General Rulings - 613

• 613.1 - The values of an object's characteristics are determined by starting with the actual object. For a card, that means the values of the characteristics printed on that card. For a token or a copy of a spell or card, that means the values of the characteristics defined by the effect that created it. Then all applicable continuous effects are applied in a series of layers in the following order: [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.1a - Layer 1: Copy effects are applied. See Rule 706, "Copying Objects." [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.1b - Layer 2: Control-changing effects are applied. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.1c - Layer 3: Text-changing effects are applied. See Rule 612, "Text-Changing Effects." [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.1d - Layer 4: Type-changing effects are applied. This includes effects that change an object's card type, subtype, and/or supertype. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.1e - Layer 5: Color-changing effects are applied. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.1f - Layer 6: Ability-adding and ability-removing effects are applied. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.1g - Layer 7: Power- and/or toughness-changing effects are applied. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.2 - Within layers 1-6, apply effects from characteristic-defining abilities first (see Rule 604.3), then all other effects in timestamp order (see Rule 613.6). Note that dependency may alter the order in which effects are applied within a layer or sublayer. (See Rule 613.7.) [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.3 - Within layer 7, apply effects in a series of sublayers in the order described below. Within each sublayer, apply effects in timestamp order. (See Rule 613.6.) Note that dependency may alter the order in which effects are applied within a layer or sublayer. (See Rule 613.7.) [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.3a - Layer 7a: Effects from characteristic-defining abilities are applied. See Rule 604.3. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.3b - Layer 7b: Effects that set power and/or toughness to a specific number or value are applied. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.3c - Layer 7c: Effects that modify power and/or toughness (but don't set power and/or toughness to a specific number or value) are applied. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.3d - Layer 7d: Power and/or toughness changes from counters are applied. See Rule 120. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.3e - Layer 7e: Effects that switch a creature's power and toughness are applied. Such effects take the value of power and apply it to the creature's toughness, and take the value of toughness and apply it to the creature's power. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
  Example: A 1/3 creature is given +0/+1 by an effect. Then another effect switches the creature's power and toughness. Its new power and toughness is 4/1. A new effect gives the creature +5/+0. Its "unswitched" power and toughness would be 6/4, so its actual power and toughness is 4/6. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
  Example: A 1/3 creature is given +0/+1 by an effect. Then another effect switches the creature's power and toughness. Its new power and toughness is 4/1. If the +0/+1 effect ends before the switch effect ends, the creature becomes 3/1. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 613.4 - The application of continuous effects as described by the layer system is continually and automatically performed by the game. All resulting changes to an object's characteristics are instantaneous. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
  Example: Crusade is an enchantment that reads "White creatures get +1/+1." Crusade and a 2/2 black creature are on the battlefield. If an effect then turns the creature white (layer 5), it gets +1/+1 from Crusade (layer 7c), becoming 3/3. If the creature's color is later changed to red (layer 5), Crusade's effect stops applying to it, and it will return to being 2/2. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
  Example: Gray Ogre, a 2/2 creature, is on the battlefield. An effect puts a +1/+1 counter on it (layer 7d), making it 3/3. A spell targeting it that says "Target creature gets +4/+4 until end of turn" resolves (layer 7c), making it 7/7. An enchantment that says "Creatures you control get +0/+2" enters the battlefield (layer 7c), making it 7/9. An effect that says "Target creature becomes 0/1 until end of turn" is applied to it (layer 7b), making it 5/8 (0/1, plus +4/+4 from the resolved spell, plus +0/+2 from the enchantment, plus +1/+1 from the counter). [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 613.5 - If an effect should be applied in different layers and/or sublayers, the parts of the effect each apply in their appropriate ones. If an effect starts to apply in one layer and/or sublayer, it will continue to be applied to the same set of objects in each other applicable layer and/or sublayer, even if the ability generating the effect is removed during this process. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
  Example: An effect that reads "Wild Mongrel gets +1/+1 and becomes the color of your choice until end of turn" is both a power- and toughness-changing effect and a color-changing effect. The "becomes the color of your choice" part is applied in layer 5, and then the "gets +1/+1" part is applied in layer 7. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
  Example: Grab the Reins has an effect that reads "Until end of turn, you gain control of target creature and it gains haste." This is both a control-changing effect and an effect that adds an ability to an object. The "you gain control" part is applied in layer 2, and then the "it gains haste" part is applied in layer 6. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
  Example: An effect that reads "All noncreature artifacts become 2/2 artifact creatures until end of turn" is both a type-changing effect and a power- and toughness-setting effect. The type-changing effect is applied to all noncreature artifacts in layer 4 and the power- and toughness-setting effect is applied to those same permanents in layer 7, even though those permanents aren't noncreature artifacts by then. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
  Example: Svogthos, the Restless Tomb, is on the battlefield. An effect that says "Until end of turn, target land becomes a 3/3 creature that's still a land" is applied to it (layers 4 and 7b). An effect that says "Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn" is applied to it (layer 7c), making it a 4/4 land creature. Then while you have ten creature cards in your graveyard, you activate Svogthos's ability: "Until end of turn, Svogthos, the Restless Tomb becomes a black and green Plant Zombie creature with 'This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of creature cards in your graveyard.' It's still a land." (layers 4, 5, and 7b). It becomes an 11/11 land creature. If a creature card enters or leaves your graveyard, Svogthos's power and toughness will be modified accordingly. If the first effect is applied to it again, it will become a 4/4 land creature again. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 613.6 - Within a layer or sublayer, determining which order effects are applied in is usually done using a timestamp system. An effect with an earlier timestamp is applied before an effect with a later timestamp. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.6a - A continuous effect generated by a static ability has the same timestamp as the object the static ability is on, or the timestamp of the effect that created the ability, whichever is later. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.6b - A continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability receives a timestamp at the time it's created. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.6c - An object's timestamp is the time it entered the zone it's currently in, unless it's an Aura, Equipment, or Fortification that's attached to another object or player, or it's a face-up plane card. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.6d - If an Aura, Equipment, or Fortification becomes attached to an object or player, the Aura, Equipment, or Fortification receives a new timestamp at that time. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.6e - A face-up plane card receives a timestamp at the time it's turned face up. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.6f - A face-up vanguard card receives a timestamp at the beginning of the game. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.6g - If two or more objects would receive a timestamp simultaneously, such as by entering a zone simultaneously or becoming attached simultaneously, the active player determines their timestamp order at that time. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.7 - Within a layer or sublayer, determining which order effects are applied in is sometimes done using a dependency system. If a dependency exists, it will override the timestamp system. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.7a - An effect is said to "depend on" another if (a) it's applied in the same layer (and, if applicable, sublayer) as the other effect (see Rule 613.1 and Rule 613.3); (b) applying the other would change the text or the existence of the first effect, what it applies to, or what it does to any of the things it applies to; and (c) neither effect is from a characteristic-defining ability. Otherwise, the effect is considered to be independent of the other effect. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.7b - An effect dependent on one or more other effects waits to apply until just after all of those effects have been applied. If multiple dependent effects would apply simultaneously in this way, they're applied in timestamp order relative to each other. If several dependent effects form a dependency loop, then this rule is ignored and the effects in the dependency loop are applied in timestamp order. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.8 - One continuous effect can override another. Sometimes the results of one effect determine whether another effect applies or what another effect does. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
  Example: Two Auras are enchanting the same creature: one that says "Enchanted creature gains flying" and one that says "Enchanted creature loses flying." Neither of these depends on the other, since nothing changes what they affect or what they're doing to it. Applying them in timestamp order means the one that was generated last "wins." It's irrelevant whether an effect is temporary (such as "Target creature loses flying until end of turn") or global (such as "All creatures lose flying"). [CompRules 2009/07/08]
  Example: One effect reads, "White creatures get +1/+1," and another reads, "Enchanted creature is white." The enchanted creature gets +1/+1 from the first effect, regardless of its previous color. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 613.9 - Some continuous effects affect players rather than objects. For example, an effect might give a player protection from red. All such effects are applied in timestamp order after the determination of objects' characteristics. See also the rules for timestamp order and dependency (Rule 613.6 and Rule 613.7). [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 613.10 - Some continuous effects affect game rules rather than objects. For example, effects may modify a player's maximum hand size, or say that a creature is indestructible. These effects are applied after all other continuous effects have been applied. Continuous effects that affect the costs of spells or abilities are applied according to the order specified in Rule 601.2e. All other such effects are applied in timestamp order. See also the rules for timestamp order and dependency (Rule 613.6 and Rule 613.7). [CompRules 2009/10/01]