A very common misconception by MANY players is “implicit targeting”. It’s a belief that anything that directly affects something, targets it. This is not the case, as rule 114.9a tells us. Just because something is being affected by a spell or ability doesn’t mean that it’s being targeted! The word ‘target’ needs to be used […]
Author: bimmerbot
‘Summoning Sickness’ only applies to creatures.
Pretty much everyone knows what Summoning Sickness is, even though it’s not a technical game term. It’s a common phrase used to abbreviate a much more wordy rule: “A creature cannot attack or use activated abilities with the Tap or Untap symbol in the cost unless that object has been under the its controller’s control […]
When you sacrifice Solemn Simulacrum to Birthing Pod, you always draw BEFORE you search.
There is a common confusion that comes up when you activate an ability that requires a sacrifice as a payment, and the sacrificed creature has an ability that triggers when it dies. Many people (mistakenly) think you can stack the order of the abilities so the activated ability resolves before the triggered ability. This is […]
What “Stalling” is and why it’s a Very Bad Thing.
Most people have heard of Slow Play and know what that means. However, some people think it’s the same thing as Stalling. While the two are often related, they are definitely independent problems with very different outcomes. Slow Play is, very simply, taking too long to make game decisions. This is difficult to quantify, and […]
You can use Zealous Conscripts and Restoration Angel to a steal a creature permanently.
is a card that says, ʺExile target creature you control, then return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control.ʺ Normally, you will be both the controller (the player who currently controls the creature) and the owner (the player whose deck originally contained the creature). While the owner of a creature can’t change, its controller […]
How Predatory Rampage works with your Acidic Slime.
makes all of your opponent’s creatures block if able. How does that wok with a single attacker? Easy enough, all of their creatures that CAN block it, must block it. Now, we’ll suppose you have a creature with Deathtouch. Deathtouch makes any nonzero amount of damage lethal. So say you did this with . It […]
How Sign in Blood (or any loss of life that isn’t damage) works vs. Elderscale Wurm.
Bart: I’d sell my soul for a formula one racing car. [Satan Ned appears with a race car] Ned: Heh heh heh, that can be arranged. Bart: Changed my mind. Sorry. [Ned vanishes] Cool! Marge: Bart! Stop pestering Satan! Some things in Magic–like drawing cards–are worth paying a few life points. Cards like and let […]
You can use “good” spells on your opponent’s creatures (when it’s actually bad for them).
For the most part, players don’t need to read the Comprehensive Rules in order to figure out how to play their cards, especially at common and uncommon. If a card says “Enchant creature,” for example, it’s not a great leap of intuition to suppose that the card becomes attached to a creature, and from there […]
What you can do with your electronic device during a tournament.
Nowadays, it seems like everyone has a smartphone, PDA, or some other kind of electronic gizmo in their pocket or purse at all times. Luckily, the latest update to the Magic Tournament Rules recognizes that we live in a very different world than 20 years ago (can you believe Magic is almost that old?) Section […]