“Summoning Sickness” is a common phrase to describe a much wordier rule: A creature cannot attack or activate abilities with the Tap or Untap symbol unless it has been under your control continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn (unless it has haste). This is usually pretty clear-cut. For example, you can’t tap […]
Category: Abilities
A blocked creature stays blocked for the rest of combat, no matter what happens to the blocker.
The first thing that happens in the declare blockers step is that the defending player chooses which creatures will block and how they’re blocking. Once that happens, the blocks are locked in. Attackers that had a blocker declared become “blocked” creatures, and nothing can change that (aside from a few obscure effects that specifically say […]
Undying creatures and Black Sun’s Zenith.
Undying is a triggered ability that says “When this creature dies, if it didn’t have any +1/+1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter.” Most players know that +1/+1 counters and -1/-1 counters will cancel each other out if they’re on the same creature. This is a State-Based Action (“SBA”). […]
A creature that changes control is not “entering the battlefield.”
In a game of Magic, there are normally seven zones: library, hand, battlefield, graveyard, stack, exile, and command. Each player has his or her own library, hand and graveyard. The rest of the zones are shared by all players. If you use to steal your opponent’s , you don’t get to remove any other creature […]
What happens when two players control a Mimic Vat.
One of the most common situations regarding simultaneous triggers that comes up is two players controlling s, and who gets to imprint the creature when it dies. When two triggers go on the stack simultaneously, they are often controlled by one player, and it is fairly simple to handle. That player decides the order they […]
Pyreheart Wolf’s triggered ability is not cumulative.
has a triggered ability that makes it harder for your opponent’s to block your attacking creatures. When Pyreheart Wolf attacks, its ability triggers. When this triggered ability resolves, it creates an effect that prevents your attacking creatures from being blocked by just one creature. This ability is not cumulative in any way. If two Pyreheart […]
The card exiled by Fiend of Shadows is not free to cast.
has an ability that triggers when the Fiend deals combat damage to a player. When this ability resolves, the player that was dealt damage chooses and exiles a card from his or her hand. The controller of Fiend of Shadows can then play the exiled card. The effect that allows the controller of the Fiend […]
You can ‘steal’ more than one creature with Beguiler of Wills
has an activated ability that gives you control of a creature with power less than or equal to the number of creatures you control when the ability resolves. In order to play this ability, its target must be legal and you must have an appropriate number of creatures. This ability also checks when it resolves […]
Drogskol Reaver allows you to draw when you gain life, but not for each point gained.
is jammed packed with abilities and it’s last one (a triggered ability) is likely it’s best. This ability triggers each time you gain life. When the ability resolves you draw a card. Gaining life means any time that your life total goes up. If your life goes up by more than one life at a […]