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 […]
Category: Resolving spells and abilities
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 […]
Last In First Out – How the stack works.
Contrary to the ‘tip’ yesterday, the stack does in fact exist and with respect to the rules knowledge of it and how it works can be helpful in figuring out the game state. This knowledge is useful when making strategic decisions and can help win games too. One of the stack’s basic aspects is the […]
Nothing uses the stack.
Due to the Phyrexian’s impending victory in the war over Mirrodin, the Magic rules team has made a few changes in how the game works. Magic’s developers want the raw, aggressive ‘take no prisoners’ strategy of the Phyrexians to be mirrored in how the game is played. One of the more prominent changes is the […]
Indestructible objects can be targeted by spells and abilities that would destroy.
Permanents that have the indestructible ability cannot be destroyed by effects that would destroy them or, if the permanent is a creature, by receiving lethal damage. However that does not make indestructible objects illegal targets. For example, a can stil be targeted by . When Shatter resolves, nothing will happen, but that does not mean […]