When initially introduced Lifelink was a triggered ability. If a permanent had multiple instances of lifelink, then each of these separate abilities would trigger independently ultimately causing the controller of of these abilities to gain more life than the damage dealt. However when the Magic 2010 base set was released how Lifelink works was changed. […]
Category: Keywords
How Phasing works.
Phasing is an older keyword that has gone through a few changes over the years in order to keep the ability from being too powerful or just so it would work within the rules. At this point the specifics of how it works is somewhat different from when it was originally introduced, but as a […]
How Hideaway works.
Hideaway it triggered ability that is paired to an activated ability of the same card. The ability has only appeared on five land cards from Lorwyn, but these few cards have seen plenty of tournament play. When a land with hideaway enters the battlefield, the hideaway ability will trigger. When this trigger resolves, the controller […]
How Defender works
Defender is a keyword that has only existed since 2005, but the idea behind defender has existed since the very beginning of Magic. The ability is straightforward, creatures with Defender cannot attack. Prior to the existence of the keyword the concept existed and was represented by creature cards with the creature subtype of walls. It […]
Cycling, landcycling and typecycling.
Cycling is a keyword ability first introduced in Urza’s Saga and brought back multiple times in a variety of ways. To cycle a card means to pay its cycling cost, discard that card and to draw a card. Initially all cards had the cams cycling cost of 2 generic mana. But that was changed when […]
What Changeling means
Changeling is a keyword ability that appears on cards from the Lorwyn block. What it means is pretty straight forward, creatures with Changeling have all possible creature types. Technically speaking, what creature types are given changes as each new set of comes out and new creature types are created. Keep in mind that this only […]
A difference between Shroud and Protection.
Protection from a quality actually has four different effects. One of which deals with auras, which used to be called local enchantments. Permanents with protection from ‘X’ cannot have auras with with quality of ‘X’ attached to them. For example, a cannot be enchanted by a . Another aspect of Protection is that permanents with […]
How Annihilator works
Annihilator is a keyword ability that appears on 10 Elrdrazi cards from Rise of the Eldrazi. Annihilator is a triggered ability that triggers when the creature with Annihilator attacks. When this triggered ability resolves the defending player chooses and sacrifices permanents equal to the number after the Annihilator keyword ability. As this ability triggers when […]
How Totem Armor Works
Totem Armor is a keyword ability that appears on many auras from Rise of the Eldrazi. It is a static ability that generates a replacement effect. This replacement effect is applied when the enchanted creature would be destroyed by an effect or a state-based action. Instead of having the creature go to the graveyard, the […]