_Mirrodin Besieged_(TM) Frequently Asked Questions Compiled by Matt Tabak, with contributions from Laurie Cheers, Mark L. Gottlieb, Jeff Jordan, Lee Sharpe, Eli Shiffrin, and Thijs van Ommen Document last modified January 12, 2011 An FAQ is a collection of clarifications and rulings involving the cards in a new _Magic: The Gathering_(R) set. It's intended to make playing with these new cards more fun by clearing up the common misconceptions and confusion inevitably caused by new mechanics and interactions. As future sets are released, updates to the _Magic_(TM) rules may cause some of this information to become outdated. If you can't find the answer you're looking for here, please contact us at. This FAQ has two sections, each of which serves a different purpose. The first section ("General Notes") explains the new mechanics and concepts in the set. The second section ("Card-Specific Notes") contains answers to the most important, most common, and most confusing questions players might ask about cards in the set. Items in the "Card-Specific Notes" section include full card text for your reference. Not all cards in the set are listed. ----- GENERAL NOTES ***Release Information*** The _Mirrodin Besieged_ set contains 155 cards (60 common, 40 uncommon, 35 rare, 10 mythic rare, and 10 basic land). Prerelease events: January 29-30, 2011 Launch Parties: February 4-7, 2011 The _Mirrodin Besieged_ set becomes legal for sanctioned Constructed play on its official release date: Friday, February 4, 2011. -- At that time, the following card sets will be permitted in the Standard format: _Zendikar_(R), _Worldwake_(TM), _Rise of the Eldrazi_(TM), _Magic 2011_, _Scars of Mirrodin_(TM), and _Mirrodin Besieged_. Go to to find an event or store near you. Go to for a complete list of formats and permitted card sets. ----- ***Mirran and Phyrexian Factions*** The war rages on. Each _Mirrodin Besieged_ card (except planeswalkers and basic lands) has an identifying insignia in its text box that shows which faction it belongs to. (The Mirran insignia looks like a segmented ring. The Phyrexian insignia looks like a circle with a slash through it.) Faction insignias have no effect on game play. ----- ***New Keyword Ability: Battle Cry*** Found on Mirran creatures, battle cry is an ability that grants a +1/+0 bonus to other attacking creatures. Goblin Wardriver RR Creature -- Goblin Warrior 2/2 Battle cry (Whenever this creature attacks, each other attacking creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.) The official rules for battle cry are as follows: 702.88. Battle Cry 702.88a Battle cry is a triggered ability. "Battle cry" means "Whenever this creature attacks, each other attacking creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn." 702.88b If a creature has multiple instances of battle cry, each triggers separately. * The +1/+0 bonus applies to each other attacking creature, but not to the creature with battle cry itself. * The +1/+0 bonus remains until the end of the turn, even if the creature with battle cry leaves the battlefield or stops being an attacking creature. * If a creature with battle cry attacks more than once in a turn (due to an additional combat phase being created), its battle cry ability will trigger each time. The results are cumulative. * In Two-Headed Giant and other multiplayer variants where players share a turn, attacking creatures controlled by a teammate also receive the +1/+0 bonus. ----- ***New Keyword Ability: Living Weapon*** Living weapon is an ability of Phyrexian Equipment that automatically provides a creature to wield the Equipment when it enters the battlefield. Skinwing 4 Artifact -- Equipment Living weapon (When this Equipment enters the battlefield, put a 0/0 black Germ creature token onto the battlefield, then attach this to it.) Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has flying. Equip 6 The official rules for living weapon are as follows: 702.89. Living Weapon 702.89a Living weapon is a triggered ability. "Living weapon" means "When this Equipment enters the battlefield, put a 0/0 black Germ creature token onto the battlefield, then attach this Equipment to it." * Like other Equipment, each Equipment with living weapon has an equip cost. You can pay this cost to attach an Equipment to another creature you control. Once the Germ token is no longer equipped, it will be put into your graveyard, unless another effect raises its toughness above 0. ----- ***Cycle: Zeniths*** The _Mirrodin Besieged_ set includes a cycle of five Zeniths, powerful spells that can be drawn multiple times over the course of a game. Black Sun's Zenith XBB Sorcery Put X -1/-1 counters on each creature. Shuffle Black Sun's Zenith into its owner's library. * If a Zenith is countered by a spell or ability or because all of its targets are illegal when it tries to resolve, it will be put into its owner's graveyard. That is, none of its effects will occur. ----- ***Returning _Scars of Mirrodin_ Mechanics*** Many abilities and mechanics featured in the _Scars of Mirrodin_ set return in the _Mirrodin Besieged_ set. For more information about infect, -1/-1 counters, poison counters, imprint, metalcraft, and proliferate, see the _Scars of Mirrodin_ FAQ at . ----- CARD-SPECIFIC NOTES Blightsteel Colossus 12 Artifact Creature -- Golem 11/11 Trample, infect Blightsteel Colossus is indestructible. If Blightsteel Colossus would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, reveal Blightsteel Colossus and shuffle it into its owner's library instead. * Lethal damage and effects that say "destroy" won't cause an indestructible creature to be put into the graveyard. However, an indestructible creature can be put into the graveyard for a number of reasons. The most likely reasons are if it's sacrificed or if its toughness is 0 or less. (In these cases, of course, Blightsteel Colossus would be shuffled into its owner's library instead of being put into its owner's graveyard.) ----- Blue Sun's Zenith XUUU Instant Target player draws X cards. Shuffle Blue Sun's Zenith into its owner's library. * You follow the instructions in order. You won't be able to draw the same Blue Sun's Zenith that you cast. ----- Bonehoard 4 Artifact -- Equipment Living weapon (When this Equipment enters the battlefield, put a 0/0 black Germ creature token onto the battlefield, then attach this to it.) Equipped creature gets +X/+X, where X is the number of creature cards in all graveyards. Equip 2 * The value of X is calculated continuously as the number of creature cards in graveyards changes. * If there are no creature cards in any graveyard when Bonehoard's living weapon ability resolves, the Germ will be 0/0 and put into its owner's graveyard. * Although creature tokens go to the graveyard before ceasing to exist, they never count as creature cards and won't increase the bonus granted by Bonehoard, however briefly. * If lethal damage is dealt simultaneously to the equipped creature and another creature, both creatures are put into the graveyard at the same time. The equipped creature won't get an additional bonus from the other creature. ----- Brass Squire 3 Artifact Creature -- Myr 1/3 T: Attach target Equipment you control to target creature you control. * If one of the targets is illegal when the activated ability resolves, nothing will happen and the Equipment won't move. Notably, if an opponent gains control of either target in response, the Equipment won't move. * Unlike the equip ability, Brass Squire's ability can be activated whenever you could cast an instant. ----- Burn the Impure 1R Instant Burn the Impure deals 3 damage to target creature. If that creature has infect, Burn the Impure deals 3 damage to that creature's controller. * If the creature is an illegal target when Burn the Impure resolves, the spell will be countered and none of its effects will happen, even if that creature has infect. ----- Concussive Bolt 3RR Sorcery Concussive Bolt deals 4 damage to target player. Metalcraft -- If you control three or more artifacts, creatures that player controls can't block this turn. * The number of artifacts you control is checked only once: when Concussive Bolt resolves. If you don't control three or more artifacts at that time, creatures will be able to block that turn, even if you gain control of more artifacts later in the turn. * If the player is an illegal target when Concussive Bolt resolves, the spell will be countered. None of its effects will happen, even if you control three or more artifacts. * If you controlled three or more artifacts as Concussive Bolt resolved, the targeted player won't be able to block with any creatures this turn. That is, the set of affected creatures isn't locked in as the spell resolves. ----- Consecrated Sphinx 4UU Creature -- Sphinx 4/6 Flying Whenever an opponent draws a card, you may draw two cards. * You may either draw two cards or not draw at all. You can't choose to draw only one card. * The ability triggers once for each card an opponent draws. You choose whether to draw two cards as each of those abilities resolves. * If each player controls a Consecrated Sphinx, their abilities will cause each other to trigger until one player chooses not to draw cards. ----- Contested War Zone Land Whenever a creature deals combat damage to you, that creature's controller gains control of Contested War Zone. T: Add 1 to your mana pool. 1, T: Attacking creatures get +1/+0 until end of turn. * The last activated ability affects all attacking creatures, not just those you control. * The word "you" in a permanent's trigger condition always refers to the permanent's current controller. * Gaining control of Contested War Zone doesn't cause it to tap or untap. * In some multiplayer formats, creatures controlled by different players may deal combat damage to you simultaneously. If this happens, you control each triggered ability and can put them on the stack in any order. The last ability to resolve will determine who ends up controlling Contested War Zone. ----- Corrupted Conscience 3UU Enchantment -- Aura Enchant creature You control enchanted creature. Enchanted creature has infect. (It deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.) * Multiple instances of infect on the same creature are redundant. ----- Crush R Instant Destroy target noncreature artifact. * If the targeted artifact is also a creature when Crush tries to resolve, it will be countered. ----- Cryptoplasm 1UU Creature -- Shapeshifter 2/2 At the beginning of your upkeep, you may have Cryptoplasm become a copy of another target creature. If you do, Cryptoplasm gains this ability. * You choose the target for the triggered ability when the ability is put onto the stack. You choose whether or not Cryptoplasm becomes a copy of that creature when the ability resolves. * The copy effect lasts indefinitely. Often, it will last until it is overwritten by another copy effect (if it copies another creature on a future turn, perhaps.) * If the creature is an illegal target when the ability tries to resolve, it will be countered. Cryptoplasm won't become a copy of that creature; it remains whatever it was before. * If another creature becomes a copy of Cryptoplasm, it will become a copy of whatever Cryptoplasm is currently copying (if anything), plus it will have Cryptoplasm's triggered ability. ----- Distant Memories 2UU Sorcery Search your library for a card, exile it, then shuffle your library. Any opponent may have you put that card into your hand. If no player does, you draw three cards. * The card is exiled face up. Each opponent will know what the card is when deciding whether to have you put it in your hand. * If no opponent has you put the card into your hand, the card remains exiled. * In multiplayer formats, your opponents each make the decision in turn order. ----- Divine Offering 1W Instant Destroy target artifact. You gain life equal to its converted mana cost. * If the artifact is an illegal target when Divine Offering resolves, the spell is countered. You won't gain any life. * If Divine Offering resolves, but the artifact regenerates or is indestructible, you'll still gain the life. ---- Fangren Marauder 5G Creature -- Beast 5/5 Whenever an artifact is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, you may gain 5 life. * If Fangren Marauder has itself become an artifact for some reason, you'll gain 5 life when it is put into a graveyard from the battlefield. ----- Frantic Salvage 3W Instant Put any number of target artifact cards from your graveyard on top of your library. Draw a card. * You choose the order of the cards you put on top of your library. * You can cast this with zero targets. If you do, you'll get to draw a card. However, if you cast this with at least one target and all of those targets become illegal (because another effect has removed them from the graveyard, perhaps), the spell will be countered and you won't get to draw a card. ----- Fuel for the Cause 2UU Instant Counter target spell, then proliferate. (You choose any number of permanents and/or players with counters on them, then give each another counter of a kind already there.) * You must be able to target another spell in order to cast Fuel for the Cause. You can't just cast it in order to proliferate, and it can't target itself. * If the spell is an illegal target when Fuel for the Cause tries to resolve, it will be countered. You won't proliferate. ----- Galvanoth 3RR Creature -- Beast 3/3 At the beginning of your upkeep, you may look at the top card of your library. If it's an instant or sorcery card, you may cast it without paying its mana cost. * If the card you look at isn't an instant or sorcery card, it remains on top of your library. You don't reveal it. * You may pay additional costs, such as kicker costs, of the instant or sorcery card. * If the card has any mandatory additional costs, as Kuldotha Rebirth does, you must pay them in order to cast the spell. * If the card has an X in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as its value. ----- Glissa, the Traitor BGG Legendary Creature -- Zombie Elf 3/3 First strike, deathtouch Whenever a creature an opponent controls is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, you may return target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand. * If an artifact you own and a creature an opponent controls go to the graveyard at the same time, you may choose that artifact card as the target of Glissa, the Traitor's ability (even if they're the same card: an artifact creature you own that an opponent controlled). ----- Go for the Throat 1B Instant Destroy target nonartifact creature. * If the targeted creature is also an artifact when Go for the Throat tries to resolve, it will be countered. ----- Gore Vassal 2W Creature -- Hound 2/1 Sacrifice Gore Vassal: Put a -1/-1 counter on target creature. Then if that creature's toughness is 1 or greater, regenerate it. * You can activate Gore Vassal's ability targeting itself, but it won't get a -1/-1 counter or regenerate because it'll be an illegal target when the ability resolves. * The regeneration shield will last until the turn ends or until it's used. * Let's say you activate Gore Vassal's ability targeting a creature with 3 toughness and 2 damage marked on it. The regeneration shield will be created just before the creature is destroyed for having damage marked on it equal to or greater than its toughness. The creature will then regenerate. That is, all damage will be removed from it and it will become tapped; any counters on the creature, including the -1/-1 counter put on by this ability, remain. ----- Green Sun's Zenith XG Sorcery Search your library for a green creature card with converted mana cost X or less, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library. Shuffle Green Sun's Zenith into its owner's library. * In most cases, if you own Green Sun's Zenith and cast it, you'll shuffle your library twice. In practice, shuffling once is sufficient, but effects that care about you shuffling your library (like Psychogenic Probe, for example) will see that you've shuffled twice. * If you own Green Sun's Zenith, but an opponent casts it (due to Knowledge Pool's effect, for example), that opponent searches his or her library for an appropriate creature card, then shuffles his or her library. That opponent then shuffles Green Sun's Zenith into your library. You won't shuffle any library in this case. ----- Hellkite Igniter 5RR Creature -- Dragon 5/5 Flying, haste 1R: Hellkite Igniter gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the number of artifacts you control. * The number of artifacts you control is counted when the ability resolves. ----- Hero of Bladehold 2WW Creature -- Human Knight 3/4 Battle cry (Whenever this creature attacks, each other attacking creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.) Whenever Hero of Bladehold attacks, put two 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens onto the battlefield tapped and attacking. * Whenever Hero of Bladehold attacks, both abilities will trigger. You can put them onto the stack in any order. If the token-creating ability resolves first, the tokens each get +1/+0 until end of turn from the battle cry ability. * You choose which opponent or planeswalker an opponent controls that each token is attacking when it is put onto the battlefield. * Although the tokens are attacking, they never were declared as attacking creatures (for purposes of abilities that trigger whenever a creature attacks, for example). ----- Hero of Oxid Ridge 2RR Creature -- Human Knight 4/2 Haste Battle cry (Whenever this creature attacks, each other attacking creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.) Whenever Hero of Oxid Ridge attacks, creatures with power 1 or less can't block this turn. * The power of each creature is checked only when blocking creatures are declared. If a creature has power 1 or less at that time, it can't block, even if its power was greater than 1 when the last ability resolved. * Creatures with power 1 or less can't block even if they weren't on the battlefield when the last ability resolved. ----- Horrifying Revelation B Sorcery Target player discards a card, then puts the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard. * If the player has no cards in his or her hand or no cards in his or her library, the other effect still happens. ----- Ichor Wellspring 2 Artifact When Ichor Wellspring enters the battlefield or is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, draw a card. * The ability will trigger when Ichor Wellspring is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, even if the ability that triggered when it entered the battlefield hasn't resolved yet. ----- Inkmoth Nexus Land T: Add 1 to your mana pool. 1: Inkmoth Nexus becomes a 1/1 Blinkmoth artifact creature with flying and infect until end of turn. It's still a land. (It deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.) * If Inkmoth Nexus entered the battlefield this turn and it's not a creature, it can be tapped for mana. If it becomes a creature that turn, it can't attack or be tapped for mana. * If you've controlled Inkmoth Nexus continuously since your most recent turn began and it becomes a creature, it can attack or be tapped for mana. ----- Into the Core 2RR Instant Exile two target artifacts. * You must be able to target two different artifacts in order to cast Into the Core. ----- Kemba's Legion 5WW Creature -- Cat Soldier 4/6 Vigilance Kemba's Legion can block an additional creature for each Equipment attached to Kemba's Legion. * The number of creatures Kemba's Legion can block is calculated when blocking creatures are declared. Take into account the number of Equipment attached to Kemba's Legion at that time, as well as any other effects that increase the number of creatures Kemba's Legion can block. ----- Knowledge Pool 6 Artifact Imprint -- When Knowledge Pool enters the battlefield, each player exiles the top three cards of his or her library. Whenever a player casts a spell from his or her hand, that player exiles it. If the player does, he or she may cast another nonland card exiled with Knowledge Pool without paying that card's mana cost. * You may cast any other card exiled by Knowledge Pool, including one owned by an opponent. Any card exiled by Knowledge Pool’s enters-the-battlefield ability or its other triggered ability may be cast. * The spell a player casts from his or her hand won't resolve if it's exiled, even if that spell can't be countered by spells or abilities. * If the original spell isn't exiled (perhaps because it's countered by another spell or ability before Knowledge Pool's second triggered ability resolves), the rest of the ability does nothing. The player doesn't get to cast an exiled card. * If there are no nonland cards exiled by Knowledge Pool, the original spell is still exiled. * You may pay additional costs, such as kicker costs, of the exiled card. * If the card has any mandatory additional costs, as Kuldotha Rebirth does, you must pay them in order to cast the spell. * Timing restrictions based on the card's type are ignored. For example, you can cast an exiled creature card this way. Other restrictions, such as Spinal Embrace's "Cast Spinal Embrace only during combat" are not ignored. * If the card you cast without paying its mana cost has an X in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as its value. * Any other abilities that trigger when you cast the original spell (for example, if you cast Emrakul, the Aeons Torn) will still trigger and go on the stack. * If multiple Knowledge Pools are on the battlefield, keep track of which cards are exiled by each of them. Whenever a player casts a spell from his or her hand: -- If all Knowledge Pools are controlled by the same player, that player chooses the order in which the triggered abilities are put onto the stack. The last one put onto the stack will be the first to resolve. -- If multiple players each control one or more Knowledge Pools, the active player put his or her triggered abilities on the stack in any order, then each other player in turn order does the same. The last ability put onto the stack this way will be the first to resolve. -- The first triggered ability to resolve will exile the original spell, then the player who cast that spell may cast one of the nonland cards exiled by the Knowledge Pool that generated that triggered ability. The abilities of other Knowledge Pools will do nothing when they resolve, as the original spell will already have been exiled. ----- Kuldotha Flamefiend 4RR Creature -- Elemental 4/4 When Kuldotha Flamefiend enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice an artifact. If you do, Kuldotha Flamefiend deals 4 damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures and/or players. * Kuldotha Flamefiend's ability may target up to four creatures and/or players. Each must be chosen to receive at least 1 damage. * You choose the target(s) and how the damage will be divided when you put the triggered ability on the stack. You don't choose whether to sacrifice an artifact or which artifact you're sacrificing until the ability resolves. Once you decide to sacrifice an artifact (or not), it's too late for players to respond. ----- Leonin Relic-Warder WW Creature -- Cat Cleric 2/2 When Leonin Relic-Warder enters the battlefield, you may exile target artifact or enchantment. When Leonin Relic-Warder leaves the battlefield, return the exiled card to the battlefield under its owner's control. * If Leonin Relic-Warder leaves the battlefield before its first ability has resolved, its second ability will trigger and when it resolves, do nothing. Then its first ability will resolve and exile the targeted artifact or enchantment with no way to return it to the battlefield. ----- Magnetic Mine 4 Artifact Whenever another artifact is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, Magnetic Mine deals 2 damage to that artifact's controller. * Magnetic Mine will not trigger when it is put into a graveyard from the battlefield itself, although it will trigger if another artifact is put into the graveyard from the battlefield at the same time. ----- Massacre Wurm 3BBB Creature -- Wurm 6/5 When Massacre Wurm enters the battlefield, creatures your opponents control get -2/-2 until end of turn. Whenever a creature an opponent controls is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, that player loses 2 life. * If an opponent controls a creature you own, that opponent will lose 2 life when that creature is put into your graveyard from the battlefield. * If a creature an opponent controls is put into the graveyard from the battlefield at the same time as Massacre Wurm, its last ability will trigger. ----- Melira's Keepers 4G Creature -- Human Warrior 4/4 Melira's Keepers can't have counters placed on it. * Melira's Keepers can't have any kind of counters placed on it, not just -1/-1 counters. * Damage from a source with infect has no effect on Melira's Keepers. No -1/-1 counters are placed on it, and no damage is marked on it. The damage is still dealt for purposes of effects that care about damage, such as lifelink. * If Melira's Keepers would enter the battlefield with a counter on it, it simply enters the battlefield without that counter. * If a creature with a counter on it becomes a copy of Melira's Keepers, those counters will remain. ----- Mirrorworks 5 Artifact Whenever another nontoken artifact enters the battlefield under your control, you may pay 2. If you do, put a token that's a copy of that artifact onto the battlefield. * Each time the ability triggers, you can pay 2 only one time to get one token. * As the token is created, it checks the printed values of the artifact it's copying, as well as any copy effects that have been applied to it. * The copiable values of the token's characteristics are the same as the copiable values of the characteristics of the artifact it's copying. * If the artifact that caused Mirrorworks's ability to trigger has already left the battlefield by the time the ability resolves, you can still pay 2. If you do, you'll still put a token onto the battlefield. That token has the copiable values of the characteristics of that nontoken artifact as it last existed on the battlefield. ----- Mitotic Manipulation 1UU Sorcery Look at the top seven cards of your library. You may put one of those cards onto the battlefield if it has the same name as a permanent. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order. * "The same name as a permanent" means the same name as a permanent currently on the battlefield as Mitotic Manipulation resolves. * No matter how many of the seven cards have the same name as a permanent, you can put only one of them onto the battlefield. * You don't reveal any of the other cards or the order in which they go to the bottom of your library. ----- Mortarpod 2 Artifact -- Equipment Living weapon (When this Equipment enters the battlefield, put a 0/0 black Germ creature token onto the battlefield, then attach this to it.) Equipped creature gets +0/+1 and has "Sacrifice this creature: This creature deals 1 damage to target creature or player." Equip 2 * If you sacrifice the equipped creature to deal 1 damage to a target creature or player, the damage is dealt by the creature as it last existed on the battlefield. ----- Myr Turbine 5 Artifact T: Put a 1/1 colorless Myr artifact creature token onto the battlefield. T, Tap five untapped Myr you control: Search your library for a Myr creature card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library. * You can tap a Myr that hasn't been under your control since your most recent turn began to pay for the cost of the second activated ability. ----- Myr Welder 3 Artifact Creature -- Myr 1/4 Imprint -- T: Exile target artifact card from a graveyard. Myr Welder has all activated abilities of all cards exiled with it. * Myr Welder has only the activated abilities of cards it exiles. It doesn't gain triggered abilities or static abilities. * Activated abilities contain a colon. They're generally written "[Cost]: [Effect]." Some keywords are activated abilities; they have colons in their reminder text. * If an activated ability of a card exiled with Myr Welder references the card it's printed on by name, treat Myr Welder's version of that ability as though it referenced Myr Welder by name instead. For example, if Lux Cannon (which says, in part, "T: Put a charge counter on Lux Cannon.") has been exiled by Myr Welder, Myr Welder has the ability "T: Put a charge counter on Myr Welder." ----- Nested Ghoul 3BB Creature -- Zombie Warrior 4/2 Whenever a source deals damage to Nested Ghoul, put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield. * If multiple sources deal damage to Nested Ghoul simultaneously (because it was blocked by multiple creatures, for example), the ability will trigger for each source dealing damage to Nested Ghoul. * Nested Ghoul's ability will trigger if a source with infect deals damage to it. ----- Neurok Commando 1UU Creature -- Human Rogue 2/1 Shroud Whenever Neurok Commando deals combat damage to a player, you may draw a card. * Only one card is drawn no matter how much combat damage was dealt. ----- Phyresis 1B Enchantment -- Aura Enchant creature Enchanted creature has infect. (It deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.) * Multiple instances of infect on the same creature are redundant. ----- Phyrexian Crusader 1BB Creature -- Zombie Knight 2/2 First strike, protection from red and from white Infect (This creature deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.) * If Phyrexian Crusader blocks or is blocked by a creature without first strike or double strike, the damage dealt by Phyrexian Crusader results in -1/-1 counters that will affect how much damage the other creature assigns (if it's still on the battlefield). ----- Phyrexian Hydra 3GG Creature -- Hydra 7/7 Infect (This creature deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.) If damage would be dealt to Phyrexian Hydra, prevent that damage. Put a -1/-1 counter on Phyrexian Hydra for each 1 damage prevented this way. * If multiple damage prevention effects, including Phyrexian Hydra's, are attempting to prevent damage that would be dealt to Phyrexian Hydra, its controller chooses which to apply. * If damage dealt to Phyrexian Hydra can't be prevented (due to Leyline of Punishment, for example), it will be dealt as normal and won't cause Phyrexian Hydra to put -1/-1 counters to be put on itself. ----- Phyrexian Rebirth 4WW Sorcery Destroy all creatures, then put an X/X colorless Horror artifact creature token onto the battlefield, where X is the number of creatures destroyed this way. * If a creature regenerates or is indestructible, it won't be counted when determining the value of X. * Any triggered abilities that trigger because a creature was destroyed won't be put onto the stack until after Phyrexian Rebirth finishes resolving. This means the Horror creature token can be targeted by those abilities, if applicable. ----- Phyrexian Revoker 2 Artifact Creature -- Horror 2/1 As Phyrexian Revoker enters the battlefield, name a nonland card. Activated abilities of sources with the chosen name can't be activated. * Activated abilities contain a colon. They're generally written "[Cost]: [Effect]." Some keywords are activated abilities; they have colons in their reminder text. * Triggered abilities and static abilities of sources with the chosen name are unaffected. * Phyrexian Revoker's ability affects sources with the chosen name no matter what zone they are in. For example, if Reassembling Skeleton is the chosen name, you can't activate its ability that returns it from the graveyard to the battlefield. ----- Piston Sledge 3 Artifact -- Equipment When Piston Sledge enters the battlefield, attach it to target creature you control. Equipped creature gets +3/+1. Equip--Sacrifice an artifact. * If there are no creatures on the battlefield that Piston Sledge could be attached to when its enters-the-battlefield triggered ability resolves, it remains on the battlefield unattached. * You can sacrifice Piston Sledge to pay its own equip cost. It won't become attached as it will be in your graveyard. ----- Pistus Strike 2G Instant Destroy target creature with flying. Its controller gets a poison counter. * If the creature is an illegal target when Pistus Strike tries to resolve, the spell is countered. No player gets a poison counter. * If the creature with flying regenerates or is indestructible, its controller will still get a poison counter. ----- Plaguemaw Beast 3GG Creature -- Beast 4/3 T, Sacrifice a creature: Proliferate. (You choose any number of permanents and/or players with counters on them, then give each another counter of a kind already there.) * You can sacrifice Plaguemaw Beast to pay the cost of its own activated ability. * You can activate the ability even if there are no players or permanents with counters on them. ----- Praetor's Counsel 5GGG Sorcery Return all cards from your graveyard to your hand. Exile Praetor's Counsel. You have no maximum hand size for the rest of the game. * If multiple effects modify your hand size, apply them in timestamp order. For example, if you put Null Profusion (an enchantment that says your maximum hand size is two) onto the battlefield and then resolve Praetor's Counsel, you have no maximum hand size. However, if those events happened in the opposite order, your maximum hand size would be two. * Later effects that modify your maximum hand size, but don't set it to a specific number, will have no effect. ----- Psychosis Crawler 5 Artifact Creature -- Horror */* Psychosis Crawler's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your hand. Whenever you draw a card, each opponent loses 1 life. * If an effect causes you to draw multiple cards, Psychosis Crawler will trigger that many times. ----- Rally the Forces 2R Instant Attacking creatures get +1/+0 and gain first strike until end of turn. * Even though Rally the Forces affects only attacking creatures, the bonus will remain for the rest of the turn. * If Rally the Forces is cast before attackers are declared or after combat ends, it won't do anything. ----- Rot Wolf 2G Creature -- Wolf 2/2 Infect (This creature deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.) Whenever a creature dealt damage by Rot Wolf this turn is put into a graveyard, you may draw a card. * If Rot Wolf and a creature dealt damage by Rot Wolf go to the graveyard at the same time, Rot Wolf's ability will trigger. ----- Rusted Slasher 4 Artifact Creature -- Horror 4/1 Sacrifice an artifact: Regenerate Rusted Slasher. * You may sacrifice Rusted Slasher to pay for its own regeneration ability. If you do, however, it won't regenerate. It'll just end up in its owner's graveyard as a result of the sacrifice. ----- Sangromancer 2BB Creature -- Vampire Shaman 3/3 Flying Whenever a creature an opponent controls is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, you may gain 3 life. Whenever an opponent discards a card, you may gain 3 life. * If one or more creatures an opponent controls are put into the graveyard at the same time as Sangromancer, Sangromancer's first ability will trigger that many times. ----- Septic Rats 1BB Creature -- Rat 2/2 Infect (This creature deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.) Whenever Septic Rats attacks, if defending player is poisoned, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn. * A player is poisoned if that player has one or more poison counters. * Septic Rats gets a maximum of +1/+1 from its ability, no matter how many poison counters the defending player has. ----- Shimmer Myr 3 Artifact Creature -- Myr 2/2 Flash You may cast artifact cards as though they had flash. * Because the artifact lands of the original _Mirrodin_(R) block aren't cast, Shimmer Myr's ability doesn't affect them. ----- Silverskin Armor 2 Artifact -- Equipment Equipped creature gets +1/+1 and is an artifact in addition to its other types. Equip 2 * The equipped creature will remain whatever color(s) it was previously. Becoming an artifact doesn't make the creature colorless. ----- Spine of Ish Sah 7 Artifact When Spine of Ish Sah enters the battlefield, destroy target permanent. When Spine of Ish Sah is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, return Spine of Ish Sah to its owner's hand. * Spine of Ish Sah's last ability doesn't allow you to sacrifice it. You must find another way to get Spine of Ish Sah into the graveyard. ----- Spiraling Duelist 2RR Creature -- Human Berserker 3/1 Metalcraft -- Spiraling Duelist has double strike as long as you control three or more artifacts. * If Spiraling Duelist has double strike as the combat damage step begins, there will be a second combat damage step. As that second combat damage step begins, if Spiraling Duelist no longer has double strike (perhaps because an artifact creature you controlled was destroyed), Spiraling Duelist will not assign combat damage a second time. ----- Spire Serpent 4U Creature -- Serpent 3/5 Defender Metalcraft -- As long as you control three or more artifacts, Spire Serpent gets +2/+2 and can attack as though it didn't have defender. * Spire Serpent still has defender if you control three or more artifacts, although it will be able to attack. * If Spire Serpent has been declared as an attacker, and you stop controlling three or more artifacts later in combat, Spire Serpent continues being an attacking creature until combat ends. ----- Spread the Sickness 4B Sorcery Destroy target creature, then proliferate. (You choose any number of permanents and/or players with counters on them, then give each another counter of a kind already there.) * If the creature is an illegal target when Spread the Sickness tries to resolve, the spell is countered. You won't proliferate. * If the creature regenerates or is indestructible when Spread the Sickness resolves, you'll still proliferate. ----- Steel Sabotage U Instant Choose one -- Counter target artifact spell; or return target artifact to its owner's hand. * An artifact spell exists only on the stack. An artifact exists only on the battlefield. ----- Sword of Feast and Famine 3 Artifact -- Equipment Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has protection from black and from green. Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card and you untap all lands you control. Equip 2 * You'll untap all lands you control even if the player doesn't discard a card. ----- Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas 2UB Planeswalker -- Tezzeret 3 [+1]: Look at the top five cards of your library. You may reveal an artifact card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order. [-1]: Target artifact becomes a 5/5 artifact creature. [-4]: Target player loses X life and you gain X life, where X is twice the number of artifacts you control. * The artifact targeted by the second ability will retain any types, subtypes, or supertypes it has. Notably, if an Equipment becomes an artifact creature, it can't be attached to another creature. If it was attached to a creature, it becomes unattached. * If the target of the second ability is already an artifact creature, its power and toughness will each become 5. This overwrites all previous effects that set the creature's power and toughness to specific values. Any power- or toughness-setting effects that start to apply after this ability resolves will overwrite this effect. * Effects that modify that creature's power or toughness, such as the effects of Giant Growth, will apply to it no matter when they started to take effect. The same is true for counters that change the creature's power or toughness (such as -1/-1 counters) and effects that switch its power and toughness. * The number of artifacts you control is counted when the last ability resolves, not when it is activated. ----- Thopter Assembly 6 Artifact Creature -- Thopter 5/5 Flying At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control no Thopters other than Thopter Assembly, return Thopter Assembly to its owner's hand and put five 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield. * The triggered ability looks for any permanent you control with the creature type Thopter, not just the Thopter tokens previously created by a Thopter Assembly. ----- Training Drone 3 Artifact Creature -- Drone 4/4 Training Drone can't attack or block unless it's equipped. * If Training Drone has been declared as an attacking or blocking creature, and it stops being equipped later in combat, it won't stop attacking or blocking. ----- Treasure Mage 2U Creature -- Human Wizard 2/2 When Treasure Mage enters the battlefield, you may search your library for an artifact card with converted mana cost 6 or greater, reveal that card, and put it into your hand. If you do, shuffle your library. * If a card in your library has X in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0. ----- Turn the Tide 1U Instant Creatures your opponents control get -2/-0 until end of turn. * Only creatures your opponents control when Turn the Tide resolves are affected. Creatures that enter the battlefield later in the turn are not. ----- Vedalken Anatomist 2U Creature -- Vedalken Wizard 1/2 2U, T: Put a -1/-1 counter on target creature. You may tap or untap that creature. * If the creature is an illegal target when the ability tries to resolve, it will be countered. None of its effects happen. ----- Vedalken Infuser 3U Creature -- Vedalken Wizard 1/4 At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a charge counter on target artifact. * You may target and put a charge counter on any artifact, even if it doesn't have an ability that references charge counters. ----- Victory's Herald 3WWW Creature -- Angel 4/4 Flying Whenever Victory's Herald attacks, attacking creatures gain flying and lifelink until end of turn. * Even though the triggered ability affects only attacking creatures, the bonuses will remain for the rest of the turn. * Victory's Herald also gains flying (which will likely be redundant) and lifelink if it's still attacking when the ability resolves. ----- Viridian Corrupter 1GG Creature -- Elf Shaman 2/2 Infect (This creature deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.) When Viridian Corrupter enters the battlefield, destroy target artifact. * If there are no artifacts on the battlefield when Viridian Corrupter enters the battlefield, its enters-the-battlefield does nothing. Viridian Corrupter will simply enter the battlefield. * The enters-the-battlefield ability is not optional. You must target an artifact you control if there are no other artifacts on the battlefield. ----- Virulent Wound B Instant Put a -1/-1 counter on target creature. When that creature is put into a graveyard this turn, its controller gets a poison counter. * If the creature is not put into a graveyard on the turn Virulent Wound resolves, its controller won't get a poison counter. ----- All trademarks are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. (C)2011 Wizards.