Please do not post questions of your own here! You should only post in this thread if you want a question or topic to be added to the list. If you do, please post both question and answer, along with an explanation of why the given answer is the correct one. Please make your own thread if you want to get a question answered.
Introduction
The purpose of this thread is to compile a list of frequently asked rules questions and confusions and their answers. If you think you have a common question, check here to see if you can find the answer before asking about it in a new thread.
If you find a rules error or a broken link in this FAQ, please PM me so that I can fix it. Be aware that I may not respond; if it's nitpicky, I might decide to leave it out in the interest of clarity.
There are still many topics that this FAQ doesn't cover, so if you think there is something that needs to be covered or answered, please make a post. Don't post questions unless you are suggesting that they should be added to the FAQ.
If you have some other comment, PM me if you think it is important. I'm always looking for critique, so I welcome your feedback!
If you're returning to the game and wish to catch up on any rules that may have changed since you last played, look no further; this primer should be able to bring you up to date.
This Rules FAQ thread has entries for every keyword ability in Magic. If you have a question about such an ability, you can't go wrong by checking here. If this FAQ does not answer your question and you feel it should, please make a post here suggesting it be added.
Note that being indestructible is not technically an ability, but it's included here because many people think it is, so they might look here for it. See the FAQ entry proper for more detailed information.
This Rules FAQ thread has entries for many commonly asked-about cards and combos. If you have a question about how a specific card or combo works, you can't go wrong by checking here. If this FAQ does not answer your question and you feel it should, please make a post here suggesting it be added.
Basic Rulebook Simplified rules for beginning players. If you are new to the game, you should read this and not the Comprehensive Rules.
The Returning Player Rules Primer For those who have played before, but wish to bring themselves up to speed with how the rules have changed since they last played, this primer is the place to go.
Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules (TXT file; also available in DOC, RTF, and PDF formats.) The current edition of the comprehensive rules. If you want a complete detailing of the current rules structure, you can always find it here. Be warned: it may be confusing for those not familiar with it. Beginners might not want to go here; they're very intimidating for the uninitiated.
Oracle Card Reference The official text for every card in existence is contained in the Gatherer database. Note that this takes precedence over what is actually printed on the card.
Yawgatog's Magic Resource Page Yawgatog has been kind enough to provide a number of excellent resources for the average player on his website, including an indexed and hyperlinked version of the CompRules, downloadable Oracle text files, lists of the changes made with each new version of the CompRules and Oracle since Ninth Edition, and a full list of creatures whose creature types have been retroactively altered.
Banned and Restricted Cards The official listing of banned and restricted cards in every sanctioned tournament format. Also includes information on set legality and deck-construction for said formats.
Set FAQs The official FAQs for each released set. You can look here if you have a specific question about a card, but keep in mind that these FAQs do not get updated over time. They explain how things worked at the time the set was released--that may not be the same as how they work now.
MTG-L mailing list archives A good place to get official answers for rules questions, or to search for previous answers.
Magic in a Nutshell This article contains information on a large number of fairly basic Magic rules concepts; it's a good read if you're looking to brush up on the basics.
The following people submitted material initially: Anusien, Caurador, DarkSun2012, John Carter, kriz_riktr, MadWarper, Mirri, Natedogg, Owan, Rulesmonger, Sober, wolf_mage
Special Thanks to: KillerSheep and swampatog (for writing the old FAQs), and Caurador (for lots of suggestions and corrections)
Additional Acknowledgements: Anyone who helped out in some small way with this FAQ (you know who you are). Lots of people who have suggested changes; I can't list you 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: So, what belongs in this forum? A: Quite simply, questions and topics pertaining to the rules of Magic, either the game or tournament variety. Nothing else. Questions about how cards work, why combos work, and so forth are perfectly acceptable, but questions about why a card or combo is good don't belong here, as they have nothing to do with the rules.
Q: I know this doesn't belong here, but... A: Then don't post it. If you know something doesn't belong in a particular forum, you have no business posting it there anyway, and RQ&A is no exception.
Q: What should I do before posting a question? A: You've already done one of the first things you need to do: check the FAQs. The things in here are called "Frequently Asked Questions" for a reason; they come up a lot.
Also, understand that you're probably not the first to ask a particular question--check the thread titles on the first page or two of the forum to see if someone else has asked the same question recently. If you have access to the search function (some users don't), you can use that to search for similar questions as well.
If you don't have access to the search function, you can try sorting the forums by thread title to find threads with the names of the card(s) you're wondering about. It's not quite as handy as real searching, but it can be effective.
Q: Is there anything special I should do when asking a question? A: Yes!
Please remember to autocard! This makes the lives of the people trying to answer your question much easier, as they may not remember exactly what the card(s) you're asking about do by heart. This is especially important when asking about older, more obscure cards.
(Just replace the curly brace in the first part of the tag with a square bracket.) For more information on autocarding, see the Magic Area FAQ.
Be sure to list all the cards that are involved with your question, but you don't need to list cards that aren't. Make sure it's clear who controls what, whose turn it is, and what phase or step the game is in, as these things might change the answer to your question. Sometimes these are obvious ("I attack with my Raging Goblin ..."), but if not, specify them.
Most respondents will assume that you're asking about a normal two-player game. If your question is regarding a multiplayer format, especially one with alternate rules such as Emperor or Two-Headed Giant, make sure you make that clear.
If you're asking about an article or post (especially if it's from somewhere else), please include a link to it, and ideally a brief quote that covers what your question is about.
Please give your thread a title that describes your question. "Two Questions" or "In the middle of a game" won't help anyone else trying to find a question by the thread title.
Q: If I have more than one question, should I ask them all in the same thread, or in separate threads? A: In general, posting multiple threads with just one or two questions each is preferable to posting one giant one with ten or fifteen. Multiple questions on a single topic should be kept to a single thread for ease of explanation, but if you have questions on multiple different topics, it's best to ask them in different threads.
You'll usually find that you get your answers faster when you split up the questions; answering just one or two questions is quicker and easier than answering ten, so more people are inclined to do it, and since answers to individual questions are posted faster, posters don't have to waste as much time typing out the answers to questions other people have already typed out the answers to. It also makes the conversation easier to follow for other users, and there's a better chance of some other player finding the answer to the question that they wanted to ask if it's in its own thread.
Q: How long will it take to get an answer to my question? A: While there's no definite point at which you can be guaranteed an answer, the vast majority of questions posted to Rules Q&A are answered within five minutes. More detailed questions or threads with more than one question at a time may take longer to answer, but are still likely to receive an answer within five or ten minutes.
Threads posted in the middle of the night (for North America) and questions about the rules of tournaments (rather than the rules of the game) or judging decisions will generally take longer to receive an answer, but will still usually be answered within half an hour unless the forum is particularly dead.
Q: How can I tell if an answer is right? Should I ask for a judge to answer? A: Please don't do that. While a fair number of people in the forum are judges, there are also a large number of regulars who know the rules just as well as any judge, and will give answers that are just as accurate. If somebody gives you a wrong answer, someone else will correct it, almost certainly within half an hour, and usually within ten minutes. (And I'm being generous with that estimate--it's freaky sometimes how quickly we answer questions and correct wrong answers.) If four or five people all give you the same answer, you can bet it's right.
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: Is an artifact creature an "artifact"? Is it a "creature"? A: Yes. It's both."Artifact Creature" isn't a type all its own, it's two different types: "Artifact" and "Creature". It's both an artifact and a creature, with all that that implies. It's affected by things that affect artifacts and by things that affect creatures.
Same thing goes for artifact lands --they're both artifacts and lands.
Q: Does tapping an artifact "turn it off"? A: Not usually, no. Read the current Oracle text of the card. If the card doesn't say that it turns off, it doesn't.
Artifacts used to automatically turn off when they were tapped, but that rule was eliminated more than a decade ago; some artifacts (like Howling Mine ) were given errata to keep the same functionality, but the vast majority weren't; tapping them will have no effect whatsoever on their abilities.
Q: Can I choose "Artifact" when asked to choose a color or creature type? A: No. "Artifact" is a card type, like Instant or Enchantment. You cannot choose "Artifact" as a creature type or color for the same reason you can't choose "Venusian" or "purple"--it's not a legal choice.
Q: Is something that is colorless automatically an artifact? Is an artifact automatically colorless? A: No. Most artifacts are normally colorless, but that's only because they don't have colored mana in their mana costs--being colorless is not an inherent property of artifacts, and being colorless doesn't automatically make something an artifact.
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 lands, and how do they relate to mana? A: Lands are a type of card, mostly used to produce the mana (magical energy) necessary to cast spells, though they can do other things too.
A basic land is a colorless permanent that stays on the battlefield (until something removes it) and has the ability ": Add [big symbol in the text box] to your mana pool."--that's the ability you're activating when you tap lands to cast your spells. You're tapping the land to produce some amount of mana which you can then use to cast your spell.
Land is not the same thing as mana, and mana is not the same thing as land. This is a common misconception among new players, but lands are an entirely different thing from the mana they produce. The relationship between lands and mana is a lot like the relationship between land in real life and oil. Let's say you tap Alberta (Texas, Saudia Arabia, wherever) and start pumping up oil. You can then sell this oil, trade it, use it--whatever you like; it's profitable. Did tapping Alberta allow you to search the world for another Alberta? No, it just got you some oil.
Q: When and how do I play lands? A: You may play one (and only one) land during each of your turns, and you can do it only during your main phase when the stack (see the Turn Structure and Stack entries) is empty. To play a land, simply take it from your hand and drop it directly onto the battlefield. This is a special action that doesn't use the stack and that no player can respond to.
Q: Are lands permanents? A: Yes. Everything on the battlefield is a permanent. However, chances are the reason you're asking this question is because you want to know if lands that produce the appropriate color of mana count towards things like Drove of Elves or Chaotic Backlash . If that's the case, the question you should be asking is the next one.
Q: What color are lands? (Especially the basic lands?) A: They aren't any color. Lands are always colorless unless they specifically say otherwise. The color of a card is determined by its mana cost, and lands have no mana cost, so they therefore have no color. It doesn't matter what colors of mana they can produce and it doesn't matter what color their text box is--they're colored that way so you can see at a glance what colors they can produce, not because they're actually those colors.
Q: Are lands spells? A: No. Never. A spell is a card that is sitting on the stack waiting to resolve. (Or a copy of one.) Lands are never put on the stack, so they are never spells.
Q: I use a spell or ability that allows me to "put [a land] onto the battlefield". Does this count as my one land for the turn? A: No. You may only play one land each turn, but "putting" a land onto the battlefield through some method other than actually playing it doesn't count towards this total, because it's not the same thing as "playing" it.
Q: My opponent casts Early Frost or something else that allows him to tap my lands--does that give me mana? A: Not unless you want to get it. An activated ability (such as the ones lands have that give you mana) needs you to deliberately pay its cost for the purpose of using that particular ability in order to do anything--tapping a land as an effect of a spell or ability is completely different from tapping the land for mana. So while you can tap them for mana in response to the Early Frost if you actually want the mana, your opponent can't forcibly give you mana this way.
Note that this also applies to other card types--an opponent can never force your permanents' activated abilities to "go off" on their own. (Triggered abilities, on the other hand, are a different matter.)
Q: Something has turned my land into a creature. Will killing the creature kill the land as well? A: Yes; the land is the creature--they're not two separate things. Killing the creature is killing the land.
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 planeswalker? A: Planeswalkers are a completely new card type. It's actually easier to start off by explaining what planeswalkers aren't. Planeswalkers are not players, though they are similar in some respects, and they are not creatures. Thus, spells that target players can't target them, and things that affect creatures don't affect them, either.
A planeswalker on the battlefield is a permanent; it will stay there until something removes it.
Q: So how do I cast a planeswalker? A: Planeswalker spells are cast like any other spell that isn't an instant; you may cast a planeswalker from your hand during a main phase of your turn when the stack is empty. (See the Turn Structure and Stack entries in the FAQ for more information on main phases and the stack.) Planeswalker spells, just like any other spell, may be responded to, and can be countered by anything that can counter a spell. (Note that since planeswalkers are not creatures, things that specifically counter creature spells, like Remove Soul , can't counter them.)
When the planeswalker spell resolves, it enters the battlefield just like any other kind of permanent, and it will have a number of loyalty counters on it equal to the number listed in the bottom right-hand corner of the card. These counters act like hit points or your life total-- when a planeswalker is dealt damage, that many loyalty counters are removed from it, and when it has no loyalty counters on it, it gets put into your graveyard. If two or more planeswalkers with the same planeswalker type (the type listed on its type line after the dash) are on the battlefield, all are put into their owner's graveyard; this is similar to the rule for legendary permanents.
Q: How do I activate a planeswalker's abilities? A: The abilities printed on a planeswalker card are a special kind of activated ability called 'loyalty abilities', so called because you activate them by adding or removing some number of loyalty counters to or from the planeswalker. (Note that since these are activated abilities, not triggered ones, they only happen if you add/remove the counters specifically in order to activate the ability--if counters are added/removed some other way, the ability won't "go off".)
The number of loyalty counters you need to add or remove is shown in the little "shield" symbol just before the colon; if you need to add counters, the shield points up and the number will be positive. (+1, +2, etc.) If you need to remove counters, the shield points down and the number will be negative. (-1, -2, -10, etc.) Note that you can't take off counters that aren't there, so you can't activate an ability whose cost requires you to remove counters unless the planeswalker already has the appropriate number of counters on it.
Finally, most importantly, you may only activate one loyalty ability of a given permanent each turn (so you can't activate the same ability twice, nor can you activate one loyalty ability and then a different loyalty ability of that same permanent) and you may only activate loyalty abilities during your main phase when the stack is empty.
Q: How can I kill/remove a planeswalker? A: You can kill a planeswalker by dealing enough damage to it to remove all of its loyalty counters, either in combat or by redirecting noncombat damage to it from its controller. (See the questions below for more information on that.) Also, since planeswalkers are permanents, anything that will affect a permanent, such as Boomerang or Rootgrapple , will also affect a planeswalker.
See below for explanations of how planeswalkers work in combat and how to redirect noncombat damage to a planeswalker.
Q: How do planeswalkers work in combat? A: Planeswalkers aren't creatures, so they can't attack or block. However, they can be attacked, just like you can be. As your opponent is declaring attackers, he or she can decide whether each of his creatures is attacking you or attacking one of your planeswalkers. You can use your creatures to block creatures that are attacking a planeswalker you control just the same as you can use them to block creatures that are attacking you. Creatures that are attacking a planeswalker you control that you don't block will assign and deal their combat damage to your planeswalker just the same as they would assign and deal damage to you if they were attacking you; and again, since planeswalkers are not creatures, the planeswalker doesn't deal any damage back to those creatures.
Remember, when a planeswalker is dealt damage, that many loyalty counters are removed from it, and when it has no loyalty counters on it, it gets put into your graveyard.
Note that while the creatures may be attacking the planeswalker, it's the planeswalker's controller who is considered the "defending player". This can be important for things like Landwalk.
Q: How is damage dealt to a planeswalker outside of combat? A: If a spell or ability your opponent controls would deal noncombat damage to you, that opponent can choose to have all of that damage dealt to one of your planeswalkers instead. So if your opponent Shock s you, that opponent may choose to have that Shock deal its damage to one of your planeswalkers instead. This is a replacement effect that is applied as the damage is actually dealt--they don't make the decision until the spell or ability is resolving and the damage would actually be dealt.
Note that only your opponents can do this--you can't have the damage from a spell you control be redirected to one of your planeswalkers. And this redirection only applies to noncombat damage, so your opponent can't attack you and then redirect the damage to your planeswalker. If he wants to deal combat damage to one of your planeswalkers he has to attack that planeswalker.
Q: How does this redirection work with things that prevent damage? A: If two or more replacement or prevention effects (redirection is a kind of replacment effect) are trying to alter the same event (in this case, damage being dealt to you), the player who would be affected by the event (you) gets to decide in which order to apply them. So you can choose to either give your opponent the opportunity to redirect the damage and then apply the damage-prevention effect if it's still relevant, or vice versa. Note that your opponent doesn't choose whether or not to redirect the damage until the redirection effect is actually applied, so at the time you decide how to apply the effects you can't be sure whether or not your opponent will choose to redirect the damage or not.
So, let's take an example. You control an Ajani Goldmane with five loyalty counters on it. Your opponent casts a Lava Axe targeting you. (He can't target your planeswalker with it, because a planeswalker is not a player.) In response, you cast a Mending Hands targeting yourself. (You can't target your planeswalker either, for the same reason.) Mending Hands resolves, setting up a prevention "shield", and then the Axe resolves. You have two choices; either give your opponent the opportunity to redirect before applying the Hands' effect, or apply the Hands' effect, then give your opponent the opportunity to redirect.
If you do the former, your opponent can choose to redirect all 5 damage to Ajani, and then the Mending Hands won't do anything, because the Axe isn't trying to deal damage to you anymore. The Axe would deal 5 damage to Ajani, removing all the counters from it, and Ajani would die. (He could also choose not to redirect the damage, in which case the Hands would kick in and you would only be dealt 1 damage, but I think he'd probably want to go with the former.)
If you do the latter, however, you prevent 4 of the 5 damage first, before your opponent chooses whether or not to redirect the damage. Then your opponent gets the chance to either let the Axe deal its remaining 1 damage to you, or to your Ajani, which wouldn't be enough to kill it anyway.
(In most cases, you'll probably be wanting to prevent the damage first.)
Q: How does the redirection work with things that otherwise replace the damage? (ie. Furnace of Rath , Pyromancer's Swath , and so on.) A: Very similarly to how it works with prevention effects. Again, you choose in which order to apply the effects. So in the case of a Furnace of Rath or Pyromancer's Swath , you would choose whether to first give your opponent the opportunity to redirect and then increase the damage, or increase the damage then give your opponent the opportunity to redirect it. (In this case, you'll probably want to do the first, because then if they redirect the damage the Furnace/Swath will no longer apply and they won't be able to increase it--they don't affect damage being dealt to planeswalkers, see.)
Q: If a planeswalker and a legendary creature have similar names, and I have both on the battlefield at the same time? (ie Nicol Bolas and Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker ) A: Yes, you can. The rule that kills of multiple planeswalkers with the same planeswalker type doesn't apply, because the creature isn't a planeswalker and thus doesn't have any planeswalker types at all; the rule that kills off multiple legendary permanents with the same name also doesn't apply, because the planeswalker is not legendary and it does not have the same name as the creature.
Q: How do planeswalkers interact with Doubling Season ? A: The Season will double the number of loyalty counters the planeswalker enters the battlefield with; however, it will not double the counters added to the planeswalker as a cost to activate one of its "plus" loyalty abilities. Doubling Season only doubles counters placed due to effects; activating loyalty abilities adds or removes counters as a cost, not an effect. (Though note that if the ability happens to create counters or tokens as part of its effect, such as with Garruk Wildspeaker 's Beast-making ability, then Doubling Season will affect that.)
And so people say to me, "How do I know if a word is real?" You know, anyone who's read a children's book knows that love makes things real. If you love a word, use it! That makes it real. Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction; it doesn't make the word any more real than any other word. If you love a word, it becomes real. --Erin McKean, Redefining the Dictionary
Q: What is a Tribal card? A: A Tribal card is a noncreature card that can have one or more creature types. Those creature types will be listed on its type line after the dash, just as they would on a creature. Anything that is looking for cards with specific creature types will also accept a Tribal card with the appropriate creature type. (As long as it doesn't specifically say it's looking for a creature card.)
Q: What's the point of Tribals? Do they only work on cards of their type? Can I only use them if I have a card of their type? A: No. Tribal cards work exactly the same as non-Tribal cards, except they also have a creature type. The creature type of a tribal card doesn't limit how it can be used in any way. The fact that the card has a creature type is the entire point--it allows Tarfire to be brought back to your hand by Wort, Boggart Auntie , for example, and allows a Bosk Banneret to reduce the cost of your Lignify .
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 an Aura? A: Auras are a subtype of enchantment that are "attached" to a specific permanent or player. (They 'enchant' it.) The kind of permanent or player any given Aura can be attached to is defined by its enchant ability, which all Auras have.
When the permanent or player an Aura is enchanting dies or changes such that it's no longer legal for the Aura to enchant it, the Aura is put into its owner's graveyard as a state-based action. (Before anyone can do anything; see the section on State-Based Actions.)
Q: So it's just like the old "Enchant {Something}" cards? A: More than that; those older cards are Auras. All "Enchant {Something}" cards received errata with the release of Ninth Edition to become Auras. (The definition of what they can enchant was moved to the enchant ability in their rules text.)
Q: Do Auras target? A: When you cast an Aura spell, you choose a target for it (as defined by its enchant ability). When it resolves, it's put onto the battlefield attached to that target. So yes, Auras do target when you first cast them.
It's important to note that while Auras do target when you cast them, they do not target at any other time. An Aura that's already on the battlefield is not targeting anything, and an Aura that's put directly onto the battlefield without being cast is simply attached to whatever it's supposed to be attached to (as appropriate) without targeting anything.
Q: Can I cast Auras on an opponent or on an opponent's permanents? A: Generally, yes. If that Aura's enchant ability does not specifically say otherwise, you can enchant an opponent or his or her permanents just fine.
Veteran's Voice is an example of an Aura that has a restriction on what it can enchant--you can't put it on something your opponent controls. (It can work the other way around, too, though; Betrayal , for example, can only enchant a creature an opponent controls.)
Q: If I cast an Aura on an opponent or an opponent's permanent, who controls the Aura? A: You do; it's your Aura. The permanent or player an Aura is attached to has nothing whatsoever to do with who controls the Aura itself.
Q: Who can activate abilities of an Aura? A: Only the controller of an Aura can activate that Aura's abilities. However, if an Aura grants an ability to the permanent it's attached to, then only that permanent's controller can activate the ability.
Q: My Aura is attached to a permanent, and then that permanent gains protection (from something the Aura is) or shroud. What happens? A: In the case of protection, the Aura is removed; part of protection's effect is preventing Auras with the protected-from qualities from enchanting the permanent. In the case of shroud, nothing happens; the Aura does not target while it is on the battlefield.
Q: I have something that allows me to move an Aura from one permanent or player to another. Can I use this to put the Aura on something it couldn't normally enchant? A: No. If you try to move an Aura, you have to move it to something it could normally be attached to. (Note, however, that you can use this to put Auras on creatures or players with shroud, as long as the moving effect doesn't itself try to target the creature or player.)
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 an Equipment? A: Equipment is a subtype of artifact that, like Auras, can be attached to things. An Equipment can be attached to a creature you control by paying its Equip cost, giving the creature some benefit. (Some cards may provide other ways of attaching Equipment to creatures.)
"Equip {Cost}" means: "{Cost}: Attach this Equipment to target creature you control. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery."
Q: The reminder text on one of my Equipment says: "Equip only as a sorcery". What does that mean? A: It means you can only activate the Equip ability during your main phase while the stack is empty. (See the Turn Structure and Stack entries in the FAQ for more information on main phases and the stack.) It does not mean it is temporary, and it does not mean it is a spell. Once equipped, the equipment stays attached to the creature. The Equip ability is an activated ability.
Q: Can I equip my equipment to my opponent's creature? A: No you can't--the Equip ability can only target a creature you control.
Note that if an opponent gains control of an equipped creature you control, the equipment doesn't fall off--it stays attached. You still control the Equipment, however, so you can move it off later if you want to. Also note that some cards might be able to attach your Equipment to your opponent's creature some other way.
Q: Can I "unattach" an equipment by paying the equip cost? A: No you can't. You can move it onto another creature you control by paying the equip cost, but you can't simply unattach it.
Q: If my creature has shroud or protection from artifacts, can I equip it? A: No; the Equip ability targets, so it can't be activated targeting a creature with shroud or protection from artifacts.
Note that if an creature that's already equipped gains protection from artifacts somehow, the Equipment will fall off (as protection also stops equipping). If a creature that's equipped gains shroud, on the other hand, nothing will happen, since the equipment itself doesn't target anything; only the equip ability is targeted.)
Q: What happens if an equipment that's attached to a creature is tapped? A: Absolutely nothing. It stays attached and still affects the creature normally. It will untap like any other permanent during your next untap phase.
Tapping an equipment is completely irrelevant in most cases, but it also means you get a free Lodestone Myr pump for each equipment you control.
Q: What happens if my equipment becomes a creature? (March of the Machines ) A: If it was attached to a creature, it is unattached. It cannot be attached to a creature as long as it is a creature itself.
Q: Why does my equipment has an Equip cost AND an ability that says "{Cost}: Attach ~ to target creature you control"? (eg, Cranial Plating ) A: By definition, you can only activate an Equip ability during your main phase, when the stack is empty. The second "attach" ability, however, has no restriction like that and can therefore be activated any time you could cast an instant. (Any time you have priority.)
And so people say to me, "How do I know if a word is real?" You know, anyone who's read a children's book knows that love makes things real. If you love a word, use it! That makes it real. Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction; it doesn't make the word any more real than any other word. If you love a word, it becomes real. --Erin McKean, Redefining the Dictionary
Q: I have a card that says "Legendary" on its type line or has the creature type "Legend"--what does that mean? A: It means that the card is (surprisingly enough) legendary, which means it's subject to a rule called (big surprise here) the legend rule, which is as follows: If two or more permanents on the battlefield are legendary and have the same name, all of them immediately die, before any player can do anything. That's it. This is not a form of destruction, so they can't be regenerated, being indestructible doesn't help either, and it isn't a sacrifice. They're just put into their owner's graveyard directly.
Note: All cards printed with the creature type "Legend" have received errata to be just legendary. "Legend" is no longer a creature type.
Q: What about characters who were printed on multiple cards, such as Kamahl, Pit Fighter and Kamahl, Fist of Krosa ? A: "Name" here refers to the name of the card, not the name of the character. Different versions of a particular character will have different card names. As such, you can have multiple different versions of the character hanging around without difficulty.
Q: So what happens if I Clone a legendary creature? A: Both the Clone and the creature it was copying die as soon as the Clone hits the battlefield--Clone copies everything about the creature, including its name and legendary status. This makes Clone and cards like it effective countermeasures to almost any legendary permanent.
Q: What happens to tokens if a Leyline of Singularity is on the battlefield? A: All tokens that have the same name as another token will eliminate each other. Note that only the names of the tokens matter--they don't have to be the same in other respects. Thus, if you have a 1/1 white Spirit token with flying from Afterlife , a 1/1 colorless Spirit token from Honden of Life's Web , and a 3/3 white Spirit token with flying from Oyobi on the battlefield, they'll all kill each other, because they all have the same name: "Spirit".
See also the entry on Tokens for more information.
Q: If a legendary creature and a planeswalker have similar names, can both be on the battlefield at the same time? (eg, Nicol Bolas and Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker ) A: Yes, they can. The legend rule doesn't apply, because the planeswalker is not legendary and it does not have the same name as the creature; the rule that kills of multiple planeswalkers with the same planeswalker type also doesn't apply, because the creature isn't a planeswalker and thus doesn't have any planeswalker types 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 are split cards and how do they work? A: Split cards are a series of cards printed in multiple sets with a special frame that looks like two mini-cards side-by-side, stuffed onto the same card. You can cast them as one spell, or you can cast them as an entirely different spell. A split card looks like this:
If you happen to need removal or want to burn your opponent's face, you can cast this card as Assault to deal 2 damage to a creature or player. If you need a creature, you can cast it as Battery instead to get a 3/3 green Elephant creature token.
Q: Can I cast both sides of a split card at once? A: No, you cannot. You can cast one side or the other, and you can cast one side, get the card back somehow , then cast the other side, but never both at once.
Q: So what's the color/mana cost/name/etc. of a split card? A: Anywhere other than the stack, a split card has two sets of characteristics. (One from each side.) Thus, the mana cost of Supply // Demand is both and , Life // Death is both green and black, Fire // Ice 's name is both "Fire" and "Ice", and so on.
While it's on the stack, a split card only has the characteristics from the side you cast--the other half is treated as though it didn't exist.
Q: So can I imprint a card like Research // Development on an Isochron Scepter ? And can I cast both sides, or only one? A: Yes, you can imprint it. Having two mana costs means that Research // Development also has two converted mana costs: 2 and 5. Since one of those converted mana costs is 2, it is indeed "a card with converted mana cost 2 or less", even though the other converted mana cost is 5.
This principle applies to all cards that look for cards with specific characteristics. The key is that the requirement is not exclusive, but inclusive--that is, the card doing the looking doesn't care what other characteristics the card it finds may have, as long as it does have the one characteristic it cares about.
Q: So can I search for Research // Development with Sunforger 's ability? A: Yes, you can. R//D is red (Development half), is an instant (both halves) and it has a converted mana cost of 4 or less (Research half). The fact that the various parts of the requirement are fulfilled on different sides of the card doesn't matter.
Q: Can I counter Supply // Demand with Frazzle ? A: Depends on which half was cast. If Demand is being cast, then no, as it is blue. If Supply is being cast, yes, because it is not blue. (Remember, it's on the stack, so if your opponent cast Supply, only the Supply half exists: the Demand half is gone until the card leaves the stack, and thus the spell isn't blue.)
Q: If I reveal a split card with Dark Confidant , how much life will I lose? A: You'll lose life equal to the converted mana costs of both sides combined.
When the Confidant asks "what is the converted mana cost of this card?" it hears two answers, one for each half. Thus, it does its life-loss thing twice, once for each cost it hears. Ouch!
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
~ 
~ 
~ 
~ 
