Ïîëíûå ïðàâèëà Magic: the Gathering
( Comprehensive rules )


Áàçîâûå ïðàâèëà Contents Glossary

7.  Additional Rules

702.  Keyword Abilities


702.1  Most abilities describe exactly what they do in the card’s rules text. Some, though, are very common or would require too much space to define on the card. In these cases, the object lists only the name of the ability as a "keyword"; sometimes reminder text summarizes the game rule.

702.1a  If an effect refers to a "[keyword ability] cost," it refers only to the variable costs for that keyword.

Example: Varolz, the Scar-Striped has the following ability: "Each creature card in your graveyard has scavenge. The scavenge cost is equal to its mana cost."A creature card’s scavenge cost is an amount of mana equal to its mana cost, and the activation cost of the scavenge ability is that amount of mana plus "Exile this card from your graveyard."

702.1b  An effect that grants an object a keyword ability may define a variable in that abilitybased on characteristics of that object or other information about the game state. For these abilities, the value of that variable is constantly reevaluated.

Example: Volcano Hellion has the ability "Volcano Hellion has echo X, where X is your life total." If your life total is 10 when Volcano Hellion’s echo ability triggers but 5 when it resolves, the echo cost to pay is 5.

Example: Fire//Ice is a split card whose halves have the associated mana costs 1R and 1U. Past in Flames reads "Each instant and sorcery card in your graveyard gains flashback until end of turn. The flashback cost is equal to its mana cost." Fire//Ice has "Flashback 2UR" while it is in your graveyard, but if you choose to cast Fire, the resulting spell has "Flashback 1R."

702.2    Deathtouch

702.2a  Deathtouch is a static ability.

702.2bA creature with toughness greater than 0 that’s been dealt damage by a source with deathtouch since the last time state-based actions were checked is destroyed as a state-based action. See rule 704.

702.2c  Any nonzero amount of combat damage assigned to a creature by a source with deathtouch is considered to be lethal damage for the purposes of determining if a proposed combat damage assignment is valid, regardless of that creature’s toughness. See rules 510.1c–d.

702.2dThe deathtouch rules function no matter what zone an object with deathtouch deals damage from.

702.2e  If an object changes zones before an effect causes it to deal damage, its last known information is used to determine whether it had deathtouch.

702.2f  Multiple instances of deathtouch on the same object are redundant.

702.3    Defender

702.3a  Defender is a static ability.

702.3b  A creature with defender can’t attack.

702.3c  Multiple instances of defender on the same creature are redundant.

702.4    Double Strike

702.4a  Double strike is a static ability that modifies the rules for the combat damage step. (See rule 510, "Combat Damage Step.")

702.4b  If at least one attacking or blocking creature has first strike (see rule 702.7) or double strike as the combat damage step begins, the only creatures that assign combat damage in that step are those with first strike or double strike. After that step, instead of proceeding to the end of combat step, the phase gets a second combat damage step. The only creatures that assign combat damage in that step are the remaining attackers and blockers that had neither first strike nor double strike as the first combat damage step began, as well as the remaining attackers and blockers that currently have double strike. After that step, the phase proceeds to the end of combat step.

702.4c  Removing double strike from a creature during the first combat damage step will stop it from assigning combat damage in the second combat damage step.

702.4d  Giving double strike to a creature with first strike after it has already dealt combat damage in the first combat damage step will allow the creature to assign combat damage in the second combat damage step.

702.4e  Multiple instances of double strike on the same creature are redundant.

702.5    Enchant

702.5a  Enchant is a static ability, written "Enchant [object or player]." The enchant ability restricts what an Aura spell can target and what an Aura can enchant.

702.5b  For more information aboutAuras, see rule 303, "Enchantments."

702.5c  If an Aura has multiple instances of enchant, all of them apply. The Aura’s target must follow the restrictions from all the instances of enchant. The Aura can enchant only objects or players that match all of its enchant abilities.

702.5d  Auras that can enchant a player can target and be attached to players. Such Auras can’t target permanents and can’t be attached to permanents.

702.6    Equip

702.6a  Equip is an activated ability of Equipment cards. "Equip [cost]" means "[Cost]: Attach this permanent to target creature you control. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery."

702.6b  For more information about Equipment, see rule 301, "Artifacts."

702.6c  If a permanent has multiple instances of equip, any of its equip abilities may be activated.

702.7    First Strike

702.7a  First strike is a static ability that modifies the rules for the combat damage step. (See rule 510, "Combat Damage Step.")

702.7b  If at least one attacking or blocking creature has first strike or double strike (see rule 702.4) as the combat damage step begins, the only creatures that assign combat damage in that step are those with first strike or double strike. After that step, instead of proceeding to the end of combat step, the phase gets a second combat damage step. The only creatures that assign combat damage in that step are the remaining attackers and blockers that had neither first strike nor double strike as the first combat damage step began, as well as the remaining attackers and blockers that currently have double strike. After that step, the phase proceeds to the end of combat step.

702.7c  Giving first strike to a creature without it after combat damage has already been dealt in the first combat damage step won’t precludethat creature from assigning combat damage in the second combat damage step. Removing first strike from a creature after it has already dealt combat damage in the first combat damage step won’t allow it to also assign combat damage in the second combat damage step (unless the creature has double strike).

702.7d  Multiple instances of first strike on the same creature are redundant.

702.8    Flash

702.8a  Flash is a static ability that functions in any zone from which you could play the card it’s on. "Flash" means "You may play this card any time you could cast an instant."

702.8b  Multiple instances of flash on the same object are redundant.

702.9    Flying

702.9a  Flying is an evasion ability.

702.9b  A creature with flying can’t be blocked except by creatures with flying and/or reach. A creature with flying can block a creature with or without flying. (See rule 509, "Declare Blockers Step," and rule 702.17, "Reach.")

702.9c  Multiple instances of flying on the same creature are redundant.

702.10    Haste

702.10a  Haste is a static ability.

702.10b  If a creature has haste, it can attack even if it hasn’t been controlled by its controller continuously since his or her most recent turn began. (See rule 302.6.)

702.10c  If a creature has haste, its controller can activate its activated abilities whose cost includes the tap symbol or the untap symbol even if that creature hasn’t been controlled by that player continuously since his or her most recent turn began. (See rule 302.6.)

702.10d  Multiple instances of haste on the same creature are redundant.

702.11    Hexproof

702.11a  Hexproof is a static ability.

702.11b  "Hexproof" on a permanent means "This permanent can’t be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control."

702.11c  "Hexproof" on a player means "You can’t be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control."

702.11d  Multiple instances of hexproof on the same permanent or player are redundant.

702.12    Indestructible

702.12a  Indestructible is a static ability.

702.12b  A permanent with indestructible can’t be destroyed. Such permanents aren’t destroyed by lethal damage, and they ignore the state-based action that checks for lethal damage (see rule 704.5g).

702.12c  Multiple instances of indestructible on the same permanent are redundant.

702.13    Intimidate

702.13a  Intimidate is an evasion ability.

702.13b  A creature with intimidate can’t be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or creatures that share a color with it. (See rule 509, "Declare Blockers Step.")

702.13c  Multiple instances of intimidate on the same creature are redundant.

702.14    Landwalk

702.14a  Landwalk is a generic term that appears within an object’s rules text as "[type]walk," where [type] is usually a subtype, but can be the card type land, any land type, any supertype, or any combination thereof.

702.14b  Landwalk is an evasion ability.

702.14c  A creature with landwalkcan’t be blockedas long as the defending player controls at least one land with the specified subtype (as in "islandwalk"), with the specified supertype (as in "legendary landwalk"), without the specified supertype (as in "nonbasiclandwalk"), or with both the specified supertype and the specified subtype (as in "snow swampwalk"). (See rule 509, "Declare Blockers Step.")

702.14d  Landwalk abilities don’t "cancel" one another.

Example: If a player controls a snow Forest, that player can’t block an attacking creature with snow forestwalk even if he or she also controls a creature with snow forestwalk.

702.14e  Multiple instances of the same kind of landwalk on the same creature are redundant.

702.15    Lifelink

702.15a  Lifelink is a static ability.

702.15b  Damage dealt by a source with lifelink causes that source’s controller, or its owner if it has no controller, to gain that much life (in addition to any other results that damage causes). See rule 119.3.

702.15c  If a permanent leaves the battlefield before an effect causes it to deal damage, its last known information is used to determine whether it had lifelink.

702.15dThe lifelink rules function no matter what zone an object with lifelink deals damage from.

702.15e  If multiple sources with lifelink deal damage at the same time, they cause separate life gain events (see rule 118.9).

Example: A player controls Ajani’s Pridemate, which reads "Whenever you gain life, you may put a +1/+1 counter on Ajani’s Pridemate," and two creatures with lifelink. The creatures with lifelink deal combat damage simultaneously. Ajani’s Pridemate’s ability triggers twice.


702.15fMultiple instances of lifelink on the same object are redundant.

702.16    Protection

702.16a  Protection is a static ability, written "Protection from [quality]." This quality is usually a color (as in "protection from black") but can be any characteristic value. If the quality happens to be a card name, it is treated as such only if the protection ability specifies that the quality is a name. If the quality is a card type, subtype, or supertype, the ability applies to sources that are permanents with that card type, subtype, or supertype and to any sources not on the battlefield that are of that card type, subtype, or supertype. This is an exception to rule 109.2.

702.16b  A permanent or player with protection can’t be targeted by spells with the stated quality and can’t be targeted by abilities from a source with the stated quality.

702.16c  A permanent or player with protection can’t be enchanted by Auras that have the stated quality. Such Auras attached to the permanent or player with protection will be put into their owners’ graveyards as a state-based action. (See rule 704, "State-Based Actions.")

702.16d  A permanent with protection can’t be equipped by Equipment that have the stated quality or fortified by Fortifications that have the stated quality. Such Equipment or Fortifications become unattached from that permanent as a state-based action, but remain on the battlefield. (See rule 704, "State-Based Actions.")

702.16e  Any damage that would be dealt by sources that have the stated quality to a permanent or player with protection is prevented.

702.16f  Attacking creatures with protection can’t be blocked by creatures that have the stated quality.

702.16g  "Protection from [quality A] and from [quality B]" is shorthand for "protection from [quality A]" and "protection from [quality B]"; it behaves as two separate protection abilities. If an effect causes an object with such an ability to lose protection from [quality A], for example, that object would still have protection from [quality B].

702.16h  "Protection from all [characteristic]" is shorthand for "protection from [quality A],""protection from [quality B]," and so on for each possible quality the listed characteristic could have; it behaves as multiple separate protection abilities. If an effect causes an object with such an ability to lose protection from [quality A], for example, that object would still have protection from [quality B], [quality C], and so on.

702.16i  "Protection from everything" is a variant of the protection ability. A permanent with protection from everything has protection from each object regardless of that object’s characteristic values. Such a permanent can’t be targeted by spells or abilities, enchanted by Auras, equipped by Equipment, fortified by Fortifications, or blocked by creatures, and all damage that would be dealt to it is prevented.

702.16j  "Protection from [a player]" is a variant of the protection ability. A permanent with protection from a specific player has protection from each object the player controls and protection from each object the player owns not controlled by another player, regardless of that object’s characteristic values. Such a permanent can’t be targeted by spells or abilities the player controls, enchanted by Auras the player controls, equipped by Equipment the player controls, fortified by Fortifications the player controls, or blocked by creatures the player controls, and all damage that would be dealt to it by sources controlled by the player or owned by the player but not controlled by another player is prevented.

702.16k  Multiple instances of protection from the same quality on the same permanent or player are redundant.

702.16m  Some Auras both give the enchanted creature protection and say"this effect doesn’t remove" either that specific Aura or all Auras. This means that the specified Auras can legally enchant that creature and aren’t put into their owners’ graveyards as a state-based action. If the creature has other instances of protection from the same quality, those instances affect Auras as normal.

702.17    Reach

702.17a  Reach is a static ability.

702.17b  A creature with flying can’t be blocked except by creatures with flying and/or reach. (See rule 509, "Declare Blockers Step," and rule 702.9, "Flying.")

702.17c  Multiple instances of reach on the same creature are redundant.

702.18    Shroud

702.18a  Shroud is a static ability. "Shroud" means "This permanent or player can’t be the target of spells or abilities."

702.18b  Multiple instances of shroud on the same permanent or player are redundant.

702.19    Trample

702.19a  Trample is a static ability that modifies the rules for assigning an attacking creature’s combat damage. The ability has no effect when a creature with trample is blocking or is dealing noncombat damage. (See rule 510, "Combat Damage Step.")

702.19b  The controller of an attacking creature with trample first assigns damage to the creature(s) blocking it. Once all those blocking creatures are assigned lethal damage, any remaining damage is assigned as its controller chooses among those blocking creatures and the player or planeswalker the creature is attacking. When checking for assigned lethal damage, take into account damage already marked on the creature and damage from other creatures that’s being assigned during the same combat damage step, but not any abilities or effects that might change the amount of damage that’s actually dealt. The attacking creature’s controller need not assign lethal damage to all those blocking creatures but in that case can’t assign any damage to the player or planeswalker it’s attacking.

Example: A 2/2 creature that can block an additional creature blocks two attackers: a 1/1 with no abilities and a 3/3 with trample. The active player could assign 1 damage from the first attacker and 1 damage from the second to the blocking creature, and 2 damage to the defending player from the creature with trample.

Example: A 6/6 green creature with trample is blocked by a 2/2 creature with protection from green. The attacking creature’s controller must assign at least 2 damage to the blocker, even though that damage will be prevented by the blocker’s protection ability. The attacking creature’s controller can divide the rest of the damage as he or she chooses between the blocking creature and the defending player.

702.19c  If an attacking creature with trample is blocked, but there are no creatures blocking it when damage is assigned, all its damage is assigned to the player or planeswalker it’s attacking.

702.19d  If a creature with trample is attacking a planeswalker, none of its combat damage can be assigned to the defending player, even if that planeswalker has been removed from combat or the damage the attacking creature could assign is greater than the planeswalker’s loyalty.

702.19e  Multiple instances of trample on the same creature are redundant.

702.20    Vigilance

702.20a  Vigilance is a static ability that modifies the rules for the declare attackers step.

702.20b  Attacking doesn’t cause creatures with vigilance to tap. (See rule 508, "Declare Attackers Step.")

702.20c  Multiple instances of vigilance on the same creature are redundant.

702.21    Banding

702.21a  Banding is a static ability that modifies the rules for combat.

702.21b  "Bands with other" is a special form of banding. If an effect causes a permanent to lose banding, the permanent loses all "bands with other" abilities as well.

702.21c  As a player declares attackers, he or she may declare that one or more attacking creatures with banding and up to one attacking creature without banding (even if it has "bands with other") are all in a "band." He or she may also declare that one or more attacking [quality] creatures with "bands with other [quality]" and any number of other attacking [quality] creatures are all in a band. A player may declare as many attacking bands as he or she wants, but each creature may be a member of only one of them. (Defending players can’t declare bands but may use banding in a different way; see rule 702.21j.)

702.21d  All creatures in an attacking band must attack the same player or planeswalker.

702.21e  Once an attacking band has been announced, it lasts for the rest of combat, even if something later removes banding or "bands with other" from one or more of the creatures in the band.

702.21f  An attacking creature that’s removed from combat is also removed from the band it was in.

702.21g  Banding doesn’t cause attacking creatures to share abilities, nor does it remove any abilities. The attacking creatures in a band are separate permanents.

702.21h  If an attacking creature becomes blocked by a creature, each other creature in the same band as the attacking creature becomes blocked by that same blocking creature.

Example: A player attacks with a band consisting of a creature with flying and a creature with swampwalk. The defending player, who controls a Swamp, can block the flying creature if able. If he or she does, then the creature with swampwalk will also become blocked by the blocking creature(s).

702.21i  If one member of a band would become blocked due to an effect, the entire band becomes blocked.

702.21j  During the combat damage step, if an attacking creature is being blocked by a creature with banding, or by both a [quality] creature with "bands with other [quality]" and another [quality] creature, the defending player (rather than the active player) chooses how the attacking creature’s damage is assigned. That player can divide that creature’s combat damage as he or she chooses among any number of creatures blocking it. This is an exception to the procedure described in rule 510.1c.

702.21k  During the combat damage step, if a blocking creature is blocking a creature with banding, or both a [quality] creature with "bands with other [quality]" and another [quality] creature, the active player (rather than the defending player) chooses how the blocking creature’s damage is assigned. That player can divide that creature’s combat damage as he or she chooses among any number of creatures it’s blocking. This is an exception to the procedure described in rule 510.1d.

702.21m  Multiple instances of banding on the same creature are redundant. Multiple instances of "bands with other" of the same kind on the same creature are redundant.

702.22    Rampage

702.22a  Rampage is a triggered ability. "Rampage N" means "Whenever this creature becomes blocked, it gets +N/+N until end of turn for each creature blocking it beyond the first." (See rule 509, "Declare Blockers Step.")

702.22b  The rampage bonus is calculated only once per combat, when the triggered ability resolves. Adding or removing blockers later in combat won’t change the bonus.

702.22c  If a creature has multiple instances of rampage, each triggers separately.


702.23    Cumulative Upkeep

702.23a  Cumulative upkeep is a triggered ability that imposes an increasing cost on a permanent. "Cumulative upkeep [cost]" means "At the beginning of your upkeep, if this permanent is on the battlefield, put an age counter on this permanent. Then you may pay [cost] for each age counter on it. If you don’t, sacrifice it." If [cost] has choices associated with it, each choice is made separately for each age counter, then either the entire set of costs is paid, or none of them is paid. Partial payments aren’t allowed.

Example: A creature has "Cumulative upkeep W or U" and two age counters on it. When its ability next triggers and resolves, the creature’s controller puts an age counter on it and then may pay WWW, WWU, WUU, or UUU to keep the creature on the battlefield.

Example: A creature has "Cumulative upkeep—Sacrifice a creature" and one age counter on it. When its ability next triggers and resolves, its controller can’t choose the same creature to sacrifice twice. Either two different creatures must be sacrificed, or the creature with cumulative upkeep must be sacrificed.

702.23b  If a permanent has multiple instances of cumulative upkeep, each triggers separately. However, the age counters are not connected to any particular ability; each cumulative upkeep ability will count the total number of age counters on the permanent at the time that ability resolves.

Example: A creature has two instances of "Cumulative upkeep—Pay 1 life." The creature has no age counters, and both cumulative upkeep abilities trigger. When the first ability resolves, the controller adds a counter and then chooses to pay 1 life. When the second ability resolves, the controller adds another counter and then chooses to pay an additional 2 life.

702.24    Flanking

702.24a  Flanking is a triggered ability that triggers during the declare blockers step. (See rule 509, "Declare Blockers Step.") "Flanking" means "Whenever this creature becomes blocked by a creature without flanking, the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn."

702.24b  If a creature has multiple instances of flanking, each triggers separately.

702.25    Phasing

702.25a  Phasing is a static ability that modifies the rules of the untap step. During each player’s untap step, before the active player untaps his or her permanents, all phased-in permanents with phasing that player controls "phase out." Simultaneously, all phased-out permanents that had phased out under that player’s control "phase in."

702.25b  If a permanent phases out, its status changes to "phased out." Except for rules and effects that specifically mention phased-out permanents, a phased-out permanent is treated as though it does not exist. It can’t affect or be affected by anything else in the game. A permanent that phases out is removed from combat. (See rule 506.4.)

Example: You control three creatures, one of which is phased out. You cast a spell that says"Draw a card for each creature you control." You draw two cards.

Example: You control a phased-out creature. You cast a spell that says"Destroy all creatures." The phased-out creature is not destroyed.

702.25c  If a permanent phases in, its status changes to "phased in." The game once again treats it as though it exists.

702.25d  The phasing event doesn’t actually cause a permanent to change zones or control, even though it’s treated as though it’s not on the battlefield and not under its controller’s control while it’s phased out. Zone-change triggers don’t trigger when a permanent phases in or out. Tokens continue to exist on the battlefield while phased out. Counters remain on a permanent while it’s phased out. Effects that check a phased-in permanent’s history won’t treat the phasing event as having caused the permanent to leave or enter the battlefield or its controller’s control.

702.25e  Continuous effects that affect a phased-out permanent may expire while that permanent is phased out. If so, they will no longer affect that permanent once it’s phased in. In particular, effects with "for as long as" durations that track that permanent (see rule 611.2b) end when that permanent phases out because they can no longer see it.

702.25f  When a permanent phases out, any Auras, Equipment, or Fortifications attached to that permanent phase out at the same time. This alternate way of phasing out is known as phasing out "indirectly." An Aura, Equipment, or Fortification that phased out indirectly won’t phase in by itself, but instead phases in along with the permanent it’s attached to.

702.25g  If an object would simultaneously phase out directly and indirectly, it just phases out indirectly.

702.25h  An Aura, Equipment, or Fortification that phased out directly will phase in attached to the object or player it was attached to when it phased out, if that object is still in the same zone or that player is still in the game. If not, that Aura, Equipment, or Fortification phases in unattached. State-based actions apply as appropriate. (See rules 704.5m and 704.5n.)

702.25i  Abilities that trigger when a permanent becomes attached or unattached from an object or player don’t trigger when that permanent phases in or out.

702.25j  Phased-out permanents owned by a player who leaves the game also leave the game. This doesn’t trigger zone-change triggers. See rule 800.4.

702.25kIf an effect causes a player to skip his or her untap step, the phasing event simply doesn’t occur that turn.

702.25mMultiple instances of phasing on the same permanent are redundant.

702.26    Buyback

702.26a  Buyback appears on some instants and sorceries. It represents two static abilities that function while the spell is on the stack. "Buyback [cost]" means "You may pay an additional [cost] as you cast this spell" and "If the buyback cost was paid, put this spell into its owner’s hand instead of into that player’s graveyard as it resolves." Paying a spell’s buyback cost follows the rules for paying additional costs in rules 601.2b and 601.2f–h.

702.27    Shadow

702.27a  Shadow is an evasion ability.

702.27b  A creature with shadow can’t be blocked by creatures without shadow, and a creature without shadow can’t be blocked by creatures with shadow. (See rule 509, "Declare Blockers Step.")

702.27c  Multiple instances of shadow on the same creature are redundant.

702.28    Cycling

702.28a  Cycling is an activated ability that functions only while the card with cycling is in a player’s hand. "Cycling [cost]" means "[Cost], Discard this card: Draw a card."

702.28b  Although the cycling ability can be activated only if the card is in a player’s hand, it continues to exist while the object is on the battlefield and in all other zones. Therefore objects with cycling will be affected by effects that depend on objects having one or more activated abilities.

702.28c  Some cards with cycling have abilities that trigger when they’re cycled. "When you cycle [this card]" means "When you discard [this card] to pay an activation cost of a cycling ability." These abilities trigger from whatever zone the card winds up in after it’s cycled.

702.28d  Some cards have abilities that trigger whenever a player "cycles or discards" a card. These abilities trigger only once when a card is cycled.

702.28eTypecycling is a variant of the cycling ability. "[Type]cycling [cost]" means "[Cost], Discard this card: Search your library for a [type] card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library." This type is usually a subtype (as in "mount