Card Rulings Summary Updated 00/11/18

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Rulings are collected from many sources. See credits and disclaimer at the end of the file for details.

This release is under the SIXTH EDITION rules.

Unglued, Portal, Portal: Second Age, Portal: Three Kingdoms, Starter, and Starter 2000 cards do not yet have official Oracle card texts, so rulings on them are based on Oracle texts made by NetReps.

Complete text is included for cards from all expansions.

These rulings are updated monthly. The most recent version is available on the web (WWW) as either of the following:

A '+' is used to mark changes since the 00/10/18 release.

Thanx,

Stephen.

Stephen D'Angelo (dangelo@crystalkeep.com) Official Magic: The Gathering Rules Summary Network Representative for Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

- A -

Abandon Hope

• You discard as part of the cost paid when announcing the spell. [D'Angelo 98/11/02]
• X can be zero to just look at their hand. [D'Angelo 98/11/02]
• Note - Also see X Costs, Rule K.27.

Abbey Gargoyles

• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Abbey Matron

• The ability is typically used in response to a damaging effect such as a [Lightning Bolt](#Lightning Bolt). It can also be used after declaring this card as a blocker but before damage dealing. This makes it a 1/6 creature and it still deals damage. [D'Angelo 99/08/01]

Abduction

• Can be played on an already untapped creature. [D'Angelo 97/12/29]
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.

Abeyance

• It only affects player's right to announce things. It does not affect anything which was already announced but has not yet resolved. [D'Angelo 97/06/30] In other words, Abeyance cannot be used to counter a spell or ability. [Duelist Magazine #19, Page 34]
• The player can respond to the casting of this spell by playing instant spells and abilities other than mana abilities. But after this spell resolves, they cannot announce any more this turn. [D'Angelo 99/07/10]
• Never prevents mana abilities from being played. [WotC Rules Team 97/10/06] This means that you can tap lands for mana and play abilities of cards like [Llanowar Elves](#Llanowar Elves) which are played as mana abilities.
• Does not prohibit abilities which are not activated, such as continuous abilities of cards like Crusade, triggered abilities, or declaration of attackers or blockers. [D'Angelo 99/07/10]
• Abeyance affects spells based on the spell's type and not on whether they are played when some other type would be legal. So, it does not prohibit spells that say "is played as an instant" or "can be played whenever you could play an instant" if the spell's type is not otherwise prevented. For example, an enchantment that could be played when you can play an instant is legal under Abeyance. [WotC Rules Team 97/10/06] Similarly, a Summon spell played via [Winding Canyons](#Winding Canyons) is legal. [Aahz 97/09/09]
• Does prohibit the abilities of cards which are not in play. For example, the [Ashen Ghoul](#Ashen Ghoul)'s ability can not be played while it is in your graveyard. [WotC Rules Team 97/12/18] [Duelist Magazine #22, Page 27]

Abjure

• You cannot sacrifice multiple permanents to get a multiple effect. [D'Angelo 97/06/12]
• Note - Before errata this spell was of type Interrupt.

Abolish

• You may discard a non-basic land that "counts as" or "is" a plains. [DeLaney 00/05/29]

Abomination

• A "destroy at end of combat" effect is placed on a green or white creature when it is assigned as a blocker or this card is assigned to block it. The effect is also added to a creature which becomes a blocker by other means, including being part of a band which is blocked or by being moved into blocking or being blocked by an effect such as [General Jarkeld](#General Jarkeld). This effect stays even if the creature is removed from the blocking situation by an effect like General Jarkeld. [WotC Rules Team 95/09/22]
• The color of the blocking/blocked creature is checked only at declaration of the block. If the creature is indeed green or white at that time, it will be destroyed at the end of the combat even if it changes color before the combat ends. [WotC Rules Team 94/07/27]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Aboroth

• Note - Also see Cumulative Upkeep, Rule A.10.

About Face

• Note - See Transmutation for additional rulings.

Abu Ja'far

• Protection from White will not keep a creature from being buried by Abu's power because combat abilities are not considered to be targeted. [D'Angelo 94/06/01] See Rule G.40.Ruling.1.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Absolute Grace

• This affects all creatures, not just your own. [Urza's FAQ 98/10/05]
• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Absolute Law

• This affects all creatures, not just your own. [Urza's FAQ 98/10/05]
• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Absorb

Abundance

• If no card of the chosen type is found before your library empties, the effect does not let you draw a card at all, but you do get to order all the cards in your library any way you choose. [D'Angelo 98/10/08]
• If you use this on a multi-card draw, each replaced draw is handled separately. In other words, you reveal and then put on the bottom of the library for the first card, then do the same for the second, and so on. [bethmo 98/10/12] In a multi-card draw you do not have to choose how many of those draws will be replaced before you do any drawing or use of this card. [D'Angelo 99/12/07]
• This replacement effect (see Rule T.10) replaces the draw, so nothing that triggers on a draw will trigger. [Barclay 98/03/30]

The Abyss

• This is a targeted ability. The Abyss targets one creature each upkeep. It cannot target creatures which are untargetable, such as those with Protection from Black. [Aahz 94/07/13]
• If the target becomes invalid after being chosen but before resolution, you do not have to choose another target. [Duelist Magazine #16, Page 25]
• The current/active player controls the triggered ability. [D'Angelo 97/11/24]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - Also see Enchant World, Rule K.12.10.

Abyssal Gatekeeper

• If another creature goes to the graveyard at the same time as this card, you cannot choose that creature as the one to be sacrificed by the Gatekeeper's triggered ability. This is because you finish putting all the dying creatures into the graveyard before dealing with the Gatekeeper's triggered ability, and therefore those other creatures going to the graveyard with it are not legal targets. [Duelist Magazine #19, Page 34]
• The "sacrifice a creature" effect is not targeted. It can affect creatures with protection from black. [D'Angelo 97/08/27]

Abyssal Horror

• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.

Abyssal Hunter

• The ability can be used on an already tapped creature. [bethmo 97/10/14]
• Note - Prior to Sixth Edition it was of creature type Hunter.

Abyssal Nightstalker

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "Whenever this attacks and isn't blocked, you may have the defending player discard a card from his or her hand." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Abyssal Specter

Academy Rector

• An enchantment card is any Enchantment or Enchant <-something-> card. [D'Angelo 99/06/01]

Academy Researchers

• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.

Accumulated Knowledge

• The count does not include the card that is currently resolving. The card does not go to the graveyard until after it is done resolving. [Nemesis FAQ 00/02/07]

Acidic Dagger

• If used on a creature with first strike, the Dagger ability will destroy the blocked/blocking creature at the end of first strike damage resolution, so if the other creature did not have first strike, it may never get to go at all. [bethmo 96/10/27]
• Does not affect the creature if all damage is prevented or redirected. [D'Angelo 96/10/15]

Acidic Sliver

Acidic Soil

• Counts the lands on resolution. [DeLaney 98/10/05]

Acid Rain

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Acridian

• Note - Also see Echo, Rule A.12.

Active Volcano

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - Also see Modal Spells and Abilities, Rule G.21.
• Note - The artist is actually Justin Hampton. [Duelist Magazine #2, Page 7]

Adarkar Sentinel

Adarkar Unicorn

Adarkar Wastes

Addle

• Note - Also see Color, Rule G.3, for rules on choosing a color.

Adun Oakenshield

• A "creature card" is a Creature card or Artifact Creature card. [D'Angelo 99/05/01] Older cards of type Summon are also Creature cards.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.

Advance Scout

• Note - Also see First Strike, Rule A.15.

Adventurers' Guildhouse

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Aegis of the Meek

Aeolipile

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

AErathi Berserker

• There is a typographical error in the title of the card so that the "AE" does not appear. [Duelist Magazine #2, Page 7]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - Also see Rampage, Rule A.25.

Aerial Caravan

• If you do not play the card by end of turn, it stays removed from the game. If you play it, it goes whereever the spell would normally go when played. [MM FAQ 99/09/22]

Aesthir Glider

AEther Barrier

AEther Flash

• This card has a "comes into play" triggered ability (see Rule E.3). Each time a creature comes into play, you first apply any continuous effects of cards in play (such as Humility or whatever), then you put this ability on the stack. When it resolves, the creature takes 2 damage. You can play instants on the stack before letting this resolve. [D'Angelo 99/05/01]
• This is not a targeted ability, so it deals damage to [Deadly Insects](#Deadly Insects) and other creatures that cannot be targeted by spells and abilities. [D'Angelo 97/09/02]
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.

AEther Rift

• Your opponent decides whether or not to pay the 5 life after the card you discarded is in the graveyard and they can see what you discarded. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]

AEther Sting

• Triggers when the creature spell is announced, and resolves before that creature comes into play. [DeLaney 99/06/08]

Aether Storm

• Affects creature and artifact creature cards, plus the older summon cards. [D'Angelo 99/08/01]
• Does not affect other ways to get creatures into play, such as Flash. [bethmo 96/11/27] Or [Animate Dead](#Animate Dead). [bethmo 97/10/07]

AEther Tide

• You discard the cards at the time you announce the spell. [D'Angelo 98/10/19]
• Note - Also see X Costs, Rule K.27.

Afiya Grove

• If there are any creatures in play, even if they are just your opponent's, you must put a +1/+1 on one of them. If there are no creatures in play, then no counter is removed from this card. [bethmo 96/12/13]

Afterlife

• Note - The Mirage version made Essence tokens. Now it makes Spirit tokens.
• Note - Also see Token Creatures, Rule K.25.

Aftershock

Agent of Shauku

Agent of Stromgald

Aggression

• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Aggressive Urge

Agility

• If played on a creature which already has Flanking, its effect is cumulative. [Duelist Magazine #16, Page 30] See Rule A.16.4.
• Note - Also see Flanking, Rule A.16.

Agonizing Demise

• Note - Also see Kicker, Rule A.20.

Agonizing Memories

Air Bladder

Air Elemental

Aisling Leprechaun

• Creatures change color as a triggered ability (see Rule A.4) upon the block being declared (see Rule C.4). [D'Angelo 98/06/05]
• A creature blocking or blocked by this card is changed to green when it is assigned as a blocker or this card is assigned to block it. A creature is also changed if it is blocked or becomes a blocker by any means, including being part of a band which is blocked or by being moved into blocking or being blocked by an ability such as [General Jarkeld](#General Jarkeld). The effect is not removed if the creature is removed from the blocking situation by an ability like General Jarkeld. [WotC Rules Team 95/09/22] This happens as a triggered ability.
• A Leprechaun with Protection from Green can be blocked by a creature (since it is not green at that time) but will not take damage from the creature (since it is green at the time of damage dealing). [Duelist Magazine #2, Page 7]
• The change to green does not wear off even if the Leprechaun leaves play. [Aahz 94/06/16]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Akron Legionnaire

• If you have two or more Legionnaires, they can all attack. [D'Angelo 94/08/01]
• Will prevent [Evil Eye of Orms-By-Gore](#Evil Eye of Orms-By-Gore) from attacking. [Aahz 94/10/21] Unless they are artifacts for some reason.

Aku Djinn

• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Al-abara's Carpet

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Alabaster Dragon

• Note - The Portal version had no creature type.

Alabaster Leech

Alabaster Potion

• Note - Also see X Costs, Rule K.27.

Alabaster Wall

• Note - Also see Wall, Rule K.26.

Alaborn Cavalier

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "Whenever this attacks, you may tap target creature." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Alaborn Grenadier

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Alaborn Musketeer

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "this may block as though it had flying." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Alaborn Trooper

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Alaborn Veteran

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "{Tap}: Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Play this ability only on your turn before combat." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Alaborn Zealot

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "When this blocks a creature, destroy that creature and destroy this." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Aladdin

• His ability can take control of more than one artifact, although only one each time the ability is used. [Arab FAQ 94/01/05]
• Any artifact can be taken. This includes artifact creatures, and token creatures (see Rule K.25) that count as artifacts, such as Wasps from [The Hive](#The Hive). [D'Angelo 94/06/91]
• Aladdin's ability does not lose control of a creature if it becomes an invalid target. If the target stops being an artifact, the ability's control effect continues. It only checks the validity of the target on announcement and resolution of his ability. [WotC Rules Team 95/02/09] See Rule T.8.Ruling.3.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Aladdin's Lamp

• This card has a replacement ability (see Rule T.10). It is used before the resolution of a spell or ability that would cause you to draw and it replaces one of the draws with a new effect. [D'Angelo 00/02/25] For example, [Sylvan Library](#Sylvan Library), [Jayemdae Tome](#Jayemdae Tome), [Howling Mine](#Howling Mine), and your normal draw during the draw step are also replaceable.
• If you use more than one Lamp effect, the second one will end up replacing the card being drawn with the first one. [D'Angelo 00/02/25]
• If the ability is countered, you do not have to replace a draw. [D'Angelo 00/02/25]
• Note - The Arabian Nights version had two casting cost circles with 5 in them to indicate 10, because they did not have a way to get 10 into a single circle. This is not a typo. [Arab FAQ 94/01/05]

Aladdin's Ring

Alarum

Albino Troll

• Note - Also see Echo, Rule A.12.

Alchor's Tomb

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Aleatory

• You pick the target on announcement and flip the coin on resolution. [Duelist Magazine #16, Page 28]
• Note - Also see Cantrips, Rule E.2.

Alert Shu Infantry

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Alexi's Cloak

• Any enchantments already on the creature remain. [DeLaney 00/05/29]

Alexi, Zephyr Mage

• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.
• Note - Also see X Costs, Rule K.27.

Ali Baba

• May be used to tap more than one wall per turn if you have enough mana. [Arab FAQ 94/01/05]
• May tap walls even when Ali Baba is tapped or just entered play. [Arab FAQ 94/01/05]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Aliban's Tower

Ali from Cairo

• This card makes you immune to damage that would take you below 1 life point. [Arab FAQ 94/01/05]
• Does not prevent effects which reduce your life without doing damage. [Arab FAQ 94/01/05]
• The replacement happens automatically at the time damage would be dealt. [D'Angelo 00/02/25]
• The ability works up until Ali enters the graveyard, so if he takes lethal damage or is destroyed at the same time you take damage, the ability does help you. If the damage occurs after it goes to the graveyard (such as with [Creature Bond](#Creature Bond)), however, it is not affected by the Ali which is no longer in play. [D'Angelo 00/02/25]
• Does not prevent damage, it prevents the damage from turning into loss of life. So the full damage is dealt, but the full loss of life is not applied. [D'Angelo 00/02/25]
• Does not affect damage if you are already at zero or negative life. You still take it all. [WotC Rules Team 96/06/27]
• Type 1 tournaments (Rule D.13) restricted this card from 94/01/25 to 96/04/01.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Allay

• Note - Also see Buyback, Rule A.9.

Alley Grifters

• It triggers only once even if blocked by more than one creature. [MM FAQ 99/09/22]

All Hallow's Eve

• A "creature card" is a Creature card or Artifact Creature card. [D'Angelo 99/05/01] Older cards of type Summon are also Creature cards.
• The creatures are put into play by their respective players, but they enter play simultaneously. For purposes of ordering any effects of the creatures, the active player decides the ordering regardless of which player is putting the creatures into play. See Rule G.34.3. [D'Angelo 00/03/03]
• Two Legends of the same names that enter play are considered to enter play at the same time and both are destroyed. See Rule K.17.2. [D'Angelo 00/03/03]
• A targeted creature, such as Clone or [Vesuvan Doppelganger](#Vesuvan Doppelganger), must choose a creature in play to target. If there is no legal creature, then it cannot leave the graveyard. It can only choose targets from creatures which are in play before this ability resolves. [D'Angelo 00/03/03]
• If a creature, such as a Clone, fails to be able to enter play when chosen (i.e. no other creature to Clone), then it stays in the graveyard [WotC Rules Team 95/09/15]
• Once all the counters are gone, it just sits in play as an inert enchantment. [bethmo 94/06/17]
• Since you can respond to triggered abilities, it is legal to sacrifice creatures using some spell or ability prior to resolving the ability that removes the final counter from All Hallow's Eve. [D'Angelo 00/03/03]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.
• Note - After errata, the card type is "Enchantment" and not "Sorcery". [Encyclopedia, Page 140]

Alloy Golem

• Note - Also see Color, Rule G.3, for rules on choosing a color.

Alluring Scent

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal and Starter.

Alms

Altar of Bone

• A creature card is any card of type Creature or Artifact Creature. [D'Angelo 00/03/09] Older cards of type Summon also count.

Altar of Dementia

Aluren

• You are still casting the creature spells. [Duelist Magazine #23, Page 22] So they can be countered. [D'Angelo 97/11/07]
• Checks the actual printed cost on the creature card, and is not affected by things which allow you to play the spell for less, such as with the [Emerald Medallion](#Emerald Medallion). [D'Angelo 97/10/20]
• The mana cost of the creatures being played is still the stated cost on the card for purposes of [Spell Blast](#Spell Blast) and such, even though you did not pay the cost. [D'Angelo 97/11/07]
• For creatures with X in the mana cost, you must choose the value of X to make the converted mana cost be three or less for this ability. [D'Angelo 99/06/01]
• Any penalty costs such as Gloom still need to be paid. [D'Angelo 97/12/29]
• You cannot choose to play a creature as an instant via Aluren and still pay the mana cost. You either play the creature normally, or via Aluren without paying the mana cost. [bethmo 98/02/07]

Amber Prison

• Note - Also see Tap and Hold Abilities, Rule E.10.

Ambition's Cost

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Ambush

• Note - Also see First Strike, Rule A.15.

Ambush Party

• Note - Also see First Strike, Rule A.15.
• Note - Also see Haste, Rule A.18.

Amnesia

• If used on yourself, you do not have to reveal your hand to other players. It is a good idea to have someone not in the game verify that you made the correct play. [bethmo 00/01/06]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Amok

Amrou Kithkin

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Amulet of Kroog

Amulet of Quoz

• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) have always banned this card.
• Type 1.5 tournaments (see Rule D.14) have always banned this card.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Standard (Type 2) tournaments (see Rule D.16) have always banned this card.
• Ice Age and Ice Age/Homelands/Alliances block format tournaments (see Rule D.18.3) have always banned this card.

Amulet of Unmaking

Anaba Ancestor

Anaba Bodyguard

• This is a Minotaur, so it can be brought into play with Didgeridoo. [D'Angelo 99/05/01]
• Note - In Homelands, this card was of creature type Bodyguard.
• Note - Also see First Strike, Rule A.15.

Anaba Shaman

Anaba Spirit Crafter

Anaconda

• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.
• Note - The Portal version had no creature type.

Anarchist

• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.

Anarchy

Ancestral Knowledge

• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.
• Note - Also see Cumulative Upkeep, Rule A.10.

Ancestral Mask

Ancestral Memories

• If there are less than 7 cards in the library, look at all of them. Put two into your hand, and the rest in the graveyard. [D'Angelo 98/06/16]
• This is not considered a draw or a discard. [D'Angelo 98/06/16]

Ancestral Recall

• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) have restricted this card since 94/01/25.
• Type 1.5 tournaments (see Rule D.14) have always banned this card.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Standard (Type 2) tournaments (see Rule D.16) have always banned this card.

Ancient Craving

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal and Starter.

Ancient Hydra

• Note - Also see Fading, Rule A.14.

Ancient Kavu

• Making a permanent be colorless does not make it into an artifact. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]

Ancient Runes

Ancient Silverback

Ancient Spring

Ancient Tomb

Andradite Leech

Angelic Blessing

Angelic Chorus

• Does not trigger when creatures phase in or change controllers. [DeLaney 98/10/05]
• Does trigger when a creature is put into play by casting or by a spell or ability that puts one into play. [DeLaney 98/10/05]
• Does not trigger on a card in play being turned into a creature. That is just a permanent changing type, not something coming into play. [Barclay 98/02/28]
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.

Angelic Curator

• It will not reduce colorless damage to zero which is not from an artifact. [Barclay 02/09/99]
• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Angelic Favor

• Note - Also see Alternate Cost Spells, Rule E.1.
• Note - Also see Token Creatures, Rule K.25.

Angelic Page

Angelic Protector

• The +0/+3 bonus is added as a triggered ability upon the playing/announcing of a spell or ability which targets this card. [D'Angelo 99/06/01]

Angelic Renewal

• If an animated land or artifact goes to the graveyard, you can still use this card's ability to pull the land or artifact back into play. [Aahz 97/06/16]
• This card's ability cannot save token creatures. The tokens are removed from the game before this ability can return them. [Aahz 97/06/16]
• If multiple creatures go to the graveyard at once, it triggers multiple times, but it can only be sacrificed once and only brings back one creature. [D'Angelo 99/07/10]
• If this card goes to the graveyard at the same time as a creature, then you can still use this card's ability. [D'Angelo 98/03/02]

Angelic Shield

Angelic Voices

• You get the bonus if all of your creatures are white or artifact even if they also have other colors or qualities. So, if your only creature is a [Lord Magnus](#Lord Magnus) (a white and green Legend), you would get the bonus. So would a red artifact creature. [Aahz 94/07/13]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Angelic Wall

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• Note - Also see Walls, Rule K.26.

Angel of Fury

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "When this is put into your graveyard from play, you may choose to shuffle this into your library." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Angel of Light

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Starter.

Angel of Mercy

• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.

Angel's Trumpet

• It does affect Walls and other creatures that cannot attack. [Urza's Legacy FAQ 99/02/03]
• It does not affect creatures which did not attack, but which are tapped before the end of turn. [DeLaney 99/02/10]
• Creatures which are newly played and have summoning sickness will be tapped and cause damage at end of turn (unless they become tapped before then). [D'Angelo 99/06/14]

Angry Mob

• Counts up Swamps controlled by all of your opponents. [Aahz 94/12/25]
• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Angus Mackenzie

• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

An-Havva Constable

An-Havva Inn

An-Havva Township

Animate Artifact

• Creature artifacts are valid targets for this enchantment, they simply are not affected by it. [Oracle 98/07/01]
• Animated artifacts are subject to the effects of summoning sickness (see Rule G.37). [Mirage, Page 14] Remember that all permanents get summoning sickness, but that only creatures are affected by it. So whether or not you can use the animated artifact right away depends on whether or not it has summoning sickness. It will not have summoning sickness if it has been in play on your side (creature or not) since the beginning of your most recent turn.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - Also see Changing a Permanent's Type, Rule K.5.

Animate Dead

• Enters play as a global enchantment and then becomes an Enchant Creature as a triggered ability (see Rule A.4) upon entering play. It follows all the rules for Enchant Creature cards from then on. [WotC Rules Team 97/03/14] For example, it counts for abilities that interact with creature enchantments, such as [Rabid Wombat](#Rabid Wombat). [Aahz 97/06/06]
• A "creature card" is a Creature card or Artifact Creature card. [D'Angelo 99/05/01] Older cards of type Summon are also Creature cards.
• You can Animate a creature which was discarded from a hand and therefore was never in play. [D'Angelo 94/04/01]
• The creature comes out as if it were just played. Any X in the casting cost is zero (see Rule G.28.2). So animating a [Rock Hydra](#Rock Hydra) gives you a hydra with zero heads. [Mirage, Page 31]
• When putting a card into play that requires a definition for its value, such as with [Minion of the Wastes](#Minion of the Wastes), you do what is needed to define the value (see Rule G.28.3 and Rule G.28.4). [WotC Rules Team 98/02/02] In the case of Minion of the Wastes, you pay life to define its values.
• The animated creature comes into play with summoning sickness (see Rule G.37), so it cannot attack until it begins one of its controller's turns in play. [D'Angelo 98/02/03]
• This is a targeted spell. Note that cards in the graveyard do not have Protection from Color abilities (see Rule A.1.3), but the spell may be countered if the target creature card is removed from the graveyard before the spell resolves. [D'Angelo 00/03/03]
• If the creature phases out (see Rule G.27) without the Animate Dead because Animate Dead has been affected by [Spatial Binding](#Spatial Binding), the Animate Dead is destroyed but the creature is not. The creature will phase in perfectly normal since the Animate Dead ability did not destroy it. [Aahz 97/02/16]
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play abilities, Rule E.3.
• Note - Also see Put Into Play, Rule G.28.
• Note - The Limited Edition, Unlimited Edition, Revised Edition, and Fourth Edition versions had this card as an Enchant Dead Creature. [D'Angelo 97/04/11]

Animate Land

• You can attack with the land during your turn if you started the turn with the land in play under your control and have had control of it since then. [D'Angelo 00/02/15]

Animate Wall

• Note - In Fifth Edition (and before) this card could only be played on a Wall.

Ankh of Mishra

• Triggers on any land coming into play. This includes playing a land or putting a land into play using a spell or ability. [D'Angelo 97/05/22]
• Lands phasing in will not trigger this card (see Rule G.27.9). [Mirage, Page 2]
• It determines the land's controller at the time the ability resolves. If the land leaves play before the ability resolves, the land's last controller before it left is used. [D'Angelo 98/10/19]
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play abilities, Rule E.3.

Annihilate

Annul

• It works on Artifact Creature spells and Enchant <-something-> spells. [DeLaney 98/10/05]
• Note - Before errata it was of type Interrupt.

Anoint

• Note - Also see Buyback, Rule A.9.

Antagonism

• It looks back over the entire turn even if this card was not in play at the time. [DeLaney 98/10/05]

Anthroplasm

• It does not kill itself when the ability is used. It is not 0/0 long enough to be killed. [Urza's Legacy FAQ 99/02/03]

Anti-Magic Aura

• The creature can be targeted by abilities. [D'Angelo 00/03/03]

Anvil of Bogardan

• If the draw part of the effect is skipped due to a replacement effect like [Island Sanctuary](#Island Sanctuary) or such, the discard part of the effect is not skipped. [bethmo 97/09/13]
• The draw and discard during the draw step are controlled by the controller of Anvil of Bogardan. This means the discard is forced and can trigger [Sand Golem](#Sand Golem) or [Mangara's Blessing](#Mangara's Blessing). [D'Angelo 98/05/12]

An-Zerrin Ruins

• Cannot choose something such as Artifact Creature or Land Creature which are not creature types. [Duelist Magazine #9, Page 36]
• Note - Also see Creature Type, Rule K.11.

Apathy

• The discard to untap is a payment and is not forced. [bethmo 97/06/12]

Apes of Rath

Apocalypse

Apocalypse Chime

• Changing a land's type will not remove the expansion symbol on it, so this still affects Homelands lands which have been changed to another type by a spell like [Phantasmal Terrain](#Phantasmal Terrain). [Aahz 95/10/23]

Apprentice Necromancer

• Note - Also see Haste, Rule A.18.

Apprentice Sorcerer

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "{Tap}: this deals 1 damage to target creature or player. Play this ability only during your turn before combat." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Apprentice Wizard

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Arboria

• This effect modifies the announcement of an attack, so it only works if it is in play at that time. [D'Angelo 00/03/03]
• You can put tokens into play without ending this effect. For example, [Tombstone Stairwell](#Tombstone Stairwell). [D'Angelo 97/03/26]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - Also see Enchant World, Rule K.12.10.

Arcades Sabboth

• Does give himself a bonus. [Duelist Magazine #2, Page 7]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.

Arcane Denial

• The player does not choose how many cards to draw until the beginning of the appropriate upkeep. [Duelist Magazine #13, Page 26] They choose how many before drawing the first one. [D'Angelo 96/11/11]
• Note - Also see Cantrips, Rule E.2.
• Note - Before errata, this card was of type Interrupt. [Oracle 99/07/23]

Arcane Laboratory

• You cannot play a buyback spell more than once. It does not matter that it's the same spell card. It's not the same spell instance. [WotC Rules Team 98/10/18]
• If the spell is countered, it still counts as the one spell played. [D'Angelo 98/10/19]
• When it enters play, it will look back over the turn to see if any spell was cast before it entered play. [DeLaney 98/10/17] It will notice its own casting. [D'Angelo 98/10/22]
• When it leaves play, the effect ends and all players are able to play spells unrestricted again. [D'Angelo 99/11/23]

Archaeological Dig

Archangel

• Note - The Portal version had no creature type.

Archery Training

• Putting on a counter is optional. If you forget, you cannot go back later even if it is something you usually do. [D'Angelo 99/06/01]
• Remember that you do not remove counters when using the ability. [DeLaney 99/06/08]
• If there is more than one Archery Training on a creature, each granted ability counts the counters on the Archery Training that granted that ability. [DeLaney 99/06/13]

Archivist

Arc Lightning

• Each target must receive at least 1 damage. You can't choose a target to take zero damage. [DeLaney 98/10/05]

Arc Mage

• Note - Cycle with [Avenger en-Dal](#Avenger en-Dal), [Bola Warrior](#Bola Warrior), [Divining Witch](#Divining Witch), [Harvest Mage](#Harvest Mage), [Netter en-Dal](#Netter en-Dal), [Plague Witch](#Plague Witch), [Stampede Driver](#Stampede Driver), [Stronghold Biologist](#Stronghold Biologist), [Stronghold Machinist](#Stronghold Machinist), and [Trickster Mage](#Trickster Mage).

Arctic Foxes

Arctic Wolves

• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.
• Note - Also see Cumulative Upkeep, Rule A.10.

Arcum's Sleigh

Arcum's Weathervane

• Gives the "Snow-Covered" or removes the "Snow-Covered" attibute from a land. [D'Angelo 95/06/08] It is possible to have Snow-Covered non-basic lands. This card cannot give Snow-Covered to a non-basic land, so it takes some tricks to make it happen.
• Cannot be used on a multiland to add Snow-Coveredness even if it "is a" basic land type. You can use it on any land to remove Snow-Coveredness. [Duelist Magazine #6, Page 132]
• Note - Also see Snow-Covered Lands, Rule K.21.

Arcum's Whistle

• Note - Also see Converted Mana Cost, Rule K.8.

Ardent Militia

• Note - The Portal version had no creature type.

Ardent Soldier

• Note - Also see Kicker, Rule A.20.

Arena

• Either or both creatures can be tapped prior to using the ability and it still works. [bethmo 95/08/24]
• Walls can fight in the Arena. [Aahz 94/12/02]
• If either creature leaves play before the ability resolves, then the other creature takes damage equal to the power the creature that left had when it left play. [D'Angelo 98/10/22]
• Blocking abilities like the [Thicket Basilisk](#Thicket Basilisk)'s do not take effect. [Peterson 94/11/15]
• Creatures are chosen when the ability is announced, but they don't become tapped until it resolves. [Aahz 94/12/21]
• The power of the creatures when the effect resolves is used to determine how much damage is done. [Aahz 95/03/07]
• In multiplayer games, you can choose a different opposing player each time it is used. [Duelist Magazine #4, Page 64]

Arena of the Ancients

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.

Arenson's Aura

• Counters an enchantment spell as it is being played from someone's hand. It does not counter the effect of an enchantment. [Aahz 95/06/13]

Argivian Archaeologist

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Argivian Blacksmith

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Argivian Find

Argivian Restoration

Argothian Elder

• Must target two different lands. Can't be used if there is just one land to target. [DeLaney 98/10/05]
• Can target an already untapped land. [DeLaney 98/10/05]

Argothian Enchantress

• The ability triggers when you announce an Enchantment or Enchant <-something> spell. [D'Angelo 99/05/01]

Argothian Pixies

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Argothian Swine

• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Argothian Treefolk

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Argothian Wurm

• When it comes into play, it triggers once for each player. Each player controls their own copy of the triggered ability (see Rule A.4) and gets to sacrifice a land if they want to. [bethmo 99/01/18]
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.
• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Armadillo Cloak

• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Armageddon

• The destruction can be prevented normally, such as with [Consecrate Land](#Consecrate Land), Pyramids, or regeneration if the land is also a creature. [Aahz 94/06/01]

Armageddon Clock

• Players can remove as many counters as they can pay for each turn. [D'Angelo 00/02/25]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Armistice

Armored Galleon

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "this can't attack unless defending player controls an island." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Armored Griffin

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Armored Guardian

• You can play the "can't be the target" ability in response to this card being targeted by a spell or ability. If you do so, then the spell or ability will fail to do anything to this card since this card will now be an illegal target. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]
• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Armored Pegasus

• Note - The Anthologies version of the card has a casting cost of {2}{W} instead of {1}{W}. This is an error.
• Note - The Portal version had no creature type.

Armorer Guildmage

Armor of Faith

Armor of Thorns

Armor Sliver

Armor Thrull

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Arms Dealer

Army Ants

Army of Allah

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - The card appears in two different versions. One version has a normal generic mana symbol in the cost (it is C1 rarity) and the other has a small dark mana symbol (it is C3 rarity). [D'Angelo 99/01/31]

Arnjlot's Ascent

• Note - Also see Cumulative Upkeep, Rule A.10.

Arrest

Arrogant Vampire

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• Note - This card had no creature type. If played with non-Portal cards, it should be played as creature type Vampire. [D'Angelo 00/06/05]

Artifact Blast

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - This spell was of type Interrupt, but now it is of type Instant. [Oracle 99/09/03]

Artifact Mutation

• This spell is countered and you get no Saprolings if the artifact is an illegal target on resolution. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]
• Note - Also see Converted Mana Cost, Rule K.8.
• Note - Also see Token Creatures, Rule K.25.

Artifact Possession

• Triggered abilities are not "played" and so they won't trigger this card's ability. [DeLaney 00/03/12]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Artifact Ward

• Does not protect against non-damaging and non-targeted artifacts such as [Nevinyrral's Disk](#Nevinyrral's Disk). [bethmo 94/06/01]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Ascendant Evincar

Ashen Ghoul

• Note - Also see Haste, Rule A.18.

Ashen Powder

Ashes to Ashes

• Must have 2 targets at time of casting in order to be declared. [Duelist Magazine #3, Page 6]
• If one target is removed or becomes invalid after declaration, the other target is still affected. [bethmo 94/09/15] You take the damage if at least one target is removed from the game. [D'Angelo 95/05/17]

Ashnod's Altar

Ashnod's Battle Gear

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - Also see Tap and Hold Abilities, Rule E.10.

Ashnod's Coupon

• The drink must be a legal target for the player. [Barclay 98/08/13] All local, state, federal, and national laws apply.
• You can target somebody else's drink, but you don't find out what the costs are until you go to pay for it. Better hope they're not too attached to it. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• You cannot force someone get a drink which cannot be reasonably acquired. For example, you cannot make them go to Hawaii for a special drink that is only available there. [QAS 98/09/09] But they might be willing to go if you pay for the trip.
• You cannot force someone to break laws, such as asking a minor to get an alcoholic drink. [QAS 98/09/09] This also includes bringing a drink into a location that does not allow drinks, or any other such rule or law breaking. [D'Angelo 99/02/21]
• You cannot force someone to do something unsafe. [D'Angelo 99/02/21]
• The effect does not resolve until the drink is returned. [QAS 98/09/09]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Ashnod's Cylix

• If the player has less than 3 cards in their library, look at as many as they have, put one back, and remove the others. [Duelist Magazine #12, Page 32]

Ashnod's Transmogrant

• The counter only gives the +1/+1. The artifactness is a permanent change not associated with the counter. [Aahz 97/08/22] So if the counter is moved off of the creature the artifact nature stays.
• Note - Also see Changing a Permanent's Type, Rule K.5.

Asmira, Holy Avenger

• Counts creatures that went to the graveyard before this card came into play. [D'Angelo 98/06/08]
• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.

Aspect of Wolf

• The bonus is recalculated every time the number of Forests you have in play changes. It is not a one-time bonus. [bethmo 94/04/01] It is a continuous effect.

Assassin's Blade

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as an Instant spell with text "Play this only during an opponent's declare attackers step.; Destroy target nonblack attacking creature." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]

Assault (Assault/Battery)

• Note - See Battery (Assault/Battery) for the second half of this card.
• Note - Also see Split Cards, Rule K.24.

Assembly Hall

Astrolabe

• Note - Also see Cantrip, Rule E.2.

Atalya, Samite Master

• Spending only white mana applies to the ability regardless of which mode you choose. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]
• Cost modifiers which add a cost are not restricted to only white mana. [D'Angelo 00/10/14]
• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.
• Note - Also see Modal Spells and Abilities, Rule G.24.

Atog

Attrition

Attunement

• If you have less than 4 cards, discard all you have. [DeLaney 98/10/05]

Aura Flux

• This card adds a triggered ability to all other enchantments. [D'Angelo 99/05/01]
• If two or more Aura Fluxes are in play, they will give the text to each other. [DeLaney 99/02/14] And they will cause each other enchantment to have two triggered abilities the player would have to pay. [D'Angelo 99/05/01]
• You choose whether to pay {2} or not on resolution. If not, then you sacrifice the enchantment. [D'Angelo 99/06/01]

Aura Fracture

Aura Mutation

• This spell is countered and you get no Saprolings if the enchantment is an illegal target on resolution. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]
• Note - Also see Converted Mana Cost, Rule K.8.
• Note - Also see Token Creatures, Rule K.25.

Aura Shards

• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.

Aura of Silence

• Affects all opponents in a multiplayer game. [D'Angelo 99/07/10]

Aura Thief

• Gaining control of an enchantment often isn't very interesting since it probably won't change what the enchantment is doing. It only matters if the enchantment does something specifically to "you" or "an opponent" or if the enchantment has an activated ability (which only the controller can use). [D'Angelo 99/06/01]

Auratog

Aurochs

• The bonus is not applied until after you check for attack legality, so it is a 2/3 creature when declaring attackers. [DeLaney 00/03/02]
• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Auspicious Ancestor

Autumn Willow

• Does not cause enchantments on it to be removed when the ability is activated. An enchantment in play is neither a spell nor an ability. [Duelist Magazine #9, Page 37]
• This card cares about who is targeting it rather than who controls the spell/ability that is targeting it. So if a card you control lets the opponent choose the target (Preacher for example), the opponent is considered to be the one targeting it. [Duelist Magazine #9, Page 61]
• This spell can be countered. The ability does not work until it enters play. [D'Angelo 95/11/15]
• The ability which allows a player to target this card with spells/abilities overrides all effects which prevent such from happening. Thus, you can use the ability to get around [Dense Foliage](#Dense Foliage) because this effect will be newer. [Aahz 97/06/16]

Avalanche

• Note - Also see X Costs, Rule K.27.

Avalanche Riders

• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.
• Note - Also see Haste, Rule A.18.
• Note - Also see Echo, Rule A.12.

Avatar of Fury

• The converted mana cost (see Rule K.8) of this card is still 8, even if you only pay {R}{R} to play it. [DeLaney 00/05/29]

Avatar of Hope

• The converted mana cost (see Rule K.8) of this card is still 8, even if you only pay {W}{W} to play it. [DeLaney 00/05/29]

Avatar of Might

• The converted mana cost (see Rule K.8) of this card is still 8, even if you only pay {G}{G} to play it. [DeLaney 00/05/29]
• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Avatar of Will

• The converted mana cost (see Rule K.8) of this card is still 8, even if you only pay {U}{U} to play it. [DeLaney 00/05/29]

Avatar of Woe

• The converted mana cost (see Rule K.8) of this card is still 8, even if you only pay {B}{B} to play it. [DeLaney 00/05/29]

Avenger en-Dal

• Note - Cycle with [Arc Mage](#Arc Mage), [Bola Warrior](#Bola Warrior), [Divining Witch](#Divining Witch), [Harvest Mage](#Harvest Mage), [Netter en-Dal](#Netter en-Dal), [Plague Witch](#Plague Witch), [Stampede Driver](#Stampede Driver), [Stronghold Biologist](#Stronghold Biologist), [Stronghold Machinist](#Stronghold Machinist), and [Trickster Mage](#Trickster Mage).

Avenging Angel

Avenging Druid

• The ability does not work if all damage is prevented. [Barclay 98/06/10]
• Putting a land into play does not count as playing a land. [Barclay 98/06/10]
• The cards are revealed from the top of the library. [D'Angelo 98/06/25]

Avizoa

• You skip the next untap step that you are not skipping for any other reason. In other words, the skips save up until you skip as many as required. [Aahz 97/06/16]
• Note - Also see Skipping a Phase, Rule G.36.

Avoid Fate

• Whether the target is an instant or enchantment is not set on announcement. [D'Angelo 00/03/03] See Rule G.24.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - It used to be of type Interrupt, but it is now of type Instant. [Oracle 99/09/03]

Awakening

• It is possible to tap your lands for mana before this effect untaps them, and get a bunch of mana for use during your upkeep. [Barclay 98/02/27]

Awesome Presence

Axelrod Gunnarson

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.
• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Ayesha Tanaka

• The controller of the artifact ability pays when the ability of this card resolves if they want to prevent the countering. [bethmo 96/12/03]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - Also see Banding, Rule A.7.
• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.

Aysen Abbey

Aysen Bureaucrats

• Checks the power of the creature on announcement and on resolution. [Duelist Magazine #9, Page 37]

Aysen Crusader

Aysen Highway

• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.

Azimaet Drake

Azure Drake

- B -

Backdraft

• Cannot be played unless there is a sorcery that actually did damage this turn. [Oracle 98/07/01]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Backfire

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Backlash

• Being untapped is a targeting restriction. If the target is tapped before this spell resolves, then this spell is countered. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]

Back to Basics

• Only Forest, Island, Mountain, Plains, and Swamp (plus their Snow-Covered equivalents) are basic lands. See Rule K.16.2. [DeLaney 98/10/05]

Badlands

• The card works as if its text also has "{Tap}: Add {B} to your mana pool.; {Tap}: Add {R} to your mana pool." [WotC Rules Team 00/06/06]
• Conversion changes the entire land to plains if it is a mountain. [WotC Rules Team 98/02/01]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) do not ban this card.

Bad Moon

Bad River

Baki's Curse

Balance

• All cards sacrificed at one time go to the graveyard simultaneously. All cards discarded go to the graveyard simultaneously. As always, you pick the order they end up in the graveyard. See Rule Z.1.4. [D'Angelo 98/02/03]
• This spell is not targeted so cards which cannot be targeted, such as a creature with Protection from White, are both counted and valid choices for being sacrificed. [Aahz 94/12/02]
• Cards are not counted until the appropriate step. So, a land creature sacrificed to the first part of the spell would not count for the last part. [Oracle 98/07/01]
• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) have restricted this card since 95/04/19.
• Type 1.5 tournaments (see Rule D.14) have banned this card since 95/04/19.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Standard (Type 2) tournaments (see Rule D.16) have banned this card since 97/01/01. It was previously restricted from 95/04/19 to 97/01/01.

Balance of Power

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "If you have fewer cards in your hand than target opponent does, you draw until you have the same number. (When you play this, it doesn't count as in your hand.)" [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Balduvian Barbarians

Balduvian Bears

Balduvian Conjurer

Balduvian Dead

• Note - Also see Haste, Rule A.18.
• Note - Also see Token Creatures, Rule K.25.

Balduvian Horde

• The discard is forced. You may use [Library of Leng](#Library of Leng) on the discarded card. [D'Angelo 99/05/01]
• You choose whether to discard or not on resolution. If not, then you sacrifice this card. You can choose to not discard even if you no longer control this card on resolution. See Rule E.11.Ruling.3. [D'Angelo 99/06/01]
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.

Balduvian Hydra

Balduvian Shaman

• Note - Also see Cumulative Upkeep, Rule A.10.

Balduvian Trading Post

• [Mana Flare](#Mana Flare) will let you make an extra red or an extra colorless mana of your choice. [Aahz 96/05/21]
• You sacrifice the mountain before this card is put into play, and do so no matter how it is put into play. [D'Angelo 99/11/14]

Balduvian War-Makers

• Note - Also see Haste, Rule A.18.
• Note - Also see Rampage, Rule A.25.

Baleful Stare

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "Look at target opponent's hand. You draw a card for each mountain card or red card in that player's hand." [D'Angelo 00/07/06]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Ballista Squad

Ball Lightning

• The creature is sacrificed at the end of every turn in which it is in play. There is no choice about what turn to sacrifice it. [D'Angelo 98/06/05]
• The creature type is "Ball-Lightning" which is considered one word. Before errata, it was two words, "Ball Lightning". [D'Angelo 99/09/20]
• Note - Also see Haste, Rule A.18.
• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Balloon Peddler

Balm of Restoration

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Bandage

Banshee

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Barbarian General

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• Note - Also see Horsemanship, Rule A.19.

Barbarian Guides

• Can give Snow-Covered landwalk for basic or non-basic types, but it must be for a specific type. Examples include, Mountainwalk, [Maze of Ith](#Maze of Ith)-Walk, and Tolaria-Walk. Entire classes of landwalk are not supported. [Duelist Magazine #7, Page 99] Legendary Landwalk, black Landwalk, and so on are not usable.
• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.

Barbarian Horde

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Barbary Apes

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Barbed-Back Wurm

Barbed Field

• The damage dealt by a land is normally colorless. See Rule K.15.5. [Prophecy FAQ 00/05/25]

Barbed Foliage

Barbed Sextant

• Note - Also see Cantrips, Rule E.2.

Barbed Sliver

Barbed Wire

Barbtooth Wurm

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal and Starter.

Bargain

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Starter.

Bargaining Table

• You choose an opponent on announcement. This is not targeted, but a choice is still made. This choice is made before determining the value for X that is used in the cost. [D'Angelo 00/01/02]

Barishi

• You still shuffle the creature cards into the library even if this card is not in your graveyard when the triggered ability resolves. [Aahz 97/06/13]

Barktooth Warbeard

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.

Barl's Cage

• Does not prevent a creature from untapping during the upkeep step. It just stops the "normal" untap during the untap step. [D'Angelo 99/08/01]
• Affects the next untap of that creature for whoever controls it at that time. In other words, the effect does not remember the current controller. [bethmo 96/11/27]

Baron Sengir

• [Vampire Bats](#Vampire Bats) are not Vampires, they are Bats, so they cannot be regenerated. [Aahz 95/10/25]
• The Baron is not a Vampire. [D'Angelo 97/09/02]

Barreling Attack

• The effect only counts creatures blocking the creature upon resolution of this spell. [Duelist Magazine #16, Page 25]
• Both the +1/+1 and trample last only until end of turn. [D'Angelo 99/07/10]
• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Barrin, Master Wizard

• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.

Barrin's Codex

• Adding a counter is optional. If you forget to add one during your upkeep, you cannot back up and add one later. [Urza's Saga Rule Page]

Barrin's Spite

• The player chooses which one to sacrifice and which to return on announcement. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]
• If one the creatures is an illegal target on resolution, then the other one is still affected as chosen. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]

Barrin's Unmaking

Barrow Ghoul

• When the triggered ability resolves, you have the choice of removing the top creature card in your graveyard from the game. If you do not do so, then you sacrifice this card. You can choose to not remove the top creature card even if this card is not in play at the time. [D'Angelo 99/07/10]

Bartel Runeaxe

• The "cannot be the target of enchant creature spells" effect applies to any way to target him with an enchantment, including casting an enchantment spell and all ways to move enchantments onto him. [WotC Rules Team 96/05/26] This makes Bartel's ability different from other cards which cannot be targeted by "spells and abilities".
• If you somehow get an enchantment moved onto him, the enchantment will be destroyed since he is an illegal subject for enchantments. [Duelist Magazine #6, Page 131]
• Can be targeted by the abilities of enchantments. [Duelist Magazine #12, Page 26]
• Is only immune to Enchant Creature enchantments. Enchant Permanent and other local enchantments which are somehow enabled to target him are not affected by his ability. [DeLaney 97/01/28]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.

Basal Thrull

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Basalt Golem

• The token creature is put into play as a triggered ability on blocking being declared. It does not wait until the end of combat to enter play. [D'Angelo 03/13/97]
• Note - Also see Token Creatures, Rule K.25.

Basalt Monolith

• It can only be untapped once each turn, during upkeep. [D'Angelo 00/03/03]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Baton of Morale

• Note - Also see Banding, Rule A.7.

Battering Ram

• A wall blocking this card gets a "destroy at end of combat" effect placed upon it when it is assigned as a blocker. The effect is added to a wall which becomes a blocker by any means, including being moved into being a blocker by an ability such as [General Jarkeld](#General Jarkeld). This effect stays even if the wall is removed from the blocking situation by an ability like General Jarkeld. [WotC Rules Team 95/09/22]
• Note - Also see Banding, Rule A.7.

Battery (Assault/Battery)

• Note - See Assault (Assault/Battery) for the second half of this card.
• Note - Also see Split Cards, Rule K.24.
• Note - Also see Token Creatures, Rule K.25.

Battle Cry

Battlefield Percher

Battle Frenzy

Battle Rampart

• Note - Also see Haste, Rule A.18.
• Note - Also see Wall, Rule K.26.

Battle Squadron

Bay Falcon

• Note - Before errata, this card was of creature type Falcon. [Oracle 99/07/01]

Bayou

• The card works as if its text also has "{Tap}: Add {B} to your mana pool.; {Tap}: Add {G} to your mana pool." [WotC Rules Team 00/06/06]
• See Badlands for rulings.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) do not ban this card.

Bayou Dragonfly

• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.

Bazaar of Baghdad

• You cannot use spells or mana abilities before discarding the extra cards. [D'Angelo 00/02/25]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Bazaar of Wonders

• Because it only looks in play and in the graveyard, you can cast several of the same spell in the same stack of spells/abilities. This is because a spell which has been announced but has not yet resolved is on the stack and is not checked. [D'Angelo 99/07/10]
• The Bazaar of Wonders only looks at a spell just after the spell is announced, so if a card of the same name goes to the graveyard after announcement but before that spell resolves, the spell will not be countered. [bethmo 96/11/07] If a spell of the same name goes to the graveyard during announcement (discarding as a cost for example), then the spell will be countered. [Aahz 97/01/17]
• Note - Also see Enchant World, Rule K.12.10.

Bear Cub

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Beast of Burden

• Note - Apparently some (but not all of) of the foil versions of this card are missing the expansion symbol. [DeLaney 99/02/14]

Beasts of Bogardan

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Beast Walkers

• Note - Also see Banding, Rule A.7.

Bedlam

Bee Sting

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "this deals 2 damage to target creature or player". [D'Angelo 00/06/05]

Befoul

• This is not modal. You do not have to choose the target type. The target has to either be a land or non-black creature when announced and on resolution. [DeLaney 98/10/05]

Belbe's Armor

Belbe's Percher

Belbe's Portal

Bellowing Fiend

Benalish Emissary

• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.
• Note - Also see Kicker, Rule A.20.

Benalish Heralds

Benalish Hero

• Note - Also see Banding, Rule A.7.

Benalish Infantry

• Note - Also see Banding, Rule A.7.

Benalish Knight

• Note - Also see First Strike, Rule A.15.

Benalish Lancer

• If you paid the kicker, it comes into play with first strike and retains this ability until it leaves play. [D'Angelo 00/10/14]
• Note - Also see First Strike, Rule A.15.
• Note - Also see Kicker, Rule A.20.

Benalish Missionary

• Works even if the creature is "blocked" by an effect rather than actual creatures. [DeLaney 97/06/12]

Benalish Trapper

• Note - See [Icy Manipulator](#Icy Manipulator) for related rulings.

Bend or Break

Benevolent Unicorn

Benthic Behemoth

• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.

Benthic Djinn

• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.

Benthic Explorers

• The "if you do" means "if the land was tapped and this effect untapped it". If you use this effect on an untapped land, or if the land becomes untapped before this resolves, then you don't get the mana. [D'Angelo 99/08/01]

Bequeathal

Bereavement

• If the player has no cards in hand, this has no effect. [DeLaney 98/10/05]

Berserk

• It is a one time bonus and not something that recalculates. [D'Angelo 98/06/05]
• If the permanent stops being a creature before the end of the turn, it is still destroyed. This happens with [Jade Statue](#Jade Statue), and can happen with other animated cards. [WotC Rules Team 95/02/09]
• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) have restricted this card since 94/01/25.
• Type 1.5 tournaments (see Rule D.14) have always banned this card.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Standard (Type 2) tournaments (see Rule D.16) have always banned this card.
• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Bestial Fury

• Note - Also see Cantrips, Rule E.2.

Betrayal

• It is sacrificed if it is ever on one of your creatures. [D'Angelo 99/07/10]

Betrothed of Fire

• If this card is on a creature you do not control, you may not use the ability to sacrifice the creature. This is because you cannot sacrifice something you do not control. [WotC Rules Team 97/07/03]

B.F.M. (Big Furry Monster)

• This creature is actually split across two cards. The above text and information is what is shown when you put both parts together. Each of the two halves is a rare card. [D'Angelo 98/09/01]
• "Both cards" means one of each half, not two of the same half. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• While the BFM is in play, its treated as one creature, not two. While it's not in play, each half is treated as a separate creature card. [bethmo 98/08/17] So while it's in play a Clone can copy the whole creature. [bethmo 98/11/24]
• You can put the BFM into play using [Living Death](#Living Death), [Timmy, Power Gamer](#Timmy, Power Gamer), or any other effect that puts a creature into play or multiple creature cards into play at once (if both halves are present). You cannot put it into play with [Animate Dead](#Animate Dead), [Spatula of the Ages](#Spatula of the Ages), or any other effect which only puts one creature card into play. [QAS 98/09/09]
• Can make "The-Biggest,-Baddest,-Nastiest,-Scariest-Creature-You'll-Ever-See" tokens with [Volrath's Laboratory](#Volrath's Laboratory). They will only be 2/2. Nobody said that Volrath was perfect. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• This thing is big, making me the second largest furry creature in existence. [Garfield, 98/08/23]
• If it was allowed in tournaments, you would be allowed 4 of each half in a legal deck. [bethmo 98/09/09]
• The half without a casting cost printed on it is considered to have a mana cost of the whole amount if some effect asks for that card's mana cost. [bethmo 99/01/11] But to play the pair you only pay the man cost once.
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Bifurcate

Bind

Binding Agony

Binding Grasp

Bird Maiden

• Note - The Arabian Nights card has two versions. One with a smaller, darker mana circle than normal. Both versions are C2 rarity.
• Note - Before errata, the card was of type "Bird Maiden". Now it is of type "Maiden". [Oracle 99/09/03]

Birds of Paradise

• Note - In Fifth Edition (and before) this card was of cretaure type Mana Birds.

Black Carriage

• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Blacker Lotus

• You must tear it into more than one piece. That's why it says "pieces". [QAS 98/09/09]
• As official errata, clean up after yourself. [Barclay 98/08/13] Littering is a crime in many areas. Recycling is recommended.
• If the card is in a sleeve, remove it before ripping it up. [QAS 98/09/09]
• Optional Rule: If the card is in a sleeve, tear up the sleeve as well. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• You may proxy a Blacker Lotus, by taking a normal [Black Lotus](#Black Lotus), and using a Black Magic Marker to colour the front of the card in completely black. No other proxies are acceptable. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• The ability is played as a mana ability, so it cannot be countered. [D'Angelo 00/03/09]
• If your opponent takes control of this card, they can use the ability to rip it up. [QAS 98/09/09] Note that you can concede the game at faster-than-mana ability-speed to prevent them from doing so.
• Ripping up the card does not make your deck illegal. See Rule U.3.5. [QAS 98/09/09]
• You must pick a valid color (Black, Blue, Green, Red or White) and cannot pick "colorless". [D'Angelo 98/09/21]
• Optional Rule: You can pick any color you want, such as Teal. [TomHa 98/09/15]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Black Knight

• Note - Also see First Strike, Rule A.15.
• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Black Lotus

• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) have restricted this card since 94/01/25.
• Type 1.5 tournaments (see Rule D.14) have always banned this card.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Standard (Type 2) tournaments (see Rule D.16) have always banned this card.
• Note - It is of type "Artifact" not "Mono Artifact". [Encyclopedia, Page 208]

Black Mana Battery

• You can choose to remove zero counters. If you do, it produces one black mana. [D'Angelo 00/03/03]
• Can be tapped even if it has no counters. [D'Angelo 95/05/12]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Black Market

• Getting the mana is not optional. [MM FAQ 99/09/22]

Black Scarab

Black Vise

• You choose one opposing player as it comes into play and it only affects that one player. This target is not changed even if this card changes controllers. It becomes useless but stays in play if the target player leaves play. [D'Angelo 00/03/03] See Rule M.1.3.
• Amount of damage is determined when the effect is resolved and not when it is announced. [D'Angelo 95/10/05]
• If you take control of a Vise that targets you, you continue to take damage from it. The "target opponent" check is only made when it is cast and is not checked by the effect again after it is in play. [D'Angelo 96/01/07]
• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) have restricted this card since 97/07/01. It was previously banned from 96/02/01 to 96/04/01.
• Type 1.5 tournaments (see Rule D.14) have banned this card since 96/02/01.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Standard (Type 2) tournaments (see Rule D.16) have banned this card since 97/01/01. It was previously restricted from 96/02/01 to 97/01/01.

Black Ward

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Blanchwood Armor

• The bonus is continuously recalculated. [Urza's FAQ 98/10/05]

Blanchwood Treefolk

Blanket of Night

• The land can now be tapped for black mana in addition to any other abilities it already has. [Visions FAQ 97/02/16] This works just as if the text "{Tap}: Add {B} to your mana pool" was added to each mana-producing land. [D'Angelo 98/01/26] In other words, the land can be tapped for its own ability or it can be tapped for black mana. Not both.
• This effect is applied after the base type of the land is applied, so using a [Phantasmal Terrain](#Phantasmal Terrain) to change a land's type will not erase the Swamp effect. [Duelist Magazine #17, Page 25]
• The lands do not get the name "Swamp" in addition to their current name. [Bethmo 99/11/16] This is a REVERSAL.
• Whether the land is a basic land or not is unchanged by this effect. [Duelist Magazine #17, Page 25]
• If this effect is applied to a Snow-Covered land, the land is now a Snow-Covered Swamp and not just a regular Swamp. [bethmo 97/03/23]
• More than one Blanket of Night has no meaningful additional effect. [D'Angelo 97/08/22]
• Anything which counts the number of Swamps in play will not double count an actual Swamp card while Blanket of Night is in play. [D'Angelo 99/03/11]
• It can affect lands which do not produce mana. [D'Angelo 99/11/14]

Blasted Landscape

• Note - Also see Cycling, Rule A.11.

Blaster Mage

Blastoderm

• Note - Also see Fading, Rule A.14.

Blaze

• Note - Also see X Costs, Rule K.27.

Blaze of Glory

• Does not allow a tapped creature to block, or allow a creature to block any creatures it would not normally be able to block. If a [Goblin War Drums](#Goblin War Drums) is in effect and no other creature chooses to block, then this creature could not block. [WotC Rules Team 94/12/15]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Blazing Effigy

• If it dies and there are no creatures in play to target, then the ability does nothing. [Aahz 95/05/16]
• The controller when it dies gets to use the ability. [D'Angelo 95/08/09]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Blazing Specter

• Note - Also see Haste, Rule A.18.

Blessed Reversal

• The creatures are counted on resolution. [Barclay 99/02/03]
• Can be cast when there are no attacking creatures, and even out of combat, to gain zero life. [DeLaney 99/02/10]
• Note - The Portal version was a Sorcery.

Blessed Wind

• This counts as gaining or losing life as appropriate. [Prophecy FAQ 00/05/25]

Blessed Wine

• Note - Also see Cantrips, Rule E.2.

Blessing

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Blight

• Note - In Fifth Edition (and before) the land was destroyed at end of turn. It is now destroyed as a triggered ability.

Blighted Shaman

• Note - In Mirage this card was of creature type Cleric.

Blind Fury

Blinding Angel

Blinding Light

• Will not tap a creature that is both white and another color. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]

Blind Seer

• If you change the color of a spell which is to become a permanent, the permanent will retain the color change until the end of the turn. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]
• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.

Blinking Spirit

• Note - This card was of creature type Blinking Spirit and is now of creature type Spirit. [Oracle 00/02/01]

Blistering Barrier

Blizzard

• Note - Also see Cumulative Upkeep, Rule A.10.

Blizzard Elemental

Bloated Toad

• Note - Also see Cycling, Rule A.11.
• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Blockade Runner

Bloodcurdling Scream

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "Target creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• Note - Also see X Costs, Rule K.27.

Blood Frenzy

Blood Hound

Blood Lust

• The +4/-4 is applied when the spell resolves and will not lower the toughness below 1. So, if a 1/1 creature has Blood Lust cast on it, it becomes a 5/1 creature. Later spells to modify toughness modify from this base, so a [Giant Growth](#Giant Growth) would make it an 8/4 creature. [WotC Rules Team 95/02/09]
• If the toughness was below one before Blood Lust took effect, it will not raise the toughness up to one. It just applies a -4, so a creature which was 2/-2 when Blood Lust resolves becomes 6/-6. [Duelist Magazine #7, Page 100]

Blood Moon

• Does affect multilands and all other special lands. [Duelist Magazine #3, Page 6]
• Does not affect snow-covered basic lands. [Duelist Magazine #6, Page 132]
• It immediately changes a non-basic land entering play into a Mountain, and it does so before abilities that trigger on the original entering play trigger. [D'Angelo 99/08/01]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Blood Oath

Blood of the Martyr

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - Also see Damage Redirection, Rule G.12.

Blood Pet

• You can sacrifice it for mana between when damage is assigned in combat and when the damage is dealt. If you do so, any damage that would be dealt to it never becomes dealt. This stops side-effects of the damage since the damage is never dealt to the Blood Pet. But, you do have the one black mana to deal with. [D'Angelo 99/05/01]

Bloodrock Cyclops

• There is no penalty if it cannot attack. [DeLaney 97/06/12]
• Note - Also see Must Attack or Block, Rule C.7.
• Note - Before errata, this card was of creature type Cyclops.

Bloodshot Cyclops

Bloodstone Cameo

Blood Vassal

Blossoming Wreath

• Creatures are counted on resolution. [DeLaney 97/06/12]

Blue Elemental Blast

• The decision to counter a spell or destroy a permanent is a decision made on announcement before a target of the proper type is selected. If the spell is redirected, this mode cannot be changed, so only targets of the selected type are valid. [Duelist Magazine #8, Page 50] See Rule G.24 on Modal spells.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - This card was of type Interrupt and is now of type Instant. [Oracle 99/09/03]

Blue Mana Battery

• See [Black Mana Battery](#Black Mana Battery) for rulings.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Blue Scarab

Blue Ward

• See [Black Ward](#Black Ward) for rulings.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Blurred Mongoose

• It can be targeted while on the stack. The "can't be targeted" ability only works while it is in play. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]
• Counterspells can be played that target it, but when they resolve they simply don't counter it since it can't be countered. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]

Boa Constrictor

Body Snatcher

• You choose whether or not to discard on resolution. [DeLaney 99/06/09]
• You can choose to target itself to return to play, but the remove from game happens first and so the return to play will fail. [D'Angelo 99/07/31]

Bogardan Firefiend

• You must pick a target creature, even if you are the only player with creatures in play. [D'Angelo 97/06/12]

Bogardan Phoenix

• When it dies, it comes back under the control of the player who controlled it when it died. This is because they control the return to play effect. [Aahz 97/01/29]

Bog Elemental

• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Bog Glider

Bog Imp

• Note - The Portal version had no creature type.

Bog Initiate

Bog Raiders

• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.
• Note - The Portal version had no creature type.

Bog Rats

• No, Bog Rats do not affect [Plague Rats](#Plague Rats) totals. [Aahz 94/08/09]

Bog Smugglers

• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.

Bog Witch

• The ability is a mana ability. [MM FAQ 99/09/22]

Bog Wraith

• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.
• Note - The Portal version had no creature type.

Boil

Boiling Blood

• Note - Also see Must Attack or Block, Rule C.7.

Boiling Seas

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Bola Warrior

• Note - Cycle with [Arc Mage](#Arc Mage), [Avenger en-Dal](#Avenger en-Dal), [Divining Witch](#Divining Witch), [Harvest Mage](#Harvest Mage), [Netter en-Dal](#Netter en-Dal), [Plague Witch](#Plague Witch), [Stampede Driver](#Stampede Driver), [Stronghold Biologist](#Stronghold Biologist), [Stronghold Machinist](#Stronghold Machinist), and [Trickster Mage](#Trickster Mage).

Bone Dancer

• Note - Also see Is Not Blocked Ability, Rule E.6.

Bone Flute

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Bone Harvest

• You have to show the creatures you put on top of your library, but not the order you put them there. [D'Angelo 00/02/18]
• Note - Also see Cantrips, Rule E.2.

Bone Mask

• If you do not have enough cards in your library, the damage is still prevented and all the cards in your library are removed. [D'Angelo 97/01/22]

Bone Shaman

Bone Shredder

• Note - Also see Echo, Rule A.12.
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.

Booby Trap

• The card draw is in the player's hand before the trigger is played. [bethmo 97/11/03]
• During the resolution of this triggered ability, a new ability is created that is played immediately and has you sacrifice this card as a cost to get the desired result. If this card is not in play at that time, then the cost cannot be paid and no damage is done. [WotC Rules Team 99/03/18]
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.

Book of Rass

• You cannot spend yourself to below zero life. You cannot spend life you don't have. [Duelist Magazine #9, Page 35]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Boomerang

Border Guard

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal and Starter.
• Note - The Portal version had no creature type.

Boris Devilboon

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.
• Note - Also see Token Creatures, Rule K.25.

Borrowing 100,000 Arrows

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "You draw a card for each tapped creature your opponent controls." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Borrowing the East Wind

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• Note - Also see X Costs, Rule K.27.

Bosium Strip

• The part of the effect which removes the spell card from the game is a replacement ability which happens when the spell would go to the graveyard during resolution, by being countered, or whatever. [D'Angelo 98/11/24]
• Cards which remove cards from the graveyard as a cost cannot affect themselves when cast using Bosium Strip. This is because they are removed from the graveyard before costs are paid. For example, [Spinning Darkness](#Spinning Darkness) cannot remove itself as a cost. [D'Angelo 99/07/10]
• Once activated, you can cast as many spells as you want from the graveyard during that turn (which meet the criteria). [D'Angelo 97/10/13]
• Because the card is removed from the game as replacement ability, other replacement effects which also change where the card goes if it would go to the graveyard, like [Memory Lapse](#Memory Lapse) or Buyback (see Rule A.9), will let the spell's controller choose which of those replacements takes place first. The others are ignored. [D'Angelo 00/03/14]

Bottle Gnomes

• Note - Before errata this card did not have a creature type. It is now of creature type Gnome. [Oracle 99/05/01]

Bottle of Suleiman

• The coin is flipped on resolution and not on declaration of the ability. [Aahz 94/12/21]
• The Djinn has cannot attack (see Rule G.37) on the turn it is created, just like any creature which enters play cannot. [D'Angelo 98/06/01]
• In multiplayer games you choose an opposing player to call the coin toss at the time it is used. [Duelist Magazine #4, Page 64] See Rule M.1.4.
• Note - Also see Token Creatures, Rule K.25.

Bottomless Pit

• The ability is controlled by the player who controls Bottomless Pit. This means that Bottomless Pit can trigger [Guerrilla Tactics](#Guerrilla Tactics) and other abilities which trigger off an opponent forcing you to discard. [WotC Rules Team 98/05/01]

Bottomless Vault

• Whether or not it is tapped is checked at the beginning of upkeep. If it is not tapped, the ability does not trigger. It also checks during resolution and you only get a counter if it is still tapped then. [D'Angelo 99/08/01] See Rule A.4.15.
• Does not get a counter if Stasis is in play, but does get one if you don't untap it due to [Winter Orb](#Winter Orb). [WotC Rules Team 94/11/16] This is because Stasis causes the untap step to be skipped and thereby no chance to get a counter, and Winter Orb just makes the choice of keeping it tapped easier.
• Can be tapped for zero mana. [D'Angelo 94/12/19]
• It is considered "tapped for mana" for purposes of [Mana Flare](#Mana Flare) and [Wild Growth](#Wild Growth) even if you choose to take zero mana from it. [WotC Rules Team 94/12/15]
• [Mana Short](#Mana Short) will not draw any of the counters out of the land. It just taps the land. [Aahz 94/12/06]
• [Drain Power](#Drain Power) draws mana from lands if they are untapped and will draw from the counters on the land... but if you want, you respond to such spells to tap the land for zero mana and then it won't be drained. [D'Angelo 99/08/01] In friendly play, you can assume you are smart enough to defeat this and just assume it taps for zero, but watch out for picky people in tournament play.
• Enters play tapped even if a continuous effect like [Blood Moon](#Blood Moon) immediately changes it to something else. [WotC Rules Team 94/12/15]
• Counters are not lost if the land is changed to another land type. They wait around for the land to change back. [Aahz 95/03/06] See Rule G.8.5.

Bouncing Beebles

Bounty Hunter

Bounty of the Hunt

• Only creatures which are to receive at least one +1/+1 counter are considered targeted by this. [D'Angelo 99/08/01]
• Note - Also see Alternate Cost Spells, Rule E.1.
• Note - Also see Mana Cost, K.18.

Braidwood Cup

Braidwood Sextant

Braingeyser

• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) have restricted this card since 94/01/25.
• Type 1.5 tournaments (see Rule D.14) have always banned this card.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01. It was previously banned from the start of this format until 99/01/01.
• Standard (Type 2) tournaments (see Rule D.16) have banned this card since 95/05/02 when it left the environment.
• Note - Also see X Costs, Rule K.27.

Brainstorm

• This is all one effect. You draw 3 and return 2 cards all in one resolution. Nothing may be used between the two. [D'Angelo 99/10/12]

Brainwash

• This ability is paid for during the declare attackers step of the combat phase (see Rule C.3). [Aahz 95/01/27]
• Paying Brainwash is not an instant or any other kind of ability, it is a cost increase on the declaration of the attacker. This makes it much like the way Gloom makes a white spell more expensive to cast. [WotC Rules Team 98/03/01]
• If there are multiple combat phases during the turn, the attack cost must be paid each time if you want to attack with the creature. [D'Angelo 99/08/01]

Brand

• Note - Also see Cycling, Rule A.11.

Branded Brawlers

Brand of Ill Omen

• A creature spell is any card of type Creature or Artifact Creature. [D'Angelo 00/03/09] Older cards of type Summon also count.
• Note - Also see Cumulative Upkeep, Rule A.10.

Brassclaw Orcs

Brass Man

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Brass Secretary

Brass-Talon Chimera

• Note - Also see First Strike, Rule A.15.

Bravado

• The bonus is continuously calculated. [DeLaney 98/10/05]

Brawl

Breach

Breaking Wave

• Note - See Rule E.11.Ruling.7 for "any time you could play" rules.

Breath of Darigaaz

• Note - Also see Kicker, Rule A.20.

Breath of Dreams

• Note - Also see Cumulative Upkeep, Rule A.10.

Breath of Life

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal and Starter.

Breathstealer

• Note - Before errata, it was of creature type Night Stalker (with two words). [Oracle 99/07/01]

Breathstealer's Crypt

Breeding Pit

• Must actually be in play at the end of turn in order for you to get a Thrull. The getting of the Thrull is not part of paying the upkeep, it is part of having the card in play. [D'Angelo 95/04/12]
• Note - Also see Token Creatures, Rule K.25.

Breezekeeper

• Note - Also see Phasing, Rule A.23.

Briar Patch

Briar Shield

Bribery

• You put the creature into play, so you control it and any "comes into play" abilities it has. [MM FAQ 99/09/22]

Brilliant Halo

Brilliant Plan

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Brimstone Dragon

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "Flying, Haste." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• Note - Also see Haste, Rule A.18.

Brine Hag

• This effect sets the current power/toughness of the creature, so it overrides any effects that resolved prior to this one, and it overrides all counters. [D'Angelo 99/02/09]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Brine Seer

• You can reveal zero cards, and the controller of the spell can pay {0} to stop this or not pay {0} and let it be countered. [DeLaney 99/06/01]

Brine Shaman

• A creature spell is any card of type Creature or Artifact Creature. [D'Angelo 00/03/09] Older cards of type Summon also count.

Brink of Madness

• It counts the number of cards in your hand during the resolution of the triggered ability. [D'Angelo 99/05/01]
• If this card is not in play at the time it is to be sacrificed, then you can't and the opponent does not discard their hand. [WotC Rules Team 99/03/18]

Broken Dam

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "Tap one or two target creatures without horsemanship." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Broken Fall

Broken Visage

• The Shadow token creature gets a fixed power/toughness equal to the power/toughness of the target creature when Broken Visage resolves. This includes the effects of any enchantments or other effects on the target creature. The Shadow token never gets a variable power/toughness. [D'Angelo 95/10/29]
• The token creature comes into play under your control regardless of who controlled the target creature. [Duelist Magazine #9, Page 36]
• Note - Also see Token Creatures, Rule K.25.

Bronze Calendar

• You may use sign language, unless you normally speak in sign language. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• You can have someone else speak for you. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• The Calendar will reduce the total cost of the spell, so it can pay for part of the Gloom cost for a white spell. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• If you have two Calendars in play, you can use just one different voice to satisfy both of them. [QAS 98/09/09]
• You can switch voices as often as you want. You just cannot use your normal voice. [QAS 98/09/09]
• Your normal voice is determined at the time as casting as the voice you used most often during the past 24 hours. [TomHa 98/09/15]
• Volume alone does not make a voice "different". [D'Angelo 99/02/21]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Bronze Horse

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Bronze Tablet

• Cannot choose to lose 10 life if you have less than 10 life, but you may choose to give up the game immediately. This has roughly the same effect. [D'Angelo 94/06/01]
• If the card being targeted by the Bronze Tablet is removed before Tablet takes effect, then the Tablet ability does nothing and remains tapped. [D'Angelo 94/06/01]
• If the tablet is not still in play when the ability resolves, it is not removed from the game, and the exchange fails to happen. You don't get the other player's card, but that card is still removed from the game. [D'Angelo 00/02/25]
• If using a [Copy Artifact](#Copy Artifact) of the Tablet, you must trade the Copy Artifact card to your opponent just like you would have traded the Tablet. [bethmo 94/08/01]
• You can take control of your opponent's Tablet and in the trade you only have to give them back their Tablet. [Duelist Magazine #2, Page 15]
• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) have banned this card since 94/05/02.
• Type 1.5 tournaments (see Rule D.14) have always banned this card.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Standard (Type 2) tournaments (see Rule D.16) have always banned this card.

Brood of Cockroaches

• The loss of life is not optional. [bethmo 97/01/28]
• The life loss and the return to hand both happen at end of turn as a single effect. It is not two separate effects. [Duelist Magazine #17, Page 28]

Brothers of Fire

Brown Ouphe

• Attacking is not an activation and cannot be countered. [D'Angelo 95/07/24]

Browse

• If used with less than 5 cards in your library, you put one in your hand and remove the others from the game. This is not an immediate loss of the game. [Bethmo 96/07/16]

Brushland

Brushwagg

Brush With Death

• Note - Also see Buyback, Rule A.9.

Brutal Nightstalker

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "When this comes into play, if you played it from your hand, you may have target opponent discard a card from his or her hand." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Brutal Suppression

• It only affects Rebel cards, not Rebel tokens. [DeLaney 00/06/20] Errata is expected to remove the word "cards" from this card as it was for [Mercenary Informer](#Mercenary Informer) and [Rebel Informer](#Rebel Informer) in the coming month.

The Brute

Bubble Matrix

Bubbling Beebles

Bubbling Muck

• Affects lands tapped for rest of turn, not just swamps in play at the time it resolves. [Urza's Destiny FAQ 99/05/25] This is because it affects players and not the lands themselves. [DeLaney 99/06/13]
• Affects lands that count as a swamp. For example, if you tap Badlands for {R}, it will produce an additional {B}. [Urza's Destiny FAQ 99/05/25]

Builder's Bane

• Note - Also see X Costs, Rule K.27.

Bull Elephant

• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.

Bull Hippo

• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.
• Note - The Portal version had no creature type.

Bulwark

• Counts cards during resolution. [DeLaney 10/05/98]

Bullwhip

• If the creature can attack, it must. If it cannot, then nothing happens. [Duelist Magazine #25, Page 30]
• Note - Also see Must Attack or Block, Rule C.7.

Buoyancy

Bureaucracy

• This card works like this... At the beginning of the next player's upkeep, he or she will pick a simple verbal or physical action such as clapping his or her hands. At the beginning of his or her upkeep, the next player (you in a two-player game) must clap his or her hands and then add another action--for example, saying "Yabba Dabba Doo." At the beginning of his or her upkeep, the next player claps his or her hands, says "Yabba Dabba Doo," and then adds a new action. This little game continues until someone messes up the order, at which point the controller of Bureaucracy sacrifices the card and the player who made the mistake loses all the cards in his or her hand. [QAS 98/09/09]
• A player must clearly identify to all players what action he or she is adding. Show it and describe it if necessary. Don't make the player guess. [QAS 98/09/09]
• The participant is the PLAYER, not the trading card game. [DeLaney 98/08/12]
• Each other player in the game must assent that they are capable of performing the action to be added to the ACTION QUEUE at the time it is added, or the PLAYER must choose a different action. [DeLaney 98/08/12]
• Duplicate actions are legal. [DeLaney 98/08/12]
• You can only add an action to the end of the ACTION QUEUE, not the beginning. [D'Angelo 98/09/07] Even though some might argue that the beginning is just the "other end". You can optionally play that way.
• If there is more than one Bureaucracy in play, you choose which order to deal with them, then deal with each of their ACTION QUEUEs separately. [QAS 98/09/09]
• You can pick actions which make it hard for the opponent to meet the requirements of another card. Such as clapping hands when the opponent is enchanted with [Volrath's Motion Sensor](#Volrath's Motion Sensor). [QAS 98/09/09]
• The action needs to be simple, so saying a Censored word twenty times is not acceptable. [QAS 98/09/09] Once is definitely okay, twice is probably okay, and three or more times isn't very simple. [D'Angelo 98/09/21]
• A judge can consider "unsportsmanlike" actions illegal. This includes any action which invades a person's privacy without their permission, such as tossing another player's deck into the air, touching the person in any way, or so on. [D'Angelo 99/02/21]
• Any action which would break or law or local rule is not a valid choice. [D'Angelo 99/02/21] For example, you cannot ask someone to yell "Fire" in a crowded room.
• Yelling "judge" can be considered an illegal action by the judges if it annoys them. [D'Angelo 99/02/21]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Burgeoning

• Playing a land will trigger it, but putting a land into play as part of an effect will not. [Duelist Magazine #25, Page 30]

Buried Alive

• You can choose zero creatures. [DeLaney 97/06/12]

Burning Cinder Fury of Crimson Chaos Fire

• Lands that count as creatures are not considered to be "non-land cards". [Barclay 98/08/13]
• If you tap another player's card, you must give control of that card (at end of turn) to one of your opponents. [QAS 98/09/09] For example, in a multiplayer game, Player A could tap Player B's permanent with [Icy Manipulator](#Icy Manipulator) and give the player B's card to Player C at end of turn.
• This card is not considered tapped. Card orientation is determined by the orientation of the text, artwork, etc., not by the length of the card sides. [QAS 98/09/09]
• Does not affect tokens. [D'Angelo 98/09/21]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Burning Cloak

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "Target creature gets +2/+0 until end of turn. this deals 2 damage to that creature." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]

Burning Fields

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "this deals 5 damage to target opponent." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Burning of Xinye

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "Each player sacrifices four lands. Then this deals 4 damage to each creature." [D'Angelo 00/07/06]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Burning Palm Efreet

Burning Shield Askari

• Note - Also see First Strike, Rule A.15.
• Note - Also see Flanking, Rule A.16.

Burnout

• Checks the color of the spell only on resolution. It can target a non-blue spell. [D'Angelo 98/06/10]
• Note - Also see Cantrips, Rule E.2.
• Note - Before errata, this card was of type Interrupt. [Oracle 99/07/23]

Burnt Offering

• Note - Also see Converted Mana Cost, Rule K.8.
• Note - The spell has errata to change its type from Interrupt to Instant. [Oracle 00/02/01]

Burrowing

• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.

Burst of Energy

- C -

Cackling Fiend

• If the opponent has no cards in hand, this has no effect. [DeLaney 98/10/05]
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.

Cackling Witch

Cadaverous Bloom

Cadaverous Knight

• Note - Also see Flanking, Rule A.16.

Caldera Lake

Caller of the Hunt

Call of the Wild

Callous Giant

Call to Arms

• You cannot choose "colorless" as a color. [Aahz 95/06/08]
• Only sacrificed if opponent controls less or exactly the same number of cards of the chosen color than of any other single color. Thus, if you chose red and they had 5 red cards, 4 blue ones, and 3 white ones, it would not be sacrificed. [WotC Rules Team 95/07/19]
• Only counts cards in play. See Rule T.7.2. [Duelist Magazine #10, Page 44]
• Colorless cards are effectively ignored by this card's ability. [D'Angelo 97/06/23]

Calming Licid

• Note - Also see Licids, Rule E.7.

Calming Verse

• It checks if you control an untapped land during resolution. [Prophecy FAQ 00/05/25]

Caltrops

Camel

• It does prevent damage from animated Deserts in combat. [D'Angelo 96/11/07]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - Also see Banding, Rule A.7.

Camouflage

• The blocking creatures are considered to have blocked the creatures they blocked even if they are removed from combat. So abilities of both the attackers and blockers that trigger on blocking will trigger. [D'Angelo 00/03/03]
• Can be cast when you have no creatures in play or no attacking creatures since it does not say it needs to be played during an attack. [bethmo 94/06/01] If so, it does nothing.
• Does not give creatures which cannot block the ability to block, but it does make any creature able to block ignore any characteristics of the creatures they are blocking. [DeLaney 99/01/18]
• Only the controller of the face down creature can look at it. [D'Angelo 98/02/03]
• At the time you announce a spell or ability that would target the face down creature, the game rules consider the card to be a creature, but do not know anything else about it. Upon resolution, however, the game gets to know the "truth" and the spell may find that it is countered because its targets are illegal. [PPG Page 57] For example, you can target a black face down creature with Terror, but the spell will be countered when it resolves.
• At the time you announce blockers, the game rules consider the card to be a creature but do not know anything else about it. After the blockers are declared, however, the game gets to know the "truth" and any illegal blocking assignments do not happen. The player cannot choose a different blocking assignment for the illegal blockers. [WotC Rules Team 95/11/10]
• Any continuous effects (or Rule Effects) to face down creatures still take effect. You must inform the other players of any relevant effects as soon as those effects get checked. For example, a face down [Goblin King](#Goblin King) would require you to inform players that your Goblin can Mountainwalk as soon as you use that ability. And to inform them that their Goblin is a 2/2 creature as soon as there is a reason to check the Goblin's power or toughness. [Aahz 97/12/01]
• Only the creature is face down. Enchantments on it say face up and counters on it are visible. [Duelist Magazine #11, Page 56]
• Face down token creatures need not still be shown as tokens in play. You can use cards to mark them so your opponent cannot tell them apart. [WotC Rules Team 94/12/15]
• If a blocking assignment is cancelled because it is illegal, no abilities that trigger on blocking assignment will happen. [D'Angelo 98/02/03]
• A face down creature with Lure on it must be blocked by all of your opponent's creatures even if you know that the block will be illegal because the attacker has a Landwalk ability (see Rule A.22) or some other evasion ability (see Rule A.13). [D'Angelo 95/11/21]
• If a copy card like Clone is used to copy a face down creature, you do not tell that player anything about their creature until there is a need to know. [bethmo 94/04/01]
• If you have a face down Legend (see Rule K.17) in play and a duplicate Legend is brought into play, you must inform them and have the duplicate buried. [WotC Rules Team 94/12/15]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Candelabra of Tawnos

• This is not mana ability. It is a normal ability and it will resolve along with other spells and abilities in its stack. The lands untap during resolution. [D'Angelo 00/02/25]
• You may untap your opponent's lands if desired. [Aahz 94/05/03] This can be useful if [Power Surge](#Power Surge) is in play.
• Can be used on an untapped land. [Duelist Magazine #5, Page 22]
• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) restricted this card from 94/05/02 until 97/10/01.
• Type 1.5 tournaments (see Rule D.14) banned this card until 99/04/01.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Standard (Type 2) tournaments (see Rule D.16) have always banned this card.
• Note - The card type is "Artifact" and not "Mono Artifact". [Oracle 98/07/01]

Cannibalize

• You choose the two target creatures during announcement, and you choose which gets the counters and which is to get removed from the game during announcement as well. [D'Angelo 99/06/20]
• A creature will not be affected if it changes controllers before this spell resolves. This is because being controlled by the chosen player is a targeting restriction. [WotC Rules Team 98/03/31]
• If one of the targets is not valid on resolution, it still affects the other target normally. See Rule G.39.5. [Duelist Magazine #25, Page 30]

Canopy Dragon

• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Canopy Spider

• The player can choose to treat this creature as flying or non-flying when declaring blockers, but only one of the two during a single declare blockers step. For example, it can block a creature that can only be blocked by flyers. [bethmo 99/06/13]

Canopy Surge

• Note - Also see Kicker, Rule A.20.

Canyon Drake

• The ability cannot be used unless you have at least one card in your hand which can be discarded. [D'Angelo 98/11/02]

Canyon Wildcat

• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.

Cao Cao, Lord of Wei

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "{Tap}: Target opponent discards two cards from his or her hand. Play this ability only during your turn before combat." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.

Cao Ren, Wei Commander

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• Note - Also see Horsemanship, Rule A.19.

Capashen Knight

• Note - Also see First Strike, Rule A.15.

Capashen Standard

Capashen Templar

Capashen Unicorn

Capricious Sorcerer

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "{Tap}: this deals 1 damage to target creature or player. Play this ability only during your turn before combat." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• Note - This card had no creature type. If played with non-Portal cards, it should be played as creature type Wizard. [D'Angelo 00/06/05]

Capsize

• Note - Also see Buyback, Rule A.9.

Captain Sisay

• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.

Capture of Jingzhou

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Carapace

Cardboard Carapace

• Does not count cards which were removed from the game, are in ante, are phased out, or are in limbo. Only counts ones which were never in this game. [QAS 98/09/09] Sideboard is also in the game. [D'Angelo 98/09/21]
• You only have to have possession of the cards. You don't actually have to own them (in the property sense). [QAS 98/09/09]
• You do have to show the cards to your opponent and let them count them. [TomHa 98/09/15]
• Optional Rule: If Cardboard Carapace is enchanting a Blue creature, it gets all wet and soggy, and provides no bonuses. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Caribou Range

• This card is destroyed if you lose control of the target land. [Mirage, Page 22]
• Note - Also see Token Creatures, Rule K.25.

Carnassid

• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Carnival of Souls

• This is not optional. [D'Angelo 99/06/01]

Carnivorous Plant

• Note - The Anthologies version of the card has a Legends expansion symbol when it should have one from The Dark.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Carnophage

Carpet of Flowers

• You can add less than X mana if you want, even zero. [DeLaney 98/10/17]
• You can target a different opponent each turn. [D'Angelo 99/05/01]
• The ability is not a mana ability. [Jackson 99/10/29]

Carrier Pigeons

• Note - Also see Cantrips, Rule E.2.
• Note - Before errata, this card was of creature type Pigeon. [Oracle 99/07/23]

Carrion

• Note - Also see Token Creatures, Rule K.25.

Carrion Ants

Carrion Beetles

• You pick the 0, 1, 2, or 3 target cards on announcement. [DeLaney 98/10/05]
• If any of the targets are not there on resolution, the others are still affected. [D'Angelo 98/10/15]

Carrionette

• Since it is removed as part of the effect and not part of the cost, you can activate its ability more than once in a single stack. [D'Angelo 98/02/03]

Carrion Wall

• Note - Also see Walls, Rule K.26.

Cartographer

• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.

Casting of Bones

Castle

• Tapping a creature removes the +2 toughness from the creature and may kill it if it has already taken damage. [D'Angelo 94/06/01]
• Note - In Fifth Edition (and before) the +0/+2 bonus was not granted if the creature was attacking.

Castle Sengir

Cataclysm

• If you control a permanent with more than one type, you can choose that same permanent for more than one of the choices if you want to. [Barclay 98/06/10] This makes it possible to select a [Brass Man](#Brass Man) as both your artifact and creature, and then select a land and thereby keep only two cards. You probably won't want to do this often, but it is an option. [D'Angelo 98/08/19]
• If you control a permanent with more than one type, you can choose that permanent to be the representative of either type. This makes it possible to have more than one creature (or other permanent type) in play. For example, if you select a [Scryb Sprite](#Scryb Sprite) for your creature and a [Brass Man](#Brass Man) for your artifact, you get to keep both of these creatures. [D'Angelo 98/07/23]
• The permanents to save are chosen on resolution. You do not choose them when announcing the spell. [WotC Rules Team 98/08/01]
• The current player makes their choices before the other player. After both players make choices, all the sacrifices are done simultaneously. [D'Angelo 98/11/04]

Catacomb Dragon

• The halving of power is done as a triggered ability (see Rule A.4) upon declaration of blockers (see Rule C.4). This halving is not applied to any additional power modification done after that. [Duelist Magazine #16, Page 28]
• If the power of the creature is recalculated (which only happens if the base power changes or a power-changing effect which was in effect before the Catacomb Dragon's effect ends), you redo the halving of the power. [Aahz 11/08/96] For example, if a 2/2 creature with [Unholy Strength](#Unholy Strength) on it to make it 4/3 blocks the Dragon, it becomes 2/3. If the Unholy Strength is destroyed, the halving effect is reapplied to the 2/2 creature to make it 1/2.

Catalog

Catastrophe

• You choose land or creatures when the spell resolves. [D'Angelo 99/05/01]

Cat Burglar

Cateran Brute

• Note - Also see Converted Mana Cost, Rule K.8.

Cateran Enforcer

• Note - Also see Converted Mana Cost, Rule K.8.

Cateran Kidnappers

• Note - Also see Converted Mana Cost, Rule K.8.

Cateran Overlord

• Note - Also see Converted Mana Cost, Rule K.8.

Cateran Persuader

• Note - Also see Converted Mana Cost, Rule K.8.

Cateran Slaver

• Note - Also see Converted Mana Cost, Rule K.8.
• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.

Cateran Summons

Cathedral of Serra

• See [Adventurers' Guildhouse](#Adventurers' Guildhouse) for rulings.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Cathodion

• If it goes to the graveyard in combat, you get the 3 mana and can spend it on instants during the final steps of combat. [D'Angelo 99/05/01]
• You cannot choose not to get the 3 mana when Cathodion is destroyed. [D'Angelo 98/10/17]
• The ability is never a mana ability. [bethmo 99/12/10]

Cat Warriors

• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.

Cauldron Dance

• You must have a creature in your graveyard to play this spell since it requires a valid target. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]
• You can play this spell when you have no creature card in your hand. If this happens, simply ignore that part of the spell. You still bring the graveyard creature into play and still return it to your hand at end of turn. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]
• If the targeted creature in the graveyard is removed before resolution, this spell will be countered since its only target will be invalid. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]
• Note - Also see Haste, Rule A.18.

Caustic Wasps

Cave-In

Cave People

• The creature type is "Cave-People" which is considered one word. Before errata, it was two words, "Cave People". [D'Angelo 99/09/20]
• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.

Cavern Crawler

• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.

Caverns of Despair

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - See Declare Attackers, Rule C.3, for general rules on declaring attackers.
• Note - Also see Enchant World, Rule K.12.10.

Cave Sense

• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.

Cave Tiger

Celestial Convergence

Celestial Dawn

• It has three effects. First, it changes all your lands into Plains. This can be overridden to change the land type by an effect that enters play after Celestial Dawn. Second, it changes all mana symbols on your cards to white mana symbols. Third, it changes the color of all non-land permanents you control to white. This effect means that even if you [Phantasmal Terrain](#Phantasmal Terrain) one of your lands to a Mountain, it'll be a Mountain making white mana. Effects that override what color mana a land produces, such as [Naked Singularity](#Naked Singularity) or [Hall of Gemstone](#Hall of Gemstone) can override both effects. [bethmo 96/11/05]
• Affects only cards you own and permanents you control. Does not affect mana symbols on cards you do not own and which that are not in play as permanents you control. Therefore, a card [Grinning Totem](#Grinning Totem) grabs is not affected. [bethmo 96/10/16]
• It does affect text 'spliced' into other cards. For example, [Zombie Master](#Zombie Master) adds the text "{B}: Regenerate." to zombies. If you opponent had the Zombie Master and you had zombies and Celestial Dawn, your zombies would get "{W}: Regenerate.". [Aahz 96/12/02]
• This card affects the color of spells being cast by changing the color requirements in the casting cost. Thus, all your spells with a colored casting cost are cast as white spells. If a spell such as Deathlace changes the color of the spell, the spell will be changed to the appropriate color. [Aahz 97/03/18]
• When a card is in play, its "initial color definition" normally determines its color. This definition is defined as "the color(s) of the mana in the card's casting cost". Thus, when Celestial Dawn is in play, all your non-land cards with colored mana costs are white. When it leaves play, the effect ends and all cards revert to their normal colors. This is true even if the cards were cast using white mana while Celestial Dawn was in play. [Aahz 97/03/18]
• The effect to turn all your non-land cards (including artifacts) white is a continuous effect that will override the color as set prior to Celestial Dawn's effect. Thus, a Deathlace on casting of a spell or prior to Celestial Dawn entering play will be overridden by Celestial Dawn's effect. [Aahz 97/03/18]
• A color change effect which enters play after Celestial Dawn can override the color changing effect of Celestial Dawn. [D'Angelo 97/03/18]
• If an effect like [Vampire Bats](#Vampire Bats) or [Dragon Whelp](#Dragon Whelp) is used while the mana symbols are one color and then they change because this card enters or leaves play, then the previous expenditures are not counted toward the modified limit. For example, if you spent {B}{B} on a Vampire Bats, and then this card entered play, you could spend {W}{W} on it. [WotC Rules Team 97/06/01] [Duelist Magazine #19, Page 31]
• Does not affect color words written out instead of being written using the mana symbol. [D'Angelo 97/08/27]
• Does not change the type of lands which are not in play. Lands out of play are what they say they are. [D'Angelo 97/08/27]
• Any "comes into play" effects of playing a land will not happen since the lands will enter play as Plains. [D'Angelo 99/05/01]
• Will not add or remove Snow-Covered nature from a land. See Rule K.21.3. [D'Angelo 98/08/11]
• If you use [Magical Hack](#Magical Hack) (or a similar effect) to change the word "plains" to a different land type, your lands are all of that new land type, but they still produce white mana. [D'Angelo 00/06/23]

Celestial Prism

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Celestial Sword

Cemetery Gate

• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Censorship

• You're only allowed one word. Make it a good one. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• Any spoken word is acceptable. It does not have to appear in the dictionary. For example, "um" can be chosen. [QAS 98/09/09]
• The censored word is based upon speech, so homophones will trigger it. For example, "I" and "eye" are the same word for Censorship. [QAS 98/09/09]
• Portions of words don't count. For example, saying "sidewalk" when the censored word is "side" won't trigger it. [QAS 98/09/09]
• It affects all players, including you. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• Combines well with Bureacracy, Sorry, and "Ow". [Barclay 98/08/13]
• We do know who painted the picture on Censorship. We just can't tell you. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• This card has no artist name, and that is the correct answer for [Squirrel Farm](#Squirrel Farm). [QAS 98/09/09] The actual artist is Matt Wilson, for those that care. [DeLaney 98/10/20]
• Choosing the word "Wow" when playing against Jeff Donais is legal, but unfair on Jeff. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Centaur Archer

Ceremonial Guard

Cerulean Wyvern

• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.
• Note - Before errata, this card was of creature type Wyvern.

Cessation

Chain Lightning

• The chaining effects (after the first one) are not considered "spells". They are abilities. [D'Angelo 00/03/03]
• You can only chain to another target if at least one damage is not prevented on the current target. [bethmo 94/06/15]
• Paying to make Chain Lightning continue is done as part of the resolution of the triggered ability on it dealing damage. [D'Angelo 00/03/03]
• Your opponent is counted as the one choosing any targets they choose (just like you count for your own choices) for things like [Autumn Willow](#Autumn Willow) that care who is targeting rather than what is targeting it. [Aahz 95/10/24]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Chains of Mephistopheles

• If you cast a spell to draw extra cards (such as Ancestral Recall or Wheel of Fortune) at some time outside the draw step, this affects all the cards drawn. During the draw step, the first card drawn is not affected. [bethmo 94/06/15]
• Only affects the drawing of cards. It does not affect spells like [Demonic Tutor](#Demonic Tutor), Millstone, or [Petra Sphinx](#Petra Sphinx) which affect the library but do not say "draw" a card. [bethmo 94/06/22]
• If X cards are drawn as the resolution of a single spell/ability, then the game treats this as X separate "draw one card" actions (see Rule G.15.Ruling.2). So for each card that would be drawn, apply the effect. [D'Angelo 00/07/06]
• The effect is cumulative. If you have two of these out, each of them will modify on each draw (after the first one if during the draw step), and will cause the player to discard or to "mill" a card from their library. As they resolve in order, the player must discard if possible. Once the player fails to discard and instead "mills" a card, all further effects of additional Chains of Mephistopheles will not do anything. This is because the "mill" also replaces the draw effect and the player is no longer drawing a card. [WotC Rules Team 96/12/03] You handle them in order. Each one makes you discard first and then continue or else mill a card and lose the draw.
• This is a replacement effect (see Rule T.10). [D'Angelo 99/02/03]
• Cards which are drawn as a cost are affected by this card because replacement effects can be used on costs (see Rule T.10). [D'Angelo 99/05/01]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Chain Stasis

• During resolution, the creature's controller has the option to pay {2}{U}. If they do, the triggered ability taps or untaps as directed, which may cause this card to trigger again. [D'Angelo 00/10/24]
• The decision to tap or untap is made on resolution (of the spell or of each repeated use). [D'Angelo 99/08/01]
• You get to choose a different tap or untap each time it is used during a chain. [D'Angelo 95/06/01]
• You can choose the same creature over and over if you want. You are not forced to pick a different one each time. Note that this is different than Fireball since you are picking the targets one at a time and not all at once. [Duelist Magazine #9, Page 60]

Chambered Nautilus

Chameleon Spirit

Champion Lancer

• This card should read "Prevent all damage that would be dealt to this by creatures". [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Starter.

Champion's Victory

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as Instant that reads "Play this only during an opponent's declare attackers step.; Return target attacking creature to its owner's hand." [D'Angelo 00/07/29]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Chandler

• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.

Change of Heart

• Will not remove an already attacking creature from the combat. It must be used before attackers are declared or it won't have any noticeable effect on the game. [Barclay 98/03/06]
• Note - Also see Buyback, Rule A.9.

Channel

• The amount of life converted into mana is not a decision as part of the casting of Channel. [WotC Rules Team 94/02/01] You first cast Channel then you can convert life to mana for the rest of the turn. You do not convert it during casting.
• You cannot pay life points you don't have. In other words, you cannot Channel yourself below zero life. [D'Angelo 95/08/10] See Rule G.19.6.
• The ability is a mana ability. [Barclay 99/12/01]
• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) have restricted this card since 00/10/01. It was previously banned from 95/11/01 until 00/10/01 and it was restricted from 94/03/23 to 95/11/01.
• Type 1.5 tournaments (see Rule D.14) have always banned this card.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Standard (Type 2) tournaments (see Rule D.16) have banned this card since 95/11/01. It was previously restricted until 95/11/01.
• Note - Also see Loss of Life, Rule G.21.

Chaos Charm

• Note - Also see Haste, Rule A.18.

Chaos Confetti

• The word "distance" means "horizontal", not "vertical". [QAS 98/09/09]
• All the pieces must be tossed at once. [QAS 98/09/09]
• Proper disposal of the pieces is the responsibility of the controller of the ability. [D'Angelo 98/08/23] Breaking this rule is subject to all local littering laws.
• You may proxy this card, but the card you use must be more rare than Chaos Confetti currently is. [Barclay 08/13/98] An uncommon or rarer card is required. Use of a [Chaos Orb](#Chaos Orb) should inspire fear in your opponents.
• If you have a [Frealise Winds](#Frealise Winds), Hurricane, [Tropical Storm](#Tropical Storm), [Katabatic Winds](#Katabatic Winds), or Cyclone card in your hand, you may reveal that card to all opponents to enable you to blow on the pieces whilst they are in flight, to aid their flight. No other interference is allowed. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• Five feet is one thousand, five hundred and twenty four millimeters. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• Tearing it into pieces is part of the effect, not the cost. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• It will not destroy tokens, and it will only destroy cards it actually touches. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• Players may rearrange your cards in the playing area any time before Chaos Confetti is activated. Once it is activated, only changed made by the rules (such as sacrifices and tapping cards) are legal until it is done resolving. [QAS 98/09/09]
• The five feet is measured from the centre of the playing area, so don't move cards too far. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• Counters on a card are not considered part of that card and can block the confetti from touching your card. But, at least the title on a card must be visible at all times. [QAS 98/09/09]
• You can rip the card into as many pieces as you want. If you take too long, you can be called for stalling or get hassled by your friends. [QAS 98/09/09]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Chaos Harlequin

Chaoslace

• If played on a spell being cast, it changes the color of the spell. If the spell becomes a permanent, the permanent enters play with an effect on it that changes its color. [WotC Rules Team 98/05/01]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - This card was of type Interrupt and is now of type Instant. [Oracle 99/09/03]

Chaos Lord

• The Lord's changing of controllers is a new effect each upkeep so it will take precedence over any other control effects. This means that using [Control Magic](#Control Magic) on a Chaos Lord won't guarantee that you keep it. [WotC Rules Team 95/07/19]
• Note - Also see First Strike, Rule A.15.
• Note - Also see Haste, Rule A.18.

Chaos Moon

Chaos Orb

• You can arrange your cards any time before the Orb is put into play, but not after. [Snark 93/11/01] In general, you should not stack cards or put them in places where your opponent cannot read the names of all of them or count them. This is recommended good gaming practice. [Aahz 94/12/03]
• You cannot interfere in any physical way with the playing of this card. [PPG Page 221]
• It must flip 360 degrees (that's what "flip entirely" means). [FAQ 94/04/01] And this flip must be in the air and not in your hand.
• "Cards it lands on" refers to cards it touches once it stops moving. [Snark 93/11/01]
• If the Orb does not touch a card because a token is between them, the Orb counts as not touching the card. [bethmo 94/06/01] Same goes if there are cards stacked up. If the card is not touched, it is not destroyed. Note that only counters and tokens placed in play because of the game count for this. "Tapping" stones and any other markers you have in play should be taken out of the way before using the Orb. [Aahz 95/02/09]
• If you have sleeves on cards, they count as the cards. [bethmo 94/08/01]
• Can only affect cards that are in play. Cards that are in the game but not in play (such as the Library and Graveyard) or cards that are held out of play by such effects as Oubliette and [Tawnos's Coffin](#Tawnos's Coffin) cannot be affected. [D'Angelo 94/06/01]
• This is a not a targeted ability. [bethmo 94/06/01]
• Even if your hand is face up on the table due to an effect like Revelation, cards in the hand are not considered "in play" and will not be affected by the Orb. [Aahz 95/04/17]
• Ripping the Chaos Orb into confetti and then scattering it (as each piece flops 360 degrees) across your opponent's cards was ruled legal at one time, but it was suggested that this strategy not be allowed in the final round of a tournament. [bethmo 94/10/01] This ruling is mostly humorous in value. You are very unlikely to get WotC or a NetRep to back this one, but I'm listing it because it is funny. Also, note that if you remove a card from your deck during a tournament then you are disqualified. You cannot remove or shred one of your opponent's cards.
• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) have banned this card since 95/11/01. It was previously restricted from 94/08/01 to 95/11/01.
• Type 1.5 tournaments (see Rule D.14) have always banned this card.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Standard (Type 2) tournaments (see Rule D.16) have always banned this card.
• Note - It is an "Artifact" and not a "Mono Artifact". [Oracle 99/09/03]

Chaosphere

• Note - Also see Enchant World, Rule K.12.10.

Chaotic Goo

Chaotic Strike

Charcoal Diamond

Charging Bandits

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "Whenever this attacks, it gets +2/+0 until end of turn." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• Note - This card had no creature type. If played with non-Portal cards, it should be played as creature type Bandit. [D'Angelo 00/06/05]

Charging Paladin

• Note - The Portal version had no creature type.

Charging Rhino

• Note - The Portal version had no creature type.

Charging Troll

Chariot of the Sun

• The entire effect lasts until end of turn, not just the toughness reduction. [bethmo 97/01/22]

Charisma

Charmed Griffin

Charm Peddler

Charm School

• The card must be kept horizontal, not vertical on your head. [QAS 98/09/09]
• No external equipment, such as a hat or hairpins, can be used to secure the card to your head. [QAS 98/09/09]
• Afro haircuts and Brylcreem can aid the use of this card, but you can't do anything extra to your head in order to keep the card there. You certainly can't hold the card. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• If you [Steal Enchantment](#Steal Enchantment) this card, take it off its old controller's head, and put it onto yours. [Barclay 98/08/13] Optional Rule: The Steal Enchantment should also be balanced on your head at this time. [D'Angelo 98/09/21]
• Enchant Player cards are played in the territory of the player they enchant. [D'Angelo 98/09/21]
• Other players cannot use any physical action to try to knock the card off your head. They can try to make you laugh or something, but cannot blow on the card or do other similar actions. [D'Angelo 98/11/09]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Checks and Balances

• It only checks the number of players when played. Once in play it will stay even if the number of players drops to less than 3. [QAS 98/09/09]
• You can't agree to something that you can't do, so if you have no cards in hand, you can't agree to choose and discard a card. [QAS 98/09/09]
• The agreements and choices are all made on resolution. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• It affects all spells played, even yours. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

The Cheese Stands Alone

• If you have six of these in play under your control, and you answer a general knowledge question correctly, you win the game. [Barclay 98/08/13] In addition, five of them have to be different colors and the last one must be colorless. [DeLaney 98/09/10]
• If you cast the last card in your hand, you can win while the card is on the stack waiting to resolve. [TomHa 98/09/15] It's cheesy, but true.
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Chicken a la King

• Only looks at dice being rolled in this game of Magic. It doesn't look at the game of Car Wars that's being played across the room. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• It can tap itself since it is a Chicken. And this is legal even when it has summoning sickness (see Rule G.37). [QAS 98/09/09]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Chicken Egg

• The token is of creature type Giant and creature type Chicken. [D'Angelo 00/03/09]
• The Giant Chicken comes into play before any triggered abilities on the die roll are played. So a roll of 6 will put the Giant Chicken into play before Chicken a la King gives out +1/+1 chicken feed. [QAS 98/09/09]
• Giant Chickens don't fly. [QAS 97/09/09]
• Well, at least this solves the age-old question... [Barclay 98/08/13]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Token Creatures, Rule K.25.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Chieftain en-Dal

• Does give itself first strike when attacking. [Nemesis FAQ 00/02/07]
• Note - Also see First Strike, Rule A.15.

Child of Gaea

• You choose whether to pay or not on resolution. If not, then you sacrifice this card. You can choose to not pay even if you no longer control this card on resolution. See Rule E.11.Ruling.3. [D'Angelo 99/06/01]
• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Chill

Chilling Apparition

Chime of Night

Chimeric Idol

• Your lands are tapped as part of the effect, not part of the cost. [D'Angelo 00/06/19]

Chimeric Sphere

• You can change forms after blockers are assigned. A common strategy might be to make it a 2/1 Flyer and attack. After no blockers are declared (or even after blockers are declared), change it to a 3/2 creature and do more damage. [D'Angelo 06/12/97]

Chimeric Staff

• You can use the ability again to change its power/toughness. For example, if you paid 3 mana earlier to make it 3/3, you could pay 2 to make it 2/2, or 4 to make it 4/4 later in the turn. [Urza's FAQ 98/10/05]
• If [Power Artifact](#Power Artifact) is used it can decrease your payment. For example, if you can choose for X=4 and pay just 2 mana to get a 4/4 creature. [D'Angelo 98/10/08]
• It cannot attack until it starts a turn in play under your control. [D'Angelo 98/11/25] See Rule G.37.

Cho-Arrim Alchemist

Cho-Arrim Bruiser

Cho-Arrim Legate

• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Choke

Choking Sands

Choking Vines

• Remember that a creature with Trample which is blocked but has no actual creatures blocking it to which it can assign damage, deals its damage to the defending player. This makes this spell not very effective against Trample creatures. [D'Angelo 97/06/12] See Rule A.27.2.
• Will make any creatures it targets become blocked, even if the creature had blocking restrictions on it. For example, you can make an Islandwalk creature become blocked even if the defending player has Islands. This is because evasion abilities only prevent creatures from being assigned to block them. [D'Angelo 97/06/20]
• This spell can only target attacking creatures which means it is usually played after attackers are declared and either before or after blockers are declared. [D'Angelo 99/07/10]
• You can declare zero targets, with X=0. [Duelist Magazine #19, Page 34]
• Note - Also see X Costs, Rule K.27.

Cho-Manno, Revolutionary

Cho-Manno's Blessing

• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Chorus of Woe

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Starter.

Chromatic Armor

Chromatic Sphere

Chromium

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.
• Note - Also see Rampage, Rule A.25.
• Note - The generic mana circle around the "2" in "Rampage: 2" on the Legends version of the card is a misprint. Ignore it. [Aahz 94/06/15]

Chronatog

• If used to skip an extra turn gained by [Final Fortune](#Final Fortune), you don't lose the game from the Final Fortune's effect. [DeLaney 97/02/02]
• Can only use the ability once each turn for each Chronatog. [Duelist Magazine #17, Page 28]

Chub Toad

Cinder Cloud

Cinder Crawler

Cinder Elemental

Cinder Giant

Cinder Marsh

Cinder Seer

• You can reveal zero cards and deal zero damage. [DeLaney 99/06/01]

Cinder Shade

Cinder Storm

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Starter.

Cinder Wall

• Note - Also see Walls, Rule K.26.

Circle of Despair

Circle of Protection: Artifacts

Circle of Protection: Black

• Can be used even when there is no damage to prevent. It prevents the next damage (if any) from the source this turn. [D'Angelo 99/05/01]
• A source is a permanent (a land, creature, artifact, or enchantment) or a spell. [D'Angelo 99/05/01]
• Can be used multiple times each turn for damage from the same source or for damage from different sources. [D'Angelo 97/10/10]
• Note - Was not in the Alpha printing of the Limited Edition.

Circle of Protection: Blue

• Note - See [Circle of Protection: Black](#Circle of Protection: Black) for rulings.

Circle of Protection: Green

• Note - See [Circle of Protection: Black](#Circle of Protection: Black) for rulings.

Circle of Protection: Red

• Note - See [Circle of Protection: Black](#Circle of Protection: Black) for rulings.

Circle of Protection: Shadow

• It can be used on non-combat damage which happens to come from creatures with the Shadow ability. [Duelist Magazine #23, Page 22]
• Note - See [Circle of Protection: Black](#Circle of Protection: Black) for rulings.
• Note - Also see Shadow, Rule A.26.

Circle of Protection: White

• Note - See [Circle of Protection: Black](#Circle of Protection: Black) for rulings.

Circling Vultures

Citadel of Pain

• It counts the untapped lands on resolution. [DeLaney 00/06/20]

Citanul Centaurs

• Note - Also see Echo, Rule A.12.

Citanul Druid

• In multiplayer games it affects all players. [D'Angelo 00/02/25]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Citanul Flute

• X can be zero if you want. [DeLaney 98/10/05]
• If you find no creature with cost X or less, shuffle and continue. [DeLaney 98/10/05]
• If you find any creatures with cost X or less, you must choose one. [DeLaney 98/10/05]

Citanul Hierophants

City in a Bottle

• Any token creatures (see Rule K.25) or counters created by Arabian Nights cards are not removed. [bethmo 94/06/01]
• Only affects cards with the Arabian Nights scimitar symbol on them. It does not affect Gathering cards which came from the Arabian Nights expansion. [bethmo 94/06/04]
• It does affect cards from Chronicles with the scimitar symbol. [Duelist Magazine #7, Page 98]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - The card type is "Artifact" and not "Continuous Artifact". [Oracle 99/09/03]

City of Brass

• The damaging ability triggers no matter how the land becomes tapped. [Arab FAQ 94/01/05] For example, using Twiddle.

City of Shadows

• The counters do not go away when it is used. [bethmo 94/08/15]
• Can be tapped for zero mana if it has zero counters. [D'Angelo 94/12/19]
• It is considered "tapped for mana" for purposes of [Mana Flare](#Mana Flare) and [Wild Growth](#Wild Growth) even if it has zero counters on it. [WotC Rules Team 94/12/15]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

City of Solitude

• Does not stop continuous abilities from working. [bethmo 97/02/05]
• Does not stop triggered abilities from being put on the stack. They are never "played". [D'Angelo 99/07/01]
• Mana abilities are prevented. [D'Angelo 99/07/10]
• Can affect abilities of cards that are not in play because it prevents players from announcing those abilities. [DeLaney 97/02/19]

City of Traitors

• Does not trigger on lands that are put into play without playing them. [Barclay 98/06/10]
• Does not trigger on itself being played. [DeLaney 99/06/13]

Civic Guildmage

Clairvoyance

• Note - Also see Cantrips, Rule E.2.

Clambassadors

• They keep control of it until the end of the game (unless something else happens to it). [Barclay 98/08/13]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Clam-I-Am

• Use the ability right after the original roll, before any effects of that roll. You can't use it later on. The new roll is now used in its place. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• This ability is played in the Betting Window. [Barclay 98/08/13] Any "betting window" ability may be played during the middle of the resolution of another spell or ability.
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Clam Session

• If you're tone deaf (like I am), you should suffer a serious penalty (agreed among your opponents) for playing with Clam Session. Unless you sing heavy metal songs, where it doesn't matter too much anyway. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• If the six words you sing contain the chosen word more than once, you sacrifice the Session. "one" means "exactly one". [Barclay 98/08/13]
• "Happy Birthday to Dan" is considered the same song as "Happy Birthday to Dave". [Barclay 98/08/13]
• You must say your chosen word for everyone. [bethmo 98/08/17]
• The six words must be consecutive words from the song. [QAS 98/09/09]
• The six words don't have to be different. [QAS 98/09/09] See the flavor text.
• If you have more than one Clam Session in play, you can use the same song for each of them. [QAS 98/09/09] But you're a wimp if you do.
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Claws of Gix

Clay Pigeon

• The ability can be used while it is tapped. [D'Angelo 98/09/07]
• "Catch" means the same thing that it does in Baseball and Cricket - you have to catch it before it hits the ground/table/etc. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• Deflections off opponents or anything other than your one hand is not legal. [QAS 98/09/09]
• You must stay seated while throwing and catching. [QAS 98/09/09]
• From the time that the Pigeon is thrown to the time its ability resolves, it is considered to be in the "In the Air" zone, so you can't use its ability again until it resolves. This means that if you fail to catch it, it will be sacrificed before you can use its ability again. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• Two feet is 61 cm. [TomHa 98/09/15]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Clay Statue

Cleanse

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Cleansing

• [Consecrate Land](#Consecrate Land) will prevent this effect. [Duelist Magazine #3, Page 6]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Clear

• Note - Also see Cycling, Rule A.11.

Clear the Land

Clergy en-Vec

Clergy of the Holy Nimbus

• If the Clergy are reduced to below one toughness (by such as Weakness), then they get put into the graveyard as normal. Being put into the graveyard for zero or less toughness is not a "destroy" effect. [D'Angelo 00/03/14]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Cloak of Confusion

• Note - Also see Is Not Blocked Ability, Rule E.6.

Cloak of Feathers

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "Target creature gains flying until end of turn. You draw a card." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]

Cloak of Invisibility

• Note - Also see Phasing, Rule A.23.

Cloak of Mists

• No creature can be assigned to block it. [DeLaney 98/10/05]

Clockwork Avian

• See [Clockwork Beast](#Clockwork Beast) for rulings.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Clockwork Beast

• Can attack or block even if it has no counters. [Aahz 95/05/15]
• Loses a counter even if it is affected by Fog or a Fog-like effect which prevents it from dealing damage. [WotC Rules Team 95/04/26]
• If the effect to add counters is used when there are already 7 counters on it or when the number of counters to be added would cause it to exceed 7 counters, any counters over 7 are simply not added. [D'Angelo 97/02/09]
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play abilities, Rule E.3.

Clockwork Gnomes

• Note - Before errata, this card did not have a creature type. [Oracle 99/07/23]

Clockwork Steed

• See [Clockwork Beast](#Clockwork Beast) for rulings.

Clockwork Swarm

• See [Clockwork Beast](#Clockwork Beast) for rulings.

Clone

• Note - Also see Copy Cards, Rule E.4. There are enough important rules there that they are worth reading first.
• The target creature to copy is chosen when casting this spell. If that target is not still in play when it resolves, this spell is countered. See Rule G.39.4. [WotC Rules Team 95/02/09]
• If put into play without casting, the target is chosen right before it is put into play. See Rule G.28.3. [D'Angelo 98/06/05]
• As a copy, the Clone copies all characteristics of the targeted creature. This includes name, color, power/thoughness, abilities, and more. See Rule E.4.2. [WotC Rules Team 98/03/31] For example, a copy of an artifact creature can be Disenchanted.
• Can be used to copy a [Vesuvan Doppelganger](#Vesuvan Doppelganger). You get a Doppelganger and the Clone is mimicking the same creature the Doppelganger was until the next upkeep. Then it can switch forms just like the Doppelganger. [D'Angelo 99/10/16]
• The Clone is not treated as a Summon Clone card in addition to the type of its target. [Duelist Magazine #10, Page 43]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Close Quarters

Clot Sliver

Cloudchaser Eagle

• Nothing happens if there are no legal enchantments to target when it enters play. [D'Angelo 98/11/10]
• It does destroy one of your enchantments if you are the only player with any enchantments. [D'Angelo 98/06/05]
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.

Cloud Djinn

Cloud Dragon

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "this can block only creatures with flying." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• Note - This card had no creature type. If played with non-Portal cards, it should be played as creature type Dragon. [D'Angelo 00/06/05]

Cloud Elemental

Cloud of Faeries

• The errata makes it so you only untap lands if it comes into play by being cast from your hand. It does not untap lands if put into play as the effect of a spell or ability, even if it is put into play from your hand. [DCI Tournament Update 99/03/01]
• Playing the card using an effect that lets you play something that is not in your hand will not trigger this ability. [bethmo 99/03/05]
• You can untap 0 to 2 lands. [D'Angelo 99/02/13]
• Does not target the lands. [D'Angelo 99/02/13]
• Can be used on already untapped lands (with no effect). [D'Angelo 99/02/13]
• Can be used on another player's lands. [D'Angelo 99/02/13]
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.
• Note - Also see Cycling, Rule A.11.

Cloud Pirates

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "this can block only creatures with flying." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• Note - This card had no creature type. If played with non-Portal cards, it should be played as creature type Pirate. [D'Angelo 00/06/05]

Cloudskate

• Note - Also see Fading, Rule A.14.

Cloud Spirit

• If it loses Flying, it will be unable to block any creatures. [D'Angelo 98/10/06]
• Note - The Portal version had no creature type.

Cloud Sprite

Coal Golem

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - Before errata, this card did not have a creature type. [Oracle 99/07/23]

Coalition Victory

• A land which is of multiple types or creature which is of multiple colors counts for each of its types and/or colors. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]

Coastal Hornclaw

Coastal Piracy

• You draw one card per creature, not one per point of damage. [MM FAQ 99/09/22]

Coastal Tower

Coastal Wizard

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "{Tap}: Return this and target creature to their owners' hands. Play this ability only during your turn before combat." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Coat of Arms

• If you have a creature with more than one creature type, count all creatures which have either creature type. [D'Angelo 98/08/04]
• If you have a creature with more than one creature type, and another creature matches more than one creature type, you only count that creature once. You do not double count it because it has a double match. [Barclay 98/06/10]
• If a creature in play has more than one creature type, and one of those types matches the creature you are calculating for, then count this creature. Only one type needs to match in order to get counted. [Barclay 98/06/10]
• Animated lands and artifacts have no creature type (unless their text says they Count As a given creature type), so they are unaffected by this card. [D'Angelo 98/10/30] One exception to this is that animated Legendary lands are of creature type Legend. [DeLaney 98/12/12]
• Note - Also see Creature Type, Rule K.11.

Cockatrice

• A non-wall creature blocking or blocked by this card gets a "destroy at end of combat" effect placed on it when it is assigned as a blocker or this card is assigned to block it. The effect is added to a creature which becomes a blocker by any means, including being part of a band which is blocked or by being moved into blocking or being blocked by an effect such as [General Jarkeld](#General Jarkeld). This effect stays even if the creature is removed from the blocking situation by an ability like General Jarkeld. [WotC Rules Team 95/09/22]
• Protection from Green does not prevent the Cockatrice's power because the ability is not a targeted effect. [WotC Rules Team 94/02/07] See Rule G.40.Ruling.1.
• The ability destroys the creature at the end of the combat (see Rule C.6), which is after all first strike and normal damage dealing is done. This means that a creature may have to regenerate twice to survive the combat, once from damage and once again at end of combat. [D'Angelo 96/12/09]

Cocoon

• Can be used on a tapped creature. [Duelist Magazine #5, Page 22]
• The creature can still be untapped using spells and abilities, such as Twiddle or [Instill Energy](#Instill Energy). [Aahz 94/06/24]
• If the enchantment is moved with [Enchantment Alteration](#Enchantment Alteration), the number of counters is unchanged. [D'Angelo 98/05/04]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Coercion

Coffin Puppets

• The ability works even if you sacrifice your last swamp to activate it. It only checks for a swamp at announcement time. [Prophecy FAQ 00/05/25]

Coffin Queen

• The activated ability has two parts. First, it puts a creature card into play as a one-time effect. Second, it sets up an ongoing triggered ability that tracks what happens to the Coffin Queen. When the Coffin Queen is no longer under your control or becomes untapped, it triggers. [DeLaney 99/08/25]
• If the creature brought into play leaves play, the tracking effect ends and the creature will no longer be removed from game if something happens to the Coffin Queen. [WotC Rules Team 97/12/18] [Duelist Magazine #22, Page 27]
• If the creature brought into play phases out, the tracking effect continues when it phases back in if the Coffin Queen is still in play. If the Queen left play when the creature is phased out, the creature phases in as normal. [D'Angelo 00/05/20] See Rule G.27.4.
• If the Coffin Queen leaves play or you lose control of it before the creature comes into play, then the creature is removed from the game because the second ability will trigger immediately. [D'Angelo 99/08/27]
• If the Coffin Queen becomes untapped before the creature comes into play, the creature remains in play. The second ability will trigger the next time the Coffin Queen becomes untapped (or leaves your control). [D'Angelo 99/08/27]

Coiled Tinviper

• Note - Also see First Strike, Rule A.15.

Coiling Woodworm

Coils of the Medusa

Cold Snap

• Amount of damage is determined when ability is resolved and not when it is announced. [D'Angelo 95/10/05]
• Note - Also see Cumulative Upkeep, Rule A.10.

Cold Storage

• If this card leaves play, the cards it removed from game stay out of play. [bethmo 97/10/09]
• If it removes a token creature, the token ceases to exist and will not return. [D'Angelo 99/08/17]
• If it removes a card that is only a creature due to an effect, the card will still return. [D'Angelo 99/11/14]

Collapsing Borders

Collective Restraint

Collective Unconscious

Colossus of Sardia

• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Colos Yearling

• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.

Combat Medic

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Commander Greven il-Vec

• The use of "Greven" on the second ability is just shorthand for "Commander Greven il-Vec" and should not be interpreted as referring to a non-existant Greven card. [D'Angelo 97/10/23]
• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.

Command of Unsummoning

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as an Instant spell with text "Play this only on an opponent's turn.; Return target one or two attacking creatures to their owner's hand." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]

Common Cause

• The ability gives +2/+2 to all creatures which are not artifact creatures, as long as every one of those creatures is of the same color. They can have additional colors beyond the one they share, but they all have to share one color. If any creature is not of the shared color, the bonus is lost. [MM FAQ 99/09/22]
• It really does mean "all creatures", including your opponent's. [MM FAQ 99/09/22]

Common Courtesy

• This affects all spells, even yours. So you need to ask yourself permission. [QAS 98/09/09]
• If the player doesn't ask permission, then the spell is countered automatically. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• If there's more than one in play, you need to ask each player who controls one. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Complex Automaton

Compost

• Drawing a card is optional. If you forget, you cannot go back later even if it is something you usually do. [D'Angelo 99/06/01]
• Triggers on a black card being discarded, milled, or countered, as well as a black permanent going to the graveyard from play. [D'Angelo 99/06/01]

Conch Horn

• You draw two cards, then put 1 back. You cannot use spells or abilities before putting the cards back. [D'Angelo 99/08/01]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Concordant Crossroads

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - Also see Enchant World, Rule K.12.10.
• Note - Also see Haste, Rule A.18.

Cone of Flame

• Cannot be played unless you have 3 different targets. [D'Angelo 97/06/23]

Confiscate

• If you take control of a local enchantment, you do not get to move the enchantment. [Urza's FAQ 98/10/05]

Congregate

• Creatures are counted during resolution. [DeLaney 98/10/05]

Conquer

Consecrate Land

• Sacrifices cannot be prevented by this card. [Mirage, Page 11]
• It can prevent "destroy but cannot be regenerated this turn". [D'Angelo 98/05/21]
• Does prevent enchantment spells (but not the effects of enchantments) from even targeting the land. [Duelist Magazine #7, Page 99] Indirect effect by enchantments such as Conversion, [Living Lands](#Living Lands), [Kormus Bell](#Kormus Bell), and [Mana Flare](#Mana Flare) are not prevented and the land can still be targeted by [Gaea's Liege](#Gaea's Liege), [Cyclopean Tomb](#Cyclopean Tomb), and other non-enchantment effects. [Snark 94/02/01]
• The land can be targeted by land destroying spells and the spell will resolve successfully, but the destroy effect will be prevented from happening. [Duelist Magazine #5, Page 22]
• Does not prevent "remove from game" effects which do not destroy the card. This includes [Swords to Plowshares](#Swords to Plowshares) (if the land is animated) or [Dust to Dust](#Dust to Dust) (if the land is an artifact as well). [Aahz 94/12/21]
• If it ever takes enough damage to be killed, it simply does not go to the graveyard or die. It does not 'regenerate', damage on it is not removed, and it does not become tapped. [Aahz 97/01/14]
• When in combat, an animated land is not removed from combat due to taking lethal damage during First Strike damage dealing and will still deal damage during the non-First Strike damage dealing. This is because lethal damage does not kill the land. [Aahz 97/06/16]
• This power works similarly for immunity to the [Thicket Basilisk](#Thicket Basilisk) ability, Fireball, and anything else that would kill it. [bethmo 94/04/01]
• Disintegrate can cause it to be removed from the game, because the land is still damaged by the Disintegrate and Disintegrate only requires lethal damage to be on the land in order to remove it from the game. [WotC Rules Team 95/09/22] Of course this only applies if the land is animated.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Conservator

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - See Damage Prevention, Rule G.12.
• Note - Loss of life cannot be prevented. See Rule G.21.2.

Conspiracy

• This replaces all creature types on those cards for as long as it is in play. [MM FAQ 99/09/22]
• If you choose "Legend" as the creature type, then all creatures are Legends and are subject to the Legend rules (see Rule K.17). [MM FAQ 99/09/22]
• This can remove the Legend creature type, and therefore the Legendary status, from a creature you control. [bethmo 99/09/22]
• This can grant a creature type to animated lands and artifacts that would otherwise have no creature type. [D'Angelo 00/10/08]
• If you control a creature that is a Legend and your opponent controls a creature of the same name that is not a Legend, then nothing happens. Both have to be Legends of the same name to cause the Legend rules to apply. [DeLaney 10/17/99]
• If you choose Wall, then your creatures cannot attack. [DeLaney 10/17/99]
• It does not replace any use of creature types in card text. For example, it will not change [Mercenary Informer](#Mercenary Informer) to be able to pull a different creature type. [D'Angelo 00/09/07]

Constant Mists

• Note - Also see Buyback, Rule A.9.

Consuming Ferocity

Contagion

• Note - Also see Alternate Cost Spells, Rule E.1.
• Note - Also see Mana Cost, Rule K.18.

Contamination

• The first ability of this card is a replacement effect (see Rule T.10), not a triggered ability. [WotC Rules Team 98/11/03]
• [Wild Growth](#Wild Growth) and other external effects that generate more mana still generate their additional mana as directed without being affected by this card. [DeLaney 98/10/05] Effects which generate more mana based on what mana the land produces, such as [Mana Flare](#Mana Flare) will be affected in color but not in amount. [D'Angelo 98/10/22]
• You choose whether to sacrifice a creature or not on resolution. If not, then you sacrifice this card. You can choose to not sacrifice even if you no longer control this card on resolution. See Rule E.11.Ruling.3. [D'Angelo 99/06/01]

Contemplation

• You do not gain life from the casting of Contemplation itself. [Duelist Magazine #25, Page 30]

Contempt

• If the creature dies before the end of combat, neither will return to your hand, because Contempt will be put into the graveyard when the creature dies. [Barclay 98/02/27]
• If Contempt is moved to another creature after the creature attacks, Contempt will still return to your hand at end of combat whether or not the creature dies. [D'Angelo 98/03/23]

Contract from Below

• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) have banned this card since 94/01/25.
• Type 1.5 tournaments (see Rule D.14) have always banned this card.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Standard (Type 2) tournaments (see Rule D.16) have always banned this card.
• Note - The artist's name, Shuler was misspelled on the Limited Edition and Unlimited Edition versions of this card.

Control Magic

• Takes control of a creature, but enchantments on the creature do not change controller. [D'Angelo 98/06/01]
• The controlled creature comes under your control with summoning sickness (see Rule G.37) so it cannot be tapped or used for an attack until you begin a turn with the creature in play. [Mirage, Page 14]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Control of the Court

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Convalescence

• The life total is checked when it triggers and the ability will be put on the stack only if you have 10 life or less. It checks again on resolution and does nothing if you have more life by then. [D'Angelo 99/06/01]

Conversion

• The mountains becomes plains in all ways (see Rule K.16.3). They even produce white mana. [D'Angelo 98/06/01]
• Will not add or remove Snow-Covered nature from a land. See Rule K.21.3. [Duelist Magazine #6, Page 132]
• The Conversion effect is a continuous effect. There is no chance to tap a just-played mountain for red mana before it becomes a plains. [D'Angelo 96/12/10]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Conviction

Convulsing Licid

• Note - Also see Licids, Rule E.7.

Cooperation

• Note - Also see Banding, Rule A.7.

Copper Gnomes

• You choose the artifact card on resolution. [bethmo 98/11/03]
• You can use the ability if you have no artifacts in hand. It just does nothing on resolution. [DeLaney 98/10/05] If a player claims they have none, you may call a judge to verify that they don't have any. [bethmo 98/11/03]
• Note - Before errata, this card did not have a creature type.

Copper-Leaf Angel

• X can be zero. [D'Angelo 00/06/19]

Copper Tablet

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - The card type is "Artifact" and not "Continuous Artifact". [Encyclopedia, Page 56]

Copy Artifact

• Note - Also see Copy Cards, Rule E.4. There are enough important rules there that they are worth reading first.
• The target artifact to copy is chosen when casting this spell. If that target is not still in play or is not a legal target when this spell resolves, this spell is countered. See Rule G.39.4. [D'Angelo 00/03/03]
• If put into play without casting, the target is chosen right before it is put into play. See Rule G.28.3. [D'Angelo 98/06/05]
• As a copy, Copy Artifact copies all initial characteristics of the targeted artifact. This includes name, abilities, whether or not it is a creature and more. See Rule E.4.2. [WotC Rules Team 98/03/31]
• The copy of the artifact is not still blue. It copies the color of the thing it is copying. [Duelist Magazine #14, Page 26]
• The copy is both an artifact and an enchantment, so it is an artifact-enchantment. It can be affected by anything which affects either type of permanent. [D'Angelo 94/06/01]
• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) restricted this card from 94/03/23 to 97/10/01.
• Type 1.5 tournaments (see Rule D.14) banned this card until 99/04/01.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Standard (Type 2) tournaments (see Rule D.16) have banned this card since 95/05/02. It was previously restricted up until 95/05/02.
• Note - Also see Copy Cards, Rule E.4.

Coral Atoll

• When played from your hand, it counts as your playing of a land this turn. This is because it replaces the effect of putting the land into play. It does not replace the announcement of playing a land. [WotC Rules Team 00/01/11]

Coral Eel

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal and Starter.
• Note - The Portal version had no creature type.

Coral Fighters

Coral Helm

• The cards are discarded from your hand during announcement and as a cost. [Duelist Magazine #11, Page 56]

Coral Merfolk

Coral Reef

Cornered Market

• This card only looks at cards in play, not ones on the stack. So it is possible to play two instances of a spell onto the stack. [MM FAQ 99/09/22]
• Does not prevent effects which "put into play" a card. It only stops people from playing (announcing). [MM FAQ 99/09/22]

Corpse Dance

• Only removes the card from the game if the card is still in play at the end of the turn. [DeLaney 98/05/04]
• Note - Also see Buyback, Rule A.9.
• Note - Also see Haste, Rule A.18.

Corrosion

• Does not destroy anything until its upkeep triggered ability is resolved. So the turn after you cast it, all 0-cost and 1-cost artifacts are destroyed. [bethmo 97/01/28] In other words, the destroy is part of the effect and is not a continuous ability or part of the counters.
• When it leaves play, it removes all rust counters from all instances of Corrosion and not just ones from itself. [Aahz 97/01/29]
• It does count rust counters put on artifacts by other Corrosion cards. This means that having more than one of these can result in fast destruction of artifacts. [Oracle 98/07/01]
• In multiplayer games, you can choose a new target player each upkeep. [D'Angelo 99/09/20]
• Note - Also see Cumulative Upkeep, Rule A.10.

Corrupt

• The swamps are counted on resolution. [DeLaney 98/10/05]

Corrupt Court Official

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Corrupt Eunuchs

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "When this comes into play, it deals 2 damage to target creature." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Corrupting Licid

• Note - Also see Licids, Rule E.7.

Corrupt Official

• It triggers only once even if blocked by more than one creature. [MM FAQ 99/09/22]

Cosmic Horror

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - Also see First Strike, Rule A.15.

Council of Advisors

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "When this comes into play, if you played it from your hand, you draw a card." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Counterintelligence

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "Return one or two target creatures to their owners' hand." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Counterspell

• Note - In Fifth Edition (and before) this was an Interrupt. All such spells are now Instants.

Covetous Dragon

• Only checks if you control no artifacts at the time it triggers. It does not check again on resolution. So gaining control of an artifact before then will not save the Dragon. [D'Angelo 99/06/01]
• The ability will trigger if you don't control an artifact, even for a brief moment during the resolution of another spell or ability. [Urza's Destiny FAQ 99/05/25]
• Note - Also see state-based triggered abilities, Rule A.4.16 and Rule A.4.17. [D'Angelo 99/08/04]

Cowardice

Crackdown

Cradle Guard

• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.
• Note - Also see Echo, Rule A.12.

Crag Saurian

Crash

Crashing Boars

• The ability is not optional. If there are no untapped creatures to choose, then the ability does nothing. [Barclay 98/06/10]
• If the chosen creature is not still untapped at the time blockers are declared, it does not have to block. [DeLaney 98/06/10]

Crash of Rhinos

• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Crater Hellion

• Does 4 damage to every creature in play other than itself. [DeLaney 98/10/05]
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.
• Note - Also see Echo, Rule A.12.

Craven Giant

• Note - The Portal version had no creature type.

Craven Knight

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "this can't block." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• Note - This card had no creature type. If played with non-Portal cards, it should be played as creature type Knight. [D'Angelo 00/06/05]

Craw Giant

• Note - Also see Rampage, Rule A.25.
• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Crawlspace

Craw Wurm

Crazed Armodon

• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Crazed Skirge

• Note - Also see Haste, Rule A.18.

Creature Bond

• You do not take damage if [Swords to Plowshares](#Swords to Plowshares) is used on the creature. Swords to Plowshares causes the card to leave the game, not to be destroyed. [Snark 94/02/01]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Credit Voucher

Creeping Mold

Cremate

Crenellated Wall

• Note - Also see Wall, Rule K.26.

Crevasse

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Crimson Acolyte

• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Crimson Hellkite

Crimson Kobolds

• The color setting text isn't an ability. [D'Angelo 00/03/03]
• The casting cost is not a mistake. [D'Angelo 94/08/01]
• The text on the card explaining the color can be affected with [Sleight of Mind](#Sleight of Mind). [Duelist Magazine 18, Page 29] Changing this wording affects the initial color of the card much like changing the mana symbols on a card would do. [D'Angelo 96/12/04]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - Also see [Crookshank Kobolds](#Crookshank Kobolds).

Crimson Manticore

Crimson Roc

• It gets the bonus only once no matter how many non-flying creatures it blocks. [bethmo 99/02/24]
• Note - Also see First Strike, Rule A.15.

Crooked Scales

Crookshank Kobolds

• The color setting text isn't an ability. [D'Angelo 00/03/03]
• The casting cost is not a mistake. [D'Angelo 94/08/01]
• The text on the card explaining the color can be affected with [Sleight of Mind](#Sleight of Mind). [Duelist Magazine 18, Page 29] Changing this wording affects the base color of the card much like changing the mana symbols on a card would do. [D'Angelo 96/12/04] It used to be explanatory text and was not Sleightable.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - Also see [Crimson Kobolds](#Crimson Kobolds).

Crop Rotation

• Sacrificing a land is part of the play cost (see Rule K.20) of this spell. [Barclay 99/02/09]
• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) have restricted this card since 99/10/01.
• Type 1.5 tournaments (see Rule D.14) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Crosis's Attendant

Crosis, the Purger

• You choose the color during resolution. This means your opponent does not get to react after knowing the color you chose. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]
• Note - Also see Color, Rule G.3, for rules on choosing a color.
• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.

Crossbow Ambush

• This effect only allows them to block creatures with Flying as if they did not have Flying. It does not allow a otherwise unblockable creature to be blocked. [Duelist Magazine #25, Page 30]

Crossbow Infantry

Crosswinds

Crovax the Cursed

• Can sacrifice itself to its upkeep triggered ability. [Barclay 98/02/27]
• You can only sacrifice one card to it each turn. [D'Angelo 98/10/12]
• If you choose not to sacrifice a creature and he has no +1/+1 counters, then nothing bad happens. [DeLaney 99/01/13] Note that some other effect must be keeping him alive if he has no counters.
• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.

Crown of Flames

Crown of the Ages

• Can move any enchantment on a creature to another valid creature target. Mostly this refers to enchant creature cards, but enchant artifact cards on an artifact creature or enchant land cards on a land creature could also be moved to legal targets. [D'Angelo 95/06/23]
• Only targets the enchantment and not either creature. [Aahz 95/07/09] This is means it can move enchantments onto a creature which cannot normally be targeted by spells and abilities if the enchantment is legal on that target.
• The enchantment's new target must be legal. [D'Angelo 99/01/14]
• Note - Also see Moving Enchantments, Rule E.8.

Cruel Bargain

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Cruel Edict

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "Target opponent chooses target creature he or she controls. Destroy that creature." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Cruel Fate

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "Look at the top five cards of target opponent's library. Put one of them into your opponent's graveyard and the rest on top of his or her library in any order." [D'Angelo 00/07/06]

Cruel Tutor

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "Search your library for a card, then shuffle your library and put that card on top of it. You lose 2 life." [D'Angelo 00/07/06]

Crumble

• If the target artifact becomes illegal before resolution, the player does not gain any life. [Duelist Magazine #5, Page 23]
• Note - Also see Converted Mana Cost, Rule K.8.

Crumbling Sanctuary

• If you have no cards in your library, then damage done to you will have no effect since it will get changed into a removal that cannot happen. [MM FAQ 99/09/22]

Crusade

Crusading Knight

• It counts all opponents' swamps. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]
• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Crypt Angel

• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.
• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Crypt Cobra

• The player gets a poison counter as a triggered ability on not blocking the Cobra. Killing the Cobra after declaring blockers or preventing its damage will not prevent the poison counter. [D'Angelo 99/07/01]
• Note - Also see Poison, Rule E.9.

Crypt Rats

Crystal Chimes

Crystal Golem

• Note - Also see Phasing Out and In, Rule G.27.
• Note - Before errata, this card did not have a creature type. [Oracle 99/07/01]

Crystalline Sliver

• This card makes slivers in play untargetable. What this means is that no spell or ability with the word "target" in its text can be announced with a Sliver in play as the target. If the spell or ability does not use the word "target", then Crystalline Sliver does not protect the slivers from it. It is very important to remember that cards can be affected without targeting them! [D'Angelo 98/06/11] For example, none of the Slivers use the word "target" when granting Sliver abilities.
• The ability only applies while this card is in play. [D'Angelo 99/06/02]
• Note - Also see Targeting--Is Something Targeted, Rule G.40.

Crystal Rod

Crystal Spray

• If you change the color of a spell which is to become a permanent, the permanent will retain the color change until the end of the turn. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]
• You can play this spell on a permanent which has no color or land words on it. It doesn't do anything useful, but it is legal to do. [D'Angelo 00/10/14]
• Note - See [Mind Bend](#Mind Bend) for related rulings.

Crystal Vein

Culling the Weak

• You sacrifice a creature when announcing the spell and you cannot sacrifice more than one creature to get extra mana. [Barclay 98/06/10]
• Note - Before errata it was of type Mana Source. It is now an instant.

Cunning

Cunning Advisor

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "{Tap}: Target opponent discards a card from his or her hand. Play this ability only during your turn before combat." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Cunning Giant

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "Whenever this attacks and isn't blocked, you may assign its combat damage this turn to target creature defending player controls instead of to that player." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Cuombajj Witches

• Both targets are chosen on announcement, but you choose your target before the opponent chooses. [WotC Rules Team 95/08/17]
• It does not target the opponent, but you still choose an opponent. [WotC Rules Team 98/02/01]
• Your opponent is counted as the one choosing their target for things like [Autumn Willow](#Autumn Willow) that care who is targeting rather than what is targeting it. [Aahz 95/10/24]
• If either target becomes invalid, the other one is still affected. [Aahz 95/05/23]
• In multiplayer games you can choose a different opposing player each time it is used. [Duelist Magazine #4, Page 64] You also don't have to choose the same player that you targeted with the effect (or whose creature you targeted).
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Curfew

• The current player chooses first. [Urza's FAQ 98/10/05]
• All choices are made during resolution. [D'Angelo 99/05/01]

Curiosity

• You draw one card each time the enchanted creature damages the opponent. This is not one card per point of damage. [Barclay 98/06/10]
• If put on your opponent's creature, you do not draw a card when that creature damages you. The creature has to damage your opponent in order to have this work. [D'Angelo 98/11/10]
• Drawing a card is optional. If you forget, you cannot go back later and do it, even if it is something you normally do. [D'Angelo 99/06/01]

Curse Artifact

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Cursed Flesh

Cursed Land

Cursed Rack

• The effect of lowering the maximum hand size makes it so the player discards down to 4 cards (instead of the usual 7) during the cleanup step (see Rule P.13). [D'Angelo 00/02/25]
• You choose one opposing player just as this card is coming into play and it only affects that one player. This target is not changed even if this card changes controllers. It becomes useless but stays in play if the target player leaves play. [Duelist Magazine #4, Page 64] See Rule M.1.3.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Cursed Scroll

• You choose a target creature or player on announcement. You choose the opponent and they pick a card from your hand during resolution. [D'Angelo 99/06/01]
• It does not target the opponent, but you still choose an opponent. [WotC Rules Team 98/02/01]
• If you have no cards in hand, you still have to name a card, but your opponent does not pick one. The card they chose cannot match the card you named, since they didn't get to pick one, so the Cursed Scroll does not deal any damage. [D'Angelo 98/05/18]
• Tempest/Stronghold}/Exodus block format tournaments (see Rule D.18.5) have banned this card since 98/07/01.

Cursed Totem

• Affects anything with an activation cost, which is anything written as "Cost: effect", or as "you may pay <-cost-> to do <-effect->". [D'Angelo 99/05/01]
• Remember this is only creature abilities and not abilities of local enchantments which are on creatures. [bethmo 96/09/19]
• Does not prevent creature cards which are not in play from having their abilities used. For example, [Elvish Spirit Guide](#Elvish Spirit Guide) and [Ashen Ghoul](#Ashen Ghoul). This is because they are not "creatures", they are "creature cards" when they are not in play. [Duelist Magazine #19, Page 30]
• Can prevent mana abilities from being played. [D'Angelo 99/05/01]

Curse of Marit Lage

Customs Depot

Cycle of Life

• Does not work on creatures which are put into play by an effect instead of by being played. [bethmo 96/12/03]

Cyclone

• You are given the choice to pay or not pay during the resolution. [D'Angelo 98/07/21]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Cyclopean Mummy

• The Mummy does go to the graveyard and trigger abilities (such as [Soul Net](#Soul Net)) which watch for something going to the graveyard. It then leaves the game as a triggered ability (see Rule A.4). [bethmo 94/06/22]
• It does not leave the game if it goes to the graveyard from someplace other than "in play". This includes discarding from your hand or if the spell is countered. [bethmo 94/06/27]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Cyclopean Tomb

• A changed land is considered to be the new land type in all ways. This is not just a change of name. It changes the color of mana produced too. [Mirage, Page 58] See Rule K.16.3.
• Will not add or remove Snow-Covered nature from a land. See Rule K.21.3. [Duelist Magazine #6, Page 132]
• If by any chance more than one counter is on the same land, you can remove older ones before newer ones. For example Mountain changed to Swamp by the Tomb, then someone [Phantasmal Terrain](#Phantasmal Terrain)s the land to Island, then you Swamp it again. Removing the newest counter reverts the land to an Island. Removing the oldest one leaves the newer one in effect. [bethmo 94/05/09]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - No casting cost was listed in the Alpha printing of the Limited Edition. This was corrected in the Beta printing. [Duelist Magazine #2, Page 68]
• Note - The card is of type "Artifact" and not "Mono Artifact". [Duelist Magazine #3, Page 79]

- D -

Dakkon Blackblade

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.

Dakmor Bat

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Dakmor Ghoul

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Starter.

Dakmor Lancer

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Starter.

Dakmor Plague

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal and Starter.

Dakmor Scorpion

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal and Starter.

Dakmor Sorceress

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal and Starter.

Damping Engine

• It prevents players from playing a land by the normal means or from casting artifact, summon, or enchantment spells. It does not prevent a land, artifact, creature or enchantment from being put into play by some other means. [Urza's Legacy FAQ 99/02/03]
• Sacrificing a permanent to this card is played as an instant. [Barclay 99/02/13]
• You can only sacrifice a permanent to this card if you have more permanents than any other player, and you have not already resolved a use of the sacrifice ability this turn. The ability to sacrifice a card is itself part of the effect that is ignored once you use it. [Barclay 99/02/09]

Damping Field

• Does not prevent artifacts (such as [Colossus of Sardia](#Colossus of Sardia)) from untapping during upkeep. [D'Angelo 94/06/01]
• Artifact creatures are artifacts. They are affected so only one may untap. If Smoke is also in play, then untapping an artifact creature counts as your one creature and as your one artifact. [D'Angelo 94/06/01]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Dance of Many

• Treat the token as a just-played creature of the appropriate type. If that creature normally gets counters when played, the token creature gets counters. [bethmo 94/08/14]
• Destroying the creature which was copied will not cause the token creature to be destroyed as well. [Aahz 94/10/21]
• This spell is targeted and checks the validity of the target when declared and when resolving. If the creature is not still there when the copy resolves, the spell is countered. [D'Angelo 99/08/01]
• The mana cost is copied. This makes Dance of Many the only exception to the rule that token creatures have a mana cost of zero. [D'Angelo 99/08/01]
• The creature is still considered a token creature, so if you happen to copy a [Drudge Skeleton](#Drudge Skeleton), the Skeleton token would still be susceptible to Drudge Spell. [Aahz 96/03/02]
• The remove from game abilities are on Dance of Many and not from the token. [D'Angelo 96/10/01] If Dance of Many loses its abilities, removing one from play won't destroy the other.
• Each Dance of Many is associated only with its token creature. If one leaves play, only the corresponding token is affect, not all tokens from all instances of Dance of Many. [D'Angelo 97/05/19]
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play abilities, Rule E.3.
• Note - Also see Copy Cards, Rule E.4.
• Note - Also see Token Creatures, Rule K.25.

Dance of the Dead

• A "creature card" is a Creature card or Artifact Creature card. [D'Angelo 99/05/01] Older cards of type Summon are also Creature cards.
• Enters play as a global enchantment and then becomes an Enchant Creature as a triggered ability upon entering play. It follows all the rules for Enchant Creature cards from then on. [WotC Rules Team 97/03/14]
• In general, an animated creature comes out as if it were just played. Any X in the mana cost is zero. So animating a [Rock Hydra](#Rock Hydra) gives you a hydra with zero heads. [Mirage, Page 31]
• You can Dance of the Dead a creature which was discarded from a hand and therefore was never in play. [D'Angelo 97/06/01]
• Dance of the Dead becomes a creature enchantment spell and so it does activate the [Rabid Wombat](#Rabid Wombat) and trigger other cards which use creature enchantments. [Aahz 97/06/06]
• This is a targeted effect. Note that cards in the graveyard do not have Protection from Color abilities, but it may be countered because the target is removed from the graveyard before the effect resolves. [WotC Rules Team 95/05/10]
• If more than one Dance of the Dead ends up on a creature, each contributes a +1/+1. [D'Angelo 95/09/25] But you only have to pay the untap cost once. [D'Angelo 00/03/09] You may pay for each one, however, and untap the card more than once during upkeep. [DeLaney 00/03/11]
• Note - After errata, the card is of type "Enchantment" and not "Enchant Dead Creature". [Wotc Rules Team 97/06/01]

Dancing Scimitar

Dandan

• Note - Also see Landhome, Rule A.20.

Daraja Griffin

Darba

Darigaaz's Attendant

Darigaaz, the Igniter

• You choose the color during resolution. This means your opponent does not get to react after knowing the color you chose. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]
• Note - Also see Color, Rule G.3, for rules on choosing a color.
• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.

Daring Apprentice

Dark Banishing

Darkest Hour

• All creatures are black instead of whatever color(s) they were before. [DeLaney 98/10/05]

Dark Hatchling

• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.

Dark Heart of the Wood

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Darkling Stalker

• Note - Before errata it was of creature type Spirit. [Oracle 99/05/01]

Dark Maze

• Note - Also see Walls, Rule K.26.

Darkness

• Note - Also see Fog Effects, Rule E.5.

Dark Offering

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal and Starter.

Darkpact

• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) have banned this card since 94/01/25 since it is only used in games for Ante.
• Type 1.5 tournaments (see Rule D.14) have always banned this card.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Standard (Type 2) tournaments (see Rule D.16) have always banned this card.

Dark Privilege

Dark Ritual

• This card, as with all instants cards, goes to the graveyard when it resolves. It does not stay in play. [D'Angelo 99/05/01]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 00/04/01.
• Note - In Mirage, Fifth Edition, Tempest, and Urza's Saga, this spell was of type Mana Source. In Ice Age, Fourth Edition (and before), it was of type Interrupt. It is now of type Instant.

Dark Sphere

• Prevents half the damage from that source which is currently unprevented. So two of them will result in 1/4 damage, not zero damage. This is because you apply them sequentially, not simultaneously. [D'Angelo 99/08/01]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Dark Triumph

• Note - Also see Alternate Cost Spells, Rule E.1.

Darkwatch Elves

• Note - Also see Cycling, Rule A.11.
• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Darting Merfolk

Daughter of Autumn

• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.

Dauthi Cutthroat

• Note - Also see Shadow, Rule A.26.

Dauthi Embrace

• Note - Also see Shadow, Rule A.26.

Dauthi Ghoul

• Note - Also see Shadow, Rule A.26.

Dauthi Horror

• Note - Also see Shadow, Rule A.26.

Dauthi Jackal

• This creature does not have to be an attacker or blocker to use its ability. [Barclay 98/06/10]
• Note - Also see Shadow, Rule A.26.

Dauthi Marauder

• Note - Also see Shadow, Rule A.26.

Dauthi Mercenary

• Note - Also see Shadow, Rule A.26.

Dauthi Mindripper

• Note - Also see Shadow, Rule A.26.

Dauthi Slayer

• Note - Also see Shadow, Rule A.26.

Dauthi Trapper

• Note - Also see Shadow, Rule A.26.

Dauthi Warlord

• It counts creatures with the Shadow ability controlled by all players. [Barclay 98/06/10]
• Note - Also see Shadow, Rule A.26.

D'Avenant Archer

• Note - In Fifth Edition (and before) this card was of creature type Archer.

Dawnstrider

Daze

• Note - Also see Alternate Cost Spells, Rule E.1.

Dazzling Beauty

• Does not trigger most blocking abilities since most of them say they happen when a creature blocks, not when they are blocked without a creature. [D'Angelo 96/11/11] [Keeper of Tresserhorn](#Keeper of Tresserhorn)'s effect can be stopped, as can effects of "Is Not Blocked Ability" creatures.
• Works on unblockable creatures. [bethmo 96/11/18] Or on creatures that have special blocking requirements such as when [Goblin War Drums](#Goblin War Drums) is in effect. [bethmo 97/01/22]
• Is not very useful against Trample creatures since Trample damage comes through as if a zero toughness creature blocked the Trampler. [Duelist Magazine #16, Page 28] See Rule A.27.3.
• Note - Also see Cantrips, Rule E.2.

Deadfall

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Deadhead

• To "lose contact" means to not be in direct physical contact with any of the cards in your hand. [QAS 98/09/09] Being in contact with at least one card from your hand (if you hand has any cards) means you are still in contact.
• If you've got no cards in your hand, you can't lose contact with it. [QAS 98/09/09]
• Deadhead says nothing about which part of your opponent must touch his hand of cards - any part will do. Clothes (including gloves) do not count as part of your opponent. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Deadly Insect

• The no-target ability work only when it is in play. So it can be targeted in the graveyard or while being cast. [bethmo 96/08/21]

Deadshot

• Deadshot can target a creature which is already tapped as its first target, and it will still damage the second target. This is because it taps that creature as an effect, not as a cost. [Duelist Magazine #23, Page 22]

Death Charmer

Deathcoil Wurm

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "You may have this assign its combat damage to defending player as though it weren't blocked." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Deathgazer

Deathgrip

Deathlace

• See Chaoslace for rulings.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - This card was an Interrupt and now is an Instant. [Oracle 99/09/03]

Death or Glory

Death Pit Offering

Death Pits of Rath

Death's Duet

• You cannot cast this spell if you only have on creature card in your graveyard. [Barclay 98/06/10]

Death Spark

Death Speakers

• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Death Stroke

Death Ward

Death Watch

Debt of Loyalty

• Can be played at any time with the effect of "regenerate target creature the next time it would be destroyed this turn". [D'Angelo 99/07/10]

Deception

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "Target opponent discards two cards from his or her hand." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Decomposition

• Note - Also see Cumulative Upkeep, Rule A.10.

Deep-Sea Serpent

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "this can't attack unless defending player controls an island." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• Note - This card had no creature type. If played with non-Portal cards, it should be played as creature type Serpent. [D'Angelo 00/06/05]

Deep Spawn

• The two cards put into the graveyard are not discards from your hand and so [Library of Leng](#Library of Leng) does not apply. [Aahz 94/11/30]
• Does not cause enchantments on it to be removed when the ability is activated. An enchantment in play is neither a spell or an ability. [Duelist Magazine #4, Page 7]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Deep Water

• All affected lands produce just one blue mana regardless of how many it might normally generate. [Duelist Magazine #3, Page 7]
• [Mana Flare](#Mana Flare) will provide one extra blue mana. [Duelist Magazine #3, Page 7]
• Will remove restrictions on how mana generated by the land is used. [Duelist Magazine #6, Page 131] For example, the blue mana from a [Mishra's Workshop](#Mishra's Workshop) can be used for any purpose.
• It affects lands you control when it resolves and any lands you gain control of this turn. [D'Angelo 99/08/18]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Deep Wood

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as an Instant spell with text "Prevent all damage that would be dealt to you by attacking creatures this turn." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]

Deepwood Drummer

Deepwood Elder

Deepwood Ghoul

Deepwood Legate

Deepwood Tantiv

Deepwood Wolverine

Defender en-Vec

• Note - Also see Fading, Rule A.14.

Defender of Chaos

• If you play this when only instants are legal, it is still a creature spell and not an instant. [Urza's Legacy FAQ 99/02/03]
• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Defender of Law

• If you play this when only instants are legal, it is still a creature spell and not an instant. [Urza's Legacy FAQ 99/02/03]
• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Defense Grid

• The additional cost is not part of the casting cost (such as for [Spell Blast](#Spell Blast)). See Rule K.18.1. [Urza's Legacy FAQ 99/02/03]
• The additional cost can be reduced by effects such as [Helm of Awakening](#Helm of Awakening). See Rule K.20.4. [Urza's Legacy FAQ 99/02/03]

Defense of the Heart

• This triggered ability only triggers if your opponent controls 3 or more creatures at the beginning of upkeep. This condition is checked again on resolution. [D'Angelo 99/05/01]
• A "creature card" is an Artifact Creature or Creature card. [D'Angelo 99/05/01] Note that older cards of type Summon are creature cards.
• You choose how many cards to put into play during the resolution after you look through your library. You do not choose on announcement. [Bethmo 99/03/05]
• If this card is not in play at the time it resolves, then you cannot sacrifice it, so you do not get to look in your library for cards. The sacrifice is a cost paid during resolution. [WotC Rules Team 99/03/18]
• In a multiplayer game, it triggers if at least one opponent controls three or more creatures. [Barclay 99/02/28]

Defensive Formation

• You follow all the normal rules for damage assignment. For example, you can assign more damage to a blocking creature than its toughness, and if a creature has Trample (see Rule A.27) you follow the Trample rules as appropriate. [Urza's FAQ 98/10/05]
• Damage assignment choices from Trample (see Rule A.27), [Thorn Elemental](#Thorn Elemental), and other things which allow alternative damage assignments for attacking creatures are all made by you. [bethmo 99/10/05]

Defiant Falcon

• This card is both a Rebel and a Bird. [Nemesis FAQ 00/02/07]
• Note - Also see Converted Mana Cost, Rule K.8.

Defiant Stand

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as an Instant spell with text "Play this only during an opponent's declare attackers step.; Target creature gets +1/+3 until end of turn. Untap that creature." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]

Defiant Vanguard

• Note - Also see Converted Mana Cost, Rule K.8.

Defiling Tears

Deflection

• Only targets the spell being Deflected and not the original or new target of the spell it is affecting. [Aahz 95/07/09]
• You choose the spell to target on announcement, but you pick the new target for that spell on resolution. [bethmo 99/11/30]
• You cannot make a spell which is on the stack target itself. Thus, you cannot make Counterspell target itself or make another Deflection target itself. [D'Angelo 99/12/07]
• You can choose to make a spell on the stack target the Deflection you are playing (if such a target choice would be legal had the spell be cast while Deflection was on the stack). The new target for the Deflected spell is not chosen until Deflection resolves. See Rule T.6.1 to see that Deflection is still on the stack when new targets are selected for the spell. [D'Angelo 00/06/20]
• Once Deflection resolves, the new target is considered to be targeted by the deflected spell. This will trigger any effects, such as [Skulking Ghost](#Skulking Ghost), which trigger on being targeted. [bethmo 97/08/08]
• A Counterspell can be changed to target something that is further down the stack (meaning the target will resolve before the Counterspell does). [D'Angelo 00/05/20]
• Note - In Fifth Edition and Ice Age this card was of type Interrupt. All such cards are now of type Instant.

Dehydration

Deja Vu

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "Return target sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]

Delif's Cone

• This card has an activated ability that creates a triggered ability which watches the target creature. [D'Angelo 99/08/01]
• If you use the ability after blockers are declared, it won't trigger at all. So you want to use it before blockers are declared. [DeLaney 99/08/08]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Delif's Cube

• This card has an activated ability that creates a triggered ability which watches the target creature. [D'Angelo 99/08/01]
• If you use the ability after blockers are declared, it won't trigger at all. So you want to use it before blockers are declared. [DeLaney 99/08/08]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Delirium

• Tapping the creature is part of the effect and not the cost, therefore you can play it on a tapped creature. [Duelist Magazine #16, Page 28]
• Note - Also see Fog Effects, Rule E.5.

Deliver (Stand/Deliver)

• Note - See Stand (Stand/Deliver) for the second half of this card.
• Note - Also see Split Cards, Rule K.24.

Delraich

• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Delusions of Mediocrity

• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.

Demonic Attorney

• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) have banned this card since 94/01/25 since it is only used in games for Ante.
• Type 1.5 tournaments (see Rule D.14) have always banned this card.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Standard (Type 2) tournaments (see Rule D.16) have always banned this card.

Demonic Consultation

• The spell fails if you do not find the card before your library is empty. You do not lose the game at that point. You lose on the next time you have to draw. [Aahz 95/06/08]
• You name which card to look for on resolution. [D'Angelo 00/03/09]
• You must name a card that actually exists in the game of Magic. [Aahz 95/10/07]
• There is no way to make this card affect your opponent. It affects "you", and "you" means the caster. [Duelist Magazine #7, Page 9] It has no targets and cannot be Deflectioned.
• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) have restricted this card since 00/10/01.
• Type 1.5 tournaments (see Rule D.14) have banned this card since 00/10/01.

Demonic Hordes

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Demonic Torment

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Demonic Tutor

• This is not a draw. [D'Angelo 95/02/27]
• You do not show the card you pick out of your library to your opponent. [bethmo 94/06/01]
• You pick a card on resolution. [D'Angelo 95/07/21] Because you pick on resolution, this spell can be Forked so that the Fork's caster can pick a different card. [Aahz 95/09/05]
• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) have restricted this card since 94/03/23.
• Type 1.5 tournaments (see Rule D.14) have always banned this card.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Standard (Type 2) tournaments (see Rule D.16) have banned this card since 95/05/02 when it left the environment.
• Note - The artist's name, Shuler, was misspelled on the Limited Edition and Unlimited Edition versions of this card.

Denied!

• The spell that they are playing is not in their hand when you play Denied!. [Barclay 98/08/13/98]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.
• Note - This card was of type Interrupt and is now of type Instant. [D'Angelo 00/03/09]

Denizen of the Deep

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal and Starter.

Dense Foliage

Denying Wind

Deranged Hermit

• The Squirrel tokens get the bonus, so they are effectively 2/2 creatures until the Hermit leaves play. And they get bigger if multiple Hermits are in play. [DeLaney 99/02/10]
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.
• Note - Also see Echo, Rule A.12.
• Note - Also see Token Creatures, Rule K.25.

Derelor

Desert

• Can be used on any player's attacking creatures. This includes your own and creatures in an attack you are not involved in (multiplayer games). [bethmo 94/06/01]
• The "end of combat" step is after combat damage has been resolved, so this card's ability can only be used after combat damage, not before. [D'Angelo 00/02/25]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Desert Drake

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• Note - This card had no creature type. If played with non-Portal cards, it should be played as creature type Drake. [D'Angelo 00/06/05]

Desertion

• This spell includes a replacement effect. If the target is an artifact or creature, it never goes to the graveyard. [D'Angelo 99/05/01]
• The card enters play as if just cast and you get to make all necessary decisions from scratch. [Duelist Magazine #17, Page 28]
• Any X in the casting cost is zero since it is not actually being cast. [DeLaney 97/02/02]
• The card is put into play, but any effects that check if the original card was "played from your hand" (such as with [Cloud of Faeries](#Cloud of Faeries)) will not trigger or otherwise consider the card to have been played from your hand. The card was put into play by the effect of Desertion instead. [bethmo 99/11/30]
• Note - In Visions this spell was an Interrupt. All such spells are now of type Instant.

Desert Nomads

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - Also see Desert.
• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.

Desert Sandstorm

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Desert Twister

Desolation

• Each Desolation only causes up to one land per turn to be sacrificed. If you have more than one, each will do this. [Duelist Magazine #17, Page 28]
• It works even if it was not in play when the land was tapped for mana. It only has an end of turn effect of checking each player to see if they did tap a land that turn. [bethmo 97/02/13]
• It only works if Desolation is in play at the end of the turn. [bethmo 97/02/26]

Desperate Charge

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "Creatures you control get +2/+0 until end of turn." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.

Desperate Gambit

Desperate Research

Despoil

Despondency

Despotic Scepter

Destructive Urge

• The ability has no effect if the player has no lands. [Urza's FAQ 98/10/05]

Detonate

• If the artifact becomes an illegal target before resolution, then no damage is done. [Duelist Magazine #5, Page 23]
• Note - Also see Converted Mana Cost, Rule K.8.
• Note - Also see X Costs, Rule K.27.

Devastate

Devastation

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal and Starter.

Devoted Hero

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal and Starter.
• Note - The Portal version had no creature type.

Devouring Deep

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.

Devouring Strossus

• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Devout Harpist

• It can only target "Enchant Creature" cards. [Urza's Legacy FAQ 99/02/03] And cards changed into Enchant Creatures, such as a Licid or [Animate Dead](#Animate Dead). [DeLaney 02/14/99]

Devout Monk

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Starter.

Devout Witness

Diabolic Edict

• The choice of what to sacrifice is made by the player on resolution. [Duelist Magazine #23, Page 22]

Diabolic Machine

Diabolic Servitude

• You choose the target creature card when this card's "comes into play" ability (see Rule E.3) is played. If the targeted creature card is not in the graveyard when the ability resolves, it brings nothing into play and sits in play with no further effects in the future. If there is no creature card to target, then you skip playing the ability. [D'Angelo 98/10/08]
• If the creature is in play and phases out, is unsummoned, or is removed from the game, this card loses track of the creature and has no further effects in the future. [D'Angelo 98/10/08]
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.

Diabolic Vision

Diamond Kaleidoscope

• Note - Also see Token Creatures, Rule K.25.

Diamond Valley

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Diaochan, Artful Beauty

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "{Tap}: You and your opponent each choose a target creature. Destroy those creatures. Play this ability only during your turn before combat." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.

Didgeridoo

Diminishing Returns

• You (and the other players) decide during resolution how many cards to draw. You choose first, then your opponent. [D'Angelo 99/05/01]
• You can choose any number from 0 to 7. You are not forced to draw 7 cards. [Aahz 96/05/21]

Dingus Egg

• If multiple lands are destroyed at once, each land causes the Egg to trigger separately and do 2 points of damage. [D'Angelo 98/02/03]
• Triggers by any effect which puts a land into the graveyard from play. [WotC Rules Team 94/12/15] Does not trigger on phasing out. [D'Angelo 98/02/03]
• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) restricted this card from 94/01/25 to 94/05/01.

Dingus Staff

Diplomatic Escort

Diplomatic Immunity

Dire Wolves

• Note - Also see Banding, Rule A.7.

Dirtcowl Wurm

• A spell or ability that tells a player to "put a land into play" does not count as playing a land. [D'Angelo 98/12/16]

Dirtwater Wraith

• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.

Disappear

Disciple of Grace

• Note - Also see Cycling, Rule A.11.
• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Disciple of Law

• Note - Also see Cycling, Rule A.11.
• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.

Discordant Dirge

• Adding a counter is optional. If you forget to add one during your upkeep, you cannot back up and add one later. [Urza's Saga Rule Page]

Discordant Spirit

• Will not count damage that was prevented. [D'Angelo 99/07/10]

Disease Carriers

Diseased Vermin

Disempower

Disenchant

• Artifact creatures can regenerate from destroy effects like this. [D'Angelo 98/02/03]
• This spell is not modal. If the target changes from an artifact to an enchantment or vice versa (as with [Transmogrifying Licid](#Transmogrifying Licid)), this spell still destroys it. [WotC Rules Team 98/07/01]

Disharmony

• The creature is still considerd to have attacked. This is a change introduced by the errata. [D'Angelo 99/02/11]
• Works even if the attacker was not tapped to attack. [Aahz 94/12/13]
• Can work on creatures you control. [Aahz 96/06/16]
• It untaps (if it was tapped) before you get control of the creature. [D'Angelo 00/03/03]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Note - The artist is actually Byron Wackwitz, not Phil Foglio. [Duelist Magazine #2, Page 7]

Disintegrate

• The "can't regenerate" is an effect of Disintegrate and not an effect of the damage. So it works even if the damage is prevented or redirected away. If redirected, the damage does not take this effect with it. [WotC Rules Team 94/02/07]
• Disintegrated creatures do not go to the graveyard at all before leaving the game. They do not trigger abilities which happen due to a creature going to the graveyard. [WotC Rules Team 94/09/15]
• Note - Also see X Costs, Rule K.27.

Dismantling Blow

• Note - Also see Kicker, Rule A.20.

Dismiss

• Note - Before errata this card was of type Interrupt. It is now an Instant. [Oracle 99/05/01]

Disorder

• Players take 0 or 2 damage. Does not do 2 damage per creature to the player. [DeLaney 98/10/05]

Disrupt

• If you draw another counterspell when Disrupt resolves, and the player paid the mana to stop Disrupt from countering the spell, you may use the newly drawn counterspell to try again to counter the spell being cast. [Duelist Magazine #19, Page 34]
• Note - The Weatherlight version of this card was of type Interrupt.

Disrupting Scepter

• You can use it on yourself. [Duelist Magazine #4, Page 64]
• In multiplayer games this allows you to choose a different player each time it is used. [Duelist Magazine #4, Page 64] See Rule M.1.4.
• Can be used on a player with no cards, but has no effect. [Duelist Magazine #5, Page 23]

Disruptive Student

Dissipate

• The card does not go to the graveyard before being removed from the game. [DeLaney 99/01/04]
• Note - Before errata, this card was of type Interrupt. [Oracle 99/07/01]

Distorting Lens

Distorting Wake

• Note - Also see X Costs, Rule K.27.

Disturbed Burial

• Note - Also see Buyback, Rule A.9.

Divine Intervention

• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) banned this card from 94/08/01 until 99/10/01.
• Type 1.5 tournaments (see Rule D.14) banned this card until 99/10/01.
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.
• Standard (Type 2) tournaments (see Rule D.16) have always banned this card, since it is not part of the environment.
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.

Divine Offering

• You may regenerate the artifact without losing the life bonus. [Duelist Magazine #2, Page 8]
• It can be used on your opponent's artifacts and you still gain the life. [bethmo 94/09/05]
• If the target artifact becomes illegal before resolution, you do not gain any life. [Duelist Magazine #5, Page 23]
• Note - Also see Converted Mana Cost, Rule K.8.

Divine Presence

Divine Retribution

Divine Transformation

Diving Griffin

Divining Witch

• You name a card during resolution of the ability. [Nemesis FAQ 00/02/07]
• Note - Cycle with [Arc Mage](#Arc Mage), [Avenger en-Dal](#Avenger en-Dal), [Bola Warrior](#Bola Warrior), [Harvest Mage](#Harvest Mage), [Netter en-Dal](#Netter en-Dal), [Plague Witch](#Plague Witch), [Stampede Driver](#Stampede Driver), [Stronghold Biologist](#Stronghold Biologist), [Stronghold Machinist](#Stronghold Machinist), and [Trickster Mage](#Trickster Mage).

Dizzying Gaze

• Cannot be played on an opponent's creature. And this card is put into the graveyard if ever on a creature you do not control. [Barclay 98/06/10]

Djinn of the Lamp

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• Note - This card had no creature type. If played with non-Portal cards, it should be played as creature type Djinn. [D'Angelo 00/06/05]

Dominate

• Note - Also see Converted Mana Cost, Rule K.8.
• Note - Also see X Costs, Rule K.27.

Dominating Licid

• It becomes an enchantment and stops being all other permanent types. [D'Angelo 99/06/01]
• Note - Also see Licids, Rule E.7.

Donate

• If you Donate a local enchantment, it stays where it is, but the targeted player now controls it. [DeLaney 99/06/08]

Dong Zhou, the Tyrant

• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "When this comes into play, target creature an opponent controls deals damage to him or her equal to that creature's power." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.

Doomsday

• You lose the life during resolution. [D'Angelo 99/05/01]
• If you have less than 5 cards between your graveyard and library, you keep all your cards. [DeLaney 97/06/12]
• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) have restricted this card since 99/10/01.
• Type 1.5 tournaments (see Rule D.14) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Do or Die

Dormant Volcano

• When played from your hand, it counts as your playing of a land this turn. This is because it replaces the effect of putting the land into play. It does not replace the announcement of playing a land. [WotC Rules Team 00/01/11]

Double Cross

• If the next game with the player isn't a game of Magic, you still follow the instructions if you can. So, if you're playing Poker next, this could turn out to be very good for you. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• "Another player" means "a player that isn't you". One of your teammates is a legal target. A player in a different game is not a legal target. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• If played in a tournament, affects the next game in the current match only. If played outside a tournament, affects the next non-tournament game. [QAS 98/09/09]
• The term "beginning of the next game" means it triggers, after both players draw their hands (and do any mulligans), and right before starting the first player's turn, but the trigger isn't placed on the stack until the start of the first player's upkeep. [D'Angelo 00/03/09]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Double Deal

• If the next game with the player isn't a game of Magic, you still follow the instructions if you can. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• "Another player" means "a player that isn't you". One of your teammates is a legal target. A player in a different game is not a legal target. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• If played in a tournament, affects the next game in the current match only. If played outside a tournament, affects the next non-tournament game. [QAS 98/09/09]
• The term "beginning of the next game" means it triggers, after both players draw their hands (and do any mulligans), and right before starting the first player's turn, but the trigger isn't placed on the stack until the start of the first player's upkeep. [D'Angelo 00/03/09]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Double Dip

• If the next game with the player isn't a game of Magic, you still follow the instructions if you can. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• "Another player" means "a player that isn't you". One of your teammates is a legal target. A player in a different game is not a legal choice. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• If played in a tournament, affects the next game in the current match only. If played outside a tournament, affects the next non-tournament game. [QAS 98/09/09]
• The term "beginning of the next game" means it triggers, after both players draw their hands (and do any mulligans), and right before starting the first player's turn, but the trigger isn't placed on the stack until the start of the first player's upkeep. [D'Angelo 00/03/09]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Double Play

• If the next game with the player isn't a game of Magic, you still follow the instructions if you can. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• "Another player" means "a player that isn't you". One of your teammates is a legal target. A player in a different game is not a legal target. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• If played in a tournament, affects the next game in the current match only. If played outside a tournament, affects the next non-tournament game. [QAS 98/09/09]
• The term "beginning of the next game" means it triggers, after both players draw their hands (and do any mulligans), and right before starting the first player's turn, but the trigger isn't placed on the stack until the start of the first player's upkeep. [D'Angelo 00/03/09]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Double Take

• If the next game with the player isn't a game of Magic, you still follow the instructions if you can. So, if you're playing Poker next, this could turn out to be very good for you. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• "Another player" means "a player that isn't you". One of your teammates is a legal target. A player in a different game is not a legal target. [Barclay 98/08/13]
• If played in a tournament, affects the next game in the current match only. If played outside a tournament, affects the next non-tournament game. [QAS 98/09/09]
• The term "beginning of the next game" means it triggers, after both players draw their hands (and do any mulligans), and right before starting the first player's turn, but the trigger isn't placed on the stack until the start of the first player's upkeep. [D'Angelo 00/03/09]
• All tournament formats have banned cards from Unglued.
• Note - Also see Unglued rulings, Rule U.1.

Douse

Downdraft

Downhill Charge

• Note - Also see Alternate Cost Spells, Rule E.1.

Draconian Cylix

• The card is discarded from your hand during announcement and as a cost. It is not a forced discard, so it cannot be used with [Library of Leng](#Library of Leng). [Duelist Magazine #11, Page 56]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Dracoplasm

• When it is about to come into play by means other than being cast, you must choose the number of creatures to sacrifice and do so right before it comes into play. [bethmo 98/02/12] See Rule G.28.3.

Drafna's Restoration

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Dragon Blood

Dragon Engine

Dragon Mask

Dragon Whelp

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Drain Life

• You can put as much black mana as you want into this spell's X value, but you cannot gain more life than the creature's toughness. [D'Angelo 1996]
• You may gain up to the total toughness of the creature even if it was already damaged. [PPG Page 70]
• Cost reducers, such as [Helm of Awakening](#Helm of Awakening) can be used to reduce the X part of the mana cost. See Rule K.20.3. [WotC Rules Team 97/06/01]
• Note - Also see X Costs, Rule K.27.
• Note - Before errata, the X part of the cost was not part of the mana cost; it was part of the card's text. [Oracle 99/07/01] This means the X cost is now part of the cost for things like [Spell Blast](#Spell Blast).
• Note - The artist's name, Shuler, was misspelled on the Limited Edition and Unlimited Edition versions of this card.

Drain Power

• Since this is a sorcery, your opponent may use instants and abilities of permanents in response to this spell before you get the mana from their mana pool and lands. [D'Angelo 00/03/03]
• If a land can draw more than one color of mana (by choice) then the target player (not the caster of this spell) chooses which colors are drawn at the time they draw it. [bethmo 94/06/01]

Drake Hatchling

Drake-Skull Cameo

Dread Charge

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "Until end of turn, your black creatures can't be blocked except by black creatures." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]

Dread of Night

Dread Reaper

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Starter.
• Note - The Portal version had no creature type.

Dread Specter

Dread Wight

Dream Cache

Dream Coat

• The color change does not wear off at end of turn. [D'Angelo 00/03/03]
• You can choose any single color or combination of colors. The valid colors are Black, Blue, Green, Red, and White (see Rule G.3.1). [D'Angelo 00/03/03]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Dream Fighter

• Affects all creatures that end up blocking it, including ones that are members of bands. [bethmo 96/09/17]
• If Dream Fighter is assigned to block a creature with Flanking, the Flanking ability and the Dream Fighter ability both trigger. The active player's Flanking effect is put on the stack first and resolves after the Dream Fighter's phasing out effect happen, so the Flanking does nothing. [D'Angelo 99/07/10]
• Note - Also see Phasing Out and In, Rule G.27.

Dream Halls

• Only pays the mana cost (the mana in the upper right hand corner of the card). It will not pay additional costs from the card text (such as Buyback) or from other effects (such as Gloom or Chill). It does not prevent you from paying those additional costs if you want or need to. [Duelist Magazine #25, Page 30]
• Discarding a [Guerrilla Tactics](#Guerrilla Tactics) to pay for a red spell through your opponent's Dream Halls will not trigger the Guerrilla Tactics second ability, because you are discarding as a cost, not an effect. [D'Angelo 98/05/21]
• You cannot target the discarded card with the spell you are casting. [D'Angelo 98/05/28]
• Type 1 tournaments (see Rule D.13) have restricted this card since 99/10/01.
• Type 1.5 tournaments (see Rule D.14) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Extended tournaments (See Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Standard (Type 2) tournaments (see Rule D.16) have banned this card since 99/04/01.
• Note - Also see Alternate Cost Spells, Rule E.1.

Dream Prowler

Dreams of the Dead

• A "creature card" is a Creature card or Artifact Creature card. [D'Angelo 99/05/01] Older cards of type Summon are also Creature cards.
• Removes the creature from the game no matter how it leaves play, including Unsummoning or being killed. [D'Angelo 95/11/15]
• If it is removed from the game by [Safe Haven](#Safe Haven), then this effect will not do anything additional. Each player has only one "out of the game" zone, so this effect will not cause the Safe Haven to lose track of the creature. [WotC Rules Team 96/10/03]
• The remove from the game is a replacement effect. [D'Angelo 00/03/09]
• Note - Also see Cumulative Upkeep, Rule A.10.

Dream Thrush

Dream Tides

Dredge

Dregs of Sorrow

• X can be zero. [D'Angelo 98/11/02]
• Note - Also see X Costs, Rule K.27.

Drifting Djinn

• You choose whether to pay or not on resolution. If not, then you sacrifice this card. You can choose to not pay if you no longer control this card on resolution. See Rule E.11.Ruling.3. [D'Angelo 99/06/01]
• Note - Also see Cycling, Rule A.11.

Drifting Meadow

• Note - Also see Cycling, Rule A.11.

Drift of the Dead

• Note - Also see Walls, Rule K.26.

Dromar's Attendant

Dromar, the Banisher

• You choose the color during resolution. This means your opponent does not get to react after knowing the color you chose. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]
• Note - Also see Color, Rule G.3, for rules on choosing a color.
• Note - Also see Legendary Permanents, Rule K.17.

Dromosaur

• If it manages to block or become blocked more than once in a turn (due to [Relentless Assault](#Relentless Assault)), it can get the bonus twice. [DeLaney 98/10/05]
• Switching blockers will not re-trigger this since it only triggers on becoming blocked and switching does not unblock and reblock it. [DeLaney 98/10/17]

Drop of Honey

• This card's ability is targeted. It will not allow you to choose any creatures which cannot be targeted, such as those with Protection from Green, when you choose which creature it destroys. [WotC Rules Team 94/08/01]
• Creatures which cannot be targeted, such as those with Protection from Green count in determining if Drop of Honey stays in play. [WotC Rules Team 94/08/01]
• If the target becomes invalid after declaration and the effect is countered, you do not choose another target. [Duelist Magazine #16, Page 25]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Drought

• You have to sacrifice a Swamp for each black mana in the activation cost. If you use Pestilence with BBBB, that's 4 activations with B each so you sacrifice 4 Swamps. [D'Angelo 96/06/28]

Drowned

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Drudge Skeletons

Drudge Spell

• Destroys all Skeleton tokens from all sources if it leaves play. It does not just destroy ones generated by this Drudge Spell or just ones you control. [Duelist Magazine #9, Page 37]
• The creatures in the graveyard are removed from the game during announcement and as a cost. [Duelist Magazine #11, Page 56]
• The fact that Skeleton tokens are destroyed is an aspect of the enchantment and not of the tokens. Thus, only Skeleton tokens which are in play when it leaves play are destroyed. Ones which are going to appear due to use of the effect but which have not yet appeared are safe. [Duelist Magazine #10, Page 44]
• Note - Also see Token Creatures, K.25.

Dry Spell

Dual Nature

• It only triggers on a card of type "Creature" or "Artifact Creature" (or "Summon" for older cards) comes into play. Another card type which comes into play as a creature won't trigger this. [Prophecy FAQ 00/05/25] This is because it says "creature card" and not just "creature".
• If a Legendary creature (see Rule K.17) comes into play, the token is put into play and then is immediately sent to the graveyard before you can do anything with it, because it is a duplicate Legend. [Prophecy FAQ 00/05/25]
• If Dual Nature leaves play between when it triggers and when a token is put into play, that token remains in play indefinitely. It missed the separate ability which would have removed the token from the game. [Prophecy 00/05/25]
• Note - Also see Token Creatures, Rule K24.

Duct Crawler

Dueling Grounds

• The ability affects all players. [Invasion FAQ 00/10/03]

Dungeon Shade

Duplicity

• The cards are face down all the time. You can't look at them. This applies even to cards from your hand that got swapped out. You have to remember what they were if you care. [Bethmo 99/03/13]
• Taking control of another player's Duplicity will not allow you to use their cards. This is because "you" did not remove them from the game. [Jackson 00/10/24]
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.

Duress

Durkwood Boars

Duskrider Falcon

• Note - Also see Protection, Rule A.24.
• Note - Before errata, this card was of creature type Falcon. [Oracle 99/07/01]

Duskwalker

• If you paid the kicker, it comes into play with the specified text and retains this text until it leaves play. [D'Angelo 00/10/14]
• Note - Also see Kicker, Rule A.20.

Dust Bowl

Dust to Dust

• Must have 2 targets at time of casting in order to be declared. [Duelist Magazine #3, Page 6]
• If one target is removed or becomes invalid after declaration, the other target is still affected. [Aahz 94/08/12]

Dwarven Armorer

• The card is discarded from your hand during announcement and as a cost instead of being discarded on resolution. It is not a forced discard, so it cannot be used with [Library of Leng](#Library of Leng). [Duelist Magazine #11, Page 56]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Dwarven Armory

• Can be used during your opponent's upkeep as well as your own. [Duelist Magazine #7, Page 100] The upkeep restriction is there to avoid its use during combat.

Dwarven Berserker

• Note - Also see Trample, Rule A.27.

Dwarven Catapult

• Count the number of creatures on resolution of the spell and divide X by that number at that time. [WotC Rules Team 94/12/15] If the number of creatures changes before resolution, the damage done may be different than what you expected.
• Note - Also see X Costs, Rule K.27.

Dwarven Demolition Team

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Dwarven Hold

• Whether or not it is tapped is checked at the beginning of upkeep. If it is not tapped, the ability does not trigger. It also checks during resolution and you only get a counter if it is still tapped then. [D'Angelo 99/08/01] See Rule A.4.15.
• Note - Also see [Bottomless Vault](#Bottomless Vault).

Dwarven Lieutenant

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Dwarven Miner

Dwarven Nomad

• See [Dwarven Warriors](#Dwarven Warriors) for rulings.

Dwarven Pony

• Note - Also see Landwalk, Rule A.22.

Dwarven Ruins

• When [Drain Power](#Drain Power) resolves and you are forced to "draw all mana" from your lands, you must sacrifice this land if it is untapped. [D'Angelo 95/02/15] Note that you can tap the land for one mana in response to the Drain Power before it resolves, and keep the land.

Dwarven Sea Clan

Dwarven Soldier

• An Orc blocking or blocked by this card by any means, including being part of a band which is blocked or by being moved into blocking or being blocked by an ability such as [General Jarkeld](#General Jarkeld), will immediately give the +0/+2 bonus to this card. The bonus is not removed if the Orc is removed from the blocking situation by an ability like General Jarkeld. [WotC Rules Team 95/09/22]
• Gets the +0/+2 only once even if blocked by more than one Orc. [D'Angelo 99/08/17]

Dwarven Song

• You can choose to target zero creatures. [Oracle 98/07/01]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have always banned this card.

Dwarven Thaumaturgist

• Any additional words on cards which modify the power/toughness are also reversed. For example, [Blood Lust](#Blood Lust) acts as if it read "Target creature gets -4/+4 until end of turn. If this reduces that creature's power to less than 1, the creature's power is 1." [WotC Rules Team 97/07/03]

Dwarven Trader

Dwarven Vigilantes

Dwarven Warriors

• Can enhance the creature any way you want after the Dwarves make it unblockable without losing the effect. [bethmo 94/04/01]
• Can be used after a creature is blocked but has no effect. Once a creature is blocked, it cannot be unblocked. bethmo 94/04/01]

Dwarven Weaponsmith

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Dying Wail

• If they have less than 2 cards, they discard all the cards they have. [DeLaney 99/06/08]

Dystopia

• The permanent is chosen and sacrificed during resolution. [D'Angelo 98/06/23]
• Note - Also see Cumulative Upkeep, Rule A.10.

- E -

Eager Cadet

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Starter.

Early Harvest

Earthbind

• If Flight is cast on an Earthbound creature, it gains flying again. In general, if two enchantments contradict each other, the most recently cast wins. [Mirage, Page 29]
• The damage is done after it enters play and not as part of the casting of the spell. It is something the permanent does while in play. This means the damage is not subject to Justice. [Aahz 96/01/03]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Note - Also see Comes Into Play Abilities, Rule E.3.
• Note - The Limited Edition and Unlimited Edition versions of this card were of type "Enchant Flying Creature".

Earthcraft

• Since it taps a creature as a cost, it must be used on an untapped creature. [D'Angelo 97/11/11]
• It can tap a creature with summoning sickness. [bethmo 97/11/11]
• Extended tournaments (See Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.
• Standard (Type 2) tournaments (see Rule D.16) have banned this card since 99/04/01.

Earth Elemental

• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Earthlink

Earthlore

• It is destroyed if you lose control of the enchanted land. [WotC Rules Team 95/06/15]

Earthquake

• This is not a targeted spell, so it may be cast when there are no creatures in play. [bethmo 94/06/01]
• Whether or not a creature is without Flying is only checked on resolution. [D'Angelo 95/10/05]
• Note - Also see X Costs, Rule K.27.

Eastern Paladin

Eater of the Dead

• A "creature card" is a Creature card or Artifact Creature card. [D'Angelo 99/05/01] Older cards of type Summon are also Creature cards.
• The card in the graveyard is removed from the game during resolution. [D'Angelo 99/08/01]
• It untaps during the resolution of its ability. [D'Angelo 99/08/01]
• It is not possible to empty a graveyard of creatures by using this effect repeatedly in one stack of abilities since the ability does nothing if the Eater is not tapped. [D'Angelo 99/09/20]
• It still untaps as normal during untap unless otherwise prevented. The ability is not inhibited by other effects that prevent normal untapping such as Meekstone, Paralyze, Smoke, etc. [Aahz 94/08/10]
• Extended tournaments (see Rule D.15) have banned this card since 99/10/01.

Ebon Dragon

• All tournament formats have banned this card because it only appears in Portal.
• When played under non-Portal rules, the text should be read as "When this comes into play, if you played it from your hand, you may have target opponent discard a card from his or her hand." [D'Angelo 00/06/05]
• Note - This card had no creature type. If played with non-Portal cards, it should be played as creature type Dragon. [D'Angelo 00/06/05]