701.19a To "fateseal N" means to look at the top N cards of an opponent's library, put any number of them on the bottom of that library in any order, and put the rest on top of that library in any order.
Specific Questions
Q: What does fateseal mean? A: To "fateseal N" means to look at the top N cards of an opponent's library, put any number of them on the bottom of that library in any order, and put the rest on top of that library in any order.
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
702.62a Absorb is a static ability. "Absorb N" means "If a source would deal damage to this creature, prevent N of that damage."
702.62b Each absorb ability can prevent only N damage from any one source at any one time. It will apply separately to damage from other sources, or to damage dealt by the same source at a different time.
702.62c If an object has multiple instances of absorb, each applies separately.
Specific Questions
Q: What does absorb do? A: Absorb is an ability that prevents damage to your creatures. If a source would deal any amount of damage to a creature with absorb X, X of that damage is prevented.
Q: So if I have two Lymph Sliver s on the battlefield, and something tries to deal damage to one of my Slivers, 4 of the damage is prevented? A: No. Lymph Sliver's reminder text isn't telling you what Absorb itself does; what it's doing is telling you what happens when every Sliver has Absorb 1, in the same way that Sidewinder Sliver tells you what happens when every sliver has Flanking.
Each instance of Absorb 1 on a sliver will prevent 1 damage, so if there are two Lymph Slivers on the battlefield and something tries to deal damage to a Sliver, 2 of that damage will be prevented. Three Lymph Slivers means 3 damage is prevented, and so on and so forth.
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
702.63a Aura swap is an activated ability of some Aura cards. "Aura swap [cost]" means "[Cost]: You may exchange this permanent with an Aura card in your hand."
702.63b If either half of the exchange can't be completed, the ability has no effect. Example: You activate the aura swap ability of an Aura. The only Aura card in your hand can't enchant the permanent that's enchanted by the Aura with aura swap. The ability has no effect. Example: You activate the aura swap ability of an Aura that you control but you don't own. The ability has no effect.
Specific Questions
Q: What does aura swap do? A: Aura Swap allows you to exchange an Aura on the battlefield for an Aura card in your hand by paying the aura swap cost, putting each where the other one was.
Q: How exactly do I work this exchange? A: As the ability resolves, you may choose an Aura card in your hand. If you don't (or can't), nothing happens. If the Aura you chose can't enchant the permanent the aura swap card is enchanting, or the aura swap card has left the battlefield, or if you don't own the aura swap card, nothing happens.
But if all those hoops have been jumped through, you simultaneously switch the Aura in your hand for the aura swap permanent. The Aura that was in your hand is put onto the battlefield attached to the aura swap card was attached to.
Q: Is there ever a moment when both Auras (or neither) are on the battlefield? A: No. The two are switched simultaneously--there's never a moment when they're both in the same 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
702.2b Any nonzero amount of combat damage assigned to a creature by a source with deathtouch is considered to be lethal damage, regardless of that creature's toughness. See rules 510.1c-d.
702.2c A creature with toughness greater than 0 that's been dealt damage by a source with deathtouch since the last time state-based actions were checked is destroyed as a state-based action. See rule 704.
702.2d The deathtouch rules function no matter what zone an object with deathtouch deals damage from.
702.2e If an object changes zones before an effect causes it to deal damage, its last known information is used to determine whether it had deathtouch.
702.2f Multiple instances of deathtouch on the same object are redundant.
Specific Questions
Q: What does deathtouch do? A: If something with deathtouch deals any (nonzero) amount of damage to a creature, the damaged creature is destroyed immediately, no matter whether the damage would normally be enough to be lethal or not.
Q: If the damage from my deathtouch permanent is prevented, is the creature still destroyed? A: No. If the damage is prevented, it's never dealt, so deathtouch won't take effect.
Q: Does deathtouch target? A: No. Anything that targets will use the actual word "target", either in the rules text of the card itself or, if a keyword is involved, in the rules of the game. (And in those cases, the reminder text for the keyword will include the word "target".)
Thus, since deathtouch does not use the word "target" at all, it doesn't target.
Q: If my deathtouch permanent deals 0 damage to a creature, does deathtouch destroy the creature? A: No. 0 damage is no damage at all. Something that's trying to deal 0 damage never actually deals any, so deathtouch doesn't apply.
Q: Can a creature regenerate from deathtouch damage? A: Yes. Deathtouch attempts to destroy the creature, and regeneration protects the creature from being destroyed. Note, however, that you must create the regeneration shield before the damage is actually dealt, because after the damage is dealt, deathtouch takes effect and kills things before you can do anything.
Also note that you will only ever have to regenerate once to save a creature from deathtouch damage, no matter how many instances of deathtouch may be present and how much damage was dealt.
Q: Can deathtouch kill an indestructible creature? A: No. Deathtouch attempts to destroy the creature, and indestructible creatures can't be destroyed.
Q: If the source with deathtouch is removed before the damage is dealt, does that stop deathtouch from working? A: No; the only way to stop deathtouch from working would be to somehow make the source lose deathtouch before the damage is dealt. (Say, with Ovinize .) Or somehow stop the damage entirely, but that goes without saying.
This is different from a triggered ability; deathtouch works because the rules of the game look to see if things have deathtouch when they're determining how damage will affect a given creature. Triggered abilities work because they're around to say they work; deathtouch works because the game goes looking for it to see what happens. Deathtouch doesn't need to actually be around to see the damage being dealt because the game goes looking for it, and if whatever's dealing the damage had deathtouch when it left the battlefield, the game will see that and make the damage work accordingly. (This is a change from how deathtouch originally worked.)
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
702.64a Delve is a static ability that functions while the spell that has delve is on the stack. "Delve" means "As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may exile any number of cards from your graveyard. Each card exiled this way reduces the cost to cast this spell by {1}." Using the delve ability follows the rules for paying additional costs in rules 601.2b and 601.2e-g.
702.64b Multiple instances of delve on the same spell are redundant.
Specific Questions
Q: What does delve do? A: Delve allows you to reduce the cost of your spell by exiling cards in your graveyar. As you cast a card with delve, you may choose to exile any number of cards in your graveyard. The card costs less to cast for each card exiled this way.
Q: Does delve affect the card's mana cost or converted mana cost? A: No; delve only reduces the amount you actually spend. The mana cost of a card (and therefore its converted mana cost) is based solely on the mana symbols that appear in the top right-hand corner of the card. (For the Future Sight timeshifted cards on which delve appears, the mana cost is on the top left, just below the name.)
Q: My opponent starts casting a spell with delve--can I remove cards from his graveyard to prevent him from removing them for delve? 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 cards are already exiled and the spell has already been cast.
Q: I have some cards with mana abilities that put cards in my graveyard as a cost or side effect (by sacrificing permanents, discarding cards, whatever). Can I activate those abilites to get mana and exile the cards they put into my graveyard to reduce the cost of my delve spell? A: Yes, you can. (Even if you activate the mana abilities during the act of casting the delve spell.) You have an opportunity to activate mana abilities just before you actually pay the costs of casting the spell. If you do so, the cards will be in your graveyard when it comes time to pay costs, and therefore you'll be able to exile them for delve.
Q: My opponent casts something (or has something on the battlefield) that does something bad to my delve spell unless I pay mana (Mana Leak , Nether Void , et cetera). Can I remove cards from my graveyard to pay for that cost, too? A: No. Delve only affects the cost of actually 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
702.65a Fortify is an activated ability of Fortification cards. "Fortify [cost]" means "[Cost]: Attach this Fortification to target land you control. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery."
702.65b For more information about Fortifications, see rule 301, "Artifacts."
702.65c If a Fortification has multiple instances of fortify, any of its fortify abilities may be used.
Specific Questions
Q: What does fortify do? A: Fortify is an ability of Fortifications that allows you to attach them to a target land you control. This attachment is permanent, and a fortify ability can only be activated during your main phase, when you have priority and the stack is empty.
See the main Rules Q&A FAQ entry on Equipment. Basically, Fortifications are exactly the same thing, only they go onto lands instead of creatures. The Fortify keyword works exactly the same way for Fortifications as the Equip keyword does for Equipment.
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
702.67a Gravestorm is a triggered ability that functions on the stack. "Gravestorm" means "When you cast this spell, put a copy of it onto the stack for each permanent that was put into a graveyard from the battlefield this turn. If the spell has any targets, you may choose new targets for any of the copies."
702.67b If a spell has multiple instances of gravestorm, each triggers separately.
Specific Questions
Q: What does gravestorm do? A: Gravestorm makes your spells better if permanents have been put into a graveyard during the current turn. When you cast a spell with gravestorm, in addition to the original spell, you create a copy of it for each permanent that was put into any graveyard during the current turn.
Q: What exactly counts for gravestorm? Do cards that have been discarded count? How about cards milled? A: Gravestorm only counts permanents (cards or tokens on the battlefield) that are put into the graveyard from the battlefield. Cards being put into a graveyard from anywhere else are not permanents, and cannot count for gravestorm.
Q: How does gravestorm interact with replicate? A: It doesn't. At all. Replicate copies are never cast, so their gravestorm abilities will not trigger, and you don't cast the gravestorm copies, so you can't replicate them. (Though you could replicate the initial spell.)
Q: What happens if I or my opponent responds to the gravestorm ability by casting something that puts another permanent into the graveyard? Do I get another copy for that newly-dead card? A: Yes. When the gravestorm triggered ability resolves, it creates a copy for every permanent that was put into a graveyard from the battlefield this turn, no matter when exactly it did it. As long as it died this turn, gravestorm creates a copy for it.
Q: What happens if my opponent counters the original gravestorm spell? A: That one spell will be countered, but all the copies would still be there. Countering the original spell does nothing to 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
702.14b Damage dealt by a source with lifelink causes that source's controller, or its owner if it has no controller, to gain that much life (in addition to any other results that damage causes). See rule 119.3.
702.14c If a permanent leaves the battlefield before an effect causes it to deal damage, its last known information is used to determine whether it had lifelink.
702.14d The lifelink rules function no matter what zone an object with lifelink deals damage from.
702.14e Multiple instances of lifelink on the same object are redundant.
Specific Questions
Q: What does lifelink do? A: Damage dealt by something with lifelink causes you to gain life in addition to whatever other effects the damage may have--this lifegain happens as the damage is dealt.
Q: I have an old creature that says it gives me that much life whenever it deals damage. Does this card have lifelink? A: No, it does not. When lifelink was introduced, it worked differently, and older creatures that worked that way were given errata to have it, but then they wanted to change how lifelink worked, so rather than have a whole ton of cards that didn't work the way they say they worked, they removed the errata and returned the cards to their original un-keyworded state.
If you're not sure, be sure to check the Oracle text of your card; a card's Oracle text is its current, "official" wording, and overrides the printed text. (The Oracle text can be found by looking up the card in Gatherer .)
Q: Does lifelink give me life for all damage, or just combat damage? A: Lifelink takes effect no matter why or how the damage is being dealt. As long as it has lifelink, and it's dealing damage, you'll be gaining life.
Q: My creature with lifelink is blocked or being blocked by a creature with toughness lower than my creature's power. Do I gain life equal to my creature's power, or the opposing creature's toughness? A: You gain life equal to your creature's power. (Assuming nothing interferes and prevents some of the damage.) Creatures in Magic never "pull their punches" (in fact, nothing does). If your creature's power is 10, it will deal 10 damage in combat (and thus you will gain 10 life), no matter what the toughness of its blockers are.
Q: I'm being attacked, and the damage from the attacking creatures will be enough to kill me. But I have a creature with lifelink blocking, and the lifegain from it would be enough to keep me alive. Do I get the life from lifelink in time to save me? A: Yes. (Assuming the attackers aren't going to kill you with first strike or double strike damage before your lifelinker can deal any.) All (regular) combat damage is dealt at the same time, and you gain life from lifelink as the damage is dealt, so there's never a point when your life total is less than 0, so you don't die.
Q: If the source with lifelink is removed before the damage is dealt, does that stop lifelink from working? A: No; the only way to stop lifelink from working would be to somehow make the source lose lifelink before the damage is dealt. (Say, with Ovinize .) Or somehow stop the damage entirely, but that goes without saying.
This is different than a triggered ability; lifelink works because the rules of the game look to see if things have lifelink when they're determining what the damage does. Triggered abilities work because they're around to say they work; lifelink works because the game goes looking for it to see what happens. The ability doesn't need to actually be around to see the damage being dealt because the game goes looking for it; if whatever's dealing the damage had lifelink when it left the battlefield, the game will see that and make the damage work accordingly. (This is a change from how lifelink originally worked.)
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
702.68a Poisonous is a triggered ability. "Poisonous N" means "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, that player gets N poison counters." (For information about poison counters, see rule 104.3d.)
702.68b If a creature has multiple instances of poisonous, each triggers separately.
Specific Questions
Q: What does poisonous do? A: Whenever a permanent with poisonous X deals combat damage to a player, that player gets X poison counters. (A player with ten or more poison counters loses the game, the same way he or she would if he or she had 0 or less life.)
Q: If the damage from my poisonous creature is prevented, does the player still get poison counters? A: No. The poisonous ability triggers off of combat damage being dealt, and if the damage is prevented, it's never dealt.
Q: If my poisonous creature deals 0 damage to a player, do they get poison counters? A: No. 0 damage is no damage at all. Something that's trying to deal 0 damage never actually deals any, so poisonous won't trigger.
Q: If my poisonous creature also has double strike, and isn't blocked, will the defending player get poison counters twice? A: Yes. The creature will deal damage twice, so the poisonous ability will trigger twice, and your opponent will get two sets of however many poison counters the poisonous ability says he or she gets.
Q: Can I respond to or counter the part that makes me lose the game if I have ten or more poison counters? A: No. While you can respond to or Stifle the poisonous ability itself, the thing that makes you actually lose the game once you have too many poison counters is a state-based effect, which cannot be countered or responded to. Once you hit ten poison counters, that's it: you're dead.
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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