‘s activated ability has a restriction on it preventing the ability from being activated more than once per turn. This restriction applies regardless of who controls it when the ability is played. For example, if Darkthicket Wolf’s ability is activated by Player A and then this Darkthicket Wolf is targeted by played by Player B, […]
Category: Activated Abilities
Once Goblin Tunneler’s ability resolves the targeted creature is unblockable even if it gets bigger.
has an activated ability that makes a creature with power of two or less unblockable for the remainder of the current turn. This ability does have a targeting restriction which requires that the targeted creature have a power of two or less. In other words this creature’s power must be two or less in order […]
Mana abilities do not use the stack
Mana is how the vast majority of spells are paid for and played. Mana abilities are those activated abilities that add mana to your mana pool. These abilities do not use the stack. Simple huh? As with so many other things in Magic, there are a few things to add to the above statements. Triggered […]
Once an ability is activated or triggered it is independent of its source.
A common misconception in Magic is that you can prevent an activated or triggered ability from being resolving by destroying the source of the ability. This is not true and has never been the way that Magic works. Once an ability is played or triggered and put on the stack it is independent of its […]
What Sundial of the Infinite can help you avoid, and what it can’t
has an activated ability that you can only play on your turn, and when the ability resolves your turn will end. It may seem like it is a negative effect, as it can be hard to understand why you would want to end your turn prematurely. However there are often things in your own turn […]
You can use Arachnus Spinner’s ability even if you don’t have any Arachnus Webs.
has an activated ability that allows you to tap a spider you control to search your library for a card named and put this into the battlefield attached to a targeted creature. This ability can be used even if you do not have any copies of Arachnus Web in your library. In most cases, this […]
Removing the source of an ability does not counter the ability.
A common misconception for beginner players is that you can counter or stop an activated ability from resolving if you destroy or removed the source of the activated ability. This is not correct. Once an ability has been activated or triggered, it is on the stack and independent of the source that generated it. For […]
Gremlin Mine has two non-linked activated abilities
has two distinct activated abilities that flavor wise seem connected to each other, but with regards to the rules of the game are not. The first ability deals four damage to an artifact creature and the second removes all charge counters from a noncreature artifact. In most cases what happens will be straightforward and obvious. […]
Heavy Arbalest does not deal damage.
‘s ability grants to the equipped creature an activated ability that allows the controller of the creature to tap the creature to deal two points of damage to a targeted creature or player. Because the creature is the source of this ability, a creature with protection from artifacts can receive damage from this ability (as […]