702.46a Offering is a static ability of a card that functions in any zone from which the card can be cast. "[Subtype] offering" means "You may cast this card any time you could cast an instant by sacrificing a [subtype] permanent. If you do, the total cost to cast this card is reduced by the sacrificed permanent's mana cost."
702.46b The permanent is sacrificed at the same time the spell is announced (see rule 601.2a). The total cost of the spell is reduced by the sacrificed permanent's mana cost (see rule 601.2e).
702.46c Generic mana in the sacrificed permanent's mana cost reduces generic mana in the total cost to cast the card with offering. Colored mana in the sacrificed permanent's mana cost reduces mana of the same color in the total cost to cast the card with offering. Colored mana in the sacrificed permanent's mana cost that doesn't match colored mana in the colored mana cost of the card with offering, or is in excess of the card's colored mana cost, reduces that much generic mana in the total cost.
Specific Questions
Q: What does offering do? A: Offering is an ability that allows you to cast your spells more cheaply and at times you normally couldn't by sacrificing a permanent of the appropriate kind. You may cast a card using offering any time you have priority. When you cast a card using offering, you must sacrifice a permanent of the appropriate kind, and the cost of the spell with offering is reduced by the sacrificed permanent's mana cost.
Q: My opponent tries to use offering to bring a creature out--can I kill the creature he's sacrificing in response in order to stop it? A: No, you cannot. Sacrificing the creature is part of the cost of casting the creature; by the time you can respond, the creature's already dead.
Q: How is the cost reduction of offering calculated? A: Colorless mana in the sacrificed creature's cost will reduce only colorless costs of the Patron, but colored costs will reduce either their color (if present) or colorless mana (if it isn't).
Q: Can offering reduce additional costs imposed by cards such as Sphere of Resistance ? A: Yes; offering applies to all costs, not just the card's "natural" mana cost. (Though it might be hard to find creatures of the appropriate type with casting costs higher than 6 in the first place...)
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
702.47a Ninjutsu is an activated ability that functions only while the card with ninjutsu is in a player's hand. "Ninjutsu [cost]" means "[Cost], Reveal this card from your hand, Return an unblocked attacking creature you control to its owner's hand: Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand tapped and attacking."
702.47b The card with ninjutsu remains revealed from the time the ability is announced until the ability leaves the stack.
702.47c A ninjutsu ability may be activated only while a creature on the battlefield is unblocked (see rule 509.1h). The creature with ninjutsu is put onto the battlefield unblocked. It will be attacking the same player or planeswalker as the creature that was returned to its owner's hand.
Q: What does ninjutsu do? A: Ninjutsu allows your creatures to jump from your hand onto the battlefield, taking the place of an attacking creature that's unblocked. During combat, you may reveal a creature card with ninjutsu in your hand, pay its ninjutsu cost, and return an unblocked attacking creature you control to its owner's hand. If you do, you put the ninjutsu creature onto the battlefield already tapped and attacking. (If you're in a multiplayer game, it's attacking the same player that the creature that was returned was.)
Q: Can I use a counterspell to stop ninjutsu? A: No; ninjutsu is an ability, not a spell, and therefore cannot be countered by things that can only counter spells. In order to stop a ninjutsu ability, you need something that can counter activated abilities, such as Stifle or Squelch .
Q: What happens if I counter the ninjutsu ability? (With Stifle , say.) A: If you counter the ninjutsu ability, the card with ninjutsu will remain in your opponent's hand, as does the creature he bounced to pay for the ability.
Q: My opponent tries to use ninjutsu--can I kill the creature he's bouncing in response in order to stop the ability? A: No. The creature is returned as part of the cost of activating the ability; by the time you can respond, it's already safely in your opponent's hand. You can kill the Ninja when it enters the battlefield, though.
Q: I heard you can use ninjutsu to bounce multiple unblocked creatures--is this true? If so, how? A: Yes, you can do this. Simply activate the ninjutsu ability, bouncing one creature, and then activate the ability again in response to itself, bouncing another creature, and so on and so forth until you have bounced as many creatures as you like. Then, the first ninjutsu ability to resolve will put the Ninja onto the battlefield.
Q: I heard you can have both the unblocked creature and the ninja deal combat damage--is this true? If so, how? A: It is, but only if your unblocked creature has either first strike or double strike. If it doesn't, then this isn't possible.
First strike and double strike creatures assign combat damage during the first strike combat damage step. (See Turns and the Turn Structure) In the "normal" combat damage step, creatures with double strike, plus any creatures that didn't assign combat damage in the first strike combat damage step, assign their damage, even if they weren't around at the time. This means that if you ninjutsu out your unblocked first/double striker during the first strike combat damage step, before the game moves on to the "normal" combat damage step, your Ninja will deal damage during the normal combat damage step.
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
702.48a Epic represents two spell abilities, one of which creates a delayed triggered ability. "Epic" means "For the rest of the game, you can't cast spells," and "At the beginning of each of your upkeeps for the rest of the game, copy this spell except for its epic ability. If the spell has any targets, you may choose new targets for the copy." See rule 706.9.
702.48b A player can't cast spells once a spell with epic he or she controls resolves, but effects (such as the epic ability itself) can still put copies of spells onto the stack.
Specific Questions
Q: What does epic do? A: Once an Epic spell you cast resolves, you can't cast any other spells for the rest of the game, but you get a brand new copy of the Epic card at the beginning of every one of your upkeeps for the rest of the game.
Epic spells are designed to give you the ability to win using their effects alone, with proper foresight and planning. Note that Epic spells don't stop you from activating abilities or taking other actions that are not casting spells.
Q: Can I use cards like Isochron Scepter to cast spells once I've played an Epic? Can I use cards like Uyo, Silent Prophet ? A: Uyo works, but Isochron doesn't. The Scepter creates a copy of a card, and then tries to let you cast that copy. And since you can't ast spells, you can't cast the copy. Uyo, on the other hand, simply copies a spell directly, without any of that messy casting business.
The same principle applies to other cards: things that copy the spell directly will work; things that create copies of cards and then let you cast the copies won't work.
Q: Do the Epic copies count as being "cast"? A: No; the copies are simply put directly onto the stack. (You can't cast any spells at all after you resolve an Epic, so it would be pretty terrible if the game tried to make you cast the copies.)
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
702.5a Enchant is a static ability, written "Enchant [object or player]." The enchant ability restricts what an Aura spell can target and what an Aura can enchant.
702.5b For more information on Auras, see rule 303, "Enchantments."
702.5c If an Aura has multiple instances of enchant, all of them apply. The Aura's target must follow the restrictions from all the instances of enchant. The Aura can enchant only objects or players that match all of its enchant abilities.
702.5d Auras that can enchant a player can target and be attached to players. Such Auras can't target permanents and can't be attached to permanents.
Specific Questions
Q: What does enchant do? A: Enchant is a new keyword for an old concept. With the change of "Enchant [whatever]" cards to Auras, the restrictions on what a particular Aura can be attached to have been moved to the text box in the form of the Enchant ability.
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
702.49a Convoke is a static ability that functions while the spell with convoke is on the stack. "Convoke" means "As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may tap any number of untapped creatures you control. Each creature tapped this way reduces the cost to cast this spell by {1} or by one mana of any of that creature's colors." Using the convoke ability follows the rules for paying additional costs in rules 601.2b and 601.2e-g. Example: You cast Guardian of Vitu-Ghazi, a spell with convoke that costs {6}{G}{W}. You announce that you're going to tap a colorless creature, a red creature, and a green-and-white creature to help pay for it. The colorless creature and the red creature each reduce the spell's cost by {1}. You choose whether the green-white creature reduces the spell's cost by {1}, {G}, or {W}. Then the creatures become tapped as you pay Guardian of Vitu-Ghazi's cost.
702.49b Multiple instances of convoke on the same spell are redundant.
Specific Questions
Q: What does convoke do? A: Convoke is an ability that lets you use your creatures to cast your spells. When you cast a card with Convoke, you can tap any number of untapped creatures you control. Each creature you tap this way reduces the cost of your spell by one mana of any of its colors or by one colorless mana.
Q: Can I tap summoning-sick creatures to help pay for the convoke cost? A: Yes. Summoning sickness only stops attacking and the use of any activated ability that uses the or symbols in its cost. It doesn't stop the creature from being tapped in other ways.
Since Convoke is neither attacking nor an activated ability, it isn't hampered by summoning sickness at all.
Q: My opponent starts casting a spell with convoke--can I kill one of his creatures to prevent it from being tapped for convoke? A: No. You can't do anything while another player is casting a spell or activating an ability--by the time you get a chance to do anything, the creature is already tapped and the spell has already been cast.
Q: Can I tap a Llanowar Elves or something to reduce the cost and make mana? A: No. You can either tap it for convoke or tap it to make mana, but not both.
Q: Does convoke reduce the card's mana cost or converted mana cost? A: No; it only reduces the amount you actually spend. The mana cost and converted mana cost of the card never change.
Q: My opponent cast something (or has something on the battlefield) that does something bad to my Convoke spell unless I pay mana (Mana Leak , Nether Void , et cetera). Can I tap creatures to pay for that cost, too? A: No. Convoke only affects the cost of casting the spell; it doesn't affect any costs or payments that are not a part of casting the spell.
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
702.50a Dredge is a static ability that functions only while the card with dredge is in a player's graveyard. "Dredge N" means "As long as you have at least N cards in your library, if you would draw a card, you may instead put N cards from the top of your library into your graveyard and return this card from your graveyard to your hand."
702.50b A player with fewer cards in his or her library than the number required by a dredge ability can't put any of them into his or her graveyard this way.
Specific Questions
Q: What does dredge do? A: Dredge allows you to reuse the cards in your graveyard as many times as you want. If a card with Dredge X is in your graveyard and you would draw a card, you can choose to instead put X cards from the top of your library into your graveyard and put the Dredge card back into your hand.
Q: If I have multiple cards with dredge in my graveyard, can I dredge them all back at once? A: Only if you're somehow drawing multiple cards . Dredge replaces drawing a particular card with returning a card; once a particular draw has been replaced, you can't replace it again.
Q: Can I dredge a card back when I don't have the enough cards in my library? A: No, you cannot. You have to have enough cards in your library to mill if you want to dredge the 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
702.51a Transmute is an activated ability that functions only while the card with transmute is in a player's hand. "Transmute [cost]" means "[Cost], Discard this card: Search your library for a card with the same converted mana cost as the discarded card, reveal that card, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery."
702.51b Although the transmute ability can be activated only if the card is in a player's hand, it continues to exist while the object is on the battlefield and in all other zones. Therefore objects with transmute will be affected by effects that depend on objects having one or more activated abilities.
Specific Questions
Q: What does transmute do? A: Transmute lets you turn spells you don't need into the spells you do. During your main phase, when the stack is empty and you have priority, you may discard a card with transmute and pay its transmute cost. If you do, you search through your library for any card that has the same converted mana cost as the transmute card and put it into your hand.
Q: What can I find with transmute? A: You can find any card with the same converted mana cost as the card with transmute. Converted mana cost is independent of color--if you transmute a Dimir House Guard , you can find Parallectric Feedback , Ravenous Baloth , Zur's Weirding , or even Dune-Brood Nephilim . As long as the total amount of mana is right, you can transmute for 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
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
702.52a Bloodthirst is a static ability. "Bloodthirst N" means "If an opponent was dealt damage this turn, this permanent enters the battlefield with N +1/+1 counters on it."
702.52b "Bloodthirst X" is a special form of bloodthirst. "Bloodthirst X" means "This permanent enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it, where X is the total damage your opponents have been dealt this turn."
702.52c If an object has multiple instances of bloodthirst, each applies separately.
Specific Questions
Q: What does bloodthirst do? A: Bloodthirst makes the creatures you cast stronger if your opponent has been dealt damage during the current turn. As a creature with Bloodthirst N enters the battlefield, it checks to see if your opponent has been dealt damage during the current turn. If he or she has, the creatue enters the battlefield with N +1/+1 counters on it.
Q: Does it matter how my opponent was damaged? A: No. The damage can come from anything, even his or her own cards. The only thing that matters is that he or she was dealt damage somehow.
Q: If I somehow deal 0 damage to my opponent, will my creatures be bloodthirsty? A: No. 0 damage is no damage--if something tries to deal 0 damage, it doesn't deal any damage at all, so bloodthirst won't see it.
Q: Can I Shock a bloodthirsty Scab-Clan Mauler to kill it before it gets its +1/+1 counters? A: No. A bloodthirsty creature enters the battlefield with the counters already on it--you can't do anything before those counters are put on it.
Q: Can I get more counters if I deal damage to my opponent more than once? A: No. Bloodthirst doesn't care how much damage was dealt to your opponent, and it doesn't care when or how, either. All it cares about is the fact that your opponent received damage somehow.
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
702.53a Haunt is a triggered ability. "Haunt" on a permanent means "When this permanent is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, exile it haunting target creature." "Haunt" on an instant or sorcery spell means "When this spell is put into a graveyard during its resolution, exile it haunting target creature."
702.53b Cards that are in the exile zone as the result of a haunt ability "haunt" the creature targeted by that ability. The phrase "creature it haunts" refers to the object targeted by the haunt ability, regardless of whether or not that object is still a creature.
702.53c Triggered abilities of cards with haunt that refer to the haunted creature can trigger in the exile zone.
Specific Questions
Q: What does haunt do? A: Haunt lets your creatures and spells come back from the grave to "haunt" living creatures. When your card with Haunt is put into your graveyard (after resolving for instants and sorceries, and after being on the battlefield for permanents), you must exile it haunting a creature on the battlefield. The card with Haunt will specify what it does to that haunted creature.
Q: Errr... say that again? A: If the object with Haunt is an instant or sorcery spell, after the spell resolves and goes to the graveyard, you must choose a target creature on the battlefield. That instant or sorcery is then exiled, and is considered to be "haunting" the creature you targeted. Then, when that creature dies, a triggered ability of the instant or sorcery triggers and does its thing.
Haunt works similarly on permanents--when the permanent with Haunt is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, again, you choose a target creature on the battlefield. The permanent with Haunt is then exiled and is "haunting" the creature you targeted. All permanents with Haunt have a triggered ability that triggers twice. First, it triggers when the permanent enters the battlefield. After the permanent has died and begun haunting a creature, the ability triggers again when that creature dies.
Q: I have a permanent card with Haunt and it says "when [this] enters the battlefield [b]or the creature it haunts is put into a graveyard from the battlefield..." Does that mean I have to choose one or the other?[/b] A: No. The ability triggers whenever either of its trigger conditions are matched, so you'll get the effect at both times.
Q: What happens if there are no (targetable) creatures on the battlefield when the haunt ability triggers to exile the creature? A: Nothing. The ability has no potential targets, and thus doesn't happen.
Note that if there are any (targetable) creatures on the battlefield at all, you must haunt one of them; the ability is not optional.
Q: What happens if the creature I haunt isn't a creature when it dies? A: The ability triggers as normal. "The creature it haunts" only means "the permanent that this is haunting"; once the card has started Haunting something, it doesn't care if it stays a creature.
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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