Gambler 34 A/GAMBLERCD34A.BIN/Kaciki/Magic/zasady/rulebook.txt

Text File | 1999-04-25 | 58KB | 1,373 lines

          Classic Edition Rules Book
     Released to public by MTGnews.com on
           March 5, 1999 12:01 EST

Introduction
The Magic: The Gathering« game defies comparison. People will
tell you itÆs like chess, roleplaying games, or even contract
bridge, but the fact is that itÆs nothing like any game before
it.

Like those games, the Magic game has great depthùa depth avid
players explore to its limits. For newer players to get in the
game, they must first learn its rules.

We at Wizards of the Coast« still feel the best way to learn a
game, especially Magic, is from a friend. Because this isnÆt
always possible, weÆve made sure you have easy access to the
rules. After all, someone has to be the first on your block to
learn to play. Think of this rulebook as a ready referenceùitÆs
not comprehensive, but it will answer almost all the questions
that arise during a typical game. If you want to be a rules
hotshot, contact us (see p. 63) or visit our website at
<www.wizards.com/Magic> to get the comprehensive Magic rules. You
can also contact us with any questions you have about how to
play.

Who Is This Rulebook For?
This book is designed for people whoÆve played the Magic game at
least a little. Maybe youÆve played a starter-level Magic product
such as Magic: The GatheringùPortalÖ or Portal Second AgeÖ, maybe
youÆve read through the play guide that came with this game, or
maybe a friend taught you how to play.

Still not sure if youÆre ready? HereÆs a simple test: "To play
this creature, tap three mountains and six other lands." When you
read this sentence, did you:

a) feel your eyes glazing over?
b) recognize the instructions for tapping lands to play a creature?
c) recognize the instructions for playing Crimson Hellkite?

If you answered (a), we recommend you pick up a starter-level
game, such as the Portal Second Age game. You should also read
the play guide in this game box before going further.

If you answered (b), youÆre in the right place. You arenÆt scared
off by the concept of turning a land card sideways to show youÆre
tapping it for mana. You also know that lands can pay for
creature spells.

If you answered (c), you obviously know how to play Magic. You
should be out teaching your friends how to play! YouÆll find this
book is an excellent summary of the newer aspects of the Classic
set.

Words or phrases in green are important terms you can look up in
the glossary, which starts on p. 32.

Ready to begin? LetÆs start with . . .

Section I: The Basics

Equipment
The Classic game comes with two specially designed decks of forty
cards each. All you need to get started are these two decks and
something to keep track of life totals, like beads or a pencil
and paper. Later, when youÆre ready to start building your own
decks, each player needs a deck of at least sixty cards, with no
more than four copies of any card except basic lands. ThereÆs no
maximum deck size.

Object of the Game
You win if your opponent (a) is reduced to 0 life or less, or (b)
has to draw a card when none are left in his or her library.

Starting the Game
Each player starts the game with 20 life, shuffles his or her
deck, then draws the top seven cards. If you donÆt like your
starting hand, you can take a mulliganùreshuffle and draw a new
hand of one fewer card. You can do this as many times as you
want, but you draw one fewer card each time.

Randomly decide who goes first. That player skips the draw step
(they donÆt get to draw a card) during that turn. If youÆve
already played a game, the loser of the previous game gets to
decide who goes first.

Parts of a Magic Card
Name. A cardÆs name appears in its upper left corner. When a
cardÆs text mentions its name, it refers only to that copy of the
card, even if other copies are in play.

Mana Cost. Each symbol in the upper right corner is part of the
cost for playing that spell. If the mana cost reads o2oU, you can
play the card by spending one blue mana (from an island, for
example) plus two mana of any kind.

Card Type. This tells you whether the card is an artifact,
artifact creature, creature, enchantment, land, instant, or
sorcery. If itÆs a creature, its creature type (such as Goblin or
Elf) appears next to the word "creature." If itÆs the kind of
enchantment that attaches to another card, it will specify the
card type it can be attached to (such as "Enchant Creature,"
"Enchant Land," and so on).

Expansion Symbol. This symbol represents which Magic expansion
the card is from. (ClassicÆs expansion symbol is "[Set actual
Classic expansion symbol here]"ùthe roman numeral for sixùbecause
itÆs the sixth edition of MagicÆs main set.) The symbol appears
in one of three colors to indicate the cardÆs rarity: black for
common cards, silver for uncommons, and gold for rares.

Text Box. This is where the cardÆs abilities appear. Flavor text
might also appear here; itÆs the text in italics that tells you
something about the Magic world or story. Flavor text doesnÆt
have any effect on game play.

Collector Number. The collector number makes cards easier to
collect. The first number tells you the cardÆs place in the
series, and the second number tells you how many cards are in the
expansion. For example, "40/330" means that the card is the 40th
of 330 different cards.

Key Terms and Symbols Mana.
Think of mana as Magic moneyùitÆs what you use to pay most costs.
Lands (and some other cards) provide mana, which goes into your
mana pool (which is kind of like your wallet). You spend mana in
your pool to play spells and abilities.

Like money in your wallet, mana left in your mana pool will "burn
a hole in your pocket." At the end of each phase, you lose 1 life
for each unused mana in your mana pool, and the mana disappears.
This is called mana burn.

Each mana is either one of the five Magic colors (white, blue,
black, red, and green) or is colorless. When a cost requires
colored mana, the colored mana symbols ([W], [U], [B], [R], [G])
are used. When any kind of mana can be used to pay the cost, a
number (2, for instance) is used.

Permanent. When they resolve, artifacts, creatures, enchantments,
and lands are put into play rather than into your graveyard.
These cards are called permanents because they stick around until
something removes them from play.

Tapping. Tapping is the Magic gameÆs way of showing a card has
been used. To tap a card, turn it sideways. At the beginning of
each of your turns, you untap your tapped cards so you can use
them again.

The symbol "[tap]" means "tap." It usually appears as part of the
cost to play an ability (like Prodigal SorcererÆs), where it
means "tap this card."

Target. When a spell or ability contains the word "target," you
choose what to affect when you play the spell or ability. For
example, Prodigal SorcererÆs ability reads, "[tap]: Prodigal
Sorcerer deals 1 damage to target creature or player." When you
play this ability, you choose a creature or player, and the
Sorcerer deals 1 damage to the creature or player you chose.

Card Types
There are six types of Magic cards:

Artifact
Artifacts are colorless permanents that represent magical
objects. They can be played only during your main phases. (See p.
24 for more on phases.) Some artifacts are artifact creatures
that can attack and block just like other creatures. Artifact
creatures are subject to all the rules for both artifacts and
creatures and are affected by spells and abilities that affect
artifacts as well as those that affect creatures.

Creature
Creatures are permanents that can attack and block. They can be
played only during your main phases. Unlike other types of cards,
creature cards have two numbers separated by a slash in their
lower right corner. The number to the left of the slash is the
creatureÆs power, which tells you how much damage it deals in
combat. The number to the right of the slash is the creatureÆs
toughnessùhow much it takes to destroy the creature.

A creature canÆt attack, and you canÆt play any of its abilities
that have ocT in their costs, unless itÆs been under your control
since the very beginning of your most recent turn. Even if it
hasnÆt, you can play the creatureÆs other abilities and it can
block if itÆs not tapped.

Enchantment
Enchantments are permanents that can be played only during your
main phases. There are two kinds of enchantments: those that
stand alone while in play and those that are attached to other
permanents. If an enchantmentÆs card type is simply
"Enchantment," itÆs put into play just like an artifact or
creature. If the card type reads, "Enchant _______" (the blank
line could be any permanent type, such as "Creature" or "Land"),
the enchantment can be attached only to the specified type of
permanent.

If a permanent with an enchantment attached to it leaves play,
the enchantment is destroyedùit doesnÆt just float around with
nothing to enchant.

Instant
Instants are spells that can be played almost anytime, even
during your opponentÆs turn or in response to another spell.
Instant spells arenÆt permanents. TheyÆre put into their ownerÆs
graveyard when they resolve.

Instant spells arenÆt the only kind of instantsùactivated
abilities are played as instants, too. (See p. 19 for more on
activated abilities.)

Land
Lands are permanents that usually have mana abilities (abilities
that produce mana). These abilities are the most common way of
paying for spells and abilities. TheyÆre different from other
permanents because (a) they donÆt start off as spells, and (b)
you can play only one during each of your turns and only during a
main phase.

The most common type of land card is called a basic land: plains,
islands, swamps, mountains, and forests. Any other land is called
a nonbasic land.

Sorcery
Sorceries are spells that can be played only during your main
phases. Sorcery spells arenÆt permanents. TheyÆre put into their
ownerÆs graveyard when they resolve.

Areas of Play
Some cards and rules refer to an area in which cards might be
during a game. The basic areas of play are:

Library. This is the deck of cards you use to play the gameùyour
draw pile. ItÆs kept face down, and the cards stay in the order
they were in at the beginning of the game. No one can look at the
cards in your library.

Hand. This is where cards go when you draw them, just as in most
other card games. No one except you can look at the cards in your
hand.

In Play. This is the area in front of you where you put your
permanents. You can arrange your permanents however you want (we
recommend putting lands closest to you), but your opponent must
be able to see them all and tell whether theyÆre tapped.

Graveyard. This is your discard pile. Spells go here when they
resolve and permanents go here when theyÆre destroyed. Cards in
your graveyard are always face up and anyone can look at them at
any time.

Section II: Spells, Abilities, and Effects

The Golden Rule of Magic
Whenever a cardÆs text contradicts a game rule, the card wins.
For example, you get only one combat phase each turn, but
Relentless AssaultÆs effect gives you an additional combat phase.
It overrides the one-combat-phase-per-turn rule for the current
turn.

WhatÆs a Spell?
From the time a card is played until it resolves, itÆs a spell.
When the spell resolves, it goes to its ownerÆs graveyard (if
itÆs an instant or sorcery) or is put into play (if itÆs anything
else). Even creature cards are spells while theyÆre being played.
For example, when you play Wind Drake, youÆre actually playing a
Wind Drake spell. When the spell resolves, it puts the Wind Drake
creature into playùthe spell card becomes a permanent.

ThereÆs one exception: land cards are never spells. TheyÆre
simply put into play.

WhatÆs an Ability?
An ability is kind of like a spell printed on a permanent: many
abilities have costs, and most are played and resolved just like
spells. Once an ability is played, it exists separately from its
source. This means, for example, that if you play Prodigal
SorcererÆs ability, and then the Sorcerer is destroyed, the
ability will resolve anyway.

There are three types of abilities:

Activated ability. You play an activated ability by paying a
particular kind of cost called an activation cost. Activated
abilities are written as "activation cost: ability." WhatÆs
before the colon (":") is the abilityÆs activation cost, and the
text after the colon is the ability played when you pay the cost.
Only a permanentÆs controller may play its activated abilities.

Triggered ability. An ability that starts with the word "when,"
"whenever," or "at" is a triggered ability. In this type of
ability, the first part of the sentence is the trigger event.
When the trigger event occurs, the triggered ability "goes
off"ùyou canÆt choose not to play it. If the trigger event occurs
several times at once, the ability goes on the stack once for
each time the trigger event occurs.

Static ability. These abilities arenÆt played and resolved like
others. When a permanent with a static ability comes into play,
the abilityÆs effect simply "turns on," and it stays on as long
as the permanent stays in play.

How Do I Play a Spell or Activated Ability?
You may play a spell or ability only when you have priority to do
so. When do you get priority? At the beginning of most phases and
steps, the active playerùthe player whose turn it isùgets
priority. When you have priority, you may play a spell or ability
or pass. If you pass, your opponent gets priority. Also, after a
spell or ability resolves, the active player gets priority again.
When that player passes, the opponent gets priority again.

The following card types can be played only when itÆs your main
phase, you have priority, and no spells or abilities are waiting
to resolve: artifacts, creatures, enchantments, lands, and
sorceries.

Spells and activated abilities are played in three steps:

  1. Tell your opponent what spell or ability youÆre playing. If
     itÆs a spell, take the card from your hand and show it to
     your opponent.
  2. If the spell or ability contains the word "target," choose
     the target(s) for it. If the spell or abilityÆs text starts
     with "Choose one ù" (Healing Salve, for example), make the
     choice.
  3. For spells, pay the mana cost. For activated abilities, pay
     the activation cost. If the spell or ability has oX in its
     cost, you choose the value of X and then pay that amount of
     mana.
  4. ThatÆs itùthe spell or ability is played and goes on the
     stack to await resolution. See "The Stack" on p. 20 and "How
     Do Spells and Abilities Resolve?" on p. 21 to find out what
     happens to the spell or ability after itÆs played.

How Do I Play a Triggered Ability?
You donÆt play triggered abilitiesùthe game does it for you. A
triggered ability waits around for its trigger event to occur.
When it does, the game simply waits for a player to get priority
and then takes control. It puts the ability on the stack, whether
you like it or not. You make the choices and pick the target(s)
for the ability when the game puts it on the stack. After the
triggered ability goes on the stack, the player who wouldÆve
gotten priority gets it back.

What happens if more than one ability triggers at the same time?
First the game puts the active playerÆs abilities on the stack,
in whatever order that player chooses. Then the game puts the
opponentÆs abilities on the stack, in whatever order the opponent
chooses.

The Stack
The stack is where played spells and abilities wait to resolve.
HereÆs how it works: A player with priority plays a spell or
ability, and it goes on the stack. That player can either add
more spells or abilities to the stack or let the opponent have
priority to add spells or abilities to the top of the stack.
Priority goes back and forth this way until both players are done
playing spells and abilities. Then the spell or ability on the
top of the stackùthe one played lastùresolves. After each spell
or ability resolves, the active player gets priority again.

For example, letÆs say you play Lightning Blast on my creature
and I respond by playing Giant Growth on it (and neither of us
wants to play other spells or abilities). Giant Growth resolves
first, because itÆs on top of the stack. Then, if neither of us
wants to play more spells and abilities, the Lightning Blast
resolves.

Here are some things that donÆt go on the stack:

   * If an ability produces mana, it doesnÆt go on the stack (but
     mana-producing spells such as Dark Ritual do). You get the
     mana immediately. For example, when you tap your Llanowar
     Elves to get oG, you donÆt have to wait for the ability to
     resolveùyou get the mana as soon as you tap the card.

   * Static abilities donÆt go on the stack. They simply "turn
     on" as soon as the permanent with the ability comes into
     play.

   * When you play a land, you simply put it into play. Land
     cards arenÆt spells, so they donÆt go on the stack.

How Do Spells and Abilities Resolve?

  1. Check each of the spell or abilityÆs targets to see whether
     itÆs still a legal target. (If the spell or ability has no
     targets, skip this check.) A target is illegal if it has
     left play or if its characteristics have changed so it
     doesnÆt meet the targeting requirements of the spell or
     ability anymore. If all the spell or abilityÆs targets are
     illegal when it tries to resolve, no effect is generated.
  2. The spell or abilityÆs effect is generated. Carry out the
     effect the spell or ability describes, in the order itÆs
     written. (Replacement effects may modify the actual actions
     you take.) If the text calls for any choices other than
     those made earlier, make those choices as you carry out the
     effect.
  3. For an ability, youÆre done. For a spell, after you carry
     out its effect, put the spell card into play (for artifact,
     creature, and enchantment spells) or into its ownerÆs
     graveyard (for instant and sorcery spells).

WhatÆs an Effect?
When a spell or ability resolves, it generates an effect. There
are three basic kinds of effects:

One-shot effect
One-shot effects do something once, such as deal damage or
destroy a creature. For example, Counterspell reads, "Counter
target spell." When it resolves, its effect is done.

Continuous effect
These effects do something for some length of time rather than
just once. A continuous effect from a spell lasts as long as the
spell says it does. For example, Giant Growth reads, "Target
creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn." Its effect lasts from the
time the spell resolves until the end of the turn.

Activated and triggered abilities that generate continuous
effects follow the same rules as spells: the effect lasts as long
as the ability says it does.

A continuous effect from a static ability lasts as long as the
permanent is in play. For example, Enfeeblement reads, "Enchanted
creature gets -2/-2." Its effect on the enchanted creature lasts
as long as itÆs attached to that creature.

Replacement and prevention effects
These effects wait for a particular event to try to occur and
then replace it with a different event, modify it, or prevent
some or all of it from occurring.

Spells and abilities that generate replacement effects contain
the word "instead." For example, Gravebane ZombieÆs ability
reads, "If Gravebane Zombie would be put into a graveyard from
play, instead put Gravebane Zombie on top of its ownerÆs
library."

Spells and abilities that generate prevention effects contain the
word "prevent." For example, Samite HealerÆs ability reads, "ocT:
Prevent the next 1 damage to target creature or player this
turn." Its effect waits for a time during the turn when the
target would be dealt damage and then prevents 1 damage.

Section III: Turn Structure

Each turn has five phases, and each phase occurs even if nothing
happens during the phase. At the end of each phase, mana left in
your mana pool disappears, and you lose life equal to the amount
of that mana (you take mana burn).

1. Beginning Phase
This phase has three steps:

     a. Untap step
     During your untap step, untap all your tapped cards. No one
     can play spells or abilities during this step, and abilities
     that trigger during this step have to wait until the upkeep
     step to go on the stack.

     b. Upkeep step
     Your upkeep step may go by unnoticed unless you control
     abilities that trigger on upkeep ("At the beginning of your
     upkeep, . . . "). Players can play instant spells and
     activated abilities during this step.

     c. Draw step
     At the beginning of your draw step, draw a card. Players can
     play instant spells and activated abilities during this
     step.

2. Main Phase
You can play every type of spell and ability during this phase,
but your opponent can play only instant spells and activated
abilities. Also, you can play a land during this phase. Remember
that you can play only one land each turn.

3. Combat Phase
This phase has five steps:

     a. Beginning of combat step
     Players can play instant spells and activated abilities
     during this step (but thereÆs usually no reason to do so).

     b. Declare attackers step
     Decide which of your creatures, if any, will attack. When
     you declare that a creature is attacking, tap it. Walls,
     creatures that are already tapped, and creatures you havenÆt
     controlled since the beginning of the turn canÆt be declared
     as attackers.

     Remember that your creatures can attack only your opponent.
     You canÆt have them attack a particular creature.

     Once youÆre done declaring attackers, players can play
     instant spells and activated abilities.

     c. Declare blockers step
     Your opponent decides which of his or her creatures will
     block your attacking creatures. Each blocking creature may
     be assigned to block only one attacking creature, but
     blocking creatures can "gang up" on an attacking creature.
     Tapped creatures canÆt block.

     Once your opponent is done declaring blockers, players can
     play instant spells and activated abilities.

     d. Combat damage step
     Unblocked attacking creatures deal damage equal to their
     power to the defending player. Blocked attacking creatures
     deal their damage to the creatures blocking them. If an
     attacking creature is blocked by more than one creature, the
     attacking player decides how the creature will deal its
     damage among the blockers. Blocking creatures deal their
     damage to the creatures theyÆre blocking.

     If an attacking creature was blocked at the declare blockers
     step but the blocking creature has since been removed, the
     attacking creature doesnÆt deal any damage.

     Once players make all announcements about how combat damage
     will be dealt, the damage goes on the stack. Nothing that
     happens to the creatures can affect damage thatÆs on the
     stack waiting to be dealt.

     Players may then play instant spells and activated
     abilities. Once these have been resolved, combat damage is
     actually dealt. Note that even if creatures leave play after
     the damage goes on the stack, their combat damage, which is
     on the stack waiting to resolve, is dealt normally. If a
     creature tries to deal damage to a creature no longer in
     play, the damage isnÆt dealt.

     e. End of combat step
     Like your upkeep step, this step may go by unnoticed unless
     you control abilities that trigger on combat ending ("At end
     of combat, . . . "). Players can play instant spells and
     activated abilities during this step.

4. Main Phase (again)
Your second main phase is identical to your first main phase: You
can play every type of spell and ability, but your opponent can
play only instant spells and activated abilities. Also, you can
play a land during this phase. Remember that you can play only
one land each turn, so you can play a land during this phase only
if you didnÆt do so during your first main phase.

5. End Phase
This phase has two steps:

     a. End of turn step
     Like your upkeep step, this step may go by unnoticed unless
     you control abilities that trigger on the turn ending ("At
     end of turn, . . . "). Players can play instant spells and
     activated abilities during this step.

     b. Cleanup step
     If you have more than seven cards in your hand, choose and
     discard cards until you have only seven. Next, all damage on
     creatures is removed and all "until end of turn" effects
     end.

     No one can play spells or abilities during this step unless
     an ability triggers during the stepù something that rarely
     happens.

Section IV: Creature Abilities
Creatures sometimes have abilities that arenÆt fully explained on
the cards. Most such abilities have reminder text, though, which
summarizes what effect the ability has. Here are full
explanations of the standard creature abilities:

First strike
Creatures with first strike deal their combat damage before
creatures without it. When you reach the combat damage step, if
one or more of your attacking creatures has first strike, an
extra combat damage step is created just for attacking and
blocking creatures with first strike. The extra combat damage
step works just like a normal one, except that creatures without
first strike donÆt get to deal their combat damage.

When the first-strike combat damage step is over, you go through
a second combat damage step for the creatures that havenÆt yet
dealt their combat damage. After this second step is complete,
proceed to the end of combat step as normal.

Flying
A creature with flying can be blocked only by other creatures
with flying. Flying creatures can block other creatures with
flying. They can also block creatures without flying.

Haste
If you control a creature with haste, you can ignore the rule
that it canÆt attack and that you canÆt play its activated
abilities that have [tap] in the activation cost unless youÆve
controlled it since the beginning of your most recent turn. In
other words, a creature with haste can do the stuff itÆs normally
not allowed to do during the turn it comes into play.

Landwalk
Landwalk is the name for a group of abilities that includes
islandwalk, swampwalk, mountainwalk, and forestwalk. A creature
with landwalk is unblockable if the defending player controls at
least one land of the specified type.

Landwalk abilities donÆt cancel each other out. For example, if
the defending player controls a forest, even another creature
with forestwalk canÆt block an attacking creature with
forestwalk.

Regeneration
Regeneration helps keep creatures from being destroyed. ItÆs
different from other standard creature abilities in two ways: (a)
itÆs an activated ability, and (b) even though it doesnÆt contain
the word "instead," the ability generates a replacement effect.

When the regeneration ability resolves, its effect waits for the
creature to be destroyed and then replaces its destruction with
the regeneration effectùit becomes tapped, all damage is removed
from it, and itÆs removed from combat (if itÆs in combat).

Section V: Glossary

Ability
Text on a permanent that generates an effect. A cardÆs abilities,
if it has any, appear in its text box above flavor text.
Abilities can be played only when the card is in play and only by
its controller (although static abilities arenÆt playedùthey
simply "turn on"). There are several different types of
abilities, from creature abilities such as flying to static
abilities such as "white creatures get +1/+1." See also Activated
ability, Static ability, Triggered ability.

Activated ability
An ability thatÆs played by paying its activation cost. The cost
appears before a colon in front of the abilityÆs text. For
example, "o2, ocT: Gain 1 life" means if you pay the activation
cost of o2 and tap the permanent with the ability, you gain 1
life. Activated abilities are played just like instants. Note
that activation costs that donÆt include ocT can often be paid
more than once in a turn.

Artifact
A colorless permanent with one or more abilities that represents
a magical object. Because artifacts donÆt have any colored mana
in their mana costs, they can be put into any deck. Artifacts can
be played only during your main phases, when you have priority,
and when the stack is empty. See also Artifact creature.

Artifact creature
A colorless permanent that represents a creature. Artifact
creatures are considered both artifacts and creatures and are
affected by rules, spells, and abilities that affect both.
Although artifact creatures can attack and block just like
creatures do, they often have no creature type. See also
Artifact, Creature.

"As though"
When a card instructs you to treat it "as though" it were
something else or had a specific ability, itÆs time to pretend.
The card doesnÆt become or gain that thing. For example, Giant
Spider doesnÆt gain flying and doesnÆt count as a creature with
flying just because it says it "can block creatures as though it
had flying." All this means is that creatures with flying canÆt
get past it.

Attack
During your combat phase, you may attack your opponent with any
number of creatures you control. You must tap your creatures when
they attack, so if a creature is already tapped, it canÆt attack.
Why attack at all? To see your opponentÆs life total drop like a
goblin kite! Your opponent will probably try to block your
attacking creatures or remove them from combat with an instant or
activated ability. Remember, you can attack only your opponent,
never your opponentÆs creatures. See also Attacking creature,
Blocking creature, Combat.

Attacker
See Attacking creature.

Attacking creature
A creature thatÆs attacking (duh). Creatures become attacking
creatures when you declare them as attackers during your declare
attackers step. You must tap creatures to attack with them. If a
creature is already tapped, it canÆt attack. You canÆt tap a
creature to pay its activation cost and attack with it at the
same timeùyou have to choose which thing youÆre tapping it for. A
creature is considered to be attacking from the time itÆs
declared as an attacker until the end of combat, unless itÆs
removed from combat by an effect (such as regenerationÆs).
ThereÆs no such thing as an attacking creature outside of the
combat phase.

Basic land
See Land.

Block
To use your creatures to intercept your opponentÆs attacking
creatures. During combat, you may have one or more of your
untapped creatures block each attacking creature. If you do, that
attacker will deal its combat damage to the blocking creatures
rather than to you. See also Blocking creature, Combat.

Blocked creature
An attacking creature that was blocked during the declare
blockers step. A creature is considered blocked from the time
itÆs blocked until the end of combat, even if the blocking
creature is removed from combat or from play before the combat
damage step. In other words, if you donÆt want your attacking
creatures to become blocked creatures, dispose of your opponentÆs
creatures before they get a chance to block yours. See also
Attacking creature, Combat damage.

Blocker
See Blocking Creature.

Blocking Creature
An untapped creature can defend its controller from an attacking
creature by being assigned as a blocker. This means that the
combat damage assigned by the attacking creature will be directed
at the blocking creature, not its controller. (A good deal for
the player; not so good for the blocker.) A creature is
considered a blocking creature from the time itÆs declared as a
blocker until the end of combat. ThereÆs no such thing as a
blocking creature outside of the combat phase. See also Combat
damage.

Card type
A category of cards, identified under the art on the card. The
card types are artifact, artifact creature, enchantment, land,
instant, and sorcery. Some cards have a subtype, such as "Goblin"
in "Creature ù Goblin" and "Land" in "Enchant Land."

"Choose one ù "
When you see the phrase "Choose one ù" on a card, you have to
choose from the listed options when you play the card. You canÆt
change your mind and choose something else later on, even if your
first choice doesnÆt work out. (ItÆs just the chance you take, as
with any other card!)

Collector number
Two small numbers at the bottom of the card that make Magic cards
easier to collect. The first number is the cardÆs position in the
set. The second number is the total number of cards in the set.

Color
The five Magic colors are white, blue, black, red, and green. (If
you ever forget, they appear on the back of the card.) A card is
considered the color of the mana in its mana cost; itÆs blue if
it has blue mana in its mana cost, and so on. This is important
for spells and abilities that affect things of a certain color,
such as Fear or Circle of Protection: Red. Lands and artifacts
have no color and are therefore said to be colorless. (Pretty
creative, huh?)

Colorless
See Color.

Combat
This is the fourth phase of your turn, the part where you try to
give your opponent a whuppinÆ with some of your creatures. You
donÆt have to attack with any of your creatures, but you canÆt
skip your combat phase any more than you can skip any other
phases of your turn. YouÆre allowed only one attack each turn.
See also Attack.

Combat damage
Damage dealt by creatures during the combat damage step. Because
this step includes only the damage from creaturesÆ power, it
doesnÆt describe any damage dealt by a creature through any
abilities listed in the cardÆs text box. For example, when you
play Prodigal SorcererÆs ability, it deals 1 plain olÆ damage,
but when it attacks, it deals 1 combat damage (because its power
is 1).

Some effects cause creatures not to deal combat damage. Note that
these effects donÆt cause the affected creatures to deal 0
damageùthey donÆt deal combat damage at all.

Comes into play
For a card to successfully resolve. Effects that trigger on
something coming into play donÆt do so until the card has fully
resolved; if the cardÆs countered, they donÆt trigger at all.

Common
See Rarity.

Control
To have the ability to make play decisions for a spell or
permanent. A player can control only those things that are in
play or are being played; cards that are in a library, graveyard,
or hand have no controller.

Controller
For permanents, the player who brought it into play. For spells
or activated abilities, the player who plays the spell or
ability. For triggered and static abilities, the player who
controls the permanent with the ability. A permanentÆs controller
can be changed by effects. Enchantments played on your opponentÆs
lands or creatures remain under your control.

Cost
See Activated ability, Mana cost.

Counter (noun)
A marker used to keep track of the lasting effects of a spell.
These can be anything: pennies, glass beads, dead spiders, and so
on. Counters are of different types, as noted by their names. For
example, a "spore counter" is different than a "head counter,"
and a "+1/+1 counter" is different than a "+2/+2 counter." Use
different things as different types of counters to help you keep
everything straight.

Counter (verb)
To cancel the playing of a spell so that it has no effect. (A
spell is any card as itÆs being played, other than a land.)

Creature
A type of permanent designed to attack opponents and block
attacking creatures. In addition, many creatures have abilities
described on the card itself. In the lower right corner of the
card, youÆll see two numbers separated by a slash. Those numbers
represent the creatureÆs power (the amount of damage it deals in
combat) and toughness (the amount of damage required to destroy
it).

Because a creature is a type of permanent, once itÆs in play it
stays there for the rest of the game, unless itÆs destroyed or
removed by an effect. You have to pay its mana cost only when you
play it; you donÆt have to pay its mana cost when you attack with
it. Keep in mind that while a creatureÆs being played, itÆs a
spell and can be countered like any other spell.

Creature type
This tells you what kind of creature it is, such as Goblin, Elf,
or Wall. A creatureÆs type is identified below the cardÆs art,
after "Creature ù" or, on older cards, after "Summon." Artifact
creatures usually donÆt have a creature type, but if they do, it
appears in the same place on the card, such as "Artifact Creature
ù Golem." Lands that have been turned into creatures donÆt have a
creature type and wonÆt be affected by spells that target
creature types.

Damage
Creatures deal damage to each other in combat, and many spells
and abilities deal damage directly to creatures and/or players.
If a creature is dealt damage thatÆs equal to or greater than its
toughness in one turn, itÆs destroyed. If a player is dealt
damage directly, itÆs subtracted from the playerÆs life total.

"Damage dealt"
The amount of combat damage, minus the amount of damage
prevented.

Deck
Your collection of at least forty cards (sixty if youÆre building
a deck from scratch), prepared with a loving mix of spells,
creatures, and lands, specially designed to beat the snot out of
your opponent.

Defending player
The player whoÆs being attacked. YouÆre always the defending
player on your opponentÆs turn, when he or she assigns creatures
to attack you.

Destroy
To remove a card from play and put it into its ownerÆs graveyard.
Creatures that are destroyed can be regenerated by effects unless
some effect prevents them from doing so. See also Regenerate.

Discard
To take a card from your hand and put it into your graveyard. If
a spell or ability makes you discard cards, it will specify
whether you get to choose which cards to discard or whether you
have to discard randomly. If the discard is random, the easiest
way to do it is to fan out your cards and let your opponent pick
them. (Make sure your opponent only sees the back of the cards!)

Draw
To take the top card of your library and put it into your hand.
You normally draw one card during each of your turns, at the
beginning of your draw step. If an effect lets you draw one or
more cards, these cards donÆt replace your normal drawùtheyÆre
extra.

When a spell or ability puts cards from your library into your
hand, it only counts as a draw if the spell or ability uses the
word "draw."

Effect
What a spell or ability generates to affect the game in some way.
See also Ability, Spell.

Enchant Creature
See Enchantment.

Enchantment
A kind of permanent with one or more abilities. Some enchantments
are attached to a particular type of permanent rather than
standing on their own. These cards read, "Enchant Creature,"
"Enchant Land," and so on. When these types of enchantments are
on a card when the card leaves play, theyÆre destroyed. Whether
the card type reads, "Enchantment" or "Enchant _____," itÆs
affected by spells and abilities that affect enchantments.

When an enchantment refers to "enchanted creature," "enchanted
land," and so on, it means the permanent that enchantment is
attached to.

Exchange
To exchange something, each of the two players must have one of
that thing to give to the other. You canÆt exchange control of
creatures, for example, if one of you doesnÆt have a creature in
play.

Expansion symbol
The symbol on the right of the card under the art. The expansion
symbol identifies which Magic expansion the card is from and
appears in one of three colors to indicate the cardÆs rarity:
black for common cards, silver for uncommons, and gold for rares.

First strike
A creature ability that enables a creature to deal its combat
damage before those without the ability. When one or more
creatures with first strike are attacking or blocking, thereÆs a
separate combat damage step before the normal one just for them.
Then, during the normal combat damage step, creatures without
first strike (the ones that survived) get to deal their combat
damage.

Flavor text
Italic text in the text box that sets a tone or describes part of
the magical world of the card. If the text is in parentheses,
itÆs just there to remind you about a ruleùitÆs not flavor text.
Flavor text has no effect on how the card is played. Just because
the flavor text says a creature is feared throughout the land
doesnÆt mean it will scare your opponent!

Flying
A creature with flying canÆt be blocked by a creature without
flying. A creature with flying can block both creatures with
flying and creatures without flying.

Forestwalk
See Landwalk.

Graveyard
Your discard pile. This is where cards go when discarded,
destroyed, sacrificed, or sent there specifically by an effect.
Note that when a card is "removed from the game," it doesnÆt go
to its ownerÆs graveyardùitÆs taken out of the game entirely.

Hand
Your fistful oÆ cards. Normally, your maximum hand size is seven
cards. Even if youÆre holding no cards, you still have a hand (of
zero cards).

Haste
A creature ability that enables a creature to attack or be tapped
to pay for an activated ability the turn it comes into play on
your side. Just like any other ability, haste works for your
opponent if he or she gains control of the creature with the
ability. See also Activated ability, Attack.

In play
A card in play is a permanent. Cards in your library, graveyard,
and hand arenÆt considered to be in play. See also Permanent.

Instant
A type of spell or ability thatÆs played and then put into its
ownerÆs graveyard when it resolves. Unlike sorceries, instants
can be played during almost any phase of any playerÆs turn, and
in response to other spells. Instants are either instant spells,
which are always their own cards, or activated abilities. See
also Activated ability.

Islandwalk
See Landwalk.

Land
A permanent that typically has a mana ability. There are five
basic landsùplains, islands, swamps, mountains, and forestsùthat
each produce one mana of a color. Any land other than these five
is called a nonbasic land. Nonbasic lands often have other
abilities in addition to or even instead of mana abilities. You
can play only one land card each turn, only during one of your
main phases, and only when the stack is empty. Lands arenÆt
spells and therefore canÆt be countered. See also Mana ability.

Landwalk
A creature ability that makes the creature unblockable as long as
the defending player controls at least one land of the specified
type. "Landwalk" is actually a general term that covers
islandwalk, swampwalk, mountainwalk, and forestwalk. Landwalk
abilities donÆt cancel each other out; even a creature with
forestwalk, for example, canÆt block another creature with
forestwalk if the defending player controls a forest.

Land type
Land type differs from creature type and card typeùa landÆs type
is the same as its name. For example, all forests are of the type
"forest." A landÆs type doesnÆt appear anywhere else on the card.

Legend
If a creatureÆs type is Legend, there can only be one of that
creature in play at a time. If another creature of the same name
comes into play, itÆs put into its ownerÆs graveyard.

Lethal damage
Enough damage to destroy a creature. A creature has received
lethal damage when the damage itÆs dealt over the course of one
turn equals or exceeds its toughness. See also Toughness.

Library
Your draw pile. The order of cards in your library doesnÆt change
(unless an effect has you shuffle), and you donÆt get to see what
youÆll draw next. Your library exists even when there arenÆt any
cards in it. See also Draw.

Life, Life total
Each player begins the game with a life total, or score, of 20.
When youÆre dealt damage by effects or creatures, you subtract
life from your life total. If your life total drops to 0 or less,
you lose the game. If something causes both playersÆ life totals
to drop to 0 or less at the same time, the game is a draw.

Losing
You lose the game when your life total drops to 0 or less. Also,
you lose if you have to draw a card when there arenÆt any left in
your library. See also Library, Life total.

Main phase
You get two main phases each turn: one before combat and another
one after combat. During your main phases, you can play
artifacts, creatures, enchantments, instants, and sorceries, and
you can play a land if you havenÆt already played one that turn.

Mana
The basic unit of Magic spell energy, typically generated by
tapping your lands. Each of the five basic lands produces mana of
a specific color: plains produce white; islands, blue; swamps,
black; mountains, red; and forests, green. Mana thatÆs not of any
of these colors is called colorless. You can pay generic mana
costs, represented simply by a numeral (for example, o2), with
any kind of mana, including colorless mana.

Mana ability
An ability that adds a specified amount and color of mana to your
mana pool. Mana abilities donÆt go on the stack when you play
themùyou simply get the mana immediately. (However, spells that
provide mana do go on the stack.)

Mana burn
At the end of each phase, mana left in you mana pool drains away,
and you lose 1 life for each one mana wasted this way. This is
called mana burn. In other words, donÆt tap your lands for mana
you canÆt use!

Mana cost
A cardÆs mana cost is in its upper right corner. Except for those
of artifacts, mana costs include at least one mana of a specific
color. A specified amount of additional mana is often required,
but the color of this mana is left to the choice of the caster.
For example, a mana cost of o2oU means that a total of three mana
is required to play the spell, one of which must be blue.

The mana symbols in a cardÆs mana cost also determine its color.
If a card has oG in its mana cost, for example, the card is
green. See also Mana.

Mana pool
The imaginary place where your mana is stored until you spend it.
When you tap a land for mana, that mana remains in your mana pool
until you spend it or until the phase ends. See also Mana, Mana
burn.

Mountainwalk
See Landwalk.

Mulligan
If you donÆt like your initial hand of cards for any reason, you
can take a mulligan. To do this, shuffle you hand into your
library and draw a new hand of one less card. You donÆt have to
show your opponent your lousy hand when you do this. You can take
a mulligan as many times as you want, but each time costs you a
cardùa pretty high price to pay!

Non-
When a spell or abilityÆs text refers to a "nonland card," a
"noncreature artifact," a "nonblack creature," and so on, it
means "a card thatÆs not a land," "an artifact thatÆs not an
artifact creature," "a creature thatÆs not black," and so on.

Nonbasic land
See Land.

Owner
The person who started the game with the card in his or her deck.
Even if your opponent becomes the controller of one of your
permanents, youÆre still its owner. Contrast Controller.

Pass
To choose to do nothing when you have priority. Spells and
abilities on the stack donÆt begin to resolve until all players
pass in succession. See also Priority, Stack.

Permanent
A card in play. Permanents can be artifacts, artifact creatures,
creatures, enchantments, or lands. (Remember, tokens are
creatures, so theyÆre also permanents.)

Permanently
The word "permanently" means "until something happens to change
this effect." In other words, donÆt get too attached.

Phase
The main sections of each turn. The five phases of a turn are the
beginning phase, main phase, combat phase, main phase (again),
and end phase. Each of these phases is further broken down into
steps. At the beginning of each phase, abilities that trigger at
that phase go on the stack. At the end of each phase, mana in
playersÆ mana pools drains away (and mana burn occurs if
appropriate). See also Mana burn.

Play
For a land, to bring into the game. For a spell, to put onto the
stack by paying its mana cost. For an activated ability, to put
onto the stack by paying its activation cost. See also Activated
ability, Land, Spell.

Power
The amount of combat damage a creature deals in combat. A
creatureÆs power is found on the lower right part of the card, to
the left of the slash. See also Toughness.

Prevention effect
A kind of effect that waits for a particular event to try to
occur and then prevents some or all of that event from occurring.

Priority
You can play a spell or ability only when you have priority. (See
p. 19.)

Protection
A creature ability that has three different effects: (1) the
creature canÆt be blocked by creatures of the color itÆs
protected from, (2) the creature canÆt be the target of spells or
abilities of the color itÆs protected from, and (3) damage from
sources of the color itÆs protected from are reduced to 0.

Put into play
To bring something into the game. When youÆre instructed to put a
creature (or a creature token) into play, you donÆt have to pay
its mana cost unless the ability putting it into play tells you
otherwise.

Rare
See Rarity.

Rarity
Magic cards are found at three levels of rarity: common,
uncommon, and rare. The color of a cardÆs expansion symbol
indicates its rarity: black for commons, silver for uncommons,
and gold for rares.

Regeneration
A creature ability that helps keep creatures from being
destroyed. When a spell or ability that regenerates a creature
resolves, the creature remains in play, retaining all the
enchantments and counters on it, as well as effects applying to
it. The creature becomes tapped and is removed from combat. Also,
all damage is removed from it.

Remove from the game
To remove a card from the game, put it aside and pretend you
donÆt know it exists for the rest of the game. DonÆt put it into
your graveyard or your hand.

Replacement effect
A kind of effect that waits for a particular event to try to
occur and then replaces that event with a different one or
modifies it somehow. See also Prevention effect.

Resolve
When the stack deals with a spell or ability on it, that spell or
ability generates its effectùit resolves. If a spell or ability
is countered, or if all its targets have become invalid by the
time it tries to resolve, it doesnÆt resolve at all. See also
Counter, Stack.

Respond, Response
Playing an instant or an ability immediately after the playing of
another spell or ability, prior to its resolution. See also
Stack.

Reveal
When you reveal a card, you have to show it to all players in the
game (usually to assure them that youÆre not a lying weasel).

Sacrifice
To take one of your own permanents from play and put it into your
graveyard. DonÆt confuse this with discarding, which affects only
cards in your hand.

Sealed-deck play
When youÆre given a limited number of cards to build your deck.
In sealed-deck play, you only need 40 cards for a legal deck.

Sorcery
A spell type that can be played during your main phase, but only
when you have priority and the stack is empty. Sorceries go to
their ownerÆs graveyard when they resolve. See also Priority,
Stack.

Source
The origin of something, typically damage and effects. If an
effectÆs source is destroyed after the effect is put on the stack
for resolution, the effect will still resolve in turn.

Spell
A nonland card as itÆs being played from your hand. Once a spell
resolves, what happens depends on the spellÆs card type. If itÆs
an instant or sorcery, it goes to its ownerÆs graveyard.
Otherwise, itÆs put into play as a permanent under the control of
the player who played it. See also Permanent.

Stack
The place where spells and abilities go to await resolution. As
additional spells and abilities are played, theyÆre added to the
top of the stack. Once both players have agreed to stop
complicating things, the things on the stack resolve one at a
time, from top to bottom. Each time one resolves, however,
players can play more spells and abilities. See also Ability,
Priority, Spell.

Static ability
A category of abilities that take effect as soon as the permanent
with the ability enters play. Static abilities remain active
until that permanent leaves play. They donÆt ever go on the
stack. See also Permanent.

Swampwalk
See Landwalk.

Tap
To turn a card sideways to indicate that itÆs been used that
turn. You tap lands to produce mana, creatures to attack, and
permanents to pay for activated abilities that have the ocT
symbol in their activation costs. Other effects may cause your
permanents to become tapped; if that happens, you donÆt get the
effect youÆd get if you chose to tap your permanent yourself.
(ThatÆs why you generally wonÆt like it when that happens.) Once
a card becomes tapped, it canÆt be tapped again until itÆs first
untapped. See also Activated ability.

Target
The thing a spell or ability is aimed at, specifically if it says
"target ____" in its text. Spells and abilities often have
requirements as to what their targets can be; those requirements
are listed on the card. You must choose the targets for the spell
or ability when you play it; you canÆt change your mind later.

Text box
The square on the lower half of the card that has all those words
in it. The text box contains abilities, flavor text, reminder
text (text that reminds you about a rule), and even a pretty
background.

Token
Any object used to represent a creature created by a spell or
effect that has no card of its own. Tokens are considered
creatures in every way, except that when one of your token
creatures leaves play, it vanishes from the game completely.
Token creatures are affected by rules, spells, and abilities that
affect creatures, but not by stuff that affects "cards" (even if
you use cards as tokens).

Toughness
The amount of damage it takes to destroy a creature. A creatureÆs
toughness is found on the lower right part of the card, to the
right of the slash. See also Power.

Trample
When an attacking creature with trample deals its combat damage,
after it deals enough damage to destroy all of its blockers, it
deals any leftover damage to the defending player. See also
Combat damage.

Triggered ability
Abilities that automatically go on the stack when some event
happens in the game. You canÆt decide to ignore or delay a
triggered ability; you must deal with it when you get to it on
the stack.

Turn
Each turn is broken into phases, which are then broken into
steps. A player completes a turn by passing through all of them,
in order: beginning (untap, upkeep, draw), main phase, combat
(beginning of combat, declare attackers, declare blockers, combat
damage, end of combat), main phase (again), end phase. When your
end phase is over, your opponent begins his or her turn.

Unblockable
When a creature is unblockable, itÆs impossible for the defending
player to block it, no matter how many cool creatures he or she
has out. DonÆt even try!

Unblocked
During combat, after the declare blockers step ends, any
attacking creatures that werenÆt assigned a blocker are
considered unblocked until the end of combat.

Uncommon
See Rarity.

Untap
To turn a tapped card upright, enabling you to use it again.

Untap step
The first step of your beginning phase, when you recharge all
your creatures and lands by untapping them. No one can play
anything during this step, and triggered abilities that trigger
during it must wait until the upkeep step to go on the stack.

Upkeep step
The second step of your beginning phase. Powerful permanents
often require more maintenance than others; this is when those
costs typically get paid. Otherwise, you arenÆt required to do
anything besides pass.

Wall
A creature that canÆt attack but is usually good for blocking.
Walls carry the text "(Walls canÆt attack.)" to remind you of
this rule. Because Walls are still creatures, spells and
abilities that affect creatures also affect them. ThatÆs
rightùstrange as it may seem, you can destroy a Wall by playing
Terror on it. (But you can also give it flying, so there!)

X
The placeholder for a number that the cardÆs controller gets to
choose. When a spell or ability has oX in its casting or
activation, its controller chooses what X will be when playing
the spell or ability.

You
The word "you" on a Magic card always refers to the cardÆs
current controller.

Questions
Contact the office nearest you.

U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific, and Latin America
Wizards of the Coast
P.O. Box 707
Renton, WA 98057-0707
USA
attn: Magic Questions

Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Email:
[e-mail] (for rules questions)
[e-mail] (for all other concerns)

(c) 1999 Wizards of the Coast. See legal corner.

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