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Internet Message Format | 1994-08-26 | 62KB

Date: Wed, 24 Aug 1994 12:08:44 +0800 From: (Stephen D'Angelo) <sdangelo@lion-46.Eng.Sun.COM> Subject: Rulings Summary: General (8/24/94) Here's the latest edition of the Rulings Summary for general Magic: The Gathering questions. There are a number of small changes this time. The most notable are some reversals on the use of Copy Cards. The most recent gg-l/mtg-l digest used was #971. Credits and disclaimer are at the end of the text. A '+' is used to mark changes since the last released version on 07/25/94. Stephen. ---- Stephen D'Angelo == sdangelo@usagi.eng.sun.com -or- dangelo@netcom.com General Rulings Summary Last Updated 08/24/94 ============================================================================= Table of Contents: ------------------ - Basic Rulings - Turn Order - Attack Sequence - Understanding Damage - Damage Resolution - Loss of Life - Mana Burn - Banding - Trample - Going to the Graveyard - Regeneration - Protection from Color - Walls - Artifact Creatures - Token Creatures - Face Down Cards - Copy Cards - Paying Artifact and Enchantment Costs - Control Issues - Timing Issues - Which Effect Wins - Countering Spells - Spell Casting Issues - Targeting - Casting Cost - Color of a Spell - Multiplayer Issues - Other Stuff - Switching from Limited/Unlimited Edition to Revised Edition Rules Basic Rulings: -------------- "I'm done" always means "I'm done unless you do something else". You can use fast effects in response to anything your opponent does. [bethmo] Basic land types are: Forest, Island, Mountain, Plains, and Swamp. Multilands and the lands introduced by expansion sets are not "basic" lands types for purposes of any spell. [Page 15] Black, Blue, Green, Red and White are the only colors in the game. Colorless (or no color) is not a valid color type for purposes of any spell. [Page 15] Cards in the graveyard are just cards. They have no memory of whether they were ever in play or not, or of anything that may have happened to them when they were in play. They are not creatures, lands, spells, or anything else. They are just cards. [bethmo 7/19/94] Some special cards (such as Nether Shadow) do work in the graveyard, but these cards explicitly say so. Cards in play are not spells, they are "permanents". They can no longer be affected by things that affect "spells" (i.e. Counterspell, Lifeforce) [bethmo 7/19/94] Fast effects are Instants, Interrupts or special abilities of any card in play. [Page 25] Artifacts and Lands have no color but can be xxxxLaced into a color. [PPG Page 93] Not all lands produce mana. If a land does not specifically say that it does produce mana, then it doesn't. Any player can look at any other player's graveyard at any time. This means that a player cannot hide what goes into or gets taken out of the graveyard from any other player. You do not need to show anything which goes into or comes out of your Library. [PPG Page 220] All players have the right to know how many cards you have in your hand. [Duelist's Supplement, 5/94] No player may count the number of cards in their or any other player's library. [Duelist's Supplement, 5/94] It is not legal to spend mana on preventions like Circle of Protection or Death Ward (but not limited to them) when there is no valid action to be countering. Equally, you cannot Animate Artifact when there are no artifacts. Basically, you cannot make an excuse just to get rid of cards or mana. [PPG Page 57] Special abilities of creatures, such as Tim's poke, are not attacks. [bethmo] Neither are spells like Fireball or Lightning Bolt. These are just spells and effects. An Attack is something special in Magic. Continuous effects are faster than interrupts. [bethmo] Continuous effects of artifacts only work when they are untapped. [Page 22] Continuous effects of creatures work whether or not they are tapped. [Page 26] Artifact creatures count as creatures for this ruling. [WotC Rules Team] The effects of interrupts are permanent. [Page 25] A sacrifice is considered a cost in the casting of a spell or powering an effect. It is used up at the same time the mana is. Such costs are not preventable by any means, including regeneration. [Page 22] Sacrificing is not a targeted effect and so Protection from Color will not protect a creature from a sacrifice. [PPG Page 59] You can only sacrifice things that you control. [Aahz 6/15/94] + A card cannot sacrifice itself to itself as part of an ability. This means you cannot feed a Lord of the Pit to itself. Same goes for Fallen Angel and several others. [Aahz 7/27/94] Exceptions may be noted on cards, as several cards do sacrifice themselves when they are used. Enchantments may not be played directly on your opponent. [Page 23] Enchantments cannot ever become tapped. [PPG Page 63] Untapping a card does not undo the effects of that card; it merely makes the card available to be used again. [bethmo] If two enchantments contradict one another, the most recently cast wins. For example, casting Flight on a creature with Earthbind on it grants the creature the ability to fly, but the Earthbind does remain in play. [PPG Page 220] If an enchantment is removed after being used, its effects still remain. For example, if a 1/1 creature with Holy Armor (treated as 1/3) gets pumped up with 3 white mana, it gets +0/+3 making it 1/6. If the Holy Armor was then removed, the +0/+3 would still remain, although the +0/+2 granted by the enchantment would leave and the creature would be 1/4. [bethmo] Turn Order ---------- 1. Untap Phase You MUST untap each turn. You cannot "forget". [PPG Page 35] May not cast spells or use fast effects before or during untap phase. [PPG Page 35] Untapping is simultaneous. Because of this, having a card untap will not affect if and how other cards untap. All Limited and Unlimited edition cards which said to do things at the beginning of the turn or during the untap phase take place during the upkeep phase under the Revised rules. [PPG Page 110] 2. Upkeep Phase You still have an upkeep phase even if nothing happens during it. Fast effects may be used during this phase by any player. [Page 13] You can resolve the actions that happen in your upkeep in any order you desire as long as all effects are dealt with during upkeep. [PPG Page 35] Any mana in mana pool at end of the Upkeep phase causes "mana burn". [Page 17] Upkeep must be paid even if the card is tapped. [bethmo] Paying upkeep on a card is considered a fast effect. [bethmo] Cannot choose to pay upkeep costs more than once even if you want to. [bethmo 5/30/94] If a card requiring upkeep costs is destroyed before the end of upkeep, no cost needs to be paid. This is similar for cards that "leave play". For example, if a Doppelganger switches away from Lord of the Pit it need not pay the upkeep cost. [bethmo] If something happens which adds an upkeep cost during upkeep, it must be paid. For example, if a Doppelganger becomes a Lord of the Pit, during upkeep, a creature must be sacrificed. [bethmo] If a creature has an upkeep cost, you may not use its fast effect before its upkeep is paid. Demonic Hordes is an example. [bethmo] Cannot choose to pay untap costs more than once even if you want to. [bethmo 5/30/94] Must pay the entire untap cost on a creature or none of it. For example, if an Island Fish had two Paralyze spells on it, you would have to pay the three blue mana plus 8 mana of any color to untap it. [Aahz 6/6/94] Resolving cards which give benefits or cause problems is considered a fast effect. For example, the Black Vise and Ivory Tower. [bethmo] It can be responded to or be done in response to actions during upkeep. Note that it is unlikely that another player can stop a beneficial effect, because once it is declared the effect happens even if the card is destroyed. [Aahz 6/6/94] If such a card leaves play during upkeep by being destroyed (or if it is a non-creature artifact, by being tapped) before it is declared, then it has no effect (good or bad). [Aahz 6/6/94] All Limited and Unlimited edition cards which said to do things at the beginning of the turn or during the untap phase take place during the upkeep phase under the Revised rules. [PPG Page 110] 3. Draw a Card Fast effects may be used during this phase by any player. [PPG Page 35] If you have no cards in your library to draw from, you lose the game. [Page 13] Any mana in mana pool at end of the Draw phase causes "mana burn". [Page 17] 4. Main Phase May do the following in any order: a. Cast a spell -- any number of times before or after other actions b. Play a land -- only one per turn before or after other actions c. Declare an attack -- only one per turn This is the only phase in which you may cast spells which are not fast effects. Spell types include Sorcery, Summon, Enchantment, Artifact, Instant and Interrupt. Playing a land is a not a fast effect, so it cannot be done in reaction to something else. [bethmo 6/6/94] You may play multiple lands if have Fastbond in play, but they can only be played when you could otherwise play a land. [bethmo] They cannot be played in the same instant. Play them sequentially. You only get one attack per turn. [Page 13] If you manage to untap creatures they cannot be used in that same turn to attack again. If a creature is forced to attack (due to a spell like Siren's Call or an effect like the Nettling Imp) the player must declare an attack that turn and send out the affected creature(s) if it is legal to do so. [PPG Page 224] Any mana in mana pool at end of the Main phase causes "mana burn". [Page 17] 5. Discard Discard down to seven cards in your hand. You may not discard if you have fewer than seven cards. Fast effects may be used during this phase by any player. [PPG Page 35] Any mana in mana pool at end of Discard phase causes "mana burn". [Page 17] 6. Inform Opponent Declare that your turn is over. Your opponent gets the chance to react by using fast effects. You may do the same. More than one batch of fast effects may be used. The turn is not over until you both say you are done. [Page 14] Any mana in mana pool at end of this phase causes "mana burn". [Page 17] 7. Heal Creatures Only spells which prevent damage, regenerate creatures, prevent "mana burn" or "gain one life when xxx" may be used during this phase. The following actions take place simultaneously: a. Damage is removed from creatures. b. Any creatures which gain tokens at end of turn get them. c. The effects of all fast effects (unless otherwise stated on the card) end. d. Any effects that happen at the "End of Turn" happen at this time. If this involves the death of a creature a Damage Prevention sub-phase is used. If any creature is reduced to zero or less toughness at this time, it dies and cannot successfully regenerate since it will immediately die again. There is no time between turns in which to take actions. An action must take place before the end of one player's turn or wait until the upkeep of the next turn. [bethmo] Any mana in mana pool at end of this phase causes "mana burn". [Page 17] Attack Sequence: ---------------- 1. Declare intention to attack. Opponent gets the chance to use any fast effects or instants in response to this claim. [PPG Page 72] They are not limited to a single instant's worth of effects. Any mana in mana pool causes "mana burn". [Page 17] 2. Declare attackers by tapping them There are some creatures which do not tap when attacking. No spells or fast effects may be used during this step. You always attack your opponent and not your opponent's creatures. [Page 27] Banding of attackers must be declared at this time and cannot be changed later. [PPG Page 86] You can declare the start of your attack and then attack with no creatures. This is sort of a "null attack" which can be used to force the emptying of a mana pool or force your opponent to consider casting spells. Note that if you declare such a "null attack" it is considered your one attack for that turn. You are not mandated to declare any attack during a turn, but you may declare this kind of zero creature attack. [PPG Page 73] Creatures cannot attack (or be tapped for a special ability) until that card or token begins a turn in play on your side. This includes all possible ways of getting creatures: Summon, Animate, Resurrect, Living Lands, Control Magic, etc. [Page 26] If a card or token starts your turn in play on your side, leaves your side and then returns in the same turn, you may use it. [bethmo] Cards which are animated during a turn may use their non-creature abilities even on the turn they become creatures, and may even attack if they began the turn in play on your side (creature or not)! [WotC Rules Team] 3. Fast effects can be used by either player. You are not limited to a single instant's worth of effects. This is the ideal time for the defender to eliminate attackers she does not want to deal with, or to enhance defenders (with Jump or such) to allow them to be used for defense. Remove any attackers which were killed from the combat (even if they regenerated). [Page 28] If a banded group (using Banding or Bands with Others ability) has its banding ability removed from one or more attackers during this step, it is possible to cause the band to split up into separate attackers. Once blockers are declared the band cannot be split. See the section on Banding in this document or the one on Bands with Others in the Legends Summary. 4. Declare defenders No spells or fast effects are allowed during this step. Defending creatures do NOT tap. This is one of the oldest myths of the game. There is nothing in the rules that suggests that they are tapped, but a lot of people were taught that way. If any member of a banded group can be blocked, the group is blockable. [Page 32] Defenders do not band or group. They can just decide to choose the same creature to block. Defensive banding only helps during damage allocation. [Page 33] In fact, there is no choice about using banding among a group of blockers blocking the same creature. If a group of blockers has at least one banding creature at damage dealing time, the defender gets to distribute the damage. [bethmo] An attacking creature with an evasion ability (flying, xxxwalk, etc.) may not "turn off" the ability and choose to be blockable. [PPG Page 79] Once blockers are declared against a creature, it is blocked. It remains blocked even if the blocking creature is killed or the block is made "illegal" by some action. [Page 28] This means that if you cast Jump on your creature, that you do not get around the blocker or even avoid damage. The False Orders card is the only exception to this since it retroactively changes the choice for one blocker. [Snark] 5. Fast effects can be used by either player. You are not limited to a single instant's worth of effects. This is the ideal time for the attacker to surprise the defender by using fast effects to make the creatures more powerful. Howl from Beyond, Berserk, and built in creature abilities are good examples. Remove any attackers and defenders which were killed from the combat (even if they regenerated). [Page 28] Note that if a defending creature is killed and removed from the combat that the attacker is still considered "blocked". [Page 28] 6. Damage Dealing Resolve combat damage: a. Assign all First Strike creature damage simultaneously. b. Damage prevention is used after damage is assigned and dead creatures are removed to the graveyard. (See Damage Resolution for detailed steps.) c. Assign all normal creature damage simultaneously. Desert damage happens at this time. [bethmo] Basilisk and Cockatrice effects happen here as well, but wait until after affected creatures deal their damage. [Aahz] d. Damage prevention is used after damage is assigned and dead creatures are removed to the graveyard. (See Damage Resolution for detailed steps.) Each member of a Band of attackers is a separate source of damage. Banding just allows a group to be blocked or let through as a whole, and for the ability to distribute damage. It does not mean that the creatures act as one. [bethmo] If an defender becomes tapped (due to using a special ability or some other effect) before damage dealing, the creature is still in the combat and receives damage but does not deal any damage. [Page 28] If an attacker gets untapped, it does not change its status in the combat at all. All it does is allow the attacker to use its special ability or to remain untapped for blocking in the next player's turn. [bethmo] Creatures with the ability to get "pumped up" by spending mana may choose to get more powerful at any time that fast effects may be used. This can be done any number of times. Any mana in mana pool at end of Damage Dealing cause "mana burn". [Page 17] Understanding Damage: --------------------- Check for player death at the end of each phase, the beginning and end of the attack [Page 14] This allows for Stream of Life and other sorceries to save the player. Enchantments on a creature which enhance the power of a creature do not change the color of the damage that creature does. For example, a Fire Breathing Pegasus does White damage. [Page 35] Enchantments which do damage directly (i.e. Creature Bond, Pestilence, etc.) do damage of the color of the enchantment. [Page 35] Creatures can have negative power ratings due to a variety of reasons. Such a creature does zero damage when attacking or defending. Damage is compared to a creature's toughness. You total up all damage done to a creature, and once it has more damage than it has toughness, it dies. This means that if a 3/3 Hill Giant with Holy Strength (+1/+2) takes 3 damage then the Holy Strength gets Disenchanted, the Hill Giant will die of its wounds. [bethmo] Damage is not subtracted from toughness. A 5 toughness creature with 4 damage still has a toughness of 5 and will be worth 5 to a Diamond Valley. [bethmo] Items and effects which cause damage to move from one target to another are called Damage Redirection effects. These effects include Trample damage, Personal Incarnation, Veteran Bodyguard, Jade Monolith, etc. Redirected damage maintains its color, source and nature. Nature includes any special effects that occur due to damaging. For example, the Hypnotic Specter will cause a player to discard if any of its damage is redirected to the player. [bethmo] The ability of Disintegrate to cause a creature to be removed from the game is not in the nature of the damage but on the target of the spell. [WotC Rules Team 2/7/94] If a creature is ever removed from play, all damage to it is immediately removed. This includes creatures targeted by an Oubliette. [WotC Rules Team 2/7/94] Damage Resolution: ------------------ Damage resolution occurs at the following times: -- After resolving an effect which destroys or buries anything -- After resolving a group of effects in which anything was damaged -- After resolving a damage dealing step in which anything was damaged -- Whenever something is sacrificed A damage resolution step occurs even if there is no hope of preventing the effect in question. Often it is meaningless and can be ignored, but it is always there (much like upkeep phase). Damage prevention spells and effects cannot be used before the damage resolution. They can only be used during such resolution. Note that only spells and effects specified may be used during damage resolution. The use of "Gain 1 life if xxx" effects and interrupts are always allowed. Note that multiple damage resolutions may happen during a single instant. For example, player A taps a land with Psychic Venom to get a point of red mana (resolve venom damage) then taps other lands for more mana. Player A then casts Fireball split to target 3 creatures... one of which is a regenerating Fungusaur on player A's side. Player B is tired of the Fungusaur and casts Terror on it. Both players say they are done with fast effects. Terror resolves first and the Fungusaur is buried (damage resolution step here). Then the Fireball is resolved and damage gets delivered to 2 creatures. The third part of the Fireball fizzles. Lastly, resolve damage from spells during the instant. If multiple creatures are damaged or destroyed at the same time, go through the damage resolution steps all at once, not one at a time. Here are the detailed steps to damage resolution: 1. Damage Prevention & Redirection Only interrupts, or spells and effects which prevent or redirect damage can be used at this time. Do whatever you want to prevent damage to that target. This includes Protection from Color (as given by Wards or by the card itself), Circles of Protection and damage prevention spells or effects. Prevention is targeted against the damage. When preventing damage, damage can be removed in any order. This means you can remove Trample damage first and leave non-Trample damage, or remove damage of one color before damage of another color. [bethmo] Unprevented damage is applied with non-Trample first and then Trample damage, so that there is the greatest chance of Trample working. [Page 32] Apply any forms of damage redirection that are in use. Trample damage in excess of a creature's toughness moves on to the defender. Jade Monolith shunts the remaining damage to the defender. Defender can shunt damage using Personal Incarnation. Damage to the player from an unblocked creature is transferred to the Veteran Bodyguard. Etc. 2. Send Creatures to Graveyard Regeneration or destruction preventing spells and effects can be used in this step. Review the unprevented damage. If the creature still has enough damage to be killed and it has the ability to regenerate, it may use that ability at this time. (See Regeneration) Note that if a creature is "buried", "cannot regenerate" or "removed from game", it may not regenerate. [Page 34] 3. Death Events Generated Any effect due to the creature going to the graveyard happens at this time. This includes Vampires gathering tokens, use of a Soul Net, Creature Bond, etc. This is the step in which the Limited edition Fungusaur gains a counter for being damaged if it did not die. (See Fungusaur in the Card Rulings.) Loss of Life: ------------- Loss of life is not the same as damage. Only players have life points. Creatures do not. Life can be lost because you take damage, but it can also be lost directly due to spells and effects which do not cause damage. Because loss of life is not damage, it cannot be prevented with a Circle of Protection nor reversed with Reverse Damage. [bethmo] There is no way to prevent the loss of life caused directly by spells and effects. Only damage can be prevented. [PPG Page 113] Note that the Conservator has been clarified to mean that it prevents damage to a player which would result in loss of life, and that Forcefield has been clarified to not prevent one damage rather than cause one loss of life. [PPG Page 113] Loss of Life in general does not have color associated with it. [FAQ] Mana Burn: ---------- Mana burn is the damage caused by having extra mana in your pool at the end of each phase during your turn or the beginning or end of an attack. You take 1 colorless damage for each mana left in your pool. [Page 17] Mana burn is a single action which uses all the mana in your pool. You cannot use some of the mana to prevent the rest from harming you. You can use other mana sources to cast spells to prevent the loss of life, though. [WotC Rules Team] Banding: -------- Attacker needs all-but-one creature to have banding ability in order to band. Defender needs only one creature to have banding ability in order to band. [Page 32] Banding consists of two separate abilities, which can be referred to as "mutual assistance" and "damage sharing". [PPG Page 86] Mutual assistance only applies when declaring attackers. At this time you may group any set of creatures so long as all of them, or all-but-one of them have Banding. You may not add or subtract creatures from the group after this. The "assistance" is an agreement that if any member is blocked, the whole group will stop and gang up on whatever did the blocking. Damage sharing applies only when damage is assigned. This part of the ability applies to attackers and defenders and allows the side(s) with Banding in their group to distribute damage. If the defender has any banding creatures in a group, then they do not have the option of not banding. Just by being present, a banding creature gives the defender the ability to decide how damage is divided up. [bethmo] Grouping for defense or banding in defense or attack, does not change the actual power, nature, or color of the creatures attacking. When damage gets distributed, the damage still has color and may have Trample or other special abilities. [PPG Page 87] Creatures do not "band for defense". Defending creatures may choose to group up against an attacker (or attacking band) at any time. Banding is not necessary to group up against an attacker. Only the "damage sharing" ability applies to defenders. [PPG Page 88] Damage may be divided up among a banded group any way you want to. You can give all of it to one creature or any other way you want. [bethmo] Assigning more damage to a creature than it can survive is allowed. [Page 33] If the extra damage assigned to a creature is Trample damage, it does go past and damages the defending player. If Banding is removed after attackers are declared but before blockers are, then it is possible to split the band into pieces. Reconsider the assignment of the band at this time. If a creature must exit the band, the attacker may decide which creature it is. This creature becomes a lone attacker. If Banding is removed after blockers are declared, the attackers are still considered as Banded for attack purposes, but that at least one member of the band must still have Banding at damage dealing time to maintain the right to distribute damage as desired. + If a Banding creature in a defending group is killed before damage dealing and it regenerates so that it is still in play, it can still contribute the ability for a defender to distribute damage among the remaining defenders. Damage cannot be assigned to the regenerated creature, however. [Aahz 7/27/94] Common misconceptions: [bethmo] -- That a Pegasus banded with Invisible Zombies loses its flying ability. This is false. The banded group can be blocked by either a flying creature (which can block the Pegasus) or a Wall (which can block the Zombies). -- That a Pegasus banded with Invisible Zombies can only be blocked by a flying Wall. Again, false. -- That I can band a War Mammoth with a Pegasus to block a flying creature. This is VERY wrong. Only creatures which can block an attacker as an individual may block the attacker. You do not "band for defense" (see above) Trample: -------- If a Trample creature is blocked by an unbanded group, the player may assign all of the damage to one of the blockers and by means of Trample do damage in excess of the blocker's toughness to the player. [Page 29] If a mix of Trample and non-Trample damage are involved, non-Trample damage is assigned first, and Trample damage is assigned afterwards. [Page 31] A creature with Trample ability which has its blocker removed is still blocked but all the damage that creature would do goes through to the defender after trampling the non-existent blocker. [Page 32] Defenders do not get to use Trample ability. Only attackers. [PPG Page 85] Going to the Graveyard: ----------------------- Dies/destroyed/sent-to-graveyard mean the same thing. All count as death events for spells that detect them. [bethmo] "Buried" means destroyed and cannot be regenerated. [PPG Page 90] The term "discarded" was used on cards to mean several different things. Cards which say "discarded" from play or something to that effect should be treated as if they say "destroyed". Cards which say "when X is discarded" should be treated as if they say "when X is removed from play". [PPG Page 113] Once sent to the graveyard, a card "forgets" all enchantments and things that happened to it. [Page 35] This includes any changes to the text by cards like Magical Hack or Purelace, or tokens it might have accumulated. If a creature goes to the graveyard and then is brought back into play in the same turn it is treated as if it is a new creature and not as if it was in play at the beginning of your turn. Creatures really do forget everything when they go to the graveyard. [bethmo 05/03/94] If a creature is "removed from the game" by some effect, it cannot be regenerated. Also, all enchantments on it are put in the graveyard. [PPG Page 91] A creature is "on its way to the graveyard" if it has enough damage on it to kill it. Note that damage is not actually on a creature until damage dealing (during an attack) or until all effects in a batch are resolved. A creature which is scheduled to be "destroyed at end of turn" or to be destroyed at the end of an attack because it blocked a Basilisk is not considered to be "on its way to the graveyard". Regeneration: ------------- Regeneration means prevention of sending the card to the graveyard. When a creature is regenerated, all enchantments and whatnot remain on the card, and the card becomes tapped (if it was not already tapped). Also, the creature is reset to having zero damage done to it. [PPG Page 81] Tapping the creature is not a cost of Regeneration... it is an effect. Regeneration abilities and spells must be used at the time the creature would be sent to the graveyard. [PPG Page 81] Cannot regenerate a creature which is "buried" or "removed from the game". [Page 31] Protection from Color: ---------------------- Protection from a color means that a creature: 1. Reduces damage of <Color> to zero. 2. Cannot be blocked by <Color> creatures. 3. Cannot be targeted by <Color> effects or spells, but it may be affected by spells or effects of that color which do not target it specifically. 4. Has any enchantments of <Color> removed Protection from Color does not protect creatures from general enchantments or spells. So a creature with Red Ward still uses Orcish Oriflamme. [Page 20] Protection from Color does not stop damage prevention spells from working. Damage prevention spells target the damage and not the creature. [PPG Page 89] For example, you can use a Healing Salve to remove damage from a creature with Protection from White. Protection from Color does not protect creatures from being sacrificed (even from spells or effects of the appropriate color). Sacrificing is not considered a targeted effect. "Destroys self" is considered a sacrifice. [WotC Rules Team 1/29/94] The "cannot be blocked by <color> creatures" ability is an absolute statement. The creature cannot even be blocked by creatures of <color> which have Protection from the appropriate color. So, a Black Knight and a White Knight cannot meet each other in combat. Ward spells grant Protection from Color abilities to the creature. They do not prevent the Ward or other enchantments on the creature from being affected. [bethmo] When deciding if a spell or effect targets a creature with Protection from Color ability or if it is a general effect, just ask if the player using the effect at any time chooses cards which are affected. If no choice is made, then it is a general effect, if at least once a card or target must be specified, then it is a targeted effect. [bethmo] Choosing defenders is not a choice that makes something a targeted effect. Hence abilities which affect creatures "blocking" or "blocked by" a creature are not targeted and are not stopped by Protection. For example, a Green Ward will not save a creature from being destroyed by the Thicket Basilisk. [WotC Rules Team 2/7/94] A Protection from Color ability does not work for a creature while it is in the graveyard. Hence a White Knight can have Animate Dead cast on it and a Black Knight can be Resurrected. [bethmo] Note that the White Knight would immediately dispel the Animate Dead and go back to the graveyard, but the example still holds. Walls: ------ Walls are in all senses creatures. They are affected by any spell or effect which affects creatures (including Paralyze, Terror, Creature Bond, and so on). [Page 26] Walls cannot attack even if power is greater than zero. If Animate Wall is used on them, they may attack even if power is zero. [Page 26] Artifact Creatures: ------------------- Artifact Creatures cannot attack the turn in which they are put into play or do any action which would cause them to be tapped. They have all the limitations that regular creatures do. [Page 22] The effects and abilities of artifact creatures can be used even when the creature is tapped (as long as tapping is not part of the use cost). [WotC Rules Team] The artifact quality of a card has nothing to do with its color. If you Chaoslace an artifact, it is now a red artifact. [bethmo] Token Creatures: ---------------- Creatures represented by tokens are not "cards" in the game sense. This means that they cannot be targeted by spells which specify a card (like City in a Bottle, Red Elemental Blast, and Desert Twister). [PPG Page 55] + Token creatures are also removed from the game entirely if they are ever Unsummoned, destroyed, or otherwise removed from play. [PPG Page 55] Before leaving the game, they actually do go to the graveyard or player's hand very breifly. Trips to the graveyard can be used by Soul Net and other cards. [Aahz 7/27/94] (This is a REVERSAL of a previous ruling and overrides the ruling on page 15 of Duelist Magazine #2) Token creature are considered to have a zero casting cost. [Duelist Magazine #2, page 15] Note that this is true even if a cost was paid to generate the token creature (i.e. a Wasp from the Hive). A Clone (or other copy card used on a token creature) is a card and not a token, so the copy ignores any text on the card which created the token which spells out the token creature rules. Token creatures are not considered to have expansion symbols on them so they ignore "expansion killer" cards like City in a Bottle or Golgothian Sylex. Face Down Cards: ---------------- Face down creatures (hidden by Camouflage or Illusionary Mask) still have any tokens they have on top of the creature. Some creatures are just not very disguisable. [bethmo] Face down creatures have their enchantments turned over as well, but the number of enchantments is still visible. [bethmo] Continuous effects of face down creatures still take effect. If you have a face down Goblin King, you should tell your opponent that his Goblins are 2/2 creatures now. Again, these creatures are hard to disguise. All you really know about a face down card is what kind of spell it is. Usually, it is a creature. This means that you may target any spell which targets creatures at the card. If the target turns out not to be valid (for example, you try to Terror a black creature) the spell will fizzle. [PPG Page 57] This rule applies even if you have more knowledge, such as knowing that your opponent is playing an all black deck! If a face down creature is controlled by Control Magic or other means by another player, it remains face down but the new controller may look at the card. A Clone or Doppelganger can be made of a face down creature. You opponent does not need to tell you anything about your creature's power/toughness or abilities. The opponent must, however, inform you of the results of actions you take (i.e. how much damage was done, or whether tapping the creature allows you some special ability). [bethmo] Copy Cards: ----------- Cards which copy other cards include Clone, Doppelganger and Copy Artifact. All such spells target the thing they are copying and cannot be brought into play without a legal target. [WotC Rules Team] + If the target becomes invalid after the spell is declared but before it is resolved the spell fizzles and the copy spell goes to the graveyard. [bethmo 6/4/94] The most likely way this can happen is to have the creature sacrificed, Unsummoned, or otherwise removed from play. + A Doppelganger changing forms is also a targeted effect and will fizzle and the Doppelganger will not change forms. [bethmo 7/26/94] Clone and Doppelganger can only copy permanents created by a "Summon" or "Artifact Creature" spell, or tokens that inherently count as creatures. They may not copy permanents which are only creatures due to some sort of animation such as Animate Dead. [WotC Rules Team] Copy Artifact can only copy permanents created by "Artifact" or "Artifact Creature" spells, or tokens that inherently count as artifacts. They may not copy permanents which are only artifacts due to some other effect. [WotC Rules Team] + The casting cost is one of the characteristics which is copied. This means that Sacrificing a Clone of a Lord of the Pit would give you seven black mana. [WotC Rules Team 7/27/94] + The copy of an artifact creature is an artifact creature. In other words, "artifactness" is a characteristic. + The name is a normal characteristic and is copied. For example, a Clone of a Plague Rat counts towards the number of Plague Rats in play. [WotC Rules Team 7/27/94] They come into play in the same tapped/untapped state as the target would have when cast. [WotC Rules Team] They do not copy the "expansion symbol" on a card. [WotC Rules Team] They remain cards even when copying a token. [WotC Rules Team] If a card being copied has variable forms or characteristics (set at casting or changeable during play), the copy will be of the current form. If the form is changeable, then the copy may change at a later time as per the characteristics of the card that was copied. [Aahz 6/6/94] They copy on the base creature/artifact and not any enchantments or counters on it, regardless of whether the counters are due to natural abilities of the creature/artifact or of other spells. [WotC Rules Team] This means that a copy of a Rock Hydra with 6 heads will be a zero headed Hydra (and will most likely die immediately). + The copy does get tokens when the copy card is cast if the card being copied gets tokens when it is normally cast. This goes for the Tetravus, Triskelion, Clockwork Beast and Clockwork Avian. The Doppelganger does not get any tokens when switching to one of these creatures. Copies of creatures (such as the Rock Hydra) which get tokens due to some part of the casting cost do not get tokens. [WotC Rules Team 7/27/94] + The effects of Sleight of Mind, xxxxLace, and Magical Hack affect the characteristics of the card and so copied of that card will also have the same change. For example, a copy of a Hacked Nightmare to be based on Islands will also be based on Islands. [WotC Rules Team 7/27/94] This is a REVERSAL of a previous ruling which said that these effects generated counters and that counters were not copied. + Permanent effects which use counters are not copied, so Ashnod's Transmogrant Aisling Leprechaun and other effects are not copied. [WotC Rules Team] + Permanent effects played on the copy card override the characteristics it is copying. For example, if a Doppelganger is modified with Ashnod's Transmogrant, it will act as a Tranmografied version of the creature it copies even if it changes creatures. [Aahz 8/8/94] Paying Artifact and Enchantment Costs: -------------------------------------- Enchantments with activation costs, such as Pestilence, may be powered for any amount as a single activation, or used in single changes, at the controllers discretion. [WotC Rules Team] For example, you can put four black mana into a Pestilence and do one packet of four damage or divide it up into as many packets of damage as desired. Artifacts which do not have tapping as part of their activation cost (and which are not triggered off an event) may be powered for multiple times at once. This counts as a single activation of the artifact. If it does damage, like the Rocket Launcher, the damage arrives in one chunk. [WotC Rules Team] Artifacts or enchantments that require a cost be paid to use the card must have the cost paid directly. The cost cannot be used by more than one card. For example, skipping one turn will not untap 2 Time Vaults. A sacrifice is a cost that cannot be prevented using regeneration, or any other means. [Page 21] Artifacts that do something based on an event (like "gain 1 life when black spell is cast(1)") can only be used once per event, but multiple artifacts or enchantments can catch the same event. [PPG Page 62] This is spelled out on the Revised edition cards. Paying an artifact or enchantment use cost is not considered to be "casting a spell" and so it cannot be countered by something which counters a spell (such as Counterspell, Deathgrip, etc.) [bethmo] + The "gain 1 life when xxx" effects are usable up until the next non-fast effect is declared, or the next phase ending occurs. You are not allowed to use this ability of a card to trigger off something that happened before it entered play. This means that it is not possible to use the Urza's Chalice just after you cast it to get a life. [Aahz 7/27/94] (This is a REVERSAL of a previous ruling) The Limited and Unlimited edition used the term "Mono Artifact" to mean that the artifact had "Tap" as part of the activation cost. The terms "Poly Artifact" and "Continuous Artifact" applied to artifacts which did not require tapping when used. Control Issues: --------------- The owner of a card is the one who brought it to the table. The controller is usually the one who cast the spell (but cards can change controller). The caster is the one who cast the spell. [Page 18] The caster of an enchantment is forever considered its controller. There are currently no cards which change the ownership of an enchantment. Only the controller can pay costs associated with an enchantment (unless otherwise specified on the card). [page 23] This means that if a spell like Regeneration is placed on an opponent's creature (or is later found to be on an opponent's creature because he/she used Control Magic to steal the creature from your control), that you_not your opponent_can power the Regeneration ability. Controlled creatures count as yours for all cards that say "your" in the effects (including Sacrifice and Diamond Valley). [Snark] Timing Issues: -------------- Fast effects can be used during any player's turn. [Page 25] Unless otherwise stated, tapping a creature or other card in play to use its special ability is a instant-speed fast-effect. [Page 25] Only tapping land for mana works at interrupt speed. Tapping a land for any other effect is an instant (unless the card says otherwise). [bethmo] Your opponent is allowed to cast spells during your turn. Your opponent is allowed to respond to any action with fast effects. Such actions include: Casting of any spell regardless of type, End of Upkeep, End of Turn, and Start of Attack phase. If both players want to cast spells at the same time, the player whose turn it is goes first. [Page 36] Note that this only applies when you both want to use fast effects. If you want to use a non-fast effect and your opponent wants to use a fast effect, you must allow them to use those fast effects (in any number of batches) before you can use your non-fast effect or spell. [bethmo] If multiple fast effects or spells are announced, they are resolved in last-to-first order. Damage is not resolved until after all effects have been resolved. [Page 37] It is possible for a spell to be legally declared and then be made illegal by a spell which is declared later. When a spell is made illegal, it fizzles out. Note that damage is applied when the spell or effect is resolved, but there is no damage resolution and prevention phase until after all effects have been resolved. [bethmo 6/15/94] Interrupts can target only the spell which they are interrupting, or a permanent in play. You may not interrupt one spell to target a different spell. [bethmo] Interrupts are resolved immediately unless they are in turn interrupted. If the second interrupt targets the first interrupt, it will always take precedence. If two interrupts target the same spell, the one cast the player whose turn it is goes first. [Page 36] Note that if the player whose turn it is wants to go after the other interrupt, that player can wait for the first interrupt to be resolved completely before declaring the second interrupt. Which Effect Wins: ------------------ The rule for effects is that the most recent one takes precedence. For example, if Earthbind is placed on a creature and then Flight is placed on the creature, the Flight will take precedence because it is last. [PPG Page 220] This goes for continuous effects as well. If Gravity Sphere is put into play, it removes Flying ability from all creatures in play. If a Flight spell were placed on the creature after that, the Flight would have precedence because it took effect more recently. [bethmo 6/29/94] + If the source of an effect is removed, reapply the effects in order of casting. This does not happen often but is theoretically possible. For example, if you cast a Conversion spell to change all Mountains into Plains and then used Magical Hack on a second Conversion spell to turn all Mountains into Forests, the first one would be applied and turn them all into Plains. The second one would find no Mountains in play, so it would do nothing. Later, if the first one were removed, the second one would immediately discover the Mountains and convert them to Forests. [bethmo 6/29/94] Countering Spells: ------------------ A countered spell is placed in the owner's graveyard and all mana (or other costs such as sacrifices) used for the casting are wasted. [PPG Page 99] Once a spell (or fast effect) is declared, the mana is spent even if the spell fizzles, is counterspelled, or made illegal by some other action. [PPG Page 99] If a spell is countered, it is not considered to have been "cast". This means that you cannot use effects which say "Gain one life if xxx is cast" or any similar effect. [Aahz] Note that it is polite to not counterspell until the person declares how much mana is actually in that X damage spell, or otherwise finishes what they're doing. Do not interrupt a player... interrupts are played AFTER an action. There are currently no spells which will counter a fast effect. Interrupts may be used to counter spells, but once a fast effect is declared, it may not be stopped even by an interrupt. This may change if a new spell is introduced which is specifically given this ability. [bethmo] Spell Casting Issues: --------------------- Casting a spell means playing a non-Land card from your hand. [Page 17] Using abilities of creatures, artifacts or enchantments are not spells. You may announce a spell then tap mana, or tap mana and then announce a spell. Both ways are legal. [bethmo] Once a person starts to cast a spell by tapping mana or by putting a card out of their hand onto the table, the casting cannot be interrupted until all decisions and costs related to that spell are complete. This includes the expenditure of the mana, choice of any targets, etc. [PPG Page 97] Spells with an X cost can legally be cast with zero as the X. [Page 19] Spells with an X cost are declared when they are cast as to how much mana is in them. This amount cannot be increased or decreased after it is declared. [Page 19] An enchantment is either cast on a target, or it is played in your territory. No enchantment is played on another player. [Page 23] The Nether Shadow's ability to return to play is neither a spell nor a summoning. [bethmo 5/14/94] Targeting: ---------- You may not cast a targeted spell unless it is aimed at a legal target. Spells like Hurricane and Wrath of God are not targeted, but Lightning Bolt and Terror are. [Page 20] Spells which target "all" of something can be played even if there is none of the somethings available. For example, you can use Flashfires even if no Plains are in play. This is because the spell does not require a target to act upon. It just does something. [Page 20] If a card reads "a xxx" or "any xxx" it means "any one xxx in play, no matter who it belongs to." [bethmo] No spell or effect (other than the Ring of Ma'ruf) can target a card which is outside of the game. Very few spells can select a card which is in the Graveyard, the Library (where you draw cards from), the Ante, or from someone's hand. These cards are specifically worded to do that. A card cannot be acted upon until it is successfully cast. For example, if City in a Bottle is being cast, you cannot disenchant it until the Instant after it enters play. This means it will have its full effect before you can do anything. [Page 21] Spells that target "attacking" or "defending" creatures may only be used during an attack. [bethmo] If they are untargeted spells, they may be used at any time. [Aahz] Spells which are targeted must have a valid target when declared and when resolved. If the target is no longer valid when resolved, then the spell (or effect) fizzles. [PPG Page 99] For example: If the target is destroyed and removed prior to the effect; If a creature ends up untapped after the Royal Assassin targets it (from Instill Energy or Twiddle); If a creature leaves combat after a Desert targets it. There are many other occurrences. Watch for them. Interrupts can be used to modify of a spell or card as the card is being put into play. This modification cannot make an illegal choice of target into a legal one but it can make a legal target illegal and fizzle the spell. This means that you cannot cast an Elemental Blast at a card of the wrong color with the intention of using Sleight of Mind on it the next moment. [bethmo] If a spell has multiple targets and one of the targets is removed from play, only that one portion of the spell fizzles out. The rest of the targets are affected normally. Also, if a Fireball is used on 3 targets and one is Unsummoned, the damage is still spread between the 3 targets with one target's damage fizzling out. [PPG Page 100] + Spells which tap or untap a card can only target cards which are in the appropriate state (tapped or untapped). If the card changes state before resolving the effect, the effect fizzles. So, you cannot use the Icy Manipulator on a tapped card just to waste mana. [Aahz 7/27/94] Spells which fizzle out (due to target disappearing or whatever) are still considered "successfully cast" even though they have no effect. [bethmo 5/30/94] Casting Cost: ------------- The "casting cost" of a spell is number of mana points, regardless of color which are specified in the upper right hand corner of the card. [Page 19] If there is an 'X' in the cost, consider the amount paid in 'X' to be part of the cost during casting, but to be zero after the card is successfully cast. [PPG Page 56] The "casting cost" does not include any extra mana that was spent to overcome obstacles like Gloom or Power Sink. [bethmo] Nothing can increase the cost to cast an already-cast spell. For example, you cannot Sleight of Mind a Gloom enchantment to make green spells cost 3 more after a green spell is cast and expect 3 extra mana to have to be spent. [bethmo] Token creatures and animated lands have casting costs of zero. [bethmo] Creatures with Animate Dead have a casting cost equal to their original cost, not that of Animate Dead. [bethmo] Color of a Spell: ----------------- The color of a spell is the color of mana specified in the casting cost. The background color of the card is used only as an aid. [PPG Page 93] The error with the Serendib Efreet in the Revised Edition has a green background color, but the card is blue because the casting cost includes blue mana. If a spell has more than one color of mana in its casting cost, it is considered to be of all the specified colors. [bethmo 6/4/94] This is much like a multiland being two kinds of basic land. So, a Legend card which takes red and black mana to cast is considered to be both red and black. It would therefore be immune to Terror (which cannot target black) and could have its damage prevented with a Circle of Protection of either color. A card with more than one color can be xxxxLaced to be a single color. [Duelist Magazine #2, page 7] Multiplayer Issues: ------------------- In multiplayer games, cards which read "both players" affect all players. [Snark] If a card reads "each upkeep" or "each turn", it means each of your upkeep phases or each of your turns. If the card affects multiple players, it affects each player during his (or her) upkeep or turn. In most multiplayer rule sets, if a player is killed, all of that player's cards are immediately removed from the game. Other Stuff: ------------ If a card says that you must pay mana or bad things happen, the mana expenditure is not mandatory unless the card specifies exactly what sources of mana should be used. For example, Power Sink specifies lands and mana pool, so you *must* spend the mana. Demonic Hordes, Force of Nature, Stasis, etc. do not specify and so are optional. [Aahz] If an enchantment becomes invalid after it enters play, it is immediately removed. [Page 23] A player can concede at any time and loses any ante they have put up. [bethmo] You lose if you try to draw a card from your library because a spell is cast on you and you can't because the library has no more cards. [Page 14] When a card comes from the graveyard back into play (for example by Animate Dead or Resurrection), any features which are normally set at summoning time are set as if it was just summoned. If the creature has an X in the casting cost, X is zero. So, Clockwork Beast comes out fully wound, Clone must choose a creature to copy as it is brought out, and the Rock Hydra has zero heads. [WotC Rules Team 2/7/94] If you lose control of a creature and then manage to regain control of it during the same turn, you may use it since you began the turn with it in play on your side. [bethmo] Rounding down means to drop the fractional part. Rounding up means to add one and then drop the fractional part. [bethmo 5/30/94] As obvious as it might sound, cards sent to the graveyard go to the top of the graveyard. Also, you cannot reorder the graveyard during play unless a card tells you to do so. [bethmo] If multiple cards go to the graveyard at the same time, you may choose what order they get stacked in. [bethmo 5/3/94] In tournament games that limit the number of a particular card you may have in a deck restrict cards by title, so you cannot have four of each design of a card like Urza's tower. [bethmo] Switching from Limited/Unlimited Edition to Revised Edition Rules: ------------------------------------------------------------------ It is highly recommended that you get and read the new rule book or Pocket Player's Guide. This section does not cover everything. If you have played by the rules in previous summaries, you will be less affected than players without previous access to the summaries because the net rulings have been moving slowly toward the Revised rules for some time. The Revised rules took a lot of rulings out of the net and into the rule book. Mana burn is no longer "loss of life". It is now colorless damage. The term "buried" has been added to the game and means "is killed and may not regenerate". Player death is checked for only at the end of each phase and beginning and end of each attack instead of at any time. This allows for sorceries like Stream of Life to be used to save a player. There are now rules for damage resolution. (See "Understanding Damage" to find out more.) Protection from Color has changed a lot. It now explicitly removes previous enchantments of that color, and spells out some other details more clearly. (See Protection from Color.) Timing rules have changed a lot. In the Limited/Unlimited editions, all fast effects were resolved simultaneously unless a "paradox" occurred. In the Revised rules, effects are now resolved in last-to-first order. (See Timing Issues.) If an enchantment becomes invalid after it enters play, it is now removed immediately. It used to hang around just in case it became useful again. Sacrificing is very different. You can sacrifice any kind of card (not just creatures). A sacrifice is now considered a cost of the spell or effect and the creature is buried when you declare the spell, not as part of the effect of the spell. Sacrifices may not be prevented by any means, including regeneration. Finally, sacrifices are not targeted, and so Protection from Color does not protect a creature from such effects. Several cards changed their wordings. (See the Card Rulings summary for more information.) Acknowledgments: ---------------- This summary is collected from rulings made by officials and network representatives of Wizards of the Coast, along with a number of unofficial rulings also collected from the net. Whenever a source for a ruling is known, the name of that person is listed with the ruling. "bethmo" is Beth Moursund, the network representative for the "gg-l" mailing list. "Aahz" is Tom Wylie, the network representative for the "rec.games.deckmaster" newsgroup. "Snark" is Dave Howell of WotC. Official rulings from the rules team are marked as "WotC Rules Team". Rules from the Revised Edition rule book are marked with "Page #" and rules from the Pocket Player's Guide are marked with "PPG Page #" Every attempt has been made to make this summary accurate, but errors do creep in. Nothing in this work is guaranteed to be accurate. Use at your own risk. Magic: The Gathering and all of the cards listed herein are copyrights of Wizards of the Coast.