_Mirrodin_(TM) Frequently Asked Questions
Compiled by Paul Barclay, David DeLaney, and Jeff Jordan
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 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.
GENERAL NOTES
Equipment
Artifacts that have the subtype "Equipment" are a special kind of artifact.
Generally, an Equipment doesn't do anything unless it's attached to a
creature.
Equipment works in much the same way as local enchantments, but there are some
important differences. The biggest differences are (1) an Equipment doesn't
equip anything when it comes into play, and (2) an Equipment stays in play
when the creature it's equipping leaves play.
The official rules for Equipment are as follows:
212.2g Some artifacts have the subtype "Equipment." An Equipment can be
attached to a creature. It can't legally be attached to an object that isn't a
creature.
212.2h An Equipment is played and comes into play just like any other
artifact. An Equipment doesn't come into play attached to a creature. The
equip keyword ability moves the Equipment onto a creature you control (see
rule 502.33, "Equip"). Control of the creature matters only when the equip
ability is played and resolved.
212.2i An Equipment that's also a creature can't equip a creature. Equipment
that loses the subtype "Equipment" can't equip a creature. An Equipment can't
equip itself. An Equipment that equips an illegal or nonexistent permanent
stops equipping that permanent, but remains in play. (This is a state-based
effect. See rule 420.)
212.2j The creature an Equipment is attached to is called the "equipped
creature." The Equipment is attached to, or "equips," that creature.
212.2k An Equipment's controller is separate from the equipped creature's
controller; the two need not be the same. Changing control of the creature
doesn't change control of the Equipment, and vice versa. Only the Equipment's
controller can play its abilities. However, if the Equipment adds an ability
to the equipped creature (with "gains" or "has"), the equipped creature's
controller is the only one who can play that ability.
The official rules for the equip ability are as follows:
502.33. Equip
502.33a Equip is an activated ability of artifact Equipment cards. The phrase
"Equip [cost]" means "[cost]: Move this Equipment onto target creature you
control. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery."
502.33b For more information about Equipment, see rule 212.2, "Artifacts."
502.33c If an artifact has multiple instances of equip, any of its equip
abilities may be used.
The following rule has been added the protection ability:
502.7d A permanent with protection can't be equipped by Equipment that have
the stated quality. Such an Equipment stops equipping that permanent, but
remains in play. (See rule 420, "State-Based Effects.")
Several other rules have been modified to cover Equipment cards; those rules
are not listed here.
Bonesplitter
1
Artifact -- Equipment
Equipped creature gets +2/+0.
Equip 1 (1: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.
This card comes into play unattached and stays in play if the creature leaves
play.)
* Equipment spells aren't targeted. An Equipment comes into play just like any
other artifact -- it doesn't equip anything until you play its equip ability.
* Each Equipment has the "equip" ability. This ability allows the Equipment to
be moved onto a creature, and moved from one creature to another. The equip
ability can target only a creature you control.
* Equipment can be attached only to creatures.
* An Equipment that's also a creature or that loses the subtype Equipment
can't be attached to a creature.
* An Equipment that equips an illegal or nonexistent permanent stops equipping
that permanent, but remains in play. This is different from how local
enchantments work (a local enchantment that's not enchanting a legal permanent
is put into the graveyard).
* If an Equipment is being moved (attached) to a creature and the creature
it's moving (being attached) to can't be equipped, the Equipment stays where
it is. If the Equipment was attached to a creature when the equip ability was
played, the Equipment doesn't become unattached. (In this case, an Equipment
works in the same way as a local enchantment.)
-----
Affinity
The official rules for the affinity ability are as follows:
502.31. Affinity
502.31a Affinity is a static ability that functions while the card is on the
stack. "Affinity for [text]" means "This spell costs you 1 less to play for
each [text] you control."
502.31b The affinity ability reduces only generic mana costs; it doesn't
reduce how much colored mana you have to pay for a spell. Affinity can't
reduce the cost to play a spell to less than 0.
502.31c If a spell has multiple instances of affinity, each of them applies.
Frogmite
4
Artifact Creature
2/2
Affinity for artifacts (This spell costs 1 less to play for each artifact you
control.)
* The affinity ability reduces only the amount of generic mana you pay. It
can't reduce how much colored mana you pay.
* Affinity can't reduce the cost to play a spell to less than 0.
* Affinity doesn't change the spell's mana cost or converted mana cost. It
just changes how much mana you pay to play the spell.
* Suppose you control five artifacts. A spell with a mana cost of 6UU and
affinity for artifacts would cost you 1UU to play. A spell with a mana cost of
4 and affinity for artifacts would cost 0 to play.
* The cost reduction is set before you have to pay any costs for the spell. If
you sacrifice an artifact while paying the spell's costs, that artifact still
counts toward the cost reduction.
----
Entwine
Spells with the entwine ability are modal spells (that is, they say "Choose
one --"). Normally, you can choose only one of a spell's modes (a mode is one
of the abilities listed after "Choose one --"). If you pay the entwine cost,
you choose *all* modes. The official rules for the entwine ability are as
follows:
502.32. Entwine
502.32a Entwine is a static ability that functions while the card is on the
stack. The phrase "Entwine [cost]" means "You may choose to use all modes of
this spell instead of just one. If you do, you pay an additional [cost]."
Using the entwine ability follows the rules for choosing modes and paying
additional costs in rules 409.1b and 409.1f-h.
502.32b If the entwine cost was paid, follow the text of each of the modes in
the order written on the card when the spell resolves.
Betrayal of Flesh
5B
Instant
Choose one -- Destroy target creature; or return target creature card from
your graveyard to play.
Entwine--Sacrifice three lands. (Choose both if you pay the entwine cost.)
* You decide whether you're paying the entwine cost as you play the spell.
* If you choose not to pay the entwine cost, you can choose only one mode. If
you choose to pay the entwine cost, you choose both modes.
* If you pay the entwine cost, choose targets for both modes as you play the
spell. When the spell resolves, follow the instructions in the order they're
written.
* For all modal spells that don't have entwine, you can choose only one mode.
Only the entwine ability allows you to choose more than one mode.
-----
Imprint
A card with the imprint ability removes other cards from the game and then
uses the imprinted cards' characteristics to power its other abilities. The
official rules for the imprint ability are as follows:
502.34. Imprint
502.34a Imprint is a static ability, written "Imprint -- [text]." The phrase
"Imprint -- [ability]" means "As long as a card removed from the game by this
ability remains in the removed-from-game zone, that card is imprinted on this
permanent."
502.34b The phrase "imprinted [type] card" means the card of that type that's
currently imprinted on the permanent. If a permanent has more than one card of
that type imprinted on it, each of those cards is an "imprinted [type] card."
Chrome Mox
0
Artifact
Imprint -- When Chrome Mox comes into play, you may remove a nonartifact,
nonland card in your hand from the game. (The removed card is imprinted on
this artifact.)
T: Add one mana of any of the imprinted card's colors to your mana pool.
* Most imprint abilities, such as the one on Chrome Mox, are optional. Some
imprint abilities don't use "you may"; these abilities are not optional.
* The imprinted cards are in the removed-from-the-game zone.
* If a permanent has no imprinted card, its abilities that refer to an
imprinted card do nothing.
* If an imprinted card is returned to the game (with a Wish from the
_Judgment_(TM) set, for example), the imprint ability loses track of it and
that card is no longer imprinted.
* Many abilities of permanents with imprint refer to the type of the imprinted
card. These abilities don't work if the imprinted card is of the wrong type.
-----
Artifact Lands
A cycle of five cards in the Mirrodin set have the types artifact and land:
Ancient Den, Great Furnace, Seat of the Synod, Tree of Tales, and Vault of
Whispers. An artifact land is treated in all zones (including the in-play
zone) both as an artifact and as a land.
Great Furnace
Artifact Land
(Great Furnace isn't a spell.)
T: Add R to your mana pool.
* An artifact land combines the characteristics of both the land and artifact
types and is subject to spells and abilities that affect either or both types.
* Artifact lands can only be played as lands. They can't be played as spells,
and they don't use the stack; they're played just the same as normal lands.
* An effect that says "artifacts can't be played" prevents artifact lands from
being played.
* An effect that says "lands can't be played" prevents artifact lands from
being played.
-----
Activated Abilities with Two Different Costs
* A cycle of five cards in the Mirrodin set have activated abilities with two
different costs: Crystal Shard, Granite Shard, Heartwood Shard, Pearl Shard,
and Skeleton Shard.
Heartwood Shard
3
Artifact
3, T or G, T: Target creature gains trample until end of turn.
* You can pay either of the costs to play an ability that has two different
costs, separated by "or." For these Mirrodin cards, the options are to pay
three colorless mana and tap the artifact, or pay one mana of the appropriate
color and tap the artifact.
-----
CARD-SPECIFIC NOTES
Altar of Shadows
7
Artifact
At the beginning of your precombat main phase, add B to your mana pool for
each charge counter on Altar of Shadows.
7, T: Destroy target creature. Then put a charge counter on Altar of Shadows.
* You put the counter on Altar of Shadows even if the creature regenerates.
* The "precombat main phase" is the first main phase of the turn. All other
main phases are "postcombat main phases."
-----
Banshee's Blade
2
Artifact -- Equipment
Equipped creature gets +1/+1 for each charge counter on Banshee's Blade.
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage, put a charge counter on this
card.
Equip 2 (2: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.
This card comes into play unattached and stays in play if the creature leaves
play.)
* The counters stay on Banshee's Blade even if it becomes unattached, or moves
from one creature to another.
-----
Blinkmoth Urn
5
Artifact
At the beginning of each player's precombat main phase, if Blinkmoth Urn is
untapped, that player adds 1 to his or her mana pool for each artifact he or
she controls.
* The "precombat main phase" is the first main phase of the turn. All other
main phases are "postcombat main phases."
-----
Chalice of the Void
XX
Artifact
Chalice of the Void comes into play with X charge counters on it.
Whenever a player plays a spell with converted mana cost equal to the number
of charge counters on Chalice of the Void, counter that spell.
* A mana cost of XX means that you pay twice X. If you want X to be 3, you pay
six mana to play Chalice of the Void.
* The number of counters on Chalice of the Void matters only at the time the
spell is played. Changing the number of charge counters on Chalice of the Void
after a spell has been played won't change whether the ability counters the
spell. If the Chalice had the correct number of counters when the spell was
played, it counters the spell. If the Chalice had too many or too few counters
when the spell was played, the Chalice's ability didn't trigger.
* If there are zero charge counters on Chalice of the Void, it counters each
spell with a converted mana cost of 0.
* Chalice of the Void has to be in play at the end of playing a spell for the
ability to trigger. If you sacrifice Chalice of the Void as a cost to play a
spell, its ability can't trigger.
-----
Chrome Mox
0
Artifact
Imprint -- When Chrome Mox comes into play, you may remove a nonartifact,
nonland card in your hand from the game. (The removed card is imprinted on
this artifact.)
T: Add one mana of any of the imprinted card's colors to your mana pool.
* If no card is imprinted on Chrome Mox, the Mox can't add mana to your mana
pool. It can't add colorless mana to your mana pool.
* If you imprinted a multicolored card, you choose one of that card's colors
each time the Mox's ability resolves.
-----
Confusion in the Ranks
3RR
Enchantment
Whenever an artifact, creature, or enchantment comes into play, its controller
chooses target permanent another player controls that shares a type with it.
Exchange control of those permanents.
* The permanents have to share a permanent type both when the target is chosen
and when the ability resolves.
* Even though Confusion in the Ranks triggers only when an artifact, creature,
or enchantment comes into play, the ability can target a land if the permanent
coming into play is an artifact land.
* The permanents are exchanged only if they're both in play when the ability
resolves.
* Be sure to keep track of which player owns which permanents.
* Confusion in the Ranks triggers on itself coming into play. If an opponent
controls an enchantment, exchange Confusion in the Ranks for that enchantment.
-----
Culling Scales
3
Artifact
At the beginning of your upkeep, destroy target nonland permanent with the
lowest converted mana cost among nonland permanents in play. (If two or more
permanents are tied for lowest cost, target any one of them.)
* You choose the target. If there's more than one nonland permanent tied for
lowest converted mana cost, you choose which one to target.
* If the targeted permanent doesn't have the lowest converted mana cost when
the ability resolves, the ability is countered and the permanent isn't
destroyed.
* Most tokens have a converted mana cost of 0. A token that's a copy of
another permanent or card has a converted mana cost equal to that permanent or
card's converted mana cost. See also "Soul Foundry."
* If the lowest converted mana cost is 3, Culling Scales can destroy itself.
-----
Disarm
U
Instant
Unattach all Equipment from target creature.
* The Equipment remains in play under its controller's control, but is no
longer attached to that creature.
-----
Domineer
1UU
Enchant Artifact Creature
You control enchanted artifact creature.
* The enchanted permanent must be both an artifact and a creature. Domineer
can be played only on an artifact creature. Domineer "falls off" and is put
into the graveyard if the artifact creature it's enchanting stops being an
artifact or stops being a creature.
* An "enchant artifact creature" is affected by anything that affects "enchant
creatures" (such as the _Onslaught_(TM) set's Piety Charm and the Judgment
set's Nomad Mythmaker) and by anything that affects "enchant artifacts."
-----
Duplicant
6
Artifact Creature -- Shapeshifter
2/4
Imprint -- When Duplicant comes into play, you may remove target nontoken
creature from the game. (The removed card is imprinted on this artifact.)
As long as a creature card is imprinted on Duplicant, Duplicant has that
card's power, toughness, and creature types. It's still a Shapeshifter.
* If no creature card is imprinted on Duplicant, it has its normal power,
toughness, and creature types.
* Duplicant's power and toughness change to the imprinted card's power and
toughness. Counters and other effects that change Duplicant's power and
toughness still apply.
* If the imprinted card has a "*" in its power or toughness, the value of * is
0.
* Duplicant keeps all creature types it had when the card was imprinted,
including any types that Duplicant had gained.
-----
Duskworker
4
Artifact Creature
2/2
Whenever Duskworker becomes blocked, regenerate it.
3: Duskworker gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
* Setting up the regeneration shield doesn't remove Duskworker from combat.
However, Duskworker is removed from combat if it would be destroyed and then
regenerates.
-----
Farsight Mask
5
Artifact
Whenever a source an opponent controls deals damage to you, if Farsight Mask
is untapped, you may draw a card.
* This triggers each time a source an opponent controls deals damage to you.
If the same source deals damage more than once in a turn, it triggers for each
of those times.
* You draw no more than one card each time a source an opponent controls
damages you, no matter how much damage the source deals.
* Farsight Mask must be untapped both when the damage is dealt and when you
would draw the card.
* Each instance of each creature's combat damage is counted separately. If
three creatures with double strike attack you and all of them are unblocked,
you may draw up to six cards.
-----
Fatespinner
1UU
Creature -- Human Wizard
1/2
At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, that player chooses draw step,
main phase, or combat phase. The player skips each instance of the chosen step
or phase this turn.
* That opponent skips only the phases or steps that are chosen.
* If there are multiple phases with the same name in the turn, your opponent
skips them all. This is true even if a new step or phase is added to the turn
after the ability resolves.
* If more than one Fatespinner affects you at the start of your upkeep, you
can choose the same step or phase for each one.
-----
Fiery Gambit
2R
Sorcery
Flip a coin until you lose a flip or choose to stop flipping. If you lose a
flip, Fiery Gambit has no effect. If you win one or more flips, Fiery Gambit
deals 3 damage to target creature. If you win two or more flips, Fiery Gambit
deals 6 damage to each opponent. If you win three or more flips, draw nine
cards and untap all lands you control.
* You must choose a target creature when you play Fiery Gambit. If that target
isn't legal on resolution, Fiery Gambit has no effect and you don't even flip
a coin.
* You can flip any number of coins (you can even flip more than three), but
Fiery Gambit has no effect if you lose any of the flips. You can't continue
flipping if you lose a flip.
* If you win three flips, Fiery Gambit deals 3 damage to the target creature
and 6 damage to each opponent, and you draw nine cards and untap all lands you
control.
* After each flip, you choose whether to continue flipping.
-----
Glissa Sunseeker
2GG
Creature -- Elf Legend
3/2
First strike
T: Destroy target artifact if its converted mana cost is equal to the amount
of mana in your mana pool.
* The artifact's converted mana cost must be exactly equal to the amount of
mana in your mana pool when the ability resolves. If there's less mana or more
mana, the artifact won't be destroyed.
* The mana has to be in your mana pool before the ability resolves. The
ability doesn't allow you to play mana abilities while it's resolving.
-----
Grab the Reins
3R
Instant
Choose one -- Until end of turn, you gain control of target creature and it
gains haste; or sacrifice a creature, then Grab the Reins deals damage equal
to that creature's power to target creature or player.
Entwine 2R (Choose both if you pay the entwine cost.)
* If you pay the entwine cost, you can sacrifice the creature you gain control
of with Grab the Reins.
* If you choose the "sacrifice a creature" mode, you must sacrifice a creature
when Grab the Reins resolves, even if you don't want to. If you don't control
any creatures at that time, Grab the Reins deals no damage.
-----
Grid Monitor
4
Artifact Creature
4/6
You can't play creature spells.
* You can't play creature spells or artifact creature spells.
* You can still put creature cards into play or create creature tokens.
-----
Isochron Scepter
2
Artifact
Imprint -- When Isochron Scepter comes into play, you may remove an instant
card with converted mana cost 2 or less in your hand from the game. (The
removed card is imprinted on this artifact.)
2, T: You may copy the imprinted instant card and play the copy without paying
its mana cost.
* Isochron Scepter's second ability creates a copy of the imprinted card in
the removed-from-game zone (that's where the imprinted instant card is), then
allows you to play it without paying its mana cost.
* You play the copy while this ability is resolving, and still on the stack.
Normally, you're not allowed to play spells and abilities at this time.
Isochron Scepter's ability breaks this rule.
* You don't pay the spell's mana cost. If the spell has X in its mana cost, X
is 0. You do pay any additional costs for that spell. You can't use any
alternative costs.
* If the copied card is a split card, you may choose to play either side of
the split card, but not both. (The split cards Fire/Ice, Illusion/Reality,
Night/Day, Stand/Deliver, and Wax/Wane all have at least one side with
converted mana cost 2 or less.)
* You can't play the copy if an effect prevents you from playing instants or
from playing that particular instant.
* You can't play the copy unless all of its targets can be chosen.
* If you don't want to play the copy, you can choose not to; the copy ceases
to exist the next time state-based effects are checked.
-----
Jinxed Choker
3
Artifact
At the end of your turn, target opponent gains control of Jinxed Choker and
puts a charge counter on it.
At the beginning of your upkeep, Jinxed Choker deals damage to you equal to
the number of charge counters on it.
3: Put a charge counter on Jinxed Choker or remove one from it.
* "You" is always Jinxed Choker's current controller.
* If you play Jinxed Choker's activated ability, you choose to either add or
remove a counter when the ability resolves.
-----
Liar's Pendulum
1
Artifact
2, T: Name a card. Target opponent guesses whether a card with that name is in
your hand. You may reveal your hand. If you do and your opponent guessed
wrong, draw a card.
* First you name a card. Then the targeted opponent guesses whether the card
is in your hand.
* After the opponent has guessed, you may reveal your hand. If your opponent
was wrong, you draw a card. If your opponent was right, you don't draw a card.
* You reveal your hand only if you choose to, regardless of whether your
opponent guessed right or wrong.
* You can't draw a card if you don't reveal your hand.
-----
March of the Machines
3U
Enchantment
Each noncreature artifact is an artifact creature with power and toughness
each equal to its converted mana cost. (Equipment that's a creature can't
equip a creature.)
* If a noncreature artifact is also a land, it's still a land in addition to
being an artifact creature. If a noncreature artifact is also an enchantment,
it's still an enchantment in addition to being an artifact creature.
* If an Equipment becomes a creature, it can no longer equip a creature. If
it's currently attached to a creature, it becomes unattached (but remains in
play). You can play the Equipment's equip ability, but it won't do anything.
* The five artifact lands each have a converted mana cost of 0. March of the
Machines makes them 0/0 creatures, which are put into the graveyard as a
state-based effect.
-----
Mesmeric Orb
2
Artifact
Whenever a permanent becomes untapped, that permanent's controller puts the
top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
* If ten permanents you control untap, Mesmeric Orb's effect puts the top ten
cards of your library into your graveyard.
* Mesmeric Orb triggers once for each permanent that untaps, so the cards are
put into your graveyard one at a time. The _Scourge_(TM) card Stifle can only
prevent one card from being put into your graveyard.
-----
Mindslaver
6
Legendary Artifact
4, T, Sacrifice Mindslaver: You control target player's next turn. (You see
all cards that player could see and make all decisions for the player. He or
she doesn't lose life because of mana burn.)
* You can see everything that player can see but you normally could not. This
includes that player's hand, face-down creatures, and any cards in his or her
library that he or she looks at.
* You control the entire turn, from the untap step to the cleanup step. The
other player doesn't lose life because of mana burn at any time during that
turn.
* You could gain control of your own turn using Mindslaver, but gaining
control of your own turn doesn't really do anything and you can still lose
life to mana burn.
* You don't control any of the other player's permanents, spells, or
abilities.
* You can't make the other player concede. A player can choose to concede at
any time.
* You get to make every decision the other player would have made during that
turn. You can't make any illegal decisions or illegal choices -- you can't do
anything that player couldn't do. You can spend mana in the player's mana pool
only on that player's spells and abilities. The mana in your mana pool can be
spent only on your spells and abilities.
* You choose which spells the other player plays, and make all decisions as
those spells are played and when they resolve. For example, you choose the
target for that player's Shock, and what card that player gets with Diabolic
Tutor.
* You choose which activated abilities the other player plays, and make all
decisions as those abilities are played and when they resolve. For example,
you can have your opponent sacrifice his or her creatures to his or her
Nantuko Husk or have your opponent's Timberwatch Elf give your blocking
creature +X/+X.
* You make all decisions for the other player's triggered abilities, including
what they target and any decisions made when they resolve.
* You choose which creatures attack and how those attacking creatures assign
their combat damage.
* You also make choices for your own permanents, spells, and abilities as
usual.
* You can't make any decisions that aren't called for or allowed by the game
rules, or by any cards, permanents, spells, abilities, and so on.
* If you make another player play Shahrazad, you don't control any of that
player's turns in the subgame, but you continue to control the current turn
once the subgame is completed.
The following section has been added to the _Magic_(R) Comprehensive Rules to
cover Mindslaver:
507. Controlling Another Player's Turn
507.1. One card (Mindslaver) allows a player's turn to be controlled by
another player. This effect applies to the next turn that the affected player
actually takes. The entire turn is controlled; the effect doesn't end until
the beginning of the next turn.
507.1a Multiple turn-controlling effects that affect the same player overwrite
each other. The last one to be created is the one that works.
507.1b If a turn is skipped, any pending turn-controlling effects wait until
the player who would be affected actually takes a turn.
507.1c Only the control of the turn changes. All objects are controlled by
their normal controllers.
507.2. If information about an object would be visible to the player whose
turn is controlled, it's visible to both that player and the controller of the
turn.
Example: The controller of a player's turn can see that player's hand and the
identity of any face-down creatures he or she controls.
507.3. The controller of another player's turn makes all choices and decisions
that player is allowed to make or is told to make during that turn by the
rules or by any objects. This includes choices and decisions about what to
play, and choices and decisions called for by spells and abilities.
Example: The controller of the turn decides which spells to play and what
those spells target, and makes any required decisions when those spells
resolve.
Example: The controller of the turn decides which of the player's creatures
attack, and how those creatures assign their combat damage.
Example: The controller of the turn decides which card the player chooses from
outside the game with one of the Judgment Wishes. The player can't choose a
card of the wrong type.
507.3a The controller of another player's turn can use only that player's
resources (cards, mana, and so on) to pay costs for that player.
Example: If the controller of the turn decides that the player will play a
spell with an additional cost of discarding cards from hand, the cards are
discarded from the player's hand.
507.3b The controller of another player's turn can't make that player concede.
A player may concede the game at any time, even if his or her turn is
controlled by another player. See rule 102.7.
507.3c The controller of another player's turn can't make choices or decisions
for that player that aren't called for by the rules, or by any objects. The
controller also can't make any choices or decisions for the player that would
be called for by the tournament rules.
Example: The player whose turn it is still chooses whether he or she leaves to
visit the restroom, trades a card to someone else, takes an intentional draw,
or calls a judge about an error or infraction.
507.3d A player who controls another player's turn also continues to make his
or her own choices and decisions.
507.4. A player doesn't lose life due to mana burn while another player
controls his or her turn. (Unused mana in players' mana pools is still lost
when a phase ends. See rule 300.3.)
-----
Mindstorm Crown
3
Artifact
At the beginning of your upkeep, draw a card if you had no cards in hand at
the beginning of this turn. If you had a card in hand, Mindstorm Crown deals 1
damage to you.
* Mindstorm Crown's ability doesn't have an "intervening 'if' clause." It
always goes onto the stack at the start of your upkeep.
* Mindstorm Crown cares about the number of cards in your hand at the time the
turn started, not as the ability resolves. So if you have more than one Crown
in play and no cards in your hand at the start of the turn, you draw a card
for each Crown.
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Platinum Angel
7
Artifact Creature -- Angel
4/4
Flying
You can't lose the game and your opponents can't win the game.
* There's no way to lose while you control Platinum Angel. You can be at any
life total, draw any number of cards, have any number of poison counters, or
have any number of Nefarious Liches leave play.
* Effects that say the game is a draw still work.
* In multiplayer games, your teammates can lose, but your opponents can't win
using cards such as the _Odyssey_(TM) set's Battle of Wits.
* You can concede a game while Platinum Angel in play. A concession causes you
to leave the game, which then causes you to lose the game. (Once you concede,
you no longer control a Platinum Angel, so its ability can't prevent you from
losing the game.)
* In DCI-sanctioned, single-elimination play, you can lose a game if the
"highest life total" rule needs to be used to determine the winner of an
unfinished game. Platinum Angel only prevents losing as part of the game, not
due to parts of the DCI tournament rules. (See the _Magic: The Gathering_(R)
DCI Floor Rules at http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci/utr/intro for more
information.)
* In Magic Online play, Platinum Angel doesn't prevent you from losing if your
game clock runs out.
-----
Promise of Power
2BBB
Sorcery
Choose one -- You draw five cards and you lose 5 life; or put a black Demon
creature token with flying into play with power and toughness each equal to
the number of cards in your hand as the token comes into play.
Entwine 4 (Choose both if you pay the entwine cost.)
* The power and toughness of the Demon token are set when Promise of Power
resolves. They're unaffected if the number of cards in your hand changes
later.
* If you pay the entwine cost, you draw five cards, then lose five life, then
put the Demon token into play. The five cards you draw count toward the
Demon's power and toughness.
-----
Quicksilver Elemental
3UU
Creature -- Elemental
3/4
U: Quicksilver Elemental gains all activated abilities of target creature
until end of turn. (If any of the abilities use that creature's name, use this
creature's name instead.)
You may spend blue mana as though it were mana of any color to pay the
activation costs of Quicksilver Elemental's abilities.
* Quicksilver Elemental gains only activated abilities. It doesn't gain
keyword abilities (unless those keyword abilities are activated), triggered
abilities, or static abilities.
* Quicksilver Elemental can gain the activated abilities of any creature in
play that you can target with its ability, even if you don't control that
creature.
* The granted abilities effectively use "this permanent," rather than "," so you treat the abilities as if they were printed on
Quicksilver Elemental. For example, you treat an ability that says "Sacrifice
a creature: Nantuko Husk gets +2/+2 until end of turn" as "Sacrifice a
creature: Quicksilver Elemental gets +2/+2 until end of turn."
-----
Quicksilver Fountain
3
Artifact
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player puts a flood counter on
target non-Island land he or she controls. That land is an Island as long as
it has a flood counter on it.
At end of turn, if all lands in play are Islands, remove all flood counters
from them.
* The land stays an Island until the flood counter is removed, even if
Quicksilver Fountain leaves play.
* The timestamp of the land-type-changing ability is set when the triggered
ability resolves (so each one has a different timestamp).
-----
Rust Elemental
4
Artifact Creature -- Elemental
4/4
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice an artifact other than Rust
Elemental. If you can't, tap Rust Elemental and you lose 4 life.
* Sacrificing an artifact isn't optional. If you control an artifact other
than Rust Elemental, you must sacrifice it. Otherwise, you must tap Rust
Elemental and lose 4 life.
-----
Scythe of the Wretched
2
Artifact -- Equipment
Equipped creature gets +2/+2.
Whenever a creature dealt damage by equipped creature this turn is put into a
graveyard, return that card to play under your control. Attach Scythe of the
Wretched to that creature.
Equip 4
* The Scythe's ability triggers even if something other than the damage dealt
by the equipped creature causes the creature to be put into a graveyard that
turn.
* Scythe of the Wretched needs to equip your creature when the other creature
goes to the graveyard for the ability to trigger, but it doesn't matter
whether the Scythe equipped your creature when the damage was actually dealt.
* If the card isn't a creature when it comes back into play, then Scythe of
the Wretched won't move onto it.
-----
Shared Fate
4U
Enchantment
If a player would draw a card, that player removes the top card of an
opponent's library from the game face down instead.
Each player may look at and play cards he or she removed from the game with
Shared Fate as though they were in his or her hand.
* You need to pay the costs of any cards you play from the removed-from-game
zone. This could be a problem if you don't have the right colors of mana
available.
* Replacing your draws isn't optional. You can't draw cards from your own
library, even if all your opponents' libraries are empty.
* If more than one Shared Fate is in play, you choose which one replaces each
card draw, but you can replace a draw only once.
* The cards are removed from the game, not put into players' hands. Players
can look at and play the removed cards, but can't do anything else with them
(the removed cards can't be discarded or cycled, for example).
-----
Soul Foundry
4
Artifact
Imprint -- When Soul Foundry comes into play, you may remove a creature card
in your hand from the game. (The removed card is imprinted on this artifact.)
X, T: Put a creature token into play that's a copy of the imprinted creature
card. X is the converted mana cost of that card.
* Soul Foundry puts a token copy of the imprinted card into play. The token is
put into play, not played.
* The token is an exact copy in every way, except that it's a token, not a
card.
* Most creature tokens have mana cost and converted mana cost 0, but a
creature token put into play by Soul Foundry has the same mana cost and
converted mana cost as the card it copies.
-----
Spellweaver Helix
3
Artifact
Imprint -- When Spellweaver Helix comes into play, you may remove two target
sorcery cards in a single graveyard from the game. (The removed cards are
imprinted on this artifact.)
Whenever a card is played, if it has the same name as one of the imprinted
sorcery cards, you may copy the other and play the copy without paying its
mana cost.
* If there's only one imprinted sorcery card, nothing happens.
* If the two imprinted sorcery cards have the same name and a card with that
name is played, only one copy is created, not two.
* Spellweaver Helix's second ability creates a copy of the imprinted card in
the removed-from-game zone (that's where the imprinted sorcery card is), then
allows you to play it without paying its mana cost.
* You play the copy while this ability is resolving, and still on the stack.
Normally, you're not allowed to play spells and abilities at this time.
Spellweaver Helix's ability breaks this rule. (The card that triggered this
ability is also still on the stack.)
* You don't pay the spell's mana cost. If a spell has X in its mana cost, X is
0. You do pay any additional costs for that spell. You can't use any
alternative costs.
* A split-card spell's name is only half the card's name, so Spellweaver Helix
never triggers when a split card is played.
* You can't play the copy if an effect prevents you from playing sorceries or
from playing that particular sorcery.
* You can't play the copy unless all of its targets can be chosen.
* If you don't want to play the copy, you can choose not to; the copy ceases
to exist the next time state-based effects are checked.
-----
Tel-Jilad Stylus
1
Artifact
T: Put target permanent you own on the bottom of your library.
* Tel-Jilad Stylus's ability may target a permanent you own but do not
control.
* Tel-Jilad Stylus's ability can put tokens on the bottom of your library
(where they then cease to exist).
* You own all cards that started the game in your deck, and all cards that you
"Wished" into the game (with one of the Judgment Wish cards or Ring of Maruf).
You also own all tokens created by spells and abilities you control.
-----
Thirst for Knowledge
2U
Instant
Draw three cards. Then discard two cards from your hand unless you discard an
artifact card from your hand.
* You can discard either one artifact card or two cards which may or may not
be artifacts. (If you really want to, you can discard two artifact cards.)
-----
Thought Prison
5
Artifact
Imprint -- When Thought Prison comes into play, you may have target player
reveal his or her hand. If you do, choose a nonland card from it and remove
that card from the game. (The removed card is imprinted on this artifact.)
Whenever a player plays a spell that shares a color or converted mana cost
with the imprinted card, Thought Prison deals 2 damage to that player.
* The second ability triggers only once per spell. If the spell shares both a
color and a converted mana cost with the imprinted card, Thought Prison deals
2 damage, not 4.
-----
Timesifter
5
Artifact
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, each player removes the top card of
his or her library from the game. The player who removed the card with the
highest converted mana cost takes an extra turn after this one. If two or more
players' cards are tied for highest cost, the tied players repeat this process
until the tie is broken.
* Each player must remove the top card of his or her library from the game at
the start of each upkeep step.
* Each time there's a tie for the highest cost, only the players involved in
the tie continue.
* If a player fails to remove a card from the game, he or she can't take the
extra turn.
* If multiple extra turns are created in a game, the most recently created
extra turn is taken first.
* Remember which player would have taken the next turn if Timesifter's ability
hadn't triggered the first time. After Timesifter leaves play and all extra
turns have been taken, that player takes the next turn.
* If two or more Timesifters are in play, keep a careful record of which
players get which extra turns. With two Timesifters in play, two extra turns
are created for each turn taken.
* A land card has a converted mana cost of 0.
-----
Vulshok Battlemaster
4R
Creature -- Human Warrior
2/2
Haste
When Vulshok Battlemaster comes into play, attach all Equipment in play to it.
(Control of the Equipment doesn't change.)
* The comes-into-play effect moves all Equipment onto the Battlemaster,
regardless of whether that Equipment was attached to other creatures.
* Other players' Equipment is moved onto the Battlemaster as well as your own.
This doesn't change who controls the Equipment or who can play its equip
ability to move it onto another creature.
* If an Equipment can't equip Vulshok Battlemaster, it isn't attached to the
Battlemaster, and it doesn't become unattached (if it's attached to a
creature).
-----
Wrench Mind
BB
Sorcery
Target player discards two cards from his or her hand unless he or she
discards an artifact card from his or her hand.
* You can discard either one artifact card or two cards which may or may not
be artifacts. (If you really want to, you can discard two artifact cards.)
-----
Yotian Soldier
3
Artifact Creature -- Soldier
1/4
Attacking doesn't cause Yotian Soldier to tap.
* Yotian Soldier now has the creature type "Soldier." Previously, it had no
creature type.
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