Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules

These rules are current as of October 7, 2002.

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(r) 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-Seventh Edition(tm) game box. You can download a copy of that rulebook from the Wizards of the Coast(r) 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. Words or phrases in italics are defined in the glossary, 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. Contact information is on the last page of this rulebook.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 Golden Rule

2. Cards200. General201. Parts of a Card202. Name203. Mana Cost204. Illustration205. Type206. Expansion Symbol207. Text Box208. Power/Toughness209. Credit210. Legal Text211. Collector Number212. Card Type213. Spell Type214. Permanent Type215. Legends and Legendary Types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402. Abilities403. Activated Abilities404. Triggered Abilities405. Static Abilities406. Ability Subtypes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. Editing a Spell or Ability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

5. Additional Rules500. Legal Attacks and Blocks501. Evasion Abilities502. Keyword Abilities503. Copying Spells and Abilities504. Face-Down Spells and Permanents505. Split Cards

Glossary

Credits

Questions?

1. The Game

100. General

100.1. These Magic rules assume a game between two players. Optional rules allow for more players but aren't discussed here. These rules can be found at the Wizards of the Coast website at www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/rules/multiplayer.

100.2. In constructed play, each player needs his or her own deck of at least sixty cards, small objects 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. See the most current Magic: The Gathering DCI(tm) Floor Rules for more information. They can be found at www.wizards.com/DCI/main.asp?x=UTR_Intro.

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 Magic DCI Floor Rules for more information.

101. Starting the Game

101.1. At the start of a game, each player shuffles his or her own deck so that the cards are in a random order. Each player may then shuffle his or her opponent's deck.

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. The player who plays first skips the draw step (see rule 304, "Draw Step") of his or her first turn.

101.5. A player who is dissatisfied with his or her initial hand may mulligan. That player shuffles his or her hand back into the deck, 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 first player has decided to keep a hand, the second player may mulligan. Once both players are satisfied with their hands, the first player takes his or her turn.

102. Winning and Losing

102.1. 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.)

102.2. When a player is required to draw more cards than are left in his or her library, he or she draws the remaining cards, then loses the game the next time a player would receive priority. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)

102.3. A game immediately ends when either these rules or a card effect states that a player loses or wins.

102.4. If both players lose simultaneously, the game is a draw.

102.5. If a player would both win and lose simultaneously, he or she loses.

102.6. 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.

102.7. A player may concede a game at any time.

102.8 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.)

103. The Golden Rule

103.1. The Magic Golden Rule: 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. 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.)

103.2. When one effect says something can happen and another 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 cards and removing abilities from cards don't fall under this rule. See rule 407, "Adding and Removing Abilities."


2. Cards

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 an Unglued(tm) card that represents a token isn't considered a card for rules purposes.

201. Parts of a Card

201.1. The parts of a card are name, mana cost, illustration, type, expansion symbol, text box, power and toughness, credit, legal text, and collector number. Some cards may have more than one of any or all of these parts.

201.2. A card, spell, or permanent's characteristics are name, mana cost, color, type and subtype, expansion symbol, rules text, power, and toughness. Any other information about a card, spell, or permanent isn't a characteristic. Characteristics don't include any other information, such as whether a permanent is tapped, a spell's target, a spell or permanent's controller, what a local enchantment enchants, and so on.

202. Name

202.1. The name of a card is printed on its upper left corner.

202.2. Card text that refers to the card it's on by name means just that particular card and not any other duplicates of it, regardless of any name changes caused by game effects. Also, if a card has an effect on or grants an ability that includes that card's name to another card, the name refers only to the card generating the effect or granting the ability, not to duplicates of cards with the same name.

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

203.1. The mana cost of a card is indicated by mana symbols printed on its upper right corner. Tokens and lands have a mana cost of 0. Paying a card's mana cost requires matching the color of any colored mana symbols as well as paying the generic mana cost indicated.

203.2. A card is the color or colors of the mana symbols in its mana cost, regardless of the color of its border. For example, a card with a mana cost of 2W is white, and one with a mana cost of 2WB is both white and black. Cards with no colored mana symbols in their mana costs are colorless. Cards with more than one of the five colored mana symbols in their mana costs are multicolored. Multicolored cards are printed with a gold frame, but this is not a requirement for a card to be multicolored.

203.3. The converted mana cost of a card is the total amount of mana in the mana cost, regardless of color (For example, a mana cost of 3UU translates to a converted mana cost of 5). The converted mana cost is a generic mana cost-it may be paid with any combination of colored and/or colorless mana, regardless of the colors in the spell's mana cost.

203.4. Any additional cost listed in a card's rules text 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

205.1. The type (and subtype, if applicable) of a card is printed directly below the illustration. (See rules 212-215.)

206. Expansion Symbol

206.1. The expansion symbol indicates which Magic set a card is from. It's 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 signifies the card is rare; silver, uncommon; and black, common or basic land. (Prior to the Exodus(tm) set, all expansion symbols were black, regardless of rarity. Also, prior to the Classic(tm) (Sixth Edition) set, Magic basic 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 basic set receives the basic 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 basic 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 stating what the card does and any special requirements for playing it.

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.

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 the creature's 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 creature 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 text in the creature's text box. As long as the creature card is in play, the value of * is treated just as if that number were actually printed on the card. The * is 0 while the card is not in play.

209. 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. Card Type

212.1. All cards have one or more card types: artifact, creature, enchantment, instant, land, or sorcery. Only one multiple type-artifact creature-currently exists. The artifact creature type satisfies the criteria for any effect that applies to an artifact card or a creature card. A card's type appears below its illustration.

212.2. Some card types include subtypes, printed on the same line. Creature subtypes (including those of artifact creatures) appear after a dash that follows their card type(s). Enchantment subtypes consist of the word "enchant" and the word(s) that follows it, such as "enchant creature" or "enchant artifact." Land subtypes are not printed on the card type line (see rule 212.2c).

212.2a Creature subtypes are always a single word and are listed after "Creature," separated by a long dash: "Creature - Minotaur," "Artifact Creature - Golem Legend," etc. Creature subtypes are one word each and are also called "creature types." Creature cards may have multiple creature types.
Example: "Creature - Minotaur" means the card is a creature with the Minotaur subtype. "Creature - Goblin Wizard" means the card is a creature with the creature types Goblin and Wizard.

212.2b Enchantment subtypes consist of the word "enchant" and the word(s) that follows it: "enchant creature," "enchant land," etc. ("enchant world" isn't a type or subtype, but a special category of enchantment found only in some older sets). A card with the type "enchantment" has no enchantment subtype. An enchantment subtype specifies what the enchantment can be legally attached to. "Local enchantment" and "global enchantment" aren't types or subtypes; they're categories of enchantments. (Also see rule 214.8, "Enchantments.")

212.2c Land subtypes are also called "land types" and are always the same as the name of the land card; they aren't listed on the type line. A card named "Island" has land type "island"; a card named "Karplusan Forest" has land type "Karplusan Forest" (remember that it isn't a forest or a basic land). Only lands with a basic land type get abilities just for being a given land type. (See rule 214.9e.) "Basic land" and "nonbasic land" aren't types or subtypes; they're categories of lands.

212.2d There are no subtypes for artifact cards, instant cards, or sorcery cards.

213. Spell Type

213.1. Every nonland card is a spell while it's being played (see rules 409.1a-409.1f) and while it's on the stack. Once it's played, a card remains a spell until it resolves or is countered. For more information, see rule 401, "Spells."

213.2. A spell's spell type is the same as its card type. Its subtypes are the same as its card's subtypes.

214. Permanent Type

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. A nontoken permanent's type(s) and subtype(s) are the same as those printed on its card. A token's type(s) and subtype(s) are set by the spell or ability that created it.

214.3. A card becomes a permanent when it comes into play and stops being a permanent when it leaves play. The term "card" is often used to refer to a card that's not in play, such as a creature card in a player's hand. "Spell" is often used to refer to a card while it's on the stack. "Spell card" is used to refer to cards that aren't in play and aren't land cards. For more information, see rule 217, "Zones."

214.4. When a permanent's type or subtype changes, the new type(s) replaces any existing type(s). This changes only the permanent type-the card type doesn't change. Counters, effects, and damage affecting the permanent remain with it, even if they are meaningless to the new type.

214.4a Some effects change a permanent's type or subtype but specify that the permanent retains a prior type or subtype. In such cases, the retained type isn't replaced, but any other types the permanent has are replaced.
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 "land creatures," not "artifact land creatures." The effect allows them to retain the land type, but wipes out the artifact type.

214.4b If a permanent's type changes, the subtypes of its old permanent type don't exist in any way under the new type. The subtype disappears completely for the entire time the card's permanent type is changed. This does not override the rule that a permanent retains its legendary status when its type changes (see rule 215.2).

214.5. The initial value of a permanent's characteristic is the value printed on the card or specified by the spell or ability that created the token or changed the type of the permanent. A permanent-type-changing ability that changes one or more characteristics changes the initial values of those characteristics stated in the ability's text, not the current values. Continuous effects that don't change a permanent's type affect current values of characteristics and can override characteristics set by type-changing abilities.
Example: A player plays an artifact's ability that reads "2: This permanent is a 3/2 artifact creature." Later in the turn, the artifact creature is affected by an ability that reads "Target creature is 0/2." At this point, playing the ability of the artifact again won't do anything; because the type-changing ability changes characteristics at the initial level, it can't override the effect. The artifact creature remains 0/2.

214.6. Artifacts

214.6a Artifacts have no characteristics specific to their type. Because artifact spells have no colored mana in their mana costs, they're colorless, and the permanents they create are also colorless. Effects can give artifact spells or artifacts one or more colors, however.

214.6b 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.

214.7. Creatures

214.7a If a card instruction requires choosing a creature subtype, you must choose one, and only one, existing creature type.
Example: "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.

214.7b Plurality and gender are ignored when determining creature types.
Example: Ogre, Ogres, Ogress, and Ogresses all count as the same creature type-Ogre.

214.7c 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. Ignore this rule for creatures with haste (see rule 502.5).

214.8. Enchantments

214.8a A global enchantment simply has "enchantment" as its type. Local enchantments comprise various subtypes: enchant artifact, enchant creature, enchant enchantment, enchant land, and enchant permanent.

214.8b A global enchantment is put into play on the side of the player who controlled the spell that created it, like any other spell that creates a permanent.

214.8c A local-enchantment spell requires a target whose type is indicated by the enchantment subtype. The local-enchantment permanent the spell puts into play must enchant that type of permanent and comes into play attached to the permanent the spell targeted. Any additional targeting requirements are indicated by phrases like "[This card] can enchant only a [permanent with specified characteristics]." These restrictions apply to playing the spell, and they become restrictions on what the resulting permanent can enchant. Similar restrictions can limit what a permanent can be enchanted by. For example, a permanent might have an ability that reads "[This card] can't be enchanted by [local enchantments with specified characteristics]."
Example: An enchant creature spell requires a target creature; a creature enchantment in play must enchant a creature. (See rules 420.5d and 214.8g.)

214.8d As part of playing a local-enchantment spell, the player announces the spell's target. The local enchantment comes into play attached to that target permanent. If a local enchantment is coming into play by any other means, the player putting it into play chooses a permanent for it to enchant as it comes into play. In this case, the enchantment doesn't target the permanent, but the player still must choose a permanent that the enchantment can enchant. If no legal permanent is available, the enchantment remains in the zone from which it attempted to move instead of coming into play. The same rule applies to moving a local enchantment from one permanent to another. The permanent to which the enchantment is to be moved must be able to be enchanted by it. If it isn't legal, the enchantment doesn't move.

214.8e If a local enchantment is enchanting an illegal permanent or the permanent it was attached to no longer exists, the enchantment card is put into its owner's graveyard. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)

214.8f A local enchantment can't be attached to itself. If this occurs somehow, the local enchantment is put into its owner's graveyard as a state-based effect (see rule 420.5d).

214.8g The permanent a local enchantment is attached to is called "enchanted." The enchantment "enchants" or, in more casual terms, "is attached to" that permanent.

214.8h A local enchantment's abilities don't target the permanent it enchants unless they state they can target it. Only the enchantment spell targets the permanent it will enchant; the resulting enchantment permanent doesn't continue to target the enchanted permanent after the enchantment spell resolves. If a permanent "can't be enchanted" in general or by enchantments with specified characteristics, it also can't be the target of a spell that would enchant it with such an enchantment.

214.8i A local enchantment'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 enchantment, and vice versa. Only the enchantment's controller can play its abilities. However, if the enchantment adds an ability to the enchanted permanent (with "gains" or "has"), that enchanted permanent's controller is the only one who can play that ability.

214.8k An enchant world card is a global enchantment.

214.9. Lands

214.9a 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.

214.9b A player may normally play only one land card during each of his or her own turns, only during a main phase, and only when the stack is empty. Spells and abilities 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. Spells and abilities 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.

214.9c Each land card is in one of two categories: basic or nonbasic. Basic and nonbasic are not types or subtypes.

214.9d The basic land types are plains, island, swamp, mountain, and forest. A land with one of these words as its name is a basic land. Other lands can state that they are lands of one or more basic land types. A land that has one or more basic land types is not necessarily a basic land. Moreover, the name of a land with a single land type that's basic becomes that basic land-type word.
Example: Taiga is a land with the following text in its text box: "Taiga is a mountain and a forest in addition to its type." Even though Taiga has two basic land types, it's not a basic land, because (a) its name doesn't match a basic land type word, and (b) it doesn't specify that it's basic.

214.9e A land with a basic land type has an intrinsic ability to produce colored mana. (See rule 406.1, "Mana Abilities.") The card is treated as if its text box read, "T: Add [mana symbol] to your mana pool," even if the text box doesn't actually contain text. Plains produce white mana; islands, blue; swamps, black; mountains, red; and forests, green.

214.9f If an effect changes a permanent into a basic land, the permanent no longer has its old land type and has only the mana ability of that basic land. It is now a basic land, and its name is that basic land's name. If that permanent was "Legendary," it is no longer. This rule doesn't apply to effects that cause a land to gain one or more land types in addition to its own.

214.9g Any land that isn't a basic land is a nonbasic land. Basic and nonbasic are not types; they're categories.

214.9h Unlike basic lands and lands that have one or more basic types, nonbasic lands don't necessarily have mana abilities.

215. Legends and Legendary Types

215.1. The word Legend or Legendary may appear in a card's type or subtype. The permanent created when that card enters play is subject to the Legend rule (see rule 420, "State-Based Effects") as well as the rules for its type and subtype.

215.2. "Legend" is a creature type; "legendary" is not. If a "legendary" noncreature permanent becomes a creature, it gets the creature type "Legend" for as long as it's a creature. If a creature of type "Legend" becomes a noncreature permanent, it's a "legendary" permanent of the new type. In other words, they mean the same thing, except that one refers to creatures and the other to noncreatures. 

215.3. If an effect makes a non-Legend creature into a Legend, and the creature then becomes another permanent type, such as an enchantment, that effect may no longer apply (if the permanent is no longer a creature). If it doesn't, the resulting permanent will not be legendary.

216. Tokens

216.1. Some spells and abilities put a token creature into play. The token is controlled by whomever put it into play and owned by the controller of the spell or ability that created it. The rules text of the spell or ability may define any number of characteristics for the token. These are the token permanent's initial values. A token doesn't have any characteristics not defined by the spell or ability that created it. A token's creature type is the same as its name. A Goblin creature token, for example, is named Goblin and has the creature subtype Goblin. If a token's name is two words or more, it has the creature subtype for each of those words. For example, a Goblin Scout token is named Goblin Scout and has two 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 considered a card (even if represented by cards from other games or Unglued cards) and isn't subject to any effect that specifically uses the word "card."

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 will set off triggered abilities before the token ceases to exist.) Once a token has left play, it can't be returned to play by any means.

217. Zones

217.1. A zone is a place where Magic cards can be during a game. There are six basic zones: library, hand, graveyard, in play, stack, and removed from the game. Each player has his or her own set of zones, except for the in-play and stack zones, which are shared.

217.1a If a card 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 cards in a library, in a graveyard, or on the stack can't be changed except when effects allow it. Cards in other zones can be arranged however their owners wish, although who controls those cards, whether they're tapped, and what enchants them must remain clear to both players.

217.1c A card that moves from one zone to another is treated as a new card. Effects connected with its previous location will no longer affect it. There are two exceptions to this rule: Effects that edit the characteristics of a spell on the stack will continue to apply to the permanent that spell creates, and abilities that trigger when a card moves from one zone to another (for example, "When Rancor is put into a graveyard from play") can find the card in the zone it moved to when the ability triggered.

217.1d If a card or permanent would move from one zone to another, first determine what event is moving the card. Then apply any appropriate replacement effects to that event. If an effect tries to do two or more contradictory or mutually exclusive things to a particular card or permanent, that card or permanent's controller-or its owner if it has no controller-chooses what the effect does to the card or permanent. Then the event moves the card or permanent.

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 either 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 during the announcement of a spell or ability, the new top card won't be revealed until the announcement is complete.

217.3. Hand

217.3a The hand is where a player holds cards that have been drawn but not yet played.

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 card 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 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 local enchantments enchanting the other player's permanents) are kept in front of him or her.

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. Only permanents are legal targets for spells and abilities, unless a spell or ability (a) specifies that it can target a player or a card in another zone, or (b) affects an object that can't exist in the in-play zone, such as a spell.

217.5c Whenever a card enters the in-play zone, it's considered a brand-new permanent and has no relationship to any previous permanent represented by the same card (see rule 217.8, "Phased-Out").

217.5d A card not in the in-play zone isn't "in play" and isn't considered tapped or untapped. Cards that aren't either in play or on the stack aren't controlled by either player.

217.6. Stack

217.6a When a spell or ability is played, it goes on top of the stack and waits to resolve. The stack keeps track of the order that spells and/or abilities were added to it. (See rule 408, "Timing of Spells and Abilities," and rule 409.1.)

217.6b When a spell is played, it goes on the stack face up. Other spells or abilities played in response go on top of it. Abilities that go on the stack are represented by imaginary cards called pseudospells. Each pseudospell from an activated or triggered ability has the text of the ability that created it. The controller of a pseudospell from an activated ability is the player who played the ability. The controller of a pseudospell from a triggered ability is the player who controlled the ability's source when it triggered.

217.6c When both players pass in succession, the top (last-played) spell or ability resolves. If the stack is empty when both players pass, the current step or phase ends and the next begins.

217.7. Removed from the Game

217.7a Effects can remove cards from the game. Some effects may provide a way for the card to return to play 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.

217.7b Cards in the removed-from-the-game zone are kept face up and may be examined by either player at any time. Cards "removed from the game face down" can't be examined by either 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. Cards with no way of returning may be kept in one pile for each player, regardless of what removed them.

217.8. Phased-Out

217.8a Permanents that phase out are placed in the phased-out zone. (See rule 502.15, "Phasing.")

217.8b Cards in the phased-out zone may be examined by either player at any time.

217.8c Phased-out cards do not count as tapped or untapped, nor are they controlled by anyone. However, cards in this zone "remember" their previous state and return to play in the same state as when they left. (See rule 502.15, "Phasing.") This is an exception to rule 217.5c.
 
217.8d Tokens in the phased-out zone cease to exist. This is a state-based effect (see rule 420, "State-Based Effects"). Any local enchantments that were attached to those token creatures 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 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.

217.9b When playing for ante, each player puts one random card from his or her deck into his or her ante zone at the beginning of the game. Cards in the ante zone may be examined by either player at any time. At the end of the game, the winner becomes the owner of the cards in each player's 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." This text isn't an ability. These are the only cards that can add or remove cards from a player's ante zone, or change a card's owner.


3. Turn Structure

300. General

300.1. A turn consists of five phases, in this order: beginning, first main, combat, second 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 both 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; both players have to pass with the stack empty. Because of this, each player always gets a chance to add new things to the stack before the current phase or step ends.)

300.3. 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 314.1b.

300.4. 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. Note that mana burn is loss of life, not damage, so it can't be prevented or altered by effects that affect damage. (See rule 406.1, "Mana Abilities.")

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 spells and abilities 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 both 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.

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, the active player determines which permanents he or she controls will untap. (Normally they all do, but effects may modify this.) Then he or she untaps them all simultaneously. Effects can keep one or more of a player's permanents from untapping normally.

302.2. 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 a player would receive priority during the upkeep step. (See rule 303, "Upkeep Step.")

302.3 Before a player untaps his or her permanents, all permanents with phasing that player controls phase out, and all permanents that player controlled when they phased out simultaneously phase in. (See rule 217.8, "Phased-Out," and rule 502.15, "Phasing.")

303. Upkeep Step

303.1. As the upkeep step begins, any abilities that trigger at the beginning of that upkeep step or that triggered during that turn's untap step go on the stack. (See rule 404, "Triggered Abilities.") Once all such abilities have gone onto the stack, the active player gets priority. Then players may play spells and abilities.

304. Draw Step

304.1. As the draw step begins, any abilities that trigger at the beginning of the draw step go on the stack. (See rule 404, "Triggered Abilities.") Then the draw step action-the active player drawing a card-goes on the stack. This action is a triggered ability, but it isn't controlled by either player. It simply goes on the stack on top of all abilities players control that trigger at the beginning of the draw step. 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 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 both players pass in succession while the stack is empty.

305.3. As the main phase begins, any abilities that trigger at the beginning of that main phase go on the stack. (See rule 404, "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 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 214.9, "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).

306.2. A creature is removed from combat if it stops being a creature (as a result of leaving play by any means, such as by being destroyed or removed from the game), if it regenerates (see rule 419.6b), or if its controller changes. "Removed from combat" means the creature stops being an attacking, blocking, blocked, and/or unblocked creature. 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. 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.

307. Beginning of Combat Step

307.1. As this step begins, triggered abilities (if any) are added to the stack, and then the active player gets priority to play spells and abilities.

308. Declare Attackers Step

308.1. The active player declares which, if any, creatures he or she controls will attack. Only creatures can attack, and the following creatures can't attack: tapped creatures (even those that can attack without tapping), Walls, and creatures the active player didn't control continuously since the beginning of the turn. This declaration is simultaneous, not sequential, and doesn't go on the stack. Any triggered ability generated during this action waits until a player would receive priority.

308.2. The active player determines whether the attack is legal. (See section 5, "Additional Rules.") If it is, he or she taps all creatures that will attack. Tapping a creature when it is declared as an attacker is not a cost; attacking simply causes creatures to become tapped. Then the player pays all required costs. (See rule 409.1f.) The active player may play mana abilities at this time only if an attack cost includes a mana payment.

308.3. If the proposed attack isn't legal or the active player can't pay all required costs, all actions described in rules 308.1 and 308.2 are canceled. Then the active player redeclares which creatures will attack. (See rule 422, "Handling Illegal Actions.")

308.4. If no creatures are declared as attackers, the game proceeds directly to the end of combat step, skipping the remainder of the declare attackers step as well as the entire declare blockers and combat damage steps.

308.5. A creature becomes an attacking creature when it has been declared as part of a legal attack and all attack costs have been paid, but only if it's controlled by the active player. It remains an attacking creature until it's removed from combat or the combat phase ends, whichever comes first. The nonactive player is considered to have been attacked that turn at this time if one or more creatures are attacking.

308.5a A creature is considered attacking alone if it's the sole creature declared as an attacker in a given combat phase.

308.6. After a legal attack has been declared and all required costs have been paid, the active player receives priority to play spells and abilities.

309. Declare Blockers Step

309.1. The defending player declares which, if any, creatures he or she controls are blocking and which attacking creature each one blocks. Noncreature permanents and tapped creatures can't be declared as blockers. Each creature may block only one attacking creature, although any number of creatures may block the same attacking creature. (Note that blocking doesn't cause a creature to tap.) This declaration is simultaneous, not sequential, and doesn't go on the stack. Any triggered ability generated during this action waits until a player would receive priority.

309.2. The defending player determines whether the block is legal. (See section 5, "Additional Rules.") If it is, he or she pays all required costs. A player may play mana abilities at this time only if a blocking cost that player could pay includes a mana payment.

309.3. If the proposed block isn't legal or the defending player can't pay all required costs, all actions described in rules 309.1 and 309.2 are canceled. Then the defending player redeclares blocking creatures. (See rule 422, "Handling Illegal Actions.")

309.4. A creature becomes a blocking creature when it has been declared as part of a legal block and all block costs have been paid, but only if it's controlled by the defending player. 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. The creature's status remains unchanged until the creature is removed from combat or the combat phase ends, whichever comes first.

309.4a A creature is considered blocking alone if it's the sole creature declared as a blocker in a given combat phase.

309.5. After all legal blocks have been declared and all required costs have been paid, the active player receives priority to play spells and abilities.

310. Combat Damage Step

310.1. First 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. (See also rule 502.2, "First Strike.") 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:

310.1a Each attacking creature and each blocking creature will assign combat damage equal to its power.

310.1b An unblocked creature will assign all its combat damage to the defending player.

310.1c 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.

310.1d A blocking creature will assign combat damage, divided as its controller chooses (no fractions), 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.

310.2. All assignments of combat damage go on the stack as though they were a single pseudospell. Then the active player receives priority to play spells and abilities.

310.3. Although combat-damage assignments go on the stack, they aren't spells or abilities, so they can't be countered.

310.4. Combat damage resolves as though it were a pseudospell. When it resolves, it's dealt as originally assigned. This happens even if the creature dealing damage is no longer in play, its power has changed, or the creature receiving damage has left combat. (Note that the source of the damage is the creature as it currently exists, or as it most recently existed if it is no longer in play.) If a creature that was supposed to receive damage is no longer in play or is no longer a creature, the damage assigned to it isn't dealt. After combat damage finishes resolving, the active player gets priority.

311. End of Combat Step

311.1. All "at end of combat" abilities trigger and go on the stack. (See rule 404, "Triggered Abilities.") Then the active player receives priority to play spells and abilities.

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 404, "Triggered Abilities.") The active player gets priority, then 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.

314. Cleanup Step

314.1. The cleanup step proceeds in the following order.

314.1a First, 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 action doesn't go on the stack.

314.1b Then, simultaneously, all damage is removed from permanents and all "until end of turn" and "this turn" effects end. This action doesn't go on the stack.

314.1c Then, only 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 receives priority to play spells and abilities. Once the stack is empty and both 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 text in a card's text box that generates an effect. Reminder text, flavor text, characteristic-setting text, and spell text are not abilities. Reminder text and flavor text always appear in italics. Characteristic-setting text is any text that states that that card, permanent, or spell "is" a particular characteristic. Spell text is any text that's followed as a spell is played or is resolving. Abilities generate effects only from the in-play zone unless they state otherwise. Text itself is never an effect. Spells, activated abilities, and triggered abilities generate effects when they resolve. Static abilities generate continuous effects.

401. Spells

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.") A copy of a spell is also a spell, even if it has no card associated with it. A spell stops being a spell when it resolves (see rule 413.2), is countered (see rule 414, "Countering Spells and Abilities"), or leaves the stack somehow.

401.2. Each card type other than land has a corresponding spell type. For example, a played creature card is a creature spell until it resolves, is countered, or leaves the stack. An instant or sorcery spell is targeted if it uses the phrase "target [something]" in its spell text, where the "something" is a phrase that describes a permanent, spell, ability, card, or player. Also, local enchantment spells target the permanent they will enchant.

401.3. 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 Abilities.")

402. Abilities

402.1. An ability is text on a card or permanent that's not reminder text, flavor text, characteristic-setting text, or spell text (see rule 400.1). The result of following such an instruction or of following a spell's text is an effect. (See rule 416, "Effects.") Abilities can affect the cards or permanents they're on; they can also affect other cards, permanents, and/or players. Abilities can grant abilities to other cards or permanents or to the cards or permanents they're on; they do so when the words "has," "have," "gains," or "gain" are used.

402.2. Abilities can be beneficial or detrimental. For example, "[This creature] can't block" is an ability.

402.3. Text on a card stating that the card "is" a particular type or color isn't an ability. Such statements apply no matter what zone the card is in and aren't removed by effects that cause a permanent to lose its abilities. This rule applies only to text that states a card's type or color, not to other characteristic-setting text.

402.4. An additional cost or alternative cost to play a card isn't an ability of the card. Such text is spell text.

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 (the card on which it's printed) as a pseudospell 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 spell, activated ability, or triggered ability that references information about the source will check that information when the ability resolves, or will use the source's last known information if it's no longer in play.

402.7. A card may have several 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. A card 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 function only while the permanent with the ability is in play unless the ability states otherwise or unless the ability can only work, trigger, or be played in a zone other than the in-play zone.
Example: An ability with a cost that includes "discard this card from your hand" can be played only if the card is in your hand.

402.9. Some cards have abilities that can be played when the card is not in play. These are clearly marked (for example, "Play this ability only if [this card] is in your graveyard"). These abilities aren't of any particular permanent type-cards not in play aren't permanents. Some cards have abilities that can trigger while the card is in a zone other than the in-play zone. Such abilities specify the zone from which they trigger. They aren't abilities of any particular permanent type because cards not in play aren't permanents.

402.10. There are three general types of abilities: activated, triggered, and static. Mana abilities are an ability subtype. Abilities can generate one-shot effects or continuous effects. Replacement effects and prevention effects are effect subtypes. An activated or triggered ability is targeted if it uses the phrase "target [something]" in its text, where the "something" is a phrase that describes a permanent, spell, ability, card, or player.

403. Activated Abilities

403.1. An activated ability can exist in one of two places: on a permanent or on a card outside the in-play zone. An activated ability is written as "cost: effect." The activation cost is everything before the colon (:). The ability's controller must pay its activation cost to play it.

403.2. Only a permanent's controller (or a card's owner, for cards outside the in-play zone) can play its activated ability unless the card 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 permanent even if its controller changes.

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. A delayed triggered ability will also contain one of these three words, although that word won't usually begin the ability.

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.

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 and goes on the stack. 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.

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 "is."

406. Ability Subtypes

406.1. Mana Abilities

406.1a A mana ability is either (a) an activated ability that puts mana into a player's mana pool when it resolves or (b) a triggered ability that triggers from an activated mana ability and produces additional mana. A mana ability can generate other effects at the same time it produces mana.

406.1b 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.

406.1c A mana ability remains a mana ability even if the game state doesn't allow it to produce mana.
Example: A card 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 card is already tapped.

406.1d A mana ability can be activated or triggered. However, the rules for playing and resolving mana abilities differ slightly from those for playing other abilities. See rule 411, "Playing Mana Abilities," for details.

406.1e 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 408.2, "Actions That Don't Use the Stack.") Abilities (other than mana abilities) that trigger on playing mana abilities do go on the stack, however.

406.2. Delayed Triggered Abilities

406.2a An effect may create a delayed triggered ability that can do something at a later time.

406.2b 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 card leaves play," but the card in question leaves play before the spell or ability creating the effect resolves. In this case, the delayed ability never triggers. As another example, if an effect reads "when this card becomes untapped" and the named card becomes untapped before the effect resolves, the ability waits for the next time that card untaps.

406.2c A delayed ability that refers to a particular permanent still affects it even if the permanent changes characteristics.
Example: An ability reading, "At end of turn, destroy that creature" will destroy the permanent even if it's no longer a creature during the end of turn step.

406.2d A delayed ability that refers to a particular permanent will fail if the permanent leaves play (even if it returns again before the specified time). Similarly, delayed triggered abilities that apply to a card in a particular zone will fail if the card leaves that zone.
Example: An ability reading, "At end of turn, remove this creature from the game" won't do anything if the creature leaves play before the end of turn step.

406.2e 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."

407. Adding and Removing Abilities

407.1. Effects can add or remove abilities of permanents. 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. A permanent's characteristic set by an effect is different from an ability granted by an effect. When a permanent "gains" or "has" an ability, it can be removed by another effect. If an effect defines a characteristic of the permanent ("[permanent] is [characteristic]"), it's not granting an ability. (See also rule 402.3.)
Example: An effect reads, "Enchanted creature has 'This creature is an artifact. It's still a creature.'" This effect grants an ability to the creature that can be removed by other effects. Another effect reads, "Enchanted creature is an artifact. It's still a 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 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, ability, or land as governed by the rules for that phase. The game also checks for state-based effects and triggered abilities during the cleanup step (see rule 314, "Cleanup Step"). If any state-based effects resolve or abilities trigger, the active player gets priority afterward.

408.1c The active player gets priority at the beginning of most phases and steps, after special actions and abilities that trigger at the beginning of that phase or step go on the stack. (The exceptions are the untap step and the cleanup step.) The active player also gets priority after combat damage resolves. The player with priority may either play a spell or ability, or pass. If he or she plays a spell or ability, the player again receives priority; otherwise, his or her opponent receives priority. If both players pass in succession (that is, if both players pass without taking any actions in between passing), the top spell or ability on the stack resolves, then the active player receives priority. If the stack is empty when both players pass in succession, the phase or step ends and the next one begins.

408.1d A player may play a spell or activated ability only when he or she has priority. Spells other than instants can be played only during a player's main phase, when that player has priority, and only when the stack is empty.

408.1e When a spell is played, it goes on top of the stack. When an activated ability is played, a pseudospell representing it goes on 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, a pseudospell goes on the stack for each ability that has triggered but that hasn't yet 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 418, "Continuous Effects," and rule 419, "Replacement and Prevention Effects.")

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 406.2, "Delayed Triggered Abilities.")

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 214.9, "Lands.")

408.2e Mana abilities resolve immediately. If a mana ability produces both mana and another effect, both the mana and the other effect resolve immediately. If a player had priority before a mana ability was played, that player still has priority after it resolves. (See rule 406.1, "Mana Abilities.")

408.2f Characteristic-setting text, such as "[This card] is a forest," is simply read and followed as applicable. (See also rule 402.3.)

408.2g Game actions-untapping during the untap step, declaring attacking or blocking creatures, cleanup, and mana burn-don't use the stack. The two exceptions are combat damage and the draw action of the draw step.

408.2h The controller of a face-down permanent may turn it face up whenever he or she has priority. (See rule 504, "Face-Down Spells and Permanents.")

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.
     Some spells and abilities specify that their controller's opponent 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. If the spell or ability instructs both players to do something at the same time as it's being played, the spell's controller goes first, then his or her opponent. This applies to all parts of rule 409.1.

409.1a The player announces that he or she is playing the spell or ability. It goes on the stack and remains there until it's countered or resolves. Spell cards are physically placed on the stack. For abilities, a pseudospell with the text of the ability goes on the stack. All other characteristics of the pseudospell depend on the characteristics of the ability's source. For example, such a pseudospell's color would be continuously determined by the color of its source, not just the source's color when the pseudospell went on the stack.

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 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 or kicker costs), the player announces his or her intentions to pay any or all of those costs (see rule 409.1f). 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 spell or ability can't be played unless the required number of legal targets are chosen. The same target can't be chosen multiple times.
     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.

409.1d If the spell or ability affects several targets in different ways, the player announces how it will affect each target.

409.1e If the spell or ability requires the player to divide an effect (such as damage or counters) among a number of targets, the player announces the division. Each of these targets must receive at least one of whatever is being divided (for example, damage or counters).

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 or activation cost, plus all cost increases and minus all cost reductions. Once the total cost is determined, it becomes "locked in," and the player then has a chance to play mana abilities (see rule 411, "Playing Mana Abilities"). 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. If effects would change the total cost after this time, they have no effect. Playing a spell or ability that alters costs won't do anything to spells and abilities that are already on the stack. 
Example: You play Death Bomb, which costs 3B 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, Death Bomb costs 2B, not 3B, even though you're sacrificing the Familiar.

409.1g Once the steps described in 409.1a-409.1f are completed, the spell or ability becomes played. Its controller gains priority.

409.2. Activated abilities that read "Play this ability only any time you could play [spell type]" mean the player must follow the timing rules for that spell type, though the ability isn't actually of that spell type.

409.3. 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. Creatures with haste may ignore this rule (see rule 502.5).

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 doesn't do anything when it triggers but automatically puts a pseudospell (see rule 217.6b) on the stack as soon as a player would receive priority. The ability (and the pseudospell) is controlled by the player who controlled its source at the time it triggered. If the ability says a player "may" do something, that player makes all choices for that instruction. If the ability says this for more than one player, each player specified makes the choices for their instructions. See also rule 410.6.

410.3. If multiple abilities have triggered since the last time a player received priority, pseudospells controlled by the active player go on the stack first, in any order he or she chooses, then those controlled by the opponent go on the stack in any order that opponent chooses. 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 pseudospell makes all required choices, following the rules for activated abilities (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 pseudospell 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 a condition elsewhere within its text.

410.9. Some abilities trigger when creatures block or are blocked in combat. (See rules 306-311 and section 5, "Additional Rules.") They may trigger once or repeatedly, depending on the wording of the ability.

410.9a An ability that reads "Whenever [this creature] blocks" or "Whenever [this creature] becomes blocked" triggers only once each combat for that creature, even if it blocks or is blocked by multiple creatures. An effect that causes the creature to become blocked (if the creature wasn't already blocked) will also trigger such abilities.

410.9b An ability that reads "Whenever [this creature] blocks a creature" triggers once for each attacking creature the named creature blocks.

410.9c An ability that reads "Whenever a creature blocks [this creature]" triggers once for each creature that blocks the named creature. It doesn't trigger if the attacking creature becomes blocked by an effect rather than a blocking creature.

410.9d If an ability triggers when a creature blocks or is blocked by a particular number of creatures, the ability triggers only 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, but effects that switch blockers cannot. 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 cards or permanents changing zones are called "zone-change triggers." Many abilities with zone-change triggers attempt to do something to that card after it changes zones. During resolution, these abilities look for the card in the zone that it moved to. If the card is unable to be found in the zone it went to, the part of the ability attempting to do something to the card will fail to do anything. The ability could be unable to find the card because the card 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 card 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 card] 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, "Whenever [this card] leaves play, . . ." or "Whenever [permanent type] 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 Abilities that trigger on one or more permanents leaving play, or on a player losing control of a permanent, must be treated specially because the permanent with the ability may no longer be in play after the event. The game has to "look back in time" to determine what triggered. Each time an event removes from play or changes who controls one or more permanents, all the permanents in play just before the event (with continuous effects that existed at that time) are checked for trigger events that match what just left play or changed control.
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.
"Leaves play" triggers are zone-change triggers, even if the trigger condition doesn't care what zone the permanent is going to. If they attempt to do something to the card that left play, they'll look for it only in the first zone that it went to after leaving play.

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.

410.11. 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 (even if it's not legal to play a spell or ability at that time). 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 pseudospell it created has resolved or been countered. Then, if the permanent with the ability is still in play and the game state still matches its trigger condition, the ability will trigger again.
Example: A permanent's ability reads, "When your hand is empty, 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 the same number of 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. It resolves immediately afterward 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. 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 land produces one additional mana of the same color." 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" to a player's mana pool, and the mana ability that triggered it produced more than one type of mana, the player to whose mana pool the mana is being added chooses which type 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 permanent with the static ability remains in play.

412.2. Many local enchantments have static abilities that modify their enchanted permanent, but those abilities don't target that permanent. If a local enchantment 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 . . ." and "You may pay [cost] rather than paying [this card]'s mana cost" work while the card is a spell 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] . . ." and "You can't play [this card] . . . ."

412.5. Unlike spells and other kinds of abilities, static abilities can't use a card or permanent's last known information for purposes of determining how their effects are applied.

413. Resolving Spells and Abilities

413.1. Each time both players pass in succession, the spell, 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 but is treated by the game as a single indivisible action. 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 wording of the spell or ability. If all targets are now illegal, the spell or ability is countered. 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.

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. 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 card 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.)
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 If an effect requires both players to make choices or take actions at the same time, the active player makes and announces his or her choices first, and then his or her opponent does (knowing the first player's choices). Then the actions take place simultaneously. This is called the "active player rule." If a player must make more than one choice at a time, he or she makes the choices in the order written, or in the order he or she chooses if the choices aren't ordered. Then, the actions are processed simultaneously.
     Some spells and abilities have multiple steps or actions, denoted by separate sentences or clauses. In these cases, the active player makes any choices required for the first action, then the nonactive player makes any choices required for that action, then the first action is processed simultaneously. Then, the active player makes any choices required for the second action, then the nonactive player makes any choices required for that action, then that action is processed simultaneously, and so on.
Example: Stronghold Gambit reads, in part, "Each player chooses a card in his or her hand. Then each player reveals his or her chosen card." First the active player chooses a card, then the nonactive player does so. Each player reveals the cards simultaneously.

413.2e If an effect gives a player the option to pay mana, he or she may play mana abilities as part of the action. No other spells or abilities can 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 card or permanent had before leaving that zone. The exception is that static abilities can't use last known information; see rule 412.5. If the ability text states that a permanent does something, it's the permanent as it exists (or most recently existed) that does it, not the ability.

413.2g An effect that refers to characteristics of a permanent checks only for the value of the specified characteristics, regardless of any related ones the permanent 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 card 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 step of the spell's resolution.

413.2i If an effect could result in a tie, the text of the spell or ability that created the effect will specify what to do in the event of a tie. The Magic game has no default for ties.

414. Countering Spells and Abilities

414.1. To counter a spell is to move the spell card from the stack to its owner's graveyard. Countering a copy of a spell removes the copy from the stack. Countering an ability removes its pseudospell from the stack. Spells and abilities that are countered don't resolve and none of their effects occur.

414.2. The player who played the countered spell or ability doesn't get a "refund" of any costs that were paid.

415. Editing a Spell or Ability

415.1. A few effects can "edit" a spell or ability after it goes on the stack, changing its target, rules text, or other characteristics.

415.2. The target of a spell or ability can change only to another legal target. If the new target is illegal when the change resolves, the original target is unchanged.

415.2a Modal spells may have different targeting requirements for each mode. Changing a spell or ability's target can't change its mode.

415.2b The word "you" in a card's text isn't a target. If a spell affects only its controller, its target can't be changed.

415.3. If an effect edits 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.

415.4. An effect that changes the text of a spell or permanent only changes words that are of the correct type (for example, a Magic color word being used as a color word, a land type word used as a land type, or a creature type word used as a creature type). The effect can't change a proper noun, such as a card name, even if that proper noun contains a word or a series of letters that is the same as a Magic color word, basic land type, or creature type.
     Spells and abilities that create creature tokens use creature types to define both the creature types and the names of the tokens. These words can be changed, because they are being used as creature types, even though they're also being used as names. Once a token has been created, it has its creature type and name printed on it. The creature type of a creature token in play can be changed, but its name can't.

416. Effects

416.1. When a spell or ability resolves, it may create one or more effects. There are three main types: one-shot effects, continuous effects, and replacement and prevention effects. Effects of a fourth category, state-based effects, are generated by specific states of the game.

416.2. Effects apply only to permanents unless the instruction's text states otherwise or they clearly can apply only to cards in one or more other zones.
Example: An effect that changes all lands to creatures won't alter land cards in the players' graveyards.

416.3. If an effect attempts to do something impossible, it does only as much as possible.
Example: If a player is holding only one card, an effect that reads "Discard two cards" causes him or her to discard only that card. If an effect moves cards out of the library (as opposed to drawing), it moves as many as possible.

417. One-Shot Effects

417.1. A one-shot effect does something just once and doesn't have a duration. Examples include damage dealing, destruction of permanents, and moving cards between zones.

417.2. Some one-shot effects instruct a player to do something later in the game (usually at a specific time) rather than when they resolve. This kind of effect actually creates a new ability that waits to be triggered. (See rule 406.2, "Delayed Triggered Abilities.")

418. Continuous Effects

418.1. A continuous effect modifies characteristics of cards and/or permanents or modifies the rules of the game for a fixed or indefinite period. A continuous effect may be generated by the resolution of a spell or ability or by a static ability of a permanent.

418.2. Continuous effects that modify characteristics of permanents do so simultaneously with the permanent coming into play. They don't wait until the permanent is in play and then change it. Because such effects apply as the permanent comes into play, apply them before determining whether the permanent will cause an ability to trigger when it comes into play.

418.3. Continuous Effects from Spells or Abilities

418.3a A continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability lasts as long as stated by the spell or ability creating it (such as "until end of turn"). If no duration is stated, it lasts until the end of the game.

418.3b Continuous effects from spells, activated abilities, and triggered abilities that modify the characteristics or change the controller of one or more cards and/or permanents don't affect cards and/or permanents that weren't affected when the continuous effect began. Note that these work differently than continuous effects from static abilities. Continuous effects that don't modify characteristics or change the controller of cards and/or permanents modify the rules of the game, so they can affect cards and/or permanents that weren't affected when the continuous effect began.
Example: An effect that reads "All white creatures get +1/+1 until end of turn" gives the bonus to all permanents that are white creatures when the spell or ability resolves-even if they change color later-and doesn't affect those that come into play or turn white afterward.
Example: An effect that reads "Prevent all damage creatures would deal this turn" doesn't modify any card's or permanent's characteristics, so it's modifying the rules of the game. That means the effect will apply even to creatures that weren't in play when the continuous effect began. It also affects permanents that become creatures later in the turn.

418.3c If the spell or ability creating a continuous effect contains a variable, the value of that variable is determined only once, on resolution. See rule 413.2f.

418.3d Some effects from activated or triggered abilities have durations worded "as long as . . . ." If the "as long as" duration ends between the end of announcing the activated ability or putting the triggered ability onto the stack and the moment when the effect would first be applied, the effect does nothing. It doesn't start and immediately stop again, and it doesn't last forever.
Example: Endoskeleton is an artifact with an activated ability that reads "2, T: Target creature gets +0/+3 as long as Endoskeleton remains tapped." If you play this ability and then Endoskeleton becomes untapped before the ability resolves, it does nothing, because its duration-remaining tapped-was over before the effect began.

418.4. Continuous Effects from Static Abilities

418.4a A continuous effect generated by a static ability isn't "locked in"; it applies at any given moment to whatever its text indicates.

418.4b The effect applies at all times that the permanent generating it is in play or the card generating it is in the appropriate zone.
Example: A permanent with the static ability "All white creatures get +1/+1" generates an effect that continuously gives +1/+1 to each white creature in play. If a creature becomes white, it gets this bonus; a creature that stops being white loses it. A creature spell that would normally create a 1/1 white creature instead creates a 2/2 white creature. The creature doesn't come into play as 1/1 and then change to 2/2.

418.5. Interaction of Continuous Effects

418.5a Sometimes the results of one effect determine whether another effect applies or what it does. For example, one effect might read, "All white creatures get +1/+1" and another, "Enchanted creature is white."

418.5b An effect is said to "depend on" another if applying the other would change the text or the existence of the first effect, what it applies to, or what it does to any of the things it applies to. Otherwise, the effect is considered to be independent of the first effect.

418.5c Whenever one effect depends on another, the independent one is applied first. If several dependent effects form a loop, or if none depends on another, they're applied in "timestamp order." A card or permanent's timestamp is the time it entered the zone it's currently in, with two exceptions: (1) If two or more cards or permanents enter a zone (or zones) simultaneously, the active player determines their timestamp order at the time they enter that zone, but a local enchantment must be timestamped after what it enchants. (2) Whenever a local enchantment becomes attached to a permanent, the enchantment receives a new timestamp. Continuous effects generated by static abilities have the same timestamp as the card or permanent that generated them. Continuous effects generated by the resolution of a spell or ability receive a timestamp when the spell or ability creating them resolves.

418.5d A continuous effect can override another.
Example: Two enchantments are played on the same creature: "Enchanted creature gains flying" and "Enchanted creature loses flying." Neither of these depends on the other, since nothing changes what they affect or what they're doing to it. Applying them in timestamp order means the one that was generated last "wins." It's irrelevant whether an effect is temporary (such as "Target creature loses flying until end of turn") or global (such as "All creatures lose flying").

418.5e The value of a permanent's characteristic is determined by starting with the printed or token value, then applying copy effects (see rule 503, "Copying Spells and Abilities"), then applying continuous effects generated by type-changing abilities, then applying any power or toughness changes due to counters, and then applying all other continuous effects.

419. Replacement and Prevention Effects

419.1. Replacement and prevention effects are continuous effects that watch for a particular event to happen and then completely or partially replace that event. (A prevention effect replaces an event with nothing or with a lessened version of the event.) These effects act like "shields" around whatever they're affecting. All replacement effects use the word "instead" to indicate what events will be replaced with other events, and prevention effects use "prevent" to indicate what events will not occur. Abilities that contain "instead" or "prevent" generate replacement or prevention effects, respectively.

419.2. Replacement and prevention effects apply continuously as events happen-they aren't locked in ahead of time.

419.3. There are no special restrictions on playing a spell or ability that generates a replacement or prevention effect. Such effects last until they're used up or their duration has expired.

419.4. Replacement or prevention effects must exist before the appropriate event occurs-they can't "go back in time" and change something that's already happened. Usually spells and abilities that generate these effects are played in response to whatever would produce the event and thus resolve before that event would occur.
Example: A player can play a regeneration ability in response to a spell that would destroy a creature he or she controls.

419.5. If an event is prevented or replaced, it never happens. A modified event occurs instead, which may in turn trigger abilities. Note that the modified event may contain instructions that can't be carried out, in which case the player simply ignores the impossible instruction. If a source would deal 0 damage, it does not deal damage at all. That means abilities that trigger on damage being dealt won't trigger. It also means that replacement effects that increase damage dealt have no event to replace when 0 damage is dealt, so they have no effect. Some abilities read, "Whenever [X], you may [Y]. If you do, [Z]." The "if you do" clause refers to doing any part of the event Y. If Y is replaced entirely or in part by a different event, the "if you do" clause refers to the event that replaced Y.

419.6. Replacement Effects

419.6a A replacement effect doesn't invoke itself repeatedly and gets only one opportunity for each event.
Example: A player controls two permanents, each with an ability that reads "Instead of dealing their normal damage, creatures you control deal double that damage." A creature that normally deals 1 damage will deal 4 damage-not just 2, and not an infinite amount.

419.6b Regeneration is a destruction-replacement effect. The key word "instead" doesn't appear on the card but is implicit in its definition. "Regenerate [permanent]" means "The next time [permanent] would be destroyed this turn, instead remove all damage from it, tap it, and (if it's in combat) remove it from combat." Note that if destruction is caused by lethal damage, any abilities that trigger from that damage being dealt still trigger even if the permanent regenerates.

419.6c Some effects replace damage dealt to one creature or player with the same damage dealt to another creature or player; such effects are called "redirection" effects. If either creature is no longer in play or is no longer a creature when the damage would be redirected, the effect does nothing. Likewise, if either player is no longer in the game, the effect does nothing.

419.6d Some spells and abilities replace part or all of their own effect(s) when they resolve. Such effects are called "self-replacement effects." When applying replacement effects to an event, apply self-replacement effects first, then apply other replacement effects.

419.7. Prevention Effects

419.7a Prevention effects usually apply to damage that would be dealt.

419.7b Some prevention effects refer to a specific amount of damage-for example, "Prevent the next 3 damage to target creature or player this turn." These work like ablative shields. Each 1 damage that would be dealt to the "shielded" creature or player is prevented. Preventing 1 damage reduces the remaining shield by 1. If damage would be dealt to the shielded creature or player by two or more sources at the same time, the player or the controller of the creature can choose which damage the shield prevents first. Once the shield has been reduced to 0, any remaining damage is dealt normally. Such effects count only the amount of damage; the number of events or sources dealing it doesn't matter.

419.7c Some prevention effects apply to damage from a specified source-for example, "The next time a red source of your choice would deal damage to you this turn, prevent that damage." The source is chosen when the spell or ability resolves. If an effect requires a player to choose a source, he or she may choose either a permanent or a spell on the stack (including one that creates a permanent) or any card or permanent referred to by a spell or pseudospell on the stack. If the player chooses a permanent or a permanent spell, the prevention will apply to the next damage from that permanent or the permanent resulting from the spell, regardless of whether it's from one of that permanent's abilities or combat damage dealt by it. It's possible for the source to be out of play by the time the spell or ability resolves.
     Some abilities that generate prevention effects can affect damage only from a source with certain characteristics, such as a creature or a source of a particular color. When the chosen source would deal damage, a prevention "shield" with this type of restriction rechecks the source's characteristics. If the characteristics no longer match, the damage isn't prevented. If for any reason the shield prevents no damage, the shield isn't used up.

419.8. Interaction of Replacement or Prevention Effects

419.8a If two or more replacement or prevention effects are attempting to modify the way an event affects a permanent or player, the affected permanent's controller or the affected player chooses one to apply to that permanent or player. Then the other applies if it is still appropriate. If one or more of the applicable replacement effects is a "self-replacement effect" (see rule 419.6d), that effect is applied before any other replacement effects.
Example: Two cards are in play. One is an enchantment that reads "If a card would be put into a graveyard, instead remove it from the game," and the other is a creature that reads "If [this card] would be put into a graveyard, instead shuffle it into its owner's library." The controller of the creature that would be destroyed decides which replacement to apply first; the other does nothing.

419.8b A replacement effect can become applicable to an event as the result of another replacement effect that modifies the event.
Example: One effect reads, "For each 1 life you would gain, instead draw a card," and another reads, "Instead of drawing a card, return target card from your graveyard to your hand." Both effects combine (regardless of the order they came into play): Instead of gaining 1 life, the player puts a card from his or her graveyard into his or her hand.

420. State-Based Effects

420.1. State-based effects are a special category that applies only to those conditions listed below. Abilities that watch for a specified game state are triggered abilities. (See rule 410.8.)

420.2. State-based effects are always active and are not controlled by either player.

420.3. Whenever a player would get priority to play a spell or ability (see rule 408, "Timing of Spells and Abilities"), the game checks for any of the listed conditions for state-based effects. All applicable effects resolve as a single event, then the check is repeated. Once no more state-based effects have been generated, triggered abilities go on the stack, then the appropriate player gets priority. This check is also made during the cleanup step (see rule 314); if any of the listed conditions apply, the active player receives priority.

420.4. Unlike triggered abilities, state-based effects pay no attention to what happens during the resolution of a spell or ability.
Example: A player controls a creature with the ability "This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your hand" and plays a spell whose effect is "Discard your hand, then draw seven cards." The creature will temporarily have toughness 0 in the middle of the spell's resolution but will be back up to toughness 7 when the spell finishes resolving. Thus the creature will survive when state-based effects are checked. In contrast, an ability that triggers when the player has no cards in hand goes on the stack after the spell resolves, because its trigger event happened during resolution.

420.5. The state-based effects are as follows:

420.5a A player with 0 life or less loses the game.

420.5b A creature with toughness 0 or less is put into its owner's graveyard. Regeneration can't replace this event.

420.5c A creature with lethal damage is destroyed. Lethal damage is an amount of damage greater than 0 and greater than or equal to a creature's toughness. Regeneration does replace this event.

420.5d A local enchantment that enchants an illegal or nonexistent permanent is put into its owner's graveyard.

420.5e If two or more Legends or legendary permanents with the same name are in play, all except the one that has been a Legend or legendary permanent with that name the longest are put into their owners' graveyards. This is called "the Legend rule." In the event of a tie, each Legend or legendary permanent with the same name is put into its owner's graveyard. (If two permanents have the same name but only one is a Legend or is legendary, this rule doesn't apply.)

420.5f A token in a zone other than the in-play zone ceases to exist.

420.5g A player who was required to draw more cards than were in his or her library loses the game.

420.5h A player with ten or more poison counters loses the game.

420.5i If two or more enchant worlds are in play, all except the one that has been an enchant world for the shortest amount of time are put into their owners' graveyards. In the event of a tie for the shortest amount of time, all are put into their owners' graveyards.

420.5j A copy of a spell in a zone other than the stack ceases to exist.

421. Handling "Infinite" Loops

421.1. Occasionally the game can get into a state in which a set of actions could be repeated forever. The "infinity rule" governs how to break such loops.

421.2. If the loop contains one or more optional actions and one player controls them all, that player chooses a number. The loop is treated as repeating that many times or until the other player intervenes, whichever comes first.

421.3. If the loop contains at least one optional action controlled by each player and actions by both players are required to continue the loop, the active player chooses a number. The nonactive player then has two choices. He or she can choose a lower number, in which case the loop continues that number of times plus whatever fraction is necessary for the active player to "have the last word." Or he or she can agree to the number the active player chose, in which case the loop continues that number of times plus whatever fraction is necessary for the nonactive player to "have the last word." (Note that either fraction may be zero.)
Example: One player controls a creature with the ability "0: [This creature] gains flying." Another player controls a permanent with the ability "0: Target creature loses flying." The "infinity rule" ensures that regardless of which player initiated the gain/lose flying ability, the nonactive player will always have the final choice and therefore be able to determine whether the creature has flying. (Note that this assumes that the first player attempted to give the creature flying at least once.)

421.4. If the loop contains only mandatory actions, the game ends in a draw. (See rule 102.6.)

421.5. If the loop contains at least one optional action controlled by each player and these actions don't depend on one another, the active player chooses a number. The nonactive player can either agree to that number or choose a higher number. Note that this rule applies even if the actions could exist in separate loops rather than in a single loop.

422. Handling Illegal Actions

422.1. If a player realizes that he or she can't legally take an action after starting to do so, the entire action is reversed and any payments already made are canceled. No abilities trigger and no effects apply as a result of an undone action. If the action was playing a spell, the spell card returns to the zone it came from. The player may also reverse any legal mana abilities played while making the illegal play, unless mana from them or from any triggered mana abilities they triggered was spent on another mana ability that wasn't reversed. Players may not reverse actions that moved cards to a library or from a library to any zone other than the stack. Players may not reverse actions that involved a random choice or random zone change.

422.2. When reversing illegal spells and abilities, the player who had priority retains it and may take another action or pass. The player may redo the reversed action in a legal way or take any other action allowed by the rules.


5. Additional Rules

500. Legal Attacks and Blocks

500.1. Some abilities and continuous effects restrict declaring attackers or blockers in combat. (See rule 308, "Declare Attackers Step," and rule 309, "Declare Blockers Step.")

500.2. As part of declaring attackers, the active player checks each creature he or she controls to see whether it must attack, can't attack, or has some other attacking restriction or requirement. If such a restriction or requirement conflicts with the proposed attack, the attack is illegal, and the active player must then propose another set of attacking creatures. (Tapped creatures and creatures with unpaid costs to attack are exempt from effects that would require them to attack.) 
Example: A player controls two creatures, each with a restriction that states "[This creature] can't attack alone." It's legal to declare both as attackers.
Example: A player controls one creature that "attacks if able" and another creature with no abilities. An effect states, "Only one creature may attack each turn." It's legal to declare either creature as an attacker but illegal to attack with both or neither.

500.3. As part of declaring blockers, the defending player checks each creature he or she controls to see whether it must block, can't block, or has some other blocking restriction or requirement. If such a restriction or requirement conflicts with the proposed set of blocking creatures, the block is illegal, and the defending player must then propose another set of blocking creatures. (Creatures with unpaid costs to block are exempt from effects that would require them to block.)

501. Evasion Abilities

501.1. Evasion abilities restrict what can block an attacking creature. These are static abilities that modify the declare blockers step of combat.

501.2. Evasion abilities are cumulative.
Example: A Wall without flying can't block a creature that can be blocked only by Walls and by creatures with flying.

501.3. Some creatures have abilities that restrict how they can block. As with evasion abilities, these modify only the rules for the declare blockers step of combat. (If a creature gains an evasion ability after a legal block has been declared, it doesn't affect that block.)

502. Keyword Abilities

502.1. Most creature abilities describe exactly what they do in the card's rules text. Some, though, are very common or would require too much space to define on the card. In these cases, the card lists only the name of the ability as a "keyword"; sometimes reminder text summarizes the game rule.

502.2. First Strike

502.2a First strike is a static ability that modifies the rules for the combat damage step.

502.2b During the combat damage step, if at least one attacking or blocking creature has first strike, creatures without first strike don't assign combat damage. Instead of proceeding to end of combat, the phase gets a second combat damage step to handle the remaining creatures.

502.2c Adding or removing first strike after the first combat damage step won't prevent a creature from dealing combat damage or allow it to deal combat damage twice.

502.2d Multiple instances of first strike on the same creature are redundant.

502.3. Flanking

502.3a Flanking is a triggered ability that triggers during the declare blockers step.

502.3b Whenever a creature with flanking is blocked by a creature without flanking, the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.

502.3c If a creature has multiple instances of flanking, each triggers separately.

502.4. Flying

502.4a Flying is an evasion ability.

502.4b A creature with flying can't be blocked by creatures without flying. A creature with flying can block a creature with or without flying.

502.4c Multiple instances of flying on the same creature are redundant.

502.5. Haste

502.5a Haste is a static ability.

502.5b A creature with haste can attack or use activated abilities whose cost includes the tap symbol even if it hasn't been controlled by its controller continuously since the beginning of his or her most recent turn.

502.5c Multiple instances of haste on the same creature are redundant.

502.6. Landwalk

502.6a Landwalk and snow-covered landwalk are generic terms; a card's rules text usually names a specific type of land (such as in "islandwalk" or "snow-covered swampwalk").

502.6b Landwalk and snow-covered landwalk are evasion abilities. A creature with landwalk is unblockable as long as the defending player controls at least one land of the specified type. A creature with snow-covered landwalk is unblockable as long as the defending player controls at least one land of the specified type that has snow-covered.

502.6c Snow-covered landwalk is a special type of landwalk. If a player is allowed to choose any landwalk ability, that player may choose a snow-covered landwalk ability. If an effect causes a permanent to lose all landwalk abilities, snow-covered landwalk abilities are removed as well.

502.6d Landwalk or snow-covered landwalk abilities don't "cancel" one another.
Example: If a player controls a snow-covered forest, that player can't block an attacking creature with snow-covered forestwalk even if he or she also controls a creature with snow-covered forestwalk.

502.6e Multiple instances of the same type of landwalk or snow-covered landwalk on the same creature are redundant.

502.7. Protection

502.7a Protection is a static ability, written "Protection from [quality]." This quality is usually a color (as in "protection from black") but can be any characteristic, such as a permanent type.

502.7b A permanent with protection can't be targeted by spells with the stated quality, can't be targeted by abilities from a source with the stated quality, and can't be enchanted by enchantments that have the stated quality. Such enchantments enchanting the permanent with protection will be put into their owners' graveyards as a state-based effect. In addition, any damage that would be dealt to it from sources having that quality is prevented. If it attacks, it can't be blocked by creatures having that quality.

502.7c Multiple instances of protection from the same quality on the same permanent are redundant.

502.8. Shadow

502.8a Shadow is an evasion ability.

502.8b A creature with shadow can't be blocked by creatures without shadow, and a creature without shadow can't be blocked by creatures with shadow.

502.8c Multiple instances of shadow on the same creature are redundant.

502.9. Trample

502.9a Trample is a static ability that modifies the rules for assigning an attacking creature's combat damage. A creature with trample has no special abilities when blocking or dealing noncombat damage.

502.9b The controller of an attacking creature with trample first assigns damage to the creature(s) blocking it. If all those blocking creatures are assigned lethal damage, any remaining damage is assigned as its controller chooses among the blocking creatures and the defending player. When checking for assigned lethal damage, take into account damage already on the creature and damage from other creatures that is to be assigned at the same time (see rule 502.9f). The controller need not assign lethal damage to all blocking creatures but in that case can't assign any damage to the defending player.

502.9c If all the creatures blocking an attacking creature with trample are removed from combat before the combat damage step, all its damage is assigned to the defending player.

502.9d Ignore this rule.

502.9e Assigning damage from a creature with trample considers only the actual toughness of a blocking creature, not any abilities or effects that might change the final amount of damage dealt.

502.9f When there are several attacking creatures, it's legal to assign damage from those without trample so as to maximize the damage of those with trample.
Example: A 2/2 creature with an ability that enables it to block multiple attackers blocks two attackers: a 1/1 with no special abilities a 3/3 with trample. The active player could assign 1 damage from the first attacker and 1 damage from the second to the blocking creature, and 2 damage to the defending player from the creature with trample.

502.9g Multiple instances of trample on the same creature are redundant.

502.10. Banding

502.10a Banding is a static ability that modifies the rules for declaring attackers, declaring blockers, and assigning combat damage.

502.10b As a player declares attackers, he or she may declare that any number of those creatures with banding, and up to one of those creatures without banding, are all in a "band." (Defending players can't declare bands but may use banding in a different way; see rule 502.10h.)

502.10c A player may declare as many attacking bands as he or she wants, but each creature may be a member of only one of them.

502.10d Once an attacking band has been announced, it lasts for the rest of combat, even if something later removes the banding ability from one or more creatures. However, creatures in a band that are removed from combat are also removed from the band.

502.10e If an attacking creature becomes blocked by a creature, each other creature in the same band as the attacking creature becomes blocked by that same blocking creature.
Example: A player attacks with a band consisting of a creature with flying and a creature with swampwalk. The defending player, who controls a swamp, can block the flying creature if able. If he or she does, then the creature with swampwalk will also become blocked by the blocking creature(s).

502.10f Banding doesn't cause attacking creatures to share abilities, nor does it remove any abilities. The attacking creatures in a band are separate permanents.

502.10g If one member of a band would become blocked as the result of a spell or ability, the entire band becomes blocked.

502.10h A player who controls a banding creature chooses how combat damage is assigned by creatures blocking or blocked by that creature. If the creature had banding when it attacked or blocked, but the ability was removed before the combat damage step, damage is assigned normally.

502.10i Multiple instances of banding on the same creature are redundant.

502.11. Bands with Other

502.11a Bands with other is a special form of banding. If an effect causes a permanent to lose banding, the permanent loses all bands with other abilities as well.

502.11b An attacking creature with "bands with other [creature type]" can form an attacking band with other creatures that have the same "bands with other [creature type]" ability. Creatures with banding can also join this band, but creatures without banding can't. The creatures in this band don't have to have the creature type specified in the "bands with other [creature type]" ability. Blocking this band follows the same general rules as for banding.

502.11c If a creature is blocked by at least two creatures with the same "bands with other [creature type]" ability, the defending player chooses how the attacking creature's damage is assigned. Similarly, if a creature blocks at least two attacking creatures with the same "bands with other [creature type]" ability, the attacking player chooses how the blocking creature's damage is assigned.

502.12. Rampage

502.12a Rampage is a triggered ability. "Rampage [X]" means "Whenever this creature becomes blocked by two or more creatures, it gets +X/+X until end of turn for each creature blocking it beyond the first."

502.12b The rampage bonus is calculated only once per combat, when the triggered ability resolves. Adding or removing blockers later in combat won't change the bonus.

502.12c If a creature has multiple instances of rampage, each triggers separately.

502.13. Cumulative Upkeep

502.13a Cumulative upkeep is a triggered ability that imposes an increasing cost on a permanent. The phrase "Cumulative upkeep [cost]" means "At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then sacrifice this permanent unless you pay [cost] for each age counter on it."

502.13b If a permanent has multiple instances of cumulative upkeep, each triggers separately. However, the age counters are not linked to any particular ability; each cumulative upkeep ability will count the total number of age counters on the permanent at the time that ability resolves.
Example: A creature has two instances of "Cumulative upkeep-Pay 1 life." The creature currently has no counters but both cumulative upkeep abilities trigger. When the first ability resolves, the controller adds a counter and then chooses to pay 1 life. When the second ability resolves, the controller adds another counter and then chooses to pay an additional 2 life.

502.14. Snow-Covered

502.14a Snow-covered is an ability that doesn't do anything in its own right; it's simply a keyword that other cards look for. When a card refers to a "snow-covered land," it means a land with the snow-covered ability. When a card refers to a "snow-covered forest," it means a forest with the snow-covered ability, and so on.

502.14b Five snow-covered lands were printed in the Ice Age(tm) expansion. Their names are Snow-Covered Plains, Snow-Covered Island, Snow-Covered Swamp, Snow-Covered Mountain, and Snow-Covered Forest. These lands are basic lands, even though they have a different name and they have the snow-covered ability.

502.14c Some effects can add or remove the snow-covered ability. This doesn't change the existing name of the land. For example, a card named Snow-Covered Forest is named "Snow-Covered Forest," while a forest that has been granted the snow-covered ability is still named "Forest."

502.15. Phasing

502.15a Phasing is a static ability that modifies the rules of the untap step.

502.15b During each player's untap step, before that player untaps his or her permanents, all permanents with phasing the player controls phase out. Simultaneously, all permanents that had phased out under that player's control phase in. (See rule 217.8, "Phased-Out," and rule 302.3.)

502.15c If a spell or ability causes a player to skip his or her untap step, the phasing event simply doesn't occur that turn.

502.15d Permanents phasing in don't trigger any comes-into-play abilities, and effects that modify how a permanent comes into play are ignored. Abilities and effects that specifically mentio