Generally, a permanent’s abilities only work while the card is on the battlefield, not in any other zone. There are some exceptions. One is if the ability only makes sense in another zone. For instance, Loxodon Smiter has an ability that says it can’t be countered. While it doesn’t explicitly say that it only works while it’s on the stack, being uncounterable only makes sense while it’s on the stack, so the Smiter’s ability works even though it’s not on the battlefield.

The other main exception is that if the card specifically mentions that it moves the card from a zone other than the battlefield, in which case the ability only functions while the card is in the zone it would be moved from; and that’s where Rot Farm Skeleton falls. His activated ability mentions returning the Skeleton from the graveyard to the battlefield, so that ability only works while it’s in the graveyard, not if it’s on the battlefield or in any other zone. So if you want to keep abusing the Skeleton’s ability, you’re going to need to find ways to get it back in the graveyard, because you’re not going to be able to use its ability while it’s on the battlefield.

Today’s Rules Tip written by Nathan Long