600. Spells, Abilities, and Effects

316 rules in this chapter

• 601.1 — Previously, the action of casting a spell, or casting a card as a spell, was referred to on cards as “playing” that spel…
• 601.1a — Some effects still refer to “playing” a card. “Playing a card” means playing that card as a land or casting that card as…
• 601.2 — To cast a spell is to take it from where it is (usually the hand), put it on the stack, and pay its costs, so that it wi…
• 601.2a — To propose the casting of a spell, a player first moves that card (or that copy of a card) from where it is to the stack…
• 601.2b — If the spell is modal, the player announces the mode choice (see rule 700.2). If the player wishes to splice any cards o…
• 601.2c — The player announces their choice of an appropriate object or player for each target the spell requires. A spell may req…
• 601.2d — If the spell requires the player to divide or distribute an effect (such as damage or counters) among one or more target…
• 601.2e — The game checks to see if the proposed spell can legally be cast. If the proposed spell is illegal, the game returns to…
• 601.2f — The player determines the total cost of the spell. Usually this is just the mana cost. Some spells have additional or al…
• 601.2g — If the total cost includes a mana payment, the player then has a chance to activate mana abilities (see rule 605, “Mana…
• 601.2h — The player pays the total cost. First, they pay all costs that don’t involve random elements or moving objects from the…
• 601.2i — Once the steps described in 601.2a–h are completed, effects that modify the characteristics of the spell as it’s cast ar…
• 601.3 — A player can begin to cast a spell only if a rule or effect allows that player to cast it and no rule or effect prohibit…
• 601.3a — If an effect prohibits a player from casting a spell with certain qualities, that player may consider any choices to be…
• 601.3b — If an effect allows a player to cast a spell with certain qualities as though it had flash, that player may consider any…
• 601.3c — If an effect allows a player to cast a spell as though it had flash only if an alternative or additional cost is paid, t…
• 601.3d — If a spell would have flash only if certain conditions are met, its controller may begin to cast that spell as though it…
• 601.3e — Some rules and effects state that an alternative set of characteristics or a subset of characteristics are considered to…
• 601.3f — Some effects allow a player to cast a spell with certain qualities from among face-down cards in exile. A player may beg…
• 601.4 — While announcing the choices of any modes, alternative costs, and/or additional costs as described in rule 601.2b, some…
• 601.5 — If a player is no longer allowed to cast a spell after completing its proposal (see rules 601.2a–d), the casting of the…
• 601.5a — Once a player has begun casting a spell that had flash because certain conditions were met or that could be cast as thou…
• 601.6 — Some spells specify that one of their controller’s opponents does something the controller would normally do while it’s…
• 601.6a — If there is more than one opponent who could make such a choice, the spell’s controller decides which of those opponents…
• 601.6b — If the spell instructs its controller and another player to do something at the same time as the spell is being cast, th…
• 601.7 — Casting a spell that alters costs won’t affect spells and abilities that are already on the stack.
• 602.1 — Activated abilities have a cost and an effect. They are written as “[Cost]: [Effect.] [Activation instructions (if any).…
• 602.1a — The activation cost is everything before the colon (:). An ability’s activation cost must be paid by the player who is a…
• 602.1b — Some text after the colon of an activated ability states instructions that must be followed while activating that abilit…
• 602.1c — An activated ability is the only kind of ability that can be activated. If an object or rule refers to activating an abi…
• 602.1d — Previously, the action of using an activated ability was referred to on cards as “playing” that ability. Cards that were…
• 602.1e — If a spell or ability that refers to the “activation cost” of an ability modifies how a player may pay that cost, that m…
• 602.2 — To activate an ability is to put it onto the stack and pay its costs, so that it will eventually resolve and have its ef…
• 602.2a — The player announces that they are activating the ability. If an activated ability is being activated from a hidden zone…
• 602.2b — The remainder of the process for activating an ability is identical to the process for casting a spell listed in rules 6…
• 602.3 — Some abilities specify that one of their controller’s opponents does something the controller would normally do while it…
• 602.3a — If there is more than one opponent who could make such a choice, the ability’s controller decides which of those opponen…
• 602.3b — If the ability instructs its controller and another player to do something at the same time as the ability is being acti…
• 602.4 — Activating an ability that alters costs won’t affect spells and abilities that are already on the stack.
• 602.5 — A player can’t begin to activate an ability that’s prohibited from being activated.
• 602.5a — A creature’s activated ability with the tap symbol ({T}) or the untap symbol ({Q}) in its activation cost can’t be activ…
• 602.5b — If an activated ability has a restriction on its use (for example, “Activate only once each turn”), the restriction cont…
• 602.5c — If an object acquires an activated ability with a restriction on its use from another object, that restriction applies o…
• 602.5d — Activated abilities that read “Activate only as a sorcery” mean the player must follow the timing rules for casting a so…
• 602.5e — Activated abilities that read “Activate only as an instant” mean the player must follow the timing rules for casting an…
• 603.1 — Triggered abilities have a trigger condition and an effect. They are written as “[When/Whenever/At] [trigger condition o…
• 603.1a — A triggered ability may include instructions after its effects that limit what the ability may target or state that it c…
• 603.2 — Whenever a game event or game state matches a triggered ability’s trigger event, that ability automatically triggers. Th…
• 603.2a — Because they aren’t cast or activated, triggered abilities can trigger even when it isn’t legal to cast spells and activ…
• 603.2b — When a phase or step begins, all abilities that trigger “at the beginning of” that phase or step trigger.
• 603.2c — An ability triggers only once each time its trigger event occurs. However, it can trigger repeatedly if one event contai…
• 603.2d — An ability may state that a triggered ability triggers additional times. In this case, rather than simply determining th…
• 603.2e — Some effects refer to a triggered ability of an object. Such effects refer only to triggered abilities the object has, n…
• 603.2f — Some trigger events use the word “becomes” (for example, “becomes attached” or “becomes blocked”). These trigger only at…
• 603.2g — If a triggered ability’s trigger condition is met, but the object with that triggered ability is at no time visible to a…
• 603.2h — An ability triggers only if its trigger event actually occurs. An event that’s prevented or replaced won’t trigger anyth…
• 603.2i — A triggered ability may have an instruction followed by “Do this only once each turn.” This ability triggers only if its…
• 603.3 — Once an ability has triggered, its controller puts it on the stack as an object that’s not a card the next time a player…
• 603.3a — A triggered ability is controlled by the player who controlled its source at the time it triggered, unless it’s a delaye…
• 603.3b — If multiple abilities have triggered since the last time a player received priority, the abilities are placed on the sta…
• 603.3c — If a triggered ability is modal, its controller announces the mode choice when putting the ability on the stack. If one…
• 603.3d — The remainder of the process for putting a triggered ability on the stack is identical to the process for casting a spel…
• 603.4 — A triggered ability may read “When/Whenever/At [trigger event], if [condition], [effect].” When the trigger event occurs…
• 603.5 — Some triggered abilities’ effects are optional (they contain “may,” as in “At the beginning of your upkeep, you may draw…
• 603.6 — Trigger events that involve objects changing zones are called “zone-change triggers.” Many abilities with zone-change tr…
• 603.6a — Enters-the-battlefield abilities trigger when a permanent enters the battlefield. These are written, “When [this object]…
• 603.6b — Continuous effects that modify characteristics of a permanent do so the moment the permanent is on the battlefield (and…
• 603.6c — Leaves-the-battlefield abilities trigger when a permanent moves from the battlefield to another zone, or when a phased-i…
• 603.6d — Some permanents have text that reads “[This permanent] enters with . . . ,” “As [this permanent] enters . . . ,” “[This…
• 603.6e — Some Auras have triggered abilities that trigger on the enchanted permanent leaving the battlefield. These triggered abi…
• 603.7 — An effect may create a delayed triggered ability that can do something at a later time. A delayed triggered ability will…
• 603.7a — Delayed triggered abilities are created during the resolution of spells or abilities, as the result of a replacement eff…
• 603.7b — A delayed triggered ability will trigger only once—the next time its trigger event occurs—unless it has a stated duratio…
• 603.7c — A delayed triggered ability that refers to a particular object still affects it even if the object changes characteristi…
• 603.7d — If a spell creates a delayed triggered ability, the source of that delayed triggered ability is that spell. The controll…
• 603.7e — If an activated or triggered ability creates a delayed triggered ability, the source of that delayed triggered ability i…
• 603.7f — If a static ability generates a replacement effect which causes a delayed triggered ability to be created, the source of…
• 603.7g — If a static ability allows a player to take an action and creates a delayed triggered ability if that player does so, th…
• 603.7h — An activated or triggered ability may create a delayed triggered ability that triggers when the ability that created it…
• 603.8 — Some triggered abilities trigger when a game state (such as a player controlling no permanents of a particular card type…
• 603.9 — Some triggered abilities trigger specifically when a player loses the game. These abilities trigger when a player loses…
• 603.10 — Normally, objects that exist immediately after an event are checked to see if the event matched any trigger conditions,…
• 603.10a — Some zone-change triggers look back in time. These are leaves-the-battlefield abilities, abilities that trigger when a c…
• 603.10b — Abilities that trigger when a permanent phases out look back in time.
• 603.10c — Abilities that trigger specifically when an object becomes unattached look back in time.
• 603.10d — Abilities that trigger when a player loses control of an object look back in time.
• 603.10e — Abilities that trigger when a spell is countered look back in time.
• 603.10f — Abilities that trigger when a player loses the game look back in time.
• 603.10g — Abilities that trigger when a player planeswalks away from a plane look back in time.
• 603.11 — Some objects have a static ability that’s linked to one or more triggered abilities. (See rule 607, “Linked Abilities.”)…
• 603.12 — A resolving spell or ability may allow or instruct a player to take an action and create a triggered ability that trigge…
• 603.12a — Normally, if the trigger event or events occur multiple times during the resolution of the spell or ability that created…
• 604.1 — Static abilities do something all the time rather than being activated or triggered. They are written as statements, and…
• 604.2 — Static abilities create continuous effects, some of which are prevention effects or replacement effects. These effects a…
• 604.3 — Some static abilities are characteristic-defining abilities. A characteristic-defining ability conveys information about…
• 604.3a — A static ability is a characteristic-defining ability if it meets the following criteria: (1) It defines an object’s col…
• 604.4 — Many Auras, Equipment, and Fortifications have static abilities that modify the object they’re attached to, but those ab…
• 604.5 — Some static abilities apply while a spell is on the stack. These are often abilities that refer to countering the spell.…
• 604.6 — Some static abilities apply while a card is in any zone that you could cast or play it from (usually your hand). These a…
• 604.7 — Unlike spells and other kinds of abilities, static abilities can’t use an object’s last known information for purposes o…
• 605.1 — Some activated abilities and some triggered abilities are mana abilities, which are subject to special rules. Only abili…
• 605.1a — An activated ability is a mana ability if it meets all of the following criteria: it doesn’t require a target (see rule…
• 605.1b — A triggered ability is a mana ability if it meets all of the following criteria: it doesn’t require a target (see rule 1…
• 605.2 — A mana ability remains a mana ability even if the game state doesn’t allow it to produce mana.
• 605.3 — Activating an activated mana ability follows the rules for activating any other activated ability (see rule 602.2), with…
• 605.3a — A player may activate an activated mana ability whenever they have priority, whenever they are casting a spell or activa…
• 605.3b — An activated mana ability doesn’t go on the stack, so it can’t be targeted, countered, or otherwise responded to. Rather…
• 605.3c — Once a player begins to activate a mana ability, that ability can’t be activated again until it has resolved.
• 605.4 — Triggered mana abilities follow all the rules for other triggered abilities (see rule 603, “Handling Triggered Abilities…
• 605.4a — A triggered mana ability doesn’t go on the stack, so it can’t be targeted, countered, or otherwise responded to. Rather,…
• 605.5 — Abilities that don’t meet the criteria specified in rules 605.1a–b and spells aren’t mana abilities.
• 605.5a — An ability with a target is not a mana ability, even if it could put mana into a player’s mana pool when it resolves. Th…
• 605.5b — A spell can never be a mana ability, even if it could put mana into a player’s mana pool when it resolves. It’s cast and…
• 606.1 — Some activated abilities are loyalty abilities, which are subject to special rules.
• 606.2 — An activated ability with a loyalty symbol in its cost is a loyalty ability. Normally, only planeswalkers have loyalty a…
• 606.3 — A player may activate a loyalty ability of a permanent they control any time they have priority and the stack is empty d…
• 606.4 — The cost to activate a loyalty ability of a permanent is to put on or remove from that permanent a certain number of loy…
• 606.5 — If the total cost to activate a loyalty ability contains multiple costs to add or remove loyalty counters, those costs a…
• 606.6 — A loyalty ability with a negative loyalty cost, taking into account any additional costs, can’t be activated unless the…
• 607.1 — An object may have two abilities printed on it such that one of them causes actions to be taken or objects or players to…
• 607.1a — An ability printed on an object within another ability that grants that ability to that object is considered to be “prin…
• 607.1b — An ability printed on either face of a transforming double-faced card (see rule 712) is considered to be “printed on” th…
• 607.1c — An ability printed on an object that fulfills both criteria described in rule 607.1 is linked to itself.
• 607.1d — Abilities printed on two objects can be linked if one object is a token, emblem, or nontoken permanent and the second ob…
• 607.2 — There are different kinds of linked abilities.
• 607.2a — If an object has an activated or triggered ability printed on it that instructs a player to exile one or more cards and…
• 607.2b — If an object has an ability printed on it that generates a replacement effect which causes one or more cards to be exile…
• 607.2c — If an object has an activated or triggered ability printed on it that puts one or more objects onto the battlefield and…
• 607.2d — If an object has an ability printed on it that causes a player to “choose a [value]” and an ability printed on it that r…
• 607.2e — If an object has an ability printed on it that allows some information to be noted and another ability which refers to i…
• 607.2f — If an object has an ability printed on it that causes a player to choose from between two or more words that otherwise h…
• 607.2g — If an object has an ability printed on it that causes a player to pay a cost as it enters the battlefield and an ability…
• 607.2h — If an object has both a static ability and one or more triggered abilities printed on it in the same paragraph, each of…
• 607.2i — If an object has an ability printed on it that allows an additional cost to be paid and an ability printed on it that re…
• 607.2j — If an object has an ability printed on it that causes a player to pay a variable additional cost as it’s cast and an abi…
• 607.2k — The two abilities represented by the champion keyword are linked abilities. See rule 702.72, “Champion.”
• 607.2m — Abilities preceded by an anchor word are linked to the ability that allows a player to choose that anchor word. See rule…
• 607.2n — If an object has a static ability printed on it that allows a player to exile one or more cards “before you shuffle your…
• 607.2p — If an object has both a static ability that causes a player to make a choice for a characteristic-defining ability befor…
• 607.2q — If a permanent spell has an ability printed on it that allows one or more cards to be exiled while paying a cost to cast…
• 607.3 — If, within a pair of linked abilities, one ability refers to a single object as “the exiled card,” “a card exiled with […
• 607.4 — An ability may be part of more than one pair of linked abilities.
• 607.5 — If an object acquires a pair of linked abilities as part of the same effect, the abilities will be similarly linked to o…
• 607.5a — If an object gains an ability that refers to a choice, but either (a) doesn’t copy that ability’s linked ability or (b)…
• 608.1 — Each time all players pass in succession, the spell or ability on top of the stack resolves. (See rule 609, “Effects.”)
• 608.2 — If the object that’s resolving is an instant spell, a sorcery spell, or an ability, its resolution may involve several s…
• 608.2a — If a triggered ability has an intervening “if” clause, it checks whether the clause’s condition is true. If it isn’t, th…
• 608.2b — If the spell or ability specifies targets, it checks whether the targets are still legal. A target that’s no longer in t…
• 608.2c — The controller of the spell or ability follows its instructions in the order written. However, replacement effects may m…
• 608.2d — If an effect of a spell or ability offers any choices other than choices already made as part of casting the spell, acti…
• 608.2e — Some spells and abilities have multiple steps or actions, denoted by separate sentences or clauses, that involve multipl…
• 608.2f — Some spells and abilities include actions taken on multiple players and/or objects. In most cases, each such action is p…
• 608.2g — If an effect gives a player the option to pay mana, they may activate mana abilities before taking that action. If an ef…
• 608.2h — If an effect requires information from the game (such as the number of creatures on the battlefield), the answer is dete…
• 608.2i — Some effects look back in time and require information about previous game states and actions rather than considering th…
• 608.2j — If an effect refers to certain characteristics, it checks only for the value of the specified characteristics, regardles…
• 608.2k — If an ability’s effect refers to a specific untargeted object that has been previously referred to by that ability’s cos…
• 608.2m — If an instant spell, sorcery spell, or ability that can legally resolve leaves the stack once it starts to resolve, it w…
• 608.2n — As the final part of an instant or sorcery spell’s resolution, the spell is put into its owner’s graveyard. As the final…
• 608.2p — Once all possible steps described in 608.2c–n are completed, any abilities that trigger when that spell or ability resol…
• 608.3 — If the object that’s resolving is a permanent spell, its resolution may involve several steps. The instructions in rules…
• 608.3a — If the object that’s resolving has no targets, it becomes a permanent and enters the battlefield under the control of th…
• 608.3b — If the object that’s resolving has a target, it checks whether the target is still legal, as described in 608.2b. If a s…
• 608.3c — If the object that’s resolving is an Aura spell, it becomes a permanent and is put onto the battlefield under the contro…
• 608.3d — If the object that’s resolving is a mutating creature spell, the object representing that spell merges with the permanen…
• 608.3e — If a permanent spell resolves but its controller can’t put it onto the battlefield, that player puts it into its owner’s…
• 608.3f — If the object that’s resolving is a copy of a permanent spell, it will become a token permanent as it is put onto the ba…
• 608.3g — If the object that’s resolving has a static ability that functions on the stack and creates a delayed triggered ability,…
• 609.1 — An effect is something that happens in the game as a result of a spell or ability. When a spell, activated ability, or t…
• 609.2 — Effects apply only to permanents unless the instruction’s text states otherwise or they clearly can apply only to object…
• 609.3 — If an effect attempts to do something impossible, it does only as much as possible.
• 609.4 — Some effects state that a player may do something “as though” some condition were true or a creature can do something “a…
• 609.4a — If two effects state that a player may (or a creature can) do the same thing “as though” different conditions were true,…
• 609.4b — If an effect allows a player to spend mana “as though it were mana of any [type or color],” this affects only how the pl…
• 609.5 — If an effect could result in a tie, the text of the spell or ability that created the effect will specify what to do in…
• 609.6 — Some continuous effects are replacement effects or prevention effects. See rules 614 and 615.
• 609.7 — Some effects apply to damage from a source—for example, “The next time a red source of your choice would deal damage to…
• 609.7a — If an effect requires a player to choose a source of damage, they may choose a permanent; a spell on the stack (includin…
• 609.7b — Some effects from resolved spells and abilities prevent or replace damage from sources with certain properties, such as…
• 609.7c — Some effects from static abilities prevent or replace damage from sources with certain properties. For these effects, th…
• 610.1 — A one-shot effect does something just once and doesn’t have a duration. Examples include dealing damage, destroying a pe…
• 610.2 — Some one-shot effects create a delayed triggered ability, which instructs a player to do something later in the game (us…
• 610.3 — Some one-shot effects cause an object to change zones “until” a specified event occurs. A second one-shot effect is crea…
• 610.3a — If a resolving spell or activated ability creates the initial one-shot effect that causes the object to change zones, an…
• 610.3b — If a resolving triggered ability creates the initial one-shot effect that causes the object to change zones, and the spe…
• 610.3c — An object returned to the battlefield this way returns under its owner’s control unless otherwise specified.
• 610.3d — If multiple one-shot effects are created this way immediately after one or more simultaneous events, those one-shot effe…
• 610.4 — Some one-shot effects cause a permanent to phase out “until” a specified event occurs. A second one-shot effect is creat…
• 610.4a — A permanent phased out this way doesn’t phase in as a result of the turn-based action during a player’s untap step (see…
• 610.4b — If a resolving spell or activated ability creates the initial one-shot effect that causes the permanent to phase out, an…
• 610.4c — If a resolving triggered ability creates the initial one-shot effect that causes the permanent to phase out, and the spe…
• 610.4d — If multiple one-shot effects are created this way immediately after one or more simultaneous events, those one-shot effe…
• 611.1 — A continuous effect modifies characteristics of objects, modifies control of objects, or affects players or the rules of…
• 611.2 — A continuous effect may be generated by the resolution of a spell or ability.
• 611.2a — A continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability lasts as long as stated by the spell or ability cr…
• 611.2b — Some continuous effects generated by the resolution of a spell or ability have durations worded “for as long as . . . .”…
• 611.2c — If a continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability modifies the characteristics or changes the con…
• 611.2d — If a resolving spell or ability that creates a continuous effect contains a variable such as X, the value of that variab…
• 611.2e — If a resolving spell or ability both puts a nontoken permanent onto the battlefield and creates a continuous effect stat…
• 611.2f — Some spells and abilities generate a continuous effect that modifies the characteristics of the next spell a player cast…
• 611.3 — A continuous effect may be generated by the static ability of an object.
• 611.3a — A continuous effect generated by a static ability isn’t “locked in”; it applies at any given moment to whatever its text…
• 611.3b — The effect applies at all times that the permanent generating it is on the battlefield or the object generating it is in…
• 611.3c — Continuous effects that modify characteristics of permanents do so simultaneously with the permanent entering the battle…
• 611.3d — Continuous effects from static abilities may allow a player to play a land or cast a permanent spell, or may grant an ab…
• 612.1 — Some continuous effects change an object’s text. This can apply to any words or symbols printed on that object, but gene…
• 612.2 — A text-changing effect changes only those words that are used in the correct way (for example, a Magic color word being…
• 612.2a — Most spells and abilities that create creature tokens use creature types to define both the creature types and the names…
• 612.3 — Effects that add or remove abilities don’t change the text of the objects they affect, so any abilities that are granted…
• 612.4 — A token’s subtypes and rules text are defined by the spell or ability that created the token. A text-changing effect tha…
• 612.5 — One card (Exchange of Words) instructs a player to exchange the text boxes of two objects. This replaces all of the rule…
• 612.6 — One card (Volrath’s Shapeshifter) states that an object has the “full text” of another object. This changes not just the…
• 612.7 — One card (Spy Kit) states that an object has “all names of nonlegendary creature cards.” This changes the text that repr…
• 612.8 — Some cards create a continuous effect that sets the name of an object. This changes the text that represents the object’…
• 612.9 — A name sticker on a permanent or on a card not on the battlefield creates a continuous effect that adds a word to the te…
• 612.10 — A splice ability changes a spell’s text by adding the rules text of the card with splice to the spell, following that sp…
• 613.1 — The values of an object’s characteristics are determined by starting with the actual object. For a card, that means the…
• 613.1a — Layer 1: Rules and effects that modify copiable values are applied.
• 613.1b — Layer 2: Control-changing effects are applied.
• 613.1c — Layer 3: Text-changing effects are applied. See rule 612, “Text-Changing Effects.”
• 613.1d — Layer 4: Type-changing effects are applied. These include effects that change an object’s card type, subtype, and/or sup…
• 613.1e — Layer 5: Color-changing effects are applied.
• 613.1f — Layer 6: Ability-adding effects, keyword counters, ability-removing effects, and effects that say an object can’t have a…
• 613.1g — Layer 7: Power- and/or toughness-changing effects are applied.
• 613.2 — Within layer 1, apply effects in a series of sublayers in the order described below. Within each sublayer, apply effects…
• 613.2a — Layer 1a: Copiable effects are applied. This includes copy effects (see rule 707, “Copying Objects”) and changes to an o…
• 613.2b — Layer 1b: Face-down spells and permanents have their characteristics modified as defined in rule 708.2.
• 613.2c — After all rules and effects in layer 1 have been applied, the object’s characteristics are its copiable values. (See rul…
• 613.3 — Within layers 2–6, apply effects from characteristic-defining abilities first (see rule 604.3), then all other effects i…
• 613.4 — Within layer 7, apply effects in a series of sublayers in the order described below. Within each sublayer, apply effects…
• 613.4a — Layer 7a: Effects from characteristic-defining abilities that define power and/or toughness are applied. See rule 604.3.
• 613.4b — Layer 7b: Effects that set power and/or toughness to a specific number or value are applied. Effects that refer to the b…
• 613.4c — Layer 7c: Effects and counters that modify power and/or toughness (but don’t set power and/or toughness to a specific nu…
• 613.4d — Layer 7d: Effects that switch a creature’s power and toughness are applied. Such effects take the value of power and app…
• 613.5 — The application of continuous effects as described by the layer system is continually and automatically performed by the…
• 613.6 — If an effect should be applied in different layers and/or sublayers, the parts of the effect each apply in their appropr…
• 613.7 — Within a layer or sublayer, determining which order effects are applied in is usually done using a timestamp system. An…
• 613.7a — A continuous effect generated by a static ability has the same timestamp as the object the static ability is on, or the…
• 613.7b — A continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability receives a timestamp at the time it’s created.
• 613.7c — Each counter receives a timestamp as it’s put on an object or player. If that object or player already has a counter of…
• 613.7d — An object receives a timestamp at the time it enters a zone.
• 613.7e — An Aura, Equipment, or Fortification receives a new timestamp each time it becomes attached to an object or player.
• 613.7f — A permanent receives a new timestamp each time it turns face up or face down.
• 613.7g — A transforming double-faced permanent receives a new timestamp each time it transforms or converts.
• 613.7h — A face-up plane card, phenomenon card, or scheme card receives a timestamp at the time it’s turned face up.
• 613.7i — A face-up vanguard card receives a timestamp at the beginning of the game.
• 613.7j — A conspiracy card receives a timestamp at the beginning of the game. If it’s face down, it receives a new timestamp at t…
• 613.7k — A sticker receives a new timestamp each time it’s put on an object. If the object a sticker is on receives a new timesta…
• 613.7m — If two or more objects would receive a timestamp simultaneously, such as by entering a zone simultaneously or becoming a…
• 613.8 — Within a layer or sublayer, determining which order effects are applied in is sometimes done using a dependency system.…
• 613.8a — An effect is said to “depend on” another if (a) it’s applied in the same layer (and, if applicable, sublayer) as the oth…
• 613.8b — An effect dependent on one or more other effects waits to apply until just after all of those effects have been applied.…
• 613.8c — After each effect is applied, the order of remaining effects is reevaluated and may change if an effect that has not yet…
• 613.9 — One continuous effect can override another. Sometimes the results of one effect determine whether another effect applies…
• 613.10 — Some continuous effects affect players rather than objects. For example, an effect might give a player protection from r…
• 613.11 — Some continuous effects affect game rules rather than objects. For example, effects may modify a player’s maximum hand s…
• 614.1 — Some continuous effects are replacement effects. Like prevention effects (see rule 615), replacement effects apply conti…
• 614.1a — Effects that use the word “instead” are replacement effects. Most replacement effects use the word “instead” to indicate…
• 614.1b — Effects that use the word “skip” are replacement effects. These replacement effects use the word “skip” to indicate what…
• 614.1c — Effects that read “[This permanent] enters with . . . ,” “As [this permanent] enters . . . ,” or “[This permanent] enter…
• 614.1d — Continuous effects that read “[This permanent] enters . . .” or “[Objects] enter [the battlefield] . . .” are replacemen…
• 614.1e — Effects that read “As [this permanent] is turned face up . . . ,” are replacement effects.
• 614.2 — Some replacement effects apply to damage from a source. See rule 609.7.
• 614.3 — There are no special restrictions on casting a spell or activating an ability that generates a replacement effect. Such…
• 614.4 — Replacement effects must exist before the appropriate event occurs—they can’t “go back in time” and change something tha…
• 614.5 — A replacement effect doesn’t invoke itself repeatedly; it gets only one opportunity to affect an event or any modified e…
• 614.6 — If an event is replaced, it never happens. A modified event occurs instead, which may in turn trigger abilities. Note th…
• 614.7 — If a replacement effect would replace an event, but that event never happens, the replacement effect simply doesn’t do a…
• 614.7a — If a source would deal 0 damage, it does not deal damage at all. Replacement effects that would increase the damage deal…
• 614.8 — Regeneration is a destruction-replacement effect. The word “instead” doesn’t appear on the card but is implicit in the d…
• 614.9 — Some effects replace damage dealt to one battle, creature, planeswalker, or player with the same damage dealt to another…
• 614.10 — An effect that causes a player to skip an event, step, phase, or turn is a replacement effect. “Skip [something]” is the…
• 614.10a — Anything scheduled for a skipped step, phase, or turn won’t happen. Anything scheduled for the “next” occurrence of some…
• 614.10b — Some effects cause a player to skip a step, phase, or turn, then take another action. That action is considered to be th…
• 614.11 — Some effects replace card draws. These effects are applied even if no cards could be drawn because there are no cards in…
• 614.11a — If an effect replaces a draw within a sequence of card draws, all actions required by the replacement are completed, if…
• 614.11b — If an effect would have a player both draw a card and perform an additional action on that card, and the draw is replace…
• 614.12 — Some replacement effects modify how a permanent enters the battlefield. (See rules 614.1c–d.) Such effects may come from…
• 614.12a — If a replacement effect that modifies how a permanent enters the battlefield requires a choice, that choice is made befo…
• 614.12b — Some replacement effects cause a permanent to enter the battlefield with its controller’s choice of one of two abilities…
• 614.13 — An effect that modifies how a permanent enters the battlefield may cause other objects to change zones.
• 614.13a — While applying an effect that modifies how a permanent enters the battlefield, you may have to choose a number of object…
• 614.13b — The same object can’t be chosen to change zones more than once when applying replacement effects that modify how a singl…
• 614.13c — While applying a replacement effect that modifies how a permanent enters the battlefield, another replacement effect may…
• 614.14 — An object may have one ability printed on it that generates a replacement effect which causes one or more cards to be ex…
• 614.15 — Some replacement effects are not continuous effects. Rather, they are an effect of a resolving spell or ability that rep…
• 614.16 — Some replacement effects apply “if an effect would create one or more tokens” or “if an effect would put one or more cou…
• 614.17 — Some effects state that something can’t happen. These effects aren’t replacement effects, but follow similar rules.
• 614.17a — “Can’t” effects must exist before the appropriate event occurs—they can’t “go back in time” and change something that’s…
• 614.17b — If an event can’t happen, a player can’t choose to pay a cost that includes that event.
• 614.17c — If an event can’t happen, it can only be replaced by a self-replacement effect (see rule 614.15). Other replacement and/…
• 614.17d — Some “can’t” effects modify how a permanent enters the battlefield or whether it can enter the battlefield. Such effects…
• 615.1 — Some continuous effects are prevention effects. Like replacement effects (see rule 614), prevention effects apply contin…
• 615.1a — Effects that use the word “prevent” are prevention effects. Prevention effects use “prevent” to indicate what damage wil…
• 615.2 — Many prevention effects apply to damage from a source. See rule 609.7.
• 615.3 — There are no special restrictions on casting a spell or activating an ability that generates a prevention effect. Such e…
• 615.4 — Prevention effects must exist before the appropriate damage event occurs—they can’t “go back in time” and change somethi…
• 615.5 — Some prevention effects also include an additional effect, which may refer to the amount of damage that was prevented. T…
• 615.6 — If damage that would be dealt is prevented, it never happens. A modified event may occur instead, which may in turn trig…
• 615.7 — Some prevention effects generated by the resolution of a spell or ability refer to a specific amount of damage—for examp…
• 615.8 — Some prevention effects generated by the resolution of a spell or ability refer to the next time a specific source would…
• 615.9 — Some effects generated by the resolution of a spell or ability prevent damage from a source of a player’s choice with ce…
• 615.10 — Some prevention effects generated by static abilities refer to a specific amount of damage—for example, “If a source wou…
• 615.11 — Some prevention effects prevent the next N damage that would be dealt to each of a number of untargeted creatures. Such…
• 615.12 — Some effects state that damage “can’t be prevented.” If unpreventable damage would be dealt, any applicable prevention e…
• 615.12a — A prevention effect is applied to any particular unpreventable damage event just once. It won’t invoke itself repeatedly…
• 615.13 — Some triggered abilities trigger when damage that would be dealt is prevented. Such an ability triggers each time a prev…
• 616.1 — If two or more replacement and/or prevention effects are attempting to modify the way an event affects an object or play…
• 616.1a — If any of the replacement and/or prevention effects are self-replacement effects (see rule 614.15), one of them must be…
• 616.1b — If any of the replacement and/or prevention effects would modify under whose control an object would enter the battlefie…
• 616.1c — If any of the replacement and/or prevention effects would cause an object to become a copy of another object as it enter…
• 616.1d — If any of the replacement and/or prevention effects would cause a card to enter the battlefield with its back face up, o…
• 616.1e — Any of the applicable replacement and/or prevention effects may be chosen.
• 616.1f — Once the chosen effect has been applied, this process is repeated (taking into account only replacement or prevention ef…
• 616.1g — While following the steps in 616.1a–f, one replacement or prevention effect may apply to an event, and another may apply…
• 616.2 — A replacement or prevention effect can become applicable to an event as the result of another replacement or prevention…