(Originally published on 2026-09-12; last reviewed on 2026-09-12; last updated on 2026-09-12)

With each new set release, Wizards of the Coast update the Comprehensive Rules (CR) and the Oracle text of any number of cards. These updates include support for new mechanics, error fixes, and improvements to the wording of rules and cards. Wizards of the Coast also publish an update bulletin which summarizes and explains these changes.

This article is my own version of such an update bulletin. It lists all changes the Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update makes to the Comprehensive Rules, prerelease errata for Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes cards, changes to existing Oracle text, and changes to Gatherer rulings. For each item, I describe the change, its primary consequences, side effects, and anything else I find noteworthy. If I think that the update omits rules support or an erratum for a card or mechanic, the omission gets its own entry.

For the final section, I read Wizards of the Coast’s official bulletin and write down my impressions.

For more information, see Why Unofficial Update Bulletins?.

Disclaimer: I have no special insight into the inner workings of Wizards of the Coast or their rules team; any observations are based solely on the published updates and my own knowledge and understanding of Magic’s rules system. While I strive for completeness and correctness, I may miss some changes; in particular, my process for archiving and comparing Gatherer revisions is constantly evolving, just like Gatherer itself. (Then again, Wizards of the Coast purposefully omit minor changes in their own bulletins, so I think I’m still ahead.)

Table of contents

• Changes to the Comprehensive Rules
  • Functional changes
  • Nonfunctional changes
• Prerelease errata and outdated text
  • Functional changes
  • Nonfunctional changes
• Changes to Oracle text
  • Functional changes
  • Nonfunctional changes
• Changes to Gatherer rulings (nonfunctional)
• A look at the official update bulletin

Changes to the Comprehensive Rules

For this section, I recommend having a Comprehensive Rules diff open in another window, such as the one found on Academy Ruins.

Rules support for power-up

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes release introduces the power-up keyword.

The rules entry for power-up is 702.193. Unlike nearly all other keywords listed under rule 702 (“Keyword Abilities”), power-up doesn’t represent an ability though—rather, it modifies the activated ability listed after it. The modifications themselves are self-explanatory.

One other thing of note is that rule 702.193a uses the word “rules” for what are actually activation instructions.

Rules support for teamwork

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes release introduces the teamwork keyword ability.

The rules entry for teamwork is 702.194. The ability’s definition in subrule 702.194a is self-explanatory, but the rules entry as a whole has several noteworthy things.

The ability’s text is the first instance in both the Comprehensive Rules and in Oracle rules text where a cost of tapping permanents does not include the word “untapped.” While this makes no functional difference, it does stick out [CR 701.26a].

Rule 702.194a also uses language typically reserved for keywords that represent multiple abilities: if there is only one ability, the keyword “is a [kind of] ability” and doesn’t “represent a [kind of] ability.” The final wording issue with this rule is the use of “N or more,” which doesn’t match the standard template of “N or greater.”

And then there is rule 702.194b, which defines “cast using teamwork,” a phrase used by all cards with teamwork to denote the effects tied to paying the teamwork cost. The rule states that a spell is cast using teamwork if the intention to pay its teamwork cost was declared. The results of this rule are twofold.

First, if a spell with a paid teamwork cost is copied, the copy will have all the additional or alternative effects tied to teamwork. While that copy wasn’t cast, it did copy the decision to pay the teamwork cost, which is everything that’s needed for a successful “was cast using teamwork” check. This leads to result number two:

This is the first instance in Magic’s rules system where the word “cast” doesn’t mean the keyword of the same name. “This spell was cast using teamwork” has nothing to do with whether the spell was cast: a spell that wasn’t cast may have been cast using teamwork.

Why Wizards of the Coast’s rules team opted for such an unintuitive and inconsistent wording is unclear to me. Maybe they felt that the rules system needed another piece of shallow trivia that rules experts delight in so much. Or maybe they learned about the German translation for “permanent” and decided that the English Magic dictionary needed an equivalent. The story of that translation is as follows:

Due to the lack of a fitting German noun, the term “permanent” was translated into German as “bleibende Karte” (literally “permanent card”). This lead to bizarre sentences like “Ein Spielstein ist eine bleibende Karte, aber keine Karte“ (“A token is a permanent card, but it’s not a card.”) and to complications with the actual term “permanent card,” which had the same translation. This issue persisted for more than two decades until the The Lost Caverns of Ixalan release, when the word “Permanent” was coined by the German translators.

Whatever the actual reason may be, the deed itself is worthy of a super villain. (The Typo Terror? The Evil Editor? The Unruler?)

Last but not least, since casting a spell using teamwork really means choosing to pay its teamwork cost, it stands to reason that Virtual Assistant’s ability triggers when that decision gets made at the start of the casting process, rather than upon its completion, as any other “whenever you cast a spell” ability would.

A player could thus announce a spell, declare that they pay the teamwork cost (triggering Virtual Assistant’s ability), sacrifice Virtual Assistant to activate a mana ability, and still create a 1/1 Robot Hero token. (If that is the reality-warping power offered by degenerative AI, I can almost understand why people sacrifice the future of their species for it.)

For additional material on this update, see the companion article.

Rules support for heal

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes release introduces the heal keyword action.

The rules entry for heal is 701.69. If a player is instructed to heal damage dealt to a permanent, they simply remove all damage marked on that permanent; if something says that damage dealt to a permanent is healed, that is an instruction for that permanent’s controller to heal that damage in the described manner.

Notably, rule 701.69a doesn’t follow the template used by all previous rules and cards that refer to removing damage: elsewhere, damage “marked on” a permanent is removed; in rule 701.69, “marked” damage is removed “from” a permanent.

For additional material on this update, see the companion article.

Rules support for worthy

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes release introduces the term worthy.

The rules entry for worthy is 700.16; its definition is self-explanatory. Notably, only creature permanents can be worthy.

Rules support for Vibranium tokens

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes release introduces Vibranium tokens, a new kind of predefined token.

The tokens’ characteristics are defined in rule 111.10w and are self-explanatory. There are no additional rules specific to Vibranium tokens.

Attempted rules support for Captain America, First Avenger

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update includes official Oracle text for Captain America, First Avenger. Part of its rules text is an activated ability that lets its controller divide damage among one to three targets, with the amount of damage being determined by a choice made while paying the ability’s cost.

With the existing Comprehensive Rules, this ability cannot be activated: the ability’s controller has to divide the damage during the spell’s proposal [CR 601.2d], but at that time, the amount of damage hasn’t been determined yet; the amount only becomes known once the player unattaches an Equipment while paying the ability’s cost [CR 601.2h]. Before that, 0 is used for the amount [CR 107.2], and 0 damage can’t be divided among one or more targets [CR 601.2d].

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update introduces a new rule 601.5; subsequent rules are renumbered accordingly. This rule states that the ability’s controller may consider future choices while dividing the damage.

This rule is my favorite part of the Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes rules update. Before the update’s release, I had all my zinos on the rules team forgetting about Captain America’s unique rules text, so I was positively surprised when I saw this rule.

I was even more positively surprised after I read the rule and realized that it doesn’t support Captain America’s ability at all. Another trick rule to test the reader’s attention.

The rule allows the ability’s controller to consider any choice made later in the process—and then it stops. Nothing is done with the choices considered, nor is any information derived from them.

Suppose Alex controls Captain America, First Avenger which is equipped by Captain America’s Shield, and she tries to activate Captain America’s ability. After choosing one to three targets, she is supposed to divide damage among those targets; the amount of damage is undetermined, but thanks to rule 601.5, Alex may consider the future choice of which Equipment she unattaches from Captain America to pay the activation cost.

There is only one possible choice, and Alex considers that choice for a while. She considers the choice itself, how she will announce “I unattach Captain America’s Shield,” how she will move that permanent away from Captain America so that it no longer physically touches Captain America. She considers the object, its characteristic values, and any information derived from them; what it looks like, its shape and colors, what it defends, and what it stands for.

Having spent a non-excessive amount of time considering all those things (she doesn’t want to risk a Warning for Slow Play), Alex returns to the original problem of dividing an undetermined amount of damage. She has all this information from her consideration but nowhere does rule 601.5 state that Alex may use that information to solve her conundrum, let alone how she might go about doing so. Being a rules-abiding player, Alex admits defeat and aborts the activation process.

Just imagine how boring this whole situation would be if rule 601.5 actually supported Captain America’s ability. Alex would simply activate the ability; I would have so much less to write about; judges would simply go, “Yep, that’s the Captain America rule” and be done with it; future judge candidates who ask about this rule would get a simple “That’s the Captain America rule” and go, “Yep, that makes sense” and be done with it.

Instead, the rules team gave us this gem, which rewards players for having a “better understanding of the options provided by the rules of the game” [MTR 4.1]; which rewards judges for paying attention to details and double-checking rules and policy rather than going with their gut reaction; and which inspires rules enthusiasts to dig deeper into the structures of the casting process.

The only way I see how this situation might have been better would be if rule 601.5 had taken a cue from its direct predecessor, rule 601.4. There, after considering possible future choices, the player determines which current options would be “unlocked” by those future choices and is then allowed to make any such “unlockable” choices. If rule 601.5 did the same thing, it would turn Captain America’s ability from totally unusable into a straight-up superpower. (So, from a flavor perspective, that is what should have happened.)

Suppose Alex controls Captain America, First Avenger which is equipped by Captain America’s Shield and by Meteor Sword, and she tries to activate Captain America’s ability. Using the discussed alternative rule 601.5, Alex considers the choice of unattaching Meteor Sword and how that choice would result in 7 damage being dealt; with that future choice considered, she decides that 7 damage are possible and divides 7 damage among the chosen targets.

Next, the game checks the proposed ability’s legality, which is bound to succeed, then it determines the ability’s total cost [CR 601.2e–f]. That cost is {3} and “unattach an Equipment from Captain America”; Alex notes that the cost doesn’t require the Equipment to have any specific mana value, and that there is no further legality check of any sort, so she proceeds to pay that cost by paying {3} and unattaching Captain America’s Shield from Captain America. When the ability resolves, it deals 7 damage divided as per Alex’s original choice.

Last but not least, the rule features a glaring typo in “later in [sic] spellcasting process.” The word “spellcasting” is also a new one for the Comprehensive Rules; very flavorful.

For additional material on this update, see the companion article.

Anyone may connive (functional)

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes card Leader, Super-Genius has an ability whose replacement effect looks for a permanent that would connive. The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes release also introduces several permanent cards with abilities that trigger when other permanents connive.

The existing Comprehensive Rules had no rule that defines an instruction to connive 0 as a non-action. Thus, the new cards would have replaced or triggered from the event of a permanent that connives 0.

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update introduces a new rule 701.50e which states that a permanent doesn’t connive when instructed to connive 0. This mirrors the rules for scry [CR 701.22b], surveil [CR 701.25c], and endure [CR 701.63b].

The update also moves subrule 701.50b to the end of the rules entry (new number 701.50f). The subrule for connive N (new number 701.50d) gets a small rewrite that brings its text in line with other rules.

800.4i: Statute of limitations (functional)

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes Commander card Avenge checks whether a player attacked Avenge’s controller during their most recent turn.

The existing rule 800.4i would have allowed Avenge to include any player who has left the game in this check. Since a player who has left the game has no further turns, a single player who attacks Avenge’s controller during their final turn in the game would have resulted in a positive outcome for the rest of the game, no matter how long ago that final turn was.

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update adds a restriction to rule 800.4i. Essentially, a player’s actions during their “last turn” reset the moment they would have taken another turn if they were still in the game. This mirrors the rules for effects that last until a player’s next turn [CR 800.4m] and the rules for phased-out permanents [CR 702.26n].

Standardized wording surrounding last known information (nonfunctional)

The Comprehensive Rules use two templates to describe objects whose last known information is used: the first is “[an object] [that] has changed zones” or “[an object] [that] has left its zone”; the second is “[an object] [that] is no longer in the zone it’s expected to be in.”

The second template is slightly more accurate, since objects can stop being in a zone without leaving that zone. For instance, a permanent that phases out is no longer on the battlefield, but it has not left the battlefield [CR 702.26d], and an object that gets exiled while being in the exile zone becomes a new object (which means that the “old” object no longer exists despite never having left exile) [CR 406.7].

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update replaces almost all instances of the first template with instances of the second one. This is a nonfunctional change, since all affected rules are mere reminder rules.

The affected rules are 701.44c, 701.50b (formerly 701.50c), 702.2e, 702.15c, 702.80b, and 702.90d. The single rule to still use the first template is rule 608.2b.

Keyword abilities that become less special (nonfunctional)

A small number of rules entries for keyword abilities call variants of their keyword a “special form” of that keyword, rather than a “variant” like most rules entries.

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update standardizes the text of one such rules entry; rule 702.54b now calls bloodthirst X a variant. Rule 702.22b continues to call “bands with other” a special form of banding.

Similarly, a small number of rules call a specific keyword a “special kind” of ability (a highly subjective decision).

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update standardizes the text of most of those rules by removing that phrase. This affects rule 702.57a for forecast, rule 702.142a for boast, rule 702.177a for exhaust, and rule 702.178a for max speed. Rule 719.3 continues to call the “to solve” and “solved” keywords “special keyword abilities.”

Keyword abilities that become keyword modifiers (nonfunctional)

The rules entry for the new power-up keyword defines that keyword not as an ability but rather as a modifier for an ability listed after it.

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update redefines two similar keywords as modifiers. This affects rule 702.142a for boast and rule 702.177a for exhaust. The keywords forecast and solved remain unchanged.

Like rule 702.193a for power-up, the rules’ new text states that the keywords add “rules” to the following abilities when they actually mean activation instructions.

For additional material on this update, see the companion article.

Standardized wording surrounding non-turnable objects (nonfunctional)

Three kinds of permanents can’t be turned face down: double-faced permanents, merged permanents with a double-faced component, and permanents that are already face down. Rule 708.2b for face-down permanents already included a reminder that the permanent’s characteristic values don’t change if something attempts to turn it face down.

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update adds similar reminders to rule 712.16 for double-faced permanents and to rule 730.2j for merged permanents with a double-faced component. Additionally, the update corrects a typo in rule 708.2b.

505.1b: Counting main phases (nonfunctional)

Since the Bloomburrow update, new cards no longer use the terms “precombat main phase” and “postcombat main phase”; instead they use the phrases “first main phase” and “second main phase.” The Comprehensive Rules continue to use “precombat main phase” and “postcombat main phase.” The Bloomburrow update also introduced rule 505.1b, which defines the new phrases appearing in card text.

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update generalizes rule 505.1b so that it applies to all instances of those phrases, not just to those appearing in card text. This is a nonfunctional change: the Comprehensive Rules use those phrases only in combination with qualifiers like “of the turn,” so applying rule 505.1b to the rules themselves is redundant (with one debatable exception; see below).

The intent behind this change is unclear to me. Besides card text, the only rules-relevant text is found on sticker sheets and in the Comprehensive Rules. Card text was already covered by rule 505.1b, no existing sticker sheet mentions main phases, and not a single rule in the Comprehensive Rules uses an unqualified “N-th main phase.”

The phrase “first main phase” without a reference to a turn appears once in the Comprehensive Rules, in the glossary entry for paradigm. Unlike the main part of the Comprehensive Rules, the glossary has no definitional power and is less strict about its wording, so an update to rule 505.1b was hardly necessary. Furthermore, the entry actually uses “first main phases,” plural, which should clear up any confusion over which first main phase is meant.

Had the update changed even one instance of “precombat main phase” or “postcombat main phase” in the Comprehensive Rules, I could see it. As is, this change accomplishes exactly one thing: by removing “card text” from the sentence, “that text” has no clear referent anymore. Rewriting that part of the sentence would have been nice.

For additional material on this update, see the companion article.

603.12a: Trick arrows and trick rules (nonfunctional)

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes card Hawkeye, Master Marksman has an ability whose effect allows its controller to pay a cost up to three times; the ability also creates a reflexive triggered ability that triggers when that cost is paid.

That ability’s trigger event simply reads “when you do” and since the (up to) three instances of paying the cost happen sequentially, that trigger event occurs (up to) three times while the ability resolves.

This is the first time that phrase gets used by such a reflexive triggered ability; previous cards with similar abilities have used “when you pay this cost one or more times” instead, and rule 603.12a stated that (most) such abilities trigger a total of one time.

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update generalizes rule 603.12a; as a result, it also applies to Hawkeye’s ability and its reflexive triggered ability, as well as to those of Tranquil Frillback.

This is a nonfunctional change, since a reflexive triggered ability can only ever trigger once, regardless of how its trigger event is phrased (as anyone who has read their definition in rule 603.12 can attest). Rule 603.12a is thus completely redundant and serves merely as another exercise in media literacy.

(For a reflexive triggered ability that could use some rules support, see Explosion of Riches.)

702.122c: Crude by whose standards? (nonfunctional)

In the rules entry for the crew keyword ability, a new subrule 702.122c defines the phrase “crewed by”; subsequent subrules are renumbered accordingly.

This is a nonfunctional change since this definition is inferable from rules 702.122b and 608.2c.

707.12a: Casting a copy is optional (nonfunctional)

If a resolving spell or ability allows a player to play multiple objects during its resolution (as opposed to granting a play permission for a certain duration), that player may usually decide how many of those objects they play.

To clarify this, most such cards use templates such as “may cast any number of [quality] spells,” “may cast any number of those copies,” or “may cast up to [amount] [quality] spells.” A small number of cards use templates that imply an all-or-nothing decision instead, such as “may cast those [cards or copies].”

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update introduces rule 707.12a, which explicitly states that a player who may cast multiple copies of an object may cast any number of those copies.

This is a nonfunctional change, since rule 608.2f already allows a player to decide for each object individually whether to play it; this holds true for both cards and copies of objects.

For additional material on casting multiple objects, see the companion article.

Changes to card types, supertypes, and/or subtypes

New artifact type: Vibranium.

New creature types: Eternal, Gamma, Inhuman, Kree, Shi’ar, Skrull, and Spy.

New enchantment type: Plan.

Changes to ability words

None.

Changes to glossary entries

New glossary entries: Heal, Power-up, Teamwork, Vibranium Token, and Worthy.

Changed glossary entries: Boast and Exhaust.

The extra line of space between the entries Prepare Spell and Prepared has been removed.

Credits

Wizards of the Coast have updated Charlie Cactino’s name to Charlie Cathero.

Legal information

Wizards of the Coast have updated the year of their copyright notice to 2026. The year of the Marvel copyright notice remains 2025.

Prerelease errata and outdated text

Note: Most of the time, I list only the changed parts of a card’s Oracle text, rather than the complete text of the card.

All subtypes removed (functional)

Wizards of the Coast have issued a large number of prerelease errata which change subtypes to (as yet undefined) card types. These errata affect all cards newly printed in the Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes release, as well as all reprint versions that are part of the release.

The errata replace the em dash on the type line with a hyphen-minus. Since the Comprehensive Rules use a long dash to differentiate between card types and subtypes [CR 205.3b], removing the em dash automatically moves the former subtypes into the card-type part of the type line.

As a result, each card printed with the creature card type and the Human and Hero subtypes now has the creature card type, two undefined card types named “human” and “hero,” and no subtypes. Other cards and reprint versions are affected accordingly.

Killmonger, Ruthless Usurper (functional)

The printed text of Killmonger, Ruthless Usurper’s second ability doesn’t list a duration for its effect.

This is obviously not the intended functionality, so Wizards of the Coast have issued a prerelease erratum which adds an “until end of turn” duration.

Printed text

Whenever Killmonger attacks, he gets +1/+0 for each artifact defending player controls.

---

Oracle text

Whenever Killmonger attacks, he gets +1/+0 until end of turn for each artifact defending player controls.

No functional erratum for Iron Man, Futurist Paragon

The printed text of Iron Man, Futurist Paragon’s triggered ability doesn’t list a duration for its effect.

This is obviously the intended functionality, so Wizards of the Coast have not issued a prerelease erratum.

Oracle text

At the beginning of combat on your turn, target artifact or creature becomes an artifact creature with base power and toughness 5/5 and gains flying.

Patriot, Young Avenger (functional)

Wizards of the Coast have issued a prerelease erratum for Patriot, Young Avenger’s mana cost. The erratum replaces the red and white hybrid mana symbol with an undefined symbol.

Printed text

Oracle text

Crossover Collaboration (functional)

Wizards of the Coast have issued a prerelease erratum for Crossover Collaboration’s text. The erratum removes all reminder text after the {T} and replaces it with identically worded rules text.

As a result, after the spell’s other effects, Crossover Collaboration’s controller is instructed to sacrifice Crossover Collaboration (which is impossible) and to then add one mana of any color.

Printed text

Exile the top two cards of your library. Until the end of your next turn, you may play those cards. If this spell was cast using teamwork, create a Treasure token. (It’s an artifact with “{T}, Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.”)

---

Oracle text

Exile the top two cards of your library. Until the end of your next turn, you may play those cards. If this spell was cast using teamwork, create a Treasure token. (It’s an artifact with “{T}, Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.”)

Karolina Dean, Runaway (functional)

If an effect produces mana and places a restriction on it that prevents the mana from being spent on a specific use case, the standard template is “This mana can’t be spent to [do something].”

Wizards of the Coast have issued a prerelease erratum for Karolina Dean, Runaway’s rules text. The erratum changes the rules text to a version that matches that standard template.

This is a functional change, since Karolina Dean’s printed text prevented only the ability’s controller from spending the mana to cast spells from that player’s hand; the standard template applies to all players, whether or not they originally produced the mana.

Printed text

At the beginning of your first main phase, add {W}{U}{B}{R}{G}. You can’t spend this mana to cast spells from your hand.

---

Oracle text

At the beginning of your first main phase, add {W}{U}{B}{R}{G}. This mana can’t be spent to cast spells from your hand.

Hawkeye, Master Marksman (nonfunctional)

If an instruction to choose modes for a modal spell or ability is immediately followed by the list of modes, the standard template uses an em dash to end that sentence. (If there is an additional sentence between the instruction and the list of modes, both sentences end with a period.)

The printed text of Hawkeye, Master Marksman ends the sentence containing the “choose” instruction with a period, which doesn’t match that standard template.

Wizards of the Coast have issued a prerelease erratum which replaces that period with an equally incorrect hyphen-minus.

Printed text

Trick Arrows — Whenever Hawkeye becomes tapped, you may pay {1} up to three times. When you do, choose up to that many.

• Net — Target creature can’t block this turn.

• Explosive — Hawkeye deals 2 damage to target player.

• Boomerang — Discard a card, then draw a card.

---

Oracle text

Trick Arrows – Whenever Hawkeye becomes tapped, you may pay {1} up to three times. When you do, choose up to that many –

* Net – Target creature can’t block this turn.

* Explosive – Hawkeye deals 2 damage to target player.

* Boomerang – Discard a card, then draw a card.

Omitted erratum for The Fantastic Four (nonfunctional)

If an instruction to choose modes for a modal spell or ability is immediately followed by the list of modes, the standard template uses an em dash to end that sentence. (If there is an additional sentence between the instruction and the list of modes, both sentences end with a period.)

The text of The Fantastic Four ends the sentence containing the “choose” instruction with a period, which doesn’t match that standard template.

Oracle text

When The Fantastic Four enter and whenever you cast a spell with power, toughness, or mana value 4, choose one that hasn’t been chosen this turn.

* Create a 0/4 colorless Wall creature token with defender.

* The Fantastic Four deal 3 damage to each opponent.

* Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature.

* Draw a card.

Omitted erratum for Loki Laufeyson (nonfunctional)

Per the guidelines for self-references, if a character has a patronymic and their card features that patronymic in the card name, the character’s full name should be used for self-references.

The text of Loki Laufeyson uses only the character’s first name, which doesn’t conform to those guidelines.

Oracle text

{1}, {T}: When you next cast an instant or sorcery spell with mana value less than or equal to Loki’s power this turn, copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.

Power-up – {4}{R}: Put two +1/+1 counters on Loki. (Activate each power-up ability only once. Reduce the cost by his mana cost if he entered this turn.)

Omitted erratum for Quicksilver, Brash Blur (nonfunctional)

Per the guidelines for self-references, if a legendary card refers to itself while it’s in a player’s hand, it should use “this card.”

Quicksilver, Brash Blur’s first ability uses the card name instead, which doesn’t conform to those guidelines.

As part of an erratum, that ability’s second self-reference could be changed to “Quicksilver” (see Gemstone Caverns) or remain “him” (see Winter Soldier, Icy Assassin, Quicksilver, Pietro Maximoff, and Hulk, Bruce Banner).

Oracle text

If Quicksilver, Brash Blur is in your opening hand, you may begin the game with him on the battlefield.

Haste

Power-up – {4}{R}: Put a +1/+1 counter and a double strike counter on Quicksilver. (Activate each power-up ability only once. Reduce the cost by his mana cost if he entered this turn.)

Omitted erratum for Beast, Erudite Aerialist (nonfunctional)

Per the guidelines for self-references, a legendary card such as Beast, Erudite Aerialist should use just the character’s name for self-references and omit titles like “Erudite Aerialist.”

However, other cards where the character’s name is identical to a creature type use the full card name instead; this is likely done to avoid confusion over whether the character’s name or the creature type is meant. See Lizard, Connors’s Curse and Minotaur, Roxxon CEO.

The text of Beast, Erudite Aerialist uses only the character’s name, which is inconsistent with the other cards.

Oracle text

As long as you’ve put one or more +1/+1 counters on Beast this turn, he has flying.

Whenever Beast deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.

Omitted erratum for Vision Quest (nonfunctional)

If something checks whether a variable X meets or exceeds a specific value, the standard template is “if X is [N] or more.”

The text of Vision Quest uses “or greater” instead, which doesn’t match that standard template. (Recently, the Secrets of Strixhaven update addressed this issue on two other cards.)

Oracle text

Search your library and/or graveyard for an artifact creature card with mana value X or less and put it onto the battlefield with X additional +1/+1 counters on it. If X is 4 or greater, it gains haste until end of turn. If you search your library this way, shuffle.

Omitted erratum for King Solomon’s Frogs (nonfunctional)

Starting with the Magic: The Gathering | Marvel’s Spider Man release, legendary cards in Universes Beyond sets use gendered pronouns when referring to themselves. Starting with the Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender update, those cards also use plural forms if appropriate.

The text of King Solomon’s Frogs uses singular self-references despite the card being legendary, depicting multiple frogs, and having a plural card name.

Oracle text

When King Solomon’s Frogs enters, if you cast it, for each opponent, exile up to one target permanent that player controls with mana value 3 or greater. For each permanent exiled this way, its controller draws a card.

Minotaur, Roxxon CEO (nonfunctional)

According to Minotaur, Roxxon CEO’s Gatherer page, the card was printed with “Roxxon” in all caps.

Wizards of the Coast have issued a prerelease erratum which changes the spelling to that seen on digital renders of the card.

Printed text

Oracle text

Omitted erratum for Flying Drone (nonfunctional)

If the text of a card mentions or refers to a permanent that entered the battlefield during the current turn, it may use “entered this turn” or “entered the battlefield this turn.” The former is used if an action is performed on the permanent, if its information is used, if a permanent refers to itself, or if something else in the text serves as a reminder that the permanent entered the battlefield. The latter template is used in cases where only the act of entering the battlefield is checked and where the permanent is of no further interest.

The text of Flying Drone uses the wrong template.

Oracle text

{1}{U}, {T}: Draw a card, then discard a card. This ability costs {1}{U} less to activate if another creature with flying entered under your control this turn.

Omitted erratum for Fixer, Techno Terror (nonfunctional)

If the text of a card mentions or refers to a permanent that entered the battlefield during the current turn, it may use “entered this turn” or “entered the battlefield this turn.” The former is used if an action is performed on the permanent, if its information is used, if a permanent refers to itself, or if something else in the text serves as a reminder that the permanent entered the battlefield. The latter is used in cases where only the act of entering the battlefield is checked and where the permanent is of no further interest.

The text of Fixer, Techno Terror uses the wrong template.

Oracle text

{T}, Pay 2 life: Draw a card. Activate only if an artifact entered under your control this turn.

Omitted erratum for Molten Lavamancer (nonfunctional)

When triggered abilities with a “This ability triggers only once each turn” instruction were introduced, their trigger conditions were worded in ways to account for multiple simultaneous trigger events (e.g. “Whenever one or more +1/+1 counters are put on one or more Humans you control”). This reduced ambiguity over which of those events causes the ability to trigger.

Starting with the Tarkir: Dragonstorm release, trigger conditions no longer account for multiple simultaneous trigger events (e.g. “Whenever a counter is put on a creature you control”). (The Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY release had abilities of the older kind, likely due to the different production timelines for Universes Beyond sets and non-Universes Beyond sets.)

Molten Lavamancer doesn’t completely match the new template: “a source” matches the new template, but “one or more of your opponents” should be “an opponent.”

Oracle text

Whenever a source you control deals noncombat damage to one or more of your opponents during your turn, you create a 1/1 red Elemental creature token. This ability triggers only once each turn.

Hulk’s Thunderclap (nonfunctional)

Wizards of the Coast have issued a prerelease erratum for the rules text of Hulk’s Thunderclap. The erratum adds “noncreature” in front of “enchantment.”

This is a nonfunctional change, since the determiners and modifiers in front of “artifact” apply to both “artifact” and “enchantment” [CR 608.2c].

Printed text

Target creature you control deals damage equal to its power to another target creature. If this spell’s additional cost was paid, destroy target noncreature artifact or enchantment.

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Oracle text

Target creature you control deals damage equal to its power to another target creature. If this spell’s additional cost was paid, destroy target noncreature artifact or noncreature enchantment.

Living Lightning, Charged Up (nonfunctional)

Wizards of the Coast have issued a prerelease erratum for Living Lightning, Charged Up’s text. The erratum removes all reminder text after the {T} and replaces it with identically worded rules text.

This effectively replaces “Haste” with “Haste as soon as he comes under your control.” Since Living Lightning always has a controller while it’s on the battlefield, the new text shouldn’t change the card’s functionality.

Printed text

Haste (This creature can attack and {T} as soon as he comes under your control.)

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Oracle text

Haste (This creature can attack and {T} as soon as he comes under your control.)

Spider-Man, Web-Spinner (nonfunctional)

Wizards of the Coast have issued a prerelease erratum for Spider-Man, Web-Spinner’s text. The erratum removes all reminder text after the {T} and replaces it with identically worded rules text.

This effectively replaces “Haste” with “Haste as soon as he comes under your control.” Since Spider-Man always has a controller while it’s on the battlefield, the new text shouldn’t change the card’s functionality.

Printed text

Haste (This creature can attack and {T} as soon as he comes under your control.)

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Oracle text

Haste (This creature can attack and {T} as soon as he comes under your control.)

Outdated text on Night’s Whisper (nonfunctional)

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes Commander version of Night’s Whisper has been printed with outdated rules text.

The Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender update changed the card’s text to match a new template. The reprint version uses the previous text.

Printed text

You draw two cards and you lose 2 life.

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Oracle text

You draw two cards and lose 2 life.

Outdated text on Currency Converter (nonfunctional)

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes Commander version of Currency Converter has been printed with outdated rules text.

The Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender update changed the text of the first instruction of the third ability to match the standard template for such actions. The reprint version uses the previous text.

Printed text

{T}: Put a card exiled with this artifact into your graveyard. If it’s a land card, create a Treasure token. If it’s a nonland card, create a 2/2 black Rogue creature token.

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Oracle text

{T}: Put a card exiled with this artifact into its owner’s graveyard. If it’s a land card, create a Treasure token. If it’s a nonland card, create a 2/2 black Rogue creature token.

Changes to Oracle text

Note: Most of the time, I list only the changed parts of a card’s Oracle text, rather than the complete text of the card.

+2 Mace (functional)

Almost five years after the Adventures in the Forgotten Realms release, +2 Mace receives its first official Oracle text.

This Oracle text deviates slightly from its printed text: while +2 Mace was printed with the artifact card type and the Equipment subtype, its Oracle text instead lists the artifact card type and an undefined card type named “equipment.”

This is due to the replacement of the em dash with a hyphen-minus. Since the Comprehensive Rules use a long dash to differentiate between card types and subtypes [CR 205.3b], removing the em dash automatically moves the former subtype into the card-type part of the type line.

Oracle text

Heroes of the Secret Lair | Marvel Superdrop (functional)

A year and a half after the release of the Secret Lair | Marvel Superdrop, Black Panther, Wakandan King, Captain America, First Avenger, Iron Man, Titan of Innovation, Storm, Force of Nature, and Wolverine, Best There Is receive their first official Oracle text.

The Oracle text deviates slightly from the printed text: while those cards were printed with several creature types, such as Hero, Human, and Mutant, their Oracle text lists none of those subtypes; in their place are identically named, undefined card types.

This is due to the replacement of the em dash with a hyphen-minus. Since the Comprehensive Rules use a long dash to differentiate between card types and subtypes [CR 205.3b], removing the em dash automatically moves the former subtypes into the card-type part of the type line.

Oracle text (example)

Version-specific rules text for Blazing Crescendo (nonfunctional)

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes release includes two reprint versions of Blazing Crescendo. The two versions feature updated rules text that combines both paragraphs into one.

Wizards of the Coast have not updated the rules text of the existing version. As a result, Blazing Crescendo has two different official Oracle texts.

Oracle text, Phyrexia All Will Be One version:

Target creature gets +3/+1 until end of turn.

Exile the top card of your library. Until the end of your next turn, you may play that card.

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Oracle text, Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes versions:

Target creature gets +3/+1 until end of turn. Exile the top card of your library. Until the end of your next turn, you may play that card.

Reverted: Reach reordered (nonfunctional)

The May 2026 update changed the rules text of several dozen cards by moving the reach keyword to the front of keyword lists. The new order was defender, then reach, then all other keywords, notably first strike, hexproof, menace, trample, and vigilance. As a result, the order of keywords was consistent across all Oracle texts (with the exception of Skysnare Spider).

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update reverts these changes. As a result, the position of reach in keyword lists is once again a near 50:50 split between second place and “after first strike, hexproof, menace, trample, and vigilance.”

This update applies to: Longbow Archer, Ancient Spider, Tel-Jilad Archers, Chancellor of the Tangle, Sentinel Spider, Ruric Thar, the Unbowed, Bassara Tower Archer, Bitterbow Sharpshooters, Ramunap Hydra, Zacama, Primal Calamity, Thantis, the Warweaver, Vivien, Champion of the Wilds, Flycatcher Giraffid, Vivien, Monsters’ Advocate, Elder Gargaroth, Colfenor, the Last Yew, Drider, Lolth, Spider Queen, Catti-brie of Mithral Hall, Halana and Alena, Partners, Invoke the Ancients, Weathered Sentinels, Wilson, Refined Grizzly, Hierophant Bio-Titan, Titania, Gaea Incarnate, Resistance Skywarden, Vorinclex, Legolas’s Quick Reflexes, Curious Altisaur, Owen Grady, Raptor Trainer, Izoni, Center of the Web, Harold and Bob, First Numens, Rumbleweed, Lion Umbra, Frilled Sparkshooter, Galewind Moose, Lumra, Bellow of the Woods, Finneas, Ace Archer, Short Bow, The Odd Acorn Gang, Rendmaw, Creaking Nest, Sire of Seven Deaths, Hazard of the Dunes, Thundering Broodwagon, Dragon Sniper, Ragnarok, Divine Deliverance, Balthier and Fran, Iron Giant, Rig for War, Amazing Spider-Man, Surris, Silk-Tech Vanguard, The Lion-Turtle, Pummeler for Hire, Rancorous Archaic, Magmablood Archaic, Wildgrowth Archaic, and Old-Growth Educator.

Old text (example)

Reach, vigilance

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New text (example)

Vigilance, reach

Reverted: Use “as long as” as long as possible (nonfunctional)

The May 2026 update replaced an “if” in the rules text of two cards with “as long as,” which matches the standard template for such effects.

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update reverts these changes.

This update applies to: Palladia-Mors, the Ruiner and Karakyk Guardian.

Old text (example)

Palladia-Mors has hexproof as long as it hasn’t dealt damage yet.

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New text (example)

Palladia-Mors has hexproof if it hasn’t dealt damage yet.

Reverted: Elvish Spirit Guide (nonfunctional)

The May 2026 update replaced the self-reference in Elvish Spirit Guide‘s rules text with a self-reference that matches the guidelines for self-references.

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update reverts this change.

Old text

Exile this card from your hand: Add {G}.

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New text

Exile this creature from your hand: Add {G}.

Reverted: Motivated Pony (nonfunctional)

The May 2026 update restored a “the battlefield” to the text of Motivated Pony’s triggered ability. The new text matched the standard template for cases where only the act of entering the battlefield is checked.

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update reverts this change.

Old text

Whenever this creature attacks, attacking creatures get +1/+1 until end of turn. If a Food entered the battlefield under your control this turn, untap those creatures and they get an additional +2/+2 until end of turn.

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New text

Whenever this creature attacks, attacking creatures get +1/+1 until end of turn. If a Food entered under your control this turn, untap those creatures and they get an additional +2/+2 until end of turn.

Reverted: Read this reminder only as an instant (nonfunctional)

The May 2026 update added reminder text to four cards with a mana-producing ability that is not a mana ability. The reminder text stated that those abilities may be activated only as an instant.

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update reverts these changes.

This update applies to: Deathrite Shaman, Priest of Forgotten Gods, Radiant Lotus, and The Warring Triad.

Old text (example)

{T}: Exile target land card from a graveyard. Add one mana of any color. (Activate only as an instant.)

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New text (example)

{T}: Exile target land card from a graveyard. Add one mana of any color.

Reverted: Gaslighting text (nonfunctional)

The May 2026 update added reminder text to cards with a mana ability whose effect includes drawing cards or whose activation cost includes milling cards. The reminder text claimed that those abilities may be activated only as an instant.

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update reverts these changes. As a result, the cards’ Oracle text once again matches their Gatherer rulings and the Comprehensive Rules.

This update applies to: Chromatic Sphere, Darkwater Egg, Millikin, Mossfire Egg, Shadowblood Egg, Skycloud Egg, Sungrass Egg, Deranged Assistant, and Selvala, Explorer Returned.

Old text (example)

{1}, {T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color. Draw a card. (Activate only as an instant.)

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New text (example)

{1}, {T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color. Draw a card.

Reverted: Uvilda, Dean of Perfection (nonfunctional)

The May 2026 update replaced hone counters in Uvilda, Dean of Perfection’s rules text with refine counters. This wasn’t a functional change, since no other card refers to either kind of counter.

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update reverts this change. As a result, the card’s Oracle text and its Gatherer rulings match once again. This isn’t a functional change, since there’s still no other card that refers to either kind of counter.

Old text

{T}: You may exile an instant or sorcery card from your hand and put three refine counters on it. It gains “At the beginning of your upkeep, if this card is exiled, remove a refine counter from it” and “When the last refine counter is removed from this card, if it’s exiled, you may cast it. It costs {4} less to cast this way.”

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New text

{T}: You may exile an instant or sorcery card from your hand and put three hone counters on it. It gains “At the beginning of your upkeep, if this card is exiled, remove a hone counter from it” and “When the last hone counter is removed from this card, if it’s exiled, you may cast it. It costs {4} less to cast this way.”

The Ultimate Nightmare of Wizards of the Coast® Customer Service (nonfunctional)

In the official update bulletin for Edge of Eternities, Wizards of the Coast wrote that they updated the contact information in the flavor text of Ultimate Nightmare of Wizards of the Coast® Customer Service. This update didn’t actually occur though.

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update delivers the promised announced change. Given that the contact information is likely meant for players seeking rules advice on this card, I’m still not convinced that directing those players to a site that doesn’t offer rules advice is a sound decision.

Old text

The number printed on the card is no longer in service. For help, go to wizards.custhelp.com or find us on Twitter @Wizards_Help.

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New text

The number printed on the card is no longer in service. For help, please go to support.wizards.com.

Urza’s Hot Tub (nonfunctional)

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update changes the flavor text of Urza’s Hot Tub.

Old text

www.wizards.com/hottub

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New text

Management regrets to inform you that www.wizards.com/hottub is closed, but guests are welcome to lounge by our luxurious mana pool.

Oh, it seems the mana pool is now also closed. Guests are welcome to lounge by the nondescript area where the mana appears to be gathering.

Changes to Gatherer rulings (nonfunctional)

Platinum Angel

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update corrects two typos found in a ruling on Platinum Angel’s Gatherer page.

Similar rulings have been added to the Gatherer pages of other cards that prevent a player from losing the game (see below).

Old text

You can concede a game while Platinum Angel on the battlefield [sic]. A concession causes you to leave the game, which then causes you to lose the game (Once [sic] you concede, you no longer control a Platinum Angel, so its ability can’t prevent you from losing the game).

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New text

You can concede the game while you control Platinum Angel. A concession causes you to leave the game, which then causes you to lose the game. (Once you concede, you no longer control Platinum Angel, so its ability can’t prevent you from losing the game.)

Glamorous Outlaw

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update removes a duplicate period from a ruling on Glamorous Outlaw’s Gatherer page.

Old text

If Glamorous Outlaw is removed from exile without being cast, the land will continue to have this ability.. [sic]

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New text

If Glamorous Outlaw is removed from exile without being cast, the land will continue to have this ability.

Secret Invasion

One ruling on Secret Invasion’s Gatherer page claims that the enchanted creature does not become a copy of the target creature if Secret Invasion leaves the battlefield before its enters-the-battlefield ability resolves. That part of the ruling is incorrect.

If Secret Invasion leaves the battlefield before its triggered ability resolves, the target creature won’t be exiled and the enchanted creature won’t become a copy of the target creature.

Secret Invasion’s enters-the-battlefield ability creates two effects: a one-shot effect that exiles the target creature [CR 610.1] and a continuous effect that makes the enchanted creature a copy of the target creature [CR 611.1].

The one-shot effect is governed by rule 610.3: if the “until” event happens before the effect would be created, the effect isn’t created. As a result, the target creature isn’t exiled and immediately returned, nor is it exiled indefinitely.

Meanwhile, the continuous effect lasts “until” Secret Invasion leaves the battlefield. Unlike exile one-shot effects, continuous effects with an “until” duration (other than “until end of turn”) have no special rules governing them; thus, the effect is created and lasts for its stated duration [CR 611.2a]. If the stated event never happens during that time (because Secret Invasion left the battlefield earlier or because it never leaves the battlefield at all), the effect effectively lasts until the end of the game.

This would be different if the continuous effect used the much more common duration “for as long as [this permanent] remains on the battlefield.” In that case, the effect would last while the game state meets a specific condition, rather than until a specific event occurs. Effects with such durations are governed by rule 611.2b and behave much more like exile one-shot effects.

For a card with an exile one-shot effect und such a continuous copy effect, see Assimilation Aegis. For other copy effects with a conditional duration, see Blade of Shared Souls and Zygon Infiltrator.

For additional material on Secret Invasion and similar cards, see the companion article.

Black Widow, Agile Avenger

One ruling on Black Widow, Agile Avenger’s Gatherer page claims that Black Widow has to be on the battlefield only when its controller draws their second card in a turn in order for its ability to trigger. This is incorrect, since the ability triggers only when an opponent of that player draws their second card in a turn.

Black Widow doesn’t need to have been under your control when the first card is drawn for her second ability to trigger. As long as you control her when you draw your second card in a turn, that ability will trigger.

King T’Challa

One ruling on King T’Challa’s Gatherer page claims that King T’Challa has to be on the battlefield only when its controller draws their second card in a turn in order for its ability to trigger. This ruling is misleading insofar that the ability triggers whenever any player draws their second card in a turn.

King T’Challa doesn’t need to have been under your control when the first card is drawn for his second ability to trigger. As long as you control him when you draw your second card in a turn, that ability will trigger.

Hawkeye, Young Avenger

One ruling on Hawkeye, Young Avenger’s Gatherer page uses an incorrect pronoun for the character.

The additional X damage is dealt by the same source as the original source of damage. The damage isn’t dealt by Hawkeye unless he [sic] is somehow the original source of that damage.

The page also features a ruling not found in the Release Notes.

If Hawkeye’s power is negative, the value of X will be negative as well. In that case, the effect of Hawkeye’s ability will reduce the amount of damage being dealt.

Standard ruling on double-faced cards

Like previous modal double-faced cards with a built-in way to transform, the double-faced cards released in Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes have a ruling on their Gatherer pages that describes the front-face and back-face icons of double-faced cards. This ruling claims that the icons are always in the top-left corner of a face.

This is incorrect: starting with the The Brothers’ War release, the back faces of nonmodal double-faced cards have their icon in the top-right corner, and the half-faces on the backs of meld cards have no icon at all.

Each double-faced card has an icon in the top-left corner of each face. For modal double-faced cards in this set, these icons are a single black triangle for the front face, and a double white triangle for the back face.

The Incredible Hulk

One ruling on The Incredible Hulk’s Gatherer page features a typo: it mentions putting three +1/+1 counters on The Incredible Hulk, whereas the card’s rules text puts only one +1/+1 counter on The Incredible Hulk.

If lethal damage is dealt to The Incredible Hulk, his enrage ability triggers. The Incredible Hulk leaves the battlefield before that ability resolves, and you won’t put three +1/+1 counters on him. In this or any other case where The Incredible Hulk is no longer on the battlefield when his enrage ability resolves, there will still be an additional combat phase after this phase if he was attacking.

Echo, Perceptive Prodigy

One ruling on Echo, Perceptive Prodigy’s Gatherer page contains an example of how copying a linked ability may affect the other ability in that link pair. The ruling claims that, if Hoarding Dragon’s third ability resolves while there is more than one exiled card, the ability’s controller makes a single choice for all those cards.

This is incorrect: the action of “you may put the exiled card into its owner’s hand” is performed on each card individually, so the ability’s controller can choose to put only some of those cards into their owners’ hands and to leave the rest in exile [CR 607.3].

If an ability is linked to a second ability, copies of that first ability are also linked to that second ability. If the second ability refers to “the exiled card,” it refers to all cards exiled by the first ability and the copy. For example, if the second ability of Hoarding Dragon from the Foundations release (“When this creature enters, you may search your library for an artifact card, exile it, then shuffle.”) is copied and two cards are exiled, then when Hoarding Dragon’s third ability (“When this creature dies, you may put the exiled card into its owner’s hand.”) later resolves, if you choose to put “the exiled card” into its owner’s hand, both exiled cards will be put into their owners’ hands.

Another ruling on Echo’s Gatherer page features a typo: it states that Echo’s ability creates one or more copies of the target ability, whereas that ability’s text states that exactly one copy is created.

Echo’s ability targets an activated or triggered ability that is on the stack and creates one or more additional instances of that ability on the stack. It doesn’t cause any object to gain any abilities.

Yet another ruling on Echo’s Gatherer page features an incomplete list of objects that count as a “creature source”: it omits noncard objects like tokens and copies of other objects in zones other than the battlefield and the stack.

(At the same time, other Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes cards received rulings with a complete and more elegant description of the term “[type] source.” These include: Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu, Avengers Tower, and Villainous Hideout.)

A “creature source” is a permanent, spell, or card in any zone with the card type “creature.” For example, Echo’s ability can target a cycling ability you’ve activated if the discarded card is a creature card.

Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan

One ruling on Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan’s Gatherer page features a typo: it omits the “Ms.” in front of “Marvel.”

Marvel’s [sic] last ability resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered or otherwise leaves the stack without resolving.

Whiplash, Vengeful Engineer

One ruling on Whiplash, Vengeful Engineer’s Gatherer page uses a redundant “last” to describe Whiplash’s triggered ability (the card has only one triggered ability).

If Whiplash is no longer on the battlefield when his last triggered ability resolves, use the number of Equipment that were attached to him as he last existed on the battlefield to determine the value of X.

Scientist Supreme of A.I.M.

One ruling on Scientist Supreme of A.I.M.’s Gatherer page features a typo: it states that Scientist Supreme of A.I.M.’s ability creates one or more copies of the target ability, whereas that ability’s text states that exactly one copy is created.

Scientist Supreme of A.I.M.’s ability targets an activated or triggered ability that is on the stack and creates one or more additional instances of that ability on the stack. It doesn’t cause any object to gain any abilities.

Another ruling on Scientist Supreme of A.I.M.’s Gatherer page features an incomplete list of objects that count as an “artifact source”: it omits noncard objects like tokens and copies of other objects in zones other than the battlefield and the stack.

(At the same time, other Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes cards received rulings with a complete and more elegant description of the term “[type] source.” These include: Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu, Avengers Tower, and Villainous Hideout.)

This ruling also features a typo.

An “artifact source” is a permanent, spell, or card in any zone with the card type “artifact.” For example, Scientist Supreme of A.I.M.’s ability can target a cycling ability you’ve activated if the discarded card is a [sic] artifact card.

Jocasta, Automaton Avenger

One ruling on Jocasta, Automaton Avenger’s Gatherer page features a typo in the form of an erroneous “the creature.”

As Jocasta returns to the battlefield during the resolution of her last ability, you choose the player, planeswalker, or battle the creature [sic] Jocasta is attacking. It doesn’t have to be the same player, planeswalker, or battle that your commander or any other attacking creatures are attacking.

Massacre Girl

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update introduces a typo into a ruling on Massacre Girl’s Gatherer page.

In addition, the text of that ruling and of two others has been updated.

Old text

Massacre Girl’s enters-the-battlefield triggered ability and its delayed triggered ability each affect only creatures on the battlefield at the time that those abilities resolve. Creatures that enter the battlefield or become creatures later in the turn won’t get -1/-1 unless the delayed triggered ability triggers and resolves again later.

Once Massacre Girl’s enters-the-battlefield ability has triggered, it doesn’t matter whether Massacre Girl remains on the battlefield. The delayed triggered ability will be created as the enters-the-battlefield ability resolves.

A creature with 0 toughness doesn’t die immediately. Rather, the creature dies the next time a player would receive priority. This means that any creatures whose toughness becomes 0 as Massacre Girl’s enters-the-battlefield ability resolves will remain on the battlefield until just after the delayed triggered ability has been created.

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New text

Massacre Girl’s last ability and its delayed triggered ability each affect only creatures on the battlefield at the time that those abilities resolve. Creatures that enter the battlefield or become creatures later in the turn won’t get -1/-1 unless the delayed triggered ability triggers and resolves again later.

Once Massacre Girl’s last ability has triggered, it doesn’t matter whether Massacre Girl remains on the battlefield. The delayed triggered ability will be created as the enters ability resolves.

A creature with 0 toughness doesn’t die immediately. Rather, the creature dies the next time a player would receive priority. This means that any creatures whose toughness become [sic] 0 as Massacre Girl’s last ability resolves will remain on the battlefield until just after the delayed triggered ability has been created.

Horn of Greed

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes Release Notes feature an imprecise version of a previously existing ruling. This new version has not replaced the version found on Horn of Greed’s Gatherer page.

Release Notes text

Horn of Greed’s ability triggers whenever a player plays a land using the special action of playing a land. Lands that enter under a player’s control due to effects other than taking the special action of playing a land won’t cause Horn of Greed’s ability to trigger.

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Gatherer text

Playing a land will trigger it, but putting a land onto the battlefield as part of an effect will not.

Show and Tell

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes Release Notes feature a less precise version of a previously existing ruling. This new version has not replaced the version found on Show and Tell’s Gatherer page.

Release Notes text

The player whose turn it is chooses an artifact, creature, enchantment, or land card in their hand without revealing it, then each other player in turn order does the same. Then all the chosen cards are put onto the battlefield at the same time.

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Gatherer text

The current player chooses first, then each other player chooses in turn order. A player does not have to reveal the chosen card, so long as it is clear *which* card was chosen. After all choices are made, the cards are put onto the battlefield simultaneously.

Path to Exile

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes Release Notes feature an older version of a previously existing ruling. This version has not replaced the version found on Path to Exile’s Gatherer page.

Release Notes text

If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Path to Exile tries to resolve, the spell won’t resolve. The creature’s controller won’t search for a basic land card.

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Gatherer text

If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Path to Exile tries to resolve, it won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen. The creature’s controller won’t search for a basic land card.

Chaos Warp

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes Release Notes feature an updated version of a previously existing ruling. This new version has not replaced the version found on Chaos Warp’s Gatherer page.

Release Notes text

A permanent card is a card with one or more of the following card types: artifact, battle, creature, enchantment, land, or planeswalker.

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Gatherer text

A permanent card is a card with one or more of the following card types: artifact, creature, enchantment, land, or planeswalker.

Sundering Growth

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes Release Notes feature a ruling that has not been added to Sundering Growth’s Gatherer page.

To populate means to choose a creature token you control and create a token that’s a copy of that creature token.

The Release Notes also feature an updated version of a previously existing ruling. This new version has not replaced the version found on Sundering Growth’s Gatherer page.

Release Notes text

Any “enters” abilities of the copied token will trigger when the new token enters the battlefield. Any “as [this creature] enters” or “[this creature] enters with” abilities of the copied token will also work.

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Gatherer text

Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied token will trigger when the new token enters the battlefield. Any “as [this creature] enters the battlefield” or “[this creature] enters the battlefield with” abilities of the copied token will also work.

Archangel of Thune

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes Release Notes feature a ruling that has not been added to Archangel of Thune’s Gatherer page.

Archangel of Thune’s last ability triggers just once for each life-gaining event, no matter how much life is gained.

Return to the Ranks

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes Release Notes feature a ruling that has not been added to Return to the Ranks’s Gatherer page.

“Convoke” means “For each colored mana in this spell’s total cost, you may tap an untapped creature of that color you control rather than pay that mana. For each generic mana in this spell’s total cost, you may tap an untapped creature you control rather than pay that mana.”

Dig Through Time

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes Release Notes feature a ruling that has not been added to Dig Through Time’s Gatherer page.

“Delve” means “For each generic mana in this spell’s total cost, you may exile a card from your graveyard rather than pay that mana.”

Mechanized Production

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes Release Notes feature updated versions of two previously existing rulings. These new versions have not replaced the versions found on Mechanized Production’s Gatherer page.

Release Notes text

If the copied artifact has {X} in its mana cost, X is 0.

Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied artifact trigger when the artifact token enters the battlefield. The artifact token also has any “this enters with” or “as this enters” abilities that the copied artifact has.

---

Gatherer text

If the copied artifact has {X} in its mana cost, X is considered to be zero.

Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied artifact trigger when the artifact token enters the battlefield. The artifact token also has any “this enters the battlefield with” or “as this enters the battlefield” abilities that the copied artifact has.

Ephemerate

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes Release Notes feature a ruling that has not been added to Ephemerate’s Gatherer page.

“Rebound” means “If this spell was cast from your hand, instead of putting it into your graveyard as it resolves, exile it and, at the beginning of your next upkeep, you may cast this card from exile without paying its mana cost.”

Light of Promise

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes Release Notes feature a ruling that has not been added to Light of Promise’s Gatherer page.

The granted ability triggers just once for each life-gaining event, no matter how much life is gained.

The Release Notes also feature an updated version of a previously existing ruling. This new version has not replaced the version found on Light of Promise’s Gatherer page.

Release Notes text

If the enchanted creature is dealt lethal damage at the same time that you gain life, it won’t receive a counter from its ability in time to save it.

---

Gatherer text

If enchanted creature is dealt lethal damage at the same time that you gain life, it won’t receive a counter from its ability in time to save it.

Dauthi Voidwalker

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes Release Notes feature a ruling that has not been added to Dauthi Voidwalker’s Gatherer page.

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.

Monstrous Rage

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes Release Notes feature a ruling that has not been added to Monstrous Rage’s Gatherer page.

A Monster Role token is a colorless Aura Role enchantment token named Monster with enchant creature and “Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has trample.”

Final Showdown

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes Release Notes feature a ruling that has not been added to Final Showdown’s Gatherer page.

Spree means “Choose one or more modes. As an additional cost to cast this spell, pay the costs associated with those modes.”

Three Steps Ahead

The Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes Release Notes feature a ruling that has not been added to Three Steps Ahead’s Gatherer page.

Spree means “Choose one or more modes. As an additional cost to cast this spell, pay the costs associated with those modes.”

You may still concede the game . . .

A ruling on conceding the game while being unable to lose the game has been added to the Gatherer pages of several cards. These rulings are based on an existing ruling found on Platinum Angel’s Gatherer page (see above).

This update applies to the Gatherer pages of: Angel’s Grace, Abyssal Persecutor, Gideon of the Trials, Lich’s Mastery, The Book of Exalted Deeds, Cloudsteel Kirin, Courageous Resolve, and Herald of Eternal Dawn.

This update does not apply to the Gatherer pages of: Celestine Reef, Platinum Angel Avatar, and Everybody Lives!.

See also the next entry, “. . . but you don’t get a Game Loss anymore.”

Added ruling (example):

You can concede a game while you control a creature equipped with CLoudsteel [sic] Kirin. A concession causes you to leave the game, which then causes you to lose the game. (Once you concede, you no longer control Cloudsteel Kirin, so its ability can’t prevent you from losing the game.)

. . . but you don’t get a Game Loss anymore

A ruling on ways to lose the game while being unable to lose the game has been removed from all Gatherer pages.

This update applies to the Gatherer pages of: Platinum Angel, Abyssal Persecutor, Gideon of the Trials, Cloudsteel Kirin, Courageous Resolve, and Herald of Eternal Dawn.

Removed ruling (example):

Other circumstances can still cause you to lose the game. You will lose a game if you concede, if you’re penalized with a Game Loss or a Match Loss during a sanctioned tournament due to a DCI rules infraction, or if your Magic Online® game clock runs out of time.

As a result of this update, no ruling on Gatherer uses “(R)” anymore; ‘®’ is still used on the pages of The Master, Transcendent and Strong Back.

Magic Online is not mentioned in rulings anymore; MTG Arena is referred to in a ruling on Phone a Friend’s page.

Match Losses are not mentioned in rulings anymore; Game Losses are still mentioned in rulings on the pages of Blood Tyrant and Elbrus, the Binding Blade, using a lowercase spelling.

“Infraction” and “game clock” are not mentioned in rulings anymore.

The DCI still appears in a ruling on Look at Me, I’m the DCI’s page.

Connive N reduced to connive 1

A ruling on the interaction between the effect of Leader, Super-Genius’s ability and connive N has been added to the Gatherer pages of all cards whose text includes a connive N instruction.

This update applies to the Gatherer pages of: Raffine, Scheming Seer, Mask of the Schemer, and Spymaster’s Vault.

If an instruction to connive X is replaced with an instruction to connive (due to the effect of Leader, Super-Genius’s ability, for example), the creature won’t connive X. It will instead connive, meaning its controller will draw one card, then discard one card, regardless of the value of X, and then they’ll put a +1/+1 counter on that creature if they discarded a nonland card this way.

Layer 4 comes before layer 6

A ruling on the interaction between type-changing effects generated by static abilities and ability-removing effects has been added to select Gatherer pages.

This update applies to the Gatherer pages of: Tajuru Paragon and Stonework Packbeast.

This update does not apply to the Gatherer pages of: Veteran Adventurer and Burakos, Party Leader.

If an effect causes this creature to lose all abilities, it will retain the creature types granted to it by its first ability, even though it will no longer have that ability. This is because the ability that grants it creature types applies before the effect that removes it.

Layer 5 comes before layer 6

A ruling on the interaction between color-changing effects generated by static abilities and ability-removing effects has been added to select Gatherer pages.

This update applies to the Gatherer pages of: Transguild Courier, Sphinx of the Guildpact, O-Kagachi Made Manifest, and Fallaji Wayfarer.

If an effect causes this creature to lose all abilities, it will remain all colors, even though it will no longer have the ability that says it is all colors. This is because the ability that says it is all colors applies before the effect that removes it.

Underscores and trademarks

Underscores used for highlighting have been removed from all rulings on Gatherer pages. This includes underscores used to highlight:

Set names: This update applies to the Gatherer pages of: Angel of Fury, Kithkin Zephyrnaut, Wandering Graybeard, Ink Dissolver, Waterspout Weavers, Nightshade Schemers, Squeaking Pie Grubfellows, Mudbutton Clanger, Pyroclast Consul, Sensation Gorger, Leaf-Crowned Elder, Winnower Patrol, Wolf-Skull Shaman, and Umbra Mystic.

Old text (example)

Kinship is an ability word that indicates a group of similar triggered abilities that appear on _Morningtide_ creatures. It doesn’t have any special rules associated with it.

---

New text (example)

Kinship is an ability word that indicates a group of similar triggered abilities that appear on Morningtide creatures. It doesn’t have any special rules associated with it.

On the Gatherer pages of Dusk Urchins, Idle Thoughts, and Abyssal Persecutor, the set name itself has also been removed, along with any “(TM)”.

Old text (example)

Effects that say the game is a draw, such as the _Legends_(TM) card Divine Intervention, are not affected by Abyssal Persecutor.

---

New text (example)

Effects that say the game is a draw, such as that of the card Divine Intervention, are not affected by Abyssal Persecutor.

On Surreal Memoir’s Gatherer page, the underscores and the “(TM)” have been removed but not the set name itself.

Old text

If you’re playing a format involving only cards from the _Urza’s Saga_(TM) set and later, you may change the order of your graveyard at any time. That means the easiest way to choose an instant card at random from your graveyard is to take all the instant cards in your graveyard, turn them face down, shuffle them, and pick a card. Then you just put the rest back.

---

New text

If you’re playing a format involving only cards from the Urza’s Saga set and later, you may change the order of your graveyard at any time. That means the easiest way to choose an instant card at random from your graveyard is to take all the instant cards in your graveyard, turn them face down, shuffle them, and pick a card. Then you just put the rest back.

On Platinum Angel’s Gatherer page, the entire ruling has been removed.

Effects that say the game is a draw, such as the _Legends_(TM) card Divine Intervention, are not affected by Platinum Angel. They’ll still work.

On Boldwyr Intimidator’s Gatherer page, the entire ruling has been removed.

Note that the exact wording of this card has changed since it was printed in the _Future Sight_(TM) set, but its functionality is the same.

The single Gatherer page that still features a “(TM)” in its rulings is that of Stensia. (Incidentally, the ruling in question had no underscores that could have been removed.)

Magic: This update applies to the Gatherer pages of: Xenograft and Riders of Gavony. In both cases, “Magic” itself has also been removed.

Old text (example)

You must choose an existing _Magic_ creature type, such as Zombie or Warrior. Card types such as artifact can’t be chosen.

---

New text (example)

You must choose an existing creature type, such as Zombie or Warrior. Card types such as artifact can’t be chosen.

Individual words: This update applies to the Gatherer pages of: Giant Turtle, Reveka, Wizard Savant, Spiny Starfish, Blanket of Night, Heavy Fog, Eightfold Maze, and Cast Through Time.

Old text (example)

If all the attacking creatures attack your planeswalkers, you can’t cast Heavy Fog. To cast it, a creature needs to have attacked _you_.

---

New text (example)

If all the attacking creatures attack your planeswalkers, you can’t cast Heavy Fog. To cast it, a creature needs to have attacked you.

Nameless Race

One ruling has been removed from Nameless Race’s Gatherer page.

This currently has no creature type. It’s Nameless.

Rancor

The text of one ruling on Rancor’s Gatherer page has been updated.

Old text

If the creature this Aura would enchant is an illegal target by the time Rancor tries to resolve, the Aura spell doesn’t resolve. It won’t enter the battlefield, so it won’t be put into a graveyard from the battlefield and its ability won’t trigger.

---

New text

If the creature Rancor would enchant is an illegal target by the time the spell tries to resolve, it doesn’t resolve. It won’t enter the battlefield, so it won’t be put into a graveyard from the battlefield and its ability won’t trigger.

Teferi’s Protection

The text of one ruling on the Gatherer page of Teferi’s Protection has been updated.

Old text

Phasing out doesn’t cause any “leaves the battlefield” abilities to trigger. Similarly, phasing in won’t cause any “enters the battlefield” abilities to trigger.

---

New text

Phasing out doesn’t cause any “leaves the battlefield” abilities to trigger. Similarly, phasing in won’t cause any “enters” abilities to trigger.

Extinction Event

The text of two rulings on Extinction Event’s Gatherer page has been updated.

Old text

If a creature on the battlefield has {X} in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.

The mana value of a token that isn’t a copy of another object is 0. A token that is a copy of another object has the same mana cost as that object.

---

New text

If a creature on the battlefield has {X} in its mana cost, X is 0 for the purpose of determining its mana value.

The mana value of a token that isn’t a copy of another object is 0. A token that is a copy of another object has the same mana cost (and thus mana value) as that object.

Unnatural Growth

One ruling has been removed from Unnatural Growth’s Gatherer page.

If a creature’s power is less than 0 when it’s doubled, instead that creature gets -X/-0, where X is how much less than 0 its power is. For example, if an effect has given Bear Cub, a 2/2 creature, -4/-0 so that it’s a -2/2 creature, doubling its power and toughness gives it -2/+2, and it becomes a -4/4 creature.

The text of another ruling has been updated.

Old text

If an effect instructs you to “double” a creature’s power, that creature gets +X/+0, where X is its power as that effect begins to apply. Similarly, a creature whose toughness is doubled gets +0/+X, where X is its toughness as the effect begins to apply.

---

New text

To double a creature’s power and toughness, that creature gets +X/+Y, where X is that creature’s power and Y is that creature’s toughness when Unnatural Growth’s ability resolves.

Blazing Crescendo

An almost duplicate ruling has been added to Blazing Crescendo’s Gatherer page.

If the target creature is an illegal target by the time the spell tries to resolve (most likely because it has left the battlefield in response), it won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen. No card will be exiled.

The Mycosynth Gardens

One ruling has been removed from The Mycosynth Gardens’s Gatherer page. This ruling belongs to Myr Custodian’s Gatherer page but has not been added to that page.

As the enters-the battlefield ability resolves, first you scry 2. Then each opponent in turn order chooses whether or not to scry 1. Those who do (likely all of them) look at the top card of their library at the same time, then they decide in turn order where their card goes. Each opponent will know the choices of previous players in turn order before making their own choices.

Ravenous Tyrannosaurus

The text of one ruling on Ravenous Tyrannosaurus’s Gatherer page has been updated.

Old text

Ravenous Tyrannosaurus can’t devour creatures entering the battlefield at the same time as it.

---

New text

Ravenous Tyrannosaurus can’t devour creatures entering the battlefield at the same time it is.

Harbinger of the Seas

The text of two rulings on Harbinger of the Seas’s Gatherer page has been updated.

Old text

If a nonbasic land has an ability that triggers “when” it enters the battlefield, it will lose that ability before it can trigger.

If a nonbasic land has an ability that causes it to enter the battlefield tapped, it will lose that ability before it can apply. The same is also true of any other abilities that modify how a land enters the battlefield or apply “as” a land enters the battlefield, such as that of Vesuva or Cavern of Souls.

---

New text

If a nonbasic land has an ability that triggers “when” it enters, it will lose that ability before it can trigger.

If a nonbasic land has an ability that causes it to enter tapped, it will lose that ability before it can apply. The same is also true of any other abilities that modify how a land enters or apply “as” a land enters, such as that of Vesuva or Cavern of Souls.

Web Up

Three rulings have been added to Web Up’s Gatherer page.

If Web Up leaves the battlefield before its triggered ability resolves, the target permanent won’t be exiled.

Auras attached to the exiled permanent will be put into their owners’ graveyards. Any Equipment will become unattached and remain on the battlefield. Any counters on the exiled permanent will cease to exist. When the card returns to the battlefield, it will be a new object with no connection to the card that was exiled.

If a token is exiled this way, it will cease to exist and won’t return to the battlefield.

Version-specific rulings

Continuing a trend started by the Lorwyn Eclipsed update, the Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update features more card versions with unique lists of rulings: Gatherer pages for specific reprint versions contain duplicates of existing rulings, which do not appear on pages for older versions.

This update applies to the Gatherer pages of the Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes versions of: Thirst for Knowledge and Blazing Crescendo.

Relatedly, the pages for some reprint versions list the same rulings as pages for older versions, but in a different order.

This update applies to the Gatherer pages of the Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes Commander and Source Material Cards versions of: Seize the Day and Galvanic Iteration.

A look at the official update bulletin

Having listed all the changes the Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update brings to the Comprehensive Rules and to Gatherer, it is time to conclude this article with my impressions of the official update bulletin.

After the Secrets of Strixhaven bulletin, we are back to the release order of Release Notes, then Comprehensive Rules, and then official bulletin, so unfortunately, the bulletin can’t earn bonus points as a gap filler. Any value it wants to provide must come from information that goes beyond the content of the Release Notes and the Comprehensive Rules.

All in all, this update bulletin is one of the better ones. It has way less instances of calling a functional change a nonfunctional one and vice versa; the Oracle section doesn’t start by telling the reader what they are supposed to find interesting; and it taught me something new about the Magic community. Unfortunately, the disclaimer that the actual Comprehensive Rules take precedence over the bulletin’s statements is as sorely needed as ever. My verdict: almost worth it.

Onward to individual items of note.

Assemble your team and get ready to learn about the changes to the game rules (and the Oracle text of a few cards) coming with Magic: The Gathering® | Marvel Super Heroes.

[…]

New Keyword Abilities

702.193 and 702.194 are the new rules that explain how the power-up and teamwork abilities work, respectively

Evidently, the assembled team doesn’t include an editor who could add a period to the end of the quoted text.

Also, power-up isn’t a keyword ability; it’s just a keyword.

601.5

[…] But sometimes, the amount of what would be divided is based on a cost. In that case, you can choose any option that would be legal considering the costs you could pay. You effectively decide how you’re paying any costs a little earlier in the process than normal.

Which is not what that rule actually says. (Or any other rule in the Comprehensive Rules.)

[…] This may seem obvious, but it was a little ambiguous how that worked in the nuts and bolts of the ability-activation process. Now, it’s explicitly covered.

There was no ambiguity at all—it didn’t work, plain and simple. Now, it’s explicitly covered and still doesn’t work.

603.12a

This rule covers cases where a resolving spell or ability requires or gives a player the option to pay a cost and also creates a triggered ability that might trigger based on whether the cost is paid. The language here was needlessly specific and has been generalized to enable slightly different designs than we already had. Hawkeye, Master Marksman benefits from this update.

Saying that a card benefits from a redundant rule is a bit of a stretch. Still, props for not claiming this were a functional change.

702.122b

A new rule defines what it means for a Vehicle to be “crewed by” a creature, which is slightly different than the existing definition for what it means for a creature to “crew a Vehicle.”

Obviously. If they were the same, one rule would suffice.

Phasing and “Last Known Information”

The rules for several abilities […]

And some actions.

[…] This is inconsistent with the way we’ve written the rules for some other abilities, and it technically created an unintended (and I believe largely unnoticed) loophole if that permanent phased out. As far as the game is concerned, the phased-out permanent isn’t there anymore, but it also didn’t technically change zones.

I also believe that loophole went unnoticed; after all, those rules are just reminder rules, so the loophole was nonexistent, and it’s difficult to notice something that isn’t there.

Turning Permanents Face Down (712.16, 730.2j)

[…] Allowing those effects to apply to a face-up permanent would create all kinds of weirdness with regards to the layers of continuous effects (I should really write about layers sometime).

Setting aside the general weirdness that the permanent has its characteristic values modified despite remaining face up, there would be exactly one kind of weird thing about this hypothetical situation: what happens if a permanent is unsuccessfully turned down twice and each attempt comes with a different set of characteristic values?

The Comprehensive Rules (rightfully) assume that a face-down permanent can’t be turned face down again, so they don’t consider the possibility that two things might want to set a permanent’s “face-down characteristic values.” As a result, rule 613 doesn’t provide timestamps for all of those things (or any other order).

For example, if Cyber Conversion attempted to turn a double-faced creature face down and then later, the replacement effect of Ixidron’s ability tried to turn that same creature face down, there would be two competing sets of characteristic values and no clear order in which to apply them.

Other than that, the Comprehensive Rules provide a clear answer: apply the new characteristic values in layer 1b, same as for truly face-down permanents. Nothing weird about that.

800.4i

If you’ve read this far, you’re probably really into obscure facts about Magic‘s rules and this change will be right up your alley.

Yes, and when I read “obscure facts,” I hope for something better than the age-old sequence of

• A new release contains a card.
• The current rules define an obvious, if unintuitive functionality for that card.
• The Release Notes proclaim a different, intuitive functionality that would obviously require a rules change.
• The new Comprehensive Rules contain exactly that change.

Well, maybe next time.

If Everything’s Special, Nothing’s Special

[…] Separately from that, however, there are several abilities that refer to themselves with some variant of the words “[this ability] is a special kind of activated ability …” Somewhat nonsensically, these are not special actions, despite the fact that they call themselves special. We’ve removed most instances of abilities calling themselves special like this from the rules. None of these edits are functional. They’re just a way for us to make the rules ever so slightly more sensical to people trying to learn them using the official rules.

So, let me get this straight: there are people who try to learn Magic’s rules from the Comprehensive Rules. (I guess that includes me.)

And these people, who are . . . driven enough to attempt this feat, tend to mistake keyword abilities that happen to use the word “special” somewhere in their description for special actions?

Keyword abilities that indicate nowhere in their definitions that they bypass the stack or do anything else that would suggest a relation to special actions? Abilities that all come with unusual (dare I say “special”?) activation instructions and/or additional rules? Those keyword abilities get mixed up with special actions?

Well, I guess this is the rare update bulletin that teaches me something new. The portion of the Magic community that studies the Comprehensive Rules is way more diverse than I previously thought, and Wizards of the Coast do their part to support them.

Such as by removing “most” of the confusing phrases. Most, but not all—a small dose of confusion is important for a healthy immune system.

Meanwhile, mana abilities, loyalty abilities, and other things that follow “special rules” are obviously not special actions and their use of the word “special” is crystal clear. No need to change that text.

Even clearer is rule 701.1 which calls verbs appearing in card text “actions,” with some of those verbs being “specialized.” Evidently, nobody conflates actions represented by “specialized verbs” with special actions, so that part of the rules can remain as is.

And of course, this rules update has a host of other clarifications, such as using the word “rules” in place of “activation instructions” or using the word “cast” for something that doesn’t mean “casting a spell.”

With the Comprehensive Rules being easier to learn than ever, I expect a huge influx of new rules enthusiasts coming from the Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes update. Thank you for supporting this part of the community, Wizards of the Coast!

Seeing the Card Explains the Card

We noticed that a few cards that allow you to optionally reveal the top card of your library then refer to that card’s characteristics regardless of whether you revealed the card. Normally, this isn’t an issue, as any question like “Is this a creature card?” will get the answer “No!” from the rules if the card wasn’t revealed, but it can cause some confusion in cases where the card is already revealed due to another effect. […]

Ah, another square on the official-update-bulletin bingo card: proclaiming that the current Comprehensive Rules do something that’s not found anywhere in the actual document. In this case, the handling of unrevealed cards in a player’s library.

The Comprehensive Rules contain rules that override the characteristic values of specific kinds of objects, such as cards drawn while casting a spell, face-down cards in exile, and discarded cards put into the library instead of the graveyard.

Cards in a library during the resolution of a spell or ability have no such rule, so their actual characteristic values are used. To use the example in the quoted text, the rules answer “No!” only if the card is actually a noncreature card; if it’s a creature card, the answer is “Yes!” whether or not the card is revealed.

And to continue the previous section’s trend of making the rules system slightly more sensical, a reminder that Swindler’s Scheme‘s Oracle text was not updated.

Earmarked Mana

Magic has tons of cards that add mana but give you a particular restriction on what you can or can’t spend that mana on. Normally, we apply that restriction to the mana itself. For example, Jegantha, the Wellspring‘s last ability says “{T}: Add {W}{U}{B}{R}{G}. This mana can’t be spent to pay generic mana costs.”

Fascinating. I count a mere nine cards where the restriction is tied to the mana itself, plus 37 cards that create Powerstone tokens or Vibranium tokens, however you want to count those. When I count restrictions tied specifically to the player who produces the mana, I come up with over 160 cards. Even with the token-creating cards, the so-called “normal” cards constitute less than a quarter of all cards. It’s a testament to Wizards of the Coast’s product quality that three quarters of their cards rate as extraordinary.