When a creature with undying dies (without any +1/+1 counters), it returns to the battlefield under its owner’s control, even if it changed controllers before it died. The “owner” of a card is the player who started the game with the card in his or her deck (the legal owner of the physical card is […]
Category: Triggered Abilities
You don’t control the equipment or auras attached to a creature you steal with Traitorous Blood.
When you gain control of a creature, you aren’t gaining control of anything that’s attached to it. This can be important to know when the equipment or aura has an ability, as opposed to when it give the creature an ability. For example, Nancy has a 1/1 creature that is equipped with , and Adam […]
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 […]
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 […]
Tovolar’s Magehunter’s ability only triggers when spells are cast.
has an ability that triggers whenever an opponent casts a spell. When this ability resolves, the controller of that spell will be dealt two points of damage. It is important to note that this ability does not necessarily trigger for each spell on the stack–just for those that are cast. There are a few ways […]