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Category: Abilities

Prevention and Replacement Effects, Resolving spells and abilities, Triggered Abilities

You have to ask your opponent if they want to pay tribute.

February 4, 2014February 5, 2015 | bimmerbot

Tribute requires an opponent to choose: To pay, or not to pay! You can't make that choice for them by making assumptions.

Read more.

Triggered Abilities

Ephara’s trigger checks the previous turn on every upkeep (not just yours).

February 3, 2014February 5, 2015 | bimmerbot

You can take advantage of Ephara's trigger by using flash creatures or blink effects to draw an extra card on ANY upkeep!

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Tagged Ephara, God of the Polis
Activated Abilities, Resolving spells and abilities

What happens if Phenax stops being a creature after you activate it.

January 30, 2014February 5, 2015 | bimmerbot

Phenax's ability only cares about toughness when the ability resolves. If Phenax doesn't have any at that time, there will be no milling!

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Tagged Phenax God of Deception
Casting / playing a spell or ability, Combat Phase, Triggered Abilities

Make your opponents Glimpse the Sun God before you crush them.

January 29, 2014February 5, 2015 | bimmerbot

We explain how Glimpse the Sun God can be used strategically to target your own creatures for heroic and tap your opponent's blockers, all without preventing your creatures from attacking!

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Tagged Glimpse the Sun God
Casting / playing a spell or ability, Characteristics, Triggered Abilities

Ruric Thar vs. Gods

January 24, 2014February 5, 2015 | Paul Baranay

GODS CONFUSE RURIC THAR, SO NO SMASH WHEN CAST!

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Tagged Ruric Thar
Activated Abilities, Casting / playing a spell or ability, Priority, Turn Structure

Quicken doesn’t change when you can activate Whip of Erebos.

January 22, 2014February 5, 2015 | bimmerbot

"Any time you could cast a sorcery" has a bit more rules meaning than the printed text. We explain what it really means and why it's worded this way!

Read more.

Tagged Quicken, Whip of Erebos
Combat Phase, Static Abilities, Turn Structure

Removing or adding first strike or double strike mid-combat.

January 13, 2014February 5, 2015 | bimmerbot

Losing first strike or double strike after dealing damage doesn't let a creature deal regular damage in the next step... because that just wouldn't make sense!

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Tagged Bonescythe Sliver, Silverblade Paladin
Control / Controller, Triggered Abilities

Cube Week! If you control The Abyss, it can’t kill your opponent’s True-Name Nemesis.

January 10, 2014February 5, 2015 | bimmerbot

The Abyss has a target, and the ability is always controlled by the player who controls the Abyss (even if it's not that player choosing the target). This matters when checking target legality vs. True-Name Nemesis or any hexproof creature!

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Tagged The Abyss, True-Name Nemesis
Activated Abilities

Cube week! You can counter Take Possession with Phyrexian Tower.

January 8, 2014February 5, 2015 | bimmerbot

Phyrexian Tower is one of the few useful responses to a split second card like Take Possession to stop it from resolving.

Read more.

Tagged Phyrexian Tower, Take Possession

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  • What Protection really means.
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Tip Categories

  • Abilities (873)
    • Activated Abilities (216)
    • Mana Abilities (27)
    • Static Abilities (243)
    • Triggered Abilities (512)
  • Casting / playing a spell or ability (378)
  • Characteristics (168)
  • Combat Phase (132)
  • Control / Controller (48)
  • Copies (48)
  • Costs (87)
  • Effects (244)
    • Continuous Effects (78)
    • Interaction of Continuous Effects (14)
    • One-Shot Effects (23)
    • Prevention and Replacement Effects (143)
  • Keywords (102)
  • Multiplayer (40)
  • Planeswalkers (30)
  • Priority (43)
  • Resolving spells and abilities (440)
  • Source (11)
  • State-Based Actions (47)
  • Tournament Rules (244)
    • Communication Policy (20)
    • Missed Triggers (16)
    • Shortcuts (27)
  • Turn Structure (43)
  • Type & Subtypes (44)
  • Type Changing (27)
  • Uncategorized (112)
  • Zones (43)

Keep in Touch

  • Twitter
  • RSS

Hot Tips!

  • What Protection really means.
  • Deflecting Palm and Dictate of the Twin Gods
  • Trinisphere vs. Delve
  • Courser of Kruphix and Dig Through Time
  • Courser of Kruphix and Scrying

Tip Categories

  • Abilities (873)
    • Activated Abilities (216)
    • Mana Abilities (27)
    • Static Abilities (243)
    • Triggered Abilities (512)
  • Casting / playing a spell or ability (378)
  • Characteristics (168)
  • Combat Phase (132)
  • Control / Controller (48)
  • Copies (48)
  • Costs (87)
  • Effects (244)
    • Continuous Effects (78)
    • Interaction of Continuous Effects (14)
    • One-Shot Effects (23)
    • Prevention and Replacement Effects (143)
  • Keywords (102)
  • Multiplayer (40)
  • Planeswalkers (30)
  • Priority (43)
  • Resolving spells and abilities (440)
  • Source (11)
  • State-Based Actions (47)
  • Tournament Rules (244)
    • Communication Policy (20)
    • Missed Triggers (16)
    • Shortcuts (27)
  • Turn Structure (43)
  • Type & Subtypes (44)
  • Type Changing (27)
  • Uncategorized (112)
  • Zones (43)
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