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 creature