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 […]
Category: Abilities
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 […]
You cannot respond to the choice of creature type with Adaptive Automaton’s ability.
Magic 2012 has introduced a new do-it-yourself lord that give +1/+1 to creatures of a chosen type that you control. The itself also becomes this type, but it does not gain the +1/+1 bonus from its own ability. It is important to note that the choice of creature type is made as the Automaton enters […]
Circle of Flame can ‘hit’ flyers under some circumstances.
‘s ability triggers when a creature without flying attacks either you or a planeswalker that you control. (It will trigger once for each of these attacking creatures.) When this ability resolves the appropriate attacking creature will receive one point of damage. In most cases, flying creatures will fly over this circle and not receive any […]
Attacking and blocking requirements
This week for the rules tips we will be looking at attacking and blocking requirements and restrictions, how they work and how they interact. Today, we are going to focus on attacking and blocking requirements. When choosing an attacking of blocking creature sometimes there are effects that force you to attack or block where you […]
Hunter’s Insight does not give the targeted creature an ability.
Whenever a creature that has been targeted by deals combat damage to a player or a planeswalker the players that cast Hunter’s Insight will draw cards equal to the damage dealt by this creature. When Hunter’s Insight resolves a delayed triggered ability is generated that will ‘wait’ around until the end of the turn. (This […]
Aegis Angel’s ability uses the stack and can be responded to.
‘protects’ another permanent in play by making it indestructible for as long as the Angel remains in play. This ability is an enters the battlefield (ETB) triggered ability. Because it is a triggered ability is uses the stack and therefore can be responded to. Once a player chooses a target for this ability, others can […]
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 […]
Creatures are attacking until the combat phase ends.
When a creature is declared as an attacker or a blocker, they remain an attacking or blocking creature until one of there things happens. The first is that they are removed from the battlefield in some way. The second is that the creature would be destroyed but is regenerated. (In this instance it will remain […]