- 201.1 The name of a card is printed on its upper left corner.
- 201.2 A card’s name is always considered to be the English version of its name, regardless of printed language.
- 201.2a Two objects have the same name if their names are identical.
- 201.2b If an object has more than one name, it has the same name as another object if there are one or more names that both objects have in common.
- 201.2c Two or more objects have different names if there are no names that both objects have in common.
- 201.3a If a player is instructed to choose a card name with certain characteristics, the player must choose the name of a card whose Oracle text matches those characteristics. (See rule 108.1.)
Example: Dispossess reads, in part, “Choose an artifact card name.” The player can choose the name of any artifact card, even one that’s not legal in the format of the current game. The player can’t choose Island, even if an Island on the battlefield has been turned into artifact by some effect.
- 201.3b If a player wants to choose the name of a split card, the player must choose the name of one of its halves, but not both. (See rule 708.) If a player is instructed to choose a card name with certain characteristics, use only that half’s characteristics to determine if this name can be chosen.
- 201.3c If a player wants to choose a flip card’s alternative name, the player may do so. (See rule 709.) If a player is instructed to choose a card name with certain characteristics, use the card’s characteristics as modified by its alternative characteristics to determine if this name can be chosen.
- 201.3d If a player wants to choose the name of the back face of a double-faced card, the player may do so. (See rule 711.) If a player is instructed to choose a card name with certain characteristics, use only the characteristics of the back face to determine if this name can be chosen.
- 201.3e If a player wants to choose the name of the combined back face of a meld pair, the player may do so. (See rule 712.) If a player is instructed to choose a card name with certain characteristics, use only the characteristics of the combined back face to determine if this name can be chosen.
- 201.3f If a player wants to choose an adventurer card’s alternative name, the player may do so. (See rule 715.) If a player is instructed to choose a card name with certain characteristics, use the card’s characteristics as modified by its alternative characteristics to determine if this name can be chosen.
- 201.4a If an ability’s effect grants another ability to an object, and that second ability refers to that first ability’s source by name, the name refers only to the specific object that is that first ability’s source, not to any other object with the same name. This is also true if the second ability is copied onto a new object.
Example: Gutter Grime has an ability that reads “Whenever a nontoken creature you control dies, put a slime counter on Gutter Grime, then create a green Ooze creature token with ‘This creature’s power and toughness are each equal to the number of slime counters on Gutter Grime.’” The ability granted to the token only looks at the Gutter Grime that created the token, not at any other Gutter Grime on the battlefield. A copy of that token would also have an ability that referred only to the Gutter Grime that created the original token.
- 201.4b If an ability of an object refers to that object by name, and an object with a different name gains that ability, each instance of the first name in the gained ability that refers to the first object by name should be treated as the second name.
Example: Quicksilver Elemental says, in part, “{U}: Quicksilver Elemental gains all activated abilities of target creature until end of turn.” If it gains an ability that says “{G}: Regenerate Cudgel Troll,” activating that ability will regenerate Quicksilver Elemental, not the Cudgel Troll it gained the ability from.
Example: Glacial Ray is an instant with “splice onto Arcane” that says “Glacial Ray deals 2 damage to any target.” If it’s spliced onto a Kodama’s Reach, that Kodama’s Reach deals 2 damage to the target.
Example: Dimir Doppelganger says “{1}{U}{B}: Exile target creature card from a graveyard. Dimir Doppelganger becomes a copy of that card and gains this ability.” Dimir Doppelganger’s ability is activated targeting a Runeclaw Bear card. The Doppelganger becomes a copy of Runeclaw Bear and gains an ability that should be treated as saying “{1}{U}{B}: Exile target creature card from a graveyard. Runeclaw Bear becomes a copy of that card and gains this ability.”
- 201.4c Text printed on some legendary cards refers to that card by a shortened version of its name. Instances of a card’s shortened name used in this manner are treated as though they used the card’s full name.