Whenever a card enters the battlefield as a copy of another object in play; for example , or an effect puts a copy of a card into play; for example , these permanents are entering the battlefield and will trigger relevant abilities. For example, if a Clone enters the battlefield as a copy of it’s […]
Author: krizriktr
Cards only do what they specifically say, and not more.
Some cards grant keyword abilities to permanents in play, either to themselves or other permanents. Examples of cards with abilities like these would be and . These abilities can only grant the keyword abilities that they specifically reference. For example, neither of these two abilities can give the Infect keyword ability.
Switching Power and Toughness is always applied last.
Effects that switch the power and toughness of a creature are always applied last. Why? It’s just easier to calculate. For example: Lets start with a 1/4 and switch it power and toughness via its Landfall triggered ability so it is now a 4/1. If at the beginning of the combat step it get +2/+0 […]
You can’t spend what you don’t have.
Just as you can’t spend mana that you do not have, you can’t pay more life than your current life total. For example, if you have a life total of less than 5, then you cannot pay the Morph cost of a . This is true even if an effect prevents you from losing the […]
How Totem Armor Works
Totem Armor is a keyword ability that appears on many auras from Rise of the Eldrazi. It is a static ability that generates a replacement effect. This replacement effect is applied when the enchanted creature would be destroyed by an effect or a state-based action. Instead of having the creature go to the graveyard, the […]
Everything before the colon, is a cost.
One way to recognize activated abilities by the format [cost]: [effect]. Activated abilities are the only ones that use a colon. Everything that appears before the colon is a cost of the ability and must be paid when the ability is played. Abilities that require that you tap the permanent with the ability will have […]
What is the source of the ability.
In most cases the source of an ability is the card itself that has the text that causes the game or players to take some action. Some examples of straight-forard situations like that would be the activated ability of , the triggered ability of or the static ability of . In all of these examples […]
What Looking at Extra Cards is.
If you drop a card while shuffling, whether it is your deck or your opponent’s, judges will treat it as if you looked at it. Judges have no way to adequately determine whether you could have seen the card, so they will assume that you did. Even if the judge believes you when you say […]
When effects are permanent.
Continuous effects are those that apply to objects, players or the rules of the games for some period of time. The majority of continuous effects have a specific duration. For example, generates two different continuous effects that both last for the remainder of the turn that the Act of Treason resolves. They change the control […]