Magic 2010_ Frequently Asked Questions Compiled by Mark L. Gottlieb, with contributions from Laurie Cheers, Jeff Jordan, Lee Sharpe, Eli Shiffrin, and Thijs van Ommen Document last modified July 1, 2009 _Magic 2010_ Prerelease tournaments: July 11-12, 2009 _Magic 2010_ official release date: July 17, 2009 _Magic 2010_ Launch Parties: July 17-19, 2009 Go to to find an event or store near you. The _Magic 2010_ core set becomes legal for sanctioned Constructed play on its official release date. At that time, the following card sets will be permitted in the Standard format: _Lorwyn_(TM), _Morningtide_(R), _Shadowmoor_(R), _Eventide_(R), _Shards of Alara_(TM), _Conflux_(R), _Alara Reborn_(TM), and _Magic 2010_. The _Magic 2010_ core set contains 249 cards (20 basic land, 101 common, 60 uncommon, 53 rare, 15 mythic rare). This FAQ has three sections, each of which serves a different purpose. The first section ("M10 Rules Changes") explains rules that have changed with this core set. The second section ("General Notes") explains some mechanics and concepts in the set. The third section ("Card-Specific Notes") contains answers to the most important questions players might ask about a given card in the set. Items in the "Card-Specific Notes" section include full rules text for your reference. Not all cards in the set are listed. ----M10 RULES CHANGES A number of changes have been made to make the _Magic_(TM) rules better match player expectations. There are also some terminology changes, both in printed card sets going forward and in the Oracle card reference (located at ), to make the game both clearer and more evocative. The most important changes are listed here. The new edition of the _Magic_ Basic Rulebook can be downloaded at . In addition, the _Magic: The Gathering_(R) Comprehensive Rules have been revised to improve its readability and organization. The most recent version of the _Magic_ Comprehensive Rules (in English) can be downloaded at . ----***New Term: Battlefield*** The "battlefield" is the game zone where players keep their permanents, including creatures, lands, and planeswalkers. It used to be known as "in play." Triggered abilities that would have said "When [this permanent] comes into play" now say "When [this permanent] enters the battlefield." Awakener Druid {2}{G} Creature -- Human Druid
1/1 When Awakener Druid enters the battlefield, target Forest becomes a 4/5 green Treefolk creature for as long as Awakener Druid is on the battlefield. It's still a land. ----***New Term: Exile*** "Exile" is a game zone that acts as a holding area for side. To exile a card is to move it to the exile zone. temporarily, in which case the spell or ability that's will say how or when it can come back, or a card might the game. Exiling a card used to be known as "removing
cards that are put to the A card might be exiled causing it to be exiled be exiled for the rest of it from the game."
Haunting Echoes {3}{B}{B} Sorcery Exile 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. ----***New Terms: Cast, Activate, Play*** To "cast" a spell is to put it on the stack and pay its costs so that it will eventually resolve and have its effects. This used to be known as "playing" a spell. Mesa Enchantress {1}{W}{W} Creature -- Human Druid 0/2 Whenever you cast an enchantment spell, you may draw a card. To "activate" an activated ability is to put it on the stack and pay its costs so that it will eventually resolve and have its effects. This used to be known as "playing" an ability. Only activated abilities (not triggered abilities or static abilities) may be activated. Pithing Needle {1} Artifact As Pithing Needle enters the battlefield, name a card. Activated abilities of sources with the chosen name can't be activated unless they're mana abilities. To "play a land" means what it always has: to put it onto the battlefield as your one land play during your turn. This action doesn't use the stack. To "play a card" means to play that card as a land or cast that card as a spell, whichever is appropriate. Djinn of Wishes {3}{U}{U} Creature -- Djinn 4/4 Flying Djinn of Wishes enters the battlefield with three wish counters on it.
{2}{U}{U}, Remove a wish counter from Djinn of Wishes: Reveal the top card of your library. You may play that card without paying its mana cost. If you don't, exile it. ----***New Term: At the Beginning of the End Step*** Some cards have abilities that trigger "at the beginning of the end step." These abilities trigger at a point in the turn that's pretty late -- but isn't all the way at the end. Older cards said the ability triggered "at end of turn," which wasn't accurate. During your turn, after your combat phase, there is a second main phase. After that is the ending phase. The ending phase has two parts: the end step (when players can cast spells and activate abilities) comes first, followed by the cleanup step (when you discard down to your maximum hand size, damage is cleared from all creatures, and "until end of turn" effects end). Abilities that trigger "at surprisingly, when the end abilities afterward. If an step" is created during an step begins. -----
the beginning of the end step" trigger, not step begins. Players can cast spells and activate ability that triggers "at the beginning of the end end step, it will wait to trigger until the next end
***New Rules: Combat*** The rules for the combat phase have changed. Here's what happens in the combat phase now: Step 1: Beginning of Combat 1) Abilities that trigger at the beginning of combat go on the stack. 2) Players can cast spells and activate abilities. Step 2: Declare Attackers 1) The attacking player declares which creatures are attacking, which player or planeswalker each one is attacking, taps the attacking creatures, and pays any necessary costs. 2) Abilities that trigger when those attackers are declared go on the stack. 3) Players can cast spells and activate abilities. Step 3: Declare Blockers 1) The defending player declares which creatures are blocking, how they're blocking, and pays any necessary costs. 2) For each attacking creature that's become blocked by multiple creatures, the attacking player announces its damage assignment order among the blocking creatures. (See below.) 3) For each each creature that's blocking multiple creatures (because some effect allows it to do so), the defending player announces its damage assignment order among the attacking creatures. (See below.) 4) Abilities that trigger when those blockers are declared go on the stack. 5) Players can cast spells and activate abilities. Step 4: Combat Damage 1) The attacking player assigns the attacking creatures' combat damage. 2) The defending player assigns the blocking creatures' combat damage. 3) All combat damage is dealt at the same time. 4) Abilities that trigger when combat damage is dealt go on the stack.
5) Players can cast spells and activate abilities. Step 5: End of Combat 1) Abilities that trigger at the end of combat go on the stack. 2) Players can cast spells and activate abilities. How a creature assigns combat damage to multiple other creatures has changed. The creature assigns its combat damage to those creatures according to the damage assignment order announced for it. It can't assign combat damage to one of those creatures unless each creature that precedes that creature in its order is assigned lethal damage. When checking for assigned lethal damage, take into account damage that's already been dealt to that creature, as well as damage from other creatures that's being assigned during the same combat damage step. However, ignore any other effects that would modify how damage is dealt (like protection abilities or prevention effects). A player may choose to assign more than lethal damage to a creature. * Example: The damage assignment order of an attacking Craw Wurm (a 6/4 creature) is Canyon Minotaur (a 3/3 creature) then Goblin Piker (a 2/1 creature). Craw Wurm can assign 3 damage to the Minotaur and 3 damage to the Piker, 4 damage to the Minotaur and 2 damage to the Piker, 5 damage to the Minotaur and 1 damage to the Piker, or 6 damage to the Minotaur. Both blocking creatures assign their damage to the Wurm. * Example: The damage assignment order of an attacking Craw Wurm (a 6/4 creature) is Canyon Minotaur (a 3/3 creature) then Goblin Piker (a 2/1 creature). During the declare blockers step, the defending player casts Giant Growth targeting Canyon Minotaur, which gives it +3/+3 until end of turn. Craw Wurm must assign its 6 damage to the Minotaur. Both blocking creatures assign their damage to the Wurm. * Example: The damage assignment order of an attacking Craw Wurm (a 6/4 creature) is Canyon Minotaur (a 3/3 creature) then Goblin Piker (a 2/1 creature). During the declare blockers step, the defending player casts Mending Hands targeting Canyon Minotaur, which prevents the next 4 damage that would be dealt to it. Craw Wurm can assign 3 damage to the Minotaur and 3 damage to the Piker, 4 damage to the Minotaur and 2 damage to the Piker, 5 damage to the Minotaur and 1 damage to the Piker, or 6 damage to the Minotaur. Both blocking creatures assign their damage to the Wurm. * Example: The damage assignment order of an attacking Enormous Baloth (a 7/7 creature) is Zombie Goliath (a 4/3 creature) that's already been dealt 2 damage this turn, then Palace Guard (a 1/4 creature that can block any number of creatures), then Siege Mastodon (a 3/5 creature). The damage assignment order of an attacking Berserkers of Blood Ridge (a 4/4 creature) is the same Palace Guard, then Warpath Ghoul (a 3/2 creature). Among other possibilities, the attacking player may have the Baloth assign 1 damage to the Goliath, 1 damage to the Guard, and 5 damage to the Mastodon, and have the Berserkers assign 3 damage to the Guard and 1 damage to the Ghoul. (Note that in this example, the defending player would also have created a damage assignment order among the Enormous Baloth and the Berserkers of Blood Ridge that the Palace Guard is blocking.) An important change is that combat damage no longer goes on the stack. It's assigned, then it's immediately dealt. If you want to activate a regeneration ability, cast a damage prevention spell, or the like, you must now do so during the declare blockers step. Due to the damage assignment orders that have been announced, you have a reasonable expectation at that time about how combat damage will be assigned and dealt.
* Only creatures that are on the battlefield (and still involved in combat) can deal combat damage. Say you have an Unsummon in your hand and a 2/2 creature on the battlefield that's blocking another 2/2 creature. You can cast Unsummon during the declare blockers step to return one of those creatures to its owner's hand, in which case neither one deals combat damage. Or you can let the creatures deal combat damage to one another, meaning they'll both be destroyed before Unsummon can return one of them. There's no way to both return your creature to your hand and have it deal combat damage. * During the declare blockers step, if a blocking creature is removed from combat or a spell or ability causes it to stop blocking an attacking creature, the blocking creature is removed from the attacking creature's damage assignment order. The relative order among the remaining blocking creatures is unchanged. (The same is true if an attacking creature blocked by a creature that can block multiple attackers is removed.) * Similarly, if a spell or ability causes a creature to block an attacking creature, or a creature enters the battlefield blocking an attacking creature, the attacking creature's controller announces the blocking creature's placement in the attacking creature's damage assignment order as part of the effect. The relative order among the other blocking creatures is unchanged. * How first strike and double strike work hasn't changed. At the start of the combat damage step, if at least one attacking or blocking creature has first strike or double strike, creatures without first strike or double strike don't assign combat damage. Instead of proceeding to the end of combat step, a second combat damage step is created to handle the remaining creatures. In the second combat damage step, surviving attackers and blockers that didn't assign combat damage in the first step, plus any creatures with double strike, assign their combat damage. Note that players may still cast spells and activate abilities during the first combat damage step before the second one begins. ----***Revised Keyword Ability: Lifelink*** Lifelink is an ability usually seen on creatures. How it works has been changed. Child of Night {1}{B} Creature -- Vampire 2/1 Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.) The official rules for the lifelink ability are as follows: 702.13. Lifelink 702.13a Lifelink is a static ability. Damage dealt by a source with lifelink causes that source's controller, or its owner if it has no controller, to gain that much life (in addition to any other results that damage causes). See rule 118.4. 702.13b Multiple instances of lifelink on the same object are redundant. * Lifelink's effect applies to any damage, not just combat damage. * If something with lifelink deals damage, all the results of that damage happen at the same time. For example, if a creature you control with lifelink deals 2
damage to an opponent, that opponent will lose 2 life at the same time you gain 2 life. * Lifelink applies only to damage that's actually dealt. If a creature with lifelink would deal 5 damage but 2 damage is prevented, for example, that creature's controller will gain 3 life (in addition to the other results that damage causes). * The rules that care about lifelink function no matter where the source of damage with lifelink is. In other words, if a spell or ability causes a card with lifelink that's not on the battlefield to deal damage (like Selfless Exorcist's ability does, for example), that damage will cause its controller to gain that much life. This isn't the same as damage dealt by a source that changed zones; see below. * If a source of damage hasn't changed zones by the time that damage is dealt, its characteristics are checked to see if it has lifelink at that time. If the source has changed zones by then, its last existence in the zone it was expected to be in is checked to see if it had lifelink at that time. * If a permanent with lifelink gains another instance of lifelink, the extra instance of lifelink won't have any particular effect. Damage dealt by that permanent will still cause its controller to gain that much life, not twice that much life. ----***Revised Keyword Ability: Deathtouch*** Deathtouch is an ability usually seen on creatures. How it works has been changed. Deadly Recluse {1}{G} Creature -- Spider 1/2 Reach (This creature can block creatures with flying.) Deathtouch (Creatures dealt damage by this creature are destroyed. You can divide this creature's combat damage among any of the creatures blocking or blocked by it.) The official rules for the deathtouch ability are as follows: 702.2. Deathtouch 702.2a Deathtouch is a static ability that, in part, modifies the rules for assigning a creature's combat damage. (See rule 510, "Combat Damage Step.") The controller of a creature with deathtouch can divide its combat damage as he or she chooses among any number of creatures blocking or blocked by it. 702.2b A creature that's been dealt damage by a source with deathtouch since the last time state-based actions were checked is destroyed as a state-based action. See rule 704. 702.2c Multiple instances of deathtouch on the same object are redundant. * The first part of deathtouch is an exception to the new combat damage rules. If a creature with deathtouch blocks or is blocked by multiple creatures, those creatures must still be put into damage assignment order during the combat damage step (because the creature might lose deathtouch before the combat damage step).
However, if it still has deathtouch as combat damage is assigned, it can ignore the order and its combat damage can be divided however its controller likes among any number of creatures blocking or blocked by it. * The second part of deathtouch applies to any damage, not just combat damage. * A regeneration effect can save a creature that's been dealt damage by a source with deathtouch. * If multiple state-based actions would destroy a creature at the same time (because it's been dealt lethal damage and been dealt damage by a source with deathtouch), a single regeneration effect will replace all of them and save the creature. * If a creature is dealt damage by a source with deathtouch, it'll be destroyed as a state-based action. That means there's no time to react between the time the creature is dealt damage and the time it's destroyed. If you want to put a regeneration shield on it, or sacrifice it for some effect, or anything else, you must do so before the damage is actually dealt. * The rules that care about deathtouch function no matter where the source with deathtouch is. In other words, if a spell or ability causes a card with deathtouch that's not on the battlefield to deal damage to a creature (like Selfless Exorcist's ability does, for example), that creature will be destroyed. This isn't the same as damage dealt by a source that changed zones; see below. * If a source of damage hasn't changed zones by the time that damage is dealt, its characteristics are checked to see if it has deathtouch at that time. If the source has changed zones by then, its last existence in the zone it was expected to be in is checked to see if it had deathtouch at that time. * If a permanent with deathtouch gains another instance of deathtouch, the extra instance of deathtouch won't have any particular effect. If that permanent deals damage to a creature, a single regeneration effect will still save it. ----GENERAL NOTES ***Returning Card Type: Planeswalker*** Planeswalker is a relatively new card type. A planeswalker is a powerful ally that fights by your side. Ajani Goldmane {2}{W}{W} Planeswalker -- Ajani 4 [+1]: You gain 2 life. [-1]: Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control. Those creatures gain vigilance until end of turn. [-6]: Put a white Avatar creature token onto the battlefield with "This creature's power and toughness are each equal to your life total." * Planeswalkers are permanents. You can cast one at the time you could cast a sorcery. When your planeswalker spell resolves, it enters the battlefield under your control. * Planeswalkers are not creatures. Spells and abilities that affect creatures
won't affect them. * If two or more planeswalkers that share a subtype (such as "Ajani") are on the battlefield, they're all put into their owners' graveyards as a state-based action. * Planeswalkers have loyalty. A planeswalker enters the battlefield with a number of loyalty counters on it equal to the number printed in its lower right corner. Activating one of its abilities may cause it to gain or lose loyalty counters. Damage dealt to a planeswalker causes that many loyalty counters to be removed from it. If it has no loyalty, it's put into its owner's graveyard as a statebased action. * Planeswalkers each have a number of activated abilities on them. You can activate an ability of a planeswalker you control only at the time you could cast a sorcery and only if you haven't activated one of that planeswalker's abilities yet that turn. * The cost to activate a planeswalker's ability is represented by an arrow with a number inside. Up-arrows contain positive numbers, such as "+1"; this means "Put one loyalty counter on this planeswalker." Down-arrows contain negative numbers, such as "-6"; this means "Remove six loyalty counters from this planeswalker." You can't activate a planeswalker's ability with a negative loyalty cost unless the planeswalker has at least that many loyalty counters on it. * Planeswalkers can't attack. However, they can be attacked. Each of your attacking creatures can attack your opponent or a planeswalker that player controls. You say which as you declare attackers. * If your planeswalkers are being attacked, you can block the attackers as normal. * If a creature that's attacking a planeswalker isn't blocked, it'll deal its combat damage to that planeswalker. Damage dealt to a planeswalker causes that many loyalty counters to be removed from it. * If a source you control would deal noncombat damage to an opponent, you may have that source deal that damage to a planeswalker that opponent controls instead. For example, although you can't target a planeswalker with Lightning Bolt, you can target your opponent with Lightning Bolt, and then as Lightning Bolt resolves, choose to have Lightning Bolt deal its 3 damage to one of your opponent's planeswalkers. (You can't split up that damage between different players and/or planeswalkers.) If you have Lightning Bolt deal its damage to a planeswalker, three loyalty counters are removed from it. ----***Cycle: M10 Tap Lands*** The Magic 2010 set has a cycle of lands that produce two colors of mana and enter the battlefield tapped unless you control a certain land. Dragonskull Summit Land Dragonskull Summit enters the battlefield tapped unless you control a Swamp or a Mountain. {T}: Add {B} or {R} to your mana pool. * These lands check for lands you control with either of the two listed land types, not either of the two listed names. The lands they check for don't have to
be basic lands. For example, if you control Stomping Ground (a nonbasic land with the land types Mountain and Forest), Dragonskull Summit will enter the battlefield untapped. * As these lands are entering the battlefield, they check for lands that are already on the battlefield. They won't see lands that are entering the battlefield at the same time (due to Warp World, for example). ----***Cycle: "Lucky Charms"*** The Magic 2010 set has a cycle of artifacts that let you gain life whenever a player casts a spell of the appropriate color. Kraken's Eye {2} Artifact Whenever a player casts a blue spell, you may gain 1 life. * The ability triggers whenever any player, not just you, casts a spell of the appropriate color. * If a player casts a spell of the appropriate color, the artifact's ability triggers and is put on the stack on top of that spell. The artifact's ability will resolve (causing you to gain 1 life) before the spell does. ----CARD-SPECIFIC NOTES Act of Treason {2}{R} Sorcery Gain control of target creature until end of turn. Untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn. (It can attack and {T} this turn.) * Act of Treason can target any creature, even one that's tapped or one you already control. ----Ajani Goldmane {2}{W}{W} Planeswalker -- Ajani 4 [+1]: You gain 2 life. [-1]: Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control. Those creatures gain vigilance until end of turn. [-6]: Put a white Avatar creature token onto the battlefield with "This creature's power and toughness are each equal to your life total." * The vigilance granted to a creature by the second ability remains until the end of the turn even if the +1/+1 counter is removed. * The power and toughness of the Avatar created by the third ability will change as your life total changes. * See "Card Type: Planeswalkers" in the General Notes section above. -----
Alluring Siren {1}{U} Creature -- Siren 1/1 {T}: Target creature an opponent controls attacks you this turn if able. * After the ability resolves, the targeted creature attacks you only if it's able to do so as that turn's declare attackers step begins. If, at that time, the creature is tapped, is affected by a spell or ability that says it can't attack, or is affected by "summoning sickness," it can'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 the targeted creature would be able to attack either you or a planeswalker you control, it must attack you, not the planeswalker. * Activating the ability during your opponent's turn after attackers have been declared will have no effect. The same is true if you activate the ability during your own turn. ----Armored Ascension {3}{W} Enchantment -- Aura Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each Plains you control and has flying. * This ability counts the number of Plains controlled by Armored Ascension'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 Plains you control changes. ----Awakener Druid {2}{G} Creature -- Human Druid 1/1 When Awakener Druid enters the battlefield, target Forest becomes a 4/5 green Treefolk creature for as long as Awakener Druid is on the battlefield. It's still a land. * Awakener Druid's ability affects a land with the land type Forest, not necessarily a land with the name Forest. * Awakener Druid's ability is mandatory. When it enters the battlefield, you must target a Forest (if there is one), even if you don't control that Forest. * If Awakener Druid leaves the battlefield before its enters-the-battlefield ability resolves, nothing happens to the targeted Forest when that ability resolves. It won't become a creature. * If the targeted Forest entered the battlefield this turn, it will be affected by "summoning sickness" once it becomes a Treefolk. You won't be able to attack with it or use its activated abilities that have {T} in the cost (including its mana ability).
* If Awakener Druid and the Treefolk are dealt lethal damage at the same time, both will be destroyed. However, if Awakener Druid leaves the battlefield before the Treefolk is dealt damage, it will immediately revert to being just a land and thus can't be dealt damage. ----Baneslayer Angel {3}{W}{W} Creature -- Angel 5/5 Flying, first strike, lifelink, protection from Demons and from Dragons * "Protection from Demons and from Dragons" means the following: -- Baneslayer Angel can't be blocked by creatures with the creature type Demon or the creature type Dragon. -- Baneslayer Angel can't be targeted by abilities from sources with the creature type Demon or the creature type Dragon. -- All damage that would be dealt to Baneslayer Angel by sources with the creature type Demon or the creature type Dragon is prevented. -- Baneslayer Angel can't be enchanted by Auras or equipped by artifacts that have somehow gotten the creature type Demon or the creature type Dragon. ----Bogardan Hellkite {6}{R}{R} Creature -- Dragon 5/5 Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.) Flying When Bogardan Hellkite enters the battlefield, it deals 5 damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures and/or players. * The number of targets chosen for the enters-the-battlefield ability must be at least 1 and at most 5. You divide the damage as you put the ability on the stack, not as it resolves. Each target must be assigned at least 1 damage. ----Burning Inquiry {R} Sorcery Each player draws three cards, then discards three cards at random. * First the player whose turn it is draws three cards, then each other player in turn order does so. Then the active player randomly chooses the three cards he or she will discard, then each other player in turn order does so. Then all the cards are discarded at the same time. * Each player must discard three cards, even a player that (for some reason) didn't actually draw three cards. ----Burst of Speed {R} Sorcery Creatures you control gain haste until end of turn. (They can attack and {T} even if they just came under your control.) * Burst of Speed affects only creatures you control at the time it resolves. It
won't affect creatures that come under your control later in the turn. ----Capricious Efreet {4}{R}{R} Creature -- Efreet 6/4 At the beginning of your upkeep, choose target nonland permanent you control and up to two target nonland permanents you don't control. Destroy one of them at random. * If Capricious Efreet is the only nonland permanent you control when its ability triggers, you'll have to target it. * You may target zero, one, or two nonland permanents you don't control. * You target between one and three permanents as you put the ability on the stack. You don't randomly choose which one will be destroyed until the ability resolves. If one of those permanents has become an illegal target by then, you randomly choose between the remaining ones. * If one of the targets is indestructible, it can be chosen at random but nothing will happen to it if it is. * As the ability resolves, there is no time to react between the time a permanent is chosen at random and the time it's destroyed. If you want to put a regeneration shield on one of those permanents, or sacrifice it for some effect, or anything else, you must do so before the ability resolves (and before you know which one of the permanents will be chosen at random). ----Captain of the Watch {4}{W}{W} Creature -- Human Soldier 3/3 Vigilance (Attacking doesn't cause this creature to tap.) Other Soldier creatures you control get +1/+1 and have vigilance. When Captain of the Watch enters the battlefield, put three 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens onto the battlefield. * Captain of the Watch grants +1/+1 and vigilance to all other Soldier creatures you control, not just the ones its ability puts onto the battlefield. ----Celestial Purge {1}{W} Instant Exile target black or red permanent. * Lands are colorless (even if their frames have some colored elements to them). You can't target a Swamp, a Mountain, or any other land with Celestial Purge (unless some other effect has turned that land black or red). ----Cemetery Reaper {1}{B}{B} Creature -- Zombie 2/2
Other Zombie creatures you control get +1/+1. {2}{B}, {T}: Exile target creature card from a graveyard. Put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield. * Cemetery Reaper grants +1/+1 to all other Zombie creatures you control, not just the ones its ability puts onto the battlefield. * The creature card in a graveyard is exiled as part of the activated ability's effect, not as a cost. If that card has left the graveyard by the time the ability would resolve, the ability is countered and you don't get a Zombie token. ----Chandra Nalaar {3}{R}{R} Planeswalker -- Chandra 6 [+1]: Chandra Nalaar deals 1 damage to target player. [-X]: Chandra Nalaar deals X damage to target creature. [-8]: Chandra Nalaar deals 10 damage to target player and each creature he or she controls. * To activate the second ability, you choose a value of X equal to or less than the number of loyalty counters on Chandra Nalaar. You may choose 0. You can't choose a negative number. * See "Card Type: Planeswalkers" in the General Notes section above. ----Clone {3}{U} Creature -- Shapeshifter 0/0 You may have Clone enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield. * Clone doesn't copy whether the original creature is tapped or untapped. It also doesn't copy any counters on that creature, any Auras attached to that creature, or any effects that are currently affecting that creature -- you get exactly what's printed on the chosen card and nothing more (unless that card is copying something else; see below). So if you copy a Forest that's been turned into a creature by Awakener Druid, for example, you get a normal, nonanimated Forest. * If the chosen creature has {X} in its mana cost (such as Protean Hydra), X is considered to be zero. * If the chosen creature is copying something else (for example, if the chosen creature is another Clone), then your Clone enters the battlefield as whatever the chosen creature copied. * If the chosen creature is a token, your Clone copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that put it onto the battlefield. Your Clone is not a token. * Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger when Clone enters the battlefield. Any "as [this creature] enters the battlefield" or "[this creature] enters the battlefield with" abilities of the chosen creature will also work.
* You can choose not to copy anything. In that case, Clone enters the battlefield as a 0/0 creature, and is probably put into the graveyard immediately. ----Coat of Arms {5} Artifact Each creature gets +1/+1 for each other creature on the battlefield that shares at least one creature type with it. (For example, if two Goblin Warriors and a Goblin Shaman are on the battlefield, each gets +2/+2.) * Sharing multiple creature types doesn't give an additional bonus. Coat of Arms counts creatures, not creature types. ----Consume Spirit {X}{1}{B} Sorcery Spend only black mana on X. Consume Spirit deals X damage to target creature or player and you gain X life. * The amount of life you gain is equal to the number chosen for X, not the amount of damage Consume Spirit deals (in case some of it is prevented). * If the targeted creature or player is an illegal target by the time Consume Spirit would resolve, the entire spell is countered. You won't gain any life. ----Convincing Mirage {1}{U} Enchantment -- Aura Enchant land As Convincing Mirage enters the battlefield, choose a basic land type. Enchanted land is the chosen type. * The affected land loses its existing land types and any abilities printed on it. It becomes the chosen basic land type and now has the ability to tap to add one mana of the appropriate color to your mana pool. Convincing Mirage's ability doesn't change the affected land's name or whether it's legendary or basic. ----Darksteel Colossus {11} Artifact Creature -- Golem 11/11 Trample Darksteel Colossus is indestructible. If Darksteel Colossus would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, reveal Darksteel Colossus and shuffle it into its owner's library instead. * 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 or if its toughness is 0 or less. (In these cases, of course, Darksteel Colossus would be shuffled into its owner's library instead of being put into its owner's graveyard.) -----
Disorient {3}{U} Instant Target creature gets -7/-0 until end of turn. * A creature with power 0 or less assigns no combat damage. (It doesn't assign a negative amount of combat damage.) ----Divine Verdict {3}{W} Instant Destroy target attacking or blocking creature. * 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, even if the player it was attacking has left the game, or the planeswalker it was attacking has left combat. * A "blocking creature" is one that has been declared as a blocker this combat, or one that was put onto the battlefield blocking this combat. Unless that creature leaves combat, it continues to be a blocking creature through the end of combat step, even if the creature or creatures it was blocking are no longer on the battlefield or have otherwise left combat. ----Djinn of Wishes {3}{U}{U} Creature -- Djinn 4/4 Flying Djinn of Wishes enters the battlefield with three wish counters on it. {2}{U}{U}, Remove a wish counter from Djinn of Wishes: Reveal the top card of your library. You may play that card without paying its mana cost. If you don't, exile it. * You play the revealed card as part of the resolution of Djinn of Wishes'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 the revealed card is a targets for it. If you cast ability finishes resolving. get a chance to cast spells
spell, you may cast it only if you can choose legal it, it's put on the stack, then Djinn of Wishes's The spell will then resolve as normal, after players and activate abilities.
* If the revealed card is a land, you can play it only if it's your turn and you haven't yet played a land this turn. * If you play a card "without paying its mana cost," you can't pay any alternative costs. You can pay additional costs, such as conspire costs and kicker costs. ----Dragon Whelp {2}{R}{R} Creature -- Dragon 2/3
Flying {R}: Dragon Whelp gets +1/+0 until end of turn. If this ability has been activated four or more times this turn, sacrifice Dragon Whelp at the beginning of the next end step. * Dragon Whelp has received errata. Its updated wording is listed here. * The first three times Dragon Whelp's ability is activated in a turn will do nothing other than give it +1/+0 until end of turn. Any subsequent activations will also cause its delayed triggered ability to trigger. That means if you activate Dragon Whelp's ability five times, for example, two different delayed triggered abilities will trigger at the beginning of the next end step and cause you to sacrifice Dragon Whelp. * If the fourth (or more) time Dragon Whelp's ability is activated during the same turn happens to be during that turn's end step, the delayed triggered ability won't trigger until the beginning of the next turn's end step. You'll have to sacrifice Dragon Whelp at that time. ----Elvish Archdruid {1}{G}{G} Creature -- Elf Druid 2/2 Other Elf creatures you control get +1/+1. {T}: Add {G} to your mana pool for each Elf you control. * Elvish Archdruid's first ability affects only other Elves you control. However, Elvish Archdruid's second ability counts all Elves you control -- including itself. ----Entangling Vines {3}{G} Enchantment -- Aura Enchant tapped creature Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step. * Entangling Vines can enchant only a creature that's tapped. If at any time the enchanted creature is untapped, Entangling Vines is put into its owner's graveyard as a state-based action. * If Entangling Vines is cast as a spell, it can target only a tapped creature. If the creature has become untapped by the time Entangling Vines would resolve, it's countered and put into its owner's graveyard from the stack. ----Fireball {X}{R} Sorcery Fireball deals X damage divided evenly, rounded down, among any number of target creatures and/or players. Fireball costs {1} more to cast for each target beyond the first. * If, for example, X is 5 and you choose three target creatures, Fireball has a total cost of {7}{R} (even though its mana cost is just {5}{R}). If those creatures are all still legal targets as Fireball resolves, it deals 1 damage to each of them.
* Fireball's damage is divided as Fireball resolves, not as it's cast, because there are no choices involved. The division involves only targets that are still legal at that time. * You can target more than X creatures. However, if the number of legal targets at the time Fireball resolves is greater than X, none of them will be dealt any damage. ----Firebreathing {R} Enchantment -- Aura Enchant creature {R}: Enchanted creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn. * This ability can be activated by Firebreathing's controller, not the enchanted creature's controller (in case they're different players). * The ability affects whichever creature is enchanted by Firebreathing at the time the ability resolves. The bonus remains even if Firebreathing stops enchanting that creature. ----Fog {G} Instant Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn. * Fog has no effect on damage that's already been dealt. See "New Rules: Combat" in the General Notes section above. ----Garruk Wildspeaker {2}{G}{G} Planeswalker -- Garruk 3 [+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 "Card Type: Planeswalkers" in the General Notes section above. ----Glorious Charge {1}{W} Instant Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn. * Glorious Charge affects only creatures you control at the time it resolves. It won't affect creatures that come under your control later in the turn. It won't affect permanents that become creatures later in the turn. -----
Goblin Artillery {1}{R}{R} Creature -- Goblin Warrior 1/3 {T}: Goblin Artillery deals 2 damage to target creature or player and 3 damage to you. * If the targeted creature or player is an illegal target by the time Goblin Artillery's ability would resolve, the entire ability is countered. You won't be dealt any damage. ----Great Sable Stag {1}{G}{G} Creature -- Elk 3/3 Great Sable Stag can't be countered. Protection from blue and from black (This creature can't be blocked, targeted, dealt damage, or enchanted by anything blue or black.) * Great Sable Stag can be targeted by spells that try to counter it (such as Cancel). Those spells will resolve, but the part of their effect that would counter Great Sable Stag won't do anything. Any other effects those spells have will work as normal. * Although the reminder text doesn't say so, Great Sable Stag also can't be equipped by blue or black Equipment. ----Guardian Seraph {2}{W}{W} Creature -- Angel 3/4 Flying If a source an opponent controls would deal damage to you, prevent 1 of that damage. * This ability prevents 1 damage from each source an opponent controls each time that source would deal damage to you. It prevents 1 of any damage, not just combat damage. * Spells and permanents have controllers, but cards that aren't on the stack or the battlefield don't. If a source without a controller (such as a cycled Jund Sojourner, for example) would deal damage to you, 1 of that damage is prevented if an opponent owns that source. * The effects from multiple Guardian Seraphs are cumulative. ----Harm's Way {W} Instant The next 2 damage that a source of your choice would deal to you or a permanent you control this turn is dealt to target creature or player instead. * As you cast Harm's Way, you target the creature or player that the redirected damage will be dealt to. As Harm's Way resolves, you choose a source of damage. You never choose the original recipient of the damage; Harm's Way will apply to
whatever the chosen source tries to deal damage to, as long as it's you or a permanent you control. * Harm's Way can affect damage that would be dealt to a planeswalker you control (as well as damage that would be dealt to you, or to a creature you control). * If the chosen source would deal just 1 damage to you or a permanent you control, Harm's Way's effect will redirect that damage and still have a "shield" left for another 1 damage from that source later in the turn. * If the chosen source would simultaneously deal damage to multiple permanents you control (like Pyroclasm could) or to you and at least one permanent you control (like Earthquake could), Harm's Way will redirect just 2 of that damage. It won't redirect the next 2 damage that would be dealt to each recipient. You choose which 2 damage is redirected. If you like, you can choose to redirect 1 damage that would be dealt by the chosen source to each of two different recipients. * After Harm's Way resolves, it no longer checks to see if the targeted creature or player is a legal target. However, if that creature or player can't be dealt damage at the time the chosen source would deal damage (perhaps because the creature is no longer on the battlefield or is no longer a creature, or because the player is no longer in the game), the damage can't be redirected. It's dealt to the original recipient. * Harm's Way has no effect on damage that's already been dealt. See "New Rules: Combat" in the General Notes section above. ----Haunting Echoes {3}{B}{B} Sorcery Exile 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. ----Hive Mind {5}{U} Enchantment Whenever a player casts an instant or sorcery spell, each other player copies that spell. Each of those players may choose new targets for his or her copy. * Hive Mind's effect is mandatory. Each other player must copy the spell whether they want to or not. * Hive Mind will copy any instant or sorcery spell, not just one with targets. * If a player casts an instant or sorcery spell, Hive Mind's ability triggers and is put on the stack on top of that spell. Hive Mind's ability will resolve first. When it does, it creates a number of copies of that spell equal to the number of players in the game minus one. First the player whose turn it is (or, if that's the player who cast the original spell, the player to that player's left) puts his or her copy on the stack, choosing new targets for it if he or she likes. Then
each other player in turn order does the same. The last copy put on the stack will be the first one that resolves. (Note that the very last thing to happen is that the original spell resolves.) * The copies that Hive Mind's ability creates are created on the stack, so they're not "cast." Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell (like Hive Mind's ability itself) won't trigger. * Each copy will have the same targets as the spell it's copying unless its controller chooses new ones. That player may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If, for one of the targets, the player can't choose a new legal target, then it remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal). * If the spell that's copied is modal (that is, it says "Choose one --" or the like), the copy will have the same mode. A player can't choose a different one. * If the spell that's copied has an X whose value was determined as it was cast (like Earthquake does), the copy has the same value of X. * A copy's controller 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. * If a copy says that it affects "you," it affects the controller of the copy, not the controller of the original spell. Similarly, if a 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. ----Ice Cage {1}{U} Enchantment -- Aura Enchant creature Enchanted 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. ----Ignite Disorder {1}{R} Instant Ignite Disorder deals 3 damage divided as you choose among any number of target white and/or blue creatures. * The number of targets chosen for Ignite Disorder must be at least 1 and at most 3. You divide the damage as you cast the spell, not as it resolves. Each target must be assigned at least 1 damage. ----Illusionary Servant {1}{U}{U} Creature -- Illusion
3/4 Flying When Illusionary Servant becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it. * If Illusionary Servant becomes the target of a spell or ability, Illusionary Servant's ability triggers and is put on the stack on top of that spell or ability. Illusionary Servant'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. ----Indestructibility {3}{W} Enchantment -- Aura Enchant permanent Enchanted permanent is indestructible. (Effects that say "destroy" don't destroy that permanent. An indestructible creature can't be destroyed by damage.) * Lethal damage, damage from a source with deathtouch, and effects that say "destroy" won't cause an indestructible permanent to be put into the graveyard. However, an indestructible permanent 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 permanent with the same name is on the battlefield, if it's a planeswalker and another planeswalker with the same subtype is on the battlefield, if it's a creature with toughness 0 or less, or if it's an Aura that's either unattached or attached to something illegal. * If an effect would simultaneously destroy Indestructibility and the creature it's enchanting, only Indestructibility is destroyed. * If a creature enchanted by Indestructibility is dealt lethal damage, the creature isn't destroyed, but the damage remains marked on the creature. If Indestructibility stops enchanting that creature later in the turn, the creature will stop being indestructible and will be destroyed. ----Inferno Elemental {4}{R}{R} Creature -- Elemental 4/4 Whenever Inferno Elemental blocks or becomes blocked by a creature, Inferno Elemental deals 3 damage to that creature. * Inferno Elemental's ability will trigger for each creature it blocks or becomes blocked by. * Inferno Elemental's ability resolves during the declare blockers step, before even first strike damage is assigned. If the damage dealt to another creature this way is lethal damage, that creature will be destroyed before it can deal its combat damage. * The 3 damage that Inferno Elemental deals as a result of its ability is not combat damage. Inferno Elemental will still deal its combat damage as normal (unless all the creatures that blocked or were blocked by it have left the battlefield by the time the combat damage step begins). ----Jace Beleren
{1}{U}{U} Planeswalker -- Jace 3 [+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. ----Jackal Familiar {R} Creature -- Hound 2/2 Jackal Familiar can't attack or block alone. * "Can't attack alone" means Jackal Familiar can't be declared as an attacker during the declare attackers step unless at least one other creature is also declared as an attacker at that time (either by you or your Two-Headed Giant teammate). * "Can't block alone" has a similar meaning. Note that the other blocker(s) doesn't have to block the same attacker as Jackal Familiar. * Once Jackal Familiar has been legally declared as an attacking or blocking creature, how many other creatures it's attacking or blocking with no longer matters. For example, if Jackal Familiar and Canyon Minotaur both attack, then Canyon Minotaur leaves the battlefield, Jackal Familiar continues to attack even though it's now attacking alone. * An effect may put Jackal Familiar onto the battlefield attacking even if no other creatures are attacking. That's because it wasn't declared as an attacker in this case. Similarly, an effect may put Jackal Familiar onto the battlefield blocking even if no other creatures are blocking. ----Jump {U} Instant Target creature gains flying until end of turn. * To work as an evasion ability, an attacking creature must already have flying when the declare blockers step begins. Once a creature has become blocked, giving it flying won't change that. ----Lifelink {W} Enchantment -- Aura Enchant creature Enchanted creature has lifelink. (Damage dealt by the creature also causes its controller to gain that much life.) * The controller of the enchanted creature, not the controller of Lifelink, gains the life (in case they're different players). -----
Lightwielder Paladin {3}{W}{W} Creature -- Human Knight 4/4 First strike (This creature deals combat damage before creatures without first strike.) Whenever Lightwielder Paladin deals combat damage to a player, you may exile target black or red permanent that player controls. * Lands are colorless (even if their frames have some colored elements to them). You can't target a Swamp, a Mountain, or any other land with Lightwielder Paladin's ability (unless some other effect has turned that land black or red). ----Lurking Predators {4}{G}{G} Enchantment Whenever an opponent casts a spell, reveal the top card of your library. If it's a creature card, put it onto the battlefield. Otherwise, you may put that card on the bottom of your library. * If an opponent casts a spell, this ability triggers and is put on the stack on top of that spell. This ability will resolve (meaning that a revealed creature card will enter the battlefield) before the spell resolves. * You must put the revealed card onto the battlefield if it's a creature card. If it's not a creature card and you don't put it on the bottom of your library, it stops being revealed and simply remains on top of your library. ----Magebane Armor {3} Artifact -- Equipment Equipped creature gets +2/+4 and loses flying. Prevent all noncombat damage that would be dealt to equipped creature. Equip {2} ({2}: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.) * Magebane Armor can equip a creature that doesn't have flying. The "lose flying" effect just won't do anything in that case. * Magebane Armor causes the equipped creature to lose flying at the time it became equipped. Any ability that grants that creature flying that starts to work later (such as a Jump that resolves later, or a Levitation that comes under your control later) will work normally. * Combat damage is the damage that's dealt automatically by attacking and blocking creatures, even if it's redirected (by Harm's Way, perhaps). Noncombat damage is any other damage (generally, it's damage dealt as the result of a spell or ability). ----Manabarbs {3}{R} Enchantment Whenever a player taps a land for mana, Manabarbs deals 1 damage to that player. * This ability is not a mana ability. It goes on the stack and can be responded
to. * The ability will trigger each time a land is tapped for mana. Each ability is separate. * If any lands are tapped for mana while a player is casting a spell or activating an ability, Manabarbs's ability will trigger that many times and wait. When the player finishes casting that spell or activating that ability, it's put on the stack, then Manabarbs's triggered abilities are put on the stack on top of it. The Manabarbs abilities will resolve first. * On the other hand, a player can tap lands for mana, let the Manabarbs triggered abilities be put on the stack, and then respond to those abilities by casting an instant or activating an ability using that mana. In that case, the spell or ability will resolve first. ----Master of the Wild Hunt {2}{G}{G} Creature -- Human Shaman 3/3 At the beginning of your upkeep, put a 2/2 green Wolf creature token onto the battlefield. {T}: Tap all untapped Wolf creatures you control. Each Wolf tapped this way deals damage equal to its power to target creature. That creature deals damage equal to its power divided as its controller chooses among any number of those Wolves. * The Wolves are tapped as part of the activated ability's effect, not as a cost. * If the targeted creature is an illegal target by the time the activated ability would resolve, the entire ability is countered. Nothing else happens. (For example, the Wolves aren't tapped.) * The Wolves deal their damage first. This may be important if the damage causes the targeted creature's power to be reduced (if it's Protean Hydra, for example). However . . . * Creatures aren't destroyed for having been dealt lethal damage until a spell or ability has finished resolving. If the targeted creature is dealt lethal damage by the tapped Wolves, it will still get to deal damage to those Wolves before being destroyed. * Only a Wolf creature tapped as part of the ability's effect can be dealt damage by the targeted creature. * The targeted creature's controller doesn't divide that creature's damage as the ability is activated (since the Wolves that will receive that damage aren't targeted), so that player does so as the ability resolves. Each Wolf chosen by that player must be dealt at least 1 damage. There is no time to react between the time a Wolf is chosen, the time damage is dealt to it, and the time it's destroyed for having been dealt lethal damage. If you want to put a regeneration shield on one of those Wolves, or target it with a damage-prevention spell, or anything else, you must do so before the ability resolves (and before you know which Wolves will be chosen and how much damage will be dealt to them). ----Merfolk Sovereign {1}{U}{U}
Creature -- Merfolk 2/2 Other 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. ----Mesa Enchantress {1}{W}{W} Creature -- Human Druid 0/2 Whenever you cast an enchantment spell, you may draw a card. * If you cast an enchantment spell, Mesa Enchantress's ability triggers and is put on the stack on top of that spell. Mesa Enchantress's ability will resolve before the spell does. ----Mirror of Fate {5} Artifact {T}, Sacrifice Mirror of Fate: Choose up to seven face-up exiled cards you own. Exile all the cards from your library, then put the chosen cards on top of your library. * You don't choose the exiled cards until Mirror of Fate's ability resolves. It doesn't matter how they wound up in the exile zone. * Exiled cards are face up by default; they're face down only if the effect that exiled them said so. For example, the cards from your library that Mirror of Fate exiles are exiled face up. * You choose the order that the chosen cards are put on top of your library. You don't have to show anyone else that order. ----Mold Adder {G} Creature -- Fungus Snake 1/1 Whenever an opponent casts a blue or black spell, you may put a +1/+1 counter on Mold Adder. * If an opponent casts a blue or black spell, Mold Adder's ability triggers and is put on the stack on top of that spell. Mold Adder's ability will resolve before the spell does. * If an opponent casts a spell that's both blue and black, Mold Adder's ability triggers only once. ----Nightmare {5}{B} Creature -- Nightmare Horse */*
Flying Nightmare's power and toughness are each equal to the number of Swamps you control. * Nightmare's power and toughness changes as the number of Swamps you control changes. ----Open the Vaults {4}{W}{W} Sorcery Return all artifact and enchantment cards from all graveyards to the battlefield under their owners' control. (Auras with nothing to enchant remain in graveyards.) * If multiple players have Auras in their graveyards, the player whose turn it is announces what his or her Auras will enchant, then each other player in turn order does the same, then all artifacts and enchantments (including both Auras and nonAuras) enter the battlefield at the same time. * An Aura put onto the battlefield this way can't enchant an artifact or enchantment that's also being put onto the battlefield with Open the Vaults. * If an Aura can be returned to the battlefield with Open the Vaults, it must be, even if its owner doesn't like what it would enchant. * Any abilities that trigger during the resolution of Open the Vaults will wait to be put onto the stack until Open the Vaults 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.) ----Overrun {2}{G}{G}{G} Sorcery Creatures you control get +3/+3 and gain trample until end of turn. (If a creature you control would deal enough damage to its blockers to destroy them, you may have it deal the rest of its damage to defending player or planeswalker.) * Overrun affects only creatures you control at the time it resolves. It won't affect creatures that come under your control later in the turn. ----Pithing Needle {1} Artifact As Pithing Needle enters the battlefield, name a card. Activated abilities of sources with the chosen name can't be activated unless they're mana abilities. * Pithing Needle affects cards regardless of what zone they're in. This includes cards in hand, cards in the graveyard, and exiled cards, as well as cards on the battlefield. Pithing Needle also affects tokens on the battlefield and copies of spells on the stack. * You can name any card, even if that card doesn't normally have an activated ability. You can't name a token unless that token has the same name as a card.
* If you name a card that has both a mana ability and another activated ability, the mana ability can be activated but the other ability can't be activated. * Triggered abilities and static abilities of the named card work normally. * Once Pithing Needle has left the battlefield, activated abilities of sources with the chosen name can be activated again. ----Platinum Angel {7} Artifact Creature -- Angel 4/4 Flying You 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. ----Polymorph {3}{U} Sorcery Destroy target creature. It can't be regenerated. Its controller reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals a creature card. The player puts that card onto the battlefield, then shuffles all other cards revealed this way into his or her library. * If the targeted creature is an illegal target by the time Polymorph would resolve, the entire spell is countered. Nothing else happens. * If the targeted creature is indestructible, it's still a legal target -- it just isn't destroyed. The rest of Polymorph's effect happens as normal. * If there are no creature cards in the player's library, all the cards in that library are revealed, then the library is shuffled. (The targeted creature remains destroyed.) ----Ponder {U} Sorcery Look at the top three cards of your library, then put them back in any order. You
may shuffle your library. Draw a card. * If you choose to shuffle your library, that includes the three cards you just looked at and put back on top of it. ----Prized Unicorn {3}{G} Creature -- Unicorn 2/2 All 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 -- Hydra 0/0 Protean 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). ----Relentless Rats {1}{B}{B} Creature -- Rat 2/2 Relentless 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. ----Righteousness {W} Instant Target blocking creature gets +7/+7 until end of turn. * A "blocking creature" is one that has been declared as a blocker this combat, or one that was put onto the battlefield blocking this combat. Unless that creature leaves combat, it continues to be a blocking creature through the end of combat step, even if the creature or creatures it was blocking are no longer on the battlefield or have otherwise left combat. ----Rise from the Grave {4}{B} Sorcery Put 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} Instant Prevent 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. * Safe Passage has no effect on damage that's already been dealt. See "New Rules: Combat" in the General Notes section above. ----Sanguine Bond {3}{B}{B} Enchantment Whenever you gain life, target opponent loses that much life. * Sanguine Blood's ability triggers just once for each life-gaining event, whether it's 1 life from Soul Warden or 8 life from Tendrils of Corruption. ----Siege-Gang Commander {3}{R}{R} Creature -- Goblin 2/2 When Siege-Gang Commander enters the battlefield, put three 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens onto the battlefield. {1}{R}, Sacrifice a Goblin: Siege-Gang Commander deals 2 damage to target creature or player. * You can sacrifice any Goblin you control to activate Siege-Gang Commander's activated ability, not just the ones its triggered ability puts onto the battlefield. You can even sacrifice Siege-Gang Commander itself. * If you sacrifice an attacking or blocking Goblin during the declare blockers step, it won't deal combat damage. If you wait until the combat damage step, but that Goblin has been dealt lethal damage, it'll be destroyed before you get a chance to sacrifice it. See "New Rules: Combat" in the General Notes section above. ----Silence {W} Instant Your 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} Sorcery Tap 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} Sorcery Destroy 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. ----Soul Warden {W} Creature -- Human Cleric 1/1 Whenever another creature enters the battlefield, you gain 1 life. * If Soul Warden and another creature enter the battlefield at the same time, Soul Warden's ability will trigger. * The life gain is mandatory. ----Spellbook {0} Artifact You have no maximum hand size. * Spellbook's ability means that during your cleanup step, you won't have to discard any cards regardless of how many are in your hand. That's the only time your maximum hand size is checked. (A player's maximum hand size is normally seven.) * If multiple effects modify your hand size, apply them in timestamp order. For example, if you put Null Profusion (an enchantment that says your maximum hand size is two) onto the battlefield and then put Spellbook onto the battlefield, you'll have no maximum hand size. However, if those permanents entered the battlefield in the opposite order, your maximum hand size would be two. ----Sphinx Ambassador {5}{U}{U} Creature -- Sphinx 5/5
Flying Whenever Sphinx Ambassador deals combat damage to a player, search that player's library for a card, then that player names a card. If you searched for a creature card that isn't the named card, you may put it onto the battlefield under your control. Then that player shuffles his or her library. * You may search for any card, not just a creature card. Of course, if you choose a noncreature card, you won't be able to put it onto the battlefield no matter what card the player names. * Once you've chosen a card during your search, you must clearly indicate which card you've chosen (preferably without showing the front of that card to the player!). Then the player names a card. * After the player names a card, check if the card you chose has that name. If it doesn't, but it's a creature card, you may put it onto the battlefield. If you don't want to put that card onto the battlefield, it's not a creature card, or it does have the name the player said, it simply stays in that player's library without ever being revealed. The player then shuffles his or her library, including that card. ----Stone Giant {2}{R}{R} Creature -- Giant 3/4 {T}: Target creature you control with toughness less than Stone Giant's power gains flying until end of turn. Destroy that creature at the beginning of the next end step. * To work as an evasion ability, an attacking creature must already have flying when the declare blockers step begins. Once a creature has become blocked, giving it flying won't change that. * If Stone Giant's ability is activated during a turn's end step, the delayed triggered ability won't trigger until the beginning of the next turn's end step. The targeted creature will be destroyed at that time. * When the delayed triggered ability resolves, the targeted creature is destroyed, even if it's no longer a creature, no longer under your control, or no longer has toughness less than Stone Giant's power at that time. * If Stone Giant's power and/or toughness change so that its toughness is less than its power, you can have the ability target Stone Giant itself. ----Tendrils of Corruption {3}{B} Instant Tendrils of Corruption deals X damage to target creature and you gain X life, where X is the number of Swamps you control. * The amount of life you gain is equal to the number of Swamps you control, not the amount of damage Tendrils of Corruption deals (in case some of it is prevented). * If the targeted creature is an illegal target by the time Tendrils of Corruption would resolve, the entire spell is countered. You won't gain any life.
----Tome Scour {U} Sorcery Target 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. ----Trumpet Blast {2}{R} Instant Attacking creatures get +2/+0 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, even if the player it was attacking has left the game, or the planeswalker it was attacking has left combat. * Even though Trumpet Blast affects only attacking creatures, the bonus will remain for the rest of the turn. * If Trumpet Blast is cast before attackers are declared or after combat ends, it won't do anything. ----Twincast {U}{U} Instant Copy target instant or sorcery spell. You may choose new targets for the copy. * Twincast can target (and copy) any instant or sorcery spell, not just one with targets. It doesn't matter who controls it. * When Twincast resolves, it creates a copy of a spell. 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 Twincast 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 Twincast 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.
* 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. ----Undead Slayer {2}{W} Creature -- Human Cleric 2/2 {W}, {T}: Exile target Skeleton, Vampire, or Zombie. * Undead Slayer's ability must target a permanent (not a card in the graveyard) with at least one of the listed creature types. ----Vampire Aristocrat {2}{B} Creature -- Vampire Rogue 2/2 Sacrifice a creature: Vampire Aristocrat gets +2/+2 until end of turn. * You can sacrifice Vampire Aristocrat to activate its own ability, but it won't be around to get the bonus. * 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 has been dealt lethal damage, it'll be destroyed before you get a chance to sacrifice it. See "New Rules: Combat" in the General Notes section above. ----Vampire Nocturnus {1}{B}{B}{B} Creature -- Vampire 3/3 Play with the top card of your library revealed. As long as the top card of your library is black, Vampire Nocturnus and other Vampire creatures you control get +2/+1 and have flying. * If an effect tells you to draw several cards, reveal each one before you draw it. * If the top card of your library changes during the process of casting a spell or activating an ability, the new top card won't be revealed until the process of casting the spell or activating the ability ends (all targets are chosen, all costs are paid, and so on). * To work as an evasion ability, an attacking creature must already have flying when the declare blockers step begins. Once a creature has become blocked, giving it flying won't change that. ----Wall of Frost {1}{U}{U} Creature -- Wall 0/7 Defender (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. ----Warp World {5}{R}{R}{R} Sorcery Each player shuffles all permanents he or she owns into his or her library, then reveals that many cards from the top of his or her library. Each player puts all artifact, creature, and land cards revealed this way onto the battlefield, then does the same for enchantment cards, then puts all cards revealed this way that weren't put onto the battlefield on the bottom of his or her library. * Taking it slowly, here's what happens when Warp World resolves: 1) Each player counts the number of permanents he or she owns. 2) Each player shuffles those permanents into his or her library. 3) Each player reveals cards from the top of his or her library equal to the number that player counted. 4) Each player puts all artifact, land, and creature cards revealed this way onto the battlefield. All of these cards enter the battlefield at the same time. 5) Each player puts all enchantment cards revealed this way onto the battlefield. An Aura put onto the battlefield this way can enchant an artifact, land, or creature that was already put onto the battlefield, but can't enchant an enchantment that's being put onto the battlefield at the same time as it. If multiple players have Auras to put onto the battlefield, the player whose turn it is announces what his or her Auras will enchant, then each other player in turn order does the same, then all enchantments (both Auras and non-Auras) enter the battlefield at the same time. 6) Each player puts all of his or her other revealed cards (instants, sorceries, planeswalkers, and Auras that can't enchant anything) on the bottom of his or her library in any order. * Any abilities that trigger during the resolution of Warp World (such as a creature's enters-the-battlefield ability) will wait to be put onto the stack until Warp World 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.) * Tokens are permanents but not cards. They'll count toward the number of permanents shuffled into your library, so you'll get a card back for each token you owned. But the tokens themselves should be ignored while you're revealing *cards* from your library. In practice, you shouldn't actually shuffle them into your library since they'll cease to exist as soon as Warp World finishes resolving. Note that a token's owner is the player under whose control it first entered the battlefield; this is a change from previous rules. ----Xathrid Demon {3}{B}{B}{B} Creature -- Demon 7/7 Flying, trample
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice a creature other than Xathrid Demon, then each opponent loses life equal to the sacrificed creature's power. If you can't sacrifice a creature, tap Xathrid Demon and you lose 7 life. * When the ability resolves, if you control any other creatures, you must sacrifice one of them. You lose life only if no creature can be sacrificed. * If you have two Xathrid Demons, both abilities will trigger at the beginning of your upkeep. When the first Demon's ability resolves, you can sacrifice the second Demon to satisfy the requirement ("Sacrifice a creature other than Xathrid Demon" really means "Sacrifice a creature other than this creature"). When the second Demon's ability resolves, you must sacrifice another creature. If you can't (because the first Demon has somehow left the battlefield and you control no other creatures), you lose 7 life, regardless of whether the second Demon is still on the battlefield at this time. ----Yawning Fissure {4}{R} Sorcery Each opponent sacrifices a land. * First the opponent whose turn it is -- or, more likely, the first opponent to left of the player whose turn it is -- chooses and announces which land he or she will sacrifice, then each other opponent in turn order does the same, then all lands are sacrificed at the same time. ----All trademarks are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. (c)2009 Wizards.
