is not just a card, it is a word associated with a common ability that has appeared on creatures over the years– being one of the first. takes this ability and expands it: you can use red mana with its ability to raise the power of all creatures you control. When a creature with ‘normal’ […]
Category: Effects
Effects that change a permanent’s characteristics only apply when the card is in play.
Effects like the one generated by , or all give a permanent an additional permanent type. It is important to note that these effects only apply while the affected permanent is on the battlefield. Once it leaves play, any of these effects will no longer apply to it. For example, if an Inkmoth Nexus is […]
Prevention effects can only prevent the trample damage that is assigned to a creature.
There are many ways to prevent damage that would be dealt to or by a creature. Some effects specify a specific amount of damage (), some will prevent all damage from specific sources or types of damage (the portion of the protection ability of that prevents damage), and others will prevent all damage (). However, […]
Effects that last ‘until the end of turn’ and ‘this turn’ end at the same time.
The End Phase of a turn is divided into two steps. The second step is called the Cleanup step. In this step, players do not normally receive priority, and some actions are performed and effects end before the next turn begins. In the cleanup step, after the active player discards down to his or her […]
How Flashback and Zeniths interact
When one of the Zenith spells (e.g., or ) from Mirrodin Besieged resolves, it is shuffled into its owner’s library instead of going to the graveyard. While there aren’t many, there are a few ways to give spells Flashback. and are recent examples of cards with effects that grant Flashback to other cards. When a […]
Inquisitor’s Flail does not have a triggered ability, it has static abilities that create replacement effects
has two abilities that cause the creature equipped by it to both deal and receive twice as much combat damage as it normally would. These two abilities are not triggers and do not use the stack. These abilities are static ones that create a replacement effect when the equipped creature would both receive and deal […]
Continuous Effects from spells only affect those creatures in play when they resolve.
Magic has a ton of spells and abilities that give creatures abilities, affect their power and toughness and change other characteristics of those creatures. It is important to note that continuous effects that are generated when a spell or ability resolves will only affect those creatures that are on the battlefield at that time. In […]
Arbalest Elite’s ability only prevents it from untapping at the beginning of a turn.
‘s activated ability deals three damage to an attacking or blocking creature. This ability has an additional effect that keeps the Elite tapped for a bit. This effect only applies to the Elite as long as it is the same permanent and it only prevents the Elite from untapping as normal in the untap step […]
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 […]