puts a 3/3 Beast token into play for each creature that has gone to your graveyard prior to when Fresh Meat resolves. This ability will count token creatures that you own and control, as token creatures that are destroyed do go to the graveyard. However, it will not count any creatures that you have ‘stolen’ […]
Category: Resolving spells and abilities
War Reports counts artifact creatures twice
As is often mentioned, artifact creature is not a creature type. An artifact creature has two permanent types; artifact and creature. Artifact creatures do have creature subtypes, but artifact is not one of them. , a common from New Phyrexia, counts the number of creatures on the battlefield and then it counts the number of […]
Spellskite and equip abilities.
, a new card from New Phyrexia, has an activated ability that allows you to change a target of a targeted spell or ability to the Spellskite itself. While it is possible to use Spellskite’s ability and target any spell or ability on the stack that can be targeted, Spellskite’s ability does not always end […]
You can be instructed to discard cards from an empty hand.
When resolving a spell or ability that causes you to discard any number of cards you can end up discarding more cards than are in your hand. For example, your opponent can play targeting a land you control even if you have no cards in hand. When this spell resolves the targeted land will be […]
How to choose a random object
Several cards in Magic instruct you to choose a random card or permanent in play. Recent examples of cards with abilities like this would be and . It is important that when resolving these spells and abilities that the end result is actually random. Most often players will use a die and assign potential objects […]
Changing targets of a spell does not change its controller.
There are many effects that allow players to ‘edit’ what a spell targets. There are also may spells and abilities that cause objects to change controllers. These are two very different kinds of effects and something that allows you to change the target of a spell or ability does not change who controls the spell […]
The word ‘target’ means something targets.
Spells and ability that target are very different from those that do not. Targeting is a restriction, in that you must be able to choose legal targets of a spell or ability in order to play it. For example, you cannot play just to draw a card, there must be an artifact or enchantment in […]
Gideon vs. Combust, which wins?
‘s third ability that costs zero loyalty counters makes Gideon into a 6/6 creature. (It will matter later, but this creature will be white, because Gideon is a white permanent.) When this happens Gideon also has an ability that prevents all damage to it. So in effect you gain a fairly large and tough attacking […]
What fizzle means.
Fizzle is an informal term used to describe what happens when a spell or ability is countered on resolution. It is a flavorful and descriptive term, but what it really means depends on who you ask. Some have used the term to apply to individual effects when resolving a spell or ability. Or when a […]