Q: What are flip cards and how do they work? A: Flip cards are a series of cards from Kamigawa block that use a special frame. They act just like normal cards, until they meet certain conditions; once they do so, they 'flip', and change into something almost entirely different. A flip card looks like this:
Holding the card right-side up, its mana cost and normal name, P/T, types, and text box are at the top, above the art. On the other side are its 'flipped' name, text box, type, and P/T. You play the card as written on the 'normal' side, which will tell you how to flip it into its other form.
As far as the game is concerned, the card only has the 'flipped' characteristics while it's on the battlefield and has been flipped. Everywhere other than that, and on the battlefield before it gets flipped, it only has the normal characteristics. Being flipped is a status, like being tapped, or being face down. Permanents will always enter the battlefield unflipped (and untapped, and face-up) unless something specifically says otherwise.
Q: How do I indicate that a flipped card has flipped? A: Most people turn it upside-down, or maybe put a marker of some kind on it. It has to remain clear to everyone that the card has indeed flipped, but how you do that is up to you.
Q: A flipped flip card leaves the battlefield, then returns somehow. Is it still flipped? A: No. When things change zones, they forget all about their previous existence and are treated as a new permanent with no recollection of its old state. As such, the flip card will re-enter the battlefield unflipped, just as it would if you were casting it for the first time.
Q: Does flipping a flip card cause auras, counters, or equipment to 'fall off' of it? A: No, for the same reason that tapping doesn't--it's just changing the state of the card, not what it is. Simply flipping something will not remove anything from it. However, if the flipped side is something that those auras or equipment couldn't legally be attached to, they will fall off. For example, if you cast Holy Strength on Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant , and then flip the Ascendant, the Strength will fall off and go to the graveyard, because it can only enchant a creature, and the flipped side of the Ascendant, Rune-Tail's Essence , is not a creature.
Note that in the case of Homura, Human Ascendant , the card leaves the battlefield before returning already flipped, which will remove counters, auras, equipment, and so on--but because it left the battlefield, not because it flipped.
Q: If I'm searching my library for something, can I find the 'flipped' half of a flip card? A: No. As far as the game is concerned, the flipped half of a flip card does not exist unless the card is both on the battlefield and flipped. Everywhere else, the flipped half is treated as though it does not exist.
Q: I need to name a card. Can I name the flipped side of a flip card? A: Yes, you can name the flipped side of a flip card, which will allow you to do things like shut down Nighteyes the Desecrator with Pithing Needle or prevent the damage from Stabwhisker the Odious with Runed Halo . However, remember that the flipped side of the card only exists when the card is on the battlefield and flipped--anywhere else, it only has its unflipped characteristics, so you'd have to name the unflipped side if you wanted to do something like find it with Spoils of the Vault .
Q: Does flipping an already-flipped card de-flip it? A: No. Flipping is a one-way process--attempting to flip an already-flipped card will not do anything, just like attempting to tap an already-tapped permanent does nothing. (And unlike tapping, there are no cards that allow you to unflip things.)
Q: I Clone a flip card. Which half do I get? A: Generally, the unflipped half; you will then be able to flip it as normal.
Copy effects, such as Clone , will copy the whole card--including both sides--but they don't copy whether or not the permanent is flipped. Being flipped or unflipped is a status, like being tapped or untapped. As long as the flip card is not flipped, it uses one set of characteristics, and as long as it is flipped, it uses the other. Thus, the same will be true for the copy. Unless something says otherwise, the copy will enter the battlefield unflipped by default, and will remain unflipped until something flips it. Once it's flipped, it will be the flipped half of whatever it's copying.
As an example, you control a Stabwhisker the Odious (the flipped version of Nezumi Shortfang ), and I Clone it. The copy is a Nezumi Shortfang --not Stabwhisker--because it is unflipped. If I then use my copy's ability to flip it, it will become another Stabwhisker, and both Stabwhiskers will die thanks to the legend rule.
And so people say to me, "How do I know if a word is real?" You know, anyone who's read a children's book knows that love makes things real. If you love a word, use it! That makes it real. Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction; it doesn't make the word any more real than any other word. If you love a word, it becomes real. --Erin McKean, Redefining the Dictionary
Q: What are leveler cards and how do they work? A: Leveler cards are cards that have a special frame and make use of the Level up keyword ability. A leveler card can 'level up' and become stronger, or more powerful, or gain better abilities. Whatever. A leveler card looks like this:
As you can see, the text box of a leveler card is divided into several different striped tiers, with level symbols on the left-hand side and P/T boxes on the right-hand side. As long as the number of level counters on the card (the card's level) matches one of the level symbols, it has the abilities described in the corresponding tier, and is the P/T listed in the corresponding P/T box. (If not, then it only has the abilities listed in the very first tier, and is the P/T listed in the very top P/T box--that's the default.)
Q: What level does a leveler card start at? A: A leveler card's level is the same as the number of level counters on it. It doesn't start out with any level counters, so that means it starts at level 0 and works its way up from there.
Q: How do I increase a leveler card's level? A: Put more level counters on it. This is generally done with the card's built-in Level up keyword ability, but other things that add level counters will also boost the card's level. (And things that remove them will decrease it.) All that matters when determining a leveler card's level is the number of level counters on it right now; everything else is irrelevant.
Level up is an activated ability that you can use to add level counters to your leveler--generally it'll be your primary method of leveling up your leveler card. To activate level up you must pay its cost, and when the ability resolves it puts a level counter on the leveler. Level up can only be used any time you could cast a sorcery, meaning only during your turn's main phase when the stack is empty and you have priority--you can't respond to something by leveling your creature up with that ability. For more information on Level up, see its FAQ entry.
Q: How do things that alter a creature's P/T interact with leveler cards? (eg. +1/+1 counters, Giant Growth , Glorious Anthem ) A: Leveling up a card doesn't stop other things from altering its P/T; those effects will apply as normal. For example, Beastbreaker of Bala Ged has no level counters on it, so it's a 2/2. I then cast Giant Growth on it; it's now a 5/5. After that, I use its level up ability once. It's now a 7/7. ((4/4) + (+3/+3))
The only thing you have to watch out for are effects which set the creature's P/T to a specific value, like Godhead of Awe . Such effects will always override the creature's 'default' P/T, but due to a quirk of how leveler cards work, they may or may not overwrite the P/T that the creature gets for being a particular level. Ones older than the creature itself will be overwritten by the creature's level-boosted P/T, while ones that are newer than the creature will apply over top no matter what level it is. Using Beastbreaker of Bala Ged as an example again, if there's a Godhead of Awe already on the battlefield, then you drop the Beastbreaker and level it up once, it will be a 4/4, not a 1/1. (And could become a 6/6 if more level counters were added.) If, however, the Beastbreaker was already around and someone dropped a new Godhead of Awe, the Beastbreaker would be 1/1 no matter how many level counters were on it.
(Yes, that is slightly complicated, but luckily such effects are rare, so it won't come up often.)
Q: How do things that remove a creature's abilities interact with leveler cards? A: Technically speaking, the lower tiers of a leveler card's text box, the ones with level symbols beside them, are actually shorthand for abilities that read, "As long as ~this~ has {this many} level counters on it, it has {these abilities} and is {this big}". Effects that remove all abilities from the leveler will wipe these out, as well as the level up ability, so it will be left with only its default P/T. (Assuming that isn't overwritten, too, which it probably will be.)
Q: When a creature reaches the next 'tier', does it lose the abilities from the previous tiers? A: The abilities on each 'tier' don't technically overwrite the abilities from the previous tiers--it's just that the previous tiers don't grant that creature those abilities any more, because they no longer apply. Any other abilities the creature might have, such as the level up ability, or something granted to it by something else, are retained.
For example, an Enclave Cryptologist with three level counters on it no longer has 1-2 level counters on it, so that tier no longer does anything; it only has the ability from the tier that applies right now. You couldn't use the draw-and-discard ability even if you wanted to for some reason, because the Cryptologist no longer has it. You can only use the just-draw ability.
Q: What level is a leveler card when it's not on the battlefield? A: If the leveler card isn't on the battlefield, it doesn't have any level counters on it, so it's effectively level 0; it will be its default P/T and will not have any of the abilities that it might get at higher levels. (It does, however, have the level up ability.)
This means, for example, that revealing a leveler card for Skill Borrower will give it the level up ability and no others, no matter how many level counters you put on the Borrower.
Q: What happens if a leveler card leaves the battlefield and then returns somehow? (eg. with Momentary Blink or Turn to Mist ) A: When the leveler card leaves the battlefield, it forgets all about its previous existence and any counters it had on it. When it comes back, it does so as a completely new permanent, just as though it was coming in for the first time. As such, it won't have any level counters on it any more; if you want to bring it back up to its former level, you're going to have to do it normally.
Q: How do leveler cards interact with copy effects? A: If something copies a leveler card, it only copies the card itself, not how many level counters are on it and not what abilities it may have for being a certain level. (And not Auras, Equipment, or other counters, either.) If you Clone a fully-leveled Beastbreaker of Bala Ged , for example, the Clone will be a 2/2, not a 6/6 trampler. You'll be able to level up the Clone-Beastbreaker if you like, but you start out at the bottom.
If a leveler card becomes a copy of some other permanent, its level counters stay on it, even if the thing it's copying isn't a leveler card itself. They just won't mean anything until it turns back if the thing it's becoming a copy of isn't a leveler card--and if it is another leveler card, the level counters work as normal. So a Joraga Treespeaker with five level counters on it that becomes a copy of Beastbreaker of Bala Ged will be a 6/6 trampler.
Q: How do Experiment Kraj and Quicksilver Elemental interact with leveler cards? A: Leveler cards only have the abilities described on their higher tiers if they have the appropriate number of level counters on them. If they do not have those counters, they don't have those abilities and thus Kraj and Quicksilver won't have them either. If they do have the appropriate number of level counters, then Kraj and Quicksilver will have the appropriate tier's abilities, too. It doesn't matter how many level counters Kraj or Quicksilver have.
And so people say to me, "How do I know if a word is real?" You know, anyone who's read a children's book knows that love makes things real. If you love a word, use it! That makes it real. Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction; it doesn't make the word any more real than any other word. If you love a word, it becomes real. --Erin McKean, Redefining the Dictionary
Q: What defines a card's color? A: A card is all of the colors of the mana in its mana cost. So a card with in its mana cost is blue, a card with in its mana cost is red, and so on. If the card has more than one color of mana in its mana cost, the card is all of those colors. If the card has no colored mana in its mana cost, it is colorless.
It does not matter what the color of the card's frame is; a card with more than one color in its mana cost may have a gold frame, but it is not "gold"--there's no such color as "gold".
Q: What color are lands (especially the basic lands)? A: Lands have no mana cost, so therefore they don't have any colors of mana in their mana cost, and they are therefore colorless unless something specifically states otherwise.
Q: What color is a card with hybrid mana in its cost? A: Again, a card is all of the colors in its mana cost; hybrid mana counts as all of its colors. A Wild Cantor is therefore both red and green, for example. It doesn't matter what you actually pay for the spell; the card's colors remain the same.
Q: What color is an artifact with colored mana in its mana cost? A: It's all the colors of the mana in its mana cost, just like any other card. Most artifacts are colorless, but that's only because they have no colored mana in their mana costs, not because of some inherent property of artifacts.
Q: Is "colorless", "artifact", or "multicolored" a color? Can I choose those for something like Wash Out ? A: No. The only colors in Magic are white, blue, black, red, and green. Anything else isn't a color.
Q: What does a card mean when it says "non{color}"? A: It means "not {color}". A spell is nonblack, for example, if it is not black. (And if it is black, it therefore cannot possibly be nonblack.) It doesn't matter what other color(s) the card may or may not have; all that matters is whether or not the card is that one particular color.
Q: What happens if I'm casting a spell for some cost that has different colors than its mana cost? (eg, I flash back Momentary Blink --is the Blink blue?) A: It doesn't matter what colors of mana you paid to cast the spell--a spell is all the colors of the mana in its mana cost, and no others, no matter what you actually paid to cast it, and the mana cost doesn't change. So in the example, the Blink is white even though you only had to spend blue mana to cast it.
Q: What color are abilities? (eg, Dawnray Archer --is the ability white?) A: Abilities don't have colors at all. Anything that's looking for color in relation to abilities is looking for the color of the ability's source, the thing that it comes from. And that doesn't change no matter what you're spending to activate the ability. Dawnray Archer 's ability is coming from a blue source, even though you're spending white mana to activate it.
And so people say to me, "How do I know if a word is real?" You know, anyone who's read a children's book knows that love makes things real. If you love a word, use it! That makes it real. Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction; it doesn't make the word any more real than any other word. If you love a word, it becomes real. --Erin McKean, Redefining the Dictionary
Q: What is a card's mana cost? A: The mana cost of a card consists of the mana symbols printed in the top right-hand corner of the card. (Along the top left-hand side for timeshifted cards from Future Sight.)
The only thing that can alter a card's mana cost are copy effects--something that copies a card copies that card's mana cost as well.
Q: What is a card's converted mana cost? A: The converted mana cost (CMC) of a card is a number equal to the total amount of mana in its mana cost, regardless of what color that mana may be. For example, a card with a mana cost of has a converted mana cost of 2.
Note that the mana cost (and therefore converted mana cost) of a spell doesn't change depending on how much you actually pay to cast the spell. There is only one exception, and that's the next question.
Q: What is the converted mana cost of an -card like Blaze ? A: An counts as 0 for purposes of mana cost (and therefore converted mana cost), unless the card is on the stack, in which case the X counts as whatever the player who cast the spell chose X to be. Note that this isn't the same thing as what was spent to cast the spell. When casting an X-spell, X isn't set depending on what you paid. (Though many people think that.) Instead, the player casting the spell first decides what they want X to be, and then pays the cost required by the spell when X is that number.
Example: A Blaze has a converted mana cost of 1 ( + = 1) when it is in your hand, but Spell Blast ing a 7-point Blaze ( + = 8) would cost you .
Q: There's something out that reduces/increases the cost to cast a spell--does this reduce/increase the mana cost or converted mana cost as well? A: No; the mana cost and converted mana cost of a card cannot be changed in such a manner. No matter what you pay to cast the spell, the mana cost and converted mana cost is always the same. (Unless, as explained above, it's an X spell.)
Q: What is the mana cost and/or converted mana cost of a token? A: By default, Tokens have no mana cost--and thus a converted mana cost of 0. However, if the token is a copy of something, its mana cost (and converted mana cost) will be the same as the thing it's copying.
Q: How do monocolored hybrid symbols affect a card's converted mana cost? (, , etc.) A: A monocolored hybrid mana symbol will always affect the mana cost as though it were . So the converted mana cost of Flame Javelin , for example, is 6, not 3 or anything in between.
And so people say to me, "How do I know if a word is real?" You know, anyone who's read a children's book knows that love makes things real. If you love a word, use it! That makes it real. Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction; it doesn't make the word any more real than any other word. If you love a word, it becomes real. --Erin McKean, Redefining the Dictionary
Q: What are types, supertypes, and subtypes? A: Types, also known as card types, are the various different ty...er...kinds of cards in the game. Each card type has a specific set of rules that governs how it works and how you can play cards of that type. A card may have more than one card type, in which case it follows the rules for both.
Supertypes are a special class of types that can appear on cards of any card type. All cards with a particular supertype are subject to the rules governing cards of that supertype.
Subtypes are types that are tied to a specific card type, and are referred to using the name of that card type; subtypes of the Creature card type, for example, are known as creature types; subtypes of the Land type are known as land types, and so on.
Q: What are the card types? A: The card types are Artifact, Creature, Enchantment, Instant, Land, Phenomenon, Plane, Planeswalker, Scheme, Sorcery, Tribal, and Vanguard. If you are asked to choose a card type, you must choose one of these types; nothing else is a legal choice.
(Note that not all of these types are used in normal Magic; the Phenomenon, Plane, Scheme, and Vanguard card types only appear on special oversized cards used in certain Magic variants.)
Q: What are the supertypes? A: The current list of possible supertypes is as follows: Basic, Legendary, Snow, World, Ongoing. (Ongoing is only used on the oversized Scheme cards used in the Archenemy variant.)
Planar Types (For the oversized Plane cards,used only in the Planar Magic variant.) Alara, Arkhos, Azgol, Belenon, Bolas's Meditation Realm, Dominaria, Equilor, Ergamon, Fabacin, Innistrad, Iquatana, Ir, Kaldheim, Kamigawa, Karsus, Kephalai, Kinshala, Kolbahan, Kyneth, Lorwyn, Luvion, Mercadia, Mirrodin, Moag, Mongseng, Muraganda, New Phyrexia, Phyrexia, Pyrulea, Rabiah, Rath, Ravnica, Regatha, Segovia, Serra's Realm, Shadowmoor, Shandalar, Ulgrotha, Valla, Vryn, Wildfire, Xerex, Zendikar
Remember, if instructed to choose a specific kind of subtype you must choose exactly one type (no more), and it must be from the appropriate list; "Forest", for example, is a land type, not a creature type, even though Dryad Arbor is both a forest and a creature.
Q: Something instructs me to pick a card type or subtype. Can I choose one of my own invention? Can I choose a combination of them? (eg. "Artifact Creature" or "Human Soldier") A: No. If you are instructed to choose a type or subtype, you must pick one, and only one, of the (sub)types that currently exists in Magic. You also cannot choose a specific combination of types, because that would be choosing more than one type, and you can only choose one type.
Q: Can "Artifact", "Enchantment", or "Land" be chosen as creature types? A: No. Those are card types, not creature types. You cannot choose them for the same reason why you can't choose "blue" or "without flying"--they're just not legal choices. There are indeed creatures that have those particular characteristics, but that doesn't mean that that those characteristics are considered creature types--they're something entirely different.
And so people say to me, "How do I know if a word is real?" You know, anyone who's read a children's book knows that love makes things real. If you love a word, use it! That makes it real. Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction; it doesn't make the word any more real than any other word. If you love a word, it becomes real. --Erin McKean, Redefining the Dictionary
Q: How do I cast spells and activate abilities? A: Casting or activating a spell or ability follows the these steps in order:
Announce the spell or ability you want to cast/activate, and place it on the stack.
If a mode is required ("Choose one — "), choose one. If there are any variable costs (X) you must announce those now.
If you wish to use any alternative, additional, or other special costs, you must announce that now. You cannot apply two alternative costs to the same spell or ability.
If there are any targets, you must announce how many there are (it if is variable), then announce what those targets are. A spell or ability can target a given target only once for each occurrence of the word "target". A spell or ability cannot target itself.
If the spell/ability affects targets in different ways, you must announce how each target is affected. If a spell/ability requires you to divide something (like damage or counters), you must announce how those things will be divided. Each target must receive at least one of whatever is being divided.
Determine the total cost of the spell/ability. Start with the base cost (mana cost, alternate cost, etc), add any cost increases, and then subtract any cost reductions. The result is then "locked in", and cannot be changed.
Activate mana abilities until you have at least enough to pay the mana cost.
Pay all the costs in any order. Partial payments are not allowed.
Once these steps are completed, the spell/ability becomes cast/activated. Any abilities that trigger on a spell or ability being cast/activated or put onto the stack trigger at this time.
The player who had priority before the spell/ability was cast/activated again gains priority. (This is generally the person who cast/activated the spell or ability.)
Q: How do I play lands? A: You simply take the land card from your hand and put it onto the battlefield. You can only do this during your main phase when the stack is empty, and only once per turn. This action does not use the stack.
Note that if a card is both a land and something else (like Great Furnace ), you can only play it as a land--you cannot cast it as a spell.
Q: When can I cast/activate spells and abilities? A: You may cast instants and spells with Flash and activate most activated abilities any time you have priority; you may cast/activate everything else (including the loyalty abilities of Planeswalkers) only during a main phase of your turn when the stack is empty.
For a detailed explanation of exactly which points during each turn that this occurs, check the Turns and the Turn Structure entry of the FAQ.
Q: Does putting a card onto the battlefield directly (using Elvish Piper or similar) count as "casting" it, or "casting [it] from [my] hand"? A: No. "Cast", in Magic, has a very specific meaning, outlined above at the top of this post. Anything else isn't "casting" the card.
Q: Can I cast a spell without having all the required targets? A: No. In order to cast a spell, you have to choose legal targets for all of the targets the spell lays out. If you can't, you can't cast the spell.
Note that creature, artifact, and non-Aura enchantment spells never require targets; triggered enters- the-battlefield abilities do not limit when you can cast the spell. If there happens to not be any targets when the card enters the battlefield, the ability simply doesn't do anything.
Q: Can a sacrifice a single creature to activate two abilities? For example, if I have two Nantuko Husk s and one other creature, can I give both Husks +2/+2? A: No, you can't. This would be like using one green mana to cast two Giant Growth s. One creature allows you to pay the cost of one of these abilities, but not both.
Note: If you were to sacrifice a Festering Goblin or another creature with a triggered ability that triggers when the creature is put into a graveyard, it would trigger. This is because the ability is triggered, not activated; it doesn't have a cost--instead, it happens when a certain event occurs.
Q: I have a card that isn't a land, but has nothing where the mana cost is supposed to be. How do I cast it? A: Not easily. Cards without a mana cost can't be cast normally, because a nonexistent cost cannot be paid. If you can find some way to circumvent paying the mana cost, however, you're more than welcome to cast them that way.
Note: A nonexistent cost is not the same thing as a cost of . {} is a valid cost, and can be paid. {} is not, and cannot.
Q: Can I sacrifice a creature (such as Nantuko Husk ) to activate its own ability? A: Yes, you can. The ability says you must sacrifice a creature; it doesn't say you can't sacrifice the creature it's on, so you can.
Q: What's with spells/abilities? A: Simply put, X is declared, and then paid twice. (It must be the same both times.) Example: To cast a Chalice of the Void and get two counters on it, you must pay . ( + = )
Q: I am casting a spell without having to pay the spell's mana cost; what does that mean? A: That means just that--you don't have to pay the mana cost. Any other costs, such as additional costs , still have to be paid. Optional additional costs, such as Kicker, Buyback, or Entwine, can be paid for if you like, but aren't free.
Note that if you are casting a spell "without paying its mana cost", and the mana cost includes an X, then the only legal choice for an X is 0. So using something to cast that Blaze for free isn't really a good idea.
Q: If I use a card such as Muse Vessel or Ornate Kanzashi that allows me to play an exiled card, can I keep playing that card again and again? A: No; you can only play it once, for the same reason you can't play cards from your hand again and again. When you cast a spell, it goes onto the stack, and from there into the graveyard or battlefield (and when you play a land, it goes onto the battlefield). Once you do that, it stops being exiled, the Vessel/Kanzashi/Whatever loses track of it, and you can't play it any more.
And so people say to me, "How do I know if a word is real?" You know, anyone who's read a children's book knows that love makes things real. If you love a word, use it! That makes it real. Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction; it doesn't make the word any more real than any other word. If you love a word, it becomes real. --Erin McKean, Redefining the Dictionary
Q: How do I resolve a spell, activated ability, or triggered ability? A: Once all players have had the opportunity to respond to that spell or ability and declined with it as the top object on the stack (see the Stack FAQ entry for more information on this), that spell or ability begins to resolve. This happens in several steps.
First, if the ability has any targets, it checks to see if those targets are still legal. If all of its targets are illegal, it is countered by the game rules for having no legal targets. If, however, at least one of its targets are still legal, it will continue to resolve.
Next, follow the instructions given by the spell or ability, in the order that they are written. If one of a spell's targets are illegal, it won't be able to perform any actions on that target or make that target perform any actions, and if the spell or ability instructs you to do something impossible, just skip over that instruction, but for the rest, do as much as you are able to do. If an ability triggers during this process, it isn't put on the stack just yet. If a player is asked or given the option to pay mana, they are given the ability to activate mana abilities just prior to having to pay. If a replacement effect tries to replace part of the actions in resolving the spell, those replacements happen "in-line"--at the same time whatever they are replacing would have happened.
Finally, once you've followed all of the instructions, put the spell into your graveyard if it's represented by a card. (If it's an ability or a copy of a spell, it doesn't have a card associated with it, so that ability/copy simply cease to exist.) The spell or ability is now done resolving. State-based actions are checked and resolve, then any triggered abilities that triggered during the spell's resolution or during that SBA-check are then put onto the stack. (And this process repeats until no more SBAs/triggered abilities are generated.)
Q: Can I do something in the middle of resolving a spell or ability? Say, cast/activate another spell or ability? A: No. Not unless the spell or ability specifically instructs you to do so. You do not have priority when resolving a spell or ability and thus you cannot cast/activate any spells or abilities or take any action other than the ones the spell is instructing you to do.
Q: A triggered ability triggers during another spell or ability's resolution. When do its effects happen? A: It waits until after the spell or ability finishes resolving, and then it is put onto the stack and can be responded to like any other spell or non-mana activated or triggered ability. It will not do whatever it's supposed to do until long after the spell or ability is finished resolving.
Q: Are state-based actions checked during a spell or ability's resolution? A: No. This usually doesn't matter, as they are the very first thing to happen after the spell or ability finishes resolving, but it does have some important implications. For example, if you Consume Spirit yourself for enough damage to bring you to 0 life, you will live. You were indeed brought down to 0 life, but you then gained enough life during the resolution of the spell that you were once again above 0; SBAs will be checked immediately after this, but you are now above 0 life, so you won't die.
Q: A spell or ability tells multiple players to do something. Who does it first? A: Any choices relevant to the action are first made in turn order, then all the actions happen simultaneously.
So, for example, when Innocent Blood resolves, first the player whose turn it is decides which creature they will sacrifice, then each other player in turn order. Once all players have decided, all the creatures are sacrificed at the exact same time.
Q: My spell or ability needs to check information about the game--say, how many cards I have in my hand or a particular creature's power . When is this information checked? A: It will be checked during the spell or ability's resolution, and at no other time, unless the spell or ability either specifically says otherwise or it is getting a player to divide or distribute something, such as damage. (In that case it will check as you are casting or activating it.)
For example, Living Inferno 's ability checks the Inferno's power as you are activating the ability, because it wants you to divide the damage in a particular way. Spikeshot Goblin 's ability, on the other hand, doesn't want you to do any dividing, so it checks the Goblin's power during the resolution of the 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
Q: What does it mean to counter a spell or ability? A: To counter a spell or ability is to negate it. A spell that has been countered is put directly into its owner's graveyard (In the case of abilities or copies of spells that aren't cards, they simply cease to exist.); it never gets the chance to resolve and therefore has no effect.
Q: When can I counter a spell or ability? A: A spell or ability can only be countered while it is on the stack; they must be countered before they resolve. This essentially means that if you want to counter a spell, you can only do so just after it has been cast--you can't counter a spell after it has resolved. (Note that your opponent must give you the opportunity to respond to their spell and counter it should you wish to do so--they can't rush things through without giving you the opportunity to counter their spells and abilities. Magic is not a game of reflexes.)
Q: If a spell or activated ability gets countered, does it count as having been "cast/activated"? A: Yes. The act of casting/activating something is the act of putting it onto the stack, choosing targets, paying costs, and so on, and that all happens long before anyone or anything gets a chance to even attempt to counter it. The spell/ability was cast/activated just fine--it just never got a chance to resolve.
Q: Can I counter an ability? What kind of abilities can be countered? A: Spells and abilities can both be countered, but they aren't the same thing; thus, things that can only counter spells can't counter abilities, and things that can only counter abilities can't counter spells. Cancel , for example, can't counter an ability, and Stifle can't counter a spell.
Note that only activated and triggered abilities that are not mana abilities are put on the stack, so they are the only kinds of abilities that can be countered; static abilities do not use the stack, so they cannot be countered, or even responded to.
Q: Are there any spells or abilities which can't be countered? A: Yes. A spell or ability can't be countered if it says it can't be countered. In addition, mana abilities do not use the stack, so there's never a chance to counter them.
Note that it is perfectly legal to cast a counterspell targeting a spell that cannot be countered--it just won't actually counter the spell. Any secondary effects that don't specifically say that they only happen if the spell is countered will still happen. So you could, for example, cast Undermine targeting an opponent's Obliterate solely in order to make them lose life. However, since mana abilities don't use the stack at all, it is impossible to target them with a counterspell.
Q: Can I counter something that's being "put" onto the battlefield or "return[ed]" to the battlefield? A: No. You can only counter spells and abilities, and something that is being put onto the battlefield directly is not, at any point, a spell or ability on the stack, so it cannot be countered. You can counter the spell or ability that will attempt to put that thing onto the battlefield, but you can't counter the actual entering-the-battlefield part itself.
Also note that if the thing would be coming from a hidden zone such as your opponent's hand (such as with Through the Breach or Elvish Piper 's ability), then you have to decide whether to counter the spell or ability before you know for sure what will be put onto the battlefield.
Q: Some of my spells have the type "Interrupt" or "Mana Source". What does this mean? A: All spells which used to be Interrupts and Mana Sources have been given errata. The vast majority of these spells are now Instants. You can look up the current Oracle wording for them in Gatherer.
Some abilities also say "play this ability as an interrupt/mana source". These have also been given errata.
Q: I keep seeing people discussing spells being "countered on resolution" or "fizzling". What does this mean? A: When a spell or ability that has one or more targets tries to resolve, if all of its targets are now illegal, the game rules step in and counter it directly. As it has been countered, none of its effects occur. This is commonly known among players as "fizzling". Even spells that can't be countered by spells or abilities can "fizzle" if all their targets are illegal.
Q: Some spells and abilities have multiple targets. What if some become illegal but some remain legal? A: Spells and abilities are only countered on resolution if they no longer have any legal targets. Spells and abilities which have more than one target, but have lost one or more targets still attempt to do as much as they can.
Example: You cast Pyrotechnics , choosing to do 1 damage to each of 4 creatures, but when the spell resolves, only two of those creatures are still on the battlefield. Pyrotechnics still resolves and deals 1 damage to each of the remaining creatures.
Q: What about spells and abilities which have more than one effect? A: Those are not the same as spells with multiple targets. All that matters when determining if a spell "fizzles" or not is whether or not its targets are legal. If all of the targets are illegal, the entire spell is countered, even if the spell has other parts that don't do things with the target.
And so people say to me, "How do I know if a word is real?" You know, anyone who's read a children's book knows that love makes things real. If you love a word, use it! That makes it real. Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction; it doesn't make the word any more real than any other word. If you love a word, it becomes real. --Erin McKean, Redefining the Dictionary
Q: When do I pay costs? Can I respond to stop somebody from being able to pay a cost? A: You pay costs as you cast/activate the spell or ability or take the special action that they pay for. Paying a cost doesn't use the stack and cannot be responded to; by the time you can respond, the cost has already been paid and there's nothing you can do about it.
Q: I have something that reduces the amount of mana I have to pay to cast something. Does this affect alternate and additional costs as well, or just the regular mana cost? A: It affects the total cost of the spell, which includes both alternate and additional costs.
Q: There's something that increases the amount of mana I have to pay to cast things. Does this also affect alternate costs? What if I'm not paying the mana cost? (eg, Force of Will , Skyshroud Cutter , Massacre ) A: Yes, it applies. Once again, the thing being affected isn't the normal mana cost of the spell, but the total cost of actually casting the spell; this means it applies even if you're not paying the normal mana cost.
Q: Something tells me to cast something "without paying [its] mana cost". Do I still need to pay mandatory additional costs? Can I pay optional additional costs? How about alternate costs? A: You will be forced to pay any mandatory additional costs (like sacrificing an artifact to Shrapnel Blast ), and will have the option of paying for optional additional costs if you so desire (like Kicker), but you will not be able to pay alternative costs, as such costs must be paid instead of the mana cost, and you aren't given the option of paying the mana cost at all.
And so people say to me, "How do I know if a word is real?" You know, anyone who's read a children's book knows that love makes things real. If you love a word, use it! That makes it real. Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction; it doesn't make the word any more real than any other word. If you love a word, it becomes real. --Erin McKean, Redefining the Dictionary
Q: What is mana, and how does it relate to lands? A: Mana is the magical energy required in order to cast spells. It is most commonly produced by lands, but may be produced by other means. Mana is either colorless or one of five colors: White ( ), Blue ( ), Black ( ), Red ( ), or Green ( ) Each colored symbol stands for one mana of the appropriate color--amounts of colorless mana will be represented by numerals in little gray circles. (, , etc.)
Mana is not the same thing as land, and lands are not the same thing as mana. It's a common misconception among new players to think that the two are the same thing, but they are not; the two are entirely different things.
Q: So what's a "mana pool"? A: Any time you use something to produce mana, it goes into your mana pool, an imaginary place in which you store it. From there, it can be used to pay for other things. At the end of each step of the turn, your mana pool will empty.
If you're having trouble visualizing your mana pool, think of it as your checking account. You work a job and get paid. After you get your check, you deposit it in your bank, where you can then use that money to buy stuff. The only difference is that money doesn't disappear if you go too long without spending it, like mana does.
Q: If a card lets me add mana "of any color" to my mana pool, can I pick aqua, pink, or some other random color? How about colorless? A: No. Colorless is not a color at all, and the only legal color choices are the five colors of Magic: White ( ), Blue ( ), Black ( ), Red ( ), or Green ( ).
Q: I heard somebody talking about "mana burn". What's that? A: Before the Magic 2010 rules changes, when mana disappeared from your mana pool, you lost life equal to the amount of mana lost this way; this was called "mana burn".
Mana burn wasn't very common, because most of the time players produce only as much mana as they need as they need it, but it sometimes came up when a spell or ability added a fixed amount of mana to their mana pool and they weren't able to spend all of it. However, you don't have to worry about that, because mana burn is no longer a part of the game.
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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