6. Spells, Abilities, and Effects

600. General
601. Casting Spells
601.1. Previously, the action of casting a spell, or casting a card as a spell, was referred to on cards as
“playing” that spell or that card. Cards that were printed with that text have received errata in the
Oracle card reference so they now refer to “casting” that spell or that card.


601.1a Some effects still refer to “playing” a card. “Playing a card” means playing that card as a
land or casting that card as a spell, whichever is appropriate.
601.2. To cast a spell is to take it from where it is (usually the hand), put it on the stack, and pay its
costs, so that it will eventually resolve and have its effect. Casting a spell follows the steps listed
below, in order. If, at any point during the casting of a spell, a player is unable to comply with any
of the steps listed below, the casting of the spell is illegal; the game returns to the moment before
that spell started to be cast (see rule 715, “Handling Illegal Actions”). Announcements and
payments can’t be altered after they’ve been made.
601.2a The player announces that he or she is casting the spell. That card (or that copy of a card)
moves from where it is to the stack. It becomes the topmost object on the stack. It has all the
characteristics of the card (or the copy of a card) associated with it, and that player becomes its
controller. The spell remains on the stack until it’s countered, it resolves, or an effect moves it
elsewhere.
601.2b If the spell is modal the player announces the mode choice (see rule 700.2). If the player
wishes to splice any cards onto the spell (see rule 702.44), he or she reveals those cards in his or
her hand. If the spell has alternative or additional costs that will be paid as it’s being cast such as
buyback, kicker, or convoke costs (see rules 117.8 and 117.9), the player announces his or her
intentions to pay any or all of those costs (see rule 601.2e). A player can’t apply two alternative
methods of casting or two alternative costs to a single spell. If the spell has a variable cost that
will be paid as it’s being cast (such as an {X} in its mana cost; see rule 107.3), the player
announces the value of that variable. If a cost that will be paid as the spell is being cast includes
hybrid mana symbols, the player announces the nonhybrid equivalent cost he or she intends to
pay. Previously made choices (such as choosing to cast a spell with flashback from a graveyard
or choosing to cast a creature with morph face down) may restrict the player’s options when
making these choices.
601.2c The player announces his or her choice of an appropriate player, object, or zone for each
target the spell requires. A spell may require some targets only if an alternative or additional
cost (such as a buyback or kicker cost), or a particular mode, was chosen for it; otherwise, the
spell is cast as though it did not require those targets. If the spell has a variable number of
targets, the player announces how many targets he or she will choose before he or she
announces those targets. The same target can’t be chosen multiple times for any one instance of
the word “target” on the spell. However, if the spell uses the word “target” in multiple places,
the same object, player, or zone can be chosen once for each instance of the word “target” (as
long as it fits the targeting criteria). If any effects say that an object or player must be chosen as
a target, the player chooses targets so that he or she obeys the maximum possible number of
such effects without violating any rules or effects that say that an object or player can’t be
chosen as a target. The chosen players, objects, and/or zones each become a target of that spell.
(Any abilities that trigger when those players, objects, and/or zones become the target of a spell
trigger at this point; they’ll wait to be put on the stack until the spell has finished being cast.)
Example: If a spell says “Tap two target creatures,” then the same creature can’t be
chosen twice; the spell requires two different legal targets. A spell that says “Destroy
target artifact and target land,” however, can target the same artifact land twice
because it uses the word “target” in multiple places.
601.2d If the spell requires the player to divide or distribute an effect (such as damage or counters)
among one or more targets, the player announces the division. Each of these targets must
receive at least one of whatever is being divided.
601.2e The player determines the total cost of the spell. Usually this is just the mana cost. Some
spells have additional or alternative costs. Some effects may increase or reduce the cost to pay,
or may provide other alternative costs. Costs may include paying mana, tapping permanents,
sacrificing permanents, discarding cards, and so on. The total cost is the mana cost or alternative
cost (as determined in rule 601.2b), plus all additional costs and cost increases, and minus all
cost reductions. If the mana component of the total cost is reduced to nothing by cost reduction
effects, it is considered to be {0}. It can’t be reduced to less than {0}. Once the total cost is
determined, any effects that directly affect the total cost are applied. Then the resulting total cost
becomes “locked in.” If effects would change the total cost after this time, they have no effect.
601.2f If the total cost includes a mana payment, the player then has a chance to activate mana
abilities (see rule 605, “Mana Abilities”). Mana abilities must be activated before costs are paid.
601.2g The player pays the total cost in any order. Partial payments are not allowed. Unpayable
costs can’t be paid.
Example: You cast Death Bomb, which costs {3}{B} and has an additional cost of
sacrificing a creature. You sacrifice Thunderscape Familiar, whose effect makes your
black spells cost {1} less to cast. Because a spell’s total cost is “locked in” before
payments are actually made, you pay {2}{B}, not {3}{B}, even though you’re sacrificing
the Familiar.
601.2h Once the steps described in 601.2a–g are completed, the spell becomes cast. Any abilities
that trigger when a spell is cast or put onto the stack trigger at this time. If the spell’s controller
had priority before casting it, he or she gets priority.
601.3. Some spells specify that one of their controller’s opponents does something the controller would
normally do while it’s being cast, such as choose a mode or choose targets. In these cases, the
opponent does so when the spell’s controller normally would do so.
601.3a If there is more than one opponent who could make such a choice, the spell’s controller
decides which of those opponents will make the choice.
601.3b If the spell instructs its controller and another player to do something at the same time as the
spell is being cast, the spell’s controller goes first, then the other player. This is an exception to
rule 101.4.
601.4. Casting a spell that alters costs won’t affect spells and abilities that are already on the stack.
601.5. A player can’t begin to cast a spell that’s prohibited from being cast.
601.5a If an effect allows a card that’s prohibited from being cast to be cast face down, and the
face-down spell would not be prohibited, that spell can be cast face down. See rule 707, “Face-
Down Spells and Permanents.”
602. Activating Activated Abilities
602.1. Activated abilities have a cost and an effect. They are written as “[Cost]: [Effect.] [Activation
instructions (if any).]”
602.1a The activation cost is everything before the colon (:). An ability’s activation cost must be
paid by the player who is activating it.
Example: The activation cost of an ability that reads “{2}, {T}: You gain 1 life” is two
mana of any type plus tapping the permanent that has the ability.
602.1b Some text after the colon of an activated ability states instructions that must be followed
while activating that ability. Such text may state which players can activate that ability, may
restrict when a player can activate the ability, or may define some aspect of the activation cost.
This text is not part of the ability’s effect. It functions at all times. If an activated ability has any
activation instructions, they appear last, after the ability’s effect.
602.1c An activated ability is the only kind of ability that can be activated. If an object or rule refers
to activating an ability without specifying what kind, it must be referring to an activated ability.
602.1d Previously, the action of using an activated ability was referred to on cards as “playing” that
ability. Cards that were printed with that text have received errata in the Oracle card reference
so they now refer to “activating” that ability.
602.2. To activate an ability is to put it onto the stack and pay its costs, so that it will eventually resolve
and have its effect. Only an object’s controller (or its owner, if it doesn’t have a controller) can
activate its activated ability unless the object specifically says otherwise. Activating an ability
follows the steps listed below, in order. If, at any point during the activation of an ability, a player is
unable to comply with any of those steps, the activation is illegal; the game returns to the moment
before that ability started to be activated (see rule 715, “Handling Illegal Actions”). Announcements
and payments can’t be altered after they’ve been made.
602.2a The player announces that he or she is activating the ability. If an activated ability is being
activated from a hidden zone, the card that has that ability is revealed. That ability is created on
the stack as an object that’s not a card. It becomes the topmost object on the stack. It has the text
of the ability that created it, and no other characteristics. Its controller is the player who
activated the ability. The ability remains on the stack until it’s countered, it resolves, or an effect
moves it elsewhere.
602.2b The remainder of the process for activating an ability is identical to the process for casting a
spell listed in rules 601.2b–h. Those rules apply to activating an ability just as they apply to
casting a spell. An activated ability’s analog to a spell’s mana cost (as referenced in rule 601.2e)
is its activation cost.
602.3. Some abilities specify that one of their controller’s opponents does something the controller
would normally do while it’s being activated, such as choose a mode or choose targets. In these
cases, the opponent does so when the ability’s controller normally would do so.
602.3a If there is more than one opponent who could make such a choice, the ability’s controller
decides which of those opponents will make the choice.
602.3b If the ability instructs its controller and another player to do something at the same time as
the ability is being activated, the ability’s controller goes first, then the other player. This is an
exception to rule 101.4.
602.4. Activating an ability that alters costs won’t affect spells and abilities that are already on the
stack.
602.5. A player can’t begin to activate an ability that’s prohibited from being activated.
602.5a A creature’s activated ability with the tap symbol ({T}) or the untap symbol ({Q}) in its
activation cost can’t be activated unless the creature has been under its controller’s control since
the start of his or her most recent turn. Ignore this rule for creatures with haste (see rule 702.10).
602.5b If an activated ability has a restriction on its use (for example, “Activate this ability only
once each turn”), the restriction continues to apply to that object even if its controller changes.
602.5c If an object acquires an activated ability with a restriction on its use from another object, that
restriction applies only to that ability as acquired from that object. It doesn’t apply to other,
identically worded abilities.
602.5d Activated abilities that read “Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery”
mean the player must follow the timing rules for casting a sorcery spell, though the ability isn’t
actually a sorcery. The player doesn’t actually need to have a sorcery card that he or she could
cast.
602.5e Activated abilities that read “Activate this ability only any time you could cast an instant”
mean the player must follow the timing rules for casting an instant spell, though the ability isn’t
actually an instant. The player doesn’t actually need to have an instant card that he or she could
cast.
603. Handling Triggered Abilities
603.1. Triggered abilities have a trigger condition and an effect. They are written as “[Trigger
condition], [effect],” and begin with the word “when,” “whenever,” or “at.” They can also be
expressed as “[When/Whenever/At] [trigger event], [effect].”
603.2. Whenever a game event or game state matches a triggered ability’s trigger event, that ability
automatically triggers. The ability doesn’t do anything at this point.
603.2a Because they aren’t cast or activated, triggered abilities can trigger even when it isn’t legal
to cast spells and activate abilities. Effects that prevent abilities from being activated don’t
affect them.
603.2b When a phase or step begins, all abilities that trigger “at the beginning of” that phase or step
trigger.
603.2c An ability triggers only once each time its trigger event occurs. However, it can trigger
repeatedly if one event contains multiple occurrences. See also rule 509.4.
Example: A permanent has an ability whose trigger condition reads, “Whenever a land
is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, . . . .” If someone casts a spell that destroys
all lands, the ability will trigger once for each land put into the graveyard during the
spell’s resolution.
603.2d Some trigger events use the word “becomes” (for example, “becomes tapped” or “becomes
blocked”). These trigger only at the time the named event happens—they don’t trigger if that
state already exists or retrigger if it persists. Similarly, they don’t trigger if an object enters a
zone in that state.
Example: An ability that triggers when a permanent “becomes tapped” triggers only
when the status of a permanent that’s already on the battlefield changes from untapped
to tapped.
603.2e If a triggered ability’s trigger condition is met, but the object with that triggered ability is at
no time visible to all players, the ability does not trigger.
603.2f An ability triggers only if its trigger event actually occurs. An event that’s prevented or
replaced won’t trigger anything.
Example: An ability that triggers on damage being dealt won’t trigger if all the damage
is prevented.
603.3. Once an ability has triggered, its controller puts it on the stack as an object that’s not a card the
next time a player would receive priority. See rule 116, “Timing and Priority.” The ability becomes
the topmost object on the stack. It has the text of the ability that created it, and no other
characteristics. It remains on the stack until it’s countered, it resolves, a rule causes it to be removed
from the stack, or an effect moves it elsewhere.
603.3a A triggered ability is controlled by the player who controlled its source at the time it
triggered, unless it’s a delayed triggered ability. To determine the controller of a delayed
triggered ability, see rules 603.7d–f.
603.3b If multiple abilities have triggered since the last time a player received priority, each player,
in APNAP order, puts triggered abilities he or she controls on the stack in any order he or she
chooses. (See rule 101.4.) Then the game once again checks for and resolves state-based actions
until none are performed, then abilities that triggered during this process go on the stack. This
process repeats until no new state-based actions are performed and no abilities trigger. Then the
appropriate player gets priority.
603.3c If a triggered ability is modal, its controller announces the mode choice when he or she puts
the ability on the stack. If one of the modes would be illegal (due to an inability to choose legal
targets, for example), that mode can’t be chosen. If no mode can be chosen, the ability is
removed from the stack. (See rule 700.2.)
603.3d The remainder of the process for putting a triggered ability on the stack is identical to the
process for casting a spell listed in rules 601.2c–d. If a choice is required when the triggered
ability goes on the stack but no legal choices can be made for it, or if a rule or a continuous
effect otherwise makes the ability illegal, the ability is simply removed from the stack.
603.4. A triggered ability may read “When/Whenever/At [trigger event], if [condition], [effect].” When
the trigger event occurs, the ability checks whether the stated condition is true. The ability triggers
only if it is; otherwise it does nothing. If the ability triggers, it checks the stated condition again as it
resolves. If the condition isn’t true at that time, the ability is removed from the stack and does
nothing. Note that this mirrors the check for legal targets. This rule is referred to as the “intervening
‘if’ clause” rule. (The word “if” has only its normal English meaning anywhere else in the text of a
card; this rule only applies to an “if” that immediately follows a trigger condition.)
Example: Felidar Sovereign reads, “At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have 40 or
more life, you win the game.” Its controller’s life total is checked as that player’s upkeep
begins. If that player has 39 or less life, the ability doesn’t trigger at all. If that player has
40 or more life, the ability triggers and goes on the stack. As the ability resolves, that
player’s life total is checked again. If that player has 39 or less life at this time, the ability is
removed from the stack and has no effect. If that player has 40 or more life at this time, the
ability resolves and that player wins the game.
603.5. Some triggered abilities’ effects are optional (they contain “may,” as in “At the beginning of
your upkeep, you may draw a card”). These abilities go on the stack when they trigger, regardless of
whether their controller intends to exercise the ability’s option or not. The choice is made when the
ability resolves. Likewise, triggered abilities that have an effect “unless” something is true or a
player chooses to do something will go on the stack normally; the “unless” part of the ability is
dealt with when the ability resolves.
603.6. Trigger events that involve objects changing zones are called “zone-change triggers.” Many
abilities with zone-change triggers attempt to do something to that object after it changes zones.
During resolution, these abilities look for the object in the zone that it moved to. If the object is
unable to be found in the zone it went to, the part of the ability attempting to do something to the
object will fail to do anything. The ability could be unable to find the object because the object
never entered the specified zone, because it left the zone before the ability resolved, or because it is
in a zone that is hidden from a player, such as a library or an opponent’s hand. (This rule applies
even if the object leaves the zone and returns again before the ability resolves.) The most common
zone-change triggers are enters-the-battlefield triggers and leaves-the-battlefield triggers.
603.6a Enters-the-battlefield abilities trigger when a permanent enters the battlefield. These are
written, “When [this object] enters the battlefield, . . . “ or “Whenever a [type] enters the
battlefield, . . .” Each time an event puts one or more permanents onto the battlefield, all
permanents on the battlefield (including the newcomers) are checked for any enters-thebattlefield
triggers that match the event.
603.6b Continuous effects that modify characteristics of a permanent do so the moment the
permanent is on the battlefield (and not before then). The permanent is never on the battlefield
with its unmodified characteristics. Continuous effects don’t apply before the permanent is on
the battlefield, however (see rule 603.6e).
Example: If an effect reads “All lands are creatures” and a land card is played, the
effect makes the land card into a creature the moment it enters the battlefield, so it
would trigger abilities that trigger when a creature enters the battlefield. Conversely, if
an effect reads “All creatures lose all abilities” and a creature card with an enters-thebattlefield
triggered ability enters the battlefield, that effect will cause it to lose its
abilities the moment it enters the battlefield, so the enters-the-battlefield ability won’t
trigger.
603.6c Leaves-the-battlefield abilities trigger when a permanent moves from the battlefield to
another zone, or when a phased-in permanent leaves the game because its owner leaves the
game. These are written as, but aren’t limited to, “When [this object] leaves the battlefield, . . .”
or “Whenever [something] is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, . . . .” An ability that
attempts to do something to the card that left the battlefield checks for it only in the first zone
that it went to. An ability that triggers when a card is put into a certain zone “from anywhere” is
never treated as a leaves-the-battlefield ability, even if an object is put into that zone from the
battlefield.
603.6d Normally, objects that exist immediately after an event are checked to see if the event
matched any trigger conditions. Continuous effects that exist at that time are used to determine
what the trigger conditions are and what the objects involved in the event look like. However,
some triggered abilities must be treated specially because the object with the ability may no
longer be on the battlefield, may have moved to a hand or library, or may no longer be
controlled by the appropriate player. The game has to “look back in time” to determine if these
abilities trigger. Leaves-the-battlefield abilities, abilities that trigger when a permanent phases
out, abilities that trigger when an object that all players can see is put into a hand or library,
abilities that trigger specifically when an object becomes unattached, abilities that trigger when
a player loses control of an object, and abilities that trigger when a player planeswalks away
from a plane will trigger based on their existence, and the appearance of objects, prior to the
event rather than afterward.
Example: Two creatures are on the battlefield along with an artifact that has the ability
“Whenever a creature is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, you gain 1 life.”
Someone plays a spell that destroys all artifacts, creatures, and enchantments. The
artifact’s ability triggers twice, even though the artifact goes to its owner’s graveyard at
the same time as the creatures.
603.6e Some permanents have text that reads “[This permanent] enters the battlefield with . . . ,”
“As [this permanent] enters the battlefield . . . ,” “[This permanent] enters the battlefield as . . .
,” or “[This permanent] enters the battlefield tapped.” Such text is a static ability—not a
triggered ability—whose effect occurs as part of the event that puts the permanent onto the
battlefield.
603.6f Some Auras have triggered abilities that trigger on the enchanted permanent leaving the
battlefield. These triggered abilities can find the new object that permanent card became in the
zone it moved to; they can also find the new object the Aura card became in its owner’s
graveyard after state-based actions have been checked. See rule 400.7.
603.7. An effect may create a delayed triggered ability that can do something at a later time. A delayed
triggered ability will contain “when,” “whenever,” or “at,” although that word won’t usually begin
the ability.
603.7a Delayed triggered abilities come from spells or other abilities that create them on resolution,
or are created as the result of a replacement effect being applied. That means a delayed triggered
ability won’t trigger until it has actually been created, even if its trigger event occurred just
beforehand. Other events that happen earlier may make the trigger event impossible.
Example: Part of an effect reads “When this creature leaves the battlefield,” but the
creature in question leaves the battlefield before the spell or ability creating the effect
resolves. In this case, the delayed ability never triggers.
Example: If an effect reads “When this creature becomes untapped” and the named
creature becomes untapped before the effect resolves, the ability waits for the next time
that creature untaps.
603.7b A delayed triggered ability will trigger only once—the next time its trigger event occurs—
unless it has a stated duration, such as “this turn.”
603.7c A delayed triggered ability that refers to a particular object still affects it even if the object
changes characteristics. However, if that object is no longer in the zone it’s expected to be in at
the time the delayed triggered ability resolves, the ability won’t affect it. (Note that if that object
left that zone and then returned, it’s a new object and thus won’t be affected. See rule 400.7.)
Example: An ability that reads “Exile this creature at the beginning of the next end
step” will exile the permanent even if it’s no longer a creature during the next end step.
However, it won’t do anything if the permanent left the battlefield before then.
603.7d If a spell creates a delayed triggered ability, the source of that delayed triggered ability is
that spell. The controller of that delayed triggered ability is the player who controlled that spell
as it resolved.
603.7e If an activated or triggered ability creates a delayed triggered ability, the source of that
delayed triggered ability is the same as the source of that other ability. The controller of that
delayed triggered ability is the player who controlled that other ability as it resolved.
603.7f If a static ability generates a replacement effect which causes a delayed triggered ability to
be created, the source of that delayed triggered ability is the object with that static ability. The
controller of that delayed triggered ability is the same as the controller of that object at the time
the replacement effect was applied.
603.8. Some triggered abilities trigger when a game state (such as a player controlling no permanents of
a particular card type) is true, rather than triggering when an event occurs. These abilities trigger as
soon as the game state matches the condition. They’ll go onto the stack at the next available
opportunity. These are called state triggers. (Note that state triggers aren’t the same as state-based
actions.) A state-triggered ability doesn’t trigger again until the ability has resolved, has been
countered, or has otherwise left the stack. Then, if the object with the ability is still in the same zone
and the game state still matches its trigger condition, the ability will trigger again.
Example: A permanent’s ability reads, “Whenever you have no cards in hand, draw a
card.” If its controller plays the last card from his or her hand, the ability will trigger once
and won’t trigger again until it has resolved. If its controller casts a spell that reads
“Discard your hand, then draw that many cards,” the ability will trigger during the spell’s
resolution because the player’s hand was momentarily empty.
603.9. Some triggered abilities trigger specifically when a player loses the game. These abilities trigger
when a player loses or leaves the game, regardless of the reason, unless that player leaves the game
as the result of a draw. See rule 104.3.
603.10. Some objects have a static ability that’s linked to a triggered ability. (See rule 607, “Linked
Abilities.”) These objects combine both abilities into one paragraph, with the static ability first,
followed by the triggered ability. A very few objects have triggered abilities which are written with
the trigger condition in the middle of the ability, rather than at the beginning.
Example: An ability that reads “Reveal the first card you draw each turn. Whenever you
reveal a basic land card this way, draw a card” is a static ability linked to a triggered
ability.
604. Handling Static Abilities
604.1. Static abilities do something all the time rather than being activated or triggered. They are
written as statements, and they’re simply true.
604.2. Static abilities create continuous effects, some of which are prevention effects or replacement
effects. These effects are active as long as the permanent with the ability remains on the battlefield
and has the ability, or as long as the object with the ability remains in the appropriate zone, as
described in rule 112.6.
604.3. Some static abilities are characteristic-defining abilities. A characteristic-defining ability
conveys information about an object’s characteristics that would normally be found elsewhere on
that object (such as in its mana cost, type line, or power/toughness box). Characteristic-defining
abilities function in all zones. They also function outside the game.
604.3a A static ability is a characteristic-defining ability if it meets the following criteria: (1) It
defines an object’s colors, subtypes, power, or toughness; (2) it is printed on the card it affects,
it was granted to the token it affects by the effect that created the token, or it was acquired by
the object it affects as the result of a copy effect or text-changing effect; (3) it does not directly
affect the characteristics of any other objects; (4) it is not an ability that an object grants to
itself; and (5) it does not set the values of such characteristics only if certain conditions are met.
604.4. Many Auras, Equipment, and Fortifications have static abilities that modify the object they’re
attached to, but those abilities don’t target that object. If an Aura, Equipment, or Fortification is
moved to a different object, the ability stops applying to the original object and starts modifying the
new one.
604.5. Some static abilities apply while a spell is on the stack. These are often abilities that refer to
countering the spell. Also, abilities that say “As an additional cost to cast . . . ,” “You may pay
[cost] rather than pay [this object]’s mana cost,” and “You may cast [this object] without paying its
mana cost” work while a spell is on the stack.
604.6. Some static abilities apply while a card is in any zone that you could cast or play it from (usually
your hand). These are limited to those that read, “You may [cast/play] [this card] . . . ,” “You can’t
[cast/play] [this card] . . . ,” and “[Cast/Play] [this card] only . . . .”
604.7. Unlike spells and other kinds of abilities, static abilities can’t use an object’s last known
information for purposes of determining how their effects are applied.
605. Mana Abilities
605.1. Some activated abilities and some triggered abilities are mana abilities, which are subject to
special rules. Only abilities that meet either of the following two sets of criteria are mana abilities,
regardless of what other effects they may generate or what timing restrictions (such as “Activate
this ability only any time you could cast an instant”) they may have.
605.1a An activated ability is a mana ability if it meets three criteria: it doesn’t have a target, it
could put mana into a player’s mana pool when it resolves, and it’s not a loyalty ability. (See
rule 606, “Loyalty Abilities.”)
605.1b A triggered ability without a target that triggers from activating a mana ability and could put
mana into a player’s mana pool when it resolves is a mana ability.
605.2. A mana ability remains a mana ability even if the game state doesn’t allow it to produce mana.
Example: A permanent has an ability that reads “{T}: Add {G} to your mana pool for each
creature you control.” This is still a mana ability even if you control no creatures or if the
permanent is already tapped.
605.3. Activating an activated mana ability follows the rules for activating any other activated ability
(see rule 602.2), with the following exceptions:
605.3a A player may activate an activated mana ability whenever he or she has priority, whenever
he or she is casting a spell or activating an ability that requires a mana payment, or whenever a
rule or effect asks for a mana payment, even if it’s in the middle of casting or resolving a spell
or activating or resolving an ability.
605.3b An activated mana ability doesn’t go on the stack, so it can’t be targeted, countered, or
otherwise responded to. Rather, it resolves immediately after it is activated. (See rule 405.6c.)
605.4. Triggered mana abilities follow all the rules for other triggered abilities (see rule 603, “Handling
Triggered Abilities”), with the following exception:
605.4a A triggered mana ability doesn’t go on the stack, so it can’t be targeted, countered, or
otherwise responded to. Rather, it resolves immediately after the mana ability that triggered it,
without waiting for priority.
Example: An enchantment reads, “Whenever a player taps a land for mana, that player
adds one mana of that type to his or her mana pool.” If a player taps lands for mana
while casting a spell, the additional mana is added to the player’s mana pool
immediately and can be used to pay for the spell.
605.5. Abilities that don’t meet the criteria specified in rules 605.1a–b and spells aren’t mana abilities.
605.5a An ability with a target is not a mana ability, even if it could put mana into a player’s mana
pool when it resolves. The same is true for a triggered ability that could produce mana but
triggers from an event other than activating a mana ability, or a triggered ability that triggers
from activating a mana ability but couldn’t produce mana. These follow the normal rules for
activated or triggered abilities, as appropriate.
605.5b A spell can never be a mana ability, even if it could put mana into a player’s mana pool
when it resolves. It’s cast and resolves just like any other spell. Some older cards were printed
with the card type “mana source”; these cards have received errata in the Oracle card reference
and are now instants.
606. Loyalty Abilities
606.1. Some activated abilities are loyalty abilities, which are subject to special rules.
606.2. An activated ability with a loyalty symbol in its cost is a loyalty ability. Normally, only
planeswalkers have loyalty abilities.
606.3. A player may activate a loyalty ability of a permanent he or she controls any time he or she has
priority and the stack is empty during a main phase of his or her turn, but only if no player has
previously activated a loyalty ability of that permanent that turn.
606.4. The cost to activate a loyalty ability of a permanent is to put on or remove from that permanent a
certain number of loyalty counters, as shown by the loyalty symbol in the ability’s cost.
606.5. A loyalty ability with a negative loyalty cost can’t be activated unless the permanent has at least
that many loyalty counters on it.
607. Linked Abilities
607.1. An object may have two abilities printed on it such that one of them causes actions to be taken or
objects to be affected and the other one directly refers to those actions or objects. If so, these two
abilities are linked: the second refers only to actions that were taken or objects that were affected by
the first, and not by any other ability.
607.1a An ability printed on an object within another ability that grants that ability to that object is
still considered to be “printed on” that object for these purposes.
607.1b An ability printed on an object that fulfills both criteria described in rule 607.1 is linked to
itself.
607.2. There are different kinds of linked abilities.
607.2a If an object has an activated or triggered ability printed on it that instructs a player to exile
one or more cards and an ability printed on it that refers either to “the exiled cards” or to cards
“exiled with [this object],” these abilities are linked. The second ability refers only to cards in
the exile zone that were put there as a result of an instruction to exile them in the first ability.
607.2b If an object has an ability printed on it that generates a replacement effect which causes one
or more cards to be exiled and an ability printed on it that refers either to “the exiled cards” or to
cards “exiled with [this object],” these abilities are linked. The second ability refers only to
cards in the exile zone that were put there as a direct result of a replacement event caused by the
first ability. See rule 614, “Replacement Effects.”
607.2c If an object has an activated or triggered ability printed on it that puts one or more objects
onto the battlefield and an ability printed on it that refers to objects “put onto the battlefield with
[this object],” those abilities are linked. The second can refer only to objects put onto the
battlefield as a result of the first.
607.2d If an object has an ability printed on it that causes a player to “choose a [value]” or “name a
card” and an ability printed on it that refers to “the chosen [value],” “the last chosen [value],” or
“the named card,” these abilities are linked. The second ability refers only to a choice made as a
result of the first ability.
607.2e If an object has an ability printed on it that causes a player to pay a cost as it enters the
battlefield and an ability printed on it that refers to the cost paid “as [this object] entered the
battlefield,” these abilities are linked. The second ability refers only to a cost paid as a result of
the first ability.
607.2f If an object has both a static ability and a triggered ability printed on it in the same
paragraph, those abilities are linked. The triggered ability refers only to actions taken as a result
of the static ability. See rule 603.10.
607.2g If an object has a kicker ability printed on it and an ability printed on it that refers to whether
that object was kicked, those abilities are linked. The second refers only to whether the intent to
pay the kicker cost listed in the first was declared as the object was cast as a spell. If a kicker
ability lists multiple costs, it will have multiple abilities linked to it. Each of those abilities will
specify which kicker cost it refers to. See rule 702.30, “Kicker.”
607.2h If an object has an ability printed on it that causes a player to pay a variable additional cost
as it’s cast and an ability printed on it that refers to the cost paid “as [this object] was cast,”
these abilities are linked. The second refers only to the value chosen for the cost listed in the
first as the object was cast as a spell. See rule 601.2b.
607.2i The two abilities represented by the champion keyword are linked abilities. See rule 702.69,
“Champion.”
607.3. An ability may be part of more than one pair of linked abilities.
Example: Paradise Plume has the following three abilities: “As Paradise Plume enters the
battlefield, choose a color,” “Whenever a player casts a spell of the chosen color, you may
gain 1 life,” and “{T}: Add one mana of the chosen color to your mana pool.” The first and
second abilities are linked. The first and third abilities are linked.
607.4. If an object acquires a pair of linked abilities as part of the same effect, the abilities will be
similarly linked to one another on that object even though they weren’t printed on that object. They
can’t be linked to any other ability, regardless of what other abilities the object may currently have
or may have had in the past.
Example: Arc-Slogger has the ability “{R}, Exile the top ten cards of your library: Arc-
Slogger deals 2 damage to target creature or player.” Sisters of Stone Death has the ability
“{B}{G}: Exile target creature blocking or blocked by Sisters of Stone Death” and the
ability “{2}{B}: Put a creature card exiled with Sisters of Stone Death onto the battlefield
under your control.” Quicksilver Elemental has the ability “{U}: Quicksilver Elemental
gains all activated abilities of target creature until end of turn.” If a player has Quicksilver
Elemental gain Arc-Slogger’s ability, activates it, then has Quicksilver Elemental gain
Sisters of Stone Death’s abilities, activates the exile ability, and then activates the return-tothe-
battlefield ability, only the creature card Quicksilver Elemental exiled with Sisters of
Stone Death’s ability can be returned to the battlefield. Creature cards Quicksilver
Elemental exiled with Arc-Slogger’s ability can’t be returned.
608. Resolving Spells and Abilities
608.1. Each time all players pass in succession, the spell or ability on top of the stack resolves. (See rule
609, “Effects.”)
608.2. If the object that’s resolving is an instant spell, a sorcery spell, or an ability, its resolution may
involve several steps. The steps described in rules 608.2a and 608.2b are followed first. The steps
described in rules 608.2c–j are then followed as appropriate, in no specific order. The step described
in rule 608.2k is followed last.
608.2a If a triggered ability has an intervening “if” clause, it checks whether the clause’s condition
is true. If it isn’t, the ability is removed from the stack and does nothing. Otherwise, it continues
to resolve. See rule 603.4.
608.2b If the spell or ability specifies targets, it checks whether the targets are still legal. A target
that’s no longer in the zone it was in when it was targeted is illegal. Other changes to the game
state may cause a target to no longer be legal; for example, its characteristics may have changed
or an effect may have changed the text of the spell. If the source of an ability has left the zone it
was in, its last known information is used during this process. The spell or ability is countered if
all its targets, for every instance of the word “target,” are now illegal. If the spell or ability is not
countered, it will resolve normally. However, if any of its targets are illegal, the part of the spell
or ability’s effect for which it is an illegal target can’t perform any actions on that target or
make that target perform any actions. The effect may still determine information about illegal
targets, though, and other parts of the effect for which those targets are not illegal may still
affect them.
Example: Aura Blast is a white instant that reads, “Destroy target enchantment. Draw a
card.” If the enchantment isn’t a legal target during Aura Blast’s resolution (say, if it
has gained protection from white or left the battlefield), then Aura Blast is countered. Its
controller doesn’t draw a card.
Example: Plague Spores reads, “Destroy target nonblack creature and target land.
They can’t be regenerated.” Suppose the same animated land is chosen both as the
nonblack creature and as the land, and the color of the creature land is changed to black
before Plague Spores resolves. Plagues Spores isn’t countered because the black
creature land is still a legal target for the “target land” part of the spell. The “destroy
target nonblack creature” part of the spell won’t affect that permanent, but the “destroy
target land” part of the spell will still destroy it. It can’t be regenerated.
608.2c The controller of the spell or ability follows its instructions in the order written. However,
replacement effects may modify these actions. In some cases, later text on the card may modify
the meaning of earlier text (for example, “Destroy target creature. It can’t be regenerated” or
“Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, put it on top of its owner’s library
instead of into its owner’s graveyard.”) Don’t just apply effects step by step without thinking in
these cases—read the whole text and apply the rules of English to the text.
608.2d If an effect of a spell or ability offers any choices other than choices already made as part of
casting the spell, activating the ability, or otherwise putting the spell or ability on the stack, the
player announces these while applying the effect. The player can’t choose an option that’s
illegal or impossible, with the exception that having an empty library doesn’t make drawing a
card an impossible action (see rule 120.3). If an effect divides or distributes something, such as
damage or counters, as a player chooses among any number of untargeted players and/or
objects, the player chooses the amount and division such that at least one player or object is
chosen if able, and each chosen player or object receives at least one of whatever is being
divided. (Note that if an effect divides or distributes something, such as damage or counters, as a
player chooses among some number of target objects and/or players, the amount and division
were determined as the spell or ability was put onto the stack rather than at this time; see rule
601.2d.)
Example: A spell’s instruction reads, “You may sacrifice a creature. If you don’t, you
lose 4 life.” A player who controls no creatures can’t choose the sacrifice option.
608.2e Some spells and abilities have multiple steps or actions, denoted by separate sentences or
clauses, that involve multiple players. In these cases, the choices for the first action are made in
APNAP order, and then the first action is processed simultaneously. Then the choices for the
second action are made in APNAP order, and then that action is processed simultaneously, and
so on. See rule 101.4.
608.2f If an effect gives a player the option to pay mana, he or she may activate mana abilities
before taking that action. If an effect specifically instructs or allows a player to cast a spell
during resolution, he or she does so by putting that spell on top of the stack, then continuing to
cast it by following the steps in rules 601.2a–h, except no player receives priority after it’s cast.
The currently resolving spell or ability then continues to resolve, which may include casting
other spells this way. No other spells can normally be cast and no other abilities can normally be
activated during resolution.
608.2g If an effect requires information from the game (such as the number of creatures on the
battlefield), the answer is determined only once, when the effect is applied. If the effect requires
information from a specific object, including the source of the ability itself or a target that’s
become illegal, the effect uses the current information of that object if it’s in the public zone it
was expected to be in; if it’s no longer in that zone, or if the effect has moved it from a public
zone to a hidden zone, the effect uses the object’s last known information. See rule 112.7a. If an
ability states that an object does something, it’s the object as it exists—or as it most recently
existed—that does it, not the ability.
608.2h If an effect refers to certain characteristics, it checks only for the value of the specified
characteristics, regardless of any related ones an object may also have.
Example: An effect that reads “Destroy all black creatures” destroys a white-and-black
creature, but one that reads “Destroy all nonblack creatures” doesn’t.
608.2i If an ability’s effect refers to a specific untargeted object that has been previously referred to
by that ability’s cost or trigger condition, it still affects that object even if the object has changed
characteristics.
Example: Wall of Tears says “Whenever Wall of Tears blocks a creature, return that
creature to its owner’s hand at end of combat.” If Wall of Tears blocks a creature, then
that creature ceases to be a creature before the triggered ability resolves, the permanent
will still be returned to its owner’s hand.
608.2j If an instant spell, sorcery spell, or ability that can legally resolve leaves the stack once it
starts to resolve, it will continue to resolve fully.
608.2k As the final part of an instant or sorcery spell’s resolution, the spell is put into its owner’s
graveyard. As the final part of an ability’s resolution, the ability is removed from the stack and
ceases to exist.
608.3. If the object that’s resolving is a permanent spell, its resolution involves a single step (unless it’s
an Aura). The spell card becomes a permanent and is put onto the battlefield under the control of the
spell’s controller.
608.3a If the object that’s resolving is an Aura spell, its resolution involves two steps. First, it
checks whether the target specified by its enchant ability is still legal, as described in rule
608.2b. (See rule 702.5, “Enchant.”) If so, the spell card becomes a permanent and is put onto
the battlefield under the control of the spell’s controller attached to the object it was targeting.
608.3b If a permanent spell resolves but its controller can’t put it onto the battlefield, that player
puts it into its owner’s graveyard.
Example: Worms of the Earth says “If a land would enter the battlefield, instead it
doesn’t.” Clone says “You may have Clone enter the battlefield as a copy of any
creature on the battlefield.” If a player casts Clone and chooses to copy Dryad Arbor (a
land creature) while Worms of the Earth is on the battlefield, Clone can’t enter the
battlefield from the stack. It’s put into its owner’s graveyard.
609. Effects
609.1. An effect is something that happens in the game as a result of a spell or ability. When a spell,
activated ability, or triggered ability resolves, it may create one or more one-shot or continuous
effects. Static abilities may create one or more continuous effects. Text itself is never an effect.
609.2. Effects apply only to permanents unless the instruction’s text states otherwise or they clearly can
apply only to objects in one or more other zones.
Example: An effect that changes all lands into creatures won’t alter land cards in players’
graveyards. But an effect that says spells cost more to cast will apply only to spells on the
stack, since a spell is always on the stack while a player is casting it.
609.3. If an effect attempts to do something impossible, it does only as much as possible.
Example: If a player is holding only one card, an effect that reads “Discard two cards”
causes him or her to discard only that card. If an effect moves cards out of the library (as
opposed to drawing), it moves as many as possible.
609.4. Some effects state that a player may do something “as though” some condition were true or a
creature can do something “as though” some condition were true. This applies only to the stated
effect. For purposes of that effect, treat the game exactly as if the stated condition were true. For all
other purposes, treat the game normally.
609.4a If two effects state that a player may (or a creature can) do the same thing “as though”
different conditions were true, both conditions could apply. If one “as though” effect satisfies
the requirements for another “as though” effect, then both effects will apply.
Example: A player controls Vedalken Orrery, an artifact that says “You may cast
nonland cards as though they had flash.” That player casts Shaman’s Trance, an instant
that says, in part, “You may play cards from other players’ graveyards as though they
were in your graveyard.” The player may cast a sorcery with flashback from another
player’s graveyard as though it were in that player’s graveyard and as though it had
flash.
609.5. If an effect could result in a tie, the text of the spell or ability that created the effect will specify
what to do in the event of a tie. The Magic game has no default for ties.
609.6. Some continuous effects are replacement effects or prevention effects. See rules 614 and 615.
609.7. Some effects apply to damage from a source—for example, “The next time a red source of your
choice would deal damage to you this turn, prevent that damage.”
609.7a If an effect requires a player to choose a source of damage, he or she may choose a
permanent; a spell on the stack (including a permanent spell); any object referred to by an object
on the stack, by a replacement or prevention effect that’s waiting to apply, or by a delayed
triggered ability that’s waiting to trigger (even if that object is no longer in the zone it used to be
in); or, for certain casual variant games, a face-up card in the command zone. A source doesn’t
need to be capable of dealing damage to be a legal choice. The source is chosen when the effect
is created. If the player chooses a permanent, the effect will apply to the next damage dealt by
that permanent, regardless of whether it’s combat damage or damage dealt as the result of a
spell or ability. If the player chooses a permanent spell, the effect will apply to any damage dealt
by that spell and any damage dealt by the permanent that spell becomes when it resolves.
609.7b Some effects from resolved spells and abilities prevent or replace damage from sources with
certain properties, such as a creature or a source of a particular color. When the source would
deal damage, the “shield” rechecks the source’s properties. If the properties no longer match, the
damage isn’t prevented or replaced. If for any reason the shield prevents no damage or replaces
no damage, the shield isn’t used up.
609.7c Some effects from static abilities prevent or replace damage from sources with certain
properties. For these effects, the prevention or replacement applies to sources that are
permanents with that property and to any sources that aren’t on the battlefield that have that
property.
610. One-Shot Effects
610.1. A one-shot effect does something just once and doesn’t have a duration. Examples include
dealing damage, destroying a permanent, putting a token onto the battlefield, and moving an object
from one zone to another.
610.2. Some one-shot effects create a delayed triggered ability, which instructs a player to do
something later in the game (usually at a specific time) rather than as the spell or ability that’s
creating the one-shot effect resolves. See rule 603.7.
611. Continuous Effects
611.1. A continuous effect modifies characteristics of objects, modifies control of objects, or affects
players or the rules of the game, for a fixed or indefinite period.
611.2. A continuous effect may be generated by the resolution of a spell or ability.
611.2a A continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability lasts as long as stated by
the spell or ability creating it (such as “until end of turn”). If no duration is stated, it lasts until
the end of the game.
611.2b Some continuous effects generated by the resolution of a spell or ability have durations
worded “for as long as . . . .” If the “for as long as” duration never starts, or it ends before the
moment the effect would first be applied, the effect does nothing. It doesn’t start and
immediately stop again, and it doesn’t last forever.
Example: Endoskeleton is an artifact with an activated ability that reads “{2}, {T}:
Target creature gets +0/+3 for as long as Endoskeleton remains tapped.” If you activate
this ability and then Endoskeleton becomes untapped before the ability resolves, it does
nothing, because its duration—remaining tapped—was over before the effect began.
611.2c If a continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability modifies the
characteristics or changes the controller of any objects, the set of objects it affects is determined
when that continuous effect begins. After that point, the set won’t change. (Note that this works
differently than a continuous effect from a static ability.) A continuous effect generated by the
resolution of a spell or ability that doesn’t modify the characteristics or change the controller of
any objects modifies the rules of the game, so it can affect objects that weren’t affected when
that continuous effect began.
Example: An effect that reads “All white creatures get +1/+1 until end of turn” gives
the bonus to all permanents that are white creatures when the spell or ability resolves—
even if they change color later—and doesn’t affect those that enter the battlefield or turn
white afterward.
Example: An effect that reads “Prevent all damage creatures would deal this turn”
doesn’t modify any object’s characteristics, so it’s modifying the rules of the game. That
means the effect will apply even to damage from creatures that weren’t on the battlefield
when the continuous effect began. It also affects damage from permanents that become
creatures later in the turn.
611.2d If a resolving spell or ability that creates a continuous effect contains a variable such as X,
the value of that variable is determined only once, on resolution. See rule 608.2g.
611.3. A continuous effect may be generated by the static ability of an object.
611.3a A continuous effect generated by a static ability isn’t “locked in”; it applies at any given
moment to whatever its text indicates.
611.3b The effect applies at all times that the permanent generating it is on the battlefield or the
object generating it is in the appropriate zone.
Example: A permanent with the static ability “All white creatures get +1/+1” generates
an effect that continuously gives +1/+1 to each white creature on the battlefield. If a
creature becomes white, it gets this bonus; a creature that stops being white loses it.
611.3c Continuous effects that modify characteristics of permanents do so simultaneously with the
permanent entering the battlefield. They don’t wait until the permanent is on the battlefield and
then change it. Because such effects apply as the permanent enters the battlefield, they are
applied before determining whether the permanent will cause an ability to trigger when it enters
the battlefield.
Example: A permanent with the static ability “All white creatures get +1/+1” is on the
battlefield. A creature spell that would normally create a 1/1 white creature instead
creates a 2/2 white creature. The creature doesn’t enter the battlefield as 1/1 and then
change to 2/2.
612. Text-Changing Effects
612.1. Some continuous effects change an object’s text. This can apply to any words or symbols printed
on that object, but generally affects only that object’s rules text (which appears in its text box)
and/or the text that appears in its type line. Such an effect is a text-changing effect.
612.2. A text-changing effect changes only those words that are used in the correct way (for example, a
Magic color word being used as a color word, a land type word used as a land type, or a creature
type word used as a creature type). An effect that changes a color word or a subtype can’t change a
card name, even if that name contains a word or a series of letters that is the same as a Magic color
word, basic land type, or creature type.
612.2a Most spells and abilities that create creature tokens use creature types to define both the
creature types and the names of the tokens. A text-changing effect that affects such a spell or an
object with such an ability can change these words because they’re being used as creature types,
even though they’re also being used as names.
612.3. Effects that add or remove abilities don’t change the text of the objects they affect, so any
abilities that are granted to an object can’t be modified by text-changing effects that affect that
object.
612.4. A token’s subtypes and rules text are defined by the spell or ability that created the token. A textchanging
effect that affects a token can change these characteristics.
612.5. One card (Volrath’s Shapeshifter) states that an object has the “full text” of another object. This
changes not just the text that appears in the object’s text box and type line, but also changes the text
that represents its name, mana cost, expansion symbol, power, and toughness.
613. Interaction of Continuous Effects
613.1. The values of an object’s characteristics are determined by starting with the actual object. For a
card, that means the values of the characteristics printed on that card. For a token or a copy of a
spell or card, that means the values of the characteristics defined by the effect that created it. Then
all applicable continuous effects are applied in a series of layers in the following order:
613.1a Layer 1: Copy effects are applied. See rule 706, “Copying Objects.”
613.1b Layer 2: Control-changing effects are applied.
613.1c Layer 3: Text-changing effects are applied. See rule 612, “Text-Changing Effects.”
613.1d Layer 4: Type-changing effects are applied. These include effects that change an object’s
card type, subtype, and/or supertype.
613.1e Layer 5: Color-changing effects are applied.
613.1f Layer 6: Ability-adding and ability-removing effects are applied.
613.1g Layer 7: Power- and/or toughness-changing effects are applied.
613.2. Within layers 1–6, apply effects from characteristic-defining abilities first (see rule 604.3), then
all other effects in timestamp order (see rule 613.6). Note that dependency may alter the order in
which effects are applied within a layer. (See rule 613.7.)
613.3. Within layer 7, apply effects in a series of sublayers in the order described below. Within each
sublayer, apply effects in timestamp order. (See rule 613.6.) Note that dependency may alter the
order in which effects are applied within a sublayer. (See rule 613.7.)
613.3a Layer 7a: Effects from characteristic-defining abilities are applied. See rule 604.3.
613.3b Layer 7b: Effects that set power and/or toughness to a specific number or value are applied.
613.3c Layer 7c: Effects that modify power and/or toughness (but don’t set power and/or toughness
to a specific number or value) are applied.
613.3d Layer 7d: Power and/or toughness changes from counters are applied. See rule 121,
“Counters.”
613.3e Layer 7e: Effects that switch a creature’s power and toughness are applied. Such effects take
the value of power and apply it to the creature’s toughness, and take the value of toughness and
apply it to the creature’s power.
Example: A 1/3 creature is given +0/+1 by an effect. Then another effect switches the
creature’s power and toughness. Its new power and toughness is 4/1. A new effect gives
the creature +5/+0. Its “unswitched” power and toughness would be 6/4, so its actual
power and toughness is 4/6.
Example: A 1/3 creature is given +0/+1 by an effect. Then another effect switches the
creature’s power and toughness. Its new power and toughness is 4/1. If the +0/+1 effect
ends before the switch effect ends, the creature becomes 3/1.
613.4. The application of continuous effects as described by the layer system is continually and
automatically performed by the game. All resulting changes to an object’s characteristics are
instantaneous.
Example: Crusade is an enchantment that reads “White creatures get +1/+1.” Crusade and
a 2/2 black creature are on the battlefield. If an effect then turns the creature white (layer
5), it gets +1/+1 from Crusade (layer 7c), becoming 3/3. If the creature’s color is later
changed to red (layer 5), Crusade’s effect stops applying to it, and it will return to being
2/2.
Example: Gray Ogre, a 2/2 creature, is on the battlefield. An effect puts a +1/+1 counter on
it (layer 7d), making it 3/3. A spell targeting it that says “Target creature gets +4/+4 until
end of turn” resolves (layer 7c), making it 7/7. An enchantment that says “Creatures you
control get +0/+2” enters the battlefield (layer 7c), making it 7/9. An effect that says
“Target creature becomes 0/1 until end of turn” is applied to it (layer 7b), making it 5/8
(0/1, plus +4/+4 from the resolved spell, plus +0/+2 from the enchantment, plus +1/+1
from the counter).
613.5. If an effect should be applied in different layers and/or sublayers, the parts of the effect each
apply in their appropriate ones. If an effect starts to apply in one layer and/or sublayer, it will
continue to be applied to the same set of objects in each other applicable layer and/or sublayer, even
if the ability generating the effect is removed during this process.
Example: An effect that reads “Wild Mongrel gets +1/+1 and becomes the color of your
choice until end of turn” is both a power- and toughness-changing effect and a colorchanging
effect. The “becomes the color of your choice” part is applied in layer 5, and then
the “gets +1/+1” part is applied in layer 7.
Example: Grab the Reins has an effect that reads “Until end of turn, you gain control of
target creature and it gains haste.” This is both a control-changing effect and an effect that
adds an ability to an object. The “you gain control” part is applied in layer 2, and then the
“it gains haste” part is applied in layer 6.
Example: An effect that reads “All noncreature artifacts become 2/2 artifact creatures until
end of turn” is both a type-changing effect and a power- and toughness-setting effect. The
type-changing effect is applied to all noncreature artifacts in layer 4 and the power- and
toughness-setting effect is applied to those same permanents in layer 7, even though those
permanents aren’t noncreature artifacts by then.
Example: Svogthos, the Restless Tomb, is on the battlefield. An effect that says “Until end of
turn, target land becomes a 3/3 creature that’s still a land” is applied to it (layers 4 and 7b).
An effect that says “Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn” is applied to it (layer 7c),
making it a 4/4 land creature. Then while you have ten creature cards in your graveyard,
you activate Svogthos’s ability: “Until end of turn, Svogthos, the Restless Tomb becomes a
black and green Plant Zombie creature with ‘This creature’s power and toughness are each
equal to the number of creature cards in your graveyard.’ It’s still a land.” (layers 4, 5, and
7b). It becomes an 11/11 land creature. If a creature card enters or leaves your graveyard,
Svogthos’s power and toughness will be modified accordingly. If the first effect is applied to
it again, it will become a 4/4 land creature again.
613.6. Within a layer or sublayer, determining which order effects are applied in is usually done using a
timestamp system. An effect with an earlier timestamp is applied before an effect with a later
timestamp.
613.6a A continuous effect generated by a static ability has the same timestamp as the object the
static ability is on, or the timestamp of the effect that created the ability, whichever is later.
613.6b A continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability receives a timestamp at
the time it’s created.
613.6c An object’s timestamp is the time it entered the zone it’s currently in, unless it’s an Aura,
Equipment, or Fortification that’s attached to another object or player, or it’s a face-up plane
card.
613.6d If an Aura, Equipment, or Fortification becomes attached to an object or player, the Aura,
Equipment, or Fortification receives a new timestamp at that time.
613.6e A face-up plane card or scheme card receives a timestamp at the time it’s turned face up.
613.6f A face-up vanguard card receives a timestamp at the beginning of the game.
613.6g If two or more objects would receive a timestamp simultaneously, such as by entering a
zone simultaneously or becoming attached simultaneously, the active player determines their
timestamp order at that time.
613.7. Within a layer or sublayer, determining which order effects are applied in is sometimes done
using a dependency system. If a dependency exists, it will override the timestamp system.
613.7a An effect is said to “depend on” another if (a) it’s applied in the same layer (and, if
applicable, sublayer) as the other effect (see rules 613.1 and 613.3); (b) applying the other
would change the text or the existence of the first effect, what it applies to, or what it does to
any of the things it applies to; and (c) neither effect is from a characteristic-defining ability.
Otherwise, the effect is considered to be independent of the other effect.
613.7b An effect dependent on one or more other effects waits to apply until just after all of those
effects have been applied. If multiple dependent effects would apply simultaneously in this way,
they’re applied in timestamp order relative to each other. If several dependent effects form a
dependency loop, then this rule is ignored and the effects in the dependency loop are applied in
timestamp order.
613.8. One continuous effect can override another. Sometimes the results of one effect determine
whether another effect applies or what another effect does.
Example: Two effects are affecting the same creature: one from an Aura that says
“Enchanted creature gains flying” and one from an Aura that says “Enchanted creature
loses flying.” Neither of these depends on the other, since nothing changes what they affect
or what they’re doing to it. Applying them in timestamp order means the one that was
generated last “wins.” The same process would be followed, and the same result reached, if
either of the effects had a duration (such as “Target creature loses flying until end of turn”)
or came from a non-Aura source (such as “All creatures lose flying”).
Example: One effect reads, “White creatures get +1/+1,” and another reads, “Enchanted
creature is white.” The enchanted creature gets +1/+1 from the first effect, regardless of its
previous color.
613.9. Some continuous effects affect players rather than objects. For example, an effect might give a
player protection from red. All such effects are applied in timestamp order after the determination
of objects’ characteristics. See also the rules for timestamp order and dependency (rules 613.6 and
613.7).
613.10. Some continuous effects affect game rules rather than objects. For example, effects may modify
a player’s maximum hand size, or say that a creature is indestructible. These effects are applied
after all other continuous effects have been applied. Continuous effects that affect the costs of spells
or abilities are applied according to the order specified in rule 601.2e. All other such effects are
applied in timestamp order. See also the rules for timestamp order and dependency (rules 613.6 and
613.7).
614. Replacement Effects
614.1. Some continuous effects are replacement effects. Like prevention effects (see rule 615),
replacement effects apply continuously as events happen—they aren’t locked in ahead of time. Such
effects watch for a particular event that would happen and completely or partially replace that event
with a different event. They act like “shields” around whatever they’re affecting.
614.1a Effects that use the word “instead” are replacement effects. Most replacement effects use the
word “instead” to indicate what events will be replaced with other events.
614.1b Effects that use the word “skip” are replacement effects. These replacement effects use the
word “skip” to indicate what events, steps, phases, or turns will be replaced with nothing.
614.1c Effects that read “[This permanent] enters the battlefield with . . . ,” “As [this permanent]
enters the battlefield . . . ,” or “[This permanent] enters the battlefield as . . . ” are replacement
effects.
614.1d Continuous effects that read “[This permanent] enters the battlefield . . .” or “[Objects] enter
the battlefield . . .” are replacement effects.
614.1e Effects that read “As [this permanent] is turned face up . . . ,” are replacement effects.
614.2. Some replacement effects apply to damage from a source. See rule 609.7.
614.3. There are no special restrictions on casting a spell or activating an ability that generates a
replacement effect. Such effects last until they’re used up or their duration has expired.
614.4. Replacement effects must exist before the appropriate event occurs—they can’t “go back in
time” and change something that’s already happened. Spells or abilities that generate these effects
are often cast or activated in response to whatever would produce the event and thus resolve before
that event would occur.
Example: A player can activate an ability to regenerate a creature in response to a spell
that would destroy it. Once the spell resolves, though, it’s too late to regenerate the
creature.
614.5. A replacement effect doesn’t invoke itself repeatedly and gets only one opportunity for each
event.
Example: A player controls two permanents, each with an ability that reads “If a creature
you control would deal damage to a creature or player, it deals double that damage to that
creature or player instead.” A creature that normally deals 2 damage will deal 8 damage—
not just 4, and not an infinite amount.
614.6. If an event is replaced, it never happens. A modified event occurs instead, which may in turn
trigger abilities. Note that the modified event may contain instructions that can’t be carried out, in
which case the impossible instruction is simply ignored.
614.7. If a replacement effect would replace an event, but that event never happens, the replacement
effect simply doesn’t do anything.
614.7a If a source would deal 0 damage, it does not deal damage at all. Replacement effects that
would increase the damage dealt by that source, or would have that source deal that damage to a
different object or player, have no event to replace, so they have no effect.
614.8. Regeneration is a destruction-replacement effect. The word “instead” doesn’t appear on the card
but is implicit in the definition of regeneration. “Regenerate [permanent]” means “The next time
[permanent] would be destroyed this turn, instead remove all damage marked on it and tap it. If it’s
an attacking or blocking creature, remove it from combat.” Abilities that trigger from damage being
dealt still trigger even if the permanent regenerates. See rule 701.11.
614.9. Some effects replace damage dealt to one creature, planeswalker, or player with the same
damage dealt to another creature, planeswalker, or player; such effects are called redirection effects.
If either creature or planeswalker is no longer on the battlefield when the damage would be
redirected, or is no longer a creature or planeswalker when the damage would be redirected, the
effect does nothing. If damage would be redirected to or from a player who has left the game, the
effect does nothing.
614.10. An effect that causes a player to skip an event, step, phase, or turn is a replacement effect.
“Skip [something]” is the same as “Instead of doing [something], do nothing.” Once a step, phase,
or turn has started, it can no longer be skipped—any skip effects will wait until the next occurrence.
614.10a Anything scheduled for a skipped step, phase, or turn won’t happen. Anything scheduled
for the “next” occurrence of something waits for the first occurrence that isn’t skipped. If two
effects each cause a player to skip his or her next occurrence, that player must skip the next two;
one effect will be satisfied in skipping the first occurrence, while the other will remain until
another occurrence can be skipped.
614.10b Some effects cause a player to skip a step, phase, or turn, then take another action. That
action is considered to be the first thing that happens during the next step, phase, or turn to
actually occur.
614.11. Some effects replace card draws. These effects are applied even if no cards could be drawn
because there are no cards in the affected player’s library.
614.11a If an effect replaces a draw within a sequence of card draws, all actions required by the
replacement are completed, if possible, before resuming the sequence.
614.11b If an effect would have a player both draw a card and perform an additional action on that
card, and the draw is replaced, the additional action is not performed on any cards that are
drawn as a result of that replacement effect.
614.12. Some replacement effects modify how a permanent enters the battlefield. (See rules 614.1c–d.)
Such effects may come from the permanent itself if they affect only that permanent (as opposed to a
general subset of permanents that includes it). They may also come from other sources. To
determine which replacement effects apply and how they apply, check the characteristics of the
permanent as it would exist on the battlefield, taking into account replacement effects that have
already modified how it enters the battlefield, continuous effects generated by the resolution of
spells or abilities that changed the permanent’s characteristics on the stack (see rule 400.7a), and
continuous effects from the permanent’s own static abilities, but ignoring continuous effects from
any other source that would affect it.
Example: Voice of All says “As Voice of All enters the battlefield, choose a color” and
“Voice of All has protection from the chosen color.” An effect creates a token that’s a copy
of Voice of All. As that token is put onto the battlefield, its controller chooses a color for it.
Example: Yixlid Jailer says “Cards in graveyards have no abilities.” Scarwood Treefolk
says “Scarwood Treefolk enters the battlefield tapped.” A Scarwood Treefolk that’s put onto
the battlefield from a graveyard enters the battlefield tapped.
Example: Orb of Dreams is an artifact that says “Permanents enter the battlefield tapped.”
It won’t affect itself, so Orb of Dreams enters the battlefield untapped.
614.13. An object may have one ability printed on it that generates a replacement effect which causes
one or more cards to be exiled, and another ability that refers either to “the exiled cards” or to cards
“exiled with [this object].” These abilities are linked: the second refers only to cards in the exile
zone that were put there as a direct result of the replacement event caused by the first. If another
object gains a pair of linked abilities, the abilities will be similarly linked on that object. They can’t
be linked to any other ability, regardless of what other abilities the object may currently have or
may have had in the past. See rule 607, “Linked Abilities.”
614.14. Some replacement effects are not continuous effects. Rather, they are an effect of a resolving
spell or ability that replace part or all of that spell or ability’s own effect(s). Such effects are called
self-replacement effects. When applying replacement effects to an event, self-replacement effects
are applied before other replacement effects.
615. Prevention Effects
615.1. Some continuous effects are prevention effects. Like replacement effects (see rule 614),
prevention effects apply continuously as events happen—they aren’t locked in ahead of time. Such
effects watch for a damage event that would happen and completely or partially prevent the damage
that would be dealt. They act like “shields” around whatever they’re affecting.
615.1a Effects that use the word “prevent” are prevention effects. Prevention effects use “prevent”
to indicate what damage will not be dealt.
615.2. Many preventions effects apply to damage from a source. See rule 609.7.
615.3. There are no special restrictions on casting a spell or activating an ability that generates a
prevention effect. Such effects last until they’re used up or their duration has expired.
615.4. Prevention effects must exist before the appropriate damage event occurs—they can’t “go back
in time” and change something that’s already happened. Spells or abilities that generate these
effects are often cast or activated in response to whatever would produce the event and thus resolve
before that event would occur.
Example: A player can activate an ability that prevents damage in response to a spell that
would deal damage. Once the spell resolves, though, it’s too late to prevent the damage.
615.5. Some prevention effects also include an additional effect, which may refer to the amount of
damage that was prevented. The prevention takes place at the time the original event would have
happened; the rest of the effect takes place immediately afterward.
615.6. If damage that would be dealt is prevented, it never happens. A modified event may occur
instead, which may in turn trigger abilities. Note that the modified event may contain instructions
that can’t be carried out, in which case the impossible instruction is simply ignored.
615.7. Some prevention effects generated by the resolution of a spell or ability refer to a specific
amount of damage—for example, “Prevent the next 3 damage that would be dealt to target creature
or player this turn.” These work like shields. Each 1 damage that would be dealt to the “shielded”
creature or player is prevented. Preventing 1 damage reduces the remaining shield by 1. If damage
would be dealt to the shielded creature or player by two or more applicable sources at the same
time, the player or the controller of the creature chooses which damage the shield prevents. Once
the shield has been reduced to 0, any remaining damage is dealt normally. Such effects count only
the amount of damage; the number of events or sources dealing it doesn’t matter.
615.8. Some prevention effects generated by the resolution of a spell or ability refer to the next time a
specific source would deal damage. These effects prevent the next instance of damage from that
source, regardless of how much damage that is. Once an instance of damage from that source has
been prevented, any subsequent instances of damage that would be dealt by that source are dealt
normally.
615.9. Some prevention effects generated by static abilities refer to a specific amount of damage—for
example, “If a source would deal damage to you, prevent 1 of that damage.” Such an effect prevents
only the indicated amount of damage in any applicable damage event at any given time. It will
apply separately to damage from other applicable events that would happen at the same time, or at a
different time.
Example: Daunting Defender says “If a source would deal damage to a Cleric creature you
control, prevent 1 of that damage.” Pyroclasm says “Pyroclasm deals 2 damage to each
creature.” Pyroclasm will deal 1 damage to each Cleric creature controlled by Daunting
Defender’s controller. It will deal 2 damage to each other creature that player controls.
615.10. Some prevention effects prevent the next N damage that would be dealt to each of a number of
untargeted creatures. Such an effect creates a prevention shield for each applicable creature when
the spell or ability that generates that effect resolves.
Example: Wojek Apothecary has an ability that says “{T}: Prevent the next 1 damage that
would be dealt to target creature and each other creature that shares a color with it this
turn.” When the ability resolves, it gives the target creature and each other creature on the
battlefield that shares a color with it at that time a shield preventing the next 1 damage that
would be dealt to it. Changing creatures’ colors after the ability resolves doesn’t add or
remove shields, and creatures that enter the battlefield later in the turn don’t get the shield.
615.11. Some effects state that damage “can’t be prevented.” If unpreventable damage would be dealt,
any applicable prevention effects are still applied to it. Those effects won’t prevent any damage, but
any additional effects they have will take place.
615.11a A prevention effect is applied to any particular unpreventable damage event just once. It
won’t invoke itself repeatedly trying to prevent that damage.
616. Interaction of Replacement and/or Prevention Effects
616.1. If two or more replacement and/or prevention effects are attempting to modify the way an event
affects an object or player, the affected object’s controller (or its owner if it has no controller) or the
affected player chooses one to apply, following the steps listed below. If two or more players have
to make these choices at the same time, choices are made in APNAP order (see rule 101.4).
616.1a If any of the replacement and/or prevention effects are self-replacement effects (see rule
614.14), one of them must be chosen. If not, proceed to rule 616.1b.
616.1b If any of the replacement and/or prevention effects would modify under whose control an
object would enter the battlefield, one of them must be chosen. If not, proceed to rule 616.1c.
616.1c Any of the applicable replacement and/or prevention effects may be chosen.
616.1d Once the chosen effect has been applied, this process is repeated (taking into account only
replacement or prevention effects that would now be applicable) until there are no more left to
apply.
Example: Two permanents are on the battlefield. One is an enchantment that reads “If a
card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead exile it,” and the other is a
creature that reads “If [this creature] would be put into a graveyard from the
battlefield, instead shuffle it into its owner’s library.” The controller of the creature that
would be destroyed decides which replacement to apply first; the other does nothing.
616.2. A replacement or prevention effect can become applicable to an event as the result of another
replacement or prevention effect that modifies the event.
Example: One effect reads “If you would gain life, draw that many cards instead,” and
another reads “If you would draw a card, return a card from your graveyard to your hand
instead.” Both effects combine (regardless of the order they came into existence): Instead of
gaining 1 life, the player puts a card from his or her graveyard into his or her hand.