player is the player whose turn it is. The other players are nonactive players. 200.3a In a multiplayer game between teams, a player's teammates are the other players on his or her team, and the player's opponents are all players not on his or her team. 200.4. A token is a marker used to represent any permanent that isn't represented by a card. (See rule 216, "Tokens.") 200.4a A token's owner is the player who controlled the spell or ability that put it into play. A token's controller is the player who put it into play. 200.5. A spell is a card, or copy of a spell or card, that's on the stack. (See rule 213, "Spells.") 200.5a A spell's owner is the same as the owner of the card that represents it. A spell's controller is the player who played it. 200.6. A permanent is a card or token that's in play. (See rule 214, "Permanents.") 200.6a A nontoken permanent's owner is the same as the owner of the card that represents it. A permanent's controller is the player who put it into play. 200.7. An ability can be one of two things. First, it can be an activated or triggered ability on the stack. Second, it can be text on an object that explains what the object does. (See rule 402, "Abilities," and section 4, "Spells, Abilities, and Effects.") 200.7a The owner of an ability on the stack is the player who controlled its source when it was played or triggered. The controller of an ability on the stack is the player who played the ability, or the player who controlled the ability's source when it triggered. 200.8. An object is an ability on the stack, a card, a copy of a card, a token, a spell, or a permanent. The term "object" is used in these rules when a rule applies to abilities on the stack, cards, tokens, spells, and permanents. Combat damage on the stack is also an object, although many uses of the term "object" in these rules don't apply to it. 200.9. If a spell or ability uses a type or subtype without the word "card," "spell," or "source," it means a permanent of that type in play. 200.9a If a spell or ability uses a type, supertype, or subtype in conjunction with the word "card" and the name of a zone, it means a card with that type in the stated zone. 200.9b If a spell or ability uses a type, supertype, or subtype in conjunction with the word "spell," it means a spell of that type on the stack. 200.9c If a spell or ability uses a type, supertype, or subtype in conjunction with the word "source," it means a source of that type-either a source of an ability or a source of damage. See rule 419.8 "Sources of Damage." 200.10. A counter is a marker placed on an object or player, either modifying its characteristics or interacting with an ability. A counter is not a token, and a token is not a counter. A +X/+Y counter on a permanent, where X and Y are numbers, adds X to that permanent's power and Y to that permanent's toughness. Similarly, -X/-Y counters subtract from power and toughness. Counters with the same name or description are interchangeable. 201. Characteristics 201.1. The parts of a card are name, mana cost, illustration, type line, expansion symbol, text box, power and toughness, illustration credit, legal text, and collector number. Some cards may have more than one of any or all of these parts. 201.2. An object's characteristics are name, mana cost, color, type, subtype, supertype, expansion symbol, rules text, abilities, power, and toughness. 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. 202. Name 202.1. The name of a card is printed on its upper left corner. 202.2. Text that refers to the object it's on by name means just that particular object and not any other duplicates of it, regardless of any name changes caused by game effects. 202.2a If an ability of an object uses a phrase such as "this [something]" to identify an object, where [something] is a characteristic, it is referring to that particular object, even if it isn't the appropriate characteristic at the time. Example: An ability reads "Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Destroy that creature at end of turn." The ability will destroy the object it gave +2/+2 at the end of the turn, even if that object isn't a creature anymore. 202.2b If an ability of an object grants to another object an ability that refers to the first object by name, the name refers only to the object whose ability grants that ability, not to any other object with the same name. Example: Saproling Burst has an ability that reads "Remove a fade counter from Saproling Burst: Put a green Saproling creature token into play. It has 'This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of fade counters on Saproling Burst.'" The ability granted to the token only looks at the Saproling Burst that created the token, not at any other Saproling Burst in play. 202.3. Two cards have the same name if the English versions of their names are identical, regardless of anything else printed on the cards. 203. Mana Cost and Color 203.1. The mana cost of a card is indicated by mana symbols printed on its upper right corner. If a card has no mana symbols printed in its upper right corner, it has no mana cost. Paying an object's mana cost requires matching the color of any colored mana symbols as well as paying the generic mana indicated in the cost. 203.1a Lands normally have no mana cost. Tokens have no mana cost unless the effect that creates them specifies otherwise. A copy of an object copies that object's mana cost. 203.2. An object is the color or colors of the mana symbols in its mana cost, regardless of the color of its frame. 203.2a Objects with no colored mana symbols in their mana costs are colorless. 203.2b An object with two or more different colored mana symbols in its mana cost is each of the colors of those mana symbols. Most multicolored cards are printed with a gold frame, but this is not a requirement for a card to be multicolored. 203.2c The five colors are white, blue, black, red, and green. The white mana symbol is represented by {W}, blue by {U}, black by {B}, red by {R}, and green by {G}. Example: An object with a mana cost of {2}{W} is white, an object with a mana cost of {2} is colorless, and one with a mana cost of {2}{W}{B} is both white and black. 203.2d If a player is asked to choose a color, he or she must choose one of the five colors. "Multicolored" is not a color. 203.2e An object with one or more hybrid mana symbols in its mana cost is each of the colors of that mana symbol, in addition to any other colors the object might be. Most cards with hybrid mana symbols in their mana costs are printed in a two-tone frame. See rule 104.3. 203.3. The converted mana cost of an object is a number equal to the total amount of mana in its mana cost, regardless of color. Some effects ask a player to pay mana equal to an object's converted mana cost; this cost may be paid with any combination of colored and/or colorless mana, regardless of the colors in the object's mana cost. Example: A mana cost of {3}{U}{U} translates to a converted mana cost of 5. 203.3a The converted mana cost of an object with no mana cost is 0. 203.4. Any additional cost listed in an object's rules text or imposed by an effect isn't part of the mana cost. (See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.") Such costs are paid at the same time as the spell's other costs. 204. Illustration 204.1. The illustration is printed on the upper half of a card and has no game significance. For example, a creature doesn't have the flying ability unless stated in its rules text, even if it's depicted as flying. 205. Type Line 205.1. The type (and subtype and supertype, if applicable) of a card is printed directly below the illustration. (See rule 212, "Type, Supertype, and Subtype.") 205.2. Types 205.2a The types are artifact, creature, enchantment, instant, land, and sorcery. 205.2b. Some objects have more than one type (for example, an artifact creature). Such objects satisfy the criteria for any effect that applies to any of their types. 205.3. Subtypes 205.3a A card can have one or more subtypes printed on its type line. 205.3b Subtypes are always single words and are listed after a long dash. Each word after the dash is a separate subtype. 205.3c Subtypes of a [type] object are also called [type] types. For example, creature subtypes are also called creature types. Objects may have multiple subtypes. Example: "Basic Land - Mountain" means the card is a land with the Mountain subtype. "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. 205.3d Most card types each have their own unique set of possible subtypes. (You can find complete lists of subtypes in the glossary at the end of this document under "Creature Types," "Land Types," and so on.) However, instants and sorceries can share subtypes. Collectively, instant and sorcery subtypes are called spell types. 205.3e If an artifact creature card has subtypes printed on its type line, those subtypes are creature types. If an artifact land card has subtypes printed on its type line, those types are land types. 205.4. Supertypes 205.4a A card can also have one or more supertypes. These are printed directly before the card's types. If an object's types or subtypes change, any supertypes it has are kept, although they may not be relevant to the new type. 205.4b Any land with the supertype "basic" is a basic land. Any land that doesn't have this supertype is a nonbasic land. Example: Note that cards printed in sets prior to the Eighth Edition core set didn't use the word "basic" to indicate a basic land. Cards from those sets with the following names are basic lands: Forest, Island, Mountain, Plains, Swamp, Snow-Covered Forest, Snow-Covered Island, Snow-Covered Mountain, Snow-Covered Plains, and Snow-Covered Swamp. 205.4c Any permanent with the supertype "legendary" is subject to the state-based effect for legendary permanents, also called the "legend rule" (see rule 420.5e). 205.4d Any permanent with the supertype "world" is subject to the state-based effect for world permanents, also called the "world rule" (see rule 420.5i). 205.4e Any permanent with the supertype "snow" is a snow permanent. Any permanent that doesn't have this supertype is a nonsnow permanent, regardless of its name. 206. Expansion Symbol 206.1. The expansion symbol indicates which Magic set a card is from. It's normally printed below the right edge of the illustration. 206.2. The color of the expansion symbol indicates the rarity of the card within its set. A gold symbol indicates the card is rare. A silver expansion symbol indicates the card is uncommon. A black or white expansion symbol indicates the card is common or is a basic land. A purple expansion symbol signifies a special rarity; to date, only the Time Spiral(tm) "timeshifted" cards, which were rarer than that set's rare cards, have had purple expansion symbols. (Prior to the Exodus(tm) set, all expansion symbols were black, regardless of rarity. Also, prior to the Sixth Edition core set, Magic core sets didn't have expansion symbols at all.) 206.3. A spell or ability that affects cards from a particular set "looks" only for that set's expansion symbol. A card reprinted in the core set receives the core set's expansion symbol. Any reprinted version of the card no longer counts as part of its original set unless it was reprinted with that set's expansion symbol. The first five editions of the core set had no expansion symbol. 207. Text Box 207.1. The text box is printed on the lower half of the card. It usually contains rules text defining the card's abilities. 207.2. The text box may also contain italicized reminder text (in parentheses), which summarizes a rule that applies to that card, and italicized flavor text, which has no game function, but like the illustration, adds artistic appeal to the game. 207.3. A guild icon appears in the text box of many Ravnica(tm) block cards. These cards either have the specified guild's exclusive mechanic or somehow relate to the two colors associated with that guild. Guild icons have no effect on game play. 208. Power/Toughness 208.1. A creature card has two numbers separated by a slash printed on its lower right corner. The first number is its power (the amount of damage it deals in combat); the second is its toughness (the amount of damage needed to destroy it). For example, 2/3 means the object has power 2 and toughness 3. Power and toughness can be modified or set to particular values by effects. 208.2. Some creature cards have power and/or toughness of *, where * is a value determined by the abilities of that object. As long as the object is in play, the ability sets the value of *. The * is 0 while the object is not in play. 208.3 A noncreature permanent has no power or toughness, even if it's a card with a power and toughness printed on it (such as a Licid that's become an Aura). 209. Illustration Credit 209.1. The illustration credit for a card is printed directly below the text box. The credit has no effect on game play. 210. Legal Text 210.1. Legal text (the fine print at the bottom of the card) lists the copyright information. It has no effect on game play. 211. Collector Number 211.1. Some card sets feature collector numbers. This information is printed in the form [card number]/[total cards in the set], immediately following the legal text. These numbers have no effect on game play. 212. Type, Supertype, and Subtype 212.1. General 212.1a Cards, tokens, permanents, and spells can all have types, supertypes, and subtypes. Abilities don't have types, supertypes, or subtypes. Instead, there are various categories of abilities. (See rule 402, "Abilities.") 212.1b. When an object's type changes, the new type(s) replaces any existing types. Counters, effects, and damage affecting the object remain with it, even if they are meaningless to the new type. Similarly, when the subtypes of one of an object's types change, the new subtype(s) replaces any existing subtypes of that type. If an object's type is removed, the subtypes of its old type don't exist in any way under the new type. Those subtypes disappear completely for the entire time the object's type is removed. Removing an object's subtype doesn't affect its types at all. 212.1c Some effects change an object's type, supertype, or subtype but specify that the object retains a prior type, supertype, or subtype. In such cases, all the object's prior types, supertypes, and subtypes are retained. This rule applies to effects that use the phrase "in addition to its types" or that state that something is "still a [type]." Some effects state that an object becomes an "artifact creature"; these effects also allow the object to retain all of its prior types and subtypes. Example: An ability reads, "All lands are 1/1 creatures that are still lands." The affected lands now have two types: creature and land. If there were any lands that also had the artifact type before the ability's effect applied to them, those lands would become "artifact land creatures," not just "creatures," or "land creatures." The effect allows them to retain both the artifact type and the land type. Example: An ability reads, "All artifacts are 1/1 artifact creatures." If a permanent is both an artifact and an enchantment, it will become an "artifact enchantment creature." 212.1d An object's supertype is independent of its type and subtype. Changing an object's type or subtype won't change its supertype. Changing an object's supertype won't change its type or subtype. When an object gains or loses a supertype, it retains any other supertypes it had. Example: An ability reads, "All lands are 1/1 creatures that are still lands." If any of the affected lands were legendary, they are still legendary. 212.1e If an instruction requires choosing a subtype, you must choose one, and only one, existing subtype, and the subtype you choose must be for the appropriate type. For example, you can't choose a land type if an instruction requires choosing a creature type. (Use the Oracle card reference to determine whether a creature type exists; see rule 200.2. You can also find complete lists of subtypes in the glossary at the end of this document under "Creature Types," "Land Types," etc.) Example: When choosing a creature type, "Merfolk" or "Wizard" is acceptable, but "Merfolk Wizard" is not. Words like "artifact," "opponent," "Swamp," or "truck" can't be chosen because they aren't creature types. 212.2. Artifacts 212.2a A player may play an artifact card from his or her hand during a main phase of his or her turn, when he or she has priority and the stack is empty. Playing an artifact as a spell uses the stack. (See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.") 212.2b When an artifact spell resolves, its controller puts it into play under his or her control. 212.2c Artifact subtypes are always a single word and are listed after a long dash: "Artifact - Equipment." Artifact subtypes are also called artifact types. Artifacts may have multiple subtypes. 212.2d Artifacts have no characteristics specific to their type. Because artifacts have no colored mana in their mana costs, they're colorless. Effects can give artifacts one or more colors, however, and colored objects can become artifacts without losing any colors they had. 212.2e Artifact creatures combine the characteristics of both the creature and artifact types and are subject to spells and abilities that affect either or both types. 212.2f Artifact lands combine the characteristics of both the land and artifact types, and are subject to spells and abilities that affect either or both types. Artifact lands can only be played as lands. They can't be played as spells. 212.2g Some artifacts have the subtype "Equipment." An Equipment can be attached to a creature. It can't legally be attached to an object that isn't a creature. 212.2h An Equipment is played and comes into play just like any other artifact. An Equipment doesn't come into play attached to a creature. The equip keyword ability moves the Equipment onto a creature you control (see rule 502.33, "Equip"). Control of the creature matters only when the equip ability is played and when it resolves. The creature to which the Equipment is to be moved must be able to be equipped by it. If it can't, the Equipment doesn't move. 212.2i An Equipment that's also a creature can't equip a creature. Equipment that loses the subtype "Equipment" can't equip a creature. An Equipment can't equip itself. An Equipment that equips an illegal or nonexistent permanent becomes unattached from that permanent but remains in play. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.) 212.2j The creature an Equipment is attached to is called the "equipped creature." The Equipment is attached to, or "equips," that creature. 212.2k An Equipment's controller is separate from the equipped creature's controller; the two need not be the same. Changing control of the creature doesn't change control of the Equipment, and vice versa. Only the Equipment's controller can play its abilities. However, if the Equipment adds an ability to the equipped creature (with "gains" or "has"), the equipped creature's controller is the only one who can play that ability. 212.3. Creatures 212.3a A player may play a creature card from his or her hand during a main phase of his or her turn, when he or she has priority and the stack is empty. Playing a creature as a spell uses the stack. (See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.") 212.3b When a creature spell resolves, its controller puts it into play under his or her control. 212.3c Creature subtypes are always a single word and are listed after a long dash: "Creature - Human Soldier," "Artifact Creature - Golem," and so on. Creature subtypes are also called creature types. Creatures may have multiple subtypes. Example: "Creature - Goblin Wizard" means the card is a creature with the subtypes Goblin and Wizard. 212.3d A creature's activated ability with the tap symbol in its activation cost can't be played unless the creature has been under its controller's control since the start of his or her most recent turn. A creature can't attack unless it has been under its controller's control since the start of his or her most recent turn. This rule is informally called the "summoning sickness" rule. Ignore this rule for creatures with haste (see rule 502.5). 212.4. Enchantments 212.4a A player may play an enchantment card from his or her hand during a main phase of his or her turn, when he or she has priority and the stack is empty. Playing an enchantment as a spell uses the stack. (See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.") 212.4b When an enchantment spell resolves, its controller puts it into play under his or her control. 212.4c Enchantment subtypes are always a single word and are listed after a long dash: "Enchantment - Shrine." Each word after the dash is a separate subtype. Enchantment subtypes are also called enchantment types. Enchantments may have multiple subtypes. 212.4d Some enchantments have the subtype "Aura." An Aura comes into play attached to a permanent or player. What an Aura can be attached to is restricted by its enchant keyword ability (see rule 502.45, "Enchant"). Other effects can limit what a permanent can be enchanted by. 212.4e An Aura spell requires a target, which is restricted by its enchant ability. 212.4f If an Aura is enchanting an illegal permanent, or the permanent it was attached to no longer exists, the Aura is put into its owner's graveyard. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.) 212.4g An Aura can't enchant itself, and an Aura that's also a creature can't enchant a permanent. If this occurs somehow, the Aura is put into its owner's graveyard. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.) 212.4h The permanent an Aura is attached to is called enchanted. The Aura is attached to, or "enchants," that permanent. 212.4i An Aura's controller is separate from the enchanted permanent's controller; the two need not be the same. Changing control of the permanent doesn't change control of the Aura, and vice versa. Only the Aura's controller can play its abilities. However, if the Aura adds an ability to the enchanted permanent (with "gains" or "has"), the enchanted permanent's controller is the only one who can play that ability. 212.4j If an Aura is coming into play by any means other than by being played and the effect putting it into play doesn't specify the permanent or player the Aura will enchant, the player putting it into play chooses what it will enchant as the Aura comes into play. The player must choose a legal permanent or player according to the Aura's enchant ability and any other applicable effects. If the player can't make a legal choice, the Aura remains in its current zone, unless that zone is the stack. In that case, the Aura is put into its owner's graveyard instead of coming into play. 212.4k If an effect attempts to attach an Aura in play to a permanent or player, that permanent or player must be able to be enchanted by it. If the permanent or player can't be, the Aura doesn't move. 212.5. Instants 212.5a A player may play an instant card from his or her hand any time he or she has priority. Playing an instant as a spell uses the stack. (See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.") 212.5b When an instant spell resolves, the actions stated in its rules text are followed. Then it's put into its owner's graveyard. 212.5c Instant subtypes are always single words and are listed after a long dash: "Instant - Arcane." Each word after the dash is a separate subtype. Instant subtypes are also called instant types. An instant subtype that's also a sorcery subtype is also called a spell type. Instants may have multiple subtypes. 212.5d Instants can't come into play. If an instant would come into play, it remains in its previous zone instead. 212.5e If text states that a player may do something "any time he or she could play an instant," it means only that the player must have priority. The player doesn't need to have an instant he or she could actually play. 212.6. Land 212.6a A player may play a land card from his or her hand only during a main phase of his or her turn, and only when he or she has priority and the stack is empty. A land card isn't a spell card, and at no time is it a spell. When a player plays a land card, it's simply put into play. The land card doesn't go on the stack, so players can't respond to it with instants or activated abilities. 212.6b A player may play only one land card during each of his or her own turns. Effects may allow the playing of additional lands; playing an additional land in this way doesn't prevent a player from taking the normal action of playing a land. Players can't begin to play a land that an effect prohibits from being played. As a player plays a land, he or she announces whether he or she is using the once-per-turn action of playing a land. If not, he or she specifies which effect is allowing the additional land play. Effects may also allow you to "put" lands into play. This isn't the same as "playing a land" and doesn't count as the player's one land played during his or her turn. 212.6c Land subtypes are always a single word and are listed after a long dash. Land subtypes are also called land types. Lands may have multiple subtypes. Example: "Basic Land - Mountain" means the card is a land with the Mountain subtype. 212.6d The basic land types are Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest. If an object uses the words "basic land type," it's referring to one of these subtypes. A land with a basic land type has an intrinsic ability to produce colored mana. (See rule 406, "Mana Abilities.") The land is treated as if its text box included, "{T}: Add [mana symbol] to your mana pool," even if the text box doesn't actually contain text or the card has no text box. Plains produce white mana; Islands, blue; Swamps, black; Mountains, red; and Forests, green. 212.6e If an effect changes a land's type to one or more of the basic land types, the land no longer has its old land type. It loses all abilities generated from its rules text and its old land types, and it gains the appropriate mana ability for each new basic land type. Note that this doesn't remove any abilities that were granted to the land by other effects. Changing a land's subtype doesn't add or remove any types (such as creature) or supertypes (such as basic, legendary, and snow) the land may have. If a land gains one or more land types in addition to its own, it keeps its land types and rules text, and it gains the new land types and mana abilities. 212.6f Any land with the supertype "basic" is a basic land. Any land that doesn't have this supertype is a nonbasic land. 212.6g If an object is both a land and another type, it can be played only as a land. It can't be played as a spell. 212.7. Sorceries 212.7a A player may play a sorcery card from his or her hand during a main phase of his or her turn, when he or she has priority and the stack is empty. Playing a sorcery as a spell uses the stack. (See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.") 212.7b When a sorcery spell resolves, the actions stated in its rules text are followed. Then it's put into its owner's graveyard. 212.7c Sorcery subtypes are always single words and are listed after a long dash: "Sorcery - Arcane." Each word after the dash is a separate subtype. Sorcery subtypes are also called sorcery types. A sorcery subtype that's also an instant subtype is also called a spell type. Sorceries may have multiple subtypes. 212.7d Sorceries can't come into play. If a sorcery would come into play, it remains in its previous zone instead. 212.7e If a spell, ability, or effect states that a player can do something only "any time he or she could play a sorcery," it means only that the player must have priority, it must be during the main phase of his or her turn, and the stack must be empty. The player doesn't need to have a sorcery he or she could actually play. 213. Spells 213.1. Every nonland card is a spell while it's being played (see rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities") and while it's on the stack. Once it's played, a card remains a spell until it resolves, is countered, or otherwise leaves the stack. For more information, see rule 401, "Spells on the Stack." 213.1a A nonexistent mana cost can't be paid. 213.2. A spell's type, supertype, and subtype are the same as those of its card. 213.3. The term "spell" is used to refer to a card or a copy of a card while it's on the stack. 213.4. Every spell has a controller. By default, a spell's controller is the player who played it. 213.5. If an effect changes any characteristics of a spell that becomes a permanent, the effect continues to apply to the permanent when the spell resolves. Example: If an effect changes a black creature spell to white, the creature is white when it comes into play and remains white for the duration of the effect changing its color. 214. Permanents 214.1. A permanent is a card or token in play. Permanents stay in play unless moved to another zone by an effect or rule. There are four types of permanents: artifacts, creatures, enchantments, and lands. Instant and sorcery cards can't come into play. 214.2. Permanent type is the type of a card or token that's in play. A nontoken permanent's types, supertypes, and subtypes are the same as those printed on its card. A token's types, supertypes, and subtypes are set by the spell or ability that created it. 214.3. A card or token becomes a permanent when it comes into play and it stops being a permanent when it leaves play. Permanents come into play untapped. The term "permanent" is used to refer to a card or token while it's in play. The term "card" isn't used to refer to a card that's in play as a permanent; rather, it's used to refer to a card that's not in play, such as a creature card in a player's hand. For more information, see rule 217, "Zones." 214.4. Every permanent has a controller. By default, a permanent's controller is the player who put it into play. 214.5. Every permanent has a value in each of three status categories: tapped/untapped, flipped/unflipped, and face up/face down. By default, a permanent comes into play untapped, unflipped, and face up. For more information, see rule 510, "Status." 215. This section is now empty. See rule 205.4c and rule 420.5e about legendary permanents. 216. Tokens 216.1. Some effects put token creatures into play. A token is controlled by whomever put it into play and owned by the controller of the spell or ability that created it. (If no player controlled the effect that created it, the token is owned by whomever put it into play.) The spell or ability may define any number of characteristics for the token. These characteristics are functionally equivalent to the characteristics that are printed on a card; for example, they define the token's copiable values. A token doesn't have any characteristics not defined by the spell or ability that created it. The spell or ability that creates the token sets both its name and its creature type. If the spell or ability doesn't specify the name of the token, its name is the same as its creature type(s). A "Goblin Scout creature token," for example, is named "Goblin Scout" and has the creature subtypes Goblin and Scout. Once a token is in play, changing its name doesn't change its creature type, and vice versa. 216.2. A token is subject to anything that affects permanents in general or that affects the token's type or subtype. A token isn't a card (even if represented by cards from other games or Unglued(tm) cards). 216.3. A token in a zone other than the in-play zone ceases to exist. This is a state-based effect. (Note that a token changing zones sets off triggered abilities before the token ceases to exist.) 216.4 A token that has left play can't come back into play. If such a token would return to play, it remains in its current zone instead. It ceases to exist the next time state-based effects are checked. 217. Zones 217.1. A zone is a place where objects can be during a game. There are normally six zones: library, hand, graveyard, in play, stack, and removed from the game. Some older cards also use the ante and phased-out zones. Each player has his or her own library, hand, and graveyard. The other zones are shared by all players. 217.1a If an object would go to any library, graveyard, or hand other than its owner's, it goes to the corresponding zone of its owner's instead. If an instant or sorcery card would come into play, it remains in its previous zone instead. 217.1b 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. Objects in other zones can be arranged however their owners wish, although who controls those objects, whether they're tapped or flipped, and what enchants or equips them must remain clear to all players. 217.1c An object that moves from one zone to another is treated as a new object. Effects connected with its previous location will no longer affect it. There are three exceptions to this rule: (1) Effects that change the characteristics of an artifact, creature, or enchantment spell on the stack will continue to apply to the permanent that spell creates. (2) Abilities that trigger when an object moves from one zone to another (for example, "When Rancor is put into a graveyard from play") can find the object in the zone it moved to when the ability triggered. (3) Prevention effects that apply to damage from an artifact, creature, or enchantment spell on the stack will continue to apply to damage from the permanent that spell becomes. 217.1d If an object would move from one zone to another, first determine what event is moving the object. Then apply any appropriate replacement effects to that event. If an effect or rule tries to do two or more contradictory or mutually exclusive things to a particular object, that object's controller-or its owner if it has no controller-chooses what the effect does to the object. Then the event moves the object. 217.1e An object is outside the game if it's in the removed-from-the-game zone, or if it isn't in any of the game's zones. All other objects are inside the game. Outside the game is not a zone. 217.1f If an object in the removed-from-the-game zone is removed from the game, it doesn't change zones, but it is treated as a new object that has just been removed from the game. 217.2. Library 217.2a When a game begins, each player's deck becomes his or her library. 217.2b Each library must be kept in a single face-down pile. Players can't look at or change the order of cards in a library. 217.2c Any player may count the number of cards remaining in any player's library at any time. 217.2d If an effect puts two or more cards on the top or bottom of a library at the same time, the owner of those cards may arrange them in any order. That library's owner doesn't reveal the order in which the cards go into his or her library. 217.2e Some effects tell a player to play with the top card of his or her library revealed. If the top card of the player's library changes while a spell or ability is being played, the new top card won't be revealed until the spell or ability becomes played (see rule 409.1i). 217.2f If a spell or ability causes a card to be drawn while another spell or ability is being played, the drawn card is kept face down until that spell or ability becomes played (see rule 409.1i). 217.3. Hand 217.3a The hand is where a player holds cards that have been drawn but not yet played. At the beginning of the game, each player draws a hand of seven cards. (See rule 101, "Starting the Game.") 217.3b Each player has a maximum hand size, which is normally seven cards. A player may have any number of cards in his or her hand, but as part of his or her cleanup step, the player must discard excess cards down to the maximum hand size. 217.3c A player may arrange his or her hand in any convenient fashion and look at it as much as he or she wishes. A player can't look at the cards in another player's hand but may count those cards at any time. 217.4. Graveyard 217.4a A graveyard is a discard pile. Any object that's countered, discarded, destroyed, or sacrificed is put on top of its owner's graveyard, as is any instant or sorcery spell that's finished resolving. Each player's graveyard starts out empty. 217.4b Each graveyard is kept in a single face-up pile. A player can examine the cards in any graveyard at any time but can't change their order. 217.4c If an effect or rule puts two or more cards into the same graveyard at the same time, the owner of those cards may arrange them in any order. 217.5. In Play 217.5a Most of the area between the players represents the in-play zone. The in-play zone starts out empty. Permanents a player controls (other than Auras attached to another player's permanents) are kept in front of him or her in the in-play zone. 217.5b A spell or ability affects and checks only the in-play zone unless it specifically mentions a player or another zone. Permanents exist only in the in-play zone. 217.5c Whenever a permanent enters the in-play zone, it's considered a brand-new permanent and has no relationship to any previous permanent represented by the same object. This is also true for any objects entering any zone (see rule 217.1c). 217.5d An object not in the in-play zone isn't "in play" and isn't considered tapped or untapped. Objects that aren't either in play or on the stack aren't controlled by any player. 217.6. Stack 217.6a When a spell is played, the physical card is put on the stack. When an ability is played, it goes on top of the stack without any card associated with it. (See rule 409.1, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.") 217.6b The stack keeps track of the order that spells and/or abilities were added to it. Each time an object is put on the stack, it's put on top of all objects already there. (See rule 408, "Timing of Spells and Abilities.") 217.6c Each spell has all the characteristics of the card associated with it. Each activated or triggered ability that's on the stack has the text of the ability that created it and no other characteristics. The controller of a spell is the person who played the spell. The controller of an activated ability is the player who played the ability. The controller of a triggered ability is the player who controlled the ability's source when it triggered. 217.6d When all players pass in succession, the top (last-added) spell or ability on the stack resolves. If the stack is empty when all players pass, the current step or phase ends and the next begins. 217.6e Combat damage also uses the stack, in the same way as other objects that use the stack. 217.7. Removed from the Game 217.7a Effects can remove objects from the game. Some effects may provide a way for a card to return to a zone and use the term "set aside." Cards that are set aside this way are still removed from the game, even though that removal may be temporary. Objects that aren't cards that would return to a zone remain removed from the game instead. 217.7b Cards in the removed-from-the-game zone are kept face up and may be examined by any player at any time. Cards "removed from the game face down" can't be examined by any player except when instructions allow it. 217.7c Cards that might return to play should be kept in separate piles to keep track of their respective ways of returning. 217.7d A card may have one ability printed on it that removes one or more cards from the game, and another ability that refers either to "the removed cards" or to cards "removed from the game with [name]." These abilities are linked: the second refers only to cards in the removed-from-the-game zone removed as a result of 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. Example: Arc-Slogger has the ability "{R}: Remove the top ten cards of your library from the game: Arc-Slogger deals 2 damage to target creature or player." Sisters of Stone Death has the ability "{B}{G}: Remove from the game target creature blocking or blocked by Sisters of Stone Death" and the ability "{2}{B}: Put a creature card removed from the game with Sisters of Stone Death into play 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, plays it, then has Quicksilver Elemental gain Sisters of Stone Death's abilities, plays the remove-from-game ability, and then plays the return-to-play ability, only the creature card Quicksilver Elemental removed from the game with Sisters of Stone Death's ability can be returned to play. Creature cards Quicksilver Elemental removed from the game with Arc-Slogger's ability can't be returned. 217.7e If an object in the removed-from-the-game zone is removed from the game, it doesn't change zones, but it is treated as a new object that has just been removed from the game. 217.8. Phased Out 217.8a Permanents that phase out are placed in the phased-out zone. (See rule 502.15, "Phasing.") 217.8b Face-up objects in the phased-out zone may be examined by any player at any time. Face-down objects in the phased-out zone are covered by the rules for face-down permanents. (See rule 502.26, "Morph," and rule 504, "Face-Down Spells and Permanents.") 217.8c Phased-out objects are not in play, so they do not count as tapped or untapped, nor are they controlled by anyone. However, an object in this zone "remembers" the state of the permanent as it phased out and returns to play in the same state as when it left. (See rule 502.15, "Phasing.") This is an exception to rule 217.1c. 217.8d Tokens in the phased-out zone cease to exist. This is a state-based effect (see rule 420, "State-Based Effects"). Any phased-out Auras or Equipment that were attached to those tokens remain phased out for the rest of the game. 217.9. Ante 217.9a Earlier versions of the Magic rules included an ante rule as a way of playing "for keeps." Playing Magic games for ante is now considered an optional variation on the game, and it's allowed only where it's not forbidden by law or by other rules. Playing for ante is strictly forbidden under the DCI Universal Tournament Rules (www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci/doccenter/home). 217.9b When playing for ante, each player puts one random card from his or her deck into the ante zone at the beginning of the game. Cards in the ante zone may be examined by any player at any time. At the end of the game, the winner becomes the owner of all the cards in the ante zone. 217.9c A few cards have the text "Remove [this card] from your deck before playing if you're not playing for ante." These are the only cards that can add or remove cards from a player's ante zone or change a card's owner. 217.9d To ante an object is to put that object into the ante zone from whichever zone it's currently in. The owner of an object is the only person who can ante that object. 3. Turn Structure 300. General 300.1. A turn consists of five phases, in this order: beginning, precombat main, combat, postcombat main, and end. Each of these phases takes place every turn, even if nothing happens during the phase. The beginning, combat, and end phases are further broken down into steps, which proceed in order. 300.2. A phase or step ends when the stack is empty and all players pass in succession. No game events can occur between turns, phases, or steps. Simply having the stack become empty doesn't cause the phase or step to end; all players have to pass with the stack empty. Because of this, each player gets a chance to add new things to the stack before the current phase or step ends. 300.3. When a phase ends (but not a step), any unused mana left in a player's mana pool is lost. That player loses 1 life for each one mana lost this way. This is called mana burn. Mana burn is loss of life, not damage, so it can't be prevented or altered by effects that affect damage. This game action doesn't use the stack. (See rule 406, "Mana Abilities.") 300.4. When a phase or step ends, any effects scheduled to last "until end of" that phase or step expire. When a phase or step begins, any effects scheduled to last "until" that phase or step expire. Effects that last "until end of combat" expire at the end of the combat phase, not at the beginning of the end of combat step. Effects that last "until end of turn" are subject to special rules; see rule 314.2. 300.5. When a phase or step begins, any abilities that trigger "at the beginning of" that phase or step are added to the stack. 300.6. Some effects can give a player extra turns. They do this by adding the turns directly after the current turn. If a player gets multiple extra turns or if multiple players get extra turns during a single turn, the extra turns are added one at a time. The most recently created turn will be taken first. 300.7. Some effects can add phases to a turn. They do this by adding the phases directly after the specified phase. If multiple extra phases are created after the same phase, the most recently created phase will occur first. 300.8. Some effects can add steps to a phase. They do this by adding the steps directly after a specified step (or directly before a specified step). If multiple extra steps are created after the same step, the most recently created step will occur first. 300.9. Some effects can cause a step, phase, or turn to be skipped. To skip a step, phase, or turn is to proceed past it as though it didn't exist. See rule 419.6e and rule 419.6f. 301. Beginning Phase 301.1. The beginning phase consists of three steps, in this order: untap, upkeep, and draw. 302. Untap Step 302.1 First, all permanents with phasing that the active player controls phase out, and all phased-out objects that the active player controlled when they phased out simultaneously phase in (this game action doesn't use the stack). See rule 217.8, "Phased Out," and rule 502.15, "Phasing." 302.2. Next the active player determines which permanents he or she controls will untap. Then he or she untaps them all simultaneously (this game action doesn't use the stack). Normally, all of a player's permanents untap, but effects can keep one or more of a player's permanents from untapping. 302.3. No player receives priority during the untap step, so no spells or abilities can be played 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 303, "Upkeep Step.") 303. Upkeep Step 303.1. As the upkeep step begins, any abilities that trigger at the beginning of that upkeep step and any abilities that triggered during the turn's untap step go on the stack. (See rule 410, "Handling Triggered Abilities.") Then the active player gets priority and players may play spells and abilities. 304. Draw Step 304.1 First, the active player draws a card. This game action doesn't use the stack. Then any abilities that trigger at the beginning of the draw step and any other abilities that have triggered go on the stack. Then the active player gets priority and players may play spells and abilities. 305. Main Phase 305.1. There are two main phases in a turn. In each turn, the first main phase, known as the precombat main phase, and the second main phase, known as the postcombat main phase, are separated by the combat phase (see rule 306, "Combat Phase"). The precombat and postcombat main phases are individually and collectively known as the main phase. 305.2. The main phase has no steps, so a main phase ends when all players pass in succession while the stack is empty. (See rule 300.2.) 305.3. As the main phase begins, any abilities that trigger at the beginning of that main phase go on the stack. (See rule 410, "Handling Triggered Abilities.") Then the active player gets priority and players may play spells and abilities. (This is the only phase in which a player can normally play artifact, creature, enchantment, and sorcery spells, and only the active player may play these spells.) 305.4. During either main phase, the active player may play one land card from his or her hand if the stack is empty, if the player has priority, and if he or she hasn't yet taken this special action this turn. (See rule 212.6, "Lands.") This action doesn't use the stack and it isn't a spell or ability of any kind. It can't be countered, and players can't respond to it with instants or activated abilities. 306. Combat Phase 306.1. The combat phase has five steps, which proceed in order: beginning of combat, declare attackers, declare blockers, combat damage, and end of combat. The declare blockers and combat damage steps are skipped if no creatures are declared as attackers (see rule 308.4). There are two combat damage steps if any attacking or blocking creature has first strike (see rule 502.2) or double strike (see rule 502.28). 306.2. A creature is removed from combat if it leaves play (such as by being destroyed or removed from the game), if it regenerates (see rule 419.6b), if its controller changes, if it stops being a creature, or if an effect removes it from combat. Removed from combat means the creature stops being an attacking, blocking, blocked, and/or unblocked creature. 306.2a Once a creature has been declared as an attacking or blocking creature, spells or abilities that would have kept that creature from attacking or blocking don't remove the creature from combat. 306.2b Tapping or untapping a creature that's already been declared as an attacker or blocker doesn't remove it from combat and doesn't prevent its combat damage. 306.3. During the combat phase, the active player is attacking and is the attacking player. As the combat phase starts, the active player chooses one of his or her opponents. The chosen opponent is being attacked and is the defending player. Some multiplayer games allow the active player to attack multiple other players. See rule 602, "Attack Multiple Players Option" and rule 606, "Two-Headed Giant Variant." 306.4. An attacking creature is attacking alone if no other creatures are attacking. A blocking creature is blocking alone if no other creatures are blocking. 307. Beginning of Combat Step 307.1. As the beginning of combat step begins, any abilities that trigger at the beginning of combat go on the stack. (See rule 410, "Handling Triggered Abilities.") Then the active player gets priority and players may play spells and abilities. 308. Declare Attackers Step 308.1. As the declare attackers step begins, the active player declares attackers (this game action doesn't use the stack). If the game allows the active player to attack multiple other players, he or she declares which player each creature is attacking. Effects from a creature that refer to a defending player refer only to the defending player it is attacking. Then any abilities that triggered on attackers being declared go on the stack. (See rule 410, "Handling Triggered Abilities.") Then the active player gets priority and players may play spells and abilities. Example: Tanglewalker reads, "Creatures you control are unblockable as long as defending player controls an artifact land." Whether a creature you control is unblockable depends only on whether the player being attacked by it controls an artifact land. Example: Guiltfeeder reads, in part, "Whenever Guiltfeeder attacks and isn't blocked, defending player loses 1 life for each card in his or her graveyard." Only the player being attacked loses life due to Guiltfeeder's ability. 308.2. To declare attackers, the active player follows the steps below, in order. If at any point during the declaration of attackers, the active player is unable to comply with any of the steps listed below, the declaration was illegal; the game returns to the moment before the declaration (see rule 422, "Handling Illegal Actions," and rule 500, "Legal Attacks and Blocks"). 308.2a The active player either chooses to not attack, or chooses one or more creatures he or she controls and then determines whether this set of creatures could attack. Only creatures can attack, and the following creatures can't attack: tapped creatures (even those that can attack without tapping) and creatures the active player didn't control continuously since the beginning of the turn (except those with haste). Other effects may also affect whether or not a set of creatures could attack. (See rule 500, "Legal Attacks and Blocks.") 308.2b If any of the chosen creatures have banding or a bands with other ability, the active player announces which creatures, if any, are banded with which. (See rule 502.10, "Banding.") 308.2c The active player taps the chosen creatures. Tapping a creature when it's declared as an attacker isn't a cost; attacking simply causes creatures to become tapped. 308.2d If any of the creatures require paying costs to attack, the active player determines the total cost to attack. Costs may include paying mana, tapping permanents, sacrificing permanents, discarding cards, and so on. Once the total cost is determined, it becomes "locked in." If effects would change the total cost after this time, ignore this change. 308.2e If any of the costs require mana, the active player then has a chance to play mana abilities (see rule 411, "Playing Mana Abilities"). 308.2f Once the player has enough mana in his or her mana pool, he or she pays all costs in any order. Partial payments are not allowed. 308.2g Each chosen creature becomes an attacking creature if all costs have been paid, but only if it's still controlled by the active player. It remains an attacking creature until it's removed from combat or the combat phase ends, whichever comes first. See rule 306.2. 308.3. Abilities that trigger on a creature attacking trigger only at the point the creature is declared as an attacker. They will not trigger if a creature attacks and then that creature's characteristics change to match the ability's trigger condition. They will not trigger if a creature is put into play attacking. Example: A permanent has the ability "Whenever a green creature attacks, destroy that creature at end of combat." If a blue creature attacks and is later turned green, the ability will not trigger. 308.4. If no creatures are declared as attackers, finish the declare attackers step, but skip the declare blockers and combat damage steps. 309. Declare Blockers Step 309.1. As the declare blockers step begins, the defending player declares blockers (this game action doesn't use the stack). Then any abilities that triggered on blockers being declared go on the stack. (See rule 410, "Handling Triggered Abilities.") Then the active player gets priority and players may play spells and abilities. 309.2. To declare blockers, the defending player follows the steps below, in order. If at any point during the declaration of blockers, the defending player is unable to comply with any of the steps listed below, the declaration was illegal; the game returns to the moment before the declaration (see rule 422, "Handling Illegal Actions," and rule 500, "Legal Attacks and Blocks"). 309.2a The defending player chooses zero or more creatures he or she controls, chooses one attacking creature for each one to block, then determines whether this set of blocks is legal. Only untapped creatures can block, but blocking does not cause creatures to tap. Other effects may also affect whether or not a set of creatures could block. (See rule 500, "Legal Attacks and Blocks.") 309.2b If any of the creatures require paying costs to block, the defending player determines the total cost to block. Costs may include paying mana, tapping permanents, sacrificing permanents, discarding cards, and so on. Once the total cost is determined, it becomes "locked in." If effects would change the total cost after this time, ignore this change. 309.2c If any of the costs require mana, the defending player then has a chance to play mana abilities (see rule 411, "Playing Mana Abilities"). 309.2d Once the player has enough mana in his or her mana pool, he or she pays all costs in any order. Partial payments are not allowed. 309.2e Each chosen creature becomes a blocking creature, but only if it's controlled by the defending player. Each one is blocking the attacking creature chosen for it. It remains a blocking creature until it's removed from combat or the combat phase ends, whichever comes first. See rule 306.2. 309.2f An attacking creature with one or more creatures declared as blockers for it becomes a blocked creature; one with no blockers becomes an unblocked creature. This remains unchanged until the creature is removed from combat or the combat phase ends, whichever comes first. (Some effects can change whether a creature is blocked or unblocked.) 309.3. Abilities that trigger on a creature blocking trigger only at the point the creature is declared as a blocker. They will not trigger if a creature blocks, and then that creature's characteristics change to match the ability's trigger condition. They will not trigger if a creature is put into play blocking. 309.4. Abilities that trigger on a creature becoming blocked trigger only at the first point the creature becomes blocked that combat. They will trigger if a creature becomes blocked by a creature declared as a blocker, by a creature that's put into play as a blocker, or by an effect, but only if the attacking creature hadn't yet been blocked that combat. They will not trigger if a creature becomes blocked, and then the blocking creature's characteristics change to match the ability's trigger condition. Example: A creature has the ability "Whenever this creature becomes blocked by a white creature, destroy that creature at end of combat." If that creature is blocked by a black creature that is later turned white, the ability will not trigger. 310. Combat Damage Step 310.1. As the combat damage step begins, the active player announces how each attacking creature will assign its combat damage. Then the defending player announces how each blocking creature will assign its combat damage. All assignments of combat damage go on the stack as a single object. Then any abilities that triggered on damage being assigned go on the stack. (See rule 410, "Handling Triggered Abilities.") Then the active player gets priority and players may play spells and abilities. 310.2. A player may divide a creature's combat damage as he or she chooses among the legal recipients. Dividing combat damage is subject to the following restrictions: 310.2a Each attacking creature and each blocking creature will assign combat damage equal to its power. Creatures with 0 or less power don't assign combat damage. 310.2b An unblocked attacking creature will assign all its combat damage to the defending player. 310.2c A blocked creature will assign combat damage, divided as its controller chooses, to the creatures blocking it. If no creatures are currently blocking it (if, for example, they were destroyed or removed from combat), it will assign no combat damage. 310.2d A blocking creature will assign combat damage, divided as its controller chooses, to the attacking creatures it's blocking. If it isn't currently blocking any creatures (if, for example, they were destroyed or removed from combat), it will assign no combat damage. 310.2e An effect that states a creature deals its combat damage in a different manner than normal affects the assignment of combat damage. 310.3. Although combat-damage assignments go on the stack as an object, they aren't spells or abilities, so they can't be countered. 310.4. Combat damage resolves as an object on the stack. When it resolves, it's all dealt at once, as originally assigned. After combat damage finishes resolving, the active player gets priority. 310.4a Combat damage is dealt as it was originally assigned even if the creature dealing damage is no longer in play, its power has changed, or the creature receiving damage has left combat. 310.4b The source of the combat damage is the creature as it currently exists, or as it most recently existed if it is no longer in play. 310.4c If a creature that was supposed to receive combat damage is no longer in play or is no longer a creature, the damage assigned to it isn't dealt. 310.5. At the start of the combat damage step, if at least one attacking or blocking creature has first strike (see rule 502.2) or double strike (see rule 502.28), creatures without first strike or double strike don't assign combat damage. Instead of proceeding to end of combat, the phase gets a second combat damage step (see rule 310.1) to handle the remaining creatures. In the second combat damage step, any attackers and blockers that didn't assign combat damage in the first step, plus any creatures with double strike, assign their combat damage. 311. End of Combat Step 311.1. As the end of combat step begins, all "at end of combat" abilities trigger and go on the stack. (See rule 410, "Handling Triggered Abilities.") Then the active player gets priority and players may play spells and abilities. 311.2. As soon as the end of combat step ends, all creatures are removed from combat. After the end of combat step ends, the combat phase is over and the postcombat main phase begins. 312. End Phase 312.1. The end phase consists of two steps: end of turn and cleanup. 313. End of Turn Step 313.1. As the end of turn step begins, all abilities that trigger "at end of turn" go on the stack. (See rule 410, "Handling Triggered Abilities.") Then the active player gets priority and players may play spells and abilities. 313.2. If "at end of turn"-triggered abilities are created or if cards with "at end of turn"-triggered abilities come into play after preexisting ones have already gone on the stack at the beginning of the end of turn step, those abilities won't go on the stack until the next turn's end phase. In other words, the step doesn't "back up" so new "at end of turn"-triggered abilities can go on the stack. This only applies to triggered abilities that say "at end of turn." It doesn't apply to continuous effects whose durations say "until end of turn" or "this turn." (See rule 314, "Cleanup Step.") 314. Cleanup Step 314.1. If the active player's hand contains more cards than his or her maximum hand size (normally seven), he or she discards enough cards to reduce the hand size to that number (this game action doesn't use the stack). 314.2. After discarding, the following actions happen simultaneously: all damage is removed from permanents and all "until end of turn" and "this turn" effects end (this game action doesn't use the stack). 314.3. If the conditions for any state-based effects exist or if any triggered abilities are waiting to be put onto the stack, the active player gets priority and players may play spells and abilities. Once the stack is empty and all players pass, another cleanup step begins. Otherwise, no player receives priority and the step ends. 4. Spells, Abilities, and Effects 400. General 400.1. An ability is something an object does or can do. Abilities generate effects. An object's abilities are defined in the object's text box (if it has one) or by the effect that created the object. Abilities can also be granted to objects by effects. Reminder text and flavor text are not abilities. Reminder text and flavor text always appear in italics. 400.2. Spells, activated abilities, and triggered abilities generate effects when they resolve. Static abilities generate continuous effects. Text itself is never an effect. 401. Spells on the Stack 401.1. A card on the stack is a spell. As the first step of being played, the card becomes a spell and goes on the stack from the zone it was played from (usually the player's hand). (See rule 217.6, "Stack.") 401.1a A copy of a spell is also a spell, even if it has no card associated with it. 401.1b A nonexistent mana cost can't be paid. 401.2. A spell stops being a spell when it resolves (see rule 413, "Resolving Spells and Abilities"), is countered (see rule 414, "Countering Spells and Abilities"), or otherwise leaves the stack. Example: A played creature card is a creature spell until it resolves, is countered, or leaves the stack. 401.3. Instant and sorcery spells have abilities, just like any other objects. These abilities are instructions that are followed when the spells resolve, unless the instructions can only be applied at some other time. Example: Some abilities that are not followed when the spell resolves are activated abilities or triggered abilities, any abilities that define the zone from which it can be played (see rule 401.4), any abilities that apply while the spell is in a zone from which it can be played (see rule 401.5), or any abilities that apply while the spell is on the stack (see rule 401.6). 401.4. Any object can have static abilities that allow it to be played from a zone other than a player's hand. These abilities are active while the object is in that zone. 401.5. Any object can have static abilities that apply while the object is in a zone from which it can be played. These include restrictions on playing the object and abilities that allow the object to be played at a time that it otherwise could not or in a manner that it otherwise could not. 401.6. Any spell can have static abilities that apply while the spell is on the stack. These include, but are not limited to, additional costs, alternative costs, and cost reductions. See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities." 401.7. As the final part of an instant or sorcery spell's resolution, the card is put into its owner's graveyard. As the final part of an artifact, creature, or enchantment spell's resolution, the card becomes a permanent and is put into the in-play zone under the control of the spell's controller. If any spell is countered, the card is put into its owner's graveyard as part of the resolution of the countering spell or ability. (See rule 413, "Resolving Spells and Activated Abilities.") 402. Abilities 402.1. An ability is text on an object that's not reminder text or flavor text (see rule 400.1). The result of following such an instruction is an effect. (See rule 416, "Effects.") Abilities can affect the objects they're on; they can also affect other objects and/or players. Abilities can grant abilities to other objects or to the objects they're on; they do so when the words "has," "have," "gains," or "gain" are used. 402.2. There are three general categories of abilities: activated, triggered, and static. Activated and triggered abilities can also be mana abilities. Abilities can generate one-shot effects or continuous effects. Some effects are replacement effects or prevention effects. 402.3. Abilities can be beneficial or detrimental. Example: "[This creature] can't block" is an ability. 402.4. An additional cost or alternative cost to play a card is an ability of the card. 402.5. An ability isn't a spell and therefore can't be countered by anything that counters only spells. Abilities 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). 402.6. Once activated or triggered, an ability exists independently of its source as an ability on the stack. 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 play, its last known information is used. 402.7. An object may have multiple abilities. Aside from certain defined abilities that may be strung together on a single line (see rule 502, "Keyword Abilities"), each paragraph break in a card's text marks a separate ability. An object may also have 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. 402.8. Abilities of an instant or sorcery usually function only while the object is on the stack. Abilities of all other objects usually function only while that object is in play. The exceptions are as follows: 402.8a A characteristic-setting ability that sets type, subtype, supertype, or color functions in all zones. 402.8b An ability that states which zones it functions in functions only from those zones. 402.8c An ability of an object that modifies what it costs to play functions on the stack. 402.8d An object's ability that restricts or modifies how that object can be played functions in any zone from which it could be played. 402.8e An object's activated ability that has a cost that can't be paid while the object is in play functions from any zone in which its cost can be paid. 402.8f A trigger condition that can trigger only in a zone other than the in-play zone triggers from that zone. Other trigger conditions of the same triggered ability may function in different zones. Example: Absolver Thrull has the ability "When Absolver Thrull comes into play or the creature it haunts is put into a graveyard, destroy target enchantment." The first trigger condition triggers from the in-play zone and the second trigger condition functions from the removed-from-the-game zone. 402.8g 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. Example: Necrosavant says "{3}{B}{B}, Sacrifice a creature: Return Necrosavant from your graveyard to play. Play this ability only during your upkeep." A player may play this ability only if Necrosavant is in his or her graveyard. 403. Activated Abilities 403.1. An activated ability is written as "[cost]: [effect]." The activation cost is everything before the colon (:). An ability's activation cost must be paid by the player who is playing it. 403.2. Only an object's controller (or its owner, if it doesn't have a controller) can play its activated ability unless the object specifically says otherwise. 403.3. If an activated ability has a restriction on its use (for example, "Play this ability only once each turn"), the restriction continues to apply to that object even if its controller changes. 403.4. A creature's activated ability with the tap symbol ({T}) in its activation cost can't be played unless the creature has been under its controller's control since the start of his or her most recent turn. Ignore this rule for creatures with haste (see rule 502.5). 403.5. Activated abilities that read "Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery" mean the player must follow the timing rules for playing a sorcery, though the ability isn't actually a sorcery. Activated abilities that read "Play this ability only any time you could play an instant" mean the player must follow the timing rules for playing an instant, though the ability isn't actually an instant. 404. Triggered Abilities 404.1. A triggered ability begins with the word "when," "whenever," or "at." The phrase containing one of these words is the trigger condition, which defines the trigger event. 404.2. Triggered abilities aren't played. Instead, a triggered ability automatically "triggers" each time its trigger event occurs. Once an ability has triggered, it goes on the stack the next time a player would receive priority. See rule 408.1, "Timing, Priority, and the Stack," and rule 410, "Handling Triggered Abilities." 404.3. A triggered ability may read "When/Whenever/At . . . , if [condition], [effect]." The ability checks for the stated condition to be true when the trigger event occurs. If it is, the ability triggers. On resolution, the ability rechecks the condition. If the condition isn't true at either of those times, the ability does nothing. This rule is referred to as the "intervening 'if' clause" rule. Note that the word "if" has only its normal English meaning anywhere else in the text of a card; this rule only applies to an "if" that immediately follows a trigger condition. 404.4. An effect may create a delayed triggered ability that can do something at a later time. A delayed triggered ability will contain "when," "whenever," or "at," although that word won't usually begin the ability. 404.4a Delayed triggered abilities come from spells or other abilities that create them on resolution. That means a delayed triggered ability won't trigger until it has actually been created, even if its trigger event occurred just beforehand. Other events that happen earlier may make the trigger event impossible. Example: Part of an effect reads "When this creature leaves play," but the creature in question leaves play before the spell or ability creating the effect resolves. In this case, the delayed ability never triggers. Example: If an effect reads "When this creature becomes untapped" and the named creature becomes untapped before the effect resolves, the ability waits for the next time that creature untaps. 404.4b A delayed triggered ability will trigger only once-the next time its trigger event occurs-unless it has a stated duration, such as "this turn." 404.4c A delayed triggered ability that refers to a particular object still affects it even if the object changes characteristics. Example: An ability that reads "Destroy that creature at end of turn" will destroy the permanent even if it's no longer a creature during the end of turn step. 404.4d A delayed triggered ability that refers to a particular permanent will fail if the permanent leaves play (even if it returns again before the specified time). Similarly, abilities that create a one-shot effect that applies to an object in a particular zone will fail if the object leaves that zone. Example: An ability that reads "Remove this creature from the game at end of turn" won't do anything if the creature leaves play before the end of turn step. 404.5. Some objects have a static ability that's linked to a triggered ability. These objects combine both abilities into one paragraph, with the static ability first, followed by the triggered ability. A very few objects have triggered abilities which are written with the trigger condition in the middle of the ability, rather than at the beginning. Example: An ability that reads "Reveal the first card you draw each turn. Whenever you reveal a basic land card this way, draw a card" is a static ability linked to a triggered ability. Example: An ability that reads "The controller of enchanted creature sacrifices it at the end of his or her turn" is a triggered ability. 405. Static Abilities 405.1. A static ability does something all the time rather than being activated or triggered. The ability isn't played-it just "exists." Such abilities apply only while the ability is on a permanent in play, unless the ability is covered by rule 402.8. 405.2. Some objects have intrinsic static abilities which state that the object "has" one or more characteristic values; "is" one or more particular types, supertypes, subtypes, or colors; or that one or more of its characteristics "is" or "are" a particular value. These abilities are characteristic-setting abilities. Abilities of an object that affect the characteristics of another object are not characteristic-setting abilities; neither are abilities that an object grants to itself. See rule 201, "Characteristics," and rule 418.5a. 405.2a A characteristic-setting ability that states that an object is one or more particular types, supertypes, subtypes, or colors applies no matter which zone the object it's on is in. This rule doesn't apply to other characteristic-setting abilities. 406. Mana Abilities 406.1. A mana ability is either (a) an activated ability that could put mana into a player's mana pool when it resolves or (b) a triggered ability that triggers from a mana ability and could produce additional mana. A mana ability can generate other effects at the same time it produces mana. 406.2. Spells that put mana into a player's mana pool aren't mana abilities. They're played and resolved exactly like any other spells. Triggered abilities that put mana into a player's mana pool aren't mana abilities if they trigger from events other than activating mana abilities. They go on the stack and resolve like any other triggered abilities. 406.3. A mana ability remains a mana ability even if the game state doesn't allow it to produce mana. Example: A permanent has an ability that reads "{T}: Add {G} to your mana pool for each creature you control." This is still a mana ability even if you control no creatures or if the permanent is already tapped. 406.4. A mana ability can be activated or triggered. Mana abilities are played and resolved like other abilities, but they don't go on the stack, so they can't be countered or responded to. See rule 411, "Playing Mana Abilities," and rule 408.2, "Actions That Don't Use the Stack." 406.5. Abilities (other than mana abilities) that trigger on playing mana abilities do use the stack. 406.6. If a mana ability would produce one or more mana of an undefined type, it produces no mana instead. Example: If you control no lands, an ability that reads "{T}: Add to your mana pool one mana of any type that a land you control could produce" will not produce any mana. 407. Adding and Removing Abilities 407.1. 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. If two or more effects add and remove the same ability, in general the most recent one prevails. (See rule 418.5, "Interaction of Continuous Effects.") 407.2. 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 ("[permanent] is [characteristic value]"), it's not granting an ability. (See rule 405.2.) Example: An effect reads, "Enchanted creature has 'This creature is an artifact creature.'" This effect grants an ability to the creature that can be removed by other effects. Another effect reads, "Enchanted creature is an artifact creature." This effect simply defines a characteristic of the creature. It doesn't grant an ability, so effects that would cause the creature to lose its abilities wouldn't cause the enchanted creature to stop being an artifact. 407.3. Effects that remove an ability remove all instances of it. Example: If a creature with flying is enchanted with Flight, it has two instances of the flying ability. A single effect that reads "Target creature loses flying" will remove both. 408. Timing of Spells and Abilities 408.1. Timing, Priority, and the Stack 408.1a Spells and activated abilities can be played only at certain times and follow a set of rules for doing so. 408.1b Spells and activated abilities are played by players (if they choose) using a system of priority, while other types of abilities and effects are automatically generated by the game rules. Each time a player would get priority, all applicable state-based effects resolve first as a single event (see rule 420, "State-Based Effects"). Then, if any new state-based effects have been generated, they resolve as a single event. This process repeats until no more applicable state-based effects are generated. Then triggered abilities are added to the stack (see rule 410, "Handling Triggered Abilities"). These steps repeat in order until no further state-based effects or triggered abilities are generated. Then the player who would have received priority does so and may play a spell or ability, take a special action (such as playing a land), or pass, as governed by the rules for that phase or step. 408.1c The active player gets priority at the beginning of most phases and steps, after any game actions are dealt with and abilities that trigger at the beginning of that phase or step go on the stack. No player gets priority during the untap step and players usually don't get priority during the cleanup step (see rule 314.3). The player with priority may play a spell or ability, take a special action, or pass. If he or she plays a spell or ability, or takes a special action, the player again receives priority; otherwise, the next player in turn order receives priority. If all players pass in succession (that is, if all players pass without taking any actions in between passing), the top object on the stack resolves, then the active player receives priority. If the stack is empty when all players pass in succession, the phase or step ends and the next one begins. 408.1d A player may play an instant spell or an activated ability any time he or she has priority. Spells other than instants may be played during a player's main phase, when that player has priority and the stack is empty. 408.1e When a spell is played, it goes on top of the stack. When an activated ability is played, it goes on top of the stack. 408.1f Triggered abilities can trigger at any time, including during the playing or resolution of a spell or another ability. However, nothing actually happens at the time the abilities trigger. Each time a player would receive priority, each ability that has triggered is put on the stack (if it hasn't already been put on the stack). Then the player gets priority and may play spells or abilities. (See rule 410, "Handling Triggered Abilities.") 408.1g Combat damage goes on the stack once it's been assigned. For more information, see rule 310, "Combat Damage Step." 408.1h Static abilities aren't played-they continuously affect the game. Priority doesn't apply to them. (See rule 405, "Static Abilities," rule 418, "Continuous Effects," and rule 419, "Replacement and Prevention Effects.") 408.1i Special actions don't use the stack. The special actions are playing a land (see rule 408.2d), turning a face-down creature face up (see rule 408.2h), ending continuous effects or stopping delayed triggered abilities (see rule 408.2i), ignoring continuous effects (see rule 408.2j), and removing a card with suspend in your hand from the game (see rule 408.2k). 408.2. Actions That Don't Use the Stack 408.2a Effects don't go on the stack; they're the result of spells and abilities resolving. Effects may create delayed triggered abilities, however, and these may go on the stack when they trigger (see rule 404.4). 408.2b Static abilities continuously generate effects and don't go on the stack. 408.2c State-based effects (see rule 420) resolve whenever a player would receive priority as long as the required game condition is true. 408.2d Playing a land is a special action consisting of putting that land into play. (See rule 212.6, "Lands.") A player can play a land only during a main phase of his or her turn, when he or she has priority and the stack is empty. The player who played the land gets priority after this special action. 408.2e 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 played, that player gets priority after it resolves. (See rule 406, "Mana Abilities.") 408.2f Characteristic-setting abilities, such as "[This object] is red," are simply read and followed as applicable. (See also rule 405.2.) 408.2g Game actions don't use the stack. The game actions are phasing in and out during the untap step (see rule 302.1), untapping during the untap step (see rule 302.2), drawing a card during the draw step (see rule 304.1), declaring attackers at the start of the declare attackers step (see rule 308.1), declaring blockers at the start of the declare blockers step (see rule 309.1), cleanup (see rule 314), and mana burn as each phase ends (see rule 300.3). 408.2h The controller of a face-down permanent may turn it face up. This is a special action. (See rule 504, "Face-Down Spells and Permanents.") A player can turn a face-down permanent face up only when he or she has priority. That player gets priority after this special action. 408.2i Some effects allow a player to take an action at a later time, usually to end a continuous effect or to stop a delayed triggered ability. This is a special action. A player can end a continuous effect or stop a delayed triggered ability only if the effect or ability allows it and only when he or she has priority. The player who took the action gets priority after this special action. 408.2j Some effects from static abilities allow a player to take an action to ignore the effect from that ability for a duration. This is a special action. A player can take an action to ignore an effect only when he or she has priority. The player who took the action gets priority after this special action. 408.2k A player who has a card with suspend in his or her hand may remove that card from the game. This is a special action. (See rule 502.59, "Suspend.") A player can remove a card with suspend in his or her hand from the game only when he or she has priority. That player gets priority after this special action. 409. Playing Spells and Activated Abilities 409.1. Playing a spell or activated ability follows the steps listed below, in order. If, at any point during the playing of a spell or ability, a player is unable to comply with any of the steps listed below, the spell was played illegally; the game returns to the moment before that spell or ability was played (see rule 422, "Handling Illegal Actions"). Announcements and payments can't be altered after they've been made. 409.1a The player announces that he or she is playing the spell or activated ability. It moves from the zone it's in to the stack and remains there until it's countered or resolves. In the case of spells, the physical card goes onto the stack. In the case of activated abilities, the ability goes onto the stack without any card associated with it. If the ability is being played from a hidden zone, the card with that ability is revealed. Each spell has all the characteristics of the card associated with it. Each activated ability on the stack has the text of the ability that created it, and no other characteristics. The controller of a spell is the player who played the spell. The controller of an activated ability is the player who played the ability. 409.1b If the spell or ability is modal (uses the phrase "Choose one -" or "[specified player] chooses one -"), the player announces the mode choice. If the player wishes to splice any cards onto the spell, he or she reveals those cards in his or her hand. If the spell or ability has a variable mana cost (indicated by {X}) or some other variable cost, the player announces the value of that variable at this time. If the spell or ability has alternative, additional, or other special costs (such as buyback, kicker, or convoke costs), the player announces his or her intentions to pay any or all of those costs (see rule 409.1f). You can't apply two alternative methods of playing or two alternative costs to a single spell or ability. Previously made choices (such as choosing to play a spell with flashback from his or her graveyard or choosing to play a creature with morph face down) may restrict the player's options when making these choices. 409.1c If the spell or ability requires any targets, the player first announces how many targets he or she will choose (if the spell or ability has a variable number of targets), then announces the targets themselves. A player can't play a spell or ability unless he or she chooses the required number of legal targets. The same target can't be chosen multiple times for any one instance of the word "target" on the spell or ability. If the spell or ability uses the word "target" in multiple places, the same object, player, or zone can be chosen once for each instance of the word "target" (as long as it fits the targeting criteria). Example: If an ability reads "Tap two target creatures," then the same target can't be chosen twice; the ability requires two different legal targets. An ability that reads "Destroy target artifact and target land," however, can target the same artifact land twice because it uses the word "target" in multiple places. 409.1d If the spell or ability targets one or more targets only if an alternative, additional, or special cost (such as a buyback or kicker cost) is paid for it, or if a particular mode is chosen for it, its controller chooses those targets only if he or she announced the intention to pay that cost or chose that mode. Otherwise, the spell or ability is played as though it did not have those targets. 409.1e If the spell or ability affects several targets in different ways, the player announces how it will affect each target. If the spell or ability requires the player to divide or distribute an effect (such as damage or counters) among one or more targets, or any number of untargeted objects or players, the player announces the division. Each of these targets, objects, or players must receive at least one of whatever is being divided. 409.1f The player determines the total cost of the spell or ability. Usually this is just the mana cost (for spells) or activation cost (for abilities). Some cards list additional or alternative costs in their text, and some effects may increase or reduce the cost to pay. Costs may include paying mana, tapping permanents, sacrificing permanents, discarding cards, and so on. The total cost is the mana cost, activation cost, or alternative cost, plus all cost increases and minus all cost reductions. Once the total cost is determined, it becomes "locked in." If effects would change the total cost after this time, they have no effect. 409.1g If the total cost includes a mana payment, the player then has a chance to play mana abilities (see rule 411, "Playing Mana Abilities"). Mana abilities must be played before costs are paid. 409.1h The player pays the total cost in any order. Partial payments are not allowed. Example: You play Death Bomb, which costs {3}{B} and has an additional cost of sacrificing a creature. You sacrifice Thunderscape Familiar, whose effect makes your black spells cost {1} less to play. Because a spell's total cost is "locked in" before payments are actually made, you pay {2}{B}, not {3}{B}, even though you're sacrificing the Familiar. 409.1i Once the steps described in 409.1a-409.1h are completed, the spell or ability becomes played. Any abilities that trigger on a spell or ability being played or put onto the stack trigger at this time. If the spell or ability's controller had priority before playing it, he or she gets priority. 409.2. Some spells and abilities specify that one of their controller's opponents does something the controller would normally do while it's being played, such as choose a mode, choose targets, or choose how the spell or ability will affect its targets. In these cases, the opponent does so when the spell or ability's controller normally would do so. 409.2a If there is more than one opponent who could make such a choice, the spell or ability's controller decides which of those opponents will make the choice. 409.2b If the spell or ability instructs its controller and another player to do something at the same time as the spell or ability is being played, the spell's controller goes first, then the other player. This is an exception to rule 103.4. 409.3. Playing a spell or ability that alters costs won't do anything to spells and abilities that are already on the stack. 409.4. A player can't begin to play a spell or activated ability that's prohibited from being played by an effect. 410. Handling Triggered Abilities 410.1. Because they aren't played, triggered abilities can trigger even when it isn't legal to play spells and abilities, and effects that prevent abilities from being played don't affect them. 410.2. Whenever a game event or game state matches a triggered ability's trigger event, that ability triggers. When a phase or step begins, all abilities that trigger "at the beginning of" that phase or step trigger. The ability is controlled by the player who controlled its source at the time it triggered. It has the text of the ability that created it, and no other characteristics. The ability doesn't do anything when it triggers, but it's automatically put on the stack by its controller as soon as a player would receive priority. 410.3. If multiple abilities have triggered since the last time a player received priority, each player, in APNAP order, puts triggered abilities he or she controls on the stack in any order he or she chooses. (See rule 103.4.) Then players once again check for and resolve state-based effects until none are generated, then abilities that triggered during this process go on the stack. This process repeats until no new state-based effects are generated and no abilities trigger. Then the appropriate player gets priority. 410.4. When a triggered ability goes on the stack, the controller of the ability makes any choices that would be required while playing an activated ability, following the same procedure (see rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities"). If no legal choice can be made (or if a rule or a continuous effect otherwise makes the ability illegal), the ability is simply removed from the stack. 410.5. Some triggered abilities' effects are optional (they contain "may," as in "At the beginning of your upkeep, you may draw a card"). These abilities go on the stack when they trigger, regardless of whether their controller intends to exercise the ability's option or not. The choice is made when the ability resolves. Likewise, triggered abilities that have an effect "unless" something is true or a player chooses to do something will go on the stack normally; the "unless" part of the ability is dealt with when the ability resolves. 410.6. An ability triggers only once each time its trigger event occurs. However, it can trigger repeatedly if one event contains multiple occurrences. See also rule 410.9. Example: A permanent has an ability whose trigger condition reads, "Whenever a land is put into a graveyard from play, . . . ." If someone plays a spell that destroys all lands, the ability will trigger once for each land put into the graveyard during the spell's resolution. 410.7. An ability triggers only if its trigger event actually occurs. An event that's prevented or replaced won't trigger anything. Example: An ability that triggers on damage being dealt won't trigger if all the damage is prevented. 410.8. Triggered abilities with a condition directly following the trigger event (for example, "When/Whenever/At [trigger], if [condition], [effect]"), check for the condition to be true as part of the trigger event; if it isn't, the ability doesn't trigger. The ability checks the condition again on resolution. If it's not satisfied, the ability does nothing. Note that this mirrors the check for legal targets. Note that this rule doesn't apply to any triggered ability with an "if" condition elsewhere within its text. This rule is referred to as the "intervening 'if' clause" rule. 410.9. Some abilities trigger when creatures block or are blocked in combat. (See rules 306-311 and rule 500, "Legal Attacks and Blocks.") They may trigger once or repeatedly, depending on the wording of the ability. 410.9a An ability that reads "Whenever [this creature] blocks, . . ." triggers only once each combat for that creature, even if it blocks multiple creatures. It triggers only if the creature is declared as a blocker. 410.9b An ability that reads "Whenever [this creature] blocks a creature, . . ." triggers once for each attacking creature the creature with the ability blocks. It triggers only if the creature is declared as a blocker. 410.9c An ability that reads "Whenever [this creature] becomes blocked, . . ." triggers only once each combat for that creature, even if it's blocked by multiple creatures. It will also trigger if an effect causes a creature to block the attacking creature, but only if it hadn't already been blocked that combat. It will trigger if the creature becomes blocked by an effect rather than a creature. 410.9d An ability that reads "Whenever a creature blocks [this 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. 410.9e If an ability triggers when a creature blocks or becomes blocked by a particular number of creatures, the ability triggers if the creature blocks or is blocked by that many creatures when the attack or block declaration is made. Effects that add or remove blockers can cause such abilities to trigger. This also applies to abilities that trigger on a creature blocking or being blocked by at least a certain number of creatures. 410.10. Trigger events that involve objects changing zones are called "zone-change triggers." Many abilities with zone-change triggers attempt to do something to that object after it changes zones. During resolution, these abilities look for the object in the zone that it moved to. If the object is unable to be found in the zone it went to, the part of the ability attempting to do something to the object will fail to do anything. The ability could be unable to find the object because the object never entered the specified zone, because it left the zone before the ability resolved, or because it is in a zone that is hidden from a player, such as a library or an opponent's hand. (This rule applies even if the object leaves the zone and returns again before the ability resolves.) The most common types of zone-change triggers are comes-into-play triggers and leaves-play triggers. 410.10a Comes-into-play abilities trigger when a permanent enters the in-play zone. These are written, "When [this object] comes into play, . . . " or "Whenever a [type] comes into play, . . ." Each time an event puts one or more permanents into play, all permanents in play (including the newcomers) are checked for any comes-into-play triggers that match the event. 410.10b Continuous effects that modify characteristics of a permanent do so the moment the permanent is in play (and not before then). The permanent is never in play with its unmodified characteristics. Continuous effects don't apply before the permanent is in play, however (see rule 410.10e). Example: If an effect reads "All lands are creatures" and a land card is played, the effect makes the land card into a creature the moment it enters play, so it would trigger abilities that trigger when a creature comes into play. Conversely, if an effect reads "All creatures lose all abilities" and a creature card with a comes-into-play triggered ability enters play, that effect will cause it to lose its abilities the moment it enters play, so the comes-into-play ability won't trigger. 410.10c Leaves-play abilities trigger when a permanent leaves the in-play zone. These are written as, but aren't limited to, "When [this object] leaves play, . . ." or "Whenever [something] is put into a graveyard from play, . . . ." An ability that attempts to do something to the card that left play checks for it only in the first zone that it went to. 410.10d Normally, objects that exist immediately after an event are checked to see if the event matched any trigger conditions. Continuous effects that exist at that time are used to determine what the trigger conditions are and what the objects involved in the event look like. However, some triggered abilities must be treated specially because the object with the ability may no longer be in play, no longer be in a zone visible to all players, or no longer be controlled by the appropriate player. The game has to "look back in time" to determine if these abilities trigger. Abilities that trigger specifically when an object leaves play, when an object leaves any visible zone for a hidden one, or when a player loses control of an object will trigger based on their existence, and the appearance of objects, prior to the event rather than afterward. Example: Two creatures are in play along with an artifact that has the ability "Whenever a creature is put into a graveyard from play, you gain 1 life." Someone plays a spell that destroys all artifacts, creatures, and enchantments. The artifact's ability triggers twice, even though the artifact goes to its owner's graveyard at the same time as the creatures. 410.10e Some permanents have text that reads "[This permanent] comes into play with . . . ," "As [this permanent] comes into play . . . ," "[This permanent] comes into play as . . . ," or "[This permanent] comes into play tapped." Such text is a static ability-not a triggered ability-whose effect occurs as part of the event that puts the permanent into play. 410.10f Some Auras have triggered abilities that trigger on the enchanted permanent leaving play. These triggered abilities can track the Aura to its owner's graveyard in addition to tracking the enchanted permanent to whatever zone it moved to. 410.11. Some triggered abilities trigger on a game state, such as a player controlling no permanents of a particular type, rather than triggering when an event occurs. These abilities trigger as soon as the game state matches the condition. They'll go onto the stack at the next available opportunity. These are called state triggers. (Note that state triggers aren't the same as state-based effects.) A state-triggered ability doesn't trigger again until the ability has resolved, has been countered, or has otherwise left the stack. Then, if the object with the ability is still in the same zone and the game state still matches its trigger condition, the ability will trigger again. Example: A permanent's ability reads, "Whenever you have no cards in hand, draw a card." If its controller plays the last card from his or her hand, the ability will trigger once and won't trigger again until it has resolved. If its controller plays a spell that reads "Discard your hand, then draw that many cards," the ability will trigger during the spell's resolution because the player's hand was momentarily empty. 411. Playing Mana Abilities 411.1. To play a mana ability, the player announces that he or she is playing it and pays the activation cost, following the steps in rules 409.1b-i. It resolves immediately after it is played and doesn't go on the stack. (See rule 408.2e.) 411.2. A player may play an activated mana ability whenever he or she has priority, or whenever he or she is playing a spell or activated ability that requires a mana payment. A player may also play one whenever a rule or effect asks for a mana payment, even in the middle of playing or resolving a spell or ability. 411.3. Triggered mana abilities trigger when an activated mana ability is played. These abilities resolve immediately after the mana ability that triggered them, without waiting for priority. If an activated or triggered ability produces both mana and another effect, both the mana and the other effect resolve immediately. Example: An enchantment reads, "Whenever a player taps a land for mana, that player adds one mana of that type to his or her mana pool." If a player taps lands for mana while playing a spell, the additional mana is added to the player's mana pool immediately and can be used to pay for the spell. 411.3a If a triggered mana ability adds mana "of the same type" or "of the same color" to a player's mana pool and the mana ability that triggered it produced more than one type or color of mana, the player to whose mana pool the mana is being added chooses which type or color of mana the triggered ability adds. 412. Handling Static Abilities 412.1. A static ability may generate a continuous effect or a prevention or replacement effect. These effects last as long as the object with the static ability remains in the appropriate zone. 412.2. Many Auras and Equipment have static abilities that modify the permanent they're attached to, but those abilities don't target that permanent. If an Aura or Equipment is moved to a different permanent, the ability stops applying to the original permanent and starts modifying the new one. 412.3. Some static abilities apply while a spell is on the stack. These are often abilities that refer to countering the spell. Also, abilities that say "As an additional cost to play . . . ," "You may pay [cost] rather than pay [this object]'s mana cost," and "You may play [this object] without paying its mana cost" work while a spell is on the stack. 412.4. Some static abilities apply while a card is in any zone that you could play it from (usually your hand). These are limited to those that read, "You may play [this card] . . .," "You can't play [this card] . . .," and "Play [this card] only . . . ." 412.5. Unlike spells and other kinds of abilities, static abilities can't use an object's last known information for purposes of determining how their effects are applied. 413. Resolving Spells and Abilities 413.1. Each time all players pass in succession, the object (a spell, an ability, or combat damage) on top of the stack resolves. (See rule 416, "Effects.") 413.2. Resolution of a spell or ability may involve several steps. These steps are followed in the order listed below. 413.2a If the spell or ability specifies targets, it checks whether the targets are still legal. A target that's removed from play, or from the zone designated by the spell or ability, is illegal. A target may also become illegal if its characteristics changed since the spell or ability was played or if an effect changed the text of the spell. 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. If the spell or ability needs to know information about one or more targets that are now illegal, it will use the illegal targets' current or last known information. 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 play), then Aura Blast is countered. Its controller doesn't draw a card. 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. 413.2b 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 you do, 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. 413.2c If an effect offers any choices other than choices already made as part of playing the spell or ability, the player announces these while applying the effect. The player can't choose an option that's illegal or impossible. (For example, a player can't avoid the consequences of not taking an optional action if he or she can't meet all the immediate requirements of that action.) Drawing a card is never considered an impossible action, even if there are no cards in the affected player's library. 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. 413.2d Some spells and abilities have multiple steps or actions, denoted by separate sentences or clauses. 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 103.4. 413.2e If an effect gives a player the option to pay mana, he or she may play mana abilities before taking that action. If an effect specifically instructs or allows a player to play a spell during resolution, he or she does so by putting that spell on top of the stack, then continuing to play it by following the steps in rules 409.1a-i (except no player receives priority after it's played). The currently resolving spell or ability then continues to resolve, which may include playing other spells this way. No other spells or abilities can normally be played during resolution. 413.2f If an effect requires information from the game (such as the number of creatures in play), the answer is determined only once, when the effect is applied. The effect uses the current information of a specific permanent if that permanent is still in play, or of a specific card in the stated zone; otherwise, the effect uses the last known information the object had before leaving that zone. There are two exceptions. If an effect deals damage divided among some number of creatures or players, the amount and division were determined as the spell or ability was put into the stack; see rule 402.6. Also, static abilities can't use last known information; see rule 412.5. If the ability text states that an object does something, it's the object as it exists (or most recently existed) that does it, not the ability. 413.2g An effect that refers to characteristics of an object checks only for the value of the specified characteristics, regardless of any related ones the object may also have. 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. 413.2h A spell is put into play from the stack under the control of the spell's controller (for permanents) or is put into its owner's graveyard from the stack (for instants and sorceries) as the final ste