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 […]
Category: Abilities
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. […]
Melira, Sylvok Outcast does not remove counters
has three static abilities that do similar things, in that they all ‘shut down’ infect. The first ability prevents you from receiving poison counters. The second prevents creatures you control from receiving -1/-1 counters. The last ability removes infect from all creatures that your opponent’s control. While the first two abilities prevent counters from being […]
Phyrexian Ingester uses the printed values of the exiled card.
has an enters the battlefield ability that exiles a targeted nontoken creature. The Ingester then gets a ‘boost’ to its power and toughness based on the power and toughness of the removed card. It is important to note that the printed values on the card are what the Ingester looks at when calculating the increase […]
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 […]
When you gain life with Engulfing Slagwurm’s ability.
‘s ability triggers whenever it blocks or becomes blocked by a creature. (As mentioned in a previous rules tip, this ability will trigger once for each individual creature that blocks it or for each creature it blocks.) When this ability resolves, the specific blocked or blocking creature is destroyed and the controller of the Slagwurm […]
You sacrifice Impaler Shrike when its trigger resolves.
has a triggered ability that triggers when it deals combat damage to a player. It is important to note that this is a trigger condition and not the condition for playing an ability. This means that you choose whether or not to sacrifice the Shrike when this triggered ability resolves. This is the only time […]
Quest for the Holy Relic and a Living Weapon; where does the equipment end up?
and any living weapon equipment, like , have what appears to be a contradictory interaction regarding where the searched for equipment end up. When a Quest for the holy Relic has five quest counters on it, the controller of the Relic can sacrifice the Relic to search through his library for an equipment card and […]
How Phyrexian Unlife works.
changes both how what having zero life does and what happens when damage is dealt to you. With the first ability, you don’t lose the game if you have a life total of zero or below. In most cases this is great and keeps you from losing, however Phyrexian Unlife’s second ability changes how damage […]