Technically regenerate is not a keyword mechanic, it is a keyword action. It is a set of instructions that players apply to the game when a regeneration effect is applied. When a resolving spell or ability creates a regeneration effect, it is creating a replacement effect. This replacement effect does four different things. It means […]
Category: Keywords
How Buyback works
Buyback is a keyword first used in Tempest block, which was released just under 14 years ago. It is similar to other keyword mechanics, in that it allows you to get some additional use out of the instants and sorceries in your deck. Technically speaking, buyback is two abilities. The first is one that allows […]
What Domain is.
Domain was originally introduced in Invasion block, and the mechanic had the nickname of domain but did not officially have a keyword associated with it. This is because when originally introduced ability words did not exist, they were only used for specific abilities with associated rules in the comprehensive rules. Card that with a similar […]
How Unearth works.
Unearth is a activated ability that appeared on red, black and blue creatures from the Grixis block in shards of Alara block. This activated ability allows you to get an additional use out of creatures that have gone to your graveyard. Unearth is written as other keyword activated abilities with a cost following the word […]
How Kicker works.
Kicker is a keyword ability that has been around for awhile and made several return trips to Magic expansions. It, like many other keyword abilities, allows your cards to be more flexible and do different things at different times depending on what you pay. A kicker ability is basically an extra cost that you can […]
How Level Up works.
The level up mechanic and leveler creatures were introduced just over a year ago when Rise of the Eldrazi was released. One of the first things to notice about the cards is that there are multiple smaller boxes in the text box of these cards. See as an example. Each of these smaller sections in […]
How Imprint works.
Imprint was introduced in Mirrodin block. When initially introduced imprint was a keyword mechanic, meaning that there were specific rules in the comprehensive rules that governed how imprint worked. Imprint has been changed into an ability word, which now means that there are no specific rules that say how imprint works. All of the instructions […]
How Phyrexian Mana works.
With the takeover of the plane of Mirrodin by the Phyrexians we are introduced to a new way to cast some spells and pay for some abilities. There are a total of 26 cards in New Phyrexia that have a Phyrexian mana symbol in either the mana cost of the card, as a cost to […]
How Rebound works
Rebound is an ability that appears on some instants and sorceries from Rise of the Eldrazi. Rebound is technically a static ability that generates a replacement effect when the card is a spell on the stack. As long as the Rebound spell was cast from your hand this replacement effect exiles the card instead of […]