Yesterday, the rules tip looked at what happens when you play a spell and the card representing the spell goes on the stack as the first thing that happens. The inverse of that is when a spell resolves, the very last thing that happens is that the spell will leave the stack and (most often) […]
Spells go on the stack as soon as you announce them.
When casting a spell, the very first thing that happens is the card representing the spell will leave the zone that it is currently in and go on the stack. Often the exact order that things happen does not matter, but for some spells, the fact that this card is now on the stack will […]
What the phases and steps of a turn are.
An all too common error players make with regards to the rules of Magic concerns what the phases and steps of the turn are. In most cases, a perfect knowledge of the turn order is not needed, and most players are able to get through a turn without any difficulty. However, sometimes not quite knowing […]
You don’t control your opponent’s equipment or auras on ‘stolen’ creatures.
There are many ways to gain control of a permanent that is under another player’s control. For example, will do so temporarily, while will do so as long as the Mind Control remains attached to this creature. It is important to note that you do not gain control of any equipment or auras that are […]
Lifelink and what would normally kill you.
Lifelink is a static ability that affects what happens when the permanents with lifelink deals damage. Normally, when a creature deals damage, all that happens is that a creature or player receives the damage. Lifelink adds an extra wrinkle. When this creature deals damage, the controller of the creature will also gain life equal to […]
What tiebreakers are.
Most Magic tournaments use a modified-Swiss pairing system. This means that players will be paired with others with a similar record for a specific number of rounds. After these Swiss rounds, all but the top players are often eliminated. These remaining players then play single elimination. The set of players that are not cut is […]
Turn-based actions also don’t use the stack.
Yesterday we looked at the six special actions that do not use the stack. There are a lot more turn-based actions, so I will not go over all of them, but cover the more important ones. Unlike special actions, turn-based actions happen at very specific times in the game. They are different from state-based actions […]
Special actions do not use the stack.
One of the most common phrases you’ll hear said in a Magic game is ‘in response…’ However, there are a few things that do not use the stack and cannot be responded to. Today we are going to look at special actions. These are six specific actions that players choose to perform when they have […]
What sacrifice means
To sacrifice a permanent is to take it and put it into its owner’s graveyard. The concept is pretty simple, but there are obviously interactions with other aspects of the game that can cause confusion. Sacrificing a permanent is not the same as destroying that permanent, so a permanent that is sacrificed cannot be regenerated. […]