The purpose of this thread is to compile a list of frequently asked questions about specific cards that seem to cause a lot of confusion, and the answers to those questions. If you think you have a common question about how a specific card or combo works, please check here to see if you can find the answer before asking about it in a new thread in RQ&A.
If you find a rules error or a broken link in this FAQ, please PM me so that I can fix it. Be aware that I may not respond; if it's nitpicky, I might decide to leave it out in the interests of clarity.
There are always many cards that this FAQ doesn't cover, so if you think there is something that needs to be covered or answered, please make a post in this thread.
Gatherer (Oracle Card Reference) Gatherer contains the official text for every card in existence. Note that this takes precedence over what is actually printed on the card. If a card confuses you, read the Oracle text before asking about it--it may clear things up.
In addition, you can look up the card you want to find out about and check for relevant rulings. They'll be listed down at the bottom of the page for that card; you may have to scroll down to see them.
Set FAQs The official FAQs for each released set. Look here if you have a question about a specific card that isn't included in this FAQ. Note, however, that these FAQs are released when the set is released and never updated. As such, they may contain information or rulings that are outdated or inaccurate.
Yawgatog's Magic Resource Page Yawgatog has been kind enough to provide a number of excellent resources for the average player on his website, including an indexed and hyperlinked version of the CompRules, downloadable Oracle text files, lists of the changes made with each new version of the CompRules and Oracle since Ninth Edition, and a full list of creatures whose creature types have been retroactively altered.
Contributors:
Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this FAQ in any way.
Special thanks to VinnyB for writing out everything anyone could possibly want to know about Eye of the Storm so I didn't have to.
And so people say to me, "How do I know if a word is real?" You know, anyone who's read a children's book knows that love makes things real. If you love a word, use it! That makes it real. Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction; it doesn't make the word any more real than any other word. If you love a word, it becomes real. --Erin McKean, Redefining the Dictionary
And so people say to me, "How do I know if a word is real?" You know, anyone who's read a children's book knows that love makes things real. If you love a word, use it! That makes it real. Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction; it doesn't make the word any more real than any other word. If you love a word, it becomes real. --Erin McKean, Redefining the Dictionary
Q: So as soon as my opponent has less life than me, I can cast this and they lose? I mean, it only costs and X life, right? A: Wrong. Bond of Agony does not cost just and X life. It actually costs and X life. You have to pay both X mana and X life in order to cast it.
And so people say to me, "How do I know if a word is real?" You know, anyone who's read a children's book knows that love makes things real. If you love a word, use it! That makes it real. Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction; it doesn't make the word any more real than any other word. If you love a word, it becomes real. --Erin McKean, Redefining the Dictionary
Q: So if my opponent doesn't have a copy of that card, I both [Do X] and damage him? A: No; you're misreading the card. Click those card links and read the Oracle text to the right of the actual card image. That's how they work (and have always worked). When the spell (or ability) resolves, any player can choose to have that spell/ability deal some amount of damage to him or her. If no player chooses to take damage (and only if no player takes the damage), the spell has some other effect. None of these cards care whether or not your opponent possesses a copy of the card or not.
If you're still confused, read the card again, carefully this time, noting the position of the commas. Book Burning , for example, reads:
[Unless a player has Book Burning deal 6 damage to him or her],[put the top six cards of target player's library into his or her graveyard.]
It does not read:
[Unless a player has Book Burning],[deal 6 damage to him or her, put the top six cards of target player's library into his or her graveyard.]
And so people say to me, "How do I know if a word is real?" You know, anyone who's read a children's book knows that love makes things real. If you love a word, use it! That makes it real. Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction; it doesn't make the word any more real than any other word. If you love a word, it becomes real. --Erin McKean, Redefining the Dictionary
Q: Okay, so what does this card do? A: If a player would draw a card (other than the first one in a draw step), if that player has no cards in hand, he or she mills a card. If he or she does have a card, he or she discards a card, then draws a card.
If a player would draw multiple cards (such as through Divination ), each draw is handled consecutively--in this case, the person discards, then draws, then discards and draws again. If the person has no cards in hand to discard, he or she mills two cards instead.
Q: And if there are multiple Chains on the battlefield? A: That's when it gets a bit complicated. Each Chains will apply in turn. Essentially, for each one card the person tries to draw, (other than, of course, the first one in a draw step) that person first discards cards equal to the number of Chains on the battlefield, then draws that card. If the person has less cards in hand than the number of Chains on the battlefield, he or she discards however many he or she has and mills a single card.
Again, drawing multiple cards handles each individual draw in turn. Assuming two Chains are on the battlefield and a person casts Counsel of the Soratami , the person who played the Counsel will discard two cards, then draw one, then discard two, then draw one.
Q: So why don't they just keep triggering off of each other? A: The Chains' ability is not triggered--it's a static ability that generates a replacement effect. (You can tell because it tells you to do something instead of doing something else.)
A replacement effect can only apply once to any particular event; after that, it looks at the event, says, "Oh, wait, I've already applied to that," and ignores it, even if something else has modified the event since then. (If it didn't work this way, you'd have a heck of a time drawing a card with a Zur's Weirding on the battlefield.)
And so people say to me, "How do I know if a word is real?" You know, anyone who's read a children's book knows that love makes things real. If you love a word, use it! That makes it real. Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction; it doesn't make the word any more real than any other word. If you love a word, it becomes real. --Erin McKean, Redefining the Dictionary
Q: I control a Circu , and have exiled a few cards with it. My opponent kills it somehow--can he then cast spells with the same name as the exiled cards again? A: Yes. Circu's last ability is a static ability, and static abilities only function when the card they're on is on the battlefield (unless the card specifically says otherwise or only makes sense when it isn't on the battlefield). When Circu leaves the battlefield, his ability stops applying, and your opponent can start casting cards with the same name as the exiled cards again.
Q: What if Circu later returns to the battlefield? Does he automatically stop all the cards it exiled before, or does he have to start all over? A: He has to start all over. When a permanent leaves the battlefield, it "forgets" everything about its former existence...including, in Circu's case, what cards it exiled.
Q: I have a Circu on the battlefield and I cast a blue/black multicolored spell--how many cards do I remove? A: Two. Circu has two triggered abilities--one triggers when you cast a blue spell, and one triggers when you cast a black spell. If you cast a spell that is both black and blue, both will trigger, and each will remove a card.
And so people say to me, "How do I know if a word is real?" You know, anyone who's read a children's book knows that love makes things real. If you love a word, use it! That makes it real. Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction; it doesn't make the word any more real than any other word. If you love a word, it becomes real. --Erin McKean, Redefining the Dictionary
Q: If I have two or more Doubling Season s on the battlefield, how many counters/tokens will I get? A: Each Season will double the number of counters once. Thus, one Season will give you twice as many as normal, two Seasons will give you four times as many, three will give you eight times as many, and four will give you sixteen times as many. (And five will give you thirty-two times as many as normal, and so on and so forth.)
Q: So why don't the Seasons just keep endlessly triggering off of each other? A: Because the Season's ability isn't a triggered ability-it's a static ability that generates a replacement effect. (You can tell because it tells you to do something instead of doing something else.)
A replacement effect can only apply once to any particular event; after that, it looks at the event, says, "Oh, wait, I've already applied to that," and ignores it, even if something else has modified the event since then. (If it didn't work this way, you'd have a heck of a time drawing a card with Zur's Weirding on the battlefield.)
Q: How does Doubling Season interact with Graft creatures and Simic Guildmage ? A: Very well. The Season will double the number of counters a Graft creature enters the battlefield with, and doubles any counters that move onto other creatures. ("Moving" a counter has been ruled to essentially be the same as "remove it from this, put it on that".) See also the FAQ entry for Graft.
Q: How does Doubling Season interact with Planeswalkers? A: Well, but not quite as well as with Graft. The Season will double the number of loyalty counters the planeswalker enters the battlefield with; however, it will not double the counters added to the planeswalker as a cost to activate one of its "plus" abilities.
Doubling Season only doubles counters placed due to effects; activating a planeswalker's abilities adds or removes counters as a cost, not an effect. (Though note that if the ability happens to create counters or tokens as part of its effect, such as with Garruk Wildspeaker 's Beast-making ability, then Doubling Season will affect that.)
And so people say to me, "How do I know if a word is real?" You know, anyone who's read a children's book knows that love makes things real. If you love a word, use it! That makes it real. Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction; it doesn't make the word any more real than any other word. If you love a word, it becomes real. --Erin McKean, Redefining the Dictionary
Q: What the hell does Eye of the Storm do? A: In short, when anyone casts a sorcery or instant, it stores it. Then, it copies all the stored cards, and lets that player cast them. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Buh? A: Okay, a (simplified) example:
Eye of the Storm is on the battlefield (it should rarely matter who controls it), and it's "empty."
I cast Concentrate . The Eye exiles it, then makes a copy, which I cast. I draw three cards.
Later, my opponent casts Stone Rain on one of my lands. The Eye exiles it, then makes copies of both the Concentrate and the Stone Rain. My opponent draws three cards and destroys one of my lands.
Later, I cast Sacred Nectar . The Eye exiles it, then makes copies of the Concentrate, Rain, and Nectar, all of which I cast. I draw three cards, destroy one of my opponent's lands, and gain 4 life.
Q: Can I cast the sorcery copies even if it's not my turn? A: Of course. You're casting them all while an ability is resolving. If "timing" mattered, you couldn't even cast the instants.
Q: Do I have to cast all the copies, or can I just cast the ones I want? A: You don't have to cast all (or even any) of the copies if you don't want to--you can pick and choose only the ones you want to cast.
Q: How does the Eye interact with Isochron Scepter and Panoptic Mirror ? A: It doesn't. Eye of the Storm 's ability triggers when an instant or sorcery card is cast. Copies aren't cards, and cards aren't copies. Cards are made of paper.
Q: What happens someone 'responds' to one of the spells? A: Then it gets more complicated. Let's say I cast a Stone Rain . The triggered ability of the Eye (which let's say is empty) triggers, and is placed on the stack, so the stack looks as follows: The StackShow
(Bottom) Stone Rain card Eye of the Storm's ability (Stone Rain) (Top)
You're holding a Skyshroud Blessing , and clearly would like to respond. You have two choices:
'Respond' right now, to the card itself.
You cast the Blessing; The Eye's ability triggers, and is placed on the stack above it. The StackShow
Stone Rain card Eye of the Storm's ability (Stone Rain) Skyshroud Blessing card Eye of the Storm's ability (Skyshroud Blessing)
You and I both pass, so the Eye's ability (on top of the stack) resolves. It exiles the Skyshroud Blessing. Then, it makes a copy of the Blessing, and lets you cast it, which you do. The StackShow
Stone Rain card Eye of the Storm's ability (Stone Rain) Copy of Skyshroud Blessing
We both pass again, so your copy of Skyshroud Blessing resolves. Lands are untargetable this turn, and you draw a card. We both pass again, so the Eye's ability (the other one) resolves. It exiles the Stone Rain. Then, it makes a copy of the Blessing and of the Rain, and lets me cast both. I can't cast the Rain copy (since it doesn't have any legal targets), but I can cast the copy of the Blessing. I do. The StackShow
Copy of Skyshroud Blessing
We both pass again, so my copy of Skyshroud Blessing resolves. I draw a card.
Summary: I get a copy of the spell with which you're responding. You don't get a copy of the spell to which you're responding.
OR
Wait for the Eye's ability to resolve, then 'respond' to the copy.
You let the Eye's ability resolve. It exiles the Stone Rain. Then, it makes a copy of the Rain, and lets me cast it, which I do. (Then I pass.) The StackShow
Copy of Stone Rain
You cast the Blessing (i.e., you 'respond'); The Eye's ability triggers, and is placed on the stack above it. The StackShow
Copy of Stone Rain Skyshroud Blessing card Eye of the Storm's ability (Skyshroud Blessing)
You and I both pass, so the Eye's ability resolves. It exiles the Blessing. Then, it makes a copy of the Blessing and of the Rain, and lets you cast both. You cast the copy of the Blessing, then the copy of the Rain (targeting one of my lands). The StackShow
Copy of Stone Rain (mine) Copy of Skyshroud Blessing (yours) Copy of Stone Rain (yours)
We both pass again, so your copy of Stone Rain resolves. It destroys one of my lands. We both pass again, so your copy of Skyshroud Blessing resolves. We both pass again, so my copy of Stone Rain would resolve, but is countered on resolution due to its lack of legal targets (it "fizzles").
Summary: You get a copy of the spell to which you're responding. I don't get a copy of the spell with which you're responding.
It's pretty obvious that scenario #2 is what you usually want - It provides you an extra copy, and deprives me (your opponent) of one.
Scenario #1 may be preferable if the card with which you're responding is a counterspell, though. For example, say I played something like Boil , which, with your Counterspell , you wanted to ensure never resolved. By 'responding' immediately, you could counter the Boil card, and thus prevent it from ever being "saved" in the Eye. (When the Eye's ability resolved, it wouldn't be able to find the Boil if it had left the stack.)
Q: Speaking of spells you never want to resolve, how does Storm interact with the Eye? A: Very well. A spell's storm ability triggers when that spell is cast, and the Eye effectively makes you cast the cards from your hand twice, as well as allowing you to cast a bunch of other spells. This essentially means that when you first cast it, your card's Storm will trigger twice, and assuming there's stuff on the Eye that you cast and you do it right, the second time will be for more. It also means that the "storm count" will escalate very quickly.
For example, say I simply cast Duress , then Brainstorm , then Tendrils of Agony (without an Eye on the battlefield). The Storm ability will create two copies of the Tendrils. The net effect will be "draining" my opponent for 6.
Now, say I do the same, but while an Eye of the Storm is on the battlefield. (We'll assume it's "empty", just to make things simpler.) I cast Duress --the Eye exiles it and allows me to cast a copy, which I do. I then cast Brainstorm --the Eye exiles it and I cast copies of both Brainstorm and Duress. Then I cast Tendrils of Agony . Its storm ability triggers and creates five copies, and the Eye exiles the original and creates copies of all three. Since I can cast them in any order I like, I'll cast the copies of Brainstorm and of the Duress, then the Tendrils. The Tendrils' storm ability triggers again and will create eight more copies. The net effect will be "draining" my opponent for 28.
Q: What about "X spells"? A: Very poorly, if you're talking about spells with in their mana cost, like Fireball . Since you're not paying the mana cost, X will have to be 0. (Of course, if the X isn't a part of the mana cost, it'll work just fine.)
Q: Can I pay additional costs for those copies, like Kicker? A: You're casting them, so yes. And if the costs are mandatory, like Fling 's, you'll have to pay them to cast the copy.
Q: What about Replicate? A: That works as normal, essentially. For example, with the Eye out, you could cast Train of Thought ( ) "replicated" twice ( ), then cast the copy ( :0mana: ) replicated once ( ). Of course, that's a total of to draw four cards, which you could have done anyway (by just "replicating" it thrice in the first place). There's really only a difference when effects like Stifle 's and Helm of Awakening 's are involved.
Q: What about Splicing? A: You can splice cards from your hand onto the copies (assuming the copies are Arcane), since you're casting them. (Of course, you can't splice the copies onto other spells.)
Q: Does putting another Eye onto the battlefield have any additional effect? A: Not really. Playing a sorcery or instant card will still result in getting a copy of each exiled card. There'll just be less control over the order in which you're allowed to cast the copies, depending on which cards are "saved" on which Eye. And of course if one Eye disappears, the other will still be hanging around.
For example, say I control an Eye with a Brainstorm , and you control an Eye with a Shahrazad . If I cast a Mulch (it's my turn), then my Eye's ability will be put on the stack first (since I'm the active player), followed by your Eye's ability. Thus, the Mulch will be exiled by your Eye, so I can cast copies of the Shahrazad and of the Mulch (in that order, or vice versa). Then, once those copies and my Eye's ability have all resolved, I'll be allowed to cast a copy of Brainstorm.
Q: Does casting the copies trigger [random card]'s ability? A: Does the ability trigger when you cast a spell? You certainly are, so yes, abilities like Wee Dragonaut 's and Circu 's will trigger - both when you originally cast the spell, and when you cast each of the copies.
For example, say you control a Cloudhoof Kirin and an Eye with a Blessed Breath "in" it, and you cast a Candles' Glow . Both the Kirin's ability and the Eye's ability will trigger. When the Eye's ability resolves, it'll exile the Glow, then makes copies of the Glow and the Breath for you. If you cast both, the Kirin's ability will trigger twice more, and you'll end up "milling" five cards (2, 2, and 1).
Q: Does the Eye copy the last-known information from the stack, or the current information from the exile zone? A: The latter; if you Wish for a card, then it's not "in" the Eye any more.
Q: What happens when I have an Eye of the Storm and a Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir on the battlefield? I heard something about this stopping my opponent from casting spells...how does that work? A: Whenever a player casts an instant or sorcery spell, Eye of the Storm's ability does its normal thing and lets players cast copies of a whole bunch of cards, as described above. However, the important part of this is that all of those copies are played while the Eye's ability is still resolving. Since the ability is still resolving, it is still on top of the stack. (Spells and abilities are removed from the stack as the very last part of their resolution; up until then, they're still sitting on the stack.)
Now, pretend that your opponent casts an instant or sorcery spell (they have to do it during their main phase when the stack is empty, because Teferi won't let them do it otherwise). The Eye triggers, exiles the spell, creates a lot of copies, and then tries to let your opponent cast them. But the Eye's ability is still on the stack. This means that the stack is not empty, and therefore Teferi won't let them cast any of the copies.
Basically, if you have both Teferi and the Eye on the battlefield, any instant or sorcery your opponent casts is exiled permanently, and they don't get anything in return. (But since it's on the Eye, you'll be able to use it if you like.)
And so people say to me, "How do I know if a word is real?" You know, anyone who's read a children's book knows that love makes things real. If you love a word, use it! That makes it real. Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction; it doesn't make the word any more real than any other word. If you love a word, it becomes real. --Erin McKean, Redefining the Dictionary
Q: No, I mean how does it work with... A: Before we get into specifics, it's important to know three things. The first is that continuous effects that modify permanents on the battlefield work in a series of layers, like an onion--each type of modifying effect is applied in a specific layer. The second is that within each layer, effects are usually applied in "timestamp order", which basically means the order they were created, entered the battlefield, or were attached to the permanent(s) they're attached to. The last thing you need to know is that if an ability has multiple different types of modifying effects, each effect is applied in the proper layer, but once an ability starts to apply, the rest is applied as normal even if the ability that generates it disappears in the meantime.
Q: ...Opalescence ? (And other animation effects?) A: What exactly happens depends on when they entered the battlefield.
Regardless of the order they entered the battlefield, in layer 4, Opalescence turns all non-Aura enchantments (including Humility ) into creatures. Then, in layer 6, Humility removes all abilities from all creatures (which now includes itself). At that point, however, both abilities have started to apply, and will continue to apply. Now, both Humility and Opalescence's abilities want to set the power and toughness of creatures to a specific value, so they both want to apply in layer 6b. Since they want to apply in the same layer, you apply them in timestamp order.
If Humility entered the battlefield first, it sets everything to 1/1, and then Opalescence sets the Power and Toughness of all the enchantments it turned into enchantment creatures to their converted mana cost. Humility ends up as a 4/4 enchantment creature with no abilities.
If Opalescence entered the battlefield first, first it sets the P/T of all those enchantment creatures to their CMC, and then Humility comes around and turns everything into a 1/1. Humility ends up as a 1/1.
With multiple Opalescences, the timestamp order again applies. If Humility entered the battlefield first, all of them are 4/4s. If it entered the battlefield last, they're all 1/1s. If it entered the battlefield somewhere in the middle, all the ones that would be affected by the later Opalescence(s) are 4/4s, and the rest are 1/1s.
This same principles hold true for other animation effects as well.
Q: ...P/T-modifying counters? A: Counters are always applied in 6d, after Humility does its thing in 6b. Thus, creatures with counters on them will always be boosted by their counters, even if a Humility's on the battlefield.
Q: ...Giant Growth ? (And other spells and abilities that modify P/T?) A: As with counters, the effect applies over top of Humility. In the case of Giant Growth, the creature will be 4/4.
Q: ...Jump ? (And other spells and abilities that grant abilities?) A: If the effect was created before Humility entered the battlefield, then Humility overwrites it, as if it never happened. If the effect was created after, then it applies over top of Humility.
If you Jump your creature, then cast Humility, it will not have flying. If you cast Humility, then Jump your creature, it will have flying.
Q: ...Glorious Anthem ? (And other continuous effects that modify P/T?) A: Abilities that modify power and toughness (but don't set it) will always apply after Humility. If you have both Humility and Glorious Anthem on the battlefield, your creatures will be 2/2.
Q: ...Knighthood ? (And other continuous effects that grant abilities?) A: Apply them in timestamp order. All the abilities that were granted before Humility entered the battlefield will be erased, but all the ones that were granted after will stay.
Q: ...Some strange combination of the above? A: Okay, so we can't answer all of the possible questions this card can raise, but just remember that layering system laid out above and remember about timestamps. Also, remember these tips:
If multiple things are entering the battlefield at the same time (like with Replenish ), the person whose turn it is decides their timestamp order relative to each other as they entered the battlefield.
If an effect in a particular layer would affect the existence or applicability of something else in the same layer, that something else is said to be "dependent" on the first; things that are dependent on something else are always applied after that something else. (Thus, an animated Knighthood will never give creatures first strike if a Humility is on the battlefield.)
And so people say to me, "How do I know if a word is real?" You know, anyone who's read a children's book knows that love makes things real. If you love a word, use it! That makes it real. Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction; it doesn't make the word any more real than any other word. If you love a word, it becomes real. --Erin McKean, Redefining the Dictionary
Q: I've heard there was a combo involving Izzet Guildmage , Desperate Ritual , and Lava Spike to deal an arbitrarily large amount of damage to my opponent(s), but I can't figure it out--how does it work? A: Okay, here's how it works:
First, have Izzet Guildmage on the battlefield. Then, cast Lava Spike , targeting your opponent, with Desperate Ritual spliced to it. In response to that, activate the Guildmage's second ability, targeting the Spike/Ritual. (You can do that because its converted mana cost is still 1, no matter what it has spliced onto it.) Let the Guildmage's ability resolve. It puts a copy of the Spike/Ritual on the stack. Let the copy resolve. The copy deals 3 damage to your opponent, and you get . Use that to activate the Guildmage's ability again, targeting the original Spike/Ritual (it hasn't gotten a chance to resolve yet). Lather, Rinse, Repeat--each copy deals damage to the opponent and gives you just enough mana to make another copy.
Note that this combo requires that you have at least six mana available to start with, three of it red: to cast the Spike/Ritual, and to copy it the first time. You can reduce the amount required to five (three of it still red) by casting the Ritual itself in response to the Spike/Ritual in order to get the mana to activate the Guildmage's ability the first time. (And you can reduce the amount required to three, only one of it red, if you have a Seething Song kicking about, and while we're at it, if you have a second Ritual in your hand as well as that Song, you can do it with just two mana. The Guildmage still has to be on the battlefield first, though.)
And so people say to me, "How do I know if a word is real?" You know, anyone who's read a children's book knows that love makes things real. If you love a word, use it! That makes it real. Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction; it doesn't make the word any more real than any other word. If you love a word, it becomes real. --Erin McKean, Redefining the Dictionary
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