_Ninth Edition_ Frequently Asked Questions
Compiled by John Carter
Document last modified June 30, 2005
_Ninth Edition_ official release date: July 29, 2005
The _Ninth Edition_ core set becomes legal for sanctioned Constructed play
August 20, 2005.
Set size: 350 cards (110 common, 110 uncommon, 110 rare, 20 basic land)
This FAQ has three sections, each of which serves a different purpose.
The first section ("_Ninth Edition_ Rules Changes") explains the rules that
have changed with this core set. The second section ("General Notes") explains
new concepts in the set. The third section ("Card-Specific Notes") contains
answers to the most important questions players might ask about a given card.
Items in the "Card-Specific Notes" section include full rules text for your
reference. Not all cards in the set are listed.
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_NINTH EDITION_ RULES CHANGES
There have been some minor rules changes to better support cards in the _Ninth
Edition_ core set and future sets. The most important changes are listed here.
The most recent version of the _Magic: The Gathering_(R) Comprehensive Rules
(in English) can be downloaded at
www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/rules/tourneyplayer .
Local Enchantments Are Now Auras
The _Ninth Edition_ core set introduces Auras, a new name for a kind of card
that's been around since the beginning of the _Magic_(R) game. An Aura is just
a type of enchantment that's attached to another permanent in play. Most
experienced players won't notice any difference in how these "local
enchantment" cards work; "enchant creature," "enchant land," and the like just
move off the type line and into the text box.
Spirit Link
W
Enchantment -- Aura
Enchant creature (Target a creature as you play this. This card comes into
play attached to that creature.)
Whenever enchanted creature deals damage, you gain that much life.
Why the change? The old format of local enchantments had proven confusing for
a couple of reasons. First, they had words like "creature" and "land" on their
type lines, even though they didn't have those types. Second, they were the
only kind of spell that targets something without ever using the word
"target." The Ninth Edition rules change clears up all that. The type line now
says "Enchantment -- Aura," and a keyword (such as "enchant creature") in the
text box says what the Aura can enchant. And the keyword has reminder text to
show new players that Auras are targeted spells (don't worry -- you won't see
that reminder text in expert-level sets).
Local enchantment cards printed in previous sets will receive new wordings in
the _Oracle_(TM) card reference. Check http://gatherer.wizards.com for the
current Oracle wording of any card.
The following is an excerpt from the revised Comprehensive Rules:
212.4c Enchantment subtypes are always a single word and are listed after a
long dash: "Enchantment -- Aura." Each word after the dash is a separate
subtype. Enchantment subtypes are also called enchantment types. Enchantments
may have multiple subtypes.
212.4d Some enchantments have the subtype "Aura." An Aura comes into play
attached to a permanent or player. What an Aura can be attached to is
restricted by its enchant keyword ability (see rule 502.45, "Enchant").
212.4e An Aura spell requires a target, which is restricted by its enchant
ability. Other restrictions can limit what a permanent can be enchanted by. If
an Aura is coming into play by any other means than being played and the
effect putting it into play doesn't specify what it will enchant, the player
putting it into play chooses a permanent for it to enchant as it comes into
play. The player must choose a legal permanent according to the Aura's enchant
ability. If no legal permanent is available, the Aura remains in the zone from
which it attempted to move instead of coming into play. The same rule applies
to moving an Aura from one permanent to another: The permanent to which the
Aura is to be moved must be able to be enchanted by it. If it isn't legal, the
Aura doesn’t move.
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GENERAL NOTES
Creature Types
The creature types of many cards in the _Ninth Edition_ core set have been
updated to sync them up with the conventions used in the _Kamigawa_(TM) block
and the upcoming _Ravnica: City of Guilds_(TM) set. Most of the changes
revolved around the "race-class" model, wherein most sentient creatures have
both a species and a job. Samite Healer, for example, was changed from a
Cleric to a Human Cleric, and Raging Goblin changed from Goblin to Goblin
Berserker. Every artifact creature that didn't have a type before was given
one; Dancing Scimitar is now a Spirit and Ornithopter is -- what else? -- a
Thopter. A lot of cards with old obscure types have been updated to have ones
that make a little more sense. Clone is now a Shapeshifter, for instance, and
the Lords such as Elvish Champion were given types to match their art (see the
"Card-Specific Notes" for Goblin King, Elvish Champion, and Lord of the Undead
for more information).
A complete list of cards with creature type changes appears in this section.
In addition, the creature type of the token created by Rukh Egg's ability has
changed from Rukh to Bird.
In general, the creature types of older cards are updated only as they're
reprinted.
Note that the following creature types have been eliminated: Behemoth, Clone,
Force, Hell's-Caretaker, Monkey, Nekrataal, Rukh, and Will-o'-the-Wisp.
Card Name Creature Types
Anaba Shaman Minotaur Shaman
Anarchist Human Wizard
Archivist Human Wizard
Balduvian Barbarians Human Barbarian
Ballista Squad Human Rebel
Beast of Burden Golem
Blessed Orator Human Cleric
Clone Shapeshifter
Crafty Pathmage Human Wizard
Crossbow Infantry Human Soldier
Dancing Scimitar Spirit
Daring Apprentice Human Wizard
Elvish Bard Elf Shaman
Elvish Berserker Elf Berserker
Elvish Champion Elf Lord
Elvish Piper Elf Shaman
Elvish Warrior Elf Warrior
Foot Soldiers Human Soldier
Force of Nature Elemental
Fugitive Wizard Human Wizard
Glory Seeker Human Soldier
Goblin Balloon Brigade Goblin Warrior
Goblin Brigand Goblin Warrior
Goblin Chariot Goblin Warrior
Goblin King Goblin Lord
Goblin Mountaineer Goblin Scout
Goblin Piker Goblin Warrior
Goblin Sky Raider Goblin Warrior
Groundskeeper Human Druid
Hell's Caretaker Horror
Highway Robber Human Mercenary
Honor Guard Human Soldier
Infantry Veteran Human Soldier
King Cheetah Cat
Ley Druid Human Druid
Llanowar Behemoth Elemental
Llanowar Elves Elf Druid
Lord of the Undead Zombie Lord
Master Decoy Human Soldier
Master Healer Human Cleric
Mogg Sentry Goblin Warrior
Nekrataal Human Assassin
Norwood Ranger Elf Scout
Oracle's Attendants Human Soldier
Orcish Artillery Orc Warrior
Ornithopter Thopter
Paladin en-Vec Human Knight
Phyrexian Hulk Golem
Puppeteer Human Wizard
Raging Goblin Goblin Berserker
Royal Assassin Human Assassin
Samite Healer Human Cleric
Sanctum Guardian Human Cleric
Sandstone Warrior Human Soldier
Savannah Lions Cat
Seasoned Marshal Human Soldier
Serpent Warrior Snake Warrior
Soul Warden Human Cleric
Spineless Thug Zombie Mercenary
Temporal Adept Human Wizard
Tidal Kraken Kraken
Tree Monkey Ape
Venerable Monk Human Monk Cleric
Verduran Enchantress Human Druid
Veteran Cavalier Human Knight
Viashino Sandstalker Viashino Warrior
Weathered Wayfarer Human Nomad Cleric
Whip Sergeant Human Soldier
Will-o'-the-Wisp Spirit
Wood Elves Elf Scout
Yavimaya Enchantress Human Druid
Zealous Inquisitor Human Cleric
Zodiac Monkey Ape
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S-Series Cards
The English and Japanese core games (the two-player game box designed for new
_Magic_ players) contain nine cards that don't appear in _Ninth Edition_
booster packs. These cards have collector numbers that start with S, and they
use the _Ninth Edition_ expansion symbol. All of these cards are part of the
_Ninth Edition_ core set and are legal for play in all tournaments in which
the _Ninth Edition_ core set is legal.
S1 Eager Cadet (with new creature types: Human Soldier)
S2 Vengeance
S3 Coral Eel
S4 Giant Octopus
S5 Index
S7 Vizzerdrix
S8 Goblin Raider (with new creature types: Goblin Warrior)
S9 Enormous Baloth
S10 Spined Wurm
Note that there isn't a card numbered S6/10.
Because other languages use a different version of the two-player game, Eager
Cadet and Goblin Raider are the only S-series cards printed in a language
other than English or Japanese. However, older versions of all nine cards are
legal for tournament play in all tournaments in which the _Ninth Edition_ core
set is legal.
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CARD-SPECIFIC NOTES
Biorhythm
6GG
Sorcery
Each player's life total becomes the number of creatures he or she controls.
* If a player controls no creatures when Biorhythm resolves, that player's
life total becomes 0, and he or she will lose the game.
* If a player's life total will go down, that player "loses" that much life.
If a player's life total will go up, that player "gains" that much life.
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Blinding Angel
3WW
Creature -- Angel
2/4
Flying (This creature can't be blocked except by creatures with flying.)
Whenever Blinding Angel deals combat damage to a player, that player skips his
or her next combat phase.
* If two Blinding Angels deal combat damage to a player (or if one deals
combat damage twice), that player skips his or her next two combat phases.
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Blinking Spirit
3W
Creature -- Spirit
2/2
0: Return Blinking Spirit to its owner's hand.
* You can play the ability repeatedly, even during the turn Blinking Spirit
comes into play.
* The owner of a card is the person who started the game with it in his or her
deck.
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Booby Trap
6
Artifact
As Booby Trap comes into play, name a card other than a basic land card and
choose an opponent.
The chosen player reveals each card he or she draws.
When the chosen player draws the named card, sacrifice Booby Trap. If you do,
Booby Trap deals 10 damage to that player.
*The choice of which card to name can't be countered.
* The card isn't chosen until Booby Trap is coming into play, at which time
Booby Trap is no longer a spell and can't be countered.
* If an effect causes the player to draw multiple cards, each card is revealed
as it's drawn. If Booby Trap's ability triggers, it will go on the stack once
the card-drawing effect has concluded.
* If a single Booby Trap's ability triggers multiple times, then only the
first ability to resolve causes Booby Trap to be sacrificed and damage to be
dealt.
* If Booby Trap's last ability is countered, Booby Trap remains in play (and
no damage is dealt).
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Clone
3U
Creature -- Shapeshifter
0/0
As Clone comes into play, you may choose a creature in play. If you do, Clone
comes into play as a copy of that creature.
* Clone doesn't copy any effects on the creature -- you just get exactly
what's printed on the card and nothing more. So if you copy an animated land,
for example, you get a normal, nonanimated land.
* Clone doesn't copy whether the original creature is tapped or untapped, or
any Aura enchantments or counters on the creature.
* Any comes-into-play abilities of the copied creature will trigger when Clone
comes into play.
* If a Clone copies another Clone, it copies whatever the first one copied.
That is, you get what was printed on the card that the original Clone copied.
* You can choose not to copy anything. In that case, Clone comes into play as
a 0/0 creature, and is probably put into the graveyard immediately.
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Coat of Arms
5
Artifact
Each creature gets +1/+1 for each other creature in play that shares a
creature type with it. (For example, if a Goblin Warrior, a Goblin Scout, and
a Zombie Goblin are in play, each gets +2/+2.)
* Sharing multiple creature types doesn’t give an additional bonus. Coat of
Arms counts creatures, not creature types.
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Elvish Champion
1GG
Creature -- Elf Lord
2/2
Other Elves get +1/+1 and have forestwalk. (They're unblockable as long as
defending player controls a Forest.)
* Note that Elvish Champion now has the Elf creature type and its ability has
been reworded to affect *other* Elves. This means that if two Elvish Champions
are in play, each gives the other a bonus.
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Emperor Crocodile
3G
Creature -- Crocodile
5/5
When you control no other creatures, sacrifice Emperor Crocodile.
* Once Emperor Crocodile's ability triggers, there's no way to save the
Crocodile from being sacrificed. Gaining control of another creature before
the ability resolves can't save the Crocodile.
* The ability triggers if you don't control another creature, even if it's
only for a brief moment during the resolution of another spell or ability.
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Fellwar Stone
2
Artifact
T: Add to your mana pool one mana of any color that a land an opponent
controls could produce.
* The opponent's land need not be able to produce a given color at that time.
For example, Mirrodin's Core from the _Darksteel_(TM) set has the ability "T,
Remove a charge counter from Mirrodin's Core: Add one mana of any color to
your mana pool." If your opponent has a Mirrodin's Core in play, you can tap
Fellwar Stone for any color of mana, even if Mirrodin's Core has no counters
on it.
* If your opponent's lands produce only colorless mana or produce no mana, you
can tap Fellwar Stone, but it won't produce any mana. (This is a functional
change from the previous Oracle wording, which allowed Fellwar Stone to be
tapped for colorless mana.)
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Flowstone Crusher
3RR
Creature -- Beast
4/4
R: Flowstone Crusher gets +1/-1 until end of turn.
* Flowstone Crusher's ability can be played multiple times, but Flowstone
Crusher is put into the graveyard after an effect resolves that makes its
toughness 0.
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Furnace of Rath
1RRR
Enchantment
If a source would deal damage to a creature or player, it deals double that
damage to that creature or player instead.
* If a creature, spell, or ability will deal damage to multiple things, you
divide up the damage before applying this effect. This means something can't
normally end up being dealt an odd amount of damage.
* If you have two Furnaces in play, the damage is multiplied by four. If you
have three in play, it's multiplied by eight.
* The original source deals all the damage. Furnace of Rath doesn't deal any
damage.
* If multiple effects modify how damage will be dealt, the player who would be
dealt damage or the controller of the creature that would be dealt damage
chooses the order to apply the effects. For example, Mending Hands says,
"Prevent the next 4 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player
this turn." Suppose a spell would deal 5 damage to a player who has played
Mending Hands targeting himself or herself. That player can either (a) prevent
4 damage first and then let Furnace of Rath double the remaining 1 damage,
taking 2 damage, or (b) double the damage to 10 and then prevent 4 damage,
taking 6 damage.
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Giant Spider
3G
Creature -- Spider
2/4
Giant Spider can block as though it had flying.
* A few standard Magic card wordings had used the word "may" in abilities that
weren't intended to ask players to make decisions. Most of these abilities are
attacking or blocking restrictions, such as Giant Spider's ability. These
cards have been reworded in Oracle to use the word "can" instead.
* In the case of Giant Spider, the new wording results in a slight functional
change: If an Elvish Bard ("All creatures able to block Elvish Bard do so")
with flying attacks, Giant Spider must block it. (With the previous wording,
Giant Spider's controller could choose that Giant Spider wasn't blocking as
though it had flying and therefore can't block a flying creature.)
* To learn more about this template change and which older cards it affects,
check out John Carter's "Saturday School" column on MagicTheGathering.com on
Saturday, July 30, 2005.
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Gift of Estates
1W
Sorcery
If an opponent has more lands than you, search your library for up to three
Plains cards, reveal them, and put them into your hand. Then shuffle your
library.
* Gift of Estates does nothing if each of your opponents has the same number
of lands as you or fewer.
* You can find nonbasic lands if they have the Plains land type, such as the
Alpha card Tundra.
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Goblin King
1RR
Creature -- Goblin Lord
2/2
Other Goblins get +1/+1 and have mountainwalk. (They're unblockable as long as
defending player controls a mountain.)
* Note that Goblin King now has the Goblin creature type and its ability has
been reworded to affect *other* Goblins. This means that if two Goblin Kings
are in play, each gives the other a bonus.
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Greater Good
2GG
Enchantment
Sacrifice a creature: Draw cards equal to the sacrificed creature's power,
then discard three cards.
* You draw cards equal to the creature's power when you sacrificed it. This
includes any bonuses from effects like Giant Growth.
* You must discard three cards regardless of how many cards you drew. If you
have less than three cards in hand, you discard your hand.
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Hell's Caretaker
3B
Creature -- Horror
1/1
T, Sacrifice a creature: Return target creature card from your graveyard to
play. Play this ability only during your upkeep.
* You can sacrifice Hell's Caretaker to pay for its own ability.
* You can play the ability any time during your upkeep.
* Note that the ability doesn't give the returned creature haste.
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Imaginary Pet
1U
Creature -- Illusion
4/4
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have a card in hand, return Imaginary
Pet to its owner's hand.
* Imaginary Pet's ability triggers only if you have cards in your hand as your
upkeep begins, and the ability checks again as it resolves. If your hand is
empty at both those times, Imaginary Pet stays in play.
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Jade Statue
4
Artifact
2: Jade Statue becomes a 3/6 artifact creature until end of combat. Play this
ability only during combat.
* You can play the ability any time during the combat phase. If you want to
attack with Jade Statue, you need to play the ability during your beginning of
combat step. If you want to block with it, you can play the ability either
during the beginning of combat step or the declare attackers step.
* If Jade Statue's ability has been played, abilities that trigger "at end of
combat" will see Jade Statue as an artifact creature.
* A delayed triggered ability that refers to Jade Statue still affects it even
if it's no longer a creature. For example, if Jade Statue blocks the
_Champions of Kamigawa_(TM) creature Kashi-Tribe Warrors ("Whenever
Kashi-Tribe Warriors deals combat damage to a creature, tap that creature and
it doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step."), the Warriors'
effect stops Jade Statue from untapping.
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Karplusan Yeti
3RR
Creature -- Yeti
3/3
T: Karplusan Yeti deals damage equal to its power to target creature. That
creature deals damage equal to its power to Karplusan Yeti.
* If the target creature isn't a legal target (it's no longer in play or has
protection from red, for example) when Karplusan Yeti's ability resolves, the
ability is countered and does nothing.
* If Karplusan Yeti left play while its ability was on the stack, the effect
deals damage equal to the Yeti's last known power to the target creature.
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King Cheetah
3G
Creature -- Cat
3/2
You may play King Cheetah any time you could play an instant.
* King Cheetah is never an instant spell, no matter when you play it.
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Lord of the Undead
1BB
Creature -- Zombie Lord
2/2
Other Zombies get +1/+1.
1B, T: Return target Zombie card from your graveyard to your hand.
* Note that Lord of the Undead now has the Zombie creature type and its first
ability has been reworded to affect *other* Zombies. This means that if two
Lord of the Undead are in play, each gives the other a bonus.
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Polymorph
3U
Sorcery
Destroy target creature. It can't be regenerated. Its controller reveals cards
from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals a creature card.
The player puts that card into play and shuffles all other cards revealed this
way into his or her library.
* If the creature is an illegal target as Polymorph resolves, Polymorph is
countered and nothing happens.
* You can play Polymorph targeting an indestructible creature. The
indestructible creature stays in play because it can't be destroyed, but its
controller still gets to put another creature card into play. (You won't see
any indestructible cards in the _Ninth Edition_ core set, but you will in
other sets.)
* If there are no creatures left in your library, you reveal your library and
then shuffle it.
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Rootwalla
2G
Creature -- Lizard
2/2
1G: Rootwalla gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Play this ability only once each
turn.
* If Rootwalla changes controllers after its ability has been played, the new
controller won't be able to play the ability again until the next turn.
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Sanctum Guardian
1WW
Creature -- Human Cleric
1/4
Sacrifice Sanctum Guardian: The next time a source of your choice would deal
damage to target creature or player this turn, prevent that damage.
* The target is chosen when you play the ability. The source of the damage is
chosen as the ability resolves.
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Sengir Vampire
3BB
Creature -- Vampire
4/4
Flying (This creature can't be blocked except by creatures with flying.)
Whenever a creature dealt damage by Sengir Vampire this turn is put into a
graveyard, put a +1/+1 counter on Sengir Vampire.
* If Sengir Vampire and another creature deal lethal damage to each other in
combat, both are put into graveyards before Sengir Vampire's triggered ability
can make the Vampire bigger.
* Note that Sengir Vampire's ability isn't restricted to combat damage.
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Shard Phoenix
4R
Creature -- Phoenix
2/2
Flying (This creature can't be blocked except by creatures with flying.)
Sacrifice Shard Phoenix: Shard Phoenix deals 2 damage to each creature without
flying.
RRR: Return Shard Phoenix from your graveyard to your hand. Play this ability
only during your upkeep.
* You can return Shard Phoenix any time during your upkeep by paying RRR.
* You can sacrifice Shard Phoenix and then return it to your hand all during
the same upkeep.
* If, for example, Shard Phoenix was blue when it was sacrificed, the damage
will come from a blue source.
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Soul Warden
W
Creature -- Human Cleric
1/1
Whenever another creature comes into play, you gain 1 life.
* Two Soul Wardens coming into play at the same time will each cause the
other's ability to trigger.
* The life gain isn't optional.
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Storage Matrix
3
Artifact
As long as Storage Matrix is untapped, each player chooses artifact, creature,
or land during his or her untap step. That player can untap only permanents of
the chosen type this step.
* Permanents with multiple types untap if any of their types is chosen. For
example, an artifact creature untaps if either artifact or creature is chosen.
* Storage Matrix doesn't allow players to untap permanents that don't normally
untap, such as Phyrexian Colossus.
* If another effect limits the number of permanents that untap, that number
combines with Storage Matrix's effect. For example, the Champions of Kamigawa
card Imi Statue says "Players can't untap more than one artifact during their
untap steps." If both Imi Statue and an untapped Storage Matrix are in play,
and you choose "artifact," only one artifact untaps.
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Verdant Force
5GGG
Creature -- Elemental
7/7
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, put a 1/1 green Saproling creature
token into play under your control.
* A Saproling creature token is created at the beginning of each player's
upkeep, not just yours.
* Verdant Force's controller puts the Saproling into play. If another player
gains control of Verdant Force, the existing Saprolings stay where they are.
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Yawgmoth Demon
4BB
Creature -- Demon
6/6
Flying (This creature can't be blocked except by creatures with flying.)
First strike (This creature deals combat damage before creatures without first
strike.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may sacrifice an artifact. If you don't,
tap Yawgmoth Demon and it deals 2 damage to you.
* You may choose not to sacrifice an artifact.
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