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_Magic 2011_ Frequently Asked QuestionsCompiled by Mark L. Gottlieb, with contributions from Laurie Cheers, Jeff Jordan, Lee Sharpe, Eli Shiffrin, and Thijs van OmmenDocument last modified July 2, 2010 An FAQ is a collection of clarifications and rulings involving the cards in a new _Magic: The Gathering_(R) set. It's intended to make playing with these new cards more fun by clearing up the common misconceptions and confusion inevitably caused by new mechanics and interactions. As future sets are released, updates to the _Magic_(TM) rules may cause some of this information to become outdated. If you can't find the answer you're looking for here, please contact us at
Frost Titan{4}{U}{U}Creature -- Giant6/6Whenever Frost Titan becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter that spell or ability unless its controller pays {2}.Whenever Frost Titan enters the battlefield or attacks, tap target permanent. It doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step. * Frost Titan's first ability affects each spell (including Aura spells), activated ability, and triggered ability that's controlled by an opponent and that Frost Titan becomes a target of. * You may target any permanent with Frost Titan's second ability. It's okay if that permanent is already tapped. * If the permanent affected by Frost Titan's second ability is untapped at the time that permanent's controller's next untap step begins, the last part of Frost Titan's second ability has no effect. * If the permanent affected by Frost Titan's second ability changes controllers before its old controller's next untap step, Frost Titan's second ability will prevent it from being untapped during its new controller's next untap step.----- Gaea's Revenge{5}{G}{G}Creature -- Elemental8/5Gaea's Revenge can't be countered.HasteGaea's Revenge can't be the target of nongreen spells or abilities from nongreen sources. * Gaea's Revenge's first ability works only while it's a spell on the stack. Gaea's Revenge's last ability works only while it's on the battlefield. * A Gaea's Revenge spell can be targeted by spells and abilities that try to counter it (such as Cancel). Those spells and abilities will resolve, but the part of their effect that would counter Gaea's Revenge won't do anything. Any other effects those spells and abilities have will work as normal. * Gaea's Revenge's last ability applies to all nongreen spells and abilities from nongreen sources, including ones you control. For example, you can't target it with the equip ability of an Equipment you control (unless the Equipment is somehow green).----- Garruk Wildspeaker{2}{G}{G}Planeswalker -- Garruk3[+1]: Untap two target lands.[-1]: Put a 3/3 green Beast creature token onto the battlefield.[-4]: Creatures you control get +3/+3 and gain trample until end of turn. * The first ability can target any two lands. They don't have to be tapped. * The third ability affects only creatures you control at the time it resolves. It won't affect creatures that come under your control later in the turn. * See also "Card Type: Planeswalker" in the General Notes section above.----- Garruk's Packleader{4}{G}Creature -- Beast4/4Whenever another creature with power 3 or greater enters the battlefield under your control, you may draw a card. * This ability checks a creature's initial power upon being put on the battlefield, so it will take into account counters that it enters the battlefield with and static abilities that may give it a continuous power boost once it's on the battlefield (such as the one from Honor of the Pure). After the creature is already on the battlefield, boosting its power with a spell (such as Giant Growth), activated ability, or triggered ability won't allow this ability to trigger; it's too late by then. Once the ability triggers, it will resolve no matter what the creature's power may become while the ability is on the stack. * If Garruk's Packleader and another creature with power 3 or greater enter the battlefield under your control at the same time, the ability will trigger.----- Goblin Balloon Brigade{R}Creature -- Goblin Warrior1/1{R}: Goblin Balloon Brigade gains flying until end of turn. * For flying to work as an evasion ability, an attacking Goblin Balloon Brigade's ability must be activated before the declare blockers step begins. Once Goblin Balloon Brigade has become blocked, giving it flying won't change that.----- Goblin Tunneler{1}{R}Creature -- Goblin Rogue1/1{T}: Target creature with power 2 or less is unblockable this turn. * The power of the targeted creature is checked both as you target it and as the ability resolves. After the ability resolves, the creature will remain unblockable even if its power becomes greater than 2. * The ability doesn't grant an ability to the targeted creature. Rather, it affects the game rules and states something that's now true about that creature. After the ability resolves, the creature will remain unblockable for the rest of the turn even if it loses all abilities.----- Harbor Serpent{4}{U}{U}Creature -- Serpent5/5Islandwalk (This creature is unblockable as long as defending player controls an Island.)Harbor Serpent can't attack unless there are five or more Islands on the battlefield. * Harbor Serpent's abilities care about lands with the land type Island, not necessarily lands named Island. * The second ability checks how many Islands are on the battlefield (regardless of who controls them) only as attackers are declared. Once Harbor Serpent is declared as an attacker, it will continue to attack even if the number of Islands on the battlefield falls below five.----- Haunting Echoes{3}{B}{B}SorceryExile all cards from target player's graveyard other than basic land cards. For each card exiled this way, search that player's library for all cards with the same name as that card and exile them. Then that player shuffles his or her library. * While you're searching the player's library, you don't have to find all the cards with the same name as an exiled card if you don't want to. You can leave any number of them in that player's library.----- Hoarding Dragon{3}{R}{R}Creature -- Dragon4/4FlyingWhen Hoarding Dragon enters the battlefield, you may search your library for an artifact card, exile it, then shuffle your library.When Hoarding Dragon is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, you may put the exiled card into its owner's hand. * The artifact card you find is exiled face up. All players can see what it is. * If Hoarding Dragon is put into a graveyard before its first ability has resolved, its second ability will trigger and do nothing. Then its first ability will resolve. If you choose to find an artifact card from your library, it will be exiled for the rest of the game.----- Ice Cage{1}{U}Enchantment -- AuraEnchant creatureEnchanted creature can't attack or block, and its activated abilities can't be activated.When enchanted creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, destroy Ice Cage. * If the enchanted creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, Ice Cage's ability triggers and is put on the stack on top of that spell or ability. Ice Cage's ability will resolve (causing Ice Cage to be destroyed) first.----- Incite{R}InstantTarget creature becomes red until end of turn and attacks this turn if able. * Incite overwrites all of the targeted creature's old colors, leaving it just red. It doesn't matter what colors it used to be (even if, for example, it used to be red and green). * You may target any creature with Incite. It's okay if that creature is already red. It's also okay if it would be unable to attack that turn. * If, during its controller's declare attackers step, a creature affected by Incite is tapped, is affected by a spell or ability that says it can't attack, or is affected by "summoning sickness," 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, so the creature doesn't have to attack in that case either. * If there are multiple combat phases in a turn, a creature affected by Incite must attack only in the first one in which it's able to.----- Infantry Veteran{W}Creature -- Human Soldier1/1{T}: Target attacking creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. * An "attacking creature" is one that has been declared as an attacker this combat, or one that was put onto the battlefield attacking this combat. Unless that creature leaves combat, it continues to be an attacking creature through the end of combat step.----- Inferno Titan{4}{R}{R}Creature -- Giant6/6{R}: Inferno Titan gets +1/+0 until end of turn.Whenever Inferno Titan enters the battlefield or attacks, it deals 3 damage divided as you choose among one, two, or three target creatures and/or players. * You divide the damage as you put Inferno Titan's triggered ability on the stack, not as it resolves. Each target must be assigned at least 1 damage. (In other words, as you put the ability on the stack, you choose whether to have it deal 3 damage to a single target, 2 damage to one target and 1 damage to another target, or 1 damage to each of three targets.)----- Inspired Charge{2}{W}{W}InstantCreatures you control get +2/+1 until end of turn. * Only creatures you control as Inspired Charge resolves are affected.----- Jace Beleren{1}{U}{U}Planeswalker -- Jace3[+2]: Each player draws a card.[-1]: Target player draws a card.[-10]: Target player puts the top twenty cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. * If there are fewer than twenty cards in the targeted player's library, that player puts all the cards from his or her library into his or her graveyard. * See also "Card Type: Planeswalker" in the General Notes section above.----- Jace's Erasure{1}{U}EnchantmentWhenever you draw a card, you may have target player put the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard. * If a spell or ability causes you to draw multiple cards, Jace's Erasure's ability triggers that many times. (The spell or ability finishes resolving before you put Jace's Erasure's abilities on the stack.) * If a spell or ability causes you to put cards in your hand without specifically using the word "draw," Jace's Erasure's ability won't trigger.----- Jinxed Idol{2}ArtifactAt the beginning of your upkeep, Jinxed Idol deals 2 damage to you.Sacrifice a creature: Target opponent gains control of Jinxed Idol. * The control-change effect has no duration. The targeted player retains control of Jinxed Idol until the game ends, Jinxed Idol leaves the battlefield, or an effect causes someone else to gain control of it (perhaps because Jinxed Idol's ability is activated again). * If you sacrifice an attacking or blocking creature during the declare blockers step, it won't deal combat damage. If you wait until the combat damage step, but that creature is dealt lethal damage, it'll be destroyed before you get a chance to sacrifice it.----- Juggernaut{4}Artifact Creature -- Juggernaut5/3Juggernaut attacks each turn if able.Juggernaut can't be blocked by Walls. * If, during your declare attackers step, Juggernaut is tapped, is affected by a spell or ability that says it can't attack, or is affected by "summoning sickness," then it doesn't attack. If there's a cost associated with having Juggernaut attack, you aren't forced to pay that cost, so it doesn't have to attack in that case either. * If there are multiple combat phases in a turn, Juggernaut must attack only in the first one in which it's able to.----- Knight Exemplar{1}{W}{W}Creature -- Human Knight2/2First strike (This creature deals combat damage before creatures without first strike.)Other Knight creatures you control get +1/+1 and are indestructible. (Lethal damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy them.) * Lethal damage, damage from a source with deathtouch, and effects that say "destroy" won't cause an indestructible creature to be put into the graveyard. However, an indestructible creature can be put into the graveyard for a number of reasons. The most likely reasons are if it's sacrificed, if it's legendary and another legendary creature with the same name is on the battlefield, or if its toughness is 0 or less. * If an effect would simultaneously destroy Knight Exemplar and another Knight creature you control, only Knight Exemplar is destroyed. * If another Knight creature you control is dealt lethal damage, the creature isn't destroyed, but the damage remains marked on it. If, at some point later in that turn, you no longer control Knight Exemplar or it loses its abilities, the other Knight creature will stop being indestructible and will be destroyed. * If you control two Knight Exemplars, each one causes the other to get +1/+1 and be indestructible.----- Leyline of Punishment{2}{R}{R}EnchantmentIf Leyline of Punishment is in your opening hand, you may begin the game with it on the battlefield.Players can't gain life.Damage can't be prevented. * Spells and abilities that would normally cause a player to gain life still resolve, but the life-gain part simply has no effect. * If a cost includes life gain (like Invigorate's alternative cost does), that cost can't be paid. * Effects that would replace gaining life with some other effect won't be able to do anything because it's impossible for players to gain life. * Effects that replace an event with gaining life (like Words of Worship's effect does) will end up replacing the event with nothing. * If an effect says to set a player's life total to a certain number, and that number is higher than the player's current life total, that part of the effect won't do anything. (If the number is lower than the player's current life total, the effect will work as normal.) * Damage prevention shields don't have any effect. If a prevention effect has an additional effect, the additional effect will still work (if possible). Spells that create prevention effects can still be cast, and abilities that create prevention effects can still be activated. * Static abilities that prevent damage (including protection abilities) don't do so. If they have additional effects that don't depend on the amount of damage prevented, those additional effects will still work. Such effects are applied only once per source of damage. * Effects that replace or redirect damage without using the word "prevent" are not affected by Leyline of Punishment. * If a creature is dealt lethal damage, it can still regenerate. If it does, the damage marked on it will be removed from it.----- Leyline of the Void{2}{B}{B}EnchantmentIf Leyline of the Void is in your opening hand, you may begin the game with it on the battlefield.If a card would be put into an opponent's graveyard from anywhere, exile it instead. * Leyline of the Void's second ability prevents cards from ever reaching your opponents' graveyards. Abilities that would trigger when those cards are put into an opponent's graveyard (such as Hoarding Dragon's last ability) won't trigger. * Leyline of the Void's second ability doesn't affect token permanents that would be put into an opponent's graveyard from the battlefield. They'll be put into that graveyard as normal (causing any applicable triggered abilities to trigger), then they'll cease to exist. * If your opponent discards a card while you control Leyline of the Void, abilities that function when that card is discarded (such as Liliana's Caress's ability, or a madness ability of the discarded card) still work, even though that card never reaches that player's graveyard. In addition, spells or abilities that check the characteristics of the discarded card (such as Chandra Ablaze's first ability) can find that card in exile.----- Leyline of Vitality{2}{G}{G}EnchantmentIf Leyline of Vitality is in your opening hand, you may begin the game with it on the battlefield.Creatures you control get +0/+1.Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, you may gain 1 life. * If Leyline of Vitality and a creature enter the battlefield under your control at the same time, Leyline of Vitality's third ability will trigger.----- Liliana's Caress{1}{B}EnchantmentWhenever an opponent discards a card, that player loses 2 life. * If an opponent discards multiple cards (due to a spell, an ability, or the action of discarding down to the maximum hand size during his or her cleanup step), Liliana's Caress's ability triggers that many times.----- Manic Vandal{2}{R}Creature -- Human Warrior2/2When Manic Vandal enters the battlefield, destroy target artifact. * Manic Vandal's ability is mandatory. If you're the only player who controls an artifact, you must target one of them.----- Mass Polymorph{5}{U}SorceryExile all creatures you control, then reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal that many creature cards. Put all creature cards revealed this way onto the battlefield, then shuffle the rest of the revealed cards into your library. * The creatures you exile with Mass Polymorph remain exiled for the rest of the game. * If the number of creatures you exile is greater than the number of creature cards remaining in your library, you'll wind up revealing your entire library, putting all creature cards revealed that way onto the battlefield, then shuffling your library. * All creatures you put onto the battlefield with Mass Polymorph enter the battlefield at the same time. * Any abilities that trigger during the resolution of Mass Polymorph (such as a creature's enters-the-battlefield ability) will wait to be put onto the stack until Mass Polymorph finishes resolving. The player whose turn it is will put all of his or her 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.)----- Merfolk Sovereign{1}{U}{U}Creature -- Merfolk2/2Other Merfolk creatures you control get +1/+1.{T}: Target Merfolk creature is unblockable this turn. * To have any effect, Merfolk Sovereign's activated ability must be activated before the declare blockers step begins. Once a creature has become blocked, making it unblockable won't change that.----- Merfolk Spy{U}Creature -- Merfolk Rogue1/1Islandwalk (This creature is unblockable as long as defending player controls an Island.)Whenever Merfolk Spy deals combat damage to a player, that player reveals a card at random from his or her hand. * Islandwalk cares about lands with the land type Island, not necessarily lands named Island. * The second ability triggers just once each time Merfolk Spy deals combat damage to a player, regardless of how much damage it deals. * After the second ability resolves, the revealed card stops being revealed in its owner's hand. * The next time Merfolk Spy deals combat damage to the same player, the card that's revealed at random may be the same card or may be a different card.----- Mighty Leap{1}{W}InstantTarget creature gets +2/+2 and gains flying until end of turn. * You may target any creature with Mighty Leap. It's okay if that creature already has flying. * For flying to work as an evasion ability, Mighty Leap must be cast before the declare blockers step begins. Once a creature has become blocked, giving it flying won't change that.----- Mind Control{3}{U}{U}Enchantment -- AuraEnchant creatureYou control enchanted creature. * Gaining control of a creature doesn't cause you gain control of any Auras or Equipment attached to it.----- Mystifying MazeLand{T}: Add {1} to your mana pool.{4}, {T}: Exile target attacking creature an opponent controls. At the beginning of the next end step, return it to the battlefield tapped under its owner's control. * An "attacking creature" is one that has been declared as an attacker this combat, or one that was put onto the battlefield attacking this combat. Unless that creature leaves combat, it continues to be an attacking creature through the end of combat step. * The targeted creature doesn't have to be attacking you. It can be attacking a planeswalker, or (in a multiplayer game) it can be attacking another player. * At the beginning of the next end step, the affected creature is returned to the battlefield even if Mystifying Maze is no longer on the battlefield by then.----- Necrotic Plague{2}{B}{B}Enchantment -- AuraEnchant creatureEnchanted creature has "At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice this creature."When enchanted creature is put into a graveyard, its controller chooses target creature one of his or her opponents controls. Return Necrotic Plague from its owner's graveyard to the battlefield attached to that creature. * Necrotic Plague grants the sacrifice ability to the creature it's enchanting. That means it triggers at the beginning of the upkeep of the creature's controller (not necessarily Necrotic Plague's controller). * Necrotic Plague's last ability triggers when the enchanted creature is put into a graveyard for any reason, not just when it's sacrificed due to the ability it grants to that creature. It triggers if it and the creature it's enchanting are both put into the graveyard at the same time, or if the creature it's enchanting is put into the graveyard but Necrotic Plague isn't. (In the second case, Necrotic Plague is then put into the graveyard as a state-based action.) * The player that controls Necrotic Plague at the time the enchanted creature is put into a graveyard is the player who controls the last ability (even though that creature's controller is the one who chooses its target). The first player returns Necrotic Plague to the battlefield under his or her control, regardless of whose graveyard it was put into. Note that the ability is mandatory; a target must be chosen if able, and Necrotic Plague must be returned to the battlefield if able. * If no legal target can be chosen for Necrotic Plague's last ability, it just remains in its owner's graveyard. Similarly, if the targeted creature becomes an illegal target by the time the ability resolves, the ability is countered and Necrotic Plague remains in its owner's graveyard.----- Obstinate Baloth{2}{G}{G}Creature -- Beast4/4When Obstinate Baloth enters the battlefield, you gain 4 life.If a spell or ability an opponent controls causes you to discard Obstinate Baloth, put it onto the battlefield instead of putting it into your graveyard. * If a spell or ability an opponent controls causes you to discard Obstinate Baloth, and both Obstinate Baloth's ability and another ability (such as the one from an opponent's Leyline of the Void) instruct you to put Obstinate Baloth somewhere else instead of putting it into your graveyard, you choose which one to apply. * If you discard Obstinate Baloth and wind up putting it onto the battlefield, you've still discarded it. Abilities that trigger when you discard a card (such as the one from Liliana's Caress) will still trigger.----- Overwhelming Stampede{3}{G}{G}SorceryUntil end of turn, creatures you control gain trample and get +X/+X, where X is the greatest power among creatures you control. (If a creature you control would assign enough damage to its blockers to destroy them, you may have it assign the rest of its damage to defending player or planeswalker.) * You check the power of your creatures as Overwhelming Stampede resolves. For example, if you control a 2/1 creature, a 2/2 creature, a 2/4 creature, a 4/1 creature, a 5/5 creature, and a 5/6 creature at that time, each of your creatures gets +5/+5 and gains trample until end of turn.----- Phantom Beast{3}{U}Creature -- Illusion Beast4/5When Phantom Beast becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it. * If Phantom Beast becomes the target of a spell or ability, Phantom Beast's ability triggers and goes on the stack on top of that spell or ability. Phantom Beast's ability will resolve (causing it to be sacrificed) first. Unless the spell or ability has another target, it will then be countered when it tries to resolve for having no legal targets.----- Phylactery Lich{B}{B}{B}Creature -- Zombie5/5As Phylactery Lich enters the battlefield, put a phylactery counter on an artifact you control.Phylactery Lich is indestructible.When you control no permanents with phylactery counters on them, sacrifice Phylactery Lich. * Lethal damage, damage from a source with deathtouch, and effects that say "destroy" won't cause an indestructible creature to be put into the graveyard. However, an indestructible creature can be put into the graveyard for a number of reasons. The most likely reasons Phylactery Lich would be put into a graveyard are if it's sacrificed (perhaps due to its last ability), or if its toughness is 0 or less. * Phylactery Lich's first ability doesn't target the artifact. You can choose an artifact that has shroud, for example. * If you control no artifacts as Phylactery Lich enters the battlefield, its first ability won't do anything. As soon as it enters the battlefield, its last ability will trigger (unless you control some other permanent with a phylactery counter on it) and you'll have to sacrifice it. * If Phylactery Lich and an artifact are entering the battlefield under your control at the same time, you can't put a phylactery counter on that artifact. You must choose an artifact you control that's already on the battlefield. * Phylactery Lich's last ability is a "state trigger." Once a state trigger triggers, it won't trigger again as long as the ability is on the stack. If the ability is countered and the trigger condition is still true, it will immediately trigger again. * Phylactery Lich's last ability checks whether you control any permanents with phylactery counters on them, not whether you control any artifacts with phylactery counters on them. If an artifact with a phylactery counter on it somehow ceases to be an artifact, Phylactery Lich doesn't care. * Phylactery Lich's last ability checks your permanents for any phylactery counters, not just the specific one that it caused you to put on an artifact. For example, say you put a phylactery counter on a Demon's Horn as Phylactery Lich enters the battlefield. Then you put a phylactery counter on a Crystal Ball as another Phylactery Lich enters the battlefield. Then Crystal Ball is destroyed. Since you still control the Demon's Horn, the last ability of neither Phylactery Lich triggers. * The game continually checks whether you control a permanent with a phylactery counter on it. The moment you don't, Phylactery Lich's last ability triggers. The ability doesn't check again, so you'll have to sacrifice Phylactery Lich when it resolves even if you wind up controlling a permanent with a phylactery counter on it by then.----- Platinum Angel{7}Artifact Creature -- Angel4/4FlyingYou can't lose the game and your opponents can't win the game. * No game effect can cause you to lose the game or cause any opponent to win the game while you control Platinum Angel. It doesn't matter whether you have 0 or less life, you're forced to draw a card while your library is empty, you have ten or more poison counters, you're dealt combat damage by Phage the Untouchable, your opponent has Mortal Combat with twenty or more creature cards in his or her graveyard, or so on. You keep playing. * Other circumstances can still cause you to lose the game, however. You will lose a game if you concede, if you're penalized with a Game Loss or a Match Loss during a sanctioned tournament due to a DCI rules infraction, or if your _Magic Online_(R) game clock runs out of time. * Effects that say the game is a draw, such as the _Legends_(TM) card Divine Intervention, are not affected by Platinum Angel. They'll still work. * If you control Platinum Angel in a Two-Headed Giant game, your team can't lose the game and the opposing team can't win the game.----- Primal Cocoon{G}Enchantment -- AuraEnchant creatureAt the beginning of your upkeep, put a +1/+1 counter on enchanted creature.When enchanted creature attacks or blocks, sacrifice Primal Cocoon. * Primal Cocoon's first triggered ability triggers at the beginning of the upkeep of Primal Cocoon's controller (who is not necessarily the enchanted creature's controller). * The counters are put on the creature, not on Primal Cocoon. They'll stay on the creature even after Primal Cocoon is sacrificed or otherwise stops enchanting that creature.----- Primeval Titan{4}{G}{G}Creature -- Giant6/6TrampleWhenever Primeval Titan enters the battlefield or attacks, you may search your library for up to two land cards, put them onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library. * You may find any land cards, not just basic land cards.----- Prized Unicorn{3}{G}Creature -- Unicorn2/2All creatures able to block Prized Unicorn do so. * Prized Unicorn doesn't give a creature the ability to block it. It just forces those creatures that are already able to block it to do so. For example, it can't force a creature that's tapped or affected by a spell or ability that says it can't block to block it. If there's a cost associated with having a creature block, its controller isn't forced to pay that cost, so the creature doesn't have to block Prized Unicorn in that case either. * If a creature the defending player controls can't block Prized Unicorn, it can block any attacking creature, or not block at all. * If two Prized Unicorns are attacking, each creature the defending player controls can block either one of them. (The defending player chooses.) A creature that can block multiple creatures, like Palace Guard, must block both of them.----- Protean Hydra{X}{G}Creature -- Hydra0/0Protean Hydra enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it.If damage would be dealt to Protean Hydra, prevent that damage and remove that many +1/+1 counters from it.Whenever a +1/+1 counter is removed from Protean Hydra, put two +1/+1 counters on it at the beginning of the next end step. * All damage that would be dealt to Protean Hydra is prevented, even if it doesn't have that many +1/+1 counters on it. This is true even if Protean Hydra has no +1/+1 counters on it at all (and is able to remain on the battlefield because some other effect is boosting its toughness). If the amount of damage that would be dealt to Protean Hydra is greater than the number of +1/+1 counters on it, all the +1/+1 counters on Protean Hydra are removed from it. * If unpreventable damage is dealt to Protean Hydra, the Hydra's second ability will try to prevent it and fail (meaning that damage has its normal results), and it will also remove that many +1/+1 counters from Protean Hydra. * Protean Hydra's last ability triggers whenever a +1/+1 counter is removed from it for any reason, not just when a +1/+1 counter is removed by its second ability. * If multiple +1/+1 counters are removed from Protean Hydra at once, its last ability will trigger that many times. * If a -1/-1 counter is put on Protean Hydra while it has +1/+1 counters on it, that -1/-1 counter and a +1/+1 counter will be removed from it as a state-based action. This will cause Protean Hydra's last ability to trigger. * If any +1/+1 counters are removed from Protean Hydra during the end step, its last ability will trigger and set up a delayed triggered ability that will trigger at the beginning of the next end step (which is near the end of the following turn).----- Pyretic Ritual{1}{R}InstantAdd {R}{R}{R} to your mana pool. * Pyretic Ritual is not a mana ability and doesn't behave like one. You cast it as a spell. It uses the stack. It can be responded to, and it can be countered. * In the same vein, you can cast Pyretic Ritual only at a time when you could cast any other instant, not at a time when you could activate a mana ability. For example, you can't cast Pyretic Ritual in the midst of casting another spell; you'd need to cast Pyretic Ritual first.----- Quag Sickness{2}{B}Enchantment -- AuraEnchant creatureEnchanted creature gets -1/-1 for each Swamp you control. * This ability counts the number of Swamps controlled by Quag Sickness's controller, not the enchanted creature's controller (in case they're different players). * This bonus is not fixed; it changes as the number of Swamps you control changes. * The ability cares about lands with the land type Swamp, not necessarily lands named Swamp.-----
Redirect{U}{U}InstantYou may choose new targets for target spell. * 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 targeted spell is modal (that is, it says "Choose one --" or the like), you can't choose a different mode. * If you cast Redirect targeting a spell that targets a spell on the stack (like Cancel does, for example), you can't change that spell's target to itself. You can, however, change that spell's target to Redirect. If you do, that spell will be countered when it tries to resolve because Redirect will have left the stack by then. * Redirect can target any spell, not just an instant or sorcery spell. For example, you could use it to change the target of an Aura spell. However, if the targeted spell has no targets (for example, if it's an instant or sorcery spell that doesn't specifically use the word "target," or if it's a creature spell), Redirect won't have any effect on it.----- Relentless Rats{1}{B}{B}Creature -- Rat2/2Relentless Rats gets +1/+1 for each other creature on the battlefield named Relentless Rats.A deck can have any number of cards named Relentless Rats. * Relentless Rats's last ability overrides the normal limit of four of an individual card in a Constructed deck.----- Reverberate{R}{R}InstantCopy target instant or sorcery spell. You may choose new targets for the copy. * Reverberate can target (and copy) any instant or sorcery spell, not just one with targets. It doesn't matter who controls it. * When Reverberate resolves, it creates a copy of a 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 then resolve like a normal spell, after players get a chance to cast spells and activate abilities. * 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 Reverberate copies 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. * If the spell Reverberate copies has an X whose value was determined as it was cast (like Earthquake does), the copy has the same value of X. * You can't choose to pay any additional costs for the copy. 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 copy too. For example, if a player sacrifices a 3/3 creature to cast Fling, and you copy it with Reverberate, the copy of Fling will also deal 3 damage to its target. * If the copy says that it affects "you," it affects the controller of the copy, not the controller of the original spell. Similarly, if the copy says that it affects an "opponent," it affects an opponent of the copy's controller, not an opponent of the original spell's controller.----- Rise from the Grave{4}{B}SorceryPut target creature card in a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control. That creature is a black Zombie in addition to its other colors and types. * Rise from the Grave doesn't overwrite any previous colors or types. Rather, it adds another color and another subtype. * If the targeted creature is normally colorless, it will simply become black. It won't be both black and colorless. * A later effect that changes the affected creature's colors will overwrite that part of Rise from the Grave effect; the creature will be just the new color. The same is true about an effect that changes the affected creature's types or subtypes.----- Safe Passage{2}{W}InstantPrevent all damage that would be dealt to you and creatures you control this turn. * Safe Passage prevents all damage, not just combat damage, that would be dealt to you and creatures you control this turn. * Safe Passage will affect creatures that weren't on the battlefield at the time it resolved. * Safe Passage doesn't prevent damage that would be dealt to planeswalkers you control. Although it can't prevent combat damage that would be dealt to your planeswalkers, it can still prevent noncombat damage that your opponent would want to redirect from you to one of your planeswalkers. Just apply Safe Passage's prevention effect to that damage first, and there won't be any damage to redirect.----- Scroll Thief{2}{U}Creature -- Merfolk Rogue1/3Whenever Scroll Thief deals combat damage to a player, draw a card. * The ability triggers just once each time Scroll Thief deals combat damage to a player, regardless of how much damage it deals. * The ability is mandatory. You must draw a card when it resolves.----- Serra Ascendant{W}Creature -- Human Monk1/1Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.)As long as you have 30 or more life, Serra Ascendant gets +5/+5 and has flying. * In a Two-Headed Giant game, anything that cares about your life total checks your team's life total. (This is a change from previous rules.) Serra Ascendant gets +5/+5 and has flying as long as your team has 30 or more life.----- Shiv's Embrace{2}{R}{R}Enchantment -- AuraEnchant creatureEnchanted creature gets +2/+2 and has flying.{R}: Enchanted creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn. * Only Shiv's Embrace's controller (who is not necessarily the enchanted creature's controller) can activate its activated ability. * When Shiv's Embrace's activated ability resolves, the creature Shiv's Embrace is enchanting at that time will get +1/+0 (regardless of what creature Shiv's Embrace was enchanting when the ability was activated). If Shiv's Embrace has left the battlefield by then, the creature it was enchanting at the time it left the battlefield will get +1/+0.----- Silence{W}InstantYour opponents can't cast spells this turn. (Spells cast before this resolves are unaffected.) * Silence won't affect spells that your opponents cast before you cast Silence. (In other words, it can't be used as a retroactive Cancel.) Silence also won't stop your opponents from casting spells after you cast Silence but before Silence resolves. * The only thing Silence does is prevent your opponents from casting spells. They can still activate abilities, including abilities of cards in their hands (like cycling). Their triggered abilities work as normal, they can still play lands, and so on.----- Sleep{2}{U}{U}SorceryTap all creatures target player controls. Those creatures don't untap during that player's next untap step. * The second part of Sleep's effect affects all creatures the targeted player controls as Sleep resolves, not just the ones that Sleep actually caused to become tapped. * Unlike Wall of Frost, Sleep tracks both the player and the creatures. If one of the creatures controlled by the targeted player as Sleep resolves changes controllers, the creature will untap as normal during its new controller's next untap step.----- Solemn Offering{2}{W}SorceryDestroy target artifact or enchantment. You gain 4 life. * If the targeted permanent is an illegal target by the time Solemn Offering would resolve, the entire spell is countered. You won't gain any life.----- Sorcerer's Strongbox{4}Artifact{2}, {T}: Flip a coin. If you win the flip, sacrifice Sorcerer's Strongbox and draw three cards. * If you lose the flip, nothing happens. * If you no longer control Sorcerer's Strongbox by the time you win the flip, you won't be able to sacrifice it. You'll still draw three cards, though.----- Stabbing Pain{B}InstantTarget creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn. Tap that creature. * You may target any creature with Stabbing Pain. It's okay if it's already tapped. * If Stabbing Pain targets an untapped creature with 1 toughness, that creature gets -1/-1, then it becomes tapped, then (after Stabbing Pain resolves) it's put into the graveyard as a state-based action. Similarly, if Stabbing Pain targets an untapped creature with 1 less than lethal damage marked on it (such as a 3/3 creature with 2 damage marked on it), that creature gets -1/-1, then it becomes tapped, then (after Stabbing Pain resolves) it's destroyed as a state-based action. In each case, any abilities that trigger when that creature becomes tapped will trigger.----- Steel Overseer{2}Artifact Creature -- Construct1/1{T}: Put a +1/+1 counter on each artifact creature you control. * Steel Overseer is affected by its own ability (assuming that, by the time the ability resolves, you still control Steel Overseer and its types haven't changed). You'll put a +1/+1 counter on it, as well as on each other artifact creature you control.----- Stormtide Leviathan{5}{U}{U}{U}Creature -- Leviathan8/8Islandwalk (This creature is unblockable as long as defending player controls an Island.)All lands are Islands in addition to their other types.Creatures without flying or islandwalk can't attack. * Islandwalk cares about lands with the land type Island, not necessarily lands named Island. * Stormtide Leviathan's second ability causes each land on the battlefield to have the land type Island. Each land thus has the ability to tap to add {U} to its controller's mana pool. This effect doesn't change anything else about those lands, including their names, other subtypes, other abilities, or whether they're legendary, basic, or snow. * If Stormtide Leviathan loses its abilities, all lands on the battlefield (including those that enter the battlefield later on) will still be Islands in addition to their other types and will still be able to tap to produce {U}. The way continuous effects work, Stormtide Leviathan's type-changing ability is applied before the effect that removes that ability is applied. * Stormtide Leviathan's third ability affects all creatures with neither flying nor islandwalk, regardless of who controls them. They can't attack any player or planeswalker.----- Sun Titan{4}{W}{W}Creature -- Giant6/6VigilanceWhenever Sun Titan enters the battlefield or attacks, you may return target permanent card with converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield. * A permanent card is an artifact, creature, enchantment, land, or planeswalker card. * The converted mana cost of a card in your graveyard is determined solely by the mana symbols printed in its upper right corner. The converted mana cost is the total amount of mana in that cost, regardless of color. For example, a card with mana cost {3}{U}{U} has converted mana cost 5. * If the mana cost of a card in your graveyard includes {X}, X is considered to be 0. * If a card in your graveyard has no mana symbols in its upper right corner (because it's a land card, for example), its converted mana cost is 0.----- Thunder Strike{1}{R}InstantTarget creature gets +2/+0 and gains first strike until end of turn. (It deals combat damage before creatures without first strike.) * Thunder Strike can target any creature, even one that already has first strike or double strike. (If it affects such a creature, it will, in effect, just give it +2/+0.) * If a creature doesn't have first strike, granting it first strike after combat damage has been dealt in the first-strike combat damage step won't prevent it from dealing combat damage. It will still assign and deal its combat damage in the second combat damage step.----- Tome Scour{U}SorceryTarget player puts the top five cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. * If there are fewer than five cards in the targeted player's library, that player puts all the cards from his or her library into his or her graveyard.----- Triskelion{6}Artifact Creature -- Construct1/1Triskelion enters the battlefield with three +1/+1 counters on it.Remove a +1/+1 counter from Triskelion: Triskelion deals 1 damage to target creature or player. * If you activate the ability of an attacking or blocking Triskelion during the declare blockers step, it will deal less combat damage as a result. If you wait until the combat damage step, but Triskelion is dealt lethal damage, it'll be destroyed before you get a chance to activate its ability. * If Triskelion has damage marked on it, activating its ability may cause that damage to become lethal. For example, say a Triskelion with two +1/+1 counters on it has been dealt 2 damage earlier in the turn. If you activate its ability by removing a +1/+1 counter from it, it now has 2 toughness and is destroyed as a state-based action. You won't be able to remove the other +1/+1 counter from it to activate its ability again. The first activation of the ability will still resolve.----- Vengeful Archon{4}{W}{W}{W}Creature -- Archon7/7Flying{X}: Prevent the next X damage that would be dealt to you this turn. If damage is prevented this way, Vengeful Archon deals that much damage to target player. * The only target of Vengeful Archon's ability is the player it may deal damage to. You choose that target as you activate the ability, not at the time it prevents damage. * If the targeted player is an illegal target by the time the ability resolves, the entire ability is countered. No damage will be prevented. * Vengeful Archon's ability doesn't have you choose a source of damage. It will apply to the next X damage you would be dealt that turn, regardless of where that damage comes from. It doesn't matter whether the damage would all be dealt at the same time. For example, if X is 4 and you'd be dealt 3 damage by Lightning Bolt, that 3 damage is prevented and Vengeful Archon deals 3 damage to the targeted player. The prevention effect will still apply to the next 1 damage you'd be dealt that turn. * The effect of Vengeful Archon's ability is not a redirection effect. If it prevents damage, Vengeful Archon (not the source of that damage) deals damage to the targeted player as part of that prevention effect. Vengeful Archon is the source of the new damage, so the characteristics of the original source (such as its color, or whether it had lifelink or deathtouch) don't affect this damage. The new damage is not combat damage, even if the prevented damage was. Since you control the source of the new damage, if you targeted an opponent with Vengeful Archon's ability, you may have Vengeful Archon deal its damage to a planeswalker that opponent controls. * Whether the targeted player is still a legal target is no longer checked after Vengeful Archon's ability resolves. For example, if a player targeted by Vengeful Archon's ability puts Leyline of Sanctity (which says "You can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control") onto the battlefield after the ability resolves but before it prevents damage, the ability will still prevent damage and still deal damage to that player. If Vengeful Archon can't deal damage to the targeted player (because the player is no longer in the game in a multiplayer game, for example), it will still prevent damage. It just won't deal any damage itself. * If Vengeful Archon's ability doesn't prevent any damage (perhaps because a different prevention effect is applied to the damage that would be dealt to you, or because the damage is unpreventable), Vengeful Archon won't deal any damage itself. * If Vengeful Archon's ability prevents damage, Vengeful Archon deals its damage immediately afterward as part of that same prevention effect. This happens before state-based actions are checked, and before any player can cast spells or activate abilities. If a spell or ability would have caused that damage to be dealt, this happens before that spell or ability resumes its resolution. * If you would be dealt combat damage by multiple attacking creatures, you choose which of that damage to prevent. For example, if X is 3 and you'd be dealt combat damage by a 1/3 Scroll Thief and a 3/5 Siege Mastodon, you might choose to prevent 1 damage from the Scroll Thief and 2 damage from the Siege Mastodon. You don't decide until the point at which the creatures would deal their damage. * If the amount of damage that would be dealt to you is in excess of the amount of damage that Vengeful Archon's ability would prevent, that source deals its excess damage to you at the same time that the rest of it is prevented. Then Vengeful Archon deals its damage. * If multiple effects modify how damage will be dealt, the player who would be dealt damage chooses the order to apply the effects. For example, say you've activated Vengeful Archon's ability with X = 3 targeting Player A, and you've activated Vengeful Archon's ability with X = 1 targeting Player B. You're dealt 2 damage. You can apply the first prevention effect (dealing 2 damage to Player A), or you can apply the second prevention effect (dealing 1 damage to Player B) followed by the first prevention effect (dealing 1 damage to Player A). The unused portions of the prevention effects remain.----- Viscera Seer{B}Creature -- Vampire Wizard1/1Sacrifice a creature: Scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.) * You can sacrifice Viscera Seer to activate its own ability. * If you sacrifice an attacking or blocking creature during the declare blockers step, it won't deal combat damage. If you wait until the combat damage step, but that creature is dealt lethal damage, it'll be destroyed before you get a chance to sacrifice it.----- Wall of Frost{1}{U}{U}Creature -- Wall0/7Defender (This creature can't attack.)Whenever Wall of Frost blocks a creature, that creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step. * Unlike Sleep, Wall of Frost's triggered ability tracks the creature, but not its controller. If the creature changes controllers before its first controller's next untap step has come around, then it won't untap during its new controller's next untap step.----- War Priest of Thune{1}{W}Creature -- Human Cleric2/2When War Priest of Thune enters the battlefield, you may destroy target enchantment. * Unlike Manic Vandal's ability, War Priest of Thune's ability is not mandatory. If you're the only player who controls an enchantment, you must target one of them, but you don't have to destroy it.----- Water Servant{2}{U}{U}Creature -- Elemental3/4{U}: Water Servant gets +1/-1 until end of turn.{U}: Water Servant gets -1/+1 until end of turn. * You can activate Water Servant's second ability even if doing so would cause Water Servant's power to be less than 0. If Water Servant's power is less than 0, treat it as 0 for all purposes except for further modifying it, or causing the power of another creature (such as Riptide Mangler) to become equal to it.----- Wild Evocation{5}{R}EnchantmentAt the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player reveals a card at random from his or her hand. If it's a land card, the player puts it onto the battlefield. Otherwise, the player casts it without paying its mana cost if able. * If a player reveals a nonland card, that player must cast that card if it's possible to do so, even if he or she doesn't want to. The player casts it as part of the resolution of Wild Evocation's ability. Timing restrictions based on the card's type (such as creature or sorcery) are ignored. Other play restrictions are not (such as "Cast [this card] only during combat"). * If a player reveals a nonland card, but can't cast it due to a lack of legal targets or a play restriction, it simply remains in his or her hand. * If, as the result of Wild Evocation's ability, a player casts a card "without paying its mana cost," any X in the mana cost will be 0, and that player can't pay any alternative costs (such as Demon of Death's Gate's alternative cost). On the other hand, if the card has optional additional costs (such as kicker or multikicker), the player may pay those. * If casting the revealed card involves paying a mandatory additional cost (such as the one Fling has), the player casting that card must pay that cost if able. If he or she can't, the card remains uncast in his or her hand. If the mandatory additional cost includes a mana payment, the situation is more complex. If the player has enough mana in his or her mana pool to pay the cost, that player must do so. If the player can't possibly pay the cost, the card remains uncast in his or her hand. However, if the player has the means to produce enough mana to pay the cost, then he or she has a choice: The player may cast the card, produce mana, and pay the cost. Or the player may choose to activate no mana abilities, thus making the card impossible to cast because the additional mana can't be paid. * If a player casts a nonland card revealed with Wild Evocation's ability, it's put on the stack as a spell, then Wild Evocation's ability finishes resolving. The spell will then resolve as normal, after players get a chance to cast spells and activate abilities.----- All trademarks are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. (c)2010 Wizards.
Magic 2011 contains the following card:
Elixir of Immortality {1} Artifact {2}, {T}: You gain 5 life. Shuffle Elixir of Immortality and your graveyard into your library. This card is being issued errata. The new wording, effective as of the prerelease, is: Elixir of Immortality {1} Artifact {2}, {T}: You gain 5 life. Shuffle Elixir of Immortality and your graveyard into their owner's library. This new wording correctly instructs the player as to what to do in the case where the controller of the ability does not own Elixir of Immortality.
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