A list of the cards with the most rulings text.
The information here is taken from the Scryfall bulk data feeds.
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This page was last generated at 04/05/2024, 19:22
| Card | Count | Rulings |
|---|---|---|
| Virtue of Knowledge // Vantress Visions | 1316 | Abilities that apply "as [this permanent] enters the battlefield," such as choosing a number with Talion, the Kindly Lord, are also unaffected. Virtue of Knowledge's ability doesn't copy the triggered ability; it just causes the ability to trigger an additional time. Any choices made as you put the ability onto the stack, such as modes and targets, are made separately for each instance of the ability. Any choices made on resolution, such as whether to put counters on a permanent, are also made individually. You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions for the permanent spell you cast from exile. Normally, you’ll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty. Activated abilities contain a colon. They're generally written "[Cost]: [Effect]." Some keyword abilities (such as equip) are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder text. In some cases involving linked abilities, an ability requires information about "the exiled card." When this happens, the ability gets multiple answers. If these answers are being used to determine the value of a variable, the sum is used. For example, if Elite Arcanist's enters-the-battlefield ability triggers twice, two cards are exiled. The value of X in the activation cost of Elite Arcanist's other ability is the sum of the two cards' mana values. As the ability resolves, you create copies of both cards and can cast none, one, or both of the copies in any order. Any choices made when the ability resolves won't have been made yet when it's copied by Vantress Visions. Any such choices will be made separately when the copy resolves. If a triggered ability asks you to pay a cost, you pay that cost for the copy separately. If a triggered ability is linked to a second ability, additional instances of that triggered ability are also linked to that second ability. If the second ability refers to "the exiled card," it refers to all cards exiled by instances of the triggered ability. The source of the copy created by Vantress Visions is the same as the source of the original ability. If a permanent entering the battlefield at the same time as Virtue of Knowledge (including Virtue of Knowledge itself) causes a triggered ability of a permanent you control to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time. If you control two copies of Virtue of Knowledge, a permanent entering the battlefield causes abilities to trigger three times, not four. A third Virtue of Knowledge causes abilities to trigger four times, a fourth causes abilities to trigger five times, and so on. If the ability copied by Vantress Visions is modal (that is, if it says, "Choose one —" or similar), the mode is copied and can't be changed. An effect may refer to a card, spell, or permanent that “has an Adventure.” This refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an adventurer card’s set of alternative characteristics, even if they’re not being used and even if that card was never cast as an Adventure. If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it’s legal to cast that spell. For example, if you control Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer (“Once each turn, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from the top of your library.”) and Questing Druid is on top of your library, you can cast Seek the Beast, but not Questing Druid. In a Two-Headed Giant game, Virtue of Knowledge does not affect triggered abilities of permanents your teammate controls. If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it’s a token) or cease to be a copy (if it’s a nontoken permanent), and so you won’t be able to cast it as an Adventure. If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won’t give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell. If the ability copied by Vantress Visions divides damage or distributes counters among a number of targets, the division and number of targets can't be changed. If you choose new targets, you must choose the same number of targets. Replacement effects are unaffected by Virtue of Knowledge's ability. For example, a creature that enters the battlefield under your control with one +1/+1 counter on it won't receive an additional +1/+1 counter. If the activated ability's cost contains a choice, such as a creature to sacrifice or a number of counters to remove, the copy created by Vantress Visions uses that same information. You can't pay the cost again, even if you want to. If an effect refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an Adventure, it won’t find an instant or sorcery spell on the stack that’s been cast as an Adventure. If an ability is linked to a second ability, copies of that ability are also linked to that second ability. If the second ability refers to "the exiled card," it refers to all cards exiled by the ability and the copy. For example, if Tidehollow Sculler's enters-the-battlefield ability is copied and two cards are exiled, they both return when Tidehollow Sculler leaves the battlefield. If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner’s graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won’t be exiled and the spell’s controller won’t be able to cast it as a permanent later. If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose. An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it’s in your graveyard, Questing Druid is a green creature card whose mana value is 2. It can’t be the target of Tenacious Tomeseeker’s triggered ability (“return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand”). Casting a card as an Adventure isn’t casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure. When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card’s normal characteristics. The spell’s color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics. Triggered abilities use the word "when," "whenever," or "at." They're often written as "[Trigger condition], [effect]." Some keyword abilities are triggered abilities and will have "when," "whenever," or "at the beginning of" in their reminder text. Virtue of Knowledge's ability affects a permanent's own enters-the-battlefield triggered abilities as well as other triggered abilities that trigger when that permanent enters the battlefield. Such triggered abilities start with "when" or "whenever." Some keyword abilities also include a triggered ability that happens when a permanent enters the battlefield. If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it’s not possible to cast the copy as a permanent. |
| Jeskai Infiltrator | 1282 | A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent, as well as Auras and Equipment that were attached to the permanent, aren’t affected. If Jeskai Infiltrator isn’t on the battlefield as its triggered ability resolves, you’ll manifest just the top card of your library. If a manifested creature would have morph if it were face up, you may also turn it face up by paying its morph cost. There are no cards in the Fate Reforged set that would turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, but some older cards can try to do this. If something tries to turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, reveal that card to show all players it’s an instant or sorcery card. The permanent remains on the battlefield face down. Abilities that trigger when a permanent turns face up won’t trigger, because even though you revealed the card, it never turned face up. If you manifest a card owned by an opponent and you leave the game, that card is exiled. The pile is shuffled to disguise from your opponents which manifested creature is which. After you manifest the cards, you can look at them. The face-down permanent is a 2/2 creature with no name, mana cost, creature types, or abilities. It’s colorless and has a converted mana cost of 0. Other effects that apply to the permanent can still grant or change any of these characteristics. Unlike a face-down creature that was cast using the morph ability, a manifested creature may still be turned face up after it loses its abilities if it’s a creature card. Because face-down creatures don’t have names, they can’t have the same name as any other creature, even another face-down creature. Some older Magic sets feature double-faced cards, which have a Magic card face on each side rather than a Magic card face on one side and a Magic card back on the other. The rules for double-faced cards are changing slightly to account for the possibility that they are manifested. If a double-faced card is manifested, it will be put onto the battlefield face down. While face down, it can’t transform. If the front face of the card is a creature card, you can turn it face up by paying its mana cost. If you do, its front face will be up. A double-faced permanent on the battlefield still can’t be turned face down. Any time you have priority, you may turn a manifested creature face up by revealing that it’s a creature card (ignoring any copy effects or type-changing effects that might be applying to it) and paying its mana cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can easily be differentiated from each other. You’re not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield in order to confuse other players. The order they entered the battlefield should remain clear. Common methods for indicating this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield. You must also track how each became face down (manifested, cast face down using the morph ability, and so on). Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it’s turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn’t cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger. A card’s owner is public information at all times. If the two cards you exile are owned by different players (perhaps because you gained control of a Jeskai Infiltrator owned by your opponent), which card is which is no longer hidden from your opponent. That player will know which face-down creature they own. Turning a permanent face up or face down doesn’t change whether that permanent is tapped or untapped. If a face-down permanent you control leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or if the game ends. At any time, you can look at a face-down permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down permanents you don’t control unless an effect allows you to or instructs you to. Any time you have priority, you may turn a manifested creature face up by revealing that it’s a creature card (ignoring any type-changing effects that might be applying to it) and paying its mana cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. Some previous Magic sets feature double-faced cards, which have a Magic card face on each side rather than a Magic card face on one side and a Magic card back on the other. If a double-faced card is manifested, it will be put onto the battlefield face down. While face down, it can’t transform. If the front face of the card is a creature card, you can turn it face up by paying its mana cost. If you do, its front face will be up. Although a double-faced card can enter the battlefield face down, one already on the battlefield can’t be turned face down. Because face-down creatures don’t have a name, they can’t have the same name as any other creature or share any creature types with any other creature, even another face-down creature. You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can easily be differentiated from each other. You’re not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield to confuse other players. The order they entered the battlefield should remain clear. Common methods for indicating this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield. You must also track how each became face down (manifested, cast face down using a morph ability, and so on). There are no cards in this set that would turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, but some older cards can try to do this. If something tries to turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, reveal that card to show all players it’s an instant or sorcery card. The permanent remains on the battlefield face down. Abilities that trigger when a permanent turns face up won’t trigger, because even though you revealed the card, it never turned face up. If an effect tries to return a face-down creature to the battlefield after it leaves (such as Aminatou’s second ability or Adarkar Valkyrie’s delayed triggered ability), that effect returns the card face up. If it tries to put an instant or sorcery card onto the battlefield this way, that card remains in its current zone instead. At any time, you can look at a face-down permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down permanents you don’t control unless an effect instructs you to do so. The face-down characteristics of a permanent are copiable values. If another object becomes a copy of a face-down creature or if a token is created that’s a copy of a face-down creature, that new object is a 2/2 colorless face-up creature with no abilities. |
| Lich's Mirror | 1248 | If, during a check of state-based actions, you’d lose the game at the same time a creature you own would be put into your graveyard (due to an Earthquake for 10 or combat damage dealt to both you and the creature, for example), that creature’s controller has a choice to make. The state-based actions rule is trying to simultaneously (a) shuffle that creature card into your library (due to Lich’s Mirror’s replacement effect) and (b) put it into your graveyard. Only one of those things can happen. The creature’s controller chooses which one. If the creature is put into your graveyard, it isn’t shuffled into your library. Abilities that trigger when that creature is put into a graveyard will trigger only if that option is chosen. If a spell causes you to lose the game the next time state-based actions are checked (by dealing damage to you greater than your life total, for example), that spell will already be in the graveyard by the time Lich’s Mirror’s effect happens. If it’s in your graveyard, it will be shuffled into your library. Although Lich’s Mirror has you draw a hand of seven cards and sets your life total to 20, this isn’t a game restart. You can’t take a mulligan if you don’t like your new hand of cards. If you control *but don’t own* Lich’s Mirror, Lich’s Mirror itself will still be on the battlefield after its effect is finished. If you would lose the game again for any of the reasons above, Lich’s Mirror has its effect again . . . and again . . . and again. An involuntary infinite loop will be created, and the game will end in a draw. (In the case of the triggered ability example given last in the list above, it’s possible that a player could cause the loop to end while the ability is on the stack. None of the loops caused by state-based actions can be stopped at all.) Lich’s Mirror shuffles tokens you own into your library, too. The tokens you own will leave play. However, there’s no point to physically shuffling tokens into your library because you can’t draw them as part of Lich’s Mirror’s effect and they’ll cease to exist immediately afterwards. Lich’s Mirror has no effect if a spell or ability (such as the one from Helix Pinnacle) states that a player “wins the game.” If a player wins the game, the game ends immediately. If all the players remaining in a game would lose simultaneously but one of them controls Lich’s Mirror, that player does what Lich’s Mirror says instead of losing, and everyone else loses. As a result, the controller of Lich’s Mirror wins the game because all of their opponents have lost. (If Lich’s Mirror weren’t in the picture, then the game would be a draw.) Lich’s Mirror doesn’t affect spells on the stack, cards that have been exiled, or permanents you control but don’t own. They’ll stay where they are. Spells on the stack will then resolve as normal. For your life total to become 20, you actually gain or lose the necessary amount of life. Keep in mind that you may have a negative life total when this happens. For example, if your life total is -4 when you would lose the game, Lich’s Mirror’s effect will cause you to gain 24 life. Other cards that interact with life gain or life loss will interact with this effect accordingly. Lich's Mirror replaces the game-loss event if you would lose the game in the following ways: -- As a state-based action for having 0 or less life. -- As a state-based action for having tried to draw a card from an empty library since the last time state-based actions were checked. -- As a state-based action for having ten or more poison counters (though this isn’t that helpful; see below). -- Because an ability (such as the one from Immortal Coil) states that you do so. Lich’s Mirror has no effect if you concede the game. If you concede, you’ll lose. If, during a check of state-based actions, you’d lose the game for multiple reasons (for example, if you were at 1 life and had one card in your library, then Night’s Whisper caused you to draw two cards and lose 2 life), a single Lich’s Mirror will replace all of them. You’ll do what Lich’s Mirror says just once. Any abilities that trigger when the permanents leave the battlefield will be put on the stack after Lich’s Mirror’s entire effect has been applied. Lich’s Mirror shuffles permanents you own into your library, regardless of who controls them. If you can’t lose the game (for example, you control a Platinum Angel), Lich’s Mirror won’t do anything. As part of Lich's Mirror's effect, it typically shuffles itself into your library. If it does, that means that if you'd lose the game *again* immediately after its effect is finished, it can't help you a second time. This can occur in a few different ways. For example: -- You have ten or more poison counters. Lich's Mirror doesn't remove poison counters. If you'd lose the game this way, you'll do what Lich's Mirror says, then you'll lose the game the next time state-based actions are checked. -- Your life total is 0 or less and an effect says that you can't gain life. Since your life total can't be raised, it stays at whatever it is rather than becoming 20, and you'll lose the game the next time state-based actions are checked. -- The number of nontoken permanents you own plus the number of cards in your hand, graveyard, and library is less than seven. When you try to draw seven cards as part of Lich's Mirror's effect, you'll be unable to complete at least one of those draws and you'll lose the game the next time state-based actions are checked. -- You control *but don't own* a permanent such as Immortal Coil with a triggered ability that causes you to lose the game when a certain game state happens (also known as a “state trigger”), and the condition that causes the “lose the game” ability to trigger hasn't changed. If you owned the permanent, Lich's Mirror would shuffle it into your library. In this case, however, it remains on the battlefield and its ability will trigger again. A token’s owner is the player under whose control it entered the battlefield. In a Two-Headed Giant game, if your team would lose the game and you control Lich’s Mirror, your team won’t lose. Instead, you’ll do what Lich’s Mirror says and your teammate won’t do anything. This is true even if the reason your team would lose is because your teammate tried to draw a card with an empty library or was affected by an ability that said they lost the game. Your life total (which is the same as your team’s life total) becomes 20. Your team’s life total is adjusted by the amount of life you gain or lose as a result of this, which basically means your team’s life total becomes 20. |
| Lightform | 1230 | Unlike a face-down creature that was cast using the morph ability, a manifested creature may still be turned face up after it loses its abilities if it’s a creature card. You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can easily be differentiated from each other. You’re not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield in order to confuse other players. The order they entered the battlefield should remain clear. Common methods for indicating this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield. You must also track how each became face down (manifested, cast face down using the morph ability, and so on). There are no cards in the Fate Reforged set that would turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, but some older cards can try to do this. If something tries to turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, reveal that card to show all players it’s an instant or sorcery card. The permanent remains on the battlefield face down. Abilities that trigger when a permanent turns face up won’t trigger, because even though you revealed the card, it never turned face up. If a manifested creature would have morph if it were face up, you may also turn it face up by paying its morph cost. Because face-down creatures don’t have names, they can’t have the same name as any other creature, even another face-down creature. A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent, as well as Auras and Equipment that were attached to the permanent, aren’t affected. Any time you have priority, you may turn a manifested creature face up by revealing that it’s a creature card (ignoring any copy effects or type-changing effects that might be applying to it) and paying its mana cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. You’ll still manifest the top card of your library even if the “Form” isn’t on the battlefield as its enters-the-battlefield ability resolves. If you have no cards in your library as the ability resolves, the “Form” will be put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action. At any time, you can look at a face-down permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down permanents you don’t control unless an effect allows you to or instructs you to. The face-down permanent is a 2/2 creature with no name, mana cost, creature types, or abilities. It’s colorless and has a converted mana cost of 0. Other effects that apply to the permanent can still grant or change any of these characteristics. If a face-down permanent you control leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or if the game ends. Turning a permanent face up or face down doesn’t change whether that permanent is tapped or untapped. Some older Magic sets feature double-faced cards, which have a Magic card face on each side rather than a Magic card face on one side and a Magic card back on the other. The rules for double-faced cards are changing slightly to account for the possibility that they are manifested. If a double-faced card is manifested, it will be put onto the battlefield face down. While face down, it can’t transform. If the front face of the card is a creature card, you can turn it face up by paying its mana cost. If you do, its front face will be up. A double-faced permanent on the battlefield still can’t be turned face down. Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it’s turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn’t cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger. If the enchanted creature is turned face up, the “Form” will continue to enchant it. There are no cards in this set that would turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, but some older cards can try to do this. If something tries to turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, reveal that card to show all players it’s an instant or sorcery card. The permanent remains on the battlefield face down. Abilities that trigger when a permanent turns face up won’t trigger, because even though you revealed the card, it never turned face up. Some previous Magic sets feature double-faced cards, which have a Magic card face on each side rather than a Magic card face on one side and a Magic card back on the other. If a double-faced card is manifested, it will be put onto the battlefield face down. While face down, it can’t transform. If the front face of the card is a creature card, you can turn it face up by paying its mana cost. If you do, its front face will be up. Although a double-faced card can enter the battlefield face down, one already on the battlefield can’t be turned face down. The face-down characteristics of a permanent are copiable values. If another object becomes a copy of a face-down creature or if a token is created that’s a copy of a face-down creature, that new object is a 2/2 colorless face-up creature with no abilities. Any time you have priority, you may turn a manifested creature face up by revealing that it’s a creature card (ignoring any type-changing effects that might be applying to it) and paying its mana cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. If an effect tries to return a face-down creature to the battlefield after it leaves (such as Aminatou’s second ability or Adarkar Valkyrie’s delayed triggered ability), that effect returns the card face up. If it tries to put an instant or sorcery card onto the battlefield this way, that card remains in its current zone instead. At any time, you can look at a face-down permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down permanents you don’t control unless an effect instructs you to do so. Because face-down creatures don’t have a name, they can’t have the same name as any other creature or share any creature types with any other creature, even another face-down creature. You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can easily be differentiated from each other. You’re not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield to confuse other players. The order they entered the battlefield should remain clear. Common methods for indicating this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield. You must also track how each became face down (manifested, cast face down using a morph ability, and so on). |
| Cloudform | 1229 | Any time you have priority, you may turn a manifested creature face up by revealing that it’s a creature card (ignoring any copy effects or type-changing effects that might be applying to it) and paying its mana cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can easily be differentiated from each other. You’re not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield in order to confuse other players. The order they entered the battlefield should remain clear. Common methods for indicating this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield. You must also track how each became face down (manifested, cast face down using the morph ability, and so on). Some older Magic sets feature double-faced cards, which have a Magic card face on each side rather than a Magic card face on one side and a Magic card back on the other. The rules for double-faced cards are changing slightly to account for the possibility that they are manifested. If a double-faced card is manifested, it will be put onto the battlefield face down. While face down, it can’t transform. If the front face of the card is a creature card, you can turn it face up by paying its mana cost. If you do, its front face will be up. A double-faced permanent on the battlefield still can’t be turned face down. There are no cards in the Fate Reforged set that would turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, but some older cards can try to do this. If something tries to turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, reveal that card to show all players it’s an instant or sorcery card. The permanent remains on the battlefield face down. Abilities that trigger when a permanent turns face up won’t trigger, because even though you revealed the card, it never turned face up. You’ll still manifest the top card of your library even if the “Form” isn’t on the battlefield as its enters-the-battlefield ability resolves. The face-down permanent is a 2/2 creature with no name, mana cost, creature types, or abilities. It’s colorless and has a mana value of 0. Other effects that apply to the permanent can still grant or change any of these characteristics. Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it’s turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn’t cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger. At any time, you can look at a face-down permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down permanents you don’t control unless an effect allows you to or instructs you to. Because face-down creatures don’t have names, they can’t have the same name as any other creature, even another face-down creature. If a manifested creature would have morph if it were face up, you may also turn it face up by paying its morph cost. If a face-down permanent you control leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or if the game ends. Unlike a face-down creature that was cast using the morph ability, a manifested creature may still be turned face up after it loses its abilities if it’s a creature card. Turning a permanent face up or face down doesn’t change whether that permanent is tapped or untapped. A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent, as well as Auras and Equipment that were attached to the permanent, aren’t affected. If the enchanted creature is turned face up, the “Form” will continue to enchant it. If you have no cards in your library as the ability resolves, the “Form” will be put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action. If an effect tries to return a face-down creature to the battlefield after it leaves (such as Aminatou’s second ability or Adarkar Valkyrie’s delayed triggered ability), that effect returns the card face up. If it tries to put an instant or sorcery card onto the battlefield this way, that card remains in its current zone instead. Some previous Magic sets feature double-faced cards, which have a Magic card face on each side rather than a Magic card face on one side and a Magic card back on the other. If a double-faced card is manifested, it will be put onto the battlefield face down. While face down, it can’t transform. If the front face of the card is a creature card, you can turn it face up by paying its mana cost. If you do, its front face will be up. Although a double-faced card can enter the battlefield face down, one already on the battlefield can’t be turned face down. Any time you have priority, you may turn a manifested creature face up by revealing that it’s a creature card (ignoring any type-changing effects that might be applying to it) and paying its mana cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. Because face-down creatures don’t have a name, they can’t have the same name as any other creature or share any creature types with any other creature, even another face-down creature. You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can easily be differentiated from each other. You’re not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield to confuse other players. The order they entered the battlefield should remain clear. Common methods for indicating this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield. You must also track how each became face down (manifested, cast face down using a morph ability, and so on). The face-down characteristics of a permanent are copiable values. If another object becomes a copy of a face-down creature or if a token is created that’s a copy of a face-down creature, that new object is a 2/2 colorless face-up creature with no abilities. At any time, you can look at a face-down permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down permanents you don’t control unless an effect instructs you to do so. There are no cards in this set that would turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, but some older cards can try to do this. If something tries to turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, reveal that card to show all players it’s an instant or sorcery card. The permanent remains on the battlefield face down. Abilities that trigger when a permanent turns face up won’t trigger, because even though you revealed the card, it never turned face up. |
| Kytheon, Hero of Akros // Gideon, Battle-Forged | 1019 | If you activate Gideon’s third ability and then damage is dealt to him that can’t be prevented, that damage has all applicable results: specifically, the damage is marked on Gideon (since he’s a creature) and that damage causes that many loyalty counters to be removed from him (since he’s a planeswalker). If Gideon has no loyalty counters on him, he’s put into his owner’s graveyard as a state-based action. (As long as he still has indestructible, the marked damage won’t cause him to be destroyed.) The back face of a double-faced card (in the case of Magic Origins, the planeswalker face) can’t be cast. The converted mana cost of a double-faced card not on the battlefield is the converted mana cost of its front face. If Gideon can’t be attacked, perhaps because he has left the battlefield before the creature’s controller’s next combat, the creature targeted by Gideon’s first ability can attack you or another planeswalker you control, or its controller can choose to have it not attack at all. If a double-faced card is manifested, it will be put onto the battlefield face down (this is also true if it’s put onto the battlefield face down some other way). Note that “face down” is not synonymous with “with its back face up.” A manifested double-faced card is a 2/2 creature with no name, mana cost, creature types, or abilities. While face down, it can’t transform. If the front face of a manifested double-faced card is a creature card, you can turn it face up by paying its mana cost. If you do, its front face will be up. A double-faced card on the battlefield can’t be turned face down. You can activate one of the planeswalker’s loyalty abilities the turn it enters the battlefield. However, you may do so only during one of your main phases when the stack is empty. For example, if the planeswalker enters the battlefield during combat, there will be an opportunity for your opponent to remove it before you can activate one of its abilities. Gideon’s first ability causes a creature to attack him if able. If, during its controller’s declare attackers step, that creature is tapped, is affected by a spell or ability that says it can’t attack, or hasn’t been under its controller’s control continuously since that player’s turn began, then that creature doesn’t attack. If there’s a cost associated with having that creature attack, its controller isn’t forced to pay that cost. If they don’t, the creature doesn’t have to attack. If Gideon becomes a creature due to his third ability, that doesn’t count as having a creature enter the battlefield. Gideon was already on the battlefield; he only changed his types. Abilities that trigger whenever a creature enters the battlefield won’t trigger. A double-faced card enters the battlefield with its front face up by default, unless a spell or ability instructs you to put it onto the battlefield transformed, in which case it enters with its back face up. If the creature targeted by Gideon’s first ability changes controllers before it has the chance to attack Gideon, the ability will apply to it during its new controller’s next turn. In some rare cases, a spell or ability may cause one of these five cards to transform while it’s a creature (front face up) on the battlefield. If this happens, the resulting planeswalker won’t have any loyalty counters on it and will subsequently be put into its owner’s graveyard. A Magic Origins planeswalker that enters the battlefield because of the ability of its front face will enter with loyalty counters as normal. Say you activate Gideon’s third ability, then an opponent gains control of him before combat. You may have any of your creatures attack Gideon (since he’s still a planeswalker). Then Gideon may block (since he’s a creature). He may block any eligible attacking creature, including one that’s attacking him. During combat, he behaves as an attacked planeswalker and/or a blocking creature, as appropriate. For example, he deals combat damage to any creatures he’s blocking, but he doesn’t deal combat damage to any unblocked creatures that are attacking him. Each face of a double-faced card has its own set of characteristics: name, types, subtypes, power and toughness, loyalty, abilities, and so on. While a double-faced card is on the battlefield, consider only the characteristics of the face that’s currently up. The other set of characteristics is ignored. While a double-faced card isn’t on the battlefield, consider only the characteristics of its front face. Kytheon’s first ability will count creatures that attacked but are no longer on the battlefield (perhaps because they didn’t survive combat damage being dealt). It will not count any creatures that were put onto the battlefield attacking, as those creatures were never declared as attackers. Gideon’s third ability causes him to become a creature with the creature types Human Soldier. He remains a planeswalker with the planeswalker type Gideon. (He also retains any other card types or subtypes he may have had.) Each subtype is correlated to the proper card type: Gideon is just a planeswalker type (not a creature type), and Human and Soldier are just creature types (not planeswalker types). The back face of a double-faced card doesn’t have a mana cost. A double-faced permanent with its back face up has a converted mana cost equal to the converted mana cost of its front face. Each back face has a color indicator that defines its color. For more information on double-faced cards, see the Shadows over Innistrad mechanics article (http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/shadows-over-innistrad-mechanics). You can control two of this permanent, one front-face up and the other back-face up, at the same time. |
| Will Kenrith | 1012 | The triggered ability of the “partner with” keyword still triggers in a Commander game. If your other commander has somehow ended up in your library, you can find it. You can also target another player who might have that card in their library. If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can only include cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders' combined color identities. If Khorvath and Sylvia are your commanders, your deck may contain cards with red and/or white in their color identity, but not blue, black, or green. If the spell or ability that's copied has an X whose value was determined as it was cast or activated (like Blaze does), the copy will have the same value of X. The copy is created on the stack, so it's not “cast” or “activated.” Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell or activates an ability (such as either emblem's own ability) won't trigger. Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won't have to pay an additional {2} the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 damage from one of them, not from both of them combined. Command Beacon's effect puts one into your hand from the command zone, not both. The second ability represented by the “partner with [name]” keyword modifies the rules for deck construction in the Commander variant and has no function outside of that variant. If a legendary creature card with “partner with [name]” is designated as your commander, the named legendary creature card can also be designated as your commander. For more information on the Commander variant, please visit Wizards.com/Commander. Will's first ability overwrites all previous effects that set a creature's base power and toughness to specific values. Any power- or toughness-setting effects that start to apply after that ability resolves will overwrite this effect. An effect that checks whether you control your commander is satisfied if you control one or both of your two commanders. To have two commanders, both must have the partner ability (featured in the Magic: The Gathering—Commander™ (2016 Edition) set) or corresponding “partner with” abilities as the game begins. A creature with a “partner with” ability can't partner with any creature other than its designated partner. Losing a partner ability during the game doesn't cause either to cease to be your commander. If an affected creature gains an ability after Will's first ability resolves, it will keep that ability. The controller of a copied spell can't choose to pay any alternative or additional costs for the copy. However, effects based on any alternative or additional costs that were paid for the original spell are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copy. Similarly, for Rowan's emblem, effects based on non-mana costs that were paid for the original ability are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copy. If the spell or ability has damage divided as it was cast or activated (like Chandra's Pyrohelix), the division can't be changed (although the targets receiving that damage still can). If a creature affected by Rowan's first ability can't attack for any reason (such as being tapped or having come under that player's control that turn), then it doesn't attack. If there's a cost associated with having it attack, the player isn't forced to pay that cost, so it doesn't have to attack in that case either. Note that the target player searches their library (which may be affected by effects such as that of Stranglehold) and that the card they find is revealed, even though these words aren't included in the ability's reminder text. The copy will have the same targets as the spell or ability it's copying unless you choose new ones. You may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If, for one of the targets, you can't choose a new legal target, then it remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal). The ability of either Kenrith's emblem can copy the spell or ability even if that spell or ability is countered before the emblem's triggered ability resolves. Effects that raise or lower a creature's power and/or toughness, such as the effect of Titanic Growth, will apply to the creature no matter when they started to take effect. The same is true for any counters that change its power and/or toughness and effects that switch its power and toughness. If you have two of Will's emblems, perhaps because Rowan's emblem copied Will's last ability, each one will copy a spell you cast. The same is true of Rowan's emblem in regard to abilities you activate. Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards of your deck are shuffled to become your library. If the spell or ability that's copied is modal (that is, it says “Choose one —” or the like), the copy will have the same mode. A different mode can't be chosen. Rowan's second ability targets only the player. Tapped creatures with hexproof that player controls will be dealt damage as that ability resolves. The ability of Will's emblem can copy any instant or sorcery spell, not just one with targets. Similarly, the ability of Rowan's emblem can copy any activated ability that isn't a mana ability. A mana ability is an ability that produces mana, not an ability that costs mana. The copy of the spell created by Will's emblem resolves before the original spell. The same is true of the copy of the activated ability created by Rowan's emblem. The last abilities of Will and Rowan apply to Commander games only. They have no effect in other games. “Partner with [name]” represents two abilities. The first is a triggered ability: “When this permanent enters the battlefield, target player may search their library for a card named [name], reveal it, put it into their hand, then shuffle their library.” |
| Rowan Kenrith | 1012 | Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won't have to pay an additional {2} the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 damage from one of them, not from both of them combined. Command Beacon's effect puts one into your hand from the command zone, not both. If a creature affected by Rowan's first ability can't attack for any reason (such as being tapped or having come under that player's control that turn), then it doesn't attack. If there's a cost associated with having it attack, the player isn't forced to pay that cost, so it doesn't have to attack in that case either. Rowan's second ability targets only the player. Tapped creatures with hexproof that player controls will be dealt damage as that ability resolves. The copy will have the same targets as the spell or ability it's copying unless you choose new ones. You may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If, for one of the targets, you can't choose a new legal target, then it remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal). An effect that checks whether you control your commander is satisfied if you control one or both of your two commanders. Effects that raise or lower a creature's power and/or toughness, such as the effect of Titanic Growth, will apply to the creature no matter when they started to take effect. The same is true for any counters that change its power and/or toughness and effects that switch its power and toughness. Note that the target player searches their library (which may be affected by effects such as that of Stranglehold) and that the card they find is revealed, even though these words aren't included in the ability's reminder text. If the spell or ability has damage divided as it was cast or activated (like Chandra's Pyrohelix), the division can't be changed (although the targets receiving that damage still can). Will's first ability overwrites all previous effects that set a creature's base power and toughness to specific values. Any power- or toughness-setting effects that start to apply after that ability resolves will overwrite this effect. The last abilities of Will and Rowan apply to Commander games only. They have no effect in other games. If the spell or ability that's copied is modal (that is, it says “Choose one —” or the like), the copy will have the same mode. A different mode can't be chosen. If an affected creature gains an ability after Will's first ability resolves, it will keep that ability. The controller of a copied spell can't choose to pay any alternative or additional costs for the copy. However, effects based on any alternative or additional costs that were paid for the original spell are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copy. Similarly, for Rowan's emblem, effects based on non-mana costs that were paid for the original ability are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copy. The copy is created on the stack, so it's not “cast” or “activated.” Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell or activates an ability (such as either emblem's own ability) won't trigger. The ability of Will's emblem can copy any instant or sorcery spell, not just one with targets. Similarly, the ability of Rowan's emblem can copy any activated ability that isn't a mana ability. A mana ability is an ability that produces mana, not an ability that costs mana. If you have two of Will's emblems, perhaps because Rowan's emblem copied Will's last ability, each one will copy a spell you cast. The same is true of Rowan's emblem in regard to abilities you activate. The copy of the spell created by Will's emblem resolves before the original spell. The same is true of the copy of the activated ability created by Rowan's emblem. If the spell or ability that's copied has an X whose value was determined as it was cast or activated (like Blaze does), the copy will have the same value of X. The triggered ability of the “partner with” keyword still triggers in a Commander game. If your other commander has somehow ended up in your library, you can find it. You can also target another player who might have that card in their library. “Partner with [name]” represents two abilities. The first is a triggered ability: “When this permanent enters the battlefield, target player may search their library for a card named [name], reveal it, put it into their hand, then shuffle their library.” The ability of either Kenrith's emblem can copy the spell or ability even if that spell or ability is countered before the emblem's triggered ability resolves. Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards of your deck are shuffled to become your library. The second ability represented by the “partner with [name]” keyword modifies the rules for deck construction in the Commander variant and has no function outside of that variant. If a legendary creature card with “partner with [name]” is designated as your commander, the named legendary creature card can also be designated as your commander. For more information on the Commander variant, please visit Wizards.com/Commander. To have two commanders, both must have the partner ability (featured in the Magic: The Gathering—Commander™ (2016 Edition) set) or corresponding “partner with” abilities as the game begins. A creature with a “partner with” ability can't partner with any creature other than its designated partner. Losing a partner ability during the game doesn't cause either to cease to be your commander. If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can only include cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders' combined color identities. If Khorvath and Sylvia are your commanders, your deck may contain cards with red and/or white in their color identity, but not blue, black, or green. |
| Invasion of Alara // Awaken the Maelstrom | 1008 | If the copied permanent is copying something else, then the token enters the battlefield as whatever that permanent copied. If a non-battle permanent that is already on the battlefield become a copy of a Siege, its controller chooses one of their opponents to be that battle’s protector. However, it will most likely be put into its owner’s graveyard because it has no defense counters (see below). If a token or a card that isn’t represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it can’t be cast as its triggered ability resolves. It will remain in exile. If it’s a token, it will cease to exist the next time state-based actions are performed. Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied permanent will trigger when the token enters the battlefield. Any “as [this permanent] enters the battlefield” or “[this permanent] enters the battlefield with” abilities of the copied permanent will also work. If the copied permanent is a token, the token that’s created copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that created that token. If a battle that’s being attacked somehow stops being a battle, it is removed from combat. Similarly, if its controller changes in the middle of combat, it is removed from combat. The token copies exactly what was printed on the original permanent and nothing else (unless that permanent is copying something else or is a token; see below). It doesn’t copy whether that permanent is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or Auras and Equipment attached to it, or any non-copy effects that have changed its power, toughness, types, color, and so on. Only creatures controlled by a battle’s protector can block creatures that are attacking that battle. This means a Siege’s controller can never assign creatures to block for it. A Siege’s controller can’t be its protector. If a Siege’s protector ever gains control of it, they choose a new player to be its protector. This is a state-based action. If a battle has no defense counters, and it isn’t the source of a triggered ability that has triggered but not yet left the stack, that battle is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action. This doesn’t cause a Siege’s intrinsic triggered ability to trigger. If the copied permanent has {X} in its mana cost, X is 0. A battle’s “defense” is displayed in the bottom right corner of the card. A battle enters the battlefield with that number of defense counters. If another permanent enters the battlefield as a copy of a battle, it also enters with that number of defense counters. A battle can be dealt damage and be target of spells and/or abilities that target “any target.” A battle can be attacked by all players other than its protector. Notably, this means a Siege’s controller can attack it. Sieges each have an intrinsic triggered ability. That ability is “When the last defense counter is removed from this permanent, exile it, then you may cast it transformed without paying its mana cost.” If you cast a spell without paying its mana cost, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay any additional costs. If the spell has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those. If a Siege never had defense counters on it (perhaps because a permanent became a copy of one), it can’t have its last defense counter removed. It will be put into its owner’s graveyard. You won’t exile it or cast the other face. In a multiplayer game, if the protector of a battle leaves the game and that battle is not currently being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it as a state-based action. If it is being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it once no creatures are attacking it. This means that it continues to be attacked and can be dealt combat damage as normal. Awaken the Maelstrom has two targets: the player who will draw cards and the permanent an opponent controls that will be destroyed. You must choose legal targets for both to cast Awaken the Maelstrom. All other choices are made on resolution. Specifically, this means you can create a token that’s a copy of the artifact you just put onto the battlefield (which perhaps you just drew) and then put +1/+1 counters on it if it’s also a creature. As a Siege enters the battlefield, its controller chooses an opponent to be its protector. If you exile only one nonland card with mana value 4 or less, you’ll have the option to cast it. If you don’t, you’ll put it into your hand. If the spell has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. Damage dealt to a battle causes that many defense counters to be removed from it. If a permanent that is represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it will be exiled as that Siege’s triggered ability resolves, then it will be cast transformed. Note that this applies only to transforming double-faced cards, not to modal double-faced cards that can normally be played using either face. Battles can’t attack or block, even if one also becomes a creature. If an attacking or blocking creature somehow becomes a battle in addition to being a creature, it is removed from combat. For Invasion of Alara’s triggered ability, if you exile two nonland cards with mana value 4 or less, but you don’t cast one of them, the one you don’t put into your hand will remain in exile. It won’t be put on the bottom of your library. |
| Teferi's Protection | 960 | If your untap step is somehow skipped as your next turn begins, your phased-out permanents won't phase in until the next untap step you actually have, but you'll no longer have protection from everything and your life total can change again. If you gain control of another player's permanent and it phases out, if the duration of the control-change effect expires before it phases in, that permanent phases in under that other player's control as your next untap step begins. If you leave the game before your next untap step, it phases in as the next untap step begins after your turn would have begun. If a token is phased out, it will phase in as your next untap step begins. This is a change from previous rules. Effects that replace an event with having you gain life (like Words of Worship's effect does) or having you lose life will apply and end up replacing the event with nothing. Each Aura and Equipment you control attached to a permanent that isn't phasing out phases in attached to that permanent if it can still be attached to that permanent. If not, it phases in unattached. An Aura that phases in unattached will be put into its owner's graveyard as a state-based action. The same is true with Auras attached to players. ---------- The following rulings focus on the phasing keyword ---------- Each Aura and Equipment that phases out attached to a permanent that's phasing out phases in with that permanent and still attached to it. Permanents that phase out with counters phase in with those counters. ---------- The following rulings focus on what it means if your life total can't change ---------- Effects that would replace having you gain life with some other event won't be able to be applied because it's impossible for you to gain life. The same is true for effects that would replace having you lose life with some other event. While a permanent is phased out, it's treated as though it doesn't exist. It can't be the target of spells or abilities, its static abilities have no effect on the game, its triggered abilities can't trigger, it can't attack or block, and so on. Spells and abilities that would normally cause you to gain or lose life still resolve while your life total can't change, but the life-gain or life-loss part simply has no effect. ---------- The following rulings focus on the “protection from” keyword ---------- You can't pay a cost that includes the payment of any amount of life other than 0 life. Gaining protection from everything causes a spell or ability on the stack to have an illegal target if it targets you. As a spell or ability tries to resolve, if all its targets are illegal, that spell or ability doesn't resolve and none of its effects happen, including effects unrelated to the target. If at least one target is still legal, the spell or ability does as much as it can to the remaining legal targets, and its other effects still happen. Choices made for permanents as they entered the battlefield are remembered when they phase in. Protection from everything will usually prevent damage if it would be dealt to you, but some damage can't be prevented. In this case, because your life total also can't change, that damage has any other effects that it may have aside from causing you to lose that much life (such as effects from lifelink or infect) and triggers and effects can see that damage was dealt even though your life total didn't change. A permanent phasing out causes a spell or ability on the stack to have an illegal target if it targets that permanent. As a spell or ability tries to resolve, if all its targets are illegal, that spell or ability doesn't resolve and none of its effects happen, including effects unrelated to the target. If at least one target is still legal, the spell or ability does as much as it can to the remaining legal targets, and its other effects still happen. Any continuous effects with a “for as long as” duration such as that of Mathas, Fiend Seeker ignore phased-out objects. Any such effects will expire if their conditions are no longer met after ignoring the phased-out objects. If an effect would set your life total to a certain number that's different than your current life total, that part of the effect won't do anything. Phasing out doesn't cause any “leaves the battlefield” abilities to trigger. Similarly, phasing in won't cause any “enters the battlefield” abilities to trigger. If a player has protection from everything, it means three things: 1) All damage that would be dealt to that player is prevented. 2) Auras can't be attached to that player. 3) That player can't be the target of spells or abilities. If an effect would cause you to exchange life totals with another player, the exchange won't happen. Neither player's life total changes. Any one-shot effects that are waiting “until [this] leaves the battlefield,” such as that of Banishing Light, won't happen when a permanent phases out. Any creatures that phase in under your control as your next untap step begins will be able to attack and pay a cost of {T} during that turn. If a cost includes causing you to gain life (like the alternative cost of an opponent's Invigorate does), that cost can't be paid. Nothing other than the specified events are prevented or illegal. An effect that doesn't target you could still cause you to discard cards, for example. Creatures can still attack you while you have protection from everything, although combat damage that they would deal to you will be prevented. |
| Hypergenesis | 937 | Anything that triggers during the resolution of this will wait to be put on the stack until everything is put onto the battlefield and resolution is complete. The player whose turn it is will put all of their triggered abilities on the stack in any order, then each other player in turn order will do the same. (The last ability put on the stack will be the first one that resolves.) Although originally printed with a characteristic-defining ability that defined its color, this card now has a color indicator. This color indicator can’t be affected by text-changing effects (such as the one created by Crystal Spray), although color-changing effects can still overwrite it. If a player chooses not to put a card onto the battlefield but the process repeats, that player may put a card onto the battlefield the next time the process gets around to them. The permanents enter the battlefield sequentially. This means that ones put onto the battlefield earlier may affect how later ones enter and later ones may cause triggered abilities of earlier ones to trigger, but not vice versa. The process ends when all players (starting with you) choose not to put a card onto the battlefield during one loop of the process. It doesn’t end the first time one player chooses not to put a card onto the battlefield. If a card with no mana cost is given an alternative cost equal to its mana cost (by Snapcaster Mage, for example), that cost cannot be paid and the card cannot be cast this way. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can’t be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it’s exiled. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn’t matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don’t want to target. Timing permissions based on the card’s type are ignored. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. If you can’t cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. Exiling a card with suspend isn’t casting that card. This action doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card’s owner’s next upkeep. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it’s on the stack). If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn’t paid. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage’s ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. A card with no mana cost can’t be cast normally; you’ll need a way to cast it for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost, such as by suspending it. |
| Invasion of Arcavios // Invocation of the Founders | 935 | If you copy a spell, you control the copy. It will resolve before the original spell does. A battle can be dealt damage and be target of spells and/or abilities that target “any target.” As a Siege enters the battlefield, its controller chooses an opponent to be its protector. In a multiplayer game, if the protector of a battle leaves the game and that battle is not currently being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it as a state-based action. If it is being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it once no creatures are attacking it. This means that it continues to be attacked and can be dealt combat damage as normal. Damage dealt to a battle causes that many defense counters to be removed from it. If a battle has no defense counters, and it isn’t the source of a triggered ability that has triggered but not yet left the stack, that battle is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action. This doesn’t cause a Siege’s intrinsic triggered ability to trigger. Battles can’t attack or block, even if one also becomes a creature. If an attacking or blocking creature somehow becomes a battle in addition to being a creature, it is removed from combat. The copy will have the same targets as the spell it’s copying unless you choose new ones. You may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If, for one of the targets, you can’t choose a new legal target, then it remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal). If a token or a card that isn’t represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it can’t be cast as its triggered ability resolves. It will remain in exile. If it’s a token, it will cease to exist the next time state-based actions are performed. In a casual game, a card you choose from outside the game comes from your personal collection. In a tournament event, a card you choose from outside the game comes from your sideboard. You may look at your sideboard at any time. You can’t choose to pay any alternative or additional costs for the copy. However, effects based on any alternative or additional costs that were paid for the original spell are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copy. A Siege’s controller can’t be its protector. If a Siege’s protector ever gains control of it, they choose a new player to be its protector. This is a state-based action. If a non-battle permanent that is already on the battlefield become a copy of a Siege, its controller chooses one of their opponents to be that battle’s protector. However, it will most likely be put into its owner’s graveyard because it has no defense counters (see below). If a Siege never had defense counters on it (perhaps because a permanent became a copy of one), it can’t have its last defense counter removed. It will be put into its owner’s graveyard. You won’t exile it or cast the other face. You don’t have to declare up front where you’re going to search. You may search your library, pause, sigh, check out your graveyard, frown meaningfully at your opponent, then finally grab a game-winning sorcery card from your sideboard. Bit dramatic though. If the spell that’s copied has an X whose value was determined as it was cast, the copy will have the same value of X. If a permanent that is represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it will be exiled as that Siege’s triggered ability resolves, then it will be cast transformed. Note that this applies only to transforming double-faced cards, not to modal double-faced cards that can normally be played using either face. A copy of a spell is created on the stack, so it’s not “cast.” Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell won’t trigger. Sieges each have an intrinsic triggered ability. That ability is “When the last defense counter is removed from this permanent, exile it, then you may cast it transformed without paying its mana cost.” If a battle that’s being attacked somehow stops being a battle, it is removed from combat. Similarly, if its controller changes in the middle of combat, it is removed from combat. A battle can be attacked by all players other than its protector. Notably, this means a Siege’s controller can attack it. A battle’s “defense” is displayed in the bottom right corner of the card. A battle enters the battlefield with that number of defense counters. If another permanent enters the battlefield as a copy of a battle, it also enters with that number of defense counters. If the spell has damage divided as it was cast, the division can’t be changed (although the targets receiving that damage still can). The same is true of spells that distribute counters. If the spell that’s copied is modal (that is, it includes a choice from a bulleted list of effects), the copy will have the same mode. A different mode can’t be chosen. Only creatures controlled by a battle’s protector can block creatures that are attacking that battle. This means a Siege’s controller can never assign creatures to block for it. |
| Restore Balance | 918 | Although originally printed with a characteristic-defining ability that defined its color, this card now has a color indicator. This color indicator can’t be affected by text-changing effects (such as the one created by Crystal Spray), although color-changing effects can still overwrite it. Any abilities of the creatures sacrificed may modify or trigger on the lands being sacrificed, but won’t modify or trigger on the cards being discarded. Abilities of the sacrificed lands won’t modify or trigger on the creatures being sacrificed or the cards being discarded. Any abilities that trigger during this process will wait to be put onto the stack until Restore Balance is done resolving. As Restore Balance resolves, first the player whose turn it is chooses the appropriate number of lands they control, then each other player in turn order does the same knowing the choices made before them. Then all the lands that weren’t chosen are sacrificed at the same time. Then, starting with the player whose turn it is again, each player chooses the appropriate number of creatures they control, then sacrifice their other creatures after all choices have been made. Finally, players choose cards in hand without revealing them in the same order and discard the remaining cards. A card with no mana cost can’t be cast normally; you’ll need a way to cast it for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost, such as by suspending it. If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can’t be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don’t want to target. Timing permissions based on the card’s type are ignored. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. Exiling a card with suspend isn’t casting that card. This action doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it’s exiled. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card’s owner’s next upkeep. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn’t matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. If you can’t cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it’s on the stack). If a card with no mana cost is given an alternative cost equal to its mana cost (by Snapcaster Mage, for example), that cost cannot be paid and the card cannot be cast this way. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn’t paid. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage’s ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. |
| Vantress Transmuter // Croaking Curse | 906 | When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card’s normal characteristics. The spell’s color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics. In rare cases, a spell or ability might attempt to create a Role token enchanting a permanent that it can’t legally enchant (because of an ability like protection from enchantments). In such cases, the Role token isn’t created. Roles are colorless enchantment tokens. Each one has the Aura and Role subtypes and the enchant creature ability. Some spells and abilities that create Role tokens require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won’t resolve. The Role token won’t be created. An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it’s in your graveyard, Questing Druid is a green creature card whose mana value is 2. It can’t be the target of Tenacious Tomeseeker’s triggered ability (“return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand”). A permanent can have multiple Roles attached to it if each one is controlled by a different player. If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it’s legal to cast that spell. For example, if you control Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer (“Once each turn, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from the top of your library.”) and Questing Druid is on top of your library, you can cast Seek the Beast, but not Questing Druid. If two or more Roles controlled by the same player become attached to a permanent at the same time (perhaps due to an effect such as that of Doubling Season), that player chooses which one to keep and which are put into their owners’ graveyards. If a permanent has more than one Role attached to it controlled by the same player, each of those Roles except the one with the most recent timestamp is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action. Casting a card as an Adventure isn’t casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure. If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner’s graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won’t be exiled and the spell’s controller won’t be able to cast it as a permanent later. You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions for the permanent spell you cast from exile. Normally, you’ll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty. Cards in the Wilds of Eldraine main set create six different Role tokens: Cursed, Monster, Royal, Sorcerer, Wicked, and Young Hero. A seventh Role token, Virtuous, is created by Ellivere of the Wild Court, the commander of the “Virtue and Valor” Commander Deck. If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose. If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it’s not possible to cast the copy as a permanent. If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won’t give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell. You may target a creature that is already tapped with Croaking Curse. If the target creature is already tapped as it resolves, you will still create a Cursed Role token attached to it. An effect may refer to a card, spell, or permanent that “has an Adventure.” This refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an adventurer card’s set of alternative characteristics, even if they’re not being used and even if that card was never cast as an Adventure. If an effect refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an Adventure, it won’t find an instant or sorcery spell on the stack that’s been cast as an Adventure. If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it’s a token) or cease to be a copy (if it’s a nontoken permanent), and so you won’t be able to cast it as an Adventure. Hexproof and shroud won’t prevent a Role from becoming attached to a permanent if the ability creating that Role attached to that permanent doesn’t target it. |
| Cast Through Time | 894 | You’ll be able to cast a spell with flashback three times this way. First you can cast it from your hand. It will be exiled due to rebound as it resolves. Then you can cast it from exile due to rebound’s delayed triggered ability. It will be put into your graveyard as it resolves. Then you can cast it from your graveyard due to flashback. It will be exiled due to flashback as it resolves. If a spell moves itself into another zone as part of its resolution (as Arc Blade, All Suns’ Dawn, and Beacon of Unrest do), rebound won’t get a chance to apply. If a spell with rebound that you cast from your hand doesn’t resolve for any reason (due being countered by a spell like Cancel, or because all of its targets are illegal), rebound has no effect. The spell is simply put into your graveyard. You won’t get to cast it again next turn. If you are unable to cast a card from exile this way, or you choose not to, nothing happens when the delayed triggered ability resolves. The card remains exiled for the rest of the game, and you won’t get another chance to cast the card. The same is true if the ability is countered (due to Stifle, perhaps). If a replacement effect would cause a spell with rebound that you cast from your hand to be put somewhere else instead of your graveyard (such as Leyline of the Void might), you choose whether to apply the rebound effect or the other effect as the spell resolves. Rebound will have no effect on copies of spells because you don’t cast them from your hand. Similarly, if you gain control of an instant or sorcery spell with Commandeer, it will have rebound, but the ability won’t do anything because that spell wasn’t cast from your hand. If you cast a card from exile “without paying its mana cost,” you can’t pay any alternative costs. Any X in the mana cost will be 0. On the other hand, if the card has optional additional costs (such as kicker or multikicker), you may pay those when you cast the card. If the card has mandatory additional costs (such as Momentous Fall does), you must pay those if you choose to cast the card. If you cast an instant or sorcery spell from your hand and it’s exiled due to rebound, the delayed triggered ability will allow you to cast it during your next upkeep even if Cast Through Time has left the battlefield by then. The rebound effect is not optional. Each instant and sorcery spell you cast from your hand is exiled instead of being put into your graveyard as it resolves, whether you want it to be or not. Casting the spell during your next upkeep is optional, however. If you cast a card from exile this way, it will go to your graveyard when it resolves, fails to resolve, or is countered. It won’t go back to exile. If you cast a spell with rebound from your hand and it resolves, it isn’t put into your graveyard. Rather, it’s exiled directly from the stack. Effects that care about cards being put into your graveyard won’t do anything. At the beginning of your upkeep, all delayed triggered abilities created by rebound effects trigger. You may handle them in any order. If you want to cast a card this way, you do so as part of the resolution of its delayed triggered ability. Timing restrictions based on the card’s type (if it’s a sorcery) are ignored. Other restrictions are not (such as the one from Rule of Law). Multiple instances of rebound on the same spell are redundant. If you cast a spell using the madness or suspend abilities, you’re casting it from exile, not from your hand. Although those spells will have rebound, the ability won’t have any effect. If a spell has restrictions on when it can be cast (for example, “Cast [this spell] only during the declare blockers step”), those restrictions may prevent you from casting it from exile during your upkeep. If you cast a spell with rebound from anywhere other than your hand (such as from your graveyard due to Sins of the Past, from your library due to cascade, or from your opponent’s hand due to Sen Triplets), rebound won’t have any effect. If you do cast it from your hand, rebound will work regardless of whether you paid its mana cost (for example, if you cast it from your hand due to Maelstrom Archangel). For the rebound effect to happen, Cast Through Time needs to be on the battlefield as the spell _finishes_ resolving. For example, if you cast Warp World from your hand, and as part of its resolution it puts Cast Through Time onto the battlefield, Warp World will rebound. Conversely, if Warp World shuffles your Cast Through Time into your library as part of its resolution, and doesn’t put another one onto the battlefield, it will not rebound. If a spell you cast from your hand has both rebound and buyback (and the buyback cost was paid), you choose which effect to apply as it resolves. |
| Watchful Radstag | 888 | When comparing the stats of the two creatures for evolve, you always compare power to power and toughness to toughness. Rad counters don’t go away as steps, phases, or turns end. They only go away when an effect instructs a player to remove rad counters from themselves. Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, check its power and toughness against the power and toughness of the creature with evolve. If neither stat of the new creature is greater, evolve won’t trigger at all. There is an inherent triggered ability associated with having rad counters. This triggered ability has no source and is controlled by the active player. The full text of this ability is “At the beginning of the precombat main phase of a player with rad counters, that player mills cards equal to the number of rad counters they have. For each nonland card milled this way, that player loses 1 life and removes one rad counter from themselves.” If multiple creatures enter the battlefield at the same time, evolve may trigger multiple times, although the stat comparison will take place each time one of those abilities tries to resolve. For example, if you control a 2/2 creature with evolve and two 3/3 creatures enter the battlefield, evolve will trigger twice. The first ability will resolve and put a +1/+1 counter on the creature with evolve. When the second ability tries to resolve, neither the power nor the toughness of the new creature is greater than that of the creature with evolve, so that ability does nothing. Watchful Radstag “evolves” when its evolve ability resolves and a +1/+1 counter is put on it. If a replacement effect causes the evolve ability to put more than one +1/+1 counter on Watchful Radstag, its last ability triggers only once. If no +1/+1 counter is put on it (perhaps because it left the battlefield while its evolve ability was still on the stack), then its last ability doesn’t trigger. If evolve triggers, the stat comparison will happen again when the ability tries to resolve. If neither stat of the new creature is greater, the ability will do nothing. If the creature that entered the battlefield leaves the battlefield before evolve tries to resolve, use its last known power and toughness to compare the stats. Keep track of how many rad counters each player has. Potential ways to track this include writing them down on paper or using dice, but any method that is clear and mutually agreeable is fine. If a player has fewer cards remaining in their library than the number of rad counters they have when the triggered ability resolves, they’ll mill as many cards as they can. Rad counters are a kind of counter that a player may have. They’re not associated with any specific permanents. Any effects (such as proliferate) that interact with counters a player gets, has, or loses can interact with rad counters. The token copy will have Watchful Radstag’s abilities. It will also be able to create copies of itself. If a creature enters the battlefield with +1/+1 counters on it, consider those counters when determining if evolve will trigger. For example, a 1/1 creature that enters the battlefield with two +1/+1 counters on it will cause the evolve ability of a 2/2 creature to trigger. The cards are milled all at once, which means abilities that trigger “whenever one or more nonland cards are milled” will trigger exactly once as long as at least one nonland card was milled. In a game using the shared team turns option, such as an Archenemy or Two-Headed Giant game, the inherent triggered ability associated with rad counters triggers once for each player on the active team that has rad counters. Each instance of that ability is controlled by one of those players. When comparing the stats as the evolve ability resolves, it’s possible that the stat that’s greater changes from power to toughness or vice versa. If this happens, the ability will still resolve and you’ll put a +1/+1 counter on the creature with evolve. For example, if you control a 2/2 creature with evolve and a 1/3 creature enters the battlefield under your control, its toughness is greater, so evolve will trigger. In response, the 1/3 creature gets +2/-2. When the evolve trigger tries to resolve, its power is greater. You’ll put a +1/+1 counter on the creature with evolve. If Watchful Radstag leaves the battlefield before its last ability resolves, the token will still enter the battlefield as a copy of Watchful Radstag, using Watchful Radstag’s copiable values from when it was last on the battlefield. The token copy won’t copy counters or damage marked on Watchful Radstag, nor will it copy other effects that have changed Watchful Radstag’s power, toughness, types, color, and so on. Normally, this means the token will simply be a Watchful Radstag, but if any copy effects have affected the original Watchful Radstag, the token will take those into account. Watchful Radstag’s last ability won’t trigger if a +1/+1 counter is put on it for any reason other than its evolve ability resolving. |
| Athreos, Shroud-Veiled | 880 | If Athreos somehow gets a coin counter on itself, its last ability will return it when it dies or is exiled. If a God is attacking or blocking and it stops being a creature, it will be removed from combat. It won’t rejoin combat if it resumes being a creature later during that combat. When a God enters the battlefield, your devotion to its color (including the mana symbols in the mana cost of the God itself) will determine if a creature entered the battlefield or not for abilities that trigger whenever a creature enters the battlefield. Mana symbols in the text boxes of permanents you control don’t count toward your devotion to any color. Colorless and generic mana symbols ({C}, {0}, {1}, {2}, {X}, and so on) in mana costs of permanents you control don’t count toward your devotion to any color. Counters put on a God remain on it while it’s not a creature, even if they have no effect. If a creature with a coin counter on it is put into a graveyard or exile but leaves that zone before Athreos’s last ability resolves, that card stays in its new zone, even if that zone is also a graveyard or exile. You don’t return it to the battlefield. As a God enters the battlefield, your devotion to its color will determine whether any replacement effects that affect creatures entering the battlefield apply to that God. Because replacement effects are considered before the God is on the battlefield, the mana symbols in its mana cost won’t be counted when determining this. If Athreos leaves the battlefield, creatures with coin counters on them keep them. The counters won’t have any meaning or effect unless another Athreos is on the battlefield later. The abilities of Gods function as long as they’re on the battlefield, regardless of whether they’re creatures. In a two-player game, if both players control an Athreos when a creature with a coin counter on it dies, the nonactive player (the one whose turn it isn’t) will return the creature under their control. If that happens in a multiplayer game, the nonactive player closest to the right of the player whose turn it is will return the creature under their control. The creature returns to the battlefield without a coin counter on it. If an effect exiles a creature with a coin counter on it and immediately returns it to the battlefield, Athreos’s last ability triggers but will have no effect. If an effect exiles a creature with a coin counter on it and would return it to the battlefield at a later time, Athreos’s last ability will return that card to the battlefield and it won’t be returned later. If an activated ability or triggered ability has an effect that depends on your devotion to a color, you count the number of mana symbols of that color among the mana costs of permanents you control as the ability resolves. The permanent with that ability will be counted if it’s still on the battlefield at that time. If an effect causes a God to lose all abilities, its ability that causes it to stop being a creature still applies if appropriate. If a creature you don’t own has a coin counter on it, that permanent will return to the battlefield under your control when it dies or is exiled while you control Athreos. In a multiplayer game, if a player leaves the game, all cards that player owns leave as well. If you leave the game, any creatures you control from Athreos’s ability are exiled. If a token with a coin counter on it dies or is exiled, Athreos’s last ability triggers, but won’t return it to the battlefield. Hybrid mana symbols, monocolored hybrid mana symbols, and Phyrexian mana symbols do count toward your devotion to their color(s). Your devotion to two colors is the number of mana symbols among mana costs of permanents you control that are the first color, the second, or both. If an effect counts your devotion to two colors, a hybrid symbol that is both of those colors is counted just once. If a creature with a coin counter on it stops being a creature, it keeps its coin counter, but Athreos’s last ability won’t trigger when that permanent dies or is exiled unless it’s a creature again by that time. If a God stops being a creature, it loses the type creature and the creature type God. It continues to be a legendary enchantment. If you put an Aura on an opponent’s permanent, you still control the Aura, and mana symbols in its mana cost count towards your devotion. The type-changing ability that can make a God not be a creature functions only on the battlefield. It’s always a creature card in other zones, regardless of your devotion to its color. It’s always a creature spell while it’s on the stack. If Athreos and a creature with a coin counter on it are both put into graveyards and/or exiled at the same time, the other creature will be returned to the battlefield. |
| Invasion of Vryn // Overloaded Mage-Ring | 875 | The copy will have the same targets as the spell it’s copying unless you choose new ones. You may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If, for one of the targets, you can’t choose a new legal target, then it remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal). If the spell that’s copied is modal (that is, it includes a choice from a bulleted list of effects), the copy will have the same mode. A different mode can’t be chosen. If the spell that’s copied has an X whose value was determined as it was cast, the copy will have the same value of X. In a multiplayer game, if the protector of a battle leaves the game and that battle is not currently being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it as a state-based action. If it is being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it once no creatures are attacking it. This means that it continues to be attacked and can be dealt combat damage as normal. If a permanent that is represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it will be exiled as that Siege’s triggered ability resolves, then it will be cast transformed. Note that this applies only to transforming double-faced cards, not to modal double-faced cards that can normally be played using either face. Battles can’t attack or block, even if one also becomes a creature. If an attacking or blocking creature somehow becomes a battle in addition to being a creature, it is removed from combat. A battle’s “defense” is displayed in the bottom right corner of the card. A battle enters the battlefield with that number of defense counters. If another permanent enters the battlefield as a copy of a battle, it also enters with that number of defense counters. A Siege’s controller can’t be its protector. If a Siege’s protector ever gains control of it, they choose a new player to be its protector. This is a state-based action. Damage dealt to a battle causes that many defense counters to be removed from it. If you copy a spell, you control the copy. It will resolve before the original spell does. As a Siege enters the battlefield, its controller chooses an opponent to be its protector. Overloaded Mage-Ring has received an update to its official rules text. The sentence allowing you to choose new targets for the copy was inadvertently omitted. Sieges each have an intrinsic triggered ability. That ability is “When the last defense counter is removed from this permanent, exile it, then you may cast it transformed without paying its mana cost.” Only creatures controlled by a battle’s protector can block creatures that are attacking that battle. This means a Siege’s controller can never assign creatures to block for it. A copy of a spell is created on the stack, so it’s not “cast.” Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell won’t trigger. A battle can be dealt damage and be target of spells and/or abilities that target “any target.” If a token or a card that isn’t represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it can’t be cast as its triggered ability resolves. It will remain in exile. If it’s a token, it will cease to exist the next time state-based actions are performed. You can’t choose to pay any alternative or additional costs for the copy. However, effects based on any alternative or additional costs that were paid for the original spell are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copy. A battle can be attacked by all players other than its protector. Notably, this means a Siege’s controller can attack it. If a battle that’s being attacked somehow stops being a battle, it is removed from combat. Similarly, if its controller changes in the middle of combat, it is removed from combat. If a battle has no defense counters, and it isn’t the source of a triggered ability that has triggered but not yet left the stack, that battle is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action. This doesn’t cause a Siege’s intrinsic triggered ability to trigger. If a Siege never had defense counters on it (perhaps because a permanent became a copy of one), it can’t have its last defense counter removed. It will be put into its owner’s graveyard. You won’t exile it or cast the other face. If the spell has damage divided as it was cast, the division can’t be changed (although the targets receiving that damage still can). The same is true of spells that distribute counters. If a non-battle permanent that is already on the battlefield become a copy of a Siege, its controller chooses one of their opponents to be that battle’s protector. However, it will most likely be put into its owner’s graveyard because it has no defense counters (see below). |
| Conceited Witch // Price of Beauty | 873 | Casting a card as an Adventure isn’t casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure. If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won’t give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell. If an effect refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an Adventure, it won’t find an instant or sorcery spell on the stack that’s been cast as an Adventure. Some spells and abilities that create Role tokens require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won’t resolve. The Role token won’t be created. Hexproof and shroud won’t prevent a Role from becoming attached to a permanent if the ability creating that Role attached to that permanent doesn’t target it. If a permanent has more than one Role attached to it controlled by the same player, each of those Roles except the one with the most recent timestamp is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action. If two or more Roles controlled by the same player become attached to a permanent at the same time (perhaps due to an effect such as that of Doubling Season), that player chooses which one to keep and which are put into their owners’ graveyards. If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it’s a token) or cease to be a copy (if it’s a nontoken permanent), and so you won’t be able to cast it as an Adventure. An effect may refer to a card, spell, or permanent that “has an Adventure.” This refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an adventurer card’s set of alternative characteristics, even if they’re not being used and even if that card was never cast as an Adventure. When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card’s normal characteristics. The spell’s color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics. Cards in the Wilds of Eldraine main set create six different Role tokens: Cursed, Monster, Royal, Sorcerer, Wicked, and Young Hero. A seventh Role token, Virtuous, is created by Ellivere of the Wild Court, the commander of the “Virtue and Valor” Commander Deck. Roles are colorless enchantment tokens. Each one has the Aura and Role subtypes and the enchant creature ability. If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it’s legal to cast that spell. For example, if you control Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer (“Once each turn, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from the top of your library.”) and Questing Druid is on top of your library, you can cast Seek the Beast, but not Questing Druid. If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner’s graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won’t be exiled and the spell’s controller won’t be able to cast it as a permanent later. You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions for the permanent spell you cast from exile. Normally, you’ll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty. In rare cases, a spell or ability might attempt to create a Role token enchanting a permanent that it can’t legally enchant (because of an ability like protection from enchantments). In such cases, the Role token isn’t created. If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it’s not possible to cast the copy as a permanent. If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose. An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it’s in your graveyard, Questing Druid is a green creature card whose mana value is 2. It can’t be the target of Tenacious Tomeseeker’s triggered ability (“return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand”). A permanent can have multiple Roles attached to it if each one is controlled by a different player. |
| Besotted Knight // Betroth the Beast | 873 | You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions for the permanent spell you cast from exile. Normally, you’ll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty. Casting a card as an Adventure isn’t casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure. If an effect refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an Adventure, it won’t find an instant or sorcery spell on the stack that’s been cast as an Adventure. If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose. If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won’t give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell. If two or more Roles controlled by the same player become attached to a permanent at the same time (perhaps due to an effect such as that of Doubling Season), that player chooses which one to keep and which are put into their owners’ graveyards. In rare cases, a spell or ability might attempt to create a Role token enchanting a permanent that it can’t legally enchant (because of an ability like protection from enchantments). In such cases, the Role token isn’t created. If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner’s graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won’t be exiled and the spell’s controller won’t be able to cast it as a permanent later. When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card’s normal characteristics. The spell’s color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics. Cards in the Wilds of Eldraine main set create six different Role tokens: Cursed, Monster, Royal, Sorcerer, Wicked, and Young Hero. A seventh Role token, Virtuous, is created by Ellivere of the Wild Court, the commander of the “Virtue and Valor” Commander Deck. If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it’s legal to cast that spell. For example, if you control Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer (“Once each turn, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from the top of your library.”) and Questing Druid is on top of your library, you can cast Seek the Beast, but not Questing Druid. Roles are colorless enchantment tokens. Each one has the Aura and Role subtypes and the enchant creature ability. An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it’s in your graveyard, Questing Druid is a green creature card whose mana value is 2. It can’t be the target of Tenacious Tomeseeker’s triggered ability (“return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand”). If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it’s a token) or cease to be a copy (if it’s a nontoken permanent), and so you won’t be able to cast it as an Adventure. An effect may refer to a card, spell, or permanent that “has an Adventure.” This refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an adventurer card’s set of alternative characteristics, even if they’re not being used and even if that card was never cast as an Adventure. If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it’s not possible to cast the copy as a permanent. A permanent can have multiple Roles attached to it if each one is controlled by a different player. If a permanent has more than one Role attached to it controlled by the same player, each of those Roles except the one with the most recent timestamp is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action. Some spells and abilities that create Role tokens require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won’t resolve. The Role token won’t be created. Hexproof and shroud won’t prevent a Role from becoming attached to a permanent if the ability creating that Role attached to that permanent doesn’t target it. |
| Ferocious Werefox // Guard Change | 873 | Some spells and abilities that create Role tokens require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won’t resolve. The Role token won’t be created. You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions for the permanent spell you cast from exile. Normally, you’ll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty. If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won’t give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell. When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card’s normal characteristics. The spell’s color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics. A permanent can have multiple Roles attached to it if each one is controlled by a different player. If an effect refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an Adventure, it won’t find an instant or sorcery spell on the stack that’s been cast as an Adventure. If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner’s graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won’t be exiled and the spell’s controller won’t be able to cast it as a permanent later. If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it’s a token) or cease to be a copy (if it’s a nontoken permanent), and so you won’t be able to cast it as an Adventure. An effect may refer to a card, spell, or permanent that “has an Adventure.” This refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an adventurer card’s set of alternative characteristics, even if they’re not being used and even if that card was never cast as an Adventure. Hexproof and shroud won’t prevent a Role from becoming attached to a permanent if the ability creating that Role attached to that permanent doesn’t target it. An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it’s in your graveyard, Questing Druid is a green creature card whose mana value is 2. It can’t be the target of Tenacious Tomeseeker’s triggered ability (“return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand”). If two or more Roles controlled by the same player become attached to a permanent at the same time (perhaps due to an effect such as that of Doubling Season), that player chooses which one to keep and which are put into their owners’ graveyards. Casting a card as an Adventure isn’t casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure. Roles are colorless enchantment tokens. Each one has the Aura and Role subtypes and the enchant creature ability. If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it’s legal to cast that spell. For example, if you control Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer (“Once each turn, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from the top of your library.”) and Questing Druid is on top of your library, you can cast Seek the Beast, but not Questing Druid. If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it’s not possible to cast the copy as a permanent. Cards in the Wilds of Eldraine main set create six different Role tokens: Cursed, Monster, Royal, Sorcerer, Wicked, and Young Hero. A seventh Role token, Virtuous, is created by Ellivere of the Wild Court, the commander of the “Virtue and Valor” Commander Deck. If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose. If a permanent has more than one Role attached to it controlled by the same player, each of those Roles except the one with the most recent timestamp is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action. In rare cases, a spell or ability might attempt to create a Role token enchanting a permanent that it can’t legally enchant (because of an ability like protection from enchantments). In such cases, the Role token isn’t created. |
| Etrata, Deadly Fugitive | 863 | Your opponents can’t look at cards they own that you cloaked. You might be unable to turn a face-down creature face up because it’s an instant or sorcery. Alternatively, abilities such as that of Karlov Watchdog might prevent you from turning face-down creatures face up altogether. In those cases, you’ll exile that creature, and then you’ll choose whether or not to cast that card without paying its mana cost. Any time you have priority, you can turn a cloaked permanent you control face-up by revealing that it’s a creature card (ignoring any copy effects or type-changing effects that might be applying to it) and paying its mana cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. At any time, you can look at a face-down spell or permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down permanents or spells you don’t control unless an effect instructs or allows you to do so. Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it’s turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn’t cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger. If a face-down creature loses its abilities, it can’t be turned face up with a disguise ability because it will no longer have a disguise ability (or a disguise cost) once face up. Unlike a face-down creature that was cast using a disguise or morph ability, a cloaked creature may still be turned face up after it loses its abilities if it’s a creature card. If the spell you cast has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. If something tries to turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, reveal that card to show all players it’s an instant or sorcery card. The permanent remains on the battlefield face down. Abilities that trigger when a permanent turns face up won’t trigger, because even though you revealed the card, it never turned face up. If you cast a spell “without paying its mana cost”, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs, such as kicker costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, such as that of Demand Answers, those must be paid to cast the spell. Turning a permanent face up or face down doesn’t change whether that permanent is tapped or untapped. Because face-down creatures don’t have a name, they can’t have the same name as any other creature, even another face-down creature. If a cloaked creature would have disguise (or morph) if it were face up, you may also turn it face up by paying its disguise (or morph) cost. If a face-down spell leaves the stack and goes to any zone other than the battlefield (if it was countered, for example), you must reveal it. Similarly, if a face-down permanent leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or the game ends. To cloak a card, put it onto the battlefield face down. It becomes a 2/2 face-down creature card with ward {2} and no name, mana cost, or creature types. It’s colorless and has a mana value of 0. Other effects that apply to the permanent can still grant it any characteristics it doesn’t have or change the characteristics it does have. You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can be easily differentiated from each other. You’re not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield to confuse other players. The order in which they entered the battlefield should remain clear, as well as what ability caused them to be face down. (This includes disguise, cloak, and in games involving older cards, morph and manifest, as well as a few other effects that turn cards face down.) Common methods for doing this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield. If a double-faced card is cloaked, it will be put onto the battlefield face down. While face down, it can’t transform. If the front face of the card is a creature card, you can turn it face up by paying its mana cost. If you do, its front face will be up. In a multiplayer game, if an opponent leaves the game, all of the cards they own that you cloaked leave as well. If you leave the game, the creatures you cloaked with Etrata, Deadly Fugitive’s triggered ability are exiled. A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent and Auras and Equipment that were attached to that permanent aren’t affected unless the new characteristics of the object change the legality of those targets or attachments. |
| Glimpse of Tomorrow | 854 | You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage's ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can't be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn't matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don't want to target. Timing permissions based on the card's type are ignored. If you own any token permanents, they will also be shuffled into your library. They'll count toward the number of cards you reveal. Even though the tokens will technically be in your library until Glimpse of Tomorrow is finished resolving, they won't affect the shuffle or the cards you reveal. If a card with no mana cost is given an alternative cost equal to its mana cost (by Snapcaster Mage, for example), that cost cannot be paid and the card cannot be cast this way. Taking it slowly, here's what happens as Glimpse of Tomorrow resolves: If you can't cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended. Any abilities that trigger during the resolution of Glimpse of Tomorrow will wait to be put on the stack until everything is put onto the battlefield and resolution is complete. The player whose turn it is puts their triggered abilities on the stack in any order, then each other player in turn order does the same. (The last ability put on the stack will be the first one that resolves.) If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. Exiling a card with suspend isn't casting that card. This action doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card's owner's next upkeep. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it's on the stack). If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. A card with no mana cost can't be cast normally; you'll need a way to cast it for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost, such as by suspending it. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it's exiled. If a permanent leaves the battlefield this way but ends up in a zone other than a library (most likely because it's a player's commander), it's still counted to determine how many cards to reveal. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn't paid. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. |
| Invasion of Kaldheim // Pyre of the World Tree | 850 | In a multiplayer game, if the protector of a battle leaves the game and that battle is not currently being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it as a state-based action. If it is being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it once no creatures are attacking it. This means that it continues to be attacked and can be dealt combat damage as normal. A Siege’s controller can’t be its protector. If a Siege’s protector ever gains control of it, they choose a new player to be its protector. This is a state-based action. Battles can’t attack or block, even if one also becomes a creature. If an attacking or blocking creature somehow becomes a battle in addition to being a creature, it is removed from combat. A battle can be attacked by all players other than its protector. Notably, this means a Siege’s controller can attack it. A battle can be dealt damage and be target of spells and/or abilities that target “any target.” Both Invasion of Kaldheim and Pyre of the World Tree have an ability that allow you to play cards from exile. You may play those cards during the specified duration even if the permanent with the ability leaves the battlefield or you lose control of it. If a non-battle permanent that is already on the battlefield become a copy of a Siege, its controller chooses one of their opponents to be that battle’s protector. However, it will most likely be put into its owner’s graveyard because it has no defense counters (see below). If that ability triggers during the cleanup step because you discarded a land card to bring your hand size down to your maximum hand size, you will get priority after the ability resolves, so you’ll have a chance to cast an instant card or a card with flash you exiled. Whether you cast the exiled card or not, there will be then be another cleanup step before the turn ends. Unless an effect allows you to play additional lands that turn, you can play an exiled land card only if you haven’t played a land yet that turn. The last ability of Pyre of the World Tree will trigger whenever you discard a land card for any reason, not just because you activated its other ability. Playing the exiled cards follows the normal rules for playing those cards. You must pay their costs, and you must follow all applicable timing rules. For example, if one of the cards is a creature card, you can cast that card by paying its mana cost only during your main phase while the stack is empty. If a battle has no defense counters, and it isn’t the source of a triggered ability that has triggered but not yet left the stack, that battle is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action. This doesn’t cause a Siege’s intrinsic triggered ability to trigger. Any cards you don’t play will remain exiled. Sieges each have an intrinsic triggered ability. That ability is “When the last defense counter is removed from this permanent, exile it, then you may cast it transformed without paying its mana cost.” If a token or a card that isn’t represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it can’t be cast as its triggered ability resolves. It will remain in exile. If it’s a token, it will cease to exist the next time state-based actions are performed. A battle’s “defense” is displayed in the bottom right corner of the card. A battle enters the battlefield with that number of defense counters. If another permanent enters the battlefield as a copy of a battle, it also enters with that number of defense counters. Only creatures controlled by a battle’s protector can block creatures that are attacking that battle. This means a Siege’s controller can never assign creatures to block for it. As a Siege enters the battlefield, its controller chooses an opponent to be its protector. If a permanent that is represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it will be exiled as that Siege’s triggered ability resolves, then it will be cast transformed. Note that this applies only to transforming double-faced cards, not to modal double-faced cards that can normally be played using either face. Damage dealt to a battle causes that many defense counters to be removed from it. If a Siege never had defense counters on it (perhaps because a permanent became a copy of one), it can’t have its last defense counter removed. It will be put into its owner’s graveyard. You won’t exile it or cast the other face. If a battle that’s being attacked somehow stops being a battle, it is removed from combat. Similarly, if its controller changes in the middle of combat, it is removed from combat. |
| Living End | 848 | Although originally printed with a characteristic-defining ability that defined its color, this card now has a color indicator. This color indicator can’t be affected by text-changing effects (such as the one created by Crystal Spray), although color-changing effects can still overwrite it. While Living End is resolving, first each player exiles their graveyard at the same time, then each player sacrifices all creatures they control at the same time, and finally each player puts their exiled cards onto the battlefield at the same time. “All cards they exiled this way” refers only to the cards exiled in the first part of the effect. If a replacement effect (such as that of Leyline of the Void) exiles any of the sacrificed creatures instead of putting them into the graveyard, those cards aren’t returned to the battlefield. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card’s owner’s next upkeep. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don’t want to target. Timing permissions based on the card’s type are ignored. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can’t be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. If you can’t cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it’s on the stack). Exiling a card with suspend isn’t casting that card. This action doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it’s exiled. A card with no mana cost can’t be cast normally; you’ll need a way to cast it for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost, such as by suspending it. If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn’t paid. If a card with no mana cost is given an alternative cost equal to its mana cost (by Snapcaster Mage, for example), that cost cannot be paid and the card cannot be cast this way. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn’t matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage’s ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. |
| Mishra, Lost to Phyrexia | 843 | When two cards are exiled and melded, they each leave the battlefield, then return together as one new object with no relation to either of the objects that left the battlefield. Counters, Auras, Equipment, and other effects that affected those two cards don't affect the melded permanent. When a pair of cards are melded, the result is a single creature that's represented by two cards. If the melded creature dies, both cards are put into your graveyard. As it leaves the battlefield, both of those cards are turned face up again. If the cards are put on the top or bottom of your library, you choose their relative order. The mana value of a melded permanent is the sum of the mana values of its front faces. A creature that becomes a copy of a melded permanent has only the characteristics of that combined back face, and its mana value is 0. At the beginning of the next end step, a permanent returned to the battlefield with unearth is exiled. This is a delayed triggered ability, and it can be countered by effects such as Defabricate that counter triggered abilities. If the ability is countered, the permanent will stay on the battlefield and the delayed triggered ability won't trigger again. However, the replacement effect will still exile the permanent if it eventually leaves the battlefield. In the Commander variant, a meld card's color identity is determined only by the mana costs and mana symbols in the rules text of its front face. No symbols or rules text of the permanent it melds into are considered. Only two cards belonging to the same meld pair can be melded. Tokens, cards that aren't meld cards, or meld cards that don't form a meld pair can't be melded. If an effect instructs a player to meld cards that can't be melded, those cards remain in exile. Powerstone tokens are a kind of predefined token. Each one has the artifact subtype "Powerstone" and the ability "{T}: Add {C}. This mana can't be spent to cast a nonartifact spell." If a permanent returned to the battlefield with unearth would leave the battlefield for any reason, it's exiled instead—unless the spell or ability that's causing the permanent to leave the battlefield is actually trying to exile it! In that case, it succeeds at exiling it. If that spell or ability later returns the card to the battlefield (as Static Net might, for example), the permanent card will return to the battlefield as a new object with no relation to its previous existence. The unearth effects will no longer apply to it. Activating a card's unearth ability isn't the same as casting that card. The unearth ability is put on the stack, but the card is not. Spells and abilities that interact with activated abilities (such as Defabricate's second mode) will interact with unearth, but spells and abilities that interact with spells (such as Scatter Ray) will not. While a meld card is in any zone other than the battlefield, it has only the characteristics of its front face. The same is true while it's on the battlefield with its front face up. One card in each pair of meld cards has an ability that instructs you to exile the two cards and meld them. If you control more than one object with one of those names, you select one object with that name to exile. Note that the permanent represented by the combined back faces has a color indicator. Although all the cards in The Brothers' War that create Powerstone tokens create a tapped Powerstone token, entering the battlefield tapped isn't part of the token's definition. Notably, if you create a token that is a copy of a Powerstone token, the token copy won't enter the battlefield tapped. If you activate a card's unearth ability but that card is removed from your graveyard before the ability resolves, that unearth ability will do nothing as it resolves. If an effect moves a melded permanent to a new zone and then affects "that card," it affects both cards. Unearth grants haste to the permanent that's returned to the battlefield (even if it's not a creature card). However, neither of the "exile" abilities is granted to that permanent. If that permanent loses all its abilities, it will still be exiled at the beginning of the next end step, and if it would leave the battlefield, it is still exiled instead. You can use the {C} added by a Powerstone token on anything that isn't a nonartifact spell. This includes paying costs to activate abilities of both artifact and nonartifact permanents, paying ward costs, and so on. While a melded permanent is on the battlefield, it has only the characteristics of its combined back face. Any effects that modify how the new object enters the battlefield will consider only the combined back face. A player prompted to name a card may name the combined back face, and each player has the right to know that combined back face's characteristics at all times. |
| Lurrus of the Dream-Den | 843 | If you cast a spell from your graveyard using another permission, Lurrus's effect doesn't apply. You can cast another permanent spell from your graveyard. If you cast one permanent spell from your graveyard and then have a new Lurrus come under your control in the same turn, you may cast another permanent spell from your graveyard that turn. Once you begin to cast the spell, losing control of Lurrus won't affect the spell. You can finish casting it as normal. If a card in a player's deck has {X} in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0. The companion's other abilities apply only if the creature is on the battlefield. They have no effect while the companion is outside the game. If a permanent card is put into your graveyard during your main phase and the stack is empty, you have a chance to cast it before any player may attempt to remove that card from your graveyard. For spells with {X} in their mana costs, use the value chosen for X to determine the spell's mana value. For example, if a permanent spell costs {X}{W}, you could cast it with X as 1 but not as 2. Lurrus doesn't let you play lands from your graveyard. If more than one player wishes to reveal a companion, the starting player does so first, and players proceed in turn order. Once a player has chosen not to reveal a companion, that player can't change their mind. You must follow the normal timing permissions and restrictions of the spell you cast from your graveyard. You must pay the costs to cast that spell. If it has an alternative cost, such as a mutate cost, you may cast it for that cost instead. If you reveal a companion outside the game, for as long as it remains there, you may pay {3} any time you could cast a sorcery (that is, you have priority during your main phase and the stack is empty). Once you do, you put it into your hand and behaves like any other card you've brought into the game. For example, if it's discard, countered, or destroyed, it's put into your graveyard, remaining in the game. This is a change from previous rules. Lurrus doesn't care about instant and sorcery cards in your starting deck. They may have any mana value. The companion ability has no effect if the card is in your starting deck and creates no restriction on putting a card with a companion ability into your starting deck. For example, Zirda may be in your starting deck even if your other permanent cards don't all have activated abilities. You may have one companion in the Commander variant. Your deck, including your commander, must meet its companion requirement. Your companion is not one of your one hundred cards. Before shuffling your deck to become your library, you may reveal one card from outside the game to be your companion if your starting deck meets the requirements of the companion ability. You can't reveal more than one. It remains revealed outside the game as the game begins. The requirements of the companion ability apply only to your starting deck. They do not apply to your sideboard. Your companion begins the game outside the game. In tournament play, this means your sideboard. In casual play, it's simply a card you own that's not in your starting deck. Paying {3} to put your companion into your hand is a special action. It doesn't use the stack and players can't respond to it. Once you take this action, you may cast that card if it's legal to do so before any other player can take actions. Once you put your companion into your hand, it behaves like any other card you’ve brought into the game. For example, if it’s countered or destroyed, it’s put into your graveyard, remaining in the game. If you reveal a companion outside the game, for as long as it remains there, you may pay {3} any time you could cast a sorcery (that is, you have priority during your main phase and the stack is empty). Once you do, you put it into your hand and behaves like any other card you've brought into the game. For example, if it's discarded, countered, or destroyed, it's put into your graveyard, remaining in the game. This is a change from previous rules. Wizards of the Coast has issued functional errata for the Companion mechanic. Instead of casting companions from outside the game: Once per game, any time you could cast a sorcery (during your main phase when the stack is empty), you can pay {3} to put your companion from your sideboard into your hand. This is a special action, not an activated ability. It happens immediately and can’t be responded to. It can’t be countered or stopped by cards like Phyrexian Revoker. For more information please see https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/june-1-2020-banned-and-restricted-announcement |
| Phyrexian Dragon Engine | 843 | Powerstone tokens are a kind of predefined token. Each one has the artifact subtype "Powerstone" and the ability "{T}: Add {C}. This mana can't be spent to cast a nonartifact spell." One card in each pair of meld cards has an ability that instructs you to exile the two cards and meld them. If you control more than one object with one of those names, you select one object with that name to exile. You can use the {C} added by a Powerstone token on anything that isn't a nonartifact spell. This includes paying costs to activate abilities of both artifact and nonartifact permanents, paying ward costs, and so on. While a meld card is in any zone other than the battlefield, it has only the characteristics of its front face. The same is true while it's on the battlefield with its front face up. Only two cards belonging to the same meld pair can be melded. Tokens, cards that aren't meld cards, or meld cards that don't form a meld pair can't be melded. If an effect instructs a player to meld cards that can't be melded, those cards remain in exile. In the Commander variant, a meld card's color identity is determined only by the mana costs and mana symbols in the rules text of its front face. No symbols or rules text of the permanent it melds into are considered. Note that the permanent represented by the combined back faces has a color indicator. When two cards are exiled and melded, they each leave the battlefield, then return together as one new object with no relation to either of the objects that left the battlefield. Counters, Auras, Equipment, and other effects that affected those two cards don't affect the melded permanent. While a melded permanent is on the battlefield, it has only the characteristics of its combined back face. Any effects that modify how the new object enters the battlefield will consider only the combined back face. If you activate a card's unearth ability but that card is removed from your graveyard before the ability resolves, that unearth ability will do nothing as it resolves. If an effect moves a melded permanent to a new zone and then affects "that card," it affects both cards. Although all the cards in The Brothers' War that create Powerstone tokens create a tapped Powerstone token, entering the battlefield tapped isn't part of the token's definition. Notably, if you create a token that is a copy of a Powerstone token, the token copy won't enter the battlefield tapped. A player prompted to name a card may name the combined back face, and each player has the right to know that combined back face's characteristics at all times. When a pair of cards are melded, the result is a single creature that's represented by two cards. If the melded creature dies, both cards are put into your graveyard. As it leaves the battlefield, both of those cards are turned face up again. If the cards are put on the top or bottom of your library, you choose their relative order. Unearth grants haste to the permanent that's returned to the battlefield (even if it's not a creature card). However, neither of the "exile" abilities is granted to that permanent. If that permanent loses all its abilities, it will still be exiled at the beginning of the next end step, and if it would leave the battlefield, it is still exiled instead. The mana value of a melded permanent is the sum of the mana values of its front faces. A creature that becomes a copy of a melded permanent has only the characteristics of that combined back face, and its mana value is 0. If a permanent returned to the battlefield with unearth would leave the battlefield for any reason, it's exiled instead—unless the spell or ability that's causing the permanent to leave the battlefield is actually trying to exile it! In that case, it succeeds at exiling it. If that spell or ability later returns the card to the battlefield (as Static Net might, for example), the permanent card will return to the battlefield as a new object with no relation to its previous existence. The unearth effects will no longer apply to it. Activating a card's unearth ability isn't the same as casting that card. The unearth ability is put on the stack, but the card is not. Spells and abilities that interact with activated abilities (such as Defabricate's second mode) will interact with unearth, but spells and abilities that interact with spells (such as Scatter Ray) will not. At the beginning of the next end step, a permanent returned to the battlefield with unearth is exiled. This is a delayed triggered ability, and it can be countered by effects such as Defabricate that counter triggered abilities. If the ability is countered, the permanent will stay on the battlefield and the delayed triggered ability won't trigger again. However, the replacement effect will still exile the permanent if it eventually leaves the battlefield. |
| Lutri, the Spellchaser | 832 | If you reveal a companion outside the game, for as long as it remains there, you may pay {3} any time you could cast a sorcery (that is, you have priority during your main phase and the stack is empty). Once you do, you put it into your hand and behaves like any other card you've brought into the game. For example, if it's discard, countered, or destroyed, it's put into your graveyard, remaining in the game. This is a change from previous rules. Your companion begins the game outside the game. In tournament play, this means your sideboard. In casual play, it's simply a card you own that's not in your starting deck. If the spell that's copied has an X whose value was determined as it was cast, the copy will have the same value of X. Lutri's ability can copy any instant or sorcery spell you control, not just one with targets. You may have one companion in the Commander variant. Your deck, including your commander, must meet its companion requirement. Your companion is not one of your one hundred cards. If the spell that's copied is modal (that is, it says “Choose one —” or the like), the copy will have the same mode. A different mode can't be chosen. Before shuffling your deck to become your library, you may reveal one card from outside the game to be your companion if your starting deck meets the requirements of the companion ability. You can't reveal more than one. It remains revealed outside the game as the game begins. The companion ability has no effect if the card is in your starting deck and creates no restriction on putting a card with a companion ability into your starting deck. For example, Zirda may be in your starting deck even if your other permanent cards don't all have activated abilities. If more than one player wishes to reveal a companion, the starting player does so first, and players proceed in turn order. Once a player has chosen not to reveal a companion, that player can't change their mind. The copy is created on the stack, so it's not “cast.” Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell won't trigger. It will resolve before the original spell does. The copy will have the same targets as the spell it's copying unless you choose new ones. You may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If, for one of the targets, you can't choose a new legal target, then it remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal). The requirements of the companion ability apply only to your starting deck. They do not apply to your sideboard. If the spell has damage divided as it was cast (like Mythos of Vadrok), the division can't be changed, although the targets receiving that damage still can. The same is true of spells that distribute counters. The companion's other abilities apply only if the creature is on the battlefield. They have no effect while the companion is outside the game. The controller of a copy can't choose to pay any alternative or additional costs for the copy. However, effects based on any alternative or additional costs that were paid for the original spell are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copy. Wizards of the Coast has issued functional errata for the Companion mechanic. Instead of casting companions from outside the game: Once per game, any time you could cast a sorcery (during your main phase when the stack is empty), you can pay {3} to put your companion from your sideboard into your hand. This is a special action, not an activated ability. It happens immediately and can’t be responded to. It can’t be countered or stopped by cards like Phyrexian Revoker. For more information please see https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/june-1-2020-banned-and-restricted-announcement Paying {3} to put your companion into your hand is a special action. It doesn't use the stack and players can't respond to it. Once you take this action, you may cast that card if it's legal to do so before any other player can take actions. Once you put your companion into your hand, it behaves like any other card you’ve brought into the game. For example, if it’s countered or destroyed, it’s put into your graveyard, remaining in the game. If you reveal a companion outside the game, for as long as it remains there, you may pay {3} any time you could cast a sorcery (that is, you have priority during your main phase and the stack is empty). Once you do, you put it into your hand and behaves like any other card you've brought into the game. For example, if it's discarded, countered, or destroyed, it's put into your graveyard, remaining in the game. This is a change from previous rules. |
| Benalish Commander | 831 | When the last time counter is removed from a suspended Benalish Commander, both its triggered ability and the suspend “play this card” triggered ability will trigger. They can be put on the stack in either order. As long as Benalish Commander is on the battlefield, its first ability will count itself. The ability that defines Benalish Commander’s power and toughness applies in all zones, not just the battlefield. Because damage remains marked on a creature until the damage is removed as the turn ends, nonlethal damage dealt to Benalish Commander may become lethal if other Soldiers you control leave the battlefield during that turn. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. Exiling a card with suspend isn’t casting that card. This action doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. If you can’t cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card’s owner’s next upkeep. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can’t be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it’s on the stack). If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn’t paid. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. If this is suspended, then when the last time counter is removed from it, both its triggered ability and the “cast this spell” part of the suspend ability will trigger. They can be put on the stack in either order. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage’s ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. A creature cast using suspend will enter the battlefield with haste. It will have haste until another player gains control of it. (In some rare cases, another player may gain control of the creature spell itself. If this happens, the creature won’t enter the battlefield with haste.) If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn’t matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it’s exiled. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don’t want to target. Timing permissions based on the card’s type are ignored. |
| Gather Specimens | 830 | If the effect that puts a creature onto the battlefield also creates a delayed triggered ability, Gather Specimens doesn’t change who controls that ability. In the unearth example above, your opponent controls the ability that exiles the creature at the beginning of the end step. On the other hand, if the effect that puts a creature onto the battlefield grants a triggered ability to the creature (with “gains” or “has”), the player who controls the creature at the time the ability triggers will be the player who controls that ability. For example, if your opponent casts Makeshift Mannequin and you cast Gather Specimens in response, the creature will return to the battlefield under your control with a mannequin counter and it will have the ability “When this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it.” If the ability triggers, you’ll control it, so you’ll have to sacrifice the creature. If two or more players have each cast Gather Specimens during the same turn and a creature would enter the battlefield, the creature’s would-be controller (the controller of the creature spell, for example) chooses one of the applicable Gather Specimens to apply. Then the new would-be controller of the creature repeats this process among the remaining Gather Specimens, and so on, until there are no more possible Gather Specimens effects to apply. The Gather Specimens replacement effect is applied before any other replacement effects that would also modify how the creature enters the battlefield. These are usually worded “as [this creature] enters the battlefield” or “[this creature] enters the battlefield with.” For example, if your Gather Specimens has resolved, then the following things are true: -- If a creature with devour would enter the battlefield under an opponent's control, you choose and sacrifice your creatures as it enters the battlefield under your control. -- If Voice of All would enter the battlefield under an opponent's control, you choose a color as it enters the battlefield under your control. -- If Clone would enter the battlefield under an opponent's control, you choose which creature it copies as it enters the battlefield under your control. -- If a Wizard would enter the battlefield under an opponent's control and that player controls Sage of Fables, the Wizard will not enter the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it as it enters the battlefield under your control. -- If a Wizard would enter the battlefield under an opponent's control and you control Sage of Fables, the Wizard will enter the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it as it enters the battlefield under your control. If a creature spell controlled by an opponent would resolve, it resolves, but the creature enters the battlefield under your control instead of the opponent’s control. Choices made when casting that spell (such as whether it was kicked or the value of X in the spell’s cost) are remembered. Any “enters the battlefield” triggered abilities will trigger after the creature is on the battlefield under your control. Gather Specimens affects both token creatures and nontoken creatures. It affects creatures that would enter the battlefield by any means. This includes, of course, creature spells that resolve. It also includes creatures put onto the battlefield as a result of a resolving spell (such as Call of the Herd or Zombify), resolving ability (such as Verdant Force’s ability or Doomed Necromancer’s ability), cost (such as Varchild’s War-Riders’s cumulative upkeep cost), replacement effect (such as the one created by Words of Wilding), or any other means. The above procedure means that if two opposing players have each cast Gather Specimens during the same turn and a creature would enter the battlefield under the control of one of them, it really will enter the battlefield under that player’s control. (The creature would enter the battlefield under player A’s control, so player B’s Gather Specimens affects it. Now that creature would enter the battlefield under player B’s control, so player A’s Gather Specimens affects it. Each replacement effect has now been used, so the creature will enter the battlefield under player A’s control.) Some effects that put creatures onto the battlefield continue to affect those creatures later on. Although Gather Specimens changes whose control the creature enters the battlefield under, the rest of the effect works as normal. For example, if your opponent activates a creature card’s unearth ability and you cast Gather Specimens, that creature enters the battlefield under your control, but the rest of the unearth ability is unchanged. The creature has haste. It’s exiled at the beginning of the end step. If it would leave the battlefield, it’s exiled instead of being put anywhere else. Gather Specimens isn’t targeted. It affects creatures that would enter the battlefield under any opponent’s control. Gather Specimens won’t retroactively change the control of creatures that have already enter the battlefield that turn. |
| Primordial Mist | 828 | You must follow the normal timing permissions and restrictions of each card you play. Any time you have priority, you may turn a manifested creature face up by revealing that it’s a creature card (ignoring any type-changing effects that might be applying to it) and paying its mana cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can easily be differentiated from each other. You’re not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield to confuse other players. The order they entered the battlefield should remain clear. Common methods for indicating this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield. You must also track how each became face down (manifested, cast face down using a morph ability, and so on). Some previous Magic sets feature double-faced cards, which have a Magic card face on each side rather than a Magic card face on one side and a Magic card back on the other. If a double-faced card is manifested, it will be put onto the battlefield face down. While face down, it can’t transform. If the front face of the card is a creature card, you can turn it face up by paying its mana cost. If you do, its front face will be up. Although a double-faced card can enter the battlefield face down, one already on the battlefield can’t be turned face down. Turning a permanent face up or face down doesn’t change whether that permanent is tapped or untapped. At any time, you can look at a face-down permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down permanents you don’t control unless an effect instructs you to do so. If you somehow control a face-down token, you may exile it to activate Primordial Mist’s last ability, but you won’t be able to cast that token. Because face-down creatures don’t have a name, they can’t have the same name as any other creature or share any creature types with any other creature, even another face-down creature. If a face-down permanent you control leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or if the game ends. You may play a land exiled this way only if you have an available land play this turn. You’ll still pay all costs for a spell cast this way, including additional costs. You may also pay alternative costs such as evoke costs. If an effect tries to return a face-down creature to the battlefield after it leaves (such as Aminatou’s second ability or Adarkar Valkyrie’s delayed triggered ability), that effect returns the card face up. If it tries to put an instant or sorcery card onto the battlefield this way, that card remains in its current zone instead. There are no cards in this set that would turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, but some older cards can try to do this. If something tries to turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, reveal that card to show all players it’s an instant or sorcery card. The permanent remains on the battlefield face down. Abilities that trigger when a permanent turns face up won’t trigger, because even though you revealed the card, it never turned face up. If you activate Primordial Mist’s last ability but don’t play the exiled card this turn, it remains exiled. Casting an exiled card causes it to leave exile. You can’t cast it multiple times. The face-down permanent is a 2/2 creature with no name, mana cost, creature types, or abilities. It’s colorless and has a converted mana cost of 0. Other effects that apply to the permanent can still grant or change any of these characteristics. The face-down characteristics of a permanent are copiable values. If another object becomes a copy of a face-down creature or if a token is created that’s a copy of a face-down creature, that new object is a 2/2 colorless face-up creature with no abilities. Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it’s turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn’t cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger. A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent, as well as Auras and Equipment that were attached to the permanent, aren’t affected. Activating Primordial Mist’s last ability doesn’t trigger abilities that trigger “when [something] is turned face up.” |
| The Tenth Doctor | 818 | Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it's on the stack). Exiling a card with suspend isn't casting that card. This action doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to. If an effect refers to a "suspended card," that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can't be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card's owner's next upkeep. Time counters are usually found on cards with suspend and vanishing, but may be found on other cards as well. Notably, Sagas use lore counters to track their progress, not time counters. You can't move a Saga's chapters forward and backward this way. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage's ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. If you can't cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don't want to target. Timing permissions based on the card's type are ignored. If an effect instructs you to choose a creature type, you may choose Time Lord. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn't paid. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when the card is exiled. Neither "Time" nor "Lord" are creature types. Some older cards were printed with the subtype "Lord," but all of those cards have updated Oracle card text that removed that type. Any land cards exiled with The Tenth Doctor's first ability will remain in exile. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn't matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. To time travel, look at each permanent you control with a time counter on it and each card you own in exile with a time counter on it. For each of them, you choose whether you want to put a time counter on that card or permanent, remove a time counter from it, or do neither. Then those changes all happen simultaneously. If you cast a card "without paying its mana cost," such as with suspend, you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. Unlike other creature types in Magic that are each only one word, the two words "Time Lord" represent a single creature subtype. Time Lord is the only two-word creature type. |
| Valki, God of Lies // Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor | 813 | If there are no creature cards exiled with Valki with converted mana cost equal to the value of X as Valki’s activated ability resolves, nothing happens. God of Lies, indeed. If another object becomes a copy of Valki, it will become whatever Valki is copying. That object remains a copy even if Valki leaves the battlefield. A modal double-faced card can’t be transformed or be put onto the battlefield transformed. Ignore any instruction to transform a modal double-faced card or to put one onto the battlefield transformed. If an effect puts a double-faced card onto the battlefield, it enters with its front face up. If that front face can’t be put onto the battlefield, it doesn’t enter the battlefield. Valki copies the printed values of the exiled creature card. Notably, once Valki becomes a copy of another creature card, he won’t have his own printed activated ability. There is a single triangle icon in the top left corner of the front face. There is a double triangle icon in the top left corner of the back face. If Valki leaves the battlefield before its enters-the-battlefield ability resolves, each opponent will reveal their hand, but no cards will be exiled. If an effect begins to apply to Valki before it becomes a copy, that effect will continue to apply. If an effect instructs a player to choose a card name, the name of either face may be chosen. If that effect or a linked ability refers to a spell with the chosen name being cast and/or a land with the chosen name being played, it considers only the chosen name, not the other face’s name. You can activate Valki’s ability multiple times in response to one another. This may briefly allow Valki to copy different creature cards. You’ll get priority to cast spells or activate abilities in between each of Valki’s activated abilities. While resolving Tibalt’s last ability, you’ll add {R}{R}{R} even if you don’t exile any cards. The emblem given to you by Tibalt allows you to play cards exiled with that specific Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor, even after that Tibalt leaves the battlefield. If a different Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor comes under your control, it’s a new object (even if it’s represented by the same card). Of course, the new Tibalt will also give you an emblem so you can play the cards he exiles. Playing the cards exiled with Tibalt follows the normal rules for playing those cards. You must pay their costs, if any, and you must follow all applicable timing rules. For example, if one of the cards is a sorcery card, you can cast that card by paying its mana cost only during your main phase while the stack is empty. The converted mana cost of a modal double-faced card is based on the characteristics of the face that’s being considered. On the stack and battlefield, consider whichever face is up. In all other zones, consider only the front face. This is different than how the converted mana cost of a transforming double-faced card is determined. If Valki becomes a copy of a creature during the same turn Valki enters the battlefield, you can’t attack with him or use any {T} abilities he gains. If an effect allows you to play a land or cast a spell from among a group of cards, you may play or cast a modal double-faced card with any face that fits the criteria of that effect. Unless an effect allows you to play additional lands that turn, you can play land cards exiled with Tibalt only if you haven’t played a land yet that turn. To determine whether it is legal to play a modal double-faced card, consider only the characteristics of the face you’re playing and ignore the other face’s characteristics. The cards exiled by Tibalt’s loyalty abilities are all exiled face up. If an effect allows you to play a specific modal double-faced card, you may cast it as a spell or play it as a land, as determined by which face you choose to play. If an effect allows you to cast (rather than “play”) a specific modal double-faced card, you can’t play it as a land. In the Commander variant, a double-faced card’s color identity is determined by the mana costs and mana symbols in the rules text of both faces combined. If either face has a color indicator or basic land type, those are also considered. You don’t choose which creature card exiled with Valki that Valki will become a copy of until that ability is resolving. (In many cases, the value you chose for X will give away your intentions.) |
| Invasion of Regatha // Disciples of the Inferno | 811 | If a Siege never had defense counters on it (perhaps because a permanent became a copy of one), it can’t have its last defense counter removed. It will be put into its owner’s graveyard. You won’t exile it or cast the other face. A Siege’s controller can’t be its protector. If a Siege’s protector ever gains control of it, they choose a new player to be its protector. This is a state-based action. A battle can be attacked by all players other than its protector. Notably, this means a Siege’s controller can attack it. As a Siege enters the battlefield, its controller chooses an opponent to be its protector. If another effect modifies how much damage a source would deal, including preventing some of it, the player being dealt damage or the controller of the permanent being dealt damage chooses an order in which to apply those effects. If all of the damage is prevented, Disciples of the Inferno’s effect no longer applies. If damage dealt by a source is being divided or assigned among multiple permanents an opponent controls or among an opponent and one or more permanents they control, divide the original amount before adding 2. For example, if you cast a sorcery spell that deals 4 damage divided as you choose among any number of targets, you could have it deal 3 damage to one creature and 1 damage to a battle. Those amounts would then be modified to 5 damage and 3 damage, respectively. If a non-battle permanent that is already on the battlefield become a copy of a Siege, its controller chooses one of their opponents to be that battle’s protector. However, it will most likely be put into its owner’s graveyard because it has no defense counters (see below). If a battle has no defense counters, and it isn’t the source of a triggered ability that has triggered but not yet left the stack, that battle is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action. This doesn’t cause a Siege’s intrinsic triggered ability to trigger. A battle’s “defense” is displayed in the bottom right corner of the card. A battle enters the battlefield with that number of defense counters. If another permanent enters the battlefield as a copy of a battle, it also enters with that number of defense counters. In a multiplayer game, if the protector of a battle leaves the game and that battle is not currently being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it as a state-based action. If it is being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it once no creatures are attacking it. This means that it continues to be attacked and can be dealt combat damage as normal. A battle can be dealt damage and be target of spells and/or abilities that target “any target.” Damage dealt to a battle causes that many defense counters to be removed from it. If a permanent that is represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it will be exiled as that Siege’s triggered ability resolves, then it will be cast transformed. Note that this applies only to transforming double-faced cards, not to modal double-faced cards that can normally be played using either face. Battles can’t attack or block, even if one also becomes a creature. If an attacking or blocking creature somehow becomes a battle in addition to being a creature, it is removed from combat. Sieges each have an intrinsic triggered ability. That ability is “When the last defense counter is removed from this permanent, exile it, then you may cast it transformed without paying its mana cost.” If a token or a card that isn’t represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it can’t be cast as its triggered ability resolves. It will remain in exile. If it’s a token, it will cease to exist the next time state-based actions are performed. The additional 2 damage is dealt by the same source as the original source of damage. The damage isn’t dealt by Disciples of the Inferno. Only creatures controlled by a battle’s protector can block creatures that are attacking that battle. This means a Siege’s controller can never assign creatures to block for it. If a battle that’s being attacked somehow stops being a battle, it is removed from combat. Similarly, if its controller changes in the middle of combat, it is removed from combat. Disciples of the Inferno modifies damage that would be dealt to any creature, no matter who controls it, as well as any battle, no matter who protects it. Your teammates are safe. For now. |
| Resurgent Belief | 811 | Exiling a card with suspend isn't casting that card. This action doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to. If a card with no mana cost is given an alternative cost equal to its mana cost (by Snapcaster Mage, for example), that cost cannot be paid and the card cannot be cast this way. If you can't cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn't matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it's exiled. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn't paid. A card with no mana cost can't be cast normally; you'll need a way to cast it for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost, such as by suspending it. If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. If an effect puts an Aura onto the battlefield under your control, you choose what it enters attached to. It must be something that it could legally enchant, but not necessarily something it could target if it were on the stack. For example, you could attach an Aura with enchant creature to an opponent's creature with hexproof, but not to a creature with protection from enchantments. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card's owner's next upkeep. If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage's ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don't want to target. Timing permissions based on the card's type are ignored. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can't be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it's on the stack). All of the enchantment cards in your graveyard that can return to the battlefield will. You can't choose to leave some in the graveyard. If you're returning an Aura that can only be attached to a creature, but your opponent is the only player who controls a creature, you must choose to attach it to that creature. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. |
| Sorin Markov | 808 | You can use only the affected player’s resources (cards, mana, and so on) to pay costs for that player; you can’t use your own. Similarly, you can use the affected player’s resources only to pay that player’s costs; you can’t spend them on your costs. While controlling another player, you also continue to make your own choices and decisions. While controlling another player, you make all choices and decisions that player is allowed to make or is told to make during that turn. For example: -- You choose which lands the other player plays. -- You choose which spells the other player casts, and make all decisions as those spells are cast and as they resolve. For example, you choose the value of X for that player's Earthquake, the target for that player's Lightning Bolt, what mana that player spends to cast Day of Judgment, and what card that player gets with Diabolic Tutor. -- You choose which activated abilities the other player activates, and make all decisions as those abilities are activated and as they resolve. For example, you can have your opponent sacrifice their creatures to their Vampire Aristocrat or have your opponent's Caller of Gales give one of your creatures flying. -- You make all decisions for the other player's triggered abilities, including what they target and any decisions made when they resolve. -- You choose which creatures controlled by the other player attack, who or what they attack, and how they assign their combat damage. -- You make any choices and decisions that player would make for any other reason. For example, you could cast Fact or Fiction, choose that player to divide the revealed cards into piles, and thus divide those cards into piles yourself. If the player affected by Sorin’s third ability skips their next turn, the ability will wait. You’ll control the next turn the affected player actually takes. Multiple player-controlling effects that affect the same player overwrite each other. The last one to be created is the one that works. Sorin’s third ability allows you to control another player. This effect applies to the next turn that the affected player actually takes. You only control the player. You don’t control any of the other player’s permanents, spells, or abilities. The player who is being controlled is still the active player. You could gain control of yourself using Sorin’s third ability, but unless you do so to overwrite someone else’s player-controlling effect, this doesn’t do anything. You can’t make the affected player concede. That player may choose to concede at any time, even while you’re controlling their turn. For a player’s life total to become 10, what actually happens is that the player gains or loses the appropriate amount of life. For example, if the targeted opponent’s life total is 4 when this ability resolves, it will cause that player to gain 6 life; alternately, if the targeted player’s life total is 17 when this ability resolves, it will cause that player to lose 7 life. Other cards that interact with life gain or life loss will interact with this effect accordingly. If the targeted permanent or player is an illegal target by the time Sorin’s first ability resolves, the entire ability doesn’t resolve. You won’t gain life. You can’t make any illegal decisions or illegal choices — you can’t do anything that player couldn’t do. You can’t make choices or decisions for that player that aren’t called for by the game rules or by any cards, permanents, spells, abilities, and so on. If an effect causes another player to make decisions that the affected player would normally make (such as Master Warcraft does), that effect takes precedence. (In other words, if the affected player wouldn’t make a decision, you wouldn’t make that decision on their behalf.) You also can’t make any choices or decisions for the player that would be called for by the tournament rules (such as whether to take an intentional draw or whether to call a judge). In a Two-Headed Giant game, Sorin’s second ability causes the targeted opponent’s team’s life total to become 10. Only the targeted player is actually considered to have actually gained or lost life. Controlling a player doesn’t allow you to look at that player’s sideboard. If an effect instructs that player to choose a card from outside the game, you can’t have that player choose any card. While controlling another player, you can see all cards in the game that player can see. This includes cards in that player’s hand, face-down cards that player controls, and any cards in that player’s library the player may look at. |
| Obosh, the Preypiercer | 808 | If more than one player wishes to reveal a companion, the starting player does so first, and players proceed in turn order. Once a player has chosen not to reveal a companion, that player can't change their mind. The requirements of the companion ability apply only to your starting deck. They do not apply to your sideboard. If a card in a player's library has {X} in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0. For spells with {X} in their mana costs, use the value chosen for X to determine the spell's mana value. If a permanent or card in any other zone has {X} in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0. You may have one companion in the Commander variant. Your deck, including your commander, must meet its companion requirement. Your companion is not one of your one hundred cards. If multiple replacement or prevention effects try to modify damage that would be dealt to a permanent or player, the player or the controller of the permanent chooses the order in which they apply. If a creature with trample you control would deal combat damage to a blocking creature while you control Obosh, you must assign its unmodified damage. For example, a 3/3 creature with trample blocked by a 2/2 creature can have 1 damage assigned to the defending player. It will then deal 4 damage to the blocking creature and 2 damage to the defending player. Before shuffling your deck to become your library, you may reveal one card from outside the game to be your companion if your starting deck meets the requirements of the companion ability. You can't reveal more than one. It remains revealed outside the game as the game begins. The companion's other abilities apply only if the creature is on the battlefield. They have no effect while the companion is outside the game. If an effect such as that of Ravenous Gigantotherium asks you to divide damage among targets, you must divide the unmodified damage before doubling it. Your companion begins the game outside the game. In tournament play, this means your sideboard. In casual play, it's simply a card you own that's not in your starting deck. If you reveal a companion outside the game, for as long as it remains there, you may pay {3} any time you could cast a sorcery (that is, you have priority during your main phase and the stack is empty). Once you do, you put it into your hand and behaves like any other card you've brought into the game. For example, if it's discard, countered, or destroyed, it's put into your graveyard, remaining in the game. This is a change from previous rules. The companion ability has no effect if the card is in your starting deck and creates no restriction on putting a card with a companion ability into your starting deck. For example, Zirda may be in your starting deck even if your other permanent cards don't all have activated abilities. Wizards of the Coast has issued functional errata for the Companion mechanic. Instead of casting companions from outside the game: Once per game, any time you could cast a sorcery (during your main phase when the stack is empty), you can pay {3} to put your companion from your sideboard into your hand. This is a special action, not an activated ability. It happens immediately and can’t be responded to. It can’t be countered or stopped by cards like Phyrexian Revoker. For more information please see https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/june-1-2020-banned-and-restricted-announcement Once you put your companion into your hand, it behaves like any other card you’ve brought into the game. For example, if it’s countered or destroyed, it’s put into your graveyard, remaining in the game. Paying {3} to put your companion into your hand is a special action. It doesn't use the stack and players can't respond to it. Once you take this action, you may cast that card if it's legal to do so before any other player can take actions. If you reveal a companion outside the game, for as long as it remains there, you may pay {3} any time you could cast a sorcery (that is, you have priority during your main phase and the stack is empty). Once you do, you put it into your hand and behaves like any other card you've brought into the game. For example, if it's discarded, countered, or destroyed, it's put into your graveyard, remaining in the game. This is a change from previous rules. The damage is dealt by the same source as the original source of damage. The doubled damage isn’t dealt by Obosh unless it was the original source of damage. |
| Tomb of Horrors Adventurer | 805 | You cannot venture into Undercity unless instructed to do so, either because you have the initiative at the beginning of your upkeep or because you take the initiative. Notably, if you aren’t in a dungeon and an effect instructs you to venture into the dungeon (not venture into Undercity), you can’t start Undercity. Similarly, when instructed to venture into Undercity, you can’t start a dungeon that isn’t Undercity. In a Two-Headed Giant game, if both players on a team deal combat damage to the player that has the initiative at the same time, the player with the initiative will choose the order of the triggered abilities. Then, as those abilities resolve, one team member takes the initiative (and ventures into Undercity) and then the other team member does the same. The last player to take the initiative keeps it until the initiative changes again. Only one player can have the initiative at a time. As one player takes the initiative, any other player that had the initiative ceases to have it. You can't choose to pay any additional costs for the copies. However, effects based on any additional costs that were paid for the original spell are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copies too. For example, if you sacrifice a 3/3 creature to cast Fling and then copy it with Tomb of Horrors Adventurer, each copy of Fling will also deal 3 damage to its target. Each of the copies will have the same targets as the spell it's copying unless you choose new ones. You may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If, for one of the targets, you can't choose a new legal target, then it remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal). If there are multiple copies, you may change the targets of each of them to different legal targets. If you’re already in a dungeon when instructed to venture into Undercity, you move to the next room of that dungeon. If you are already in the last room, you will complete that dungeon and start Undercity. This is true whether you’re already in Undercity or any other dungeon. The initiative is a designation a player can have. A player with the initiative designation is said to “have the initiative.” The initiative carries two inherent rules. First, whenever a player takes the initiative, and at the beginning of the upkeep of the player with the initiative, that player ventures into Undercity. Second, whenever one or more creatures a player controls deal combat damage to the player who has the initiative, the first player takes the initiative. Also, some abilities will refer to having the initiative and provide other benefits. When the triggered ability of Tomb of Horrors Adventurer resolves, it creates one or two copies of a spell. You control each of the copies. Those copies are created on the stack, so they're not “cast.” Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell won't trigger. The copies will then resolve like normal spells, after players get a chance to cast spells and activate abilities. If the spell Tomb of Horrors Adventurer copies has an X whose value was determined as it was cast (like Fireball does), the copy has the same value of X. The triggered ability will copy the spell that caused it to trigger even if that spell has been countered by the time that ability resolves. There is no initiative in a game until an effect instructs a player to take the initiative. Once a player is instructed to do this, they have the initiative until another player takes the initiative. A player who currently has the initiative may take the initiative again. This causes that player to venture into Undercity again, but does not cause them to have multiple initiative designations. If the player with the initiative leaves the game, the active player takes the initiative at the same time that player leaves the game. If the active player is leaving the game or if there is no active player, the next player in turn order takes the initiative. A resolving copy of a permanent spell becomes a token, so the token isn't “created.” Effects that care about a token being created won't interact with a token that enters the battlefield because the triggered ability copied a permanent spell. If you aren’t in a dungeon when instructed to venture into Undercity, you will put Undercity into the command zone and move your venture marker to Secret Entrance (the first room). If the spell Tomb of Horrors Adventurer's ability copies is modal (that is, it has a bulleted list of choices), the copies will have the same mode(s). You can't choose different ones. |
| Roiling Horror | 803 | You never choose an opponent, and the opponent that Roiling Horror looks at is never “locked in.” Roiling Horror continuously looks at the life totals of all opponents and uses whichever value is the largest. If your life total is less than or equal to the life total of the opponent with the most life, Roiling Horror’s toughness is 0 or less. It will be put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage’s ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don’t want to target. Timing permissions based on the card’s type are ignored. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it’s on the stack). If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can’t be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card’s owner’s next upkeep. A creature cast using suspend will enter the battlefield with haste. It will have haste until another player gains control of it. (In some rare cases, another player may gain control of the creature spell itself. If this happens, the creature won’t enter the battlefield with haste.) When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn’t matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn’t paid. Exiling a card with suspend isn’t casting that card. This action doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it’s exiled. If this is suspended, then when the last time counter is removed from it, both its triggered ability and the “cast this spell” part of the suspend ability will trigger. They can be put on the stack in either order. If you can’t cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. |
| Toralf, God of Fury // Toralf's Hammer | 800 | If an effect instructs a player to choose a card name, the name of either face may be chosen. If that effect or a linked ability refers to a spell with the chosen name being cast and/or a land with the chosen name being played, it considers only the chosen name, not the other face’s name. Toralf’s ability doesn’t affect the damage dealt to the creature or planeswalker an opponent controls. That damage will still be dealt as normal. If the target is an illegal target as the ability tries to resolve, the ability won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen. You won’t return Toralf’s Hammer to its owner’s hand. A modal double-faced card can’t be transformed or be put onto the battlefield transformed. Ignore any instruction to transform a modal double-faced card or to put one onto the battlefield transformed. A planeswalker is dealt excess damage if it’s dealt damage greater than its current loyalty. Even 1 damage dealt to a creature from a source with deathtouch is considered lethal damage, so any amount greater than that will cause excess damage to be dealt, even if the total amount of damage isn’t greater than the creature’s toughness. Note that a source of damage having deathtouch has no effect on damage dealt to planeswalkers. The damage Toralf deals because of its triggered ability is noncombat damage. That damage may cause Toralf’s ability to trigger again. There is a single triangle icon in the top left corner of the front face. There is a double triangle icon in the top left corner of the back face. The converted mana cost of a modal double-faced card is based on the characteristics of the face that’s being considered. On the stack and battlefield, consider whichever face is up. In all other zones, consider only the front face. This is different than how the converted mana cost of a transforming double-faced card is determined. You unattach Toralf’s Hammer as part of the cost of activating the ability. If the ability doesn’t resolve, Toralf’s Hammer doesn’t become reattached. The creature equipped by Toralf’s Hammer is the source of the activated ability, but Toralf’s Hammer is the source of the damage. For example, if the equipped creature is green, that ability can’t target a permanent with protection from green. It could target one with protection from red, though the damage would be prevented as it would have been dealt by a red source (Toralf’s Hammer). In the Commander variant, a double-faced card’s color identity is determined by the mana costs and mana symbols in the rules text of both faces combined. If either face has a color indicator or basic land type, those are also considered. If an effect allows you to play a specific modal double-faced card, you may cast it as a spell or play it as a land, as determined by which face you choose to play. If an effect allows you to cast (rather than “play”) a specific modal double-faced card, you can’t play it as a land. If an effect allows you to play a land or cast a spell from among a group of cards, you may play or cast a modal double-faced card with any face that fits the criteria of that effect. It doesn’t matter if a creature or planeswalker an opponent controls was dealt combat damage earlier in the turn. The only thing that matters is that the damage dealt to that permanent that caused excess damage to be dealt was noncombat damage. If a permanent is both a creature and a planeswalker, the minimum amount of damage to be considered lethal damage is used to determine if excess damage has been dealt. For example, if a 5/5 creature that’s also a planeswalker with three loyalty counters on it is dealt 4 noncombat damage, it’s been dealt 1 excess damage and Toralf’s ability will trigger. To determine whether it is legal to play a modal double-faced card, consider only the characteristics of the face you’re playing and ignore the other face’s characteristics. If an effect puts a double-faced card onto the battlefield, it enters with its front face up. If that front face can’t be put onto the battlefield, it doesn’t enter the battlefield. A creature has been dealt excess damage if one or more sources deal more damage to it than the minimum amount of damage required to be lethal damage. In most cases, this means damage greater than its toughness, but consider any damage already dealt to it that turn. |
| Ith, High Arcanist | 791 | In a Commander game where this card is your commander, you cannot suspend it from the Command zone. The creature isn’t removed from combat; it just has its damage prevented. It’s still an attacking creature until the combat phase is complete. You can activate Ith’s ability targeting an attacking creature you control during the combat damage step or the end of combat step. It’ll untap and the damage it had already dealt won’t be undone. Ith’s ability can target an untapped attacking creature. It will still prevent any combat damage dealt to and dealt by that creature this turn. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don’t want to target. Timing permissions based on the card’s type are ignored. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage’s ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. If you can’t cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it’s exiled. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card’s owner’s next upkeep. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can’t be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it’s on the stack). Exiling a card with suspend isn’t casting that card. This action doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn’t paid. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. A creature cast using suspend will enter the battlefield with haste. It will have haste until another player gains control of it. (In some rare cases, another player may gain control of the creature spell itself. If this happens, the creature won’t enter the battlefield with haste.) When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn’t matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. |
| Jorn, God of Winter // Kaldring, the Rimestaff | 787 | There is a single triangle icon in the top left corner of the front face. There is a double triangle icon in the top left corner of the back face. You don’t play the card as Kaldring’s activated ability is resolving; rather, that ability gives you permission to play that card that turn. You must follow the normal timing permissions and restrictions for the card when you play it. To play a land this way, you must have a land play available. Notably, if you activate Kaldring’s ability during an opponent’s turn, you won’t be able to cast a spell that way unless it has flash and you won’t be able to play a land that way at all. Snow isn’t a type of mana. If an effect says you may spend mana as though it were any type, you can’t pay for {S} using mana that wasn’t produced by a snow source. If you don’t end up playing the card, it remains in your graveyard. You can’t play it on future turns unless you target it again with Kaldring’s ability (or something else lets you play it). The converted mana cost of a modal double-faced card is based on the characteristics of the face that’s being considered. On the stack and battlefield, consider whichever face is up. In all other zones, consider only the front face. This is different than how the converted mana cost of a transforming double-faced card is determined. The Kaldheim set doesn’t have any cards with mana costs that include {S}, but some previous sets do. If an effect says such a spell costs {1} less to cast, that reduction doesn’t apply to any {S} costs. This is also true for activated abilities that include {S} in their activation costs and effects that reduce those costs. A snow permanent card is any artifact, creature, enchantment, land, or planeswalker card with the supertype snow. Even though you may play the card, it isn’t in your hand, so you can’t, for example, discard it or foretell it. In the Commander variant, a double-faced card’s color identity is determined by the mana costs and mana symbols in the rules text of both faces combined. If either face has a color indicator or basic land type, those are also considered. Some cards have additional effects for each {S} spent to cast them. You can cast these spells even if you don’t spend any snow mana to cast them; their additional effects simply won’t do anything. Snow is a supertype, not a card type. It has no rules meaning or function by itself, but spells and abilities may refer to it. You’ll still pay all costs to cast a spell this way, including any additional costs. You may also pay alternative costs if any are available. If an effect allows you to play a specific modal double-faced card, you may cast it as a spell or play it as a land, as determined by which face you choose to play. If an effect allows you to cast (rather than “play”) a specific modal double-faced card, you can’t play it as a land. If an effect puts a double-faced card onto the battlefield, it enters with its front face up. If that front face can’t be put onto the battlefield, it doesn’t enter the battlefield. Jorn’s triggered ability will untap Jorn itself. If an effect allows you to play a land or cast a spell from among a group of cards, you may play or cast a modal double-faced card with any face that fits the criteria of that effect. The {S} symbol is a generic mana symbol. It represents a cost that can be paid by one mana that was produced by a snow source. That mana can be any color or colorless. To determine whether it is legal to play a modal double-faced card, consider only the characteristics of the face you’re playing and ignore the other face’s characteristics. If an effect instructs a player to choose a card name, the name of either face may be chosen. If that effect or a linked ability refers to a spell with the chosen name being cast and/or a land with the chosen name being played, it considers only the chosen name, not the other face’s name. A modal double-faced card can’t be transformed or be put onto the battlefield transformed. Ignore any instruction to transform a modal double-faced card or to put one onto the battlefield transformed. |
| Gaea's Will | 784 | Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it's on the stack). If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card's owner's next upkeep. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it's exiled. Exiling a card with suspend isn't casting that card. This action doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to. The lands you play and spells you cast from your graveyard must follow the usual timing restrictions, and you must pay any costs for spells you cast. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can't be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended. If a card with no mana cost is given an alternative cost equal to its mana cost (by Snapcaster Mage, for example), that cost cannot be paid and the card cannot be cast this way. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage's ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn't matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. Assuming it's not a copy, Gaea's Will will be exiled after it finishes resolving. (If it is a copy, the copy will go to the graveyard briefly before ceasing to exist.) After Gaea's Will resolves, nontoken creature you own that would die will be exiled instead. Abilities that would trigger when those creatures die won't trigger. Token creatures you own will still die as normal after Gaea's Will resolves. A card with no mana cost can't be cast normally; you'll need a way to cast it for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost, such as by suspending it. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don't want to target. Timing permissions based on the card's type are ignored. If you can't cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn't paid. |
| The Wedding of River Song | 778 | The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn't paid. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn't matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can't be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended. Time counters are usually found on cards with suspend and vanishing, but may be found on other cards as well. Notably, Sagas use lore counters to track their progress, not time counters. You can't move a Saga's chapters forward and backward this way. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. If an effect refers to a "suspended card," that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. To time travel, look at each permanent you control with a time counter on it and each card you own in exile with a time counter on it. For each of them, you choose whether you want to put a time counter on that card or permanent, remove a time counter from it, or do neither. Then those changes all happen simultaneously. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don't want to target. Timing permissions based on the card's type are ignored. If you can't cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card's owner's next upkeep. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it's on the stack). You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. If you cast a card "without paying its mana cost," such as with suspend, you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. Exiling a card with suspend isn't casting that card. This action doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to. If you exile a card with a mana value of 0, it will gain suspend, but no time counters will be placed on it. It can't be cast unless a time counter is later placed on it (and then, subsequently removed), and it isn't considered to be a "suspended card." You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage's ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when the card is exiled. |
| Fungal Behemoth | 775 | Any +1/+1 counters on Fungal Behemoth itself count toward its base power and toughness, then give it a power and toughness bonus. For example, if there are two +1/+1 counters on Fungal Behemoth and three on other creatures you control, Fungal Behemoth is a 7/7 creature. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. A creature cast using suspend will enter the battlefield with haste. It will have haste until another player gains control of it. (In some rare cases, another player may gain control of the creature spell itself. If this happens, the creature won’t enter the battlefield with haste.) You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage’s ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it’s exiled. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn’t matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don’t want to target. Timing permissions based on the card’s type are ignored. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it’s on the stack). Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn’t paid. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can’t be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. If you can’t cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card’s owner’s next upkeep. Exiling a card with suspend isn’t casting that card. This action doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. If this is suspended, then when the last time counter is removed from it, both its triggered ability and the “cast this spell” part of the suspend ability will trigger. They can be put on the stack in either order. If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. |
| From the Catacombs | 772 | The initiative is a designation a player can have. A player with the initiative designation is said to “have the initiative.” The initiative carries two inherent rules. First, whenever a player takes the initiative, and at the beginning of the upkeep of the player with the initiative, that player ventures into Undercity. Second, whenever one or more creatures a player controls deal combat damage to the player who has the initiative, the first player takes the initiative. Also, some abilities will refer to having the initiative and provide other benefits. Only one player can have the initiative at a time. As one player takes the initiative, any other player that had the initiative ceases to have it. A player who currently has the initiative may take the initiative again. This causes that player to venture into Undercity again, but does not cause them to have multiple initiative designations. If you’re already in a dungeon when instructed to venture into Undercity, you move to the next room of that dungeon. If you are already in the last room, you will complete that dungeon and start Undercity. This is true whether you’re already in Undercity or any other dungeon. There is no initiative in a game until an effect instructs a player to take the initiative. Once a player is instructed to do this, they have the initiative until another player takes the initiative. If you cast a spell with its escape permission, you can't choose to apply any other alternative costs or to cast it without paying its mana cost. If it has any additional costs, you must pay those. Similarly, when instructed to venture into Undercity, you can’t start a dungeon that isn’t Undercity. The corpse counter is only to help remind you which creatures will be exiled if they would leave the battlefield. If you somehow remove a corpse counter from a creature that was put onto the battlefield this way, the replacement effect that will exile it continues to apply. Similarly, moving the corpse counter onto another creature has no effect on that creature; the replacement effect will continue to apply to the original creature. Escape's permission doesn't change when you may cast the spell from your graveyard. You cannot venture into Undercity unless instructed to do so, either because you have the initiative at the beginning of your upkeep or because you take the initiative. Notably, if you aren’t in a dungeon and an effect instructs you to venture into the dungeon (not venture into Undercity), you can’t start Undercity. Once you begin casting a spell with escape, it immediately moves to the stack. Players can't take any other actions until you're done casting the spell. To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you're paying (such as an escape cost), add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was and no matter whether an alternative cost was paid. If the player with the initiative leaves the game, the active player takes the initiative at the same time that player leaves the game. If the active player is leaving the game or if there is no active player, the next player in turn order takes the initiative. If you aren’t in a dungeon when instructed to venture into Undercity, you will put Undercity into the command zone and move your venture marker to Secret Entrance (the first room). After From the Catacombs resolves, it returns to your graveyard. From there, you can use the escape ability to cast it again. Of course, you'll need five more cards to exile. If a card with escape is put into your graveyard during your turn, you'll be able to cast it right away if it's legal to do so, before an opponent can take any actions. In a Two-Headed Giant game, if both players on a team deal combat damage to the player that has the initiative at the same time, the player with the initiative will choose the order of the triggered abilities. Then, as those abilities resolve, one team member takes the initiative (and ventures into Undercity) and then the other team member does the same. The last player to take the initiative keeps it until the initiative changes again. If a card has multiple abilities giving you permission to cast it, such as two escape abilities or an escape ability and a flashback ability, you choose which one to apply. The others have no effect. |
| Invasion of Amonkhet // Lazotep Convert | 771 | If a permanent that is represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it will be exiled as that Siege’s triggered ability resolves, then it will be cast transformed. Note that this applies only to transforming double-faced cards, not to modal double-faced cards that can normally be played using either face. Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature card will trigger when Lazotep Convert enters the battlefield. Any “as [this creature] enters the battlefield” or “[this creature] enters the battlefield with” abilities of the chosen creature card will also work. A battle can be attacked by all players other than its protector. Notably, this means a Siege’s controller can attack it. Damage dealt to a battle causes that many defense counters to be removed from it. A battle’s “defense” is displayed in the bottom right corner of the card. A battle enters the battlefield with that number of defense counters. If another permanent enters the battlefield as a copy of a battle, it also enters with that number of defense counters. Sieges each have an intrinsic triggered ability. That ability is “When the last defense counter is removed from this permanent, exile it, then you may cast it transformed without paying its mana cost.” A battle can be dealt damage and be target of spells and/or abilities that target “any target.” If a battle that’s being attacked somehow stops being a battle, it is removed from combat. Similarly, if its controller changes in the middle of combat, it is removed from combat. Battles can’t attack or block, even if one also becomes a creature. If an attacking or blocking creature somehow becomes a battle in addition to being a creature, it is removed from combat. If a battle has no defense counters, and it isn’t the source of a triggered ability that has triggered but not yet left the stack, that battle is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action. This doesn’t cause a Siege’s intrinsic triggered ability to trigger. If a non-battle permanent that is already on the battlefield become a copy of a Siege, its controller chooses one of their opponents to be that battle’s protector. However, it will most likely be put into its owner’s graveyard because it has no defense counters (see below). As a Siege enters the battlefield, its controller chooses an opponent to be its protector. Lazotep Convert copies exactly what was printed on the original creature card, with the noted exceptions. Lazotep Convert has received an update to its official rules text to clarify that it keeps its other colors and types as part of its copy effect. If a Siege never had defense counters on it (perhaps because a permanent became a copy of one), it can’t have its last defense counter removed. It will be put into its owner’s graveyard. You won’t exile it or cast the other face. Only creatures controlled by a battle’s protector can block creatures that are attacking that battle. This means a Siege’s controller can never assign creatures to block for it. In a multiplayer game, if the protector of a battle leaves the game and that battle is not currently being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it as a state-based action. If it is being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it once no creatures are attacking it. This means that it continues to be attacked and can be dealt combat damage as normal. To resolve Invasion of Amonkhet’s enters-the-battlefield ability, first each player mills three cards. Then the next opponent in turn order (or, if it’s an opponent’s turn, the opponent whose turn it is) chooses a card in hand and sets it aside without revealing it. Then each other opponent in turn order does the same. Finally, all chosen cards are revealed and discarded at the same time. Finally, you draw a card. If a token or a card that isn’t represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it can’t be cast as its triggered ability resolves. It will remain in exile. If it’s a token, it will cease to exist the next time state-based actions are performed. A Siege’s controller can’t be its protector. If a Siege’s protector ever gains control of it, they choose a new player to be its protector. This is a state-based action. |
| Yorion, Sky Nomad | 768 | Your minimum deck size is forty cards for Limited events (such as Booster Draft and Sealed Deck) and sixty cards for Constructed events (such as Standard or casual freeform play). Certain variants may have other minimums. The Commander variant requires exactly one hundred cards, so Yorion can never be your chosen companion in a Commander game. Auras attached to the exiled permanents will be put into their owners' graveyards. Equipment attached to the exiled permanents will become unattached and remain on the battlefield. Any counters on the exiled permanents will cease to exist. Once the exiled permanents return, they're considered new objects with no relation to the objects that they were. If more than one player wishes to reveal a companion, the starting player does so first, and players proceed in turn order. Once a player has chosen not to reveal a companion, that player can't change their mind. The companion's other abilities apply only if the creature is on the battlefield. They have no effect while the companion is outside the game. You can't exile permanents you control but don't own, or permanents that you own but don't control. The requirements of the companion ability apply only to your starting deck. They do not apply to your sideboard. Your companion begins the game outside the game. In tournament play, this means your sideboard. In casual play, it's simply a card you own that's not in your starting deck. You may have one companion in the Commander variant. Your deck, including your commander, must meet its companion requirement. Your companion is not one of your one hundred cards. You choose which permanents to exile as Yorion's triggered ability resolves. No player may take action between the time you choose the permanents and the time they're exiled. The companion ability has no effect if the card is in your starting deck and creates no restriction on putting a card with a companion ability into your starting deck. For example, Zirda may be in your starting deck even if your other permanent cards don't all have activated abilities. If a token is exiled this way, it will cease to exist and won't return to the battlefield. If you reveal a companion outside the game, for as long as it remains there, you may pay {3} any time you could cast a sorcery (that is, you have priority during your main phase and the stack is empty). Once you do, you put it into your hand and behaves like any other card you've brought into the game. For example, if it's discard, countered, or destroyed, it's put into your graveyard, remaining in the game. This is a change from previous rules. Before shuffling your deck to become your library, you may reveal one card from outside the game to be your companion if your starting deck meets the requirements of the companion ability. You can't reveal more than one. It remains revealed outside the game as the game begins. If you reveal a companion outside the game, for as long as it remains there, you may pay {3} any time you could cast a sorcery (that is, you have priority during your main phase and the stack is empty). Once you do, you put it into your hand and behaves like any other card you've brought into the game. For example, if it's discarded, countered, or destroyed, it's put into your graveyard, remaining in the game. This is a change from previous rules. Once you put your companion into your hand, it behaves like any other card you’ve brought into the game. For example, if it’s countered or destroyed, it’s put into your graveyard, remaining in the game. Paying {3} to put your companion into your hand is a special action. It doesn't use the stack and players can't respond to it. Once you take this action, you may cast that card if it's legal to do so before any other player can take actions. Wizards of the Coast has issued functional errata for the Companion mechanic. Instead of casting companions from outside the game: Once per game, any time you could cast a sorcery (during your main phase when the stack is empty), you can pay {3} to put your companion from your sideboard into your hand. This is a special action, not an activated ability. It happens immediately and can’t be responded to. It can’t be countered or stopped by cards like Phyrexian Revoker. For more information please see https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/june-1-2020-banned-and-restricted-announcement |
| Adric, Mathematical Genius | 764 | If the ability has damage divided as it was put onto the stack, the division can't be changed, although the targets receiving that damage still can. The same is true of abilities that distribute counters. Adric, Mathematical Genius's first ability targets an activated or triggered ability that is on the stack and creates another instance of that ability on the stack. It doesn't cause any object to gain an ability. The Doctor's companion ability allows you to have two commanders if one has the ability and the other is a legendary creature that is a Time Lord Doctor and has no other creature types. Creatures with the changeling ability, for example, can't be a second commander this way. If an ability is linked to a second ability, copies of that first ability are also linked to that second ability. If the second ability refers to "the exiled card," it refers to all cards exiled by the first ability and the copy. For example, if Fiend Hunter's enters-the-battlefield ability is copied and two creatures are exiled, they both return when Fiend Hunter leaves the battlefield. If something refers to your commander while you have two commanders, it refers to one of them of your choice. If you are instructed to perform an action on your commander (e.g. put it from the command zone into your hand due to Command Beacon), you choose one of your commanders at the time the effect happens. An effect that checks whether you control your commander is satisfied if you control one or both of your two commanders. The copy will have the same targets as the ability it's copying unless you choose new ones. You may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If, for one of the targets, you can't choose a new legal target, then it remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal). Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards (or 58 cards in a Commander Draft game) of your deck are shuffled to become your library. Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won't have to pay an additional {2} the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 combat damage from any one of them, not from both of them combined. Activated abilities contain a colon. They're generally written "[Cost]: [Effect]." Some keyword abilities (such as equip) are activated abilities and will have a colon in their reminder text. If the ability that's copied has an X whose value was determined as it was activated, the copy will have the same value of X. You can't choose to pay any activation costs for the copy. However, effects based on those costs that were paid for the original ability are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copy. Although Doctor's companion is a new variant of the partner ability, the rules for partner have not otherwise changed. Notably, Time Lord Doctors and cards with Doctor's companion do not interact with cards which have another partner ability. Adric, Mathematical Genius can copy any activated or triggered ability on the stack, not just one with targets. The copy is created on the stack, so it's not "activated." Creating the copy won't cause abilities that trigger when a player activates an ability to trigger. Abilities that say that a triggered ability triggers additional times won't apply to copying a triggered ability. The source of the copy from Adric, Mathematical Genius's first ability is the same as the source of the original ability. Any choices made when the ability resolves won't have been made yet when it's copied. Any such choices will be made separately when the copy resolves. Most notably, if a triggered ability asks its controller to pay a cost, you pay that cost for the copy if you wish to have it paid. Triggered abilities use the word "when," "whenever," or "at." They're often written as "[Trigger condition], [effect]." Some keywords (such as prowess) are triggered abilities and will use "when," "whenever," or "at" in their reminder text. If the ability that's copied is modal (that is, it says "Choose one —" or the like), the copy will have the same mode. A different mode can't be chosen. The copy will resolve before the original ability does. If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can include only cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders' combined color identities. |
| Invasion of Muraganda // Primordial Plasm | 761 | A battle can be dealt damage and be target of spells and/or abilities that target “any target.” Battles can’t attack or block, even if one also becomes a creature. If an attacking or blocking creature somehow becomes a battle in addition to being a creature, it is removed from combat. If a permanent that is represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it will be exiled as that Siege’s triggered ability resolves, then it will be cast transformed. Note that this applies only to transforming double-faced cards, not to modal double-faced cards that can normally be played using either face. If a battle has no defense counters, and it isn’t the source of a triggered ability that has triggered but not yet left the stack, that battle is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action. This doesn’t cause a Siege’s intrinsic triggered ability to trigger. Only creatures controlled by a battle’s protector can block creatures that are attacking that battle. This means a Siege’s controller can never assign creatures to block for it. Damage dealt to a battle causes that many defense counters to be removed from it. You can choose only a creature you control as a target for Invasion of Muraganda’s enters-the-battlefield ability. A Siege’s controller can’t be its protector. If a Siege’s protector ever gains control of it, they choose a new player to be its protector. This is a state-based action. In a multiplayer game, if the protector of a battle leaves the game and that battle is not currently being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it as a state-based action. If it is being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it once no creatures are attacking it. This means that it continues to be attacked and can be dealt combat damage as normal. A creature that loses all abilities because of Primordial Plasm’s ability (slurp) may later gain abilities. If the creature affected by Primordial Plasm’s ability (slurp) had an ability defining its power and/or toughness, that base value will become 0. In many situations, having a base toughness of 0 would be a problem, but Primordial Plasm’s ability (slurp) helpfully provides +2/+2, so the creature should survive. As a Siege enters the battlefield, its controller chooses an opponent to be its protector. If a non-battle permanent that is already on the battlefield become a copy of a Siege, its controller chooses one of their opponents to be that battle’s protector. However, it will most likely be put into its owner’s graveyard because it has no defense counters (see below). A battle can be attacked by all players other than its protector. Notably, this means a Siege’s controller can attack it. If a battle that’s being attacked somehow stops being a battle, it is removed from combat. Similarly, if its controller changes in the middle of combat, it is removed from combat. If a token or a card that isn’t represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it can’t be cast as its triggered ability resolves. It will remain in exile. If it’s a token, it will cease to exist the next time state-based actions are performed. Sieges each have an intrinsic triggered ability. That ability is “When the last defense counter is removed from this permanent, exile it, then you may cast it transformed without paying its mana cost.” A battle’s “defense” is displayed in the bottom right corner of the card. A battle enters the battlefield with that number of defense counters. If another permanent enters the battlefield as a copy of a battle, it also enters with that number of defense counters. If a Siege never had defense counters on it (perhaps because a permanent became a copy of one), it can’t have its last defense counter removed. It will be put into its owner’s graveyard. You won’t exile it or cast the other face. If the creature you control is an illegal target as the ability tries to resolve, you won’t put a +1/+1 counter on it. If that creature is a legal target but the other creature isn’t, you’ll still put the +1/+1 counter on the creature you control, but neither creature will deal or be dealt damage. |
| Jace, Vryn's Prodigy // Jace, Telepath Unbound | 760 | The converted mana cost of a double-faced card not on the battlefield is the converted mana cost of its front face. Each face of a double-faced card has its own set of characteristics: name, types, subtypes, power and toughness, loyalty, abilities, and so on. While a double-faced card is on the battlefield, consider only the characteristics of the face that’s currently up. The other set of characteristics is ignored. While a double-faced card isn’t on the battlefield, consider only the characteristics of its front face. The activated ability of Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy checks to see if there are five or more cards in your graveyard after you discard a card. Putting a fifth card into your graveyard at other times won’t cause Jace to be exiled, nor will Jace entering the battlefield while there are five or more cards in your graveyard. In some rare cases, a spell or ability may cause one of these five cards to transform while it’s a creature (front face up) on the battlefield. If this happens, the resulting planeswalker won’t have any loyalty counters on it and will subsequently be put into its owner’s graveyard. If a double-faced card is manifested, it will be put onto the battlefield face down (this is also true if it’s put onto the battlefield face down some other way). Note that “face down” is not synonymous with “with its back face up.” A manifested double-faced card is a 2/2 creature with no name, mana cost, creature types, or abilities. While face down, it can’t transform. If the front face of a manifested double-faced card is a creature card, you can turn it face up by paying its mana cost. If you do, its front face will be up. A double-faced card on the battlefield can’t be turned face down. A double-faced card enters the battlefield with its front face up by default, unless a spell or ability instructs you to put it onto the battlefield transformed, in which case it enters with its back face up. A Magic Origins planeswalker that enters the battlefield because of the ability of its front face will enter with loyalty counters as normal. The back face of a double-faced card (in the case of Magic Origins, the planeswalker face) can’t be cast. The card is exiled only if it’s cast from the graveyard and put back into the graveyard (either by resolving or being countered). If, at any time, the card goes to a hidden zone (such as your hand or your library), the effect loses track of the card. It won’t be exiled, even if that card is put into your graveyard later that turn. You can activate one of the planeswalker’s loyalty abilities the turn it enters the battlefield. However, you may do so only during one of your main phases when the stack is empty. For example, if the planeswalker enters the battlefield during combat, there will be an opportunity for your opponent to remove it before you can activate one of its abilities. If you activate the second ability of Jace, Telepath Unbound, you must follow the timing rules for the card’s types. For example, if you target a sorcery card, you may cast it during your main phase when the stack is empty. You pay all the spell’s costs. If you don’t cast the card that turn, nothing happens. It remains in your graveyard. If you discard a card with madness while resolving the ability of Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy, you’ll need to already have five other cards in your graveyard to satisfy that ability’s condition. You can’t choose to put the card directly into your graveyard to satisfy it. The back face of a double-faced card doesn’t have a mana cost. A double-faced permanent with its back face up has a converted mana cost equal to the converted mana cost of its front face. Each back face has a color indicator that defines its color. For more information on double-faced cards, see the Shadows over Innistrad mechanics article (http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/shadows-over-innistrad-mechanics). Jace, Vryn's Prodigy is banned as a commander in Duel Commander format, but it may be part of your deck. You can control two of this permanent, one front-face up and the other back-face up, at the same time. |
| Undercover Crocodelf | 759 | The face-down spell has no mana cost and a mana value of 0. When you cast a face-down spell, put it on the stack face down so no other player knows what it is, and pay {3} to cast it. This is an alternative cost. Some spells and abilities that investigate may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won’t resolve. You won’t create any Clue tokens. The creature spell is a 2/2 creature spell with ward {2} that has no name, mana cost, or creature types. The resulting creature is a 2/2 creature with ward {2} that has no name, mana cost, or creature types. Both the spell and the resulting creature are colorless and have a mana value of 0. Other effects that apply to the spell or creature can still grant it any characteristics it doesn’t have or change the characteristics it does have. If an effect refers to a Clue, it means any Clue artifact, not just a Clue artifact token. For example, you can sacrifice Wrench to pay for Alquist Proft, Master Sleuth’s activated ability. Clue is an artifact type. Even though it appears on some cards with other permanent types, it’s never a creature type, a land type, or anything but an artifact type. You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can be easily differentiated from each other. You’re not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield to confuse other players. The order in which they entered the battlefield should remain clear, as well as what ability caused them to be face down. (This includes disguise, cloak, and in games involving older cards, morph and manifest, as well as a few other effects that turn cards face down.) Common methods for doing this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield. You can’t sacrifice a Clue to pay multiple costs. For example, you can’t sacrifice a Clue token to activate its own ability and also to activate Alquist Proft, Master Sleuth’s ability. If a face-down creature loses its abilities, it can’t be turned face up with a disguise ability because it will no longer have a disguise ability (or a disguise cost) once face up. Any time you have priority, you may turn the face-down creature face up by revealing what its disguise cost is and paying that cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. Only a face-down permanent can be turned face up this way; a face-down spell cannot. Turning a permanent face up or face down doesn’t change whether that permanent is tapped or untapped. Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it’s turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn’t cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger. Some abilities trigger “whenever you sacrifice a Clue”. Those abilities trigger whenever you sacrifice a Clue for any reason, not just to activate a Clue’s activated ability. A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent and Auras and Equipment that were attached to that permanent aren’t affected unless the new characteristics of the object change the legality of those targets or attachments. At any time, you can look at a face-down spell or permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down permanents or spells you don’t control unless an effect instructs or allows you to do so. Because face-down creatures don’t have a name, they can’t have the same name as any other creature, even another face-down creature. A disguise ability lets you cast a card face down by paying {3} and announcing that you are using a disguise ability. Any time you have priority, you can turn a face-down permanent with disguise face up by paying its disguise cost. If a face-down spell leaves the stack and goes to any zone other than the battlefield (if it was countered, for example), you must reveal it. Similarly, if a face-down permanent leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or the game ends. |
| Mistway Spy | 759 | The face-down spell has no mana cost and a mana value of 0. When you cast a face-down spell, put it on the stack face down so no other player knows what it is, and pay {3} to cast it. This is an alternative cost. Because face-down creatures don’t have a name, they can’t have the same name as any other creature, even another face-down creature. Some spells and abilities that investigate may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won’t resolve. You won’t create any Clue tokens. At any time, you can look at a face-down spell or permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down permanents or spells you don’t control unless an effect instructs or allows you to do so. If an effect refers to a Clue, it means any Clue artifact, not just a Clue artifact token. For example, you can sacrifice Wrench to pay for Alquist Proft, Master Sleuth’s activated ability. If a face-down spell leaves the stack and goes to any zone other than the battlefield (if it was countered, for example), you must reveal it. Similarly, if a face-down permanent leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or the game ends. You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can be easily differentiated from each other. You’re not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield to confuse other players. The order in which they entered the battlefield should remain clear, as well as what ability caused them to be face down. (This includes disguise, cloak, and in games involving older cards, morph and manifest, as well as a few other effects that turn cards face down.) Common methods for doing this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield. The creature spell is a 2/2 creature spell with ward {2} that has no name, mana cost, or creature types. The resulting creature is a 2/2 creature with ward {2} that has no name, mana cost, or creature types. Both the spell and the resulting creature are colorless and have a mana value of 0. Other effects that apply to the spell or creature can still grant it any characteristics it doesn’t have or change the characteristics it does have. Any time you have priority, you may turn the face-down creature face up by revealing what its disguise cost is and paying that cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. Only a face-down permanent can be turned face up this way; a face-down spell cannot. Some abilities trigger “whenever you sacrifice a Clue”. Those abilities trigger whenever you sacrifice a Clue for any reason, not just to activate a Clue’s activated ability. Clue is an artifact type. Even though it appears on some cards with other permanent types, it’s never a creature type, a land type, or anything but an artifact type. Turning a permanent face up or face down doesn’t change whether that permanent is tapped or untapped. You can’t sacrifice a Clue to pay multiple costs. For example, you can’t sacrifice a Clue token to activate its own ability and also to activate Alquist Proft, Master Sleuth’s ability. If a face-down creature loses its abilities, it can’t be turned face up with a disguise ability because it will no longer have a disguise ability (or a disguise cost) once face up. Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it’s turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn’t cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger. A disguise ability lets you cast a card face down by paying {3} and announcing that you are using a disguise ability. Any time you have priority, you can turn a face-down permanent with disguise face up by paying its disguise cost. A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent and Auras and Equipment that were attached to that permanent aren’t affected unless the new characteristics of the object change the legality of those targets or attachments. |
| Infiltrator il-Kor | 759 | Once a creature has been blocked, that creature remains blocked and will deal and be dealt combat damage even if it gains or loses shadow or if the blocking creature gains or loses shadow. Multiple instances of shadow on the same creature are redundant. If an attacking creature has multiple evasion abilities, such as shadow and flying, a creature can block it only if that creature satisfies all of the appropriate evasion abilities. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it’s exiled. If you can’t cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don’t want to target. Timing permissions based on the card’s type are ignored. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. A creature cast using suspend will enter the battlefield with haste. It will have haste until another player gains control of it. (In some rare cases, another player may gain control of the creature spell itself. If this happens, the creature won’t enter the battlefield with haste.) If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can’t be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. Exiling a card with suspend isn’t casting that card. This action doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it’s on the stack). The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn’t paid. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage’s ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn’t matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card’s owner’s next upkeep. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. |
| Aeon Chronicler | 758 | Because damage remains marked on a creature until the damage is removed as the turn ends, nonlethal damage dealt to Aeon Chronicler may become lethal if cards leave your hand during that turn. The ability that defines Aeon Chronicler's power and toughness applies in all zones, not just the battlefield. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can't be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn't paid. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it's on the stack). If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it's exiled. A creature cast using suspend will enter the battlefield with haste. It will have haste until another player gains control of it. (In some rare cases, another player may gain control of the creature spell itself. If this happens, the creature won't enter the battlefield with haste.) Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn't matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. If this is suspended, then when the last time counter is removed from it, both its triggered ability and the "cast this spell" part of the suspend ability will trigger. They can be put on the stack in either order. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card's owner's next upkeep. If an effect refers to a "suspended card," that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage's ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. Exiling a card with suspend isn't casting that card. This action doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to. If you can't cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don't want to target. Timing permissions based on the card's type are ignored. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. If you cast a card "without paying its mana cost," such as with suspend, you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. |
| Gumdrop Poisoner // Tempt with Treats | 755 | If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won't give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell. An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it's in your graveyard, Questing Druid is a green creature card whose mana value is 2. It can't be the target of Tenacious Tomeseeker's triggered ability ("return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand"). If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it's not possible to cast the copy as a permanent. If an effect refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an Adventure, it won't find an instant or sorcery spell on the stack that's been cast as an Adventure. When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card's normal characteristics. The spell's color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics. If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won't be exiled and the spell's controller won't be able to cast it as a permanent later. An effect may refer to a card, spell, or permanent that "has an Adventure." This refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an adventurer card's set of alternative characteristics, even if they're not being used and even if that card was never cast as an Adventure. If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose. Whatever you do, don't eat the delicious cards. If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it's a token) or cease to be a copy (if it's a nontoken permanent), and so you won't be able to cast it as an Adventure. You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions for the permanent spell you cast from exile. Normally, you'll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty. Some spells and abilities that create Food tokens may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't create any Food tokens. Food is an artifact type. Even though it appears on some creatures, it's never a creature type. Casting a card as an Adventure isn't casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure. If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it's legal to cast that spell. For example, if you control Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer ("Once each turn, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from the top of your library.") and Questing Druid is on top of your library, you can cast Seek the Beast, but not Questing Druid. Gumdrop Poisoner's enters-the-battlefield ability counts the total amount of life you gained without taking into account any life you lost during that turn. For example, if you lost 3 life and gained 3 life earlier in the turn, the target creature will get -3/-3. If an effect refers to a Food, it means any Food artifact, not just a Food artifact token. For example, you can sacrifice Tough Cookie to activate the last ability of Sweettooth Witch. You can't sacrifice a Food to pay multiple costs. For example, you can't sacrifice a Food token to activate its own ability and also to activate the last ability of Sweettooth Witch. |
| Veiling Oddity | 754 | Because it doesn’t modify the characteristics of any objects, Veiling Oddity’s last ability applies to creatures that weren’t on the battlefield as the ability resolved. If you can’t cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. A creature cast using suspend will enter the battlefield with haste. It will have haste until another player gains control of it. (In some rare cases, another player may gain control of the creature spell itself. If this happens, the creature won’t enter the battlefield with haste.) Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it’s on the stack). If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it’s exiled. Exiling a card with suspend isn’t casting that card. This action doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage’s ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don’t want to target. Timing permissions based on the card’s type are ignored. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn’t matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card’s owner’s next upkeep. If this is suspended, then when the last time counter is removed from it, both its triggered ability and the “cast this spell” part of the suspend ability will trigger. They can be put on the stack in either order. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn’t paid. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can’t be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. |
| Wheel of Fate | 753 | Although originally printed with a characteristic-defining ability that defined its color, this card now has a color indicator. This color indicator can’t be affected by text-changing effects (such as the one created by Crystal Spray), although color-changing effects can still overwrite it. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. A card with no mana cost can’t be cast normally; you’ll need a way to cast it for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost, such as by suspending it. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it’s exiled. If you can’t cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn’t matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card’s owner’s next upkeep. Exiling a card with suspend isn’t casting that card. This action doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage’s ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it’s on the stack). The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn’t paid. If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. If a card with no mana cost is given an alternative cost equal to its mana cost (by Snapcaster Mage, for example), that cost cannot be paid and the card cannot be cast this way. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don’t want to target. Timing permissions based on the card’s type are ignored. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can’t be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. |
| Ancestral Vision | 753 | Although originally printed with a characteristic-defining ability that defined its color, this card now has a color indicator. This color indicator can’t be affected by text-changing effects (such as the one created by Crystal Spray), although color-changing effects can still overwrite it. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card’s owner’s next upkeep. If you can’t cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it’s on the stack). When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn’t matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it’s exiled. A card with no mana cost can’t be cast normally; you’ll need a way to cast it for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost, such as by suspending it. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. Exiling a card with suspend isn’t casting that card. This action doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage’s ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can’t be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. If a card with no mana cost is given an alternative cost equal to its mana cost (by Snapcaster Mage, for example), that cost cannot be paid and the card cannot be cast this way. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don’t want to target. Timing permissions based on the card’s type are ignored. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn’t paid. If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. |
| Dinosaur Egg | 753 | "Discover N" means "Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with mana value N or less. That card is the "discovered" card. You may cast that card without paying its mana cost if the resulting spell's mana value is less than or equal to N. If you don't cast it, put that card into your hand. Put the remaining exiled cards on the bottom of your library in a random order." A spell's mana value is determined only by its mana cost. Ignore any alternative costs, additional costs, cost increases, or cost reductions. When you discover, you must exile cards. The only optional part of the ability is whether you cast the exiled card or put it into your hand. When comparing the stats as the evolve ability resolves, it's possible that the stat that's greater changes from power to toughness or vice versa. If this happens, the ability will still resolve and you'll put a +1/+1 counter on the creature with evolve. For example, if you control a 2/2 creature with evolve and a 1/3 creature enters the battlefield under your control, its toughness is greater so evolve will trigger. In response, the 1/3 creature gets +2/-2. When the evolve trigger tries to resolve, its power is greater. You'll put a +1/+1 counter on the creature with evolve. If the discovered card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. When comparing the stats of the two creature for evolve, you always compare power to power and toughness to toughness. If multiple creatures enter the battlefield at the same time, evolve may trigger multiple times, although the stat comparison will take place each time one of those abilities tries to resolve. For example, if you control a 2/2 creature with evolve and two 3/3 creatures enter the battlefield, evolve will trigger twice. The first ability will resolve and put a +1/+1 counter on the creature with evolve. When the second ability tries to resolve, neither the power nor the toughness of the new creature is greater than that of the creature with evolve, so that ability does nothing. If evolve triggers, the stat comparison will happen again when the ability tries to resolve. If neither stat of the new creature is greater, the ability will do nothing. If the creature that entered the battlefield leaves the battlefield before evolve tries to resolve, use its last known power and toughness to compare the stats. If you discover an adventurer card, split card, or modal double-faced card, you might be able to cast that card with either set of characteristics depending on the effect's discover value. For example, if you discover 4 and reveal Galvanic Giant (an adventurer card from Wilds of Eldraine with a mana value of 4), you could cast Galvanic Giant, but not Storm Reading (its Adventure, which has a mana value of 7). If you discover 7 and reveal Galvanic Giant, you could cast either Galvanic Giant or Storm Reading. Multiple instances of evolve trigger separately and, similar to above, the stat comparison takes place for each one independently as they try to resolve. Some spells and abilities that cause you to discover may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve and you won't discover. You exile the cards face up. All players will be able to see them. If you cast a spell "without paying its mana cost", you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the spell has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those to cast it. The mana value of a split card is determined by the combined mana cost of its two halves. If discover allows you to cast a split card, you may cast either half (as long as its mana value is less than or equal to the effect's discover value) but not both halves. Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, check its power and toughness against the power and toughness of the creature with evolve. If neither stat of the new creature is greater, evolve won't trigger at all. If you can't cast the discovered card (perhaps because there are no legal targets for the spell), you'll put it into your hand. |
| Delay | 752 | If the target spell was cast with flashback, Delay’s effect will exile it, not the flashback effect. The card will get time counters and gain suspend (if it didn’t already have suspend). If the target spell is face down, it’ll be exiled face up. It can’t be cast face down when casting it without paying its mana cost. When the last time counter is removed from the exiled card, it’s cast as a completely new spell. Modes and targets are chosen again. If the spell has any mandatory additional costs, they must be paid again. If they can’t be, the spell can’t be cast and stays exiled. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don’t want to target. Timing permissions based on the card’s type are ignored. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn’t paid. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card’s owner’s next upkeep. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn’t matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it’s on the stack). Exiling a card with suspend isn’t casting that card. This action doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can’t be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. If you can’t cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage’s ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it’s exiled. |
| Virtue of Strength // Garenbrig Growth | 749 | An effect may refer to a card, spell, or permanent that "has an Adventure." This refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an adventurer card's set of alternative characteristics, even if they're not being used and even if that card was never cast as an Adventure. If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose. Casting a card as an Adventure isn't casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure. You're "tapping a basic land for mana" only if you're activating a mana ability of a basic land that includes the {T} symbol in its cost. A mana ability produces mana as part of its effect. When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card's normal characteristics. The spell's color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics. If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won't give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell. If an effect refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an Adventure, it won't find an instant or sorcery spell on the stack that's been cast as an Adventure. The effects of multiple copies of Virtue of Strength are cumulative. For example, if you have two Virtue of Strengths on the battlefield, you'll get nine times the original amount and type of mana. An object with the land card type and a basic land type has the intrinsic ability "{T}: Add [mana symbol]," even if the text box doesn't actually contain that text or the object has no text box. For example, a basic Forest will have the intrinsic ability "{T}: Add {G}." If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it's a token) or cease to be a copy (if it's a nontoken permanent), and so you won't be able to cast it as an Adventure. You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions for the permanent spell you cast from exile. Normally, you'll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty. If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it's legal to cast that spell. For example, if you control Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer ("Once each turn, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from the top of your library.") and Questing Druid is on top of your library, you can cast Seek the Beast, but not Questing Druid. If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won't be exiled and the spell's controller won't be able to cast it as a permanent later. An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it's in your graveyard, Questing Druid is a green creature card whose mana value is 2. It can't be the target of Tenacious Tomeseeker's triggered ability ("return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand"). Virtue of Strength doesn't produce any mana itself. Rather, it causes basic lands you tap for mana to produce more mana. If an ability triggers "whenever you tap" a basic land for mana and produces mana, that triggered mana ability won't be affected by Virtue of Strength. If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it's not possible to cast the copy as a permanent. |
| Intrepid Trufflesnout // Go Hog Wild | 749 | When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card's normal characteristics. The spell's color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics. If an effect refers to a Food, it means any Food artifact, not just a Food artifact token. For example, you can sacrifice Tough Cookie to activate the last ability of Sweettooth Witch. An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it's in your graveyard, Questing Druid is a green creature card whose mana value is 2. It can't be the target of Tenacious Tomeseeker's triggered ability ("return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand"). If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won't be exiled and the spell's controller won't be able to cast it as a permanent later. If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it's a token) or cease to be a copy (if it's a nontoken permanent), and so you won't be able to cast it as an Adventure. A creature attacks alone if it's the only creature declared as an attacker during the declare attackers step. For example, Intrepid Trufflesnout's ability won't trigger if you attack with multiple creatures and all but one of them are removed from combat. If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won't give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell. If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose. Food is an artifact type. Even though it appears on some creatures, it's never a creature type. Casting a card as an Adventure isn't casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure. You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions for the permanent spell you cast from exile. Normally, you'll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty. Whatever you do, don't eat the delicious cards. You can't sacrifice a Food to pay multiple costs. For example, you can't sacrifice a Food token to activate its own ability and also to activate the last ability of Sweettooth Witch. An effect may refer to a card, spell, or permanent that "has an Adventure." This refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an adventurer card's set of alternative characteristics, even if they're not being used and even if that card was never cast as an Adventure. If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it's not possible to cast the copy as a permanent. If an effect refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an Adventure, it won't find an instant or sorcery spell on the stack that's been cast as an Adventure. If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it's legal to cast that spell. For example, if you control Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer ("Once each turn, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from the top of your library.") and Questing Druid is on top of your library, you can cast Seek the Beast, but not Questing Druid. Some spells and abilities that create Food tokens may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't create any Food tokens. |
| Detritivore | 749 | The triggered ability is mandatory. If no other player has any nonbasic lands on the battlefield, you must target one of your own. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card’s owner’s next upkeep. If this is suspended, then when the last time counter is removed from it, both its triggered ability and the “cast this spell” part of the suspend ability will trigger. They can be put on the stack in either order. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. A creature cast using suspend will enter the battlefield with haste. It will have haste until another player gains control of it. (In some rare cases, another player may gain control of the creature spell itself. If this happens, the creature won’t enter the battlefield with haste.) Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it’s on the stack). If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. If you can’t cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage’s ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it’s exiled. Exiling a card with suspend isn’t casting that card. This action doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn’t paid. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don’t want to target. Timing permissions based on the card’s type are ignored. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can’t be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn’t matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. |
| Karametra, God of Harvests | 749 | Hybrid mana symbols, monocolored hybrid mana symbols, and Phyrexian mana symbols do count toward your devotion to their color(s). Numeric mana symbols ({0}, {1}, and so on) in mana costs of permanents you control don't count toward your devotion to any color. Mana symbols in the text boxes of permanents you control don't count toward your devotion to any color. If an activated ability or triggered ability has an effect that depends on your devotion to a color, you count the number of mana symbols of that color among the mana costs of permanents you control as the ability resolves. The permanent with that ability will be counted if it's still on the battlefield at that time. If you cast a creature card with bestow for its bestow cost, it becomes an Aura spell and not a creature spell. Karametra's last ability won't trigger. You can use the last ability to put any land card with the subtype Forest or Plains onto the battlefield, not just ones named Forest or Plains. Your devotion to two colors is the number of mana symbols among mana costs of permanents you control that are the first color, the second, or both. If an effect counts your devotion to two colors, a hybrid symbol that is both of those colors is counted just once. As a God enters the battlefield, your devotion to its color will determine whether any replacement effects that affect creatures entering the battlefield apply to that God. Because replacement effects are considered before the God is on the battlefield, the mana symbols in its mana cost won't be counted when determining this. Counters put on a God remain on it while it's not a creature, even if they have no effect. When a God enters the battlefield, your devotion to its color (including the mana symbols in the mana cost of the God itself) will determine if a creature entered the battlefield or not for abilities that trigger whenever a creature enters the battlefield. If an effect causes a God to lose all abilities, its ability that causes it to stop being a creature still applies if appropriate. The abilities of Gods function as long as they're on the battlefield, regardless of whether they're creatures. The type-changing ability that can make a God not be a creature functions only on the battlefield. It's always a creature card in other zones, regardless of your devotion to its color. It's always a creature spell while it's on the stack. If a God stops being a creature, it loses the type creature and the creature type God. It continues to be a legendary enchantment. If a God is attacking or blocking and it stops being a creature, it will be removed from combat. It won't rejoin combat if it resumes being a creature later during that combat. Counters put on Karametra remain on it while it's not a creature, even if they have no effect. The type-changing ability that can make Karametra not be a creature functions only on the battlefield. It's always a creature card in other zones, regardless of your devotion to its color. It's always a creature spell while it's on the stack. When Karametra enters the battlefield, your devotion to green and white will determine if a creature entered the battlefield or not for abilities that trigger whenever a creature enters the battlefield. The mana symbols in Karametra's own mana cost are counted when determining this. If Karametra is attacking or blocking and it stops being a creature, it will be removed from combat. It won't rejoin combat if it resumes being a creature later during that combat. If Karametra stops being a creature, it loses the type creature and the creature type God. It continues to be a legendary enchantment. Karametra's abilities function as long as it's on the battlefield, regardless of whether it's a creature. An ability that triggers when a player casts a spell resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered. As Karametra enters the battlefield, your devotion to green and white will determine whether any replacement effects that affect creatures entering the battlefield apply. Because replacement effects are considered before Karametra is on the battlefield, the mana symbols in its mana cost won't be counted when determining this. If an effect causes Karametra to lose all abilities, its ability that causes it to stop being a creature still applies if appropriate. |
| Krark, the Thumbless | 749 | If you cast a copy of an instant or sorcery card (for example, one created by Mnemonic Deluge), and the spell is returned to its owner's hand, it will cease to exist. You won't be able to cast it again. Krark's ability triggers at the same time as any other abilities that say "When you cast this spell" or similar, including cascade. Those abilities may be put on the stack in any order. Those triggered abilities are unaffected by the original spell being returned to hand, countered, or otherwise removed from the stack. The copy from winning the flip is created on the stack, so it's not "cast." Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell won't trigger. If the spell that's copied has an X whose value was determined as it was cast, the copy will have the same value of X. If you lose the flip, but the spell that caused Krark's triggered ability to trigger isn't on the stack anymore (most likely because it was countered), nothing is returned to your hand. The card stays in its current zone. Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards (or 58 cards in a Commander Draft game) of your deck are shuffled to become your library. If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can only include cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders' combined color identities. If Falthis and Kediss are your commanders, your deck may contain cards with black and/or red in their color identity, but not cards with green, white, or blue. If you win the flip, the spell will be copied even if it doesn't require targets. To have two commanders, both must have the partner ability as the game begins. Losing the ability during the game doesn't cause either to cease to be your commander. Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won't have to pay an additional {2} the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 damage from any one of them, not from both of them combined. If the spell that's copied is modal (that is, it has a bulleted list of modes), the copy will have the same mode or modes. You can't choose different ones. An effect that checks whether you control your commander is satisfied if you control one or both of your two commanders. If you win the flip, but the spell that caused Krark's triggered ability to trigger isn't on the stack anymore (most likely because it was countered), the copy is still created. You can't choose to pay any alternative or additional costs for the copy. However, effects based on any alternative or additional costs that were paid for the original spell are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copy. If you lose the flip and the spell is returned to its owner's hand, it's removed from the stack and won't resolve. This isn't the same as countering the spell, and a spell that can't be countered can be returned to hand. If you win the flip, the copy will resolve before the original spell does. If the spell has damage divided as it was cast (like Monstrous Onslaught), the division can't be changed, although the targets receiving that damage still can. The same is true of spells that distribute counters. You can choose two commanders with partner that are the same color or colors. In Commander Draft, you can even choose two of the same commander with partner if you drafted them. If you do this, make sure you keep the number of times you've cast each from the command zone clear for "commander tax" purposes. If you copy a spell with targets, the copy will have the same targets unless you choose new ones. You may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If, for any of the targets, you can't choose a new legal target, that target remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal). If something refers to your commander while you have two commanders, it refers to one of them of your choice. If you are instructed to perform an action on your commander (e.g. put it from the command zone into your hand due to Command Beacon), you choose one of your commanders at the time the effect happens. |
| Yannik, Scavenging Sentinel | 745 | Yannik’s triggered ability doesn’t target the creature you control. That creature is chosen as the triggered ability resolves. After it’s exiled, the reflexive triggered ability triggers and targets are chosen to receive the counters. You may choose zero target creatures for Yannik’s reflexive triggered ability. If you do, no creature receives +1/+1 counters. If a creature with counters on it leaves the battlefield at the same time as Nikara, Nikara’s ability triggers for that creature. Note that the target player searches their library (which may be affected by effects such as that of Stranglehold) and that the card they find is revealed, even though these words aren’t included in the ability’s reminder text. If one of the target creatures becomes an illegal target in response to the reflexive triggered ability, the +1/+1 counters that would have been put on that creature are lost. They can’t be put on another legal target. Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards of your deck are shuffled to become your library. You choose how the counters will be distributed as you put the reflexive triggered ability onto the stack. Each target creature must be assigned at least one counter. The triggered ability of the “partner with” keyword still triggers in a Commander game. If your other commander has somehow ended up in your library, you can find it. You can also target another player who might have that card in their library. If a creature with +1/+1 counters on it receives an equal number of -1/-1 counters and this causes it to be destroyed by lethal damage or put into its owner’s graveyard for having 0 or less toughness, Nikara’s last ability triggers. That’s because the ability checks the creature as it last existed on the battlefield, and it still had those counters on it at that point. Nikara’s last ability causes you to draw only one card and lose only 1 life, no matter how many counters or kinds of counters that creature had on it. Auras attached to the exiled creature will be put into their owners’ graveyards. Any Equipment will become unattached and remain on the battlefield. Any counters on the exiled creature will cease to exist. When the card returns to the battlefield, it will be a new object with no connection to the card that was exiled. Yannik can be the target of its own reflexive triggered ability. If Yannik leaves the battlefield before its triggered ability resolves, you won’t exile any creature you control. Yannik’s reflexive triggered ability won’t trigger. “Partner with [name]” represents two abilities. The first is a triggered ability: “When this permanent enters the battlefield, target player may search their library for a card named [name], reveal it, put it into their hand, then shuffle their library.” If a token is exiled this way, it will cease to exist and won’t return to the battlefield. It will still let the ability distribute counters. If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can only include cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders’ combined color identities. If Haldan and Pako are your commanders, your deck may contain cards with blue, red, and/or green in their color identity, but not cards with white or black. The second ability represented by the “partner with [name]” keyword modifies the rules for deck construction in the Commander variant and has no function outside of that variant. If a legendary creature card with “partner with [name]” is designated as your commander, the named legendary creature card can also be designated as your commander. Use the power of the creature as it last existed on the battlefield to determine how many +1/+1 counters to distribute. Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won’t have to pay an additional {2} the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 damage from one of them, not from both of them combined. Command Beacon’s effect puts one into your hand from the command zone, not both. A creature with a “partner with” ability can’t partner with any creature other than its designated partner. Losing a partner ability during the game doesn’t cause either to cease to be your commander. |
| Shivan Sand-Mage | 745 | When Shivan Sand-Mage enters the battlefield, if there are no suspended cards and no permanents with time counters on them, you can’t choose the second mode. You’ll have to choose the first mode, and will have to choose a permanent as a target (though, in this case, the ability won’t do anything when it resolves). If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can’t be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn’t matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. Exiling a card with suspend isn’t casting that card. This action doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage’s ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it’s exiled. If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don’t want to target. Timing permissions based on the card’s type are ignored. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it’s on the stack). If you can’t cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. A creature cast using suspend will enter the battlefield with haste. It will have haste until another player gains control of it. (In some rare cases, another player may gain control of the creature spell itself. If this happens, the creature won’t enter the battlefield with haste.) The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn’t paid. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card’s owner’s next upkeep. |
| Nikara, Lair Scavenger | 745 | The triggered ability of the “partner with” keyword still triggers in a Commander game. If your other commander has somehow ended up in your library, you can find it. You can also target another player who might have that card in their library. Nikara’s last ability causes you to draw only one card and lose only 1 life, no matter how many counters or kinds of counters that creature had on it. “Partner with [name]” represents two abilities. The first is a triggered ability: “When this permanent enters the battlefield, target player may search their library for a card named [name], reveal it, put it into their hand, then shuffle their library.” You may choose zero target creatures for Yannik’s reflexive triggered ability. If you do, no creature receives +1/+1 counters. Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won’t have to pay an additional {2} the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 damage from one of them, not from both of them combined. Command Beacon’s effect puts one into your hand from the command zone, not both. If a creature with +1/+1 counters on it receives an equal number of -1/-1 counters and this causes it to be destroyed by lethal damage or put into its owner’s graveyard for having 0 or less toughness, Nikara’s last ability triggers. That’s because the ability checks the creature as it last existed on the battlefield, and it still had those counters on it at that point. Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards of your deck are shuffled to become your library. If a token is exiled this way, it will cease to exist and won’t return to the battlefield. It will still let the ability distribute counters. You choose how the counters will be distributed as you put the reflexive triggered ability onto the stack. Each target creature must be assigned at least one counter. Yannik’s triggered ability doesn’t target the creature you control. That creature is chosen as the triggered ability resolves. After it’s exiled, the reflexive triggered ability triggers and targets are chosen to receive the counters. Note that the target player searches their library (which may be affected by effects such as that of Stranglehold) and that the card they find is revealed, even though these words aren’t included in the ability’s reminder text. The second ability represented by the “partner with [name]” keyword modifies the rules for deck construction in the Commander variant and has no function outside of that variant. If a legendary creature card with “partner with [name]” is designated as your commander, the named legendary creature card can also be designated as your commander. A creature with a “partner with” ability can’t partner with any creature other than its designated partner. Losing a partner ability during the game doesn’t cause either to cease to be your commander. Yannik can be the target of its own reflexive triggered ability. If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can only include cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders’ combined color identities. If Haldan and Pako are your commanders, your deck may contain cards with blue, red, and/or green in their color identity, but not cards with white or black. Use the power of the creature as it last existed on the battlefield to determine how many +1/+1 counters to distribute. If a creature with counters on it leaves the battlefield at the same time as Nikara, Nikara’s ability triggers for that creature. If Yannik leaves the battlefield before its triggered ability resolves, you won’t exile any creature you control. Yannik’s reflexive triggered ability won’t trigger. If one of the target creatures becomes an illegal target in response to the reflexive triggered ability, the +1/+1 counters that would have been put on that creature are lost. They can’t be put on another legal target. Auras attached to the exiled creature will be put into their owners’ graveyards. Any Equipment will become unattached and remain on the battlefield. Any counters on the exiled creature will cease to exist. When the card returns to the battlefield, it will be a new object with no connection to the card that was exiled. |
| Acolyte's Reward | 743 | Numeric mana symbols ({0}, {1}, and so on) in mana costs of permanents you control don't count toward your devotion to any color. Mana symbols in the text boxes of permanents you control don't count toward your devotion to any color. If an activated ability or triggered ability has an effect that depends on your devotion to a color, you count the number of mana symbols of that color among the mana costs of permanents you control as the ability resolves. The permanent with that ability will be counted if it's still on the battlefield at that time. Hybrid mana symbols, monocolored hybrid mana symbols, and Phyrexian mana symbols do count toward your devotion to their color(s). After Acolyte's Reward resolves, it no longer matters whether either target is still legal. For example, if the second target is a creature controlled by an opponent, and it gains hexproof after Acolyte's Reward resolves but before it prevents damage, Acolyte's Reward will still deal damage to that creature. If Acolyte's Reward can't deal damage to the second target (perhaps because it's a creature that has left the battlefield), Acolyte's Reward will still prevent damage; it just won't deal any damage itself. Acolyte's Reward has two targets: the creature that would be dealt damage and the permanent or player that Acolyte's Reward will deal damage to. These targets are chosen as you cast Acolyte's Reward. The amount of damage the prevention shield will prevent is based on your devotion to white as Acolyte's Reward resolves. That amount won't change later in the turn, even if your devotion to white does. If Acolyte's Reward prevents damage, it deals its damage immediately afterward as part of that same prevention effect. This happens before state-based actions are performed, and before any player can cast spells or activate abilities. If the source of the original damage was a spell or ability, this happens before that spell or ability resumes its resolution. As Acolyte's Reward tries to resolve, if only the first target is illegal, Acolyte's Reward won't prevent any damage that would be dealt to that creature and, because of this, Acolyte's Reward won't deal damage to the second target. If only the second target is illegal, damage that would be dealt to the first target will be prevented, but Acolyte's Reward won't deal damage. If both targets are illegal, Acolyte's Reward won't resolve. The damage will be dealt by Acolyte's Reward as it existed on the stack, not as it exists when the damage is dealt. That is, it's an instant spell that's dealing the damage, in case an ability cares about that (such as Satyr Firedancer's, which includes the phrase "Whenever an instant or sorcery spell you control deals damage to an opponent"). If the amount of damage that would be dealt to the first target is in excess of the amount of damage that Acolyte's Reward would prevent, the source deals its excess damage to the first target at the same time that the rest of it is prevented. Then Acolyte's Reward deals its damage. You don't choose a source of damage. The prevention shield will apply to the next X damage that would be dealt to the first target, no matter where that damage comes from. It also doesn't matter whether the damage is dealt at the same time. For example, if the shield prevents the next 5 damage to the first target, and that creature would be dealt 3 damage by Lightning Strike, that 3 damage is prevented and Acolyte's Reward deals 3 damage to the second target. The prevention effect will still apply to the next 2 damage the first target would be dealt that turn. The effect of Acolyte's Reward isn't a redirection effect. If it prevents damage, Acolyte's Reward (not the source of that damage) deals damage to the second target as part of that prevention effect. Acolyte's Reward is the source of the new damage, so the characteristics of the original source (such as its color or whether it had lifelink) don't apply. The new damage isn't combat damage, even if the prevented damage was. If the first target would be dealt combat damage by multiple creatures, you choose which of that damage to prevent. (For example, if one of those creatures has deathtouch, you could choose to prevent the damage from that creature specifically.) You don't decide until the point at which the creatures would deal their damage. |
| Brass's Tunnel-Grinder // Tecutlan, the Searing Rift | 740 | When you discover, you must exile cards. The only optional part of the ability is whether you cast the exiled card or put it into your hand. If you discover an adventurer card, split card, or modal double-faced card, you might be able to cast that card with either set of characteristics depending on the effect's discover value. For example, if you discover 4 and reveal Galvanic Giant (an adventurer card from Wilds of Eldraine with a mana value of 4), you could cast Galvanic Giant, but not Storm Reading (its Adventure, which has a mana value of 7). If you discover 7 and reveal Galvanic Giant, you could cast either Galvanic Giant or Storm Reading. If you can't cast the discovered card (perhaps because there are no legal targets for the spell), you'll put it into your hand. In either case, it doesn't matter if those cards are still in that player's graveyard. You exile the cards face up. All players will be able to see them. Tecutlan, the Searing Rift's triggered ability will resolve before the spell that caused it to trigger. The mana value of a split card is determined by the combined mana cost of its two halves. If discover allows you to cast a split card, you may cast either half (as long as its mana value is less than or equal to the effect's discover value) but not both halves. Some cards refer to a player who has "descended this turn." This means that a permanent card has been put into that player's graveyard from anywhere this turn. Some spells and abilities that cause you to discover may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve and you won't discover. Abilities that begin with "At the beginning of your end step, if you descended this turn" will trigger only once during your end step, no matter how many times you descended this turn. However, if you haven't descended this turn as your end step begins, the ability won't trigger at all. It's not possible to put a permanent card into your graveyard during the end step in time to have the ability trigger. A permanent card is an artifact, battle, creature, enchantment, land, or planeswalker card. Tokens are not cards, and while tokens are put into the graveyard before ceasing to exist, that action doesn't count as a player having descended. Some cards refer to the number of times a player descended this turn. Those cards care about the number of permanent cards put into that player's graveyard from anywhere this turn. "Discover N" means "Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with mana value N or less. That card is the "discovered" card. You may cast that card without paying its mana cost if the resulting spell's mana value is less than or equal to N. If you don't cast it, put that card into your hand. Put the remaining exiled cards on the bottom of your library in a random order." You choose how many cards to discard as the first ability of Brass's Tunnel-Grinder resolves. You may choose to discard no cards and just draw a card. A spell's mana value is determined only by its mana cost. Ignore any alternative costs, additional costs, cost increases, or cost reductions. Multiple cards have abilities that begin with "At the beginning of your end step, if you descended this turn." These cards don't need to have been under your control at the time you descended. For example, if a permanent card is put into your graveyard during your first main phase and you cast Stalactite Stalker your second main phase, its ability will trigger at the beginning of your end step. If the discovered card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. If you cast a spell "without paying its mana cost", you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the spell has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those to cast it. If a permanent spell cast using mana produced by Tecutlan, the Searing Rift has {X} in its mana cost, use the value chosen for X when calculating that spell's mana value. |
| Invasion of Ikoria // Zilortha, Apex of Ikoria | 737 | Battles can’t attack or block, even if one also becomes a creature. If an attacking or blocking creature somehow becomes a battle in addition to being a creature, it is removed from combat. You decide whether to assign a non-Human creature’s combat damage as though it weren’t blocked just before it assigns that damage. You may make a different choice for each non-Human creature you control—that is, you may have none, some, or all of those creatures assign combat damage as though they weren’t blocked. If a battle that’s being attacked somehow stops being a battle, it is removed from combat. Similarly, if its controller changes in the middle of combat, it is removed from combat. Only creatures controlled by a battle’s protector can block creatures that are attacking that battle. This means a Siege’s controller can never assign creatures to block for it. A battle’s “defense” is displayed in the bottom right corner of the card. A battle enters the battlefield with that number of defense counters. If another permanent enters the battlefield as a copy of a battle, it also enters with that number of defense counters. If a non-battle permanent that is already on the battlefield become a copy of a Siege, its controller chooses one of their opponents to be that battle’s protector. However, it will most likely be put into its owner’s graveyard because it has no defense counters (see below). If a Siege never had defense counters on it (perhaps because a permanent became a copy of one), it can’t have its last defense counter removed. It will be put into its owner’s graveyard. You won’t exile it or cast the other face. Damage dealt to a battle causes that many defense counters to be removed from it. A battle can be attacked by all players other than its protector. Notably, this means a Siege’s controller can attack it. A battle can be dealt damage and be target of spells and/or abilities that target “any target.” If a battle has no defense counters, and it isn’t the source of a triggered ability that has triggered but not yet left the stack, that battle is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action. This doesn’t cause a Siege’s intrinsic triggered ability to trigger. In a multiplayer game, if the protector of a battle leaves the game and that battle is not currently being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it as a state-based action. If it is being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it once no creatures are attacking it. This means that it continues to be attacked and can be dealt combat damage as normal. A Siege’s controller can’t be its protector. If a Siege’s protector ever gains control of it, they choose a new player to be its protector. This is a state-based action. If a permanent that is represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it will be exiled as that Siege’s triggered ability resolves, then it will be cast transformed. Note that this applies only to transforming double-faced cards, not to modal double-faced cards that can normally be played using either face. If a token or a card that isn’t represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it can’t be cast as its triggered ability resolves. It will remain in exile. If it’s a token, it will cease to exist the next time state-based actions are performed. Even if a creature assigns damage as though it were not blocked, it will still receive damage from creatures that are blocking it. As a Siege enters the battlefield, its controller chooses an opponent to be its protector. Assigning a creature’s damage as though it weren’t blocked is all or nothing. You can’t use this effect to assign some of the creature’s damage to a blocking creature and the rest to the player, planeswalker, or battle it’s attacking. Sieges each have an intrinsic triggered ability. That ability is “When the last defense counter is removed from this permanent, exile it, then you may cast it transformed without paying its mana cost.” |
| Devouring Sugarmaw // Have for Dinner | 735 | If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it’s legal to cast that spell. For example, if you control Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer (“Once each turn, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from the top of your library.”) and Questing Druid is on top of your library, you can cast Seek the Beast, but not Questing Druid. Whatever you do, don’t eat the delicious cards. Some spells and abilities that create Food tokens may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won’t resolve. You won’t create any Food tokens. An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it’s in your graveyard, Questing Druid is a green creature card whose mana value is 2. It can’t be the target of Tenacious Tomeseeker’s triggered ability (“return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand”). You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions for the permanent spell you cast from exile. Normally, you’ll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty. An effect may refer to a card, spell, or permanent that “has an Adventure.” This refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an adventurer card’s set of alternative characteristics, even if they’re not being used and even if that card was never cast as an Adventure. If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner’s graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won’t be exiled and the spell’s controller won’t be able to cast it as a permanent later. When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card’s normal characteristics. The spell’s color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics. If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose. If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it’s a token) or cease to be a copy (if it’s a nontoken permanent), and so you won’t be able to cast it as an Adventure. If an effect refers to a Food, it means any Food artifact, not just a Food artifact token. For example, you can sacrifice Tough Cookie to activate the last ability of Sweettooth Witch. You can’t sacrifice a Food to pay multiple costs. For example, you can’t sacrifice a Food token to activate its own ability and also to activate the last ability of Sweettooth Witch. Casting a card as an Adventure isn’t casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure. If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it’s not possible to cast the copy as a permanent. Food is an artifact type. Even though it appears on some creatures, it’s never a creature type. If an effect refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an Adventure, it won’t find an instant or sorcery spell on the stack that’s been cast as an Adventure. If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won’t give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell. |
| Picnic Ruiner // Stolen Goodies | 735 | If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it’s a token) or cease to be a copy (if it’s a nontoken permanent), and so you won’t be able to cast it as an Adventure. You can cast Stolen Goodies with no targets. If you do, you won't distribute any counters, but you'll still exile it as it resolves, and you'll still be able to cast Picnic Ruiner later. If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner’s graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won’t be exiled and the spell’s controller won’t be able to cast it as a permanent later. If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won’t give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell. If an effect refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an Adventure, it won’t find an instant or sorcery spell on the stack that’s been cast as an Adventure. You choose how the counters will be distributed as you cast Stolen Goodies. Each target must receive at least one +1/+1 counter. If you controlled a creature with power 4 or greater when you declared Picnic Ruiner as an attacker, it doesn't matter whether you still control one as its ability resolves. Picnic Ruiner will still gain double strike until end of turn. Casting a card as an Adventure isn’t casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure. If some of the creatures are illegal targets as Stolen Goodies tries to resolve, the original distribution of counters still applies and the counters that would have been put on illegal targets are lost. If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose. An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it’s in your graveyard, Questing Druid is a green creature card whose mana value is 2. It can’t be the target of Tenacious Tomeseeker’s triggered ability (“return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand”). If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it’s legal to cast that spell. For example, if you control Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer (“Once each turn, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from the top of your library.”) and Questing Druid is on top of your library, you can cast Seek the Beast, but not Questing Druid. When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card’s normal characteristics. The spell’s color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics. You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions for the permanent spell you cast from exile. Normally, you’ll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty. If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it’s not possible to cast the copy as a permanent. An effect may refer to a card, spell, or permanent that “has an Adventure.” This refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an adventurer card’s set of alternative characteristics, even if they’re not being used and even if that card was never cast as an Adventure. |
| Hollow Scavenger // Bakery Raid | 735 | Casting a card as an Adventure isn’t casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure. If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner’s graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won’t be exiled and the spell’s controller won’t be able to cast it as a permanent later. When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card’s normal characteristics. The spell’s color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics. If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it’s legal to cast that spell. For example, if you control Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer (“Once each turn, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from the top of your library.”) and Questing Druid is on top of your library, you can cast Seek the Beast, but not Questing Druid. Whatever you do, don’t eat the delicious cards. If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won’t give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell. If an effect refers to a Food, it means any Food artifact, not just a Food artifact token. For example, you can sacrifice Tough Cookie to activate the last ability of Sweettooth Witch. Food is an artifact type. Even though it appears on some creatures, it’s never a creature type. An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it’s in your graveyard, Questing Druid is a green creature card whose mana value is 2. It can’t be the target of Tenacious Tomeseeker’s triggered ability (“return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand”). Some spells and abilities that create Food tokens may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won’t resolve. You won’t create any Food tokens. You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions for the permanent spell you cast from exile. Normally, you’ll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty. An effect may refer to a card, spell, or permanent that “has an Adventure.” This refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an adventurer card’s set of alternative characteristics, even if they’re not being used and even if that card was never cast as an Adventure. If an effect refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an Adventure, it won’t find an instant or sorcery spell on the stack that’s been cast as an Adventure. If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it’s a token) or cease to be a copy (if it’s a nontoken permanent), and so you won’t be able to cast it as an Adventure. If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose. If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it’s not possible to cast the copy as a permanent. You can’t sacrifice a Food to pay multiple costs. For example, you can’t sacrifice a Food token to activate its own ability and also to activate the last ability of Sweettooth Witch. |
| Gingerbread Hunter // Puny Snack | 735 | If an effect refers to a Food, it means any Food artifact, not just a Food artifact token. For example, you can sacrifice Tough Cookie to activate the last ability of Sweettooth Witch. Casting a card as an Adventure isn’t casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure. If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it’s not possible to cast the copy as a permanent. If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it’s legal to cast that spell. For example, if you control Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer (“Once each turn, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from the top of your library.”) and Questing Druid is on top of your library, you can cast Seek the Beast, but not Questing Druid. You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions for the permanent spell you cast from exile. Normally, you’ll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty. An effect may refer to a card, spell, or permanent that “has an Adventure.” This refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an adventurer card’s set of alternative characteristics, even if they’re not being used and even if that card was never cast as an Adventure. Food is an artifact type. Even though it appears on some creatures, it’s never a creature type. If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it’s a token) or cease to be a copy (if it’s a nontoken permanent), and so you won’t be able to cast it as an Adventure. If an effect refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an Adventure, it won’t find an instant or sorcery spell on the stack that’s been cast as an Adventure. Some spells and abilities that create Food tokens may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won’t resolve. You won’t create any Food tokens. If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose. When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card’s normal characteristics. The spell’s color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics. If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won’t give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell. If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner’s graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won’t be exiled and the spell’s controller won’t be able to cast it as a permanent later. You can’t sacrifice a Food to pay multiple costs. For example, you can’t sacrifice a Food token to activate its own ability and also to activate the last ability of Sweettooth Witch. Whatever you do, don’t eat the delicious cards. An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it’s in your graveyard, Questing Druid is a green creature card whose mana value is 2. It can’t be the target of Tenacious Tomeseeker’s triggered ability (“return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand”). |
| Nantuko Shaman | 734 | If you control any tapped lands immediately after Nantuko Shaman enters the battlefield, its ability doesn’t trigger at all. If you control any tapped lands as the ability resolves, you don’t draw a card. Your lands could become tapped and then untapped again in between, however. A creature cast using suspend will enter the battlefield with haste. It will have haste until another player gains control of it. (In some rare cases, another player may gain control of the creature spell itself. If this happens, the creature won’t enter the battlefield with haste.) If you can’t cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn’t paid. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card’s owner’s next upkeep. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don’t want to target. Timing permissions based on the card’s type are ignored. Exiling a card with suspend isn’t casting that card. This action doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can’t be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it’s on the stack). When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn’t matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage’s ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it’s exiled. If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. |
| Refuse // Cooperate | 731 | If another effect allows you to cast a split card with aftermath from any zone other than a graveyard, you can’t cast the half with aftermath. While not on the stack, the characteristics of a split card are the combination of its two halves. For example, Destined // Lead is a green and black card, it is both an instant card and a sorcery card, and its converted mana cost is 6. This means that if an effect allows you to cast a card with converted mana cost 2 from your hand, you can’t cast Destined. This is a change from the previous rules for split cards. If you cast the first half of a split card with aftermath during your turn, you’ll have priority immediately after it resolves. You can cast the half with aftermath from your graveyard before any player can take any other action if it’s legal for you to do so. A spell with aftermath cast from a graveyard will always be exiled afterward, whether it resolves, it’s countered, or it leaves the stack in some other way. Each split card is a single card. For example, if you discard one, you’ve discarded one card, not two. If an effect counts the number of instant and sorcery cards in your graveyard, Destined // Lead counts once, not twice. If another effect allows you to cast a split card with aftermath from a graveyard, you may cast either half. If you cast the half that has aftermath, you’ll exile the card if it would leave the stack. Split cards with aftermath have a new frame treatment—the half you can cast from your hand is oriented the same as other cards you’d cast from your hand, while the half you can cast from your graveyard is a traditional split card half. This frame treatment is for your convenience and has no rules significance. All split cards have two card faces on a single card, and you put a split card onto the stack with only the half you’re casting. The characteristics of the half of the card you didn’t cast are ignored while the spell is on the stack. For example, if an effect prevents you from casting green spells, you can cast Destined of Destined // Lead, but not Lead. Each split card has two names. If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose one, but not both. If you copy a spell, you control the copy. It will resolve before the original spell does. Once you’ve started to cast a spell with aftermath from your graveyard, the card is immediately moved to the stack. Opponents can’t try to stop the ability by exiling the card with an effect such as that of Crook of Condemnation. If the spell has damage divided as it was cast (like Chandra’s Pyrohelix), the division can’t be changed (although the targets receiving that damage still can). If the spell that’s copied is modal (that is, it says “Choose one —” or the like), the copy will have the same mode. A different mode can’t be chosen. If the spell that’s copied has an X whose value was determined as it was cast (like Torment of Hailfire does), the copy will have the same value of X. The copy will have the same targets as the spell it’s copying unless you choose new ones. You may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If, for one of the targets, you can’t choose a new legal target, then it remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal). The controller of a copy can’t choose to pay any alternative or additional costs for the copy. However, effects based on any alternative or additional costs that were paid for the original spell are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copy. If a spell has {X} in its mana cost, include the value chosen for that X when determining the converted mana cost of that spell. Cooperate can copy any instant or sorcery spell, not just one with targets. The copy is created on the stack, so it’s not “cast.” Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell won’t trigger. |
| The Parting of the Ways | 728 | If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when the card is exiled. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it's on the stack). As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don't want to target. Timing permissions based on the card's type are ignored. To time travel, look at each permanent you control with a time counter on it and each card you own in exile with a time counter on it. For each of them, you choose whether you want to put a time counter on that card or permanent, remove a time counter from it, or do neither. Then those changes all happen simultaneously. If you can't cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended. Exiling a card with suspend isn't casting that card. This action doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn't matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn't paid. If you cast a card "without paying its mana cost," such as with suspend, you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage's ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can't be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended. Time counters are usually found on cards with suspend and vanishing, but may be found on other cards as well. Notably, Sagas use lore counters to track their progress, not time counters. You can't move a Saga's chapters forward and backward this way. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card's owner's next upkeep. If an effect refers to a "suspended card," that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. |
| Moritte of the Frost | 728 | Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied permanent will trigger when Moritte enters the battlefield. Any “as [this permanent] enters the battlefield” or “[this permanent] enters the battlefield with” abilities of the chosen permanent will also work. The {S} symbol is a generic mana symbol. It represents a cost that can be paid by one mana that was produced by a snow source. That mana can be any color or colorless. If the chosen permanent is a token, Moritte copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that created the token. Moritte doesn’t become a token in this case. Moritte copies exactly what was printed on the original permanent (unless that permanent is copying something else or is a token; see below). It doesn’t copy whether that permanent is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it, whether it has any Auras and/or Equipment attached to it, or any non-copy effects that changed its power, toughness, types, color, and so on. Some cards have additional effects for each {S} spent to cast them. You can cast these spells even if you don’t spend any snow mana to cast them; their additional effects simply won’t do anything. If the copied permanent is affected by a type-changing effect, Moritte may enter the battlefield with different permanent types than the copied permanent currently has. Use the characteristics of Moritte as it enters the battlefield, not of the copied permanent, to determine whether it enters with an additional counter on it. Notably, if Moritte copies a permanent that’s normally not a creature but has been made a creature by another effect, Moritte enters as a noncreature permanent that doesn’t get +1/+1 counters or have changeling. If Moritte somehow enters the battlefield at the same time as another permanent, it can’t become a copy of that permanent. You may choose only a permanent that’s already on the battlefield. Changeling is a characteristic-defining ability. It functions in all zones, not only while a card that has it is on the battlefield. If Moritte copies a creature, it enters with two +1/+1 counters on it, plus any counters that will be put on it by abilities it copied or abilities of other objects. If the chosen permanent has {X} in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0. If the chosen permanent is copying something else, Moritte will use the copiable values of the chosen permanent. In most cases, it will be a copy of whatever the chosen permanent is copying. If it’s copying a permanent or card with {X} in its mana cost, X is 0. The Kaldheim set doesn’t have any cards with mana costs that include {S}, but some previous sets do. If an effect says such a spell costs {1} less to cast, that reduction doesn’t apply to any {S} costs. This is also true for activated abilities that include {S} in their activation costs and effects that reduce those costs. The subtype Shapeshifter that appears on the type line is mostly there to reinforce the flavor. A creature card with changeling is just as much an Elf, a Dwarf, a Sliver, a Goat, a Coward, and a Zombie as it is a Shapeshifter. Snow is a supertype, not a card type. It has no rules meaning or function by itself, but spells and abilities may refer to it. If an effect causes a creature with changeling to lose all abilities, it will remain all creature types, even though it will no longer have changeling. This is because changeling applies before the effect that removes it. If an effect causes a creature with changeling to become a new creature type, it will be only that new creature type. It will still have changeling; the effect making it all creature types will simply be overwritten. Snow isn’t a type of mana. If an effect says you may spend mana as though it were any type, you can’t pay for {S} using mana that wasn’t produced by a snow source. If Moritte copies a nonlegendary permanent, you’ll control two permanents with same name, but only one of them (Moritte) will be legendary. You won’t put any of them into their owner’s graveyard. |
| Inevitable Betrayal | 727 | When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn't matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. Exiling a card with suspend isn't casting that card. This action doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to. A card with no mana cost can't be cast normally; you'll need a way to cast it for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost, such as by suspending it. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can't be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it's exiled. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. If you can't cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage's ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. If a card with no mana cost is given an alternative cost equal to its mana cost (by Snapcaster Mage, for example), that cost cannot be paid and the card cannot be cast this way. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don't want to target. Timing permissions based on the card's type are ignored. If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. You may fail to find a creature card in your opponent's library. This may be because they don't have any creature cards, or it may be because you simply don't like any of the creature cards they do have. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card's owner's next upkeep. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn't paid. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it's on the stack). |
| Zirda, the Dawnwaker | 727 | Permanent cards are artifact, creature, enchantment, land, and planeswalker cards. Land cards with basic land types have intrinsic activated mana abilities associated with those types. Activating Zirda's last ability after a creature has blocked won't remove the blocking creature from combat or cause the creature it blocked to become unblocked. The requirements of the companion ability apply only to your starting deck. They do not apply to your sideboard. The companion ability has no effect if the card is in your starting deck and creates no restriction on putting a card with a companion ability into your starting deck. For example, Zirda may be in your starting deck even if your other permanent cards don't all have activated abilities. You may have one companion in the Commander variant. Your deck, including your commander, must meet its companion requirement. Your companion is not one of your one hundred cards. If more than one player wishes to reveal a companion, the starting player does so first, and players proceed in turn order. Once a player has chosen not to reveal a companion, that player can't change their mind. Activated abilities contain a colon. They're generally written “[Cost]: [Effect].” Some keyword abilities are activated abilities (such as cycling) and will have colons in their reminder text. If you reveal a companion outside the game, for as long as it remains there, you may pay {3} any time you could cast a sorcery (that is, you have priority during your main phase and the stack is empty). Once you do, you put it into your hand and behaves like any other card you've brought into the game. For example, if it's discard, countered, or destroyed, it's put into your graveyard, remaining in the game. This is a change from previous rules. The companion's other abilities apply only if the creature is on the battlefield. They have no effect while the companion is outside the game. Your companion begins the game outside the game. In tournament play, this means your sideboard. In casual play, it's simply a card you own that's not in your starting deck. An activated mana ability is one that produces mana as it resolves, not one that costs mana to activate. Before shuffling your deck to become your library, you may reveal one card from outside the game to be your companion if your starting deck meets the requirements of the companion ability. You can't reveal more than one. It remains revealed outside the game as the game begins. Effects that reduce the generic mana cost of an activation cost can't reduce that cost's colored mana requirements. The activation cost is reduced by only {1} if doing so reduces that cost to one mana. For example, a cycling cost of {2} would become {1}, and one of {1}{R} would become {R}. The activation cost is unaffected if it already costs one or zero mana (such as the activation cost of Zirda's last ability). If you reveal a companion outside the game, for as long as it remains there, you may pay {3} any time you could cast a sorcery (that is, you have priority during your main phase and the stack is empty). Once you do, you put it into your hand and behaves like any other card you've brought into the game. For example, if it's discarded, countered, or destroyed, it's put into your graveyard, remaining in the game. This is a change from previous rules. Wizards of the Coast has issued functional errata for the Companion mechanic. Instead of casting companions from outside the game: Once per game, any time you could cast a sorcery (during your main phase when the stack is empty), you can pay {3} to put your companion from your sideboard into your hand. This is a special action, not an activated ability. It happens immediately and can’t be responded to. It can’t be countered or stopped by cards like Phyrexian Revoker. For more information please see https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/june-1-2020-banned-and-restricted-announcement Paying {3} to put your companion into your hand is a special action. It doesn't use the stack and players can't respond to it. Once you take this action, you may cast that card if it's legal to do so before any other player can take actions. |
| Invasion of Azgol // Ashen Reaper | 727 | If a permanent that is represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it will be exiled as that Siege’s triggered ability resolves, then it will be cast transformed. Note that this applies only to transforming double-faced cards, not to modal double-faced cards that can normally be played using either face. Battles can’t attack or block, even if one also becomes a creature. If an attacking or blocking creature somehow becomes a battle in addition to being a creature, it is removed from combat. A battle can be dealt damage and be target of spells and/or abilities that target “any target.” If a battle that’s being attacked somehow stops being a battle, it is removed from combat. Similarly, if its controller changes in the middle of combat, it is removed from combat. If a Siege never had defense counters on it (perhaps because a permanent became a copy of one), it can’t have its last defense counter removed. It will be put into its owner’s graveyard. You won’t exile it or cast the other face. Ashen Reaper’s ability triggers at the beginning of each of your end steps, even if nothing has entered any graveyard that turn. The ability checks as it resolves whether to put a +1/+1 counter on Ashen Reaper or not. This means the ability will count any permanent that’s put into a graveyard in response to the ability. A battle’s “defense” is displayed in the bottom right corner of the card. A battle enters the battlefield with that number of defense counters. If another permanent enters the battlefield as a copy of a battle, it also enters with that number of defense counters. Only creatures controlled by a battle’s protector can block creatures that are attacking that battle. This means a Siege’s controller can never assign creatures to block for it. Sieges each have an intrinsic triggered ability. That ability is “When the last defense counter is removed from this permanent, exile it, then you may cast it transformed without paying its mana cost.” A battle can be attacked by all players other than its protector. Notably, this means a Siege’s controller can attack it. If a token or a card that isn’t represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it can’t be cast as its triggered ability resolves. It will remain in exile. If it’s a token, it will cease to exist the next time state-based actions are performed. A Siege’s controller can’t be its protector. If a Siege’s protector ever gains control of it, they choose a new player to be its protector. This is a state-based action. If a non-battle permanent that is already on the battlefield become a copy of a Siege, its controller chooses one of their opponents to be that battle’s protector. However, it will most likely be put into its owner’s graveyard because it has no defense counters (see below). If a battle has no defense counters, and it isn’t the source of a triggered ability that has triggered but not yet left the stack, that battle is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action. This doesn’t cause a Siege’s intrinsic triggered ability to trigger. In a multiplayer game, if the protector of a battle leaves the game and that battle is not currently being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it as a state-based action. If it is being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it once no creatures are attacking it. This means that it continues to be attacked and can be dealt combat damage as normal. The ability will count any permanent that was put into a graveyard, including token permanents. If a nontoken permanent is put into a graveyard, it doesn’t matter what happens to the permanent card afterward. Ashen Reaper’s ability will count it even if the card has left the graveyard by the time the ability resolves. As a Siege enters the battlefield, its controller chooses an opponent to be its protector. Damage dealt to a battle causes that many defense counters to be removed from it. |
| Riftmarked Knight | 726 | Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. Exiling a card with suspend isn’t casting that card. This action doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can’t be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. If you can’t cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don’t want to target. Timing permissions based on the card’s type are ignored. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it’s on the stack). When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn’t matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn’t paid. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage’s ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card’s owner’s next upkeep. If this is suspended, then when the last time counter is removed from it, both its triggered ability and the “cast this spell” part of the suspend ability will trigger. They can be put on the stack in either order. A creature cast using suspend will enter the battlefield with haste. It will have haste until another player gains control of it. (In some rare cases, another player may gain control of the creature spell itself. If this happens, the creature won’t enter the battlefield with haste.) If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it’s exiled. |
| Blitzwing, Cruel Tormentor // Blitzwing, Adaptive Assailant | 723 | If a creature enters the battlefield as a copy of or becomes a copy of a creature whose blitz cost was paid, the copy won't have haste, won't be sacrificed, and its controller won't draw a card when it dies. The triggered ability that lets its controller draw a card triggers when it dies for any reason, not just when you sacrifice it during the end step. You don't have to attack with the creature with blitz unless another ability says you do. If you pay the blitz cost to cast a creature spell, that permanent will be sacrificed only if it's still on the battlefield when that triggered ability resolves. If it dies or goes to another zone before then, it will stay where it is. If you choose to pay the blitz cost rather than the mana cost, you're still casting the spell. It goes on the stack and can be responded to and countered. You can cast a creature spell for its blitz cost only if you could cast that creature spell. Most of the time, this means during your main phase when the stack is empty. While it's a creature, the Vehicle has its printed power and toughness. The convert keyword action functions the same way as the transform keyword action found on some other cards; to convert a permanent on the battlefield, turn it over so that its other face is up. The cost is an alternative cost, so it can't be combined with any other alternative costs. It can be combined with any applicable additional costs. Any triggered ability of another card that triggers whenever a permanent transforms will also trigger whenever a permanent converts. If a static ability of another permanent applies only to noncreature permanents, that ability applies to a Vehicle with living metal only during your opponents' turns. For example, if you control Arcee, Acrobatic Coupe and March of the Machines, Arcee will be a 2/2 artifact creature during your turn and a 3/3 artifact creature (because its mana value is 3) during each opponent's turn. If you copy a permanent spell cast this way, the copy has the characteristics of the card's back face, even though it isn't itself a double-faced card. The mana value of a converted permanent on the battlefield is equal to the mana value of the card's front face, no matter which face is up. "More Than Meets the Eye [cost]" means "You may cast this card converted by paying [cost] rather than its mana cost." It functions in any zone from which the spell can be cast. After Blitzwing, Adaptive Assailant converts into Blitzwing, Cruel Tormentor, it's still an attacking creature in combat. It will still have any gained abilities, including the ability it gained at the beginning of combat. Notably, if it has somehow gained double strike, it will convert before dealing combat damage in the regular combat damage step. A spell cast this way enters the battlefield with its back face up. "Living metal" means "As long as it's your turn, this permanent is an artifact creature in addition to its other types." Similarly, an ability of another card that instructs you to "transform" one of these cards will cause you to convert it, even if that ability doesn't use the word "convert." When you cast a spell using its More Than Meets the Eye ability, the card is put onto the stack with its back face up. The resulting spell has all characteristics of that face. To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost (such as a More Than Meets the Eye cost) you're paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of a spell cast using More Than Meets the Eye is determined by the mana cost on the front face of the card, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was. Converting a permanent doesn't affect any Auras or Equipment that are attached to it. Similarly, any counters on the permanent will remain on that permanent after it converts. Any continuous effects from a resolved spell or ability will continue to affect it. Any spells or abilities on the stack that target a permanent continue to do so after that permanent converts. |
| Ethereal Ambush | 723 | Some older Magic sets feature double-faced cards, which have a Magic card face on each side rather than a Magic card face on one side and a Magic card back on the other. The rules for double-faced cards are changing slightly to account for the possibility that they are manifested. If a double-faced card is manifested, it will be put onto the battlefield face down. While face down, it can’t transform. If the front face of the card is a creature card, you can turn it face up by paying its mana cost. If you do, its front face will be up. A double-faced permanent on the battlefield still can’t be turned face down. Because face-down creatures don’t have names, they can’t have the same name as any other creature, even another face-down creature. Turning a permanent face up or face down doesn’t change whether that permanent is tapped or untapped. Unlike a face-down creature that was cast using the morph ability, a manifested creature may still be turned face up after it loses its abilities if it’s a creature card. Any time you have priority, you may turn a manifested creature face up by revealing that it’s a creature card (ignoring any copy effects or type-changing effects that might be applying to it) and paying its mana cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. At any time, you can look at a face-down permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down permanents you don’t control unless an effect allows you to or instructs you to. There are no cards in the Fate Reforged set that would turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, but some older cards can try to do this. If something tries to turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, reveal that card to show all players it’s an instant or sorcery card. The permanent remains on the battlefield face down. Abilities that trigger when a permanent turns face up won’t trigger, because even though you revealed the card, it never turned face up. A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent, as well as Auras and Equipment that were attached to the permanent, aren’t affected. If a face-down permanent you control leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or if the game ends. You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can easily be differentiated from each other. You’re not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield in order to confuse other players. The order they entered the battlefield should remain clear. Common methods for indicating this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield. You must also track how each became face down (manifested, cast face down using the morph ability, and so on). If you’re playing with the top card of your library revealed as Ethereal Ambush resolves (perhaps because you control a card such as Courser of Kruphix), you’ll manifest the top card, reveal the next card (now the top card), and then manifest that card. Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it’s turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn’t cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger. The face-down permanent is a 2/2 creature with no name, mana cost, creature types, or abilities. It’s colorless and has a converted mana cost of 0. Other effects that apply to the permanent can still grant or change any of these characteristics. If a manifested creature would have morph if it were face up, you may also turn it face up by paying its morph cost. The cards are manifested one at a time. It must remain clear which face-down creature was the top card of your library and which one was the second card of your library. |
| Echoing Boon | 723 | A conspiracy's static and triggered abilities function as long as that conspiracy is face-up in the command zone. Conspiracies are colorless, have no mana cost, and can't be cast as spells. As a special action, you may turn a face-down conspiracy face up. You may do so any time you have priority. This action doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to. Once face up, the named card is revealed and the conspiracy's abilities will affect the game. When Echoing Boon's ability resolves, it creates a copy of the instant or sorcery spell. The copy is created on the stack, so it's not "cast." Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell won't trigger. The copy will then resolve like a normal spell, before the original spell resolves but after players get a chance to cast spells and activate abilities. You can look at any player's face-up conspiracies at any time. You'll also know how many face-down conspiracies a player has in the command zone, although you won't know what they are. If you play multiple games after the draft, you can name a different card in each new game. The instant or sorcery spell can target other things as well, as long as one of its targets is a creature you control with the chosen name. You don't have to play with any conspiracy you draft. However, you have only one opportunity to put conspiracies into the command zone, as the game begins. You can't put conspiracies into the command zone after this point. The copy will have the same targets as the spell it's copying unless you choose new ones. You may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If you can't choose a new legal target for one of the targets, then it remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal). If the spell being copied has an X whose value was determined as it was cast (like Subterranean Tremors has), the copy will have the same value of X. You name the card as the game begins, as you put the conspiracy into the command zone, not as you turn the face-down conspiracy face up. Conspiracies aren't legal for any sanctioned Constructed format, but may be included in other Limited formats, such as Cube Draft. If an alternative cost was paid for the spell being copied, such as a madness cost or surge cost, the same alternative cost is considered to have been paid for the copy. A conspiracy doesn't count as a card in your deck for purposes of meeting minimum deck size requirements. (In most drafts, the minimum deck size is 40 cards.) You must name a Magic card. Notably, you can't name a token. There are several ways to secretly name a card, including writing the name on a piece of paper that's kept with the face-down conspiracy. If you have multiple face-down conspiracies, you may name a different card for each one. It's important that each named card is clearly associated with only one of the conspiracies. At the end of the game, you must reveal any face-down conspiracies you own in the command zone to all players. Notably, you can't bluff conspiracies with hidden agenda by putting other cards into the command zone face down as the game starts. At the end of the game, you must reveal any face-down conspiracies you own in the command zone to all players. A conspiracy with hidden agenda that has a triggered ability must be face up before that ability's trigger condition is met in order for it to trigger. Turning it face up afterward won't have any effect. Conspiracies are never put into your deck. Instead, you put any number of conspiracies from your card pool into the command zone as the game begins. These conspiracies are face up unless they have hidden agenda, in which case they begin the game face down. If the spell being copied has damage divided as it was cast, the division can't be changed (although the targets receiving that damage still can). If the spell being copied is modal (that is, it says "Choose one —" or the like), the copy will have the same mode. You can't choose a different one. |
| Phthisis | 723 | If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Phthisis tries to resolve, the spell doesn't resolve. No player loses life. If the target is legal but not destroyed (most likely because it has indestructible), its controller does lose life. If the creature's power is negative, you still add its power and toughness to determine how much life is lost. If that total is negative, its controller doesn't gain or lose any life. For example, Phthisis destroying a -1/3 creature would cause a loss of 2 life. Pthisis destroying a -4/3 creature would cause no loss of life. If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage's ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn't paid. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can't be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it's exiled. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. If you can't cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended. Exiling a card with suspend isn't casting that card. This action doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card's owner's next upkeep. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don't want to target. Timing permissions based on the card's type are ignored. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn't matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it's on the stack). |
| The Eleventh Doctor | 723 | If you can't cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn't matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. If an effect instructs you to choose a creature type, you may choose Time Lord. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when the card is exiled. Exiling a card with suspend isn't casting that card. This action doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to. After The Eleventh Doctor's last ability resolves, that creature can't be blocked this turn even if its power later increases to greater than 3. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don't want to target. Timing permissions based on the card's type are ignored. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn't paid. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it's on the stack). If you cast a card "without paying its mana cost," such as with suspend, you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. Neither "Time" nor "Lord" are creature types. Some older cards were printed with the subtype "Lord," but all of those cards have updated Oracle card text that removed that type. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage's ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can't be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended. If an effect refers to a "suspended card," that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card's owner's next upkeep. Unlike other creature types in Magic that are each only one word, the two words "Time Lord" represent a single creature subtype. Time Lord is the only two-word creature type. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. |
| Double Stroke | 723 | If the spell being copied is modal (that is, it says "Choose one —" or the like), the copy will have the same mode. You can't choose a different one. The copy will have the same targets as the spell it's copying unless you choose new ones. You may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If, for one of the targets, you can't choose a new legal target, then it remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal). If the spell being copied has an X whose value was determined as it was cast (like Skeletal Scrying has), the copy will have the same value of X. Effects based on any additional costs that were paid for the original spell will be copied as though those same costs were paid for the copy. For example, if a player exiles three cards from their graveyard to cast Skeletal Scrying, and you copy it, the copy will also cause you to draw three cards and lose 3 life (but you won't exile any cards from your graveyard). You must turn Double Stroke face up before you cast the spell with the chosen name to have Double Stroke's second ability trigger. When the ability resolves, it creates a copy of the spell. You control the copy. That copy is created on the stack, so it's not "cast." Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell won't trigger. The copy will resolve like a normal spell, after players get a chance to cast spells and activate abilities. A conspiracy's static and triggered abilities function as long as that conspiracy is face-up in the command zone. A conspiracy doesn't count as a card in your deck for purposes of meeting minimum deck size requirements. (In most drafts, the minimum deck size is 40 cards.) As a special action, you may turn a face-down conspiracy face up. You may do so any time you have priority. This action doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to. Once face up, the named card is revealed and the conspiracy's abilities will affect the game. You can look at any player's face-up conspiracies at any time. You'll also know how many face-down conspiracies a player has in the command zone, although you won't know what they are. You must name a Magic card. Notably, you can't name a token. At the end of the game, you must reveal any face-down conspiracies you own in the command zone to all players. Conspiracies aren't legal for any sanctioned Constructed format, but may be included in other Limited formats, such as Cube Draft. You name the card as the game begins, as you put the conspiracy into the command zone, not as you turn the face-down conspiracy face up. Conspiracies are never put into your deck. Instead, you put any number of conspiracies from your card pool into the command zone as the game begins. These conspiracies are face up unless they have hidden agenda, in which case they begin the game face down. Conspiracies are colorless, have no mana cost, and can't be cast as spells. A conspiracy with hidden agenda that has a triggered ability must be face up before that ability's trigger condition is met in order for it to trigger. Turning it face up afterward won't have any effect. You don't have to play with any conspiracy you draft. However, you have only one opportunity to put conspiracies into the command zone, as the game begins. You can't put conspiracies into the command zone after this point. There are several ways to secretly name a card, including writing the name on a piece of paper that's kept with the face-down conspiracy. If you have multiple face-down conspiracies, you may name a different card for each one. It's important that each named card is clearly associated with only one of the conspiracies. If you play multiple games after the draft, you can name a different card in each new game. At the end of the game, you must reveal any face-down conspiracies you own in the command zone to all players. Notably, you can't bluff conspiracies with hidden agenda by putting other cards into the command zone face down as the game starts. |
| Epochrasite | 721 | Epochrasite will enter the battlefield with three +1/+1 counters on it if you cast it from a zone other than your hand, or if an effect let you put it directly onto the battlefield. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card’s owner’s next upkeep. If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. If you can’t cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. A creature cast using suspend will enter the battlefield with haste. It will have haste until another player gains control of it. (In some rare cases, another player may gain control of the creature spell itself. If this happens, the creature won’t enter the battlefield with haste.) You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn’t matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. Exiling a card with suspend isn’t casting that card. This action doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can’t be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage’s ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it’s on the stack). If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it’s exiled. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn’t paid. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don’t want to target. Timing permissions based on the card’s type are ignored. |
| Cryptic Coat | 721 | Any time you have priority, you can turn a cloaked permanent you control face-up by revealing that it’s a creature card (ignoring any copy effects or type-changing effects that might be applying to it) and paying its mana cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. At any time, you can look at a face-down spell or permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down permanents or spells you don’t control unless an effect instructs or allows you to do so. You’ll still cloak the top card of your library even if Cryptic Coat isn’t on the battlefield as its first ability resolves. Because face-down creatures don’t have a name, they can’t have the same name as any other creature, even another face-down creature. If a face-down creature loses its abilities, it can’t be turned face up with a disguise ability because it will no longer have a disguise ability (or a disguise cost) once face up. Unlike a face-down creature that was cast using a disguise or morph ability, a cloaked creature may still be turned face up after it loses its abilities if it’s a creature card. Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it’s turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn’t cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger. If something tries to turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, reveal that card to show all players it’s an instant or sorcery card. The permanent remains on the battlefield face down. Abilities that trigger when a permanent turns face up won’t trigger, because even though you revealed the card, it never turned face up. To cloak a card, put it onto the battlefield face down. It becomes a 2/2 face-down creature card with ward {2} and no name, mana cost, or creature types. It’s colorless and has a mana value of 0. Other effects that apply to the permanent can still grant it any characteristics it doesn’t have or change the characteristics it does have. If a face-down spell leaves the stack and goes to any zone other than the battlefield (if it was countered, for example), you must reveal it. Similarly, if a face-down permanent leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or the game ends. Cryptic Coat has no equip ability. Without assistance from other cards, there’s no way to attach it to a creature other than with its first triggered ability. How cryptic! If a cloaked creature would have disguise (or morph) if it were face up, you may also turn it face up by paying its disguise (or morph) cost. You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can be easily differentiated from each other. You’re not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield to confuse other players. The order in which they entered the battlefield should remain clear, as well as what ability caused them to be face down. (This includes disguise, cloak, and in games involving older cards, morph and manifest, as well as a few other effects that turn cards face down.) Common methods for doing this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield. A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent and Auras and Equipment that were attached to that permanent aren’t affected unless the new characteristics of the object change the legality of those targets or attachments. Turning a permanent face up or face down doesn’t change whether that permanent is tapped or untapped. If a double-faced card is cloaked, it will be put onto the battlefield face down. While face down, it can’t transform. If the front face of the card is a creature card, you can turn it face up by paying its mana cost. If you do, its front face will be up. |
| Emerald Dragon // Dissonant Wave | 721 | Mana abilities can't be targeted. An activated mana ability is one that could produce mana as it resolves, doesn't require a target, and isn't a loyalty ability. A triggered mana ability is one that could produce mana as it resolves, triggers on the resolution of an activated mana ability or on mana being added, and doesn't require a target. An effect may refer to a card, spell, or permanent that “has an Adventure.” This refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an adventurer card’s set of alternative characteristics, even if they’re not being used and even if that card was never cast as an Adventure. If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner’s graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won’t be exiled and the spell’s controller won’t be able to cast it as a permanent later. Activated abilities are written in the form “Cost: Effect.” Some keyword abilities, such as equip, are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder texts. Abilities that create replacement effects, such as a permanent entering the battlefield tapped or with counters on it, can't be targeted. Abilities that apply “as [this creature] enters the battlefield” are also replacement effects and can't be targeted. Activated and triggered abilities from noncreature sources include abilities of noncreature cards that can be activated or triggered from other zones, such as cycling abilities. If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it’s not possible to cast the copy from exile. Triggered abilities use the word “when,” “whenever,” or “at.” They're often written as “[Trigger condition], [effect].” Some keyword abilities, such as prowess and myriad, are triggered abilities and will have “when,” “whenever,” or “at” in their reminder texts. When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card’s normal characteristics. The spell’s color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics. If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won’t give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell. An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it’s in your graveyard, Altar of Bhaal is an artifact card whose mana value is 2. If you counter a delayed triggered ability that triggers at the beginning of the “next” occurrence of a specified step or phase, that ability won't trigger again the following time that phase or step occurs. If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose. If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it’s legal to cast that spell. You must still follow any relevant timing rules for the permanent spell you cast from exile. Normally, you’ll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty. Casting a card as an Adventure isn’t casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure. If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it’s a token) or cease to be a copy (if it’s a nontoken permanent), and so you won’t be able to cast it as an Adventure. |
| Chronomantic Escape | 716 | Chronomantic Escape can affect creatures that aren’t on the battlefield at the time it resolves, because it modifies the announcement of an attack, not the creatures on the battlefield. For example, if Chronomantic Escape resolves on your turn, then on your opponent’s turn they cast a creature with haste, that creature can’t attack that turn. Unless some effect explicitly says otherwise, a creature that can’t attack you can still attack a planeswalker you control. You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage’s ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time. If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card’s owner’s next upkeep. When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn’t matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it. Exiling a card with suspend isn’t casting that card. This action doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” such as with suspend, you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card. If you can’t cast the card, perhaps because there are no legal targets available, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. As the second triggered ability resolves, you must cast the card if able. You must do so even if it requires targets and the only legal targets are ones that you really don’t want to target. Timing permissions based on the card’s type are ignored. If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can’t be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it’s no longer suspended. You are never forced to activate mana abilities to pay costs, so if there is a mandatory additional mana cost (such as from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben), you can decline to activate mana abilities to pay for it and hence fail to cast the suspended card, leaving it in exile. If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it’s exiled. Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up. If an effect refers to a “suspended card,” that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it. The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn’t paid. Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that causes you to cast the card when the last time counter is removed. If you cast a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of that creature (or, in rare cases, you lose control of the creature spell while it’s on the stack). |
| Invasion of Theros // Ephara, Ever-Sheltering | 715 | Battles can’t attack or block, even if one also becomes a creature. If an attacking or blocking creature somehow becomes a battle in addition to being a creature, it is removed from combat. If a token or a card that isn’t represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it can’t be cast as its triggered ability resolves. It will remain in exile. If it’s a token, it will cease to exist the next time state-based actions are performed. If a permanent that is represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it will be exiled as that Siege’s triggered ability resolves, then it will be cast transformed. Note that this applies only to transforming double-faced cards, not to modal double-faced cards that can normally be played using either face. If a battle that’s being attacked somehow stops being a battle, it is removed from combat. Similarly, if its controller changes in the middle of combat, it is removed from combat. As a Siege enters the battlefield, its controller chooses an opponent to be its protector. A battle can be dealt damage and be target of spells and/or abilities that target “any target.” Damage dealt to Ephara is tracked even if Ephara has indestructible. For example, if Ephara is dealt what would be lethal damage and later loses indestructible (perhaps because you lose control of some enchantments), it will be destroyed the next time state-based actions are performed. However, the check for whether a creature dealt damage by a source with deathtouch is destroyed happens only the first time that state-based actions are performed after that damage-dealing event. In a multiplayer game, if the protector of a battle leaves the game and that battle is not currently being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it as a state-based action. If it is being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it once no creatures are attacking it. This means that it continues to be attacked and can be dealt combat damage as normal. If a battle has no defense counters, and it isn’t the source of a triggered ability that has triggered but not yet left the stack, that battle is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action. This doesn’t cause a Siege’s intrinsic triggered ability to trigger. A battle’s “defense” is displayed in the bottom right corner of the card. A battle enters the battlefield with that number of defense counters. If another permanent enters the battlefield as a copy of a battle, it also enters with that number of defense counters. Sieges each have an intrinsic triggered ability. That ability is “When the last defense counter is removed from this permanent, exile it, then you may cast it transformed without paying its mana cost.” Only creatures controlled by a battle’s protector can block creatures that are attacking that battle. This means a Siege’s controller can never assign creatures to block for it. A battle can be attacked by all players other than its protector. Notably, this means a Siege’s controller can attack it. If a non-battle permanent that is already on the battlefield become a copy of a Siege, its controller chooses one of their opponents to be that battle’s protector. However, it will most likely be put into its owner’s graveyard because it has no defense counters (see below). If a Siege never had defense counters on it (perhaps because a permanent became a copy of one), it can’t have its last defense counter removed. It will be put into its owner’s graveyard. You won’t exile it or cast the other face. A Siege’s controller can’t be its protector. If a Siege’s protector ever gains control of it, they choose a new player to be its protector. This is a state-based action. If Ephara enters the battlefield under your control at the same time as other enchantments, its last ability will trigger for each of those other enchantments. Damage dealt to a battle causes that many defense counters to be removed from it. |
| Renegade Doppelganger | 714 | If Renegade Doppelganger becomes a copy of another creature, it copies exactly what was printed on that card and nothing more (unless that card is copying something else or it’s a token; see below). It doesn’t copy whether the original creature is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or Auras attached to it, or whether it’s been affected by any noncopy effects that changed its power, toughness, types, color, or so on. Noncopy effects that have already applied to Renegade Doppelganger will continue to apply to it after it becomes a copy of something else. For example, if Giant Growth had given it +3/+3 earlier in the turn, then it becomes a copy of Runeclaw Bear (a 2/2 creature), it will be a 5/5 Runeclaw Bear. If Renegade Doppelganger becomes a copy of a creature that is itself copying something else (for example, if the creature that entered the battlefield is a Clone), then Renegade Doppelganger becomes a copy of whatever that creature is copying. If Renegade Doppelganger becomes a copy of a creature with an ability that causes you to make a choice (such as naming a card or choosing a color) as it enters the battlefield, and another ability that refers to that choice, those abilities of the Doppelganger won’t do anything. You won’t have the chance to make a choice since the Doppelganger is already on the battlefield, so the value of that choice is undefined. If the creature Renegade Doppelganger copies has an ability that triggers at the beginning of the end step, that ability will trigger and resolve before Renegade Doppelganger’s copy effect wears off. Renegade Doppelganger’s ability isn’t targeted. It can copy a creature with shroud or protection. If Renegade Doppelganger becomes a copy of another creature, that doesn’t count as having a creature enter the battlefield. Renegade Doppelganger was already on the battlefield; it only changed its characteristics. If Renegade Doppelganger gains any enters-the-battlefield triggered abilities, they won’t do anything. The same is true of any “as [this creature] enters the battlefield” or “[this creature] enters the battlefield with” abilities. During the cleanup step, Renegade Doppelganger’s copy effect wears off. It will go back to being a 0/1 blue creature named Renegade Doppelganger, and will have its original ability again. Note that this happens at the same time that damage marked on the Renegade Doppelganger is removed. If it was dealt damage earlier in the turn, this damage will not cause Renegade Doppelganger to be destroyed when its copy effect wears off. If Renegade Doppelganger and another creature enter the battlefield under your control at the same time, Renegade Doppelganger’s ability will trigger. When the ability resolves, Renegade Doppelganger can become a copy of that creature. When a creature enters the battlefield under your control, you can choose not to copy it. In that case, Renegade Doppelganger remains 0/1 and still has its triggered ability. If Renegade Doppelganger becomes a copy of a token, Renegade Doppelganger copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that put it onto the battlefield. Renegade Doppelganger doesn’t become a token. If multiple creatures enter the battlefield under your control at the same time, Renegade Doppelganger’s ability will trigger once for each of them. You choose the order that those abilities will resolve. It’s possible to have Renegade Doppelganger become a copy of something, activate an activated ability of that creature, then have it become a copy of something else under this scenario. The last ability that resolves that you choose to use determines what it ends up a copy of. If a creature enters the battlefield under your control and Renegade Doppelganger’s ability triggers, it can become a copy of that creature when the ability resolves even if that creature has left the battlefield by then. If it has, its last existence on the battlefield is checked to see what it was (specifically, if it was itself or if it was copying something else). If Renegade Doppelganger becomes a copy of a legendary creature, you will have to put one of them into the graveyard as a state-based action. |
| God-Eternal Kefnet | 714 | You can reveal and copy an instant or sorcery card this way on any turn, not just your own, if it’s the first card you’ve drawn that turn. The copy is created in and cast from your hand. If an effect exiles the God and immediately returns it to the battlefield, its last ability triggers but will have no effect. However, if an effect exiles it and would return it to the battlefield at a later time, the God’s ability may return that card its owner’s library first. If it does, the effect that exiled it won’t return it later. If one of these Gods would die and it’s your commander in the Commander variant, you may put it into the command zone instead. If you save your commander this way, it doesn’t die and you won’t put it into your library. The same is true if it would be exiled. It’s important to reveal the first card you draw each turn (or choose not to reveal it) before it is mixed with the other cards in your hand. You look at the card as you draw it before choosing whether to reveal it. If you reveal a card this way, it remains revealed until Kefnet’s triggered ability finishes resolving. If you control another player’s God when it dies, you decide whether to put that card into its owner’s library. You can cast the copy during the resolution of the triggered ability if it’s a sorcery, no matter whose turn it is or which phase it is. If the God’s owner has two or fewer cards in their library, the God is put on the bottom of their library as its last ability resolves. In a multiplayer game, if you put another player’s God onto the battlefield under your control, it will be exiled as you leave the game. If you were still the controller of that God, you would control its triggered ability but you have left the game; that ability won’t resolve and the card remains in exile. Similarly, if you lose the game at the same time that another player’s God that you put onto the battlefield is destroyed, it remains in its owner’s graveyard. If you somehow control more than one God-Eternal Kefnet (perhaps because one is a Spark Double), you may reveal a card you draw for any number of their abilities. One at a time, each will copy the card if it’s an instant or sorcery, and you may cast each of them. Each copy resolves before you cast the next, and each copy’s cost is reduced by only {2}. If the card leaves your hand before Kefnet’s triggered ability resolves, you’ll copy it using its last known information. You can cast the copy only as Kefnet’s triggered ability resolves. If you don’t want to cast it at that time (or you can’t cast it, perhaps because there are no legal targets available), the copy ceases to exist. You can’t cast it later. If one of these Gods leaves the graveyard or exile while its last ability is on the stack, it will remain in its new zone, even if that zone is a graveyard or exile. To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you’re paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions (such as that of Kefnet’s ability). The converted mana cost of the spell remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was. If an effect puts a card into your hand without using the word “draw,” the card wasn’t drawn. Multiple card draws are always treated as a sequence of individual card draws. For example, if you haven’t drawn any cards yet during a turn and cast a spell that instructs you to draw three cards, you’ll draw them one at a time. Only the first card drawn this way may be revealed and copied with Kefnet’s ability. You don’t have to reveal a drawn card if you don’t wish to copy it at that time. |
| Estrid, the Masked | 712 | Totem armor’s effect is applied no matter why the enchanted permanent would be destroyed: because it’s been dealt lethal damage, or because it’s being affected by an effect that says to “destroy” it (such as Putrefy). In either case, all damage is removed from the permanent and the Aura is destroyed instead. If a permanent enchanted with an Aura that has totem armor has indestructible, lethal damage and effects that try to destroy it simply have no effect. Totem armor won’t do anything because it won’t have to. Totem armor’s effect is not regeneration. Specifically, if totem armor’s effect is applied, the enchanted permanent does not become tapped and is not removed from combat as a result. Effects that say the enchanted permanent can’t be regenerated (as Putrefy does) won’t prevent totem armor’s effect from being applied. Aura cards returned with Estrid’s third ability may enchant non-Aura enchantments put onto the battlefield with that ability. If a permanent you control is enchanted with multiple Auras that have totem armor, and the enchanted permanent would be destroyed, one of those Auras is destroyed instead — but only one of them. You choose which one because you control the enchanted permanent. If a spell or ability says that it would “destroy” a permanent enchanted with an Aura that has totem armor, that spell or ability is what causes the Aura to be destroyed instead. Totem armor doesn’t destroy the Aura; rather, it changes the effects of the spell or ability. On the other hand, if a spell or ability deals lethal damage to a creature enchanted with an Aura that has totem armor, the game rules regarding lethal damage cause the Aura to be destroyed, not that spell or ability. An enchanted permanent is one with an Aura attached to it. Enchantment permanents you control that don’t have Auras attached to them aren’t enchanted. If a spell or ability (such as Akroma’s Vengeance) would destroy both an Aura with totem armor and the permanent it’s enchanting at the same time, totem armor’s effect will save the enchanted permanent from being destroyed. Instead, the spell or ability will destroy the Aura in two different ways at the same time, but the result is the same as destroying it once. Totem armor’s effect is mandatory. If the enchanted permanent would be destroyed, you must remove all damage from it (if it has any) and destroy the Aura that has totem armor instead. Estrid’s second ability can’t target Estrid, but the Mask token may legally enchant Estrid if you find a way to move it onto her. Estrid’s second ability might target a permanent that can’t have the Aura token attached to it. In this case, the token isn’t created at all. If an Aura with totem armor is itself enchanted by another Aura with totem armor, destroying either the first Aura or the permanent it enchants will result in only the second Aura being destroyed instead. Totem armor has no effect if the enchanted permanent is put into a graveyard for any other reason, such as if it’s sacrificed, if the “legend rule” applies to it, or if its toughness is 0 or less. All of the non-Aura enchantments put onto the battlefield with Estrid’s third ability enter at the same time. If any have triggered abilities that trigger on something else entering the battlefield, they’ll see each other. If an Aura card can’t enchant anything, it remains in your graveyard. You choose what each returning Aura will enchant just before that Aura enters the battlefield. The chosen recipient must be able to legally be enchanted by the Aura. This doesn’t target the player or permanent it will enchant, so an opponent’s permanent with hexproof may be chosen this way. If a permanent enchanted with an Aura that has totem armor would be destroyed by multiple state-based actions at the same time (most likely because a creature with deathtouch has dealt damage to that creature greater than or equal to its toughness) totem armor’s effect will replace all of them and save the creature. |
| Rageform | 712 | You’ll still manifest the top card of your library even if the “Form” isn’t on the battlefield as its enters-the-battlefield ability resolves. You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can easily be differentiated from each other. You’re not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield in order to confuse other players. The order they entered the battlefield should remain clear. Common methods for indicating this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield. You must also track how each became face down (manifested, cast face down using the morph ability, and so on). Because face-down creatures don’t have names, they can’t have the same name as any other creature, even another face-down creature. Turning a permanent face up or face down doesn’t change whether that permanent is tapped or untapped. Any time you have priority, you may turn a manifested creature face up by revealing that it’s a creature card (ignoring any copy effects or type-changing effects that might be applying to it) and paying its mana cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. If you have no cards in your library as the ability resolves, the “Form” will be put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action. If a face-down permanent you control leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or if the game ends. Unlike a face-down creature that was cast using the morph ability, a manifested creature may still be turned face up after it loses its abilities if it’s a creature card. Some older Magic sets feature double-faced cards, which have a Magic card face on each side rather than a Magic card face on one side and a Magic card back on the other. The rules for double-faced cards are changing slightly to account for the possibility that they are manifested. If a double-faced card is manifested, it will be put onto the battlefield face down. While face down, it can’t transform. If the front face of the card is a creature card, you can turn it face up by paying its mana cost. If you do, its front face will be up. A double-faced permanent on the battlefield still can’t be turned face down. There are no cards in the Fate Reforged set that would turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, but some older cards can try to do this. If something tries to turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, reveal that card to show all players it’s an instant or sorcery card. The permanent remains on the battlefield face down. Abilities that trigger when a permanent turns face up won’t trigger, because even though you revealed the card, it never turned face up. At any time, you can look at a face-down permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down permanents you don’t control unless an effect allows you to or instructs you to. Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it’s turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn’t cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger. If the enchanted creature is turned face up, the “Form” will continue to enchant it. The face-down permanent is a 2/2 creature with no name, mana cost, creature types, or abilities. It’s colorless and has a converted mana cost of 0. Other effects that apply to the permanent can still grant or change any of these characteristics. If a manifested creature would have morph if it were face up, you may also turn it face up by paying its morph cost. A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent, as well as Auras and Equipment that were attached to the permanent, aren’t affected. |