1.1.01: How do I know what's a target and what's not?
------

  Any spell or ability can have any number of targets.  Look through
  the text for the word target.  It can be used in several ways; look
  for where it's used in front of a noun, rather than as a noun itself
  or as a verb.  Some examples:

  Shock  {R}  Instant
/ Shock deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

  Shock has one target.  The word "target" is used in front of the
  phrase "creature or player" to indicate that the creature or player
  is the target.

  Deflection  {3}{U}  Instant
/ Change the target of target spell with a single target.

  Deflection has only one target.  The word "target" is used in front
  of the phrase "spell with a single target" to indicate that the
  spell-with-a-single-target is the target.  The first use of the word
  "target" is used as a noun, to say what to change.

  Radiate  {3}{R}{R}  Instant
/ Choose target instant or sorcery spell that targets only a single
  permanent or player. For each other permanent or player that spell
  could target, put a copy of the spell onto the stack. Each copy targets
  a different one of those permanents and players.

  Radiate has only one target.  The word "target" is used in front of the
  phrase "instant or sorcery spell that targets only a single permanent or
  player" to indicate that that instant or sorcery spell is the target.
  The first use of the word "target" is like an adjective, the other
  uses are as verbs.

  Each use of the word "target" to denote targets requires the right
  number of different targets.

  Hex  {4}{B}{B}  Sorcery
/ Destroy six target creatures.

  Hex targets six creatures.  It's not legal to target a creature more
  than once in this way.  It has to be six different creatures.

  If the word "target" is used again to denote targets, the same target
  can be chosen as for a previous use of the word "target" to denote
  targets.

  Decimate  {2}{R}{G}  Sorcery
/ Destroy target artifact, target creature, target enchantment, and
  target land.

  Decimate has four targets.  Each has its own use of the word "target".
  If there is one permanent in play that's an artifact, a creature, an
  enchantment and a land all at once, then Decimate could target that
  one permanent four times.  It would only be destroyed once, though.

  When you play an Aura from your hand as a spell, you target the
  permanent or player that it's going to enchant.  Here, the word target
  won't appear in the main part of the text; it's implied by the enchant
  ability and appears in the reminder text for "enchant":

  Holy Strength  {W}  Enchantment - Aura   
/ Enchant creature (Target a creature as you play this. This card comes
  into play attached to that creature.)
/ Enchanted creature gets +1/+2. 

	The last thing the Holy Strength does when it resolves is to put
	itself into play attached to whatever creature it was targeting.  Once
	it does so, it stops targeting the creature.  If something later stops
	spells and abilities from targeting the creature, this doesn't affect
	the Holy Strength.  The reference to "enchanted creature" (and the
	similar phrases "equipped creature" and "fortified land") doesn't
	target the creature.  Another example:

  Firebreathing  {R}  Enchantment - Aura
/ Enchant creature (Target a creature as you play this. This card comes
  into play attached to that creature.)
/ {R}: Enchanted creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.

  When you play Firebreathing as a spell, it targets the creature it's
  going to enchant.  When you play the activated ability of Firebreathing,
  it doesn't target the creature it enchants.  Even if the creature
  enchanted by Firebreathing can't be the target of spells or abilities
  any more, Firebreathing's activated ability can still affect it.

  Some spells and abilities use choosing rather than targeting:

  Clone  {3}{U}  Creature - Shapeshifter  0/0   
/ As Clone comes into play, you may choose a creature in play. If you do,
  Clone comes into play as a copy of that creature.

  Clone can copy a creature that can't be the target of spells
  or abilities.  At the point where you choose a creature in play,
  the word target isn't used, so you choose without targeting.

  Many spells and abilities affect things without using the word target:

  Hurricane  {X}{G}  Sorcery
/ Hurricane deals X damage to each creature with flying and each player.

  Hurricane can deal damage to a creature that can't be targeted, as
  long as the creature has flying.  It can also deal damage to a player
  even if that player can't be the target of spells or abilities.

  Wrath of God  {2}{W}{W}  Sorcery
/ Destroy all creatures. They can't be regenerated.

  Wrath of God will destroy creatures even if those creatures can't
  be targeted.  It refers to all creatures; it doesn't use the word
  "target", so it doesn't target.

1.1.02: What things will stop me from targeting?
------

  There are two things that stop targeting.  One is simply static
  abilities that state outright that the targeting isn't allowed:

  Troll Ascetic  {1}{G}{G}  Creature - Troll Shaman  3/2
/ Troll Ascetic can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents
  control.
/ {1}{G}: Regenerate Troll Ascetic.

  This kind of ability is common enough that its simple form has
  its own name, "shroud":

  Deadly Insect  {4}{G}  Creature - Insect  6/1
/ Shroud (This permanent can't be the target of spells or abilities.)

  The other ability that can prevent targeting is protection.
  
1.1.03: So what is protection?
------

  Protection is a static ability that's usually found on creatures
  and usually confers protection from a particular color.  Protection
  actually does four related things, all bundled up into a neat package.
  Let's take the example of a Hand of Cruelty:

  Hand of Cruelty  {B}{B}  Creature - Human Samurai  2/2
/ Protection from white
/ Bushido 1 (When this blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +1/+1 until
  end of turn.)

  The first part of protection says to prevent all damage dealt to the
  Hand of Cruelty from a white source.  So, if it blocks a white creature,
  the combat damage to the Hand of Cruelty is prevented.

  The second part is that the Hand of Cruelty can't be enchanted or
  equipped by white Auras and Equipment.  If a white Aura ends up on
	a creature with protection from white (this isn't straightforward,
	but can sometimes happen) then it goes to its owner's graveyard.

  Thirdly, white creatures can't be declared as blockers for the Hand
  of Cruelty.  It blazes a trail right on by.

  Lastly, the Hand of Cruelty can't be the target of white spells or
  abilities from white sources.  It can be affected by untargeted white
  spells and untargeted abilities from white sources, but it can't be
  named as the target of a white spell or of an ability from a white
  source.  So, the Wrath of God from the first question will destroy
  a Hand of Cruelty.  However, something like Condemn can't target the
  Hand of Cruelty:

  Condemn  {W}  Instant
/ Put target attacking creature on the bottom of its owner's library. Its
  controller gains life equal to its toughness.

1.1.04: How do I stop someone being able to pay for an ability?
------

  Generally, you can't.  The timing rules prevent one player from
  interfering when another player is announcing a spell or ability, and
  this is when the costs are paid.  You won't get a chance to respond
  until after the costs are paid.  Read the text of the spell or ability
  carefully to identify the cost and the effect.

  On a spell, the cost is the mana symbols in the top right, plus any
  additional costs listed in the spell text:

  Fling  {1}{R}  Instant
/ As an additional cost to play Fling, sacrifice a creature.
/ Fling deals damage equal to the sacrificed creature's power to target
  creature or player.

  The cost to play Fling is to pay one point of mana of any color, one
  point of red mana, and sacrifice a creature.  The effect is the Fling
  dealing the damage.

  For an activated ability, the cost is on the left of the colon (:)
  and the effect is on the right:

  Blood Rites  {3}{R}{R}  Enchantment
/ {1}{R}, Sacrifice a creature: Blood Rites deals 2 damage to target
  creature or player.

  The ability of Blood Rites has a cost of one point of mana of any
  color, one point of red mana, and sacrifice a creature.  The effect
  is the Blood Rites dealing the damage.

  In both of these examples, the sacrifice happens when the spell or
  ability is played, and during this time no other spell or ability
  can be announced.  So, it's not possible to step in and interfere
  with the payment.  Even if the opponent has priority and tries to
  interfere with a possible Fling by playing a spell to destroy the
  creature that's intended for the sacrifice, the Fling can be played
  in response to that spell.

1.1.05: How does stuff like 'non-black' work?
------

  This can be confusing at first, as color attributes can have multiple
  values.  The key here is to consider the colors independently.  So,
  asking whether a creature is non-black is the same as asking whether
  the creature is black, and then inverting the answer.  This is totally
  independent of whether the creature is white, blue, red or green.

  Here are some example comparisons that demonstrate this reasoning:

  - Terror vs. Scathe Zombies

  Terror  {1}{B}  Instant
/ Destroy target nonartifact, nonblack creature. It can't be regenerated.

  Scathe Zombies  {2}{B}  Creature - Zombie  2/2

  This is simple: the Scathe Zombies are black, so not a legal target
  for the Terror.

  - Terror vs. Moroii

  Moroii  {2}{U}{B}  Creature - Vampire  4/4
/ Flying
/ At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 1 life.

  The Moroii is black, as it has a {B} in its mana cost.  This means
  that it can't be nonblack, so Terror can't target it.  Remember that
  the check for being black, or being nonblack, doesn't look at the {U}
  in the Moroii's cost, just the {B}.

  - Terror vs. Shrieking Grotesque

  Shrieking Grotesque  {2}{W}  Creature - Gargoyle  2/1
/ Flying
/ When Shrieking Grotesque comes into play, if {B} was spent to play
  Shrieking Grotesque, target player discards a card.

  Even though Shrieking Grotesque was likely played by spending at least
  one point of black mana, it doesn't have {B} in its cost, and therefore
  is not black.  Terror can target the Shrieking Grotesque just fine.

1.1.06: What counts as a Mountain?
------

  There are 11 cards that count as a Mountain.  They all have the land
  type Mountain on their type lines in Oracle.  Here's the full list:

  Badlands    Land - Mountain Swamp

  Plateau    Land - Plains Mountain

  Taiga    Land - Mountain Forest

  Volcanic Island    Land - Island Mountain

  Steam Vent    Land - Island Mountain
/ As Steam Vent comes into play, you may pay 2 life. If you don't,
  Steam Vent comes into play tapped instead.

  Blood Crypt    Land - Swamp Mountain
/ As Blood Crypt comes into play, you may pay 2 life. If you don't,
  Blood Crypt comes into play tapped instead.

  Stomping Ground    Land - Mountain Forest
/ As Stomping Ground comes into play, you may pay 2 life. If you don't,
  Stomping Ground comes into play tapped instead.

  Sacred Foundry    Land - Mountain Plains
/ As Sacred Foundry comes into play, you may pay 2 life. If you don't,
  Sacred Foundry comes into play tapped instead.

  Mountain    Basic Land - Mountain

  Snow-Covered Mountain    Basic Snow Land - Mountain

  Madblind Mountain    Land - Mountain
/ Madblind Mountain comes into play tapped.
/ {R}, {T}: Shuffle your library.  Play this ability only if you control
  two or more red permanents.

  Nothing else counts as a Mountain, even if it happens to produce red
  mana.

  One must be careful to distinguish between effects that specify a basic
  land and effects that specify a Mountain.  The only basic lands are named
  Forest, Island, Mountain, Plains, Swamp and their snow-covered variants.
  Compare:

  Rampant Growth  {1}{G}  Sorcery
/ Search your library for a basic land card and put that card into play
  tapped. Then shuffle your library.

  This can get a card called Mountain or Snow-Covered Mountain, or any of
  the other 8 basic land cards, but it can't fetch a Volcanic Island
  or a Steam Vent.  Those lands are not basic, even though they have
  basic land types on them.

  Chartooth Cougar  {5}{R}  Creature - Cat Beast  4/4
/ {R}: Chartooth Cougar gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
/ Mountaincycling {2} ({2}, Discard this card: Search your library for
  a Mountain card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle
  your library.)

  The Mountaincycling ability can get any of the Mountains listed
  together above, but it can't get an Island, a Forest, a Plains or
  a Swamp.  Those cards aren't Mountains.  The Mountaincycling ability
  doesn't specify that the Mountain needs to also be basic, so it's not
  restricted to only basic Mountains.

1.1.07: How do I know what a card refers to when it uses a card name?
------

  There are two ways in which a card uses a card name.  The simplest
  way is to refer to any card with that name, e.g. on Nesting Wurm:

  Nesting Wurm  {4}{G}{G}  Creature - Wurm  4/3 
/ Trample 
/ When Nesting Wurm comes into play, you may search your library for up
  to three cards named Nesting Wurm, reveal them, and put them into your
  hand. If you do, shuffle your library.

  This usage is always written "a card named..." or "cards named..."

  The second way is slightly more complicated.  A card refers to itself
  in abilities by using its own name.  This use of the card name only
  _ever_ refers to the card itself.  For example:

  Carrion Ants  {2}{B}{B}  Creature - Ant  0/1 
/ {1}: Carrion Ants gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

  This ability only affects the Carrion Ants that it's on, not any other
  Carrion Ants in play.

  Sorceress Queen  {1}{B}{B}  Creature - Sorceress  1/1
/ {T}: Target creature other than Sorceress Queen becomes 0/2 until end
  of turn.

  This creature's ability can target any creature other than itself,
  even if the other creature is named Sorceress Queen.

  If the ability text is granted by another permanent, that permanent
  can refer back to itself (and only itself) by using its own name:

  Saproling Burst  {4}{G}  Enchantment 
/ Fading 7 (This enchantment comes into play with seven fade counters
  on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a fade counter from
  it. If you can't, sacrifice it.)
/ Remove a fade counter from Saproling Burst: Put a green Saproling
  creature token into play. It has "This creature's power and toughness
  are each equal to the number of fade counters on Saproling Burst."
/ When Saproling Burst leaves play, destroy all tokens put into play
  with Saproling Burst. They can't be regenerated.

  The tokens made by a Saproling Burst aren't affected by a second
  Saproling Burst, for example.

  If a permanent gains ability text from elsewhere that contains a
  reference to the host permanent, the reference is updated to the
  new permanent:

  Quicksilver Elemental  {3}{U}{U}  Creature - Elemental  3/4 
/ {U}: Quicksilver Elemental gains all activated abilities of target
  creature until end of turn. (If any of the abilities use that creature's
  name, use this creature's name instead.)
/ You may spend blue mana as though it were mana of any color to pay
  the activation costs of Quicksilver Elemental's abilities.

  Imagine Quicksilver Elemental gains the activated abilities of
  Shivan Dragon:

  Shivan Dragon  {4}{R}{R}  Creature - Dragon  5/5
  Flying
  {R}: Shivan Dragon gets +1/+0 until end of turn.

  Then the gained ability costs {R} to activate but {U} can be spent
  as {R} to pay for it.  Note also that the Quicksilver Elemental can
  only gain activated abilities, so it won't get the Shivan Dragon's
  flying.

1.1.08: What is "damage on the stack"?
------

  There are only three things that ever go on the stack.  One is spells.
  The second is activated or triggered abilities.  The last is combat
  damage assignments.  The last two have no physical representation,
  but they go on the stack like spells.

  When the game reaches the combat damage step, a combat damage event is
  created on the stack.  It contains all of the combat damage assignments:
  how much damage each attacker deals to creatures blocking it and/or
  defending player, and how much damage each blocker deals to whatever
  it blocks.  None of the damage is actually dealt at this point.

  When the combat damage event resolves off of the stack, the creatures
  deal the damage that was specified when the assignment was made, even if
  those creatures have changed power or even left play in the meantime.
  For creatures that leave play while the damage event is on the stack,
  the damage is considered to come from a source with the characteristics
  that the creature had when it was last in play.

  Players use the phrase "damage on the stack" to indicate the period of
  time between making the combat damage assignment and having it resolve.
  A player will often make use of sacrifice effects during this time,
  to get the benefit of the sacrifice as well as the combat damage from
  the creature.  Here's a fairly common scenario:

  Grizzly Bears  {1}{G}  Creature - Bear  2/2

  Mogg Fanatic  {R}  Creature - Goblin  1/1 
/ Sacrifice Mogg Fanatic: Mogg Fanatic deals 1 damage to target creature
  or player.

  Player A attacks with Grizzly Bears.  Player B declares Mogg Fanatic
  to block the Grizzly Bears.  Once the combat damage is placed into
  the combat damage event on the stack, Player B plays the activated
  ability of Mogg Fanatic targeting the Grizzly Bears.  When that
  ability resolves, 1 damage is dealt to the Grizzly Bears.  Then, when
  the combat damage resolves, the Mogg Fanatic's combat damage is also
  dealt to Grizzly Bears.  This is lethal damage, so the Grizzly Bears
  is destroyed and goes to the graveyard.  The damage from the Grizzly
  Bears is not dealt, as the Mogg Fanatic is no longer in play.

1.1.09: How is it that you can tap a tapped creature, or untap an untapped creature?
------

  This isn't possible for the purposes of paying a cost.  A permanent has
  to actually go from the untapped status to the tapped status to pay a
  tap cost.  In an effect, however, the rules are different.  An effect
  tries its best to do as much as it can, and ignores impossible or
  contradictory instructions.  This means that an effect that instructs
  a player to untap a creature will simply be ignored if the creature
  is already untapped at that point.

  Note that the situation is very different if the targeting specification
  calls for a tapped creature:  
  
  Royal Assassin  {1}{B}{B}  Creature - Human Assassin  1/1 
/ {T}: Destroy target tapped creature. 
  
  Read the effect carefully to distinguish which parts are the targeting
  specification, which parts are the cost and which parts are the effect.
  The targeting specification must be met when you play the spell AND
  when it resolves, and the costs must be paid in full, but the effect
  is allowed to skip impossible parts.

1.1.10: When can I sacrifice a creature?  Discard a card?
------

  Only when an effect or a game rule tells you to.  You can't just
  sacrifice a creature or discard a card whenever you wish.  There has
  to be something to cause you to do so.  There are some rules that make
  things go to the graveyard automatically, but they generally won't
  get invoked unless specific situations occur:

  - A creature with toughness 0 or less is put into its owner's graveyard.

  - A creature with lethal damage, but greater than 0 toughness,
  is destroyed.

  - An Aura attached to an illegal permanent or player, or not attached
  to a permanent or player, is put into its owner's graveyard.

  - If two or more legendary permanents with the same name are in play,
  all are put into their owners' graveyards. This is called the "legend
  rule." If only one of those permanents is legendary, this rule doesn't
  apply.

  - If two or more permanents have the supertype world, all except the
  one that has been a permanent with the world supertype in play for
  the shortest amount of time are put into their owners' graveyards.

  - At the beginning of the cleanup step (after the end of turn step,
  in the end phase) if the active player has more cards in hand than his
  or her maximum hand size (normally seven) then he or she discards down
  to that maximum hand size.

1.1.11: How do I tell which end-of-turn things can carry onto the next turn?
------

  There are two different ways in which cards refer to the end of turn.
  One is to specify a duration that lasts "until end of turn".  These
  durations wear off in the cleanup step of the end phase, at the same
  time that damage is removed from creatures.

  There is no way to get an "until end of turn" duration to last into
  the next turn.  If players get priority to play spells or abilities
  during cleanup (difficult, but not impossible to achieve) then the
  game automatically adds another cleanup step before the next turn,
  and any durations that were set up to last until end of turn during
  the first cleanup step will end in the second; you will also have
  to check for maximum hand size again.

  The other way in which cards refer to the end of turn is to trigger at
  the beginning of the end of turn step.  This is denoted by the trigger
  event "at end of turn".  The beginning of the end of turn step only
  happens once a turn, so these triggered abilities only trigger once
  a turn.

  It is possible for a triggered ability to be set up to wait for the
  beginning of the end of turn step (an "at end of turn" trigger) during
  an end of turn step.  The delayed triggered ability will wait around
  for the next turn's end of turn step before it triggers.

  Players often say "at the end of your turn, I..." to indicate playing
  a spell or ability in a player's end of turn step.

1.1.12: What's the point of turning something into a creature just for a turn?
------

  On the first turn that a creature is in play, it can't attack, and
  none of its activated abilities that have the {T} symbol in their cost
  can be played.  This condition is sometimes referred to as "summoning
  sickness" or "lag", but there is no specific term for it in the rules.

  There are only two things to look for to determine whether a permanent
  suffers from this summoning sickness:

  - is the permanent currently a creature?  If so, then it may suffer
  from lag and be unable to attack or have its activated abilities with
  a {T} in the cost played.  If not, then there is no summoning sickness.

  - was the creature (in whatever form) continuously under its current
  controller's control since the beginning of that player's most recent
  turn?  If not, then the creature is sick and it is unable to attack
  or have its activated abilities with a {T} in the cost played.

  So, turning a permanent into a creature will allow the permanent to
  attack, as long as the permanent (in whatever form) was continuously
  under its controller's control since the beginning of that player's
  most recent turn.

1.1.13: How do I tell the difference between "play", "come into play", "you may play"?
------

  The cards and the rules use the word 'play' a lot, and it always has
  a specific meaning.  Here are all the different meanings, and how to
  handle each one:

  - To play a land means: when you have priority, in the main phase,
  with the stack empty, you use the once-per-turn action of playing a
  land card.  The land card goes from your hand into play - unlike
  other cards, lands don't use the stack.

  - Putting a land into play is any way in which a land ends up moving
  from another zone to the in-play zone.  This includes playing a land
  card from your hand.  It also includes the effects of spells (such as
  Farseek) and abilities (such as on Sakura Tribe Elder) that let you
  put a land into play.

  Note here that the restriction on playing one land per turn only
  applies to the "play a land" action.  It does not count any other
  means of getting a land into play.

  - Playing a spell means taking the spell card and putting it on the
  stack, and going through all the steps of announcing a spell or ability:

    - Some spells use the phrase "choose one - " on them.  Make this
    choice first.
    - Some spells have additional, alternative or variable costs.
    Choose which costs to pay.
    - For the choices made so far, there will be a certain number of
    targets required.  Choose those next.
    - If the spell affects different targets differently or distributes
    its effect, make those choices.
    - Determine the total cost of the spell, making sure to add costs
    first, then apply discounts afterwards.
    - If you need mana, you can now play mana abilities to get the mana
    for the spell.
    - Now pay the cost of the spell.
    - The spell is now played.  If the player had priority when the
    spell was announced, that player gets priority back.

  - Some spells and abilities tell a player to put a creature, land,
  artifact or enchantment card into play.  These spells and abilities
  use the stack as normal, but the card that they put into play does
  not use the stack and does not go through any of the steps above.

  - Some spells and abilities copy a spell.  The copy is put onto the
  top of the stack.  Unless otherwise specified, it reuses all of the
  choices that were made for the spell it's copying.  The copy doesn't
  go through the steps again.

  There are different types of triggered ability that interact with
  these actions:

  - "Whenever a player plays a land" only triggers when a player uses the
  special once per turn, main phase, empty stack action to play a land.
  It won't trigger on other ways of getting a land into play.

  - "Whenever a land comes into play" triggers on any land coming into
  play (except from the phased-out zone).  It does not care what mechanism
  allowed the land to come into play.

  - "Whenever a player plays a creature spell" triggers only when the
  player puts the spell on the stack and goes through the steps of
  playing the creature card as a spell.  It won't trigger on other ways
  of getting a creature card onto the stack or a creature into play.

  - "Whenever a creature comes into play" triggers on any creature coming
  into play (except from the phased-out zone).  It does not care what
  mechanism allowed the creature to come into play.

  Various effects deal with playing cards from unusual places.
  In general, there are two different ways these work:

  - Static abilities or resolving spells or abilities with continuous
  effects can state that a card that isn't in a player's hand may
  be played.  These effects always specify a duration during which the
  effect applies.  They add the card to the set of cards that may be
  played using the normal system of priority, according to the normal
  timing rules.

  - Resolving spells or abilities may simply include an instruction to
  play a card or a copy of a card.  The card or copy of a card goes
  through the steps of playing a spell or ability, just like a spell
  that's played when a player has priority.  The timing restrictions
  associated with playing a spell using priority do not apply in this
  situation.  The card Panoptic Mirror is a good example of this type
  of ability:

  Panoptic Mirror  {5}  Artifact 
/ Imprint - {X}, {T}: You may remove an instant or sorcery card with
  converted mana cost X in your hand from the game.
/ At the beginning of your upkeep, you may copy an imprinted instant
  or sorcery card. If you do, you may play the copy without paying its
  mana cost.

  Finally, note the difference between copying a card and then playing the
  copy, and copying a spell that's already been played.  In the former,
  the card is in a zone other than the stack; the copy gets made in the
  same zone, then moves to the stack when it's played, and goes through
  the process of playing a spell or ability.  In the latter, the copy
  arrives fully-formed on the stack as a duplicate of something that's
  already been played, and doesn't go through the process of playing
  a spell or ability again.  The former will trigger abilities that
  trigger when spells are played, but not those that trigger when cards
  are played.  The latter triggers neither.

Some parts © 2009 Advameg, Inc.