_Onslaught_(TM) Frequently Asked Questions
Compiled by Paul Barclay, David DeLaney, Jeff Jordan, Del Laugel, and Mark
Gottlieb
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
Morph and Face-Down Spells and Permanents
The official rules for the morph ability and face-down spells and permanents
are as follows:
502.26. Morph
502.26a Morph is a static ability that functions any time you could play the
card it's on, and the morph effect works until you turn the card face up. The
phrase "Morph [cost]" means "You may play this card as a 2/2 face-down
creature, with no text, no name, no subtypes, no expansion symbol, and a mana
cost of {0}, by paying {3} rather than its mana cost." Any time you could
play an instant, you may show all players the morph cost of any face-down
permanent you control, pay that cost, then turn the permanent face up. This
action does not use the stack.
502.26b To play a spell using its morph ability, turn it face down. It
becomes a 2/2 face-down creature spell, with no text, no name, no subtypes,
no expansion symbol, and a mana cost of {0}. Put it onto the stack (it stays
face-down with the same characteristics), and pay {3} rather than pay its
mana cost. You can use morph to play a spell from any zone from which you
could normally play that spell. When the spell resolves, it comes into play
with the same characteristics the spell had. The morph effect continues until
the permanent is turned face up.
502.26c You can't play a card face down if it doesn't have morph.
502.26d Any time you could play an instant, you may turn a face-down
permanent you control face up. To do this, show all players the permanent's
morph cost, pay that cost, then turn the permanent face up. The morph effect
on it ends, and it regains the card's normal characteristics. Any abilities
relating to the permanent coming into play don't trigger when it's turned
face up and don't have any effect, because the permanent has already come
into play.
502.26e If a face-up permanent is turned face down by a spell or ability, it
becomes a 2/2 face-down creature, with no text, no name, no subtypes, no
expansion symbol, a mana cost of {0}. The rules for morph and face-down
spells and permanents apply to it normally.
502.26f See rule 504, "Face-Down Spells and Permanents," for more information
on how to play cards with morph.
504. Face-Down Spells and Permanents
504.1. Two old cards (Camouflage and Illusionary Mask) and the morph ability
(see rule 502.26), allow spells and permanents to be face down.
504.2. Face-down cards on the stack and face-down cards and tokens in play
have no characteristics other than those listed by the card or rules that
allow the card or token to be face down. Any listed characteristics are that
card or token's initial characteristics. Permanents that are put into play
face down are turned face down before they come into play, so the permanent's
comes-into-play abilities won't trigger (if triggered) or have any effect (if
static). Spells that are played face down are turned face down before they
are put onto the stack, so effects that care about the characteristics of a
spell will see only the face-down spell's characteristics. The cards remain
face down as long as they are on the stack or in the in-play zone.
504.3. You may look at a face-down spell you control on the stack or a face-
down permanent you control at any time. You can't look at face-down cards in
any other zone or face-down spells or permanents controlled by another
player. The card or rules that allow a permanent to be face down may also
allow the permanent's controller to turn it face up. Spells normally can't be
turned face up.
504.4. If you control multiple face-down spells on the stack or face-down
permanents in play, you must ensure at all times that your face-down spells
and permanents can be easily differentiated from each other. This includes,
but is not limited to, knowing the order spells were played, the order that
face-down permanents came into play, which creature attacked last turn, and
any other differences between face-down spells or permanents. Common methods
for distinguishing between face-down cards include using counters or dice to
mark the different permanents, or clearly placing those permanents in order
on the table.
504.5. As a face-down permanent is turned face up, its initial
characteristics revert to its normal initial characteristics. Any effects
that have been applied to the face-down permanent still apply to the face-up
permanent. Any abilities relating to the permanent coming into play don't
trigger and don't have any effect, because the permanent has already come
into play.
504.6. If a face-down permanent moves from the in-play zone to any zone other
than the phased-out zone, its owner must reveal it to all players as he or
she moves it. If a face-down spell moves from the stack to any zone other
than the in-play zone, its owner must reveal it to all players as he or she
moves it. At the end of each game, all face-down spells and permanents must
be revealed to all players.
* If a face-down creature phases out, it stays face down, and it stays face
down when it phases back in.
* If a face-down creature is removed from the game, it's turned face up. If
the creature returns to the game, it returns face up.
* You can't turn face-down spells on the stack face up.
* If a creature with morph has a static ability, the "timestamp" of the
ability (see rule 418.5c of the _Magic_(R) Comprehensive Rules) is the time
when the creature came into play, not when it was turned face up.
* Counters, effects, enchantments, and damage stay with a face-down creature
when it's turned face up.
* Counters, effects, enchantments, and damage stay with a face-up creature
when it's turned face down. (Any enchantments on it stay face up. They aren't
turned face-down along with the creature.)
* Turning a creature face up or face down won't change when it came into
play, so the creature's ability to attack or use activated abilities which
include the tap symbol will be unaffected.
* If you turn a face-down creature face up while its combat damage is on the
stack and that creature has an ability which triggers "Whenever this creature
deals combat damage," that ability will trigger when the combat damage
resolves.
* Turning a permanent face up or face down doesn't tap or untap it.
* If you gain control of a face-down creature, you can look at what it is,
and you can pay its morph cost to turn it face up. Your opponent can't,
although he or she will know what the creature is.
* If a creature is turned face down in response to one of its abilities being
played, that ability will resolve normally.
* Face-down creatures have no intrinsic creature types. They can be given
creature types by effects.
* Face-down creatures don't have any abilities, so they aren't considered to
have the morph ability. Face-up creatures with morph do have the ability.
* Illusionary Mask and Camouflage have been given errata to make them work
properly with these new rules for face-down spells and permanents.
* If a spell or ability tells you to turn a face-down permanent face up, you
don't have to pay that permanent's morph cost.
* If a face-down creature is targeted by a spell or ability on the stack and
the creature is turned face up, the spell or ability targets the face-up
creature. Check to see if the creature is a legal target when the spell or
ability resolves.
* Turning a face-down creature with an evasion ability face up after it's
been blocked doesn't affect the blockers, because restrictions on blocking
are only checked at the time blockers are declared.
* A face-down creature spell can be countered just like any other creature
spell.
* The _Planeshift_(TM) card Meddling Mage can't prevent a card from being
played face down.
-----
Fear
The official rules for the fear ability are as follows:
502.25. Fear
502.25a Fear is an evasion ability.
502.25b A creature with fear can't be blocked except by artifact creatures
and/or black creatures.
* The fear ability works just like an ability of some older cards which read,
"This creature can't be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or black
creatures."
-----
Cycling
The official rules for the cycling ability are as follows:
502.18. Cycling
502.18a Cycling is an activated ability that functions only while the card
with cycling is in a player's hand. The phrase "Cycling [cost]" means
"[Cost], Discard this card from your hand: Draw a card. Play this ability
only if this card is in your hand."
502.18b Although the cycling ability is playable only if the card is in a
player's hand, it continues to exist while the card is in play. Therefore
cards with cycling will be affected by effects that depend on a card in a
graveyard or a permanent having one or more activated abilities.
* You can't cycle a card if it isn't in your hand.
-----
Cycle Triggered Abilities
* Ten Onslaught cards have an ability that triggers when you cycle the card:
Choking Tethers, Complicate, Death Pulse, Dirge of Dread, Krosan Tusker,
Primal Boost, Renewed Faith, Slice and Dice, Solar Blast, and Sunfire Balm.
Choking Tethers
{3}{U}
Instant
Tap up to four target creatures.
Cycling {1}{U} ({1}{U}, Discard this card from your hand: Draw a card.)
When you cycle Choking Tethers, you may tap target creature.
* The phrase "When you cycle [this card]" means "When you play [this card]'s
cycling ability." This triggered ability will resolve before you draw a card
from the cycling ability.
* A cycle trigger effect isn't a spell, so it can't be countered by spells
and abilities that counter spells.
-----
Creature Types
The Magic Comprehensive Rules have been changed to clarify which words you
can choose for creature types. You can now choose only creature types that
exist within the Magic game; you can't make up new ones.
214.7a If a card instruction requires choosing a creature subtype, you must
choose one, and only one, existing creature type.
Example: "Merfolk" or "Wizard" is acceptable, but "Merfolk Wizard" is not.
Words like "artifact," "opponent," "swamp," or "truck" can't be chosen
because they aren't creature types.
* Artifact, creature, enchantment, instant, land, and sorcery are card types,
not creature types. You can't choose any of them when you're choosing a
creature type. Forest, island, mountain, plains, and swamp are land types,
not creature types. You can't choose any of them when you're choosing a
creature type. (Even if a land has been turned into a creature, its land type
isn't a creature type.)
* Creatures with more than one creature type are all those types at once, and
count toward anything that looks for any one of them.
* A creature shares a creature type with another creature if one or more of
those creatures' types are the same. Only one of the types needs to match. If
more than one type matches, you don't get the effect twice.
-----
Mistform Cards
* The Mistform cards have abilities that allow them to change creature types.
The Mistform cards are Mistform Dreamer, Mistform Mask, Mistform Mutant,
Mistform Shrieker, Mistform Skyreaver, Mistform Stalker, and Mistform Wall.
Mistform Dreamer
{2}{U}
Creature -- Illusion
2/1
Flying
{1}: Mistform Dreamer's type becomes the creature type of your choice until
end of turn.
* When a creature changes its creature type, it loses whatever creature types
it had before and gains only the newly chosen one.
-----
Chains
* When a creature or a player is affected by one of the five Onslaught Chain
cards, that creature's controller or that player gets to copy the spell, and
have it affect another (or the same) creature or player.
Chain of Acid
{3}{G}
Sorcery
Destroy target noncreature permanent. Then that permanent's controller may
copy this spell and may choose a new target for that copy.
* The copy of the spell has the same text, target, and color as the original
spell. The player who was the target of the previous spell, or the controller
of the permanent that was the target of the previous spell, controls the
copy. That player can choose to change the target of the copy.
* There's never more than one "link" in the chain on the stack at once. Each
new copy of the spell is created when the previous one resolves. If any of
the spells are countered (either by a spell or ability, or by having an
illegal target when it resolves), the chain is broken and no more copies are
made.
* The five Chains are Chain of Acid, Chain of Plasma, Chain of Silence, Chain
of Smog, and Chain of Vapor.
* See rule 503 in the Comprehensive Rulebook if you're interested in exactly
how copy cards work.
-----
Couriers
* The five Onslaught Couriers are creatures with activated abilities that
give a creature of a specific type a bonus as long as the Courier remains
tapped.
Everglove Courier
{2}{G}
Creature -- Elf
2/1
You may choose not to untap Everglove Courier during your untap step.
{2}{G}, {T}: As long as Everglove Courier remains tapped, target Elf gets
+2/+2 and has trample.
* You can only target a creature that is of the appropriate type. But, if the
creature's type changes after the Courier's ability has resolved, that
doesn't change the effect.
-----
Crowns
* The five Onslaught Crowns are creature enchantments with an activated
ability that has an effect on the enchanted creature and all creatures that
share a type with it.
Crown of Ascension
{1}{U}
Enchant Creature
Enchanted creature has flying.
Sacrifice Crown of Ascension: Enchanted creature and other creatures that
share a creature type with it gain flying until end of turn.
* When the second ability is played, the enchanted creature doesn't have the
listed ability or effect until the ability resolves. When the ability
resolves, check which creatures share a type with the (formerly) enchanted
creature. The ability will affect both your creatures and other players'
creatures.
* The Crowns are Crown of Ascension, Crown of Awe, Crown of Fury, Crown of
Suspicion, and Crown of Vigor.
-----
Costs with "Tap [number] untapped [creature type]"
* The Onslaught set has many creatures with activated abilities that require
tapping multiple creatures of the same type to produce an effect.
Ancestor's Prophet
{4}{W}
Creature -- Cleric Lord
1/5
Tap five untapped Clerics you control: You gain 10 life.
* None of these abilities include the tap symbol, so you can use the ability
even if the creature hasn't been under your control since your turn began.
* Cards with abilities like this include Ancestor's Prophet, Aphetto Grifter,
Birchlore Rangers, Catapult Master, Catapult Squad, Gravespawn Sovereign,
Shieldmage Elder, Supreme Inquisitor, Skirk Fire Marshal, Spurred Wolverine,
and Voice of the Woods.
-----
Words
* The five Onslaught Words are enchantments with the ability to let you
replace drawing cards with other effects.
Words of Waste
{2}{B}
Enchantment
{1}: The next time you would draw a card this turn, each opponent discards a
card from his or her hand instead.
* You can play a Word's ability multiple times, but you only get the effect
once each time you would draw a card.
* If you've played the abilities of more than one Words, you get to choose
which one to use up each time you would draw a card.
* The Words are Words of War, Words of Waste, Words of Wilding, Words of
Wind, and Words of Worship.
-----
CARD-SPECIFIC NOTES
AEther Charge
{4}{R}
Enchantment
Whenever a Beast comes into play under your control, you may have it deal 4
damage to target opponent.
* The damage is dealt by the Beast, not by AEther Charge.
-----
Accursed Centaur
{1}{B}
Creature -- Zombie Centaur
2/2
When Accursed Centaur comes into play, sacrifice a creature.
* If Accursed Centaur is the only creature you control when its comes-into-
play ability resolves, you'll have to sacrifice it.
-----
Aggravated Assault
{2}{R}
Enchantment
{3}{R}{R}: Untap all creatures you control. After this phase, there is an
additional combat phase followed by an additional main phase. Play this
ability only any time you could play a sorcery.
* You'll normally want to play this ability during your postcombat main phase
so that you can untap the creatures that just attacked.
* If you have enough mana, you can use the ability to get more than one
additional combat phase.
-----
Aphetto Dredging
{3}{B}
Sorcery
Return up to three target creature cards of the creature type of your choice
from your graveyard to your hand.
* When you play Aphetto Dredging, you need to choose the creature type before
choosing the targets. Most spells don't require a creature type to be chosen
until the spell resolves.
-----
Aphetto Vulture
{4}{B}{B}
Creature -- Zombie Bird
3/2
Flying
When Aphetto Vulture is put into a graveyard from play, you may put target
Zombie card from your graveyard on top of your library.
* You can return the Aphetto Vulture to the top of your library with its own
ability.
-----
Artificial Evolution
{U}
Instant
Change the text of target spell or permanent by replacing all instances of
one creature type with another. The new creature type can't be Legend or
Wall. (This effect doesn't end at end of turn.)
* In this context, "the text" refers only to text in the card's text box and
on the card's type line. It won't change parts of a card name, even if the
name appears in the card's text box. For example, suppose you play Artificial
Evolution targeting a spell named Embermage Goblin, changing all instances of
"Goblin" to "Zombie." The affected creature's type line will read, "Creature
-- Zombie Wizard," but its name will still be "Embermage Goblin" everywhere
its name is used on the card.
* Artificial Evolution can change only what's actually printed on the card.
It can't change creature types that are chosen or granted by spells or
abilities. Copy cards are the exception to this rule -- anything they copy is
treated as being printed on the card. See the entry for Clone for more
information.
* If a creature's creature type has been changed by a spell or ability,
changing the card's text won't affect or alter the new creature type.
* If you play Artificial Evolution targeting a token creature, you can change
the creature type it was given when it was created, and any abilities it was
given as it came into play.
* You can play one Artificial Evolution targeting another one on the stack,
to change "Legend" or "Wall" on the first Artificial Evolution to another
creature type. This will allow you to change a creature type to "Legend" or
"Wall."
* If Artificial Evolution is used to change all instances of "Wall" into
something else, the Wall reminder text will also be affected. However, this
won't make creatures of the new type unable to attack. It's just reminder
text, which is now inaccurate.
-----
Ascending Aven
{2}{U}{U}
Creature -- Bird Soldier
3/2
Flying
Ascending Aven may block only creatures with flying.
Morph {2}{U} (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for {3}. Turn it
face up any time for its morph cost.)
* Ascending Aven can block a creature without flying when it's face down.
Turning the Aven face up after it's been declared as a blocker doesn't remove
it from combat, because restrictions on blocking are only checked at the time
you declare blockers.
-----
Astral Slide
{2}{W}
Enchantment
Whenever a player cycles a card, you may remove target creature from the
game. If you do, return that creature to play under its owner's control at
end of turn.
* Astral Slide can remove token creatures from the game. If it does, the
token won't be brought back into play, because tokens can't exist anywhere
but in play.
* If a player cycles a card during the end of turn step, the creature that's
removed from the game won't come back into play until the end of the next
turn.
* If a face-down creature is removed from the game, it's turned face up. When
the creature returns to the game, it returns face up.
-----
Aurification
{2}{W}{W}
Enchantment
Whenever a creature deals damage to you, put a gold counter on it.
Each creature with a gold counter on it is a Wall in addition to its other
creature types. (Walls can't attack.)
When Aurification leaves play, remove all gold counters from all creatures.
* If a spell or ability changes the creature type of a creature with a gold
counter on it, the new creature type overrides all previous creature types
(including Wall). For example, you can use Imagecrafter's ability to make
your creature able to attack for a turn.
-----
Aven Brigadier
{3}{W}{W}{W}
Creature -- Bird Soldier
3/5
Flying
All other Birds get +1/+1.
All other Soldiers get +1/+1.
* Aven Brigadier gives other Birds +1/+1 and other Soldiers +1/+1, so it will
give other Bird Soldiers +2/+2.
-----
Aven Soulgazer
{3}{W}{W}
Creature -- Bird Cleric
3/3
Flying
{2}{W}: Look at target face-down creature.
* Only you get to see what the face-down creature is when the Soulgazer's
ability resolves. Your opponents and teammates do not.
-----
Backslide
{1}{U}
Instant
Turn target creature with morph face down.
Cycling {U} ({U}, Discard this card from your hand: Draw a card.)
* A face-down creature isn't a legal target for Backslide, because it has no
abilities -- including morph -- while it's face-down.
-----
Battlefield Medic
{1}{W}
Creature -- Cleric
1/1
{T}: Prevent the next X damage that would be dealt to target creature this
turn, where X is the number of Clerics in play.
* The amount of damage that this ability will prevent is fixed when the
ability resolves. Count the number of Clerics in play then, not later when
damage would be dealt.
-----
Biorhythm
{6}{G}{G}
Sorcery
Each player's life total becomes the number of creatures he or she controls.
* This card changes each player's life total to the number of creatures he or
she controls when it resolves.
* 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.
-----
Blackmail
{B}
Sorcery
Target player reveals three cards from his or her hand and you choose one of
them. That player discards that card.
* If the target player doesn't have three cards in hand, he or she reveals as
many cards as possible.
-----
Blatant Thievery
{4}{U}{U}{U}
Sorcery
For each opponent, gain control of target permanent that player controls.
(This effect doesn't end at end of turn.)
* You only gain control of one permanent from each of your opponents.
* If one of the permanents you target changes controller before Blatant
Thievery resolves, you won't gain control of that permanent.
-----
Boneknitter
{1}{B}
Creature -- Zombie Cleric
1/1
{1}{B}: Regenerate target Zombie.
Morph {2}{B} (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for {3}. Turn it
face up any time for its morph cost.)
* Boneknitter is a Zombie, so its ability can be used to regenerate itself.
-----
Break Open
{1}{R}
Instant
Turn target face-down creature an opponent controls face up.
* That opponent doesn't have to pay the morph cost of the target creature.
-----
Broodhatch Nantuko
{1}{G}
Creature -- Insect Druid
1/1
Whenever Broodhatch Nantuko is dealt damage, you may put that many 1/1 green
Insect creature tokens into play.
Morph {2}{G} (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for {3}. Turn it
face up any time for its morph cost.)
* You can either put a number of Insect tokens into play equal to the damage
or you can put zero tokens into play. You can't choose a number in between.
-----
Butcher Orgg
{4}{R}{R}{R}
Creature -- Orgg
6/6
You may divide Butcher Orgg's combat damage as you choose among defending
player and/or any number of creatures he or she controls.
* You can divide Butcher Orgg's combat damage whether it's blocked or not.
* If the Orgg is blocked and *all* its blockers are removed before combat
damage goes onto the stack, it won't be able to deal combat damage, so you
won't be able to use its ability.
* You can use the Orgg's ability when you block with it. If you choose to use
its ability, it will deal damage to you and your creatures. If you don't,
Butcher Orgg will deal its combat damage to the creature it blocks.
-----
Cabal Archon
{2}{B}
Creature -- Cleric
2/2
{B}, Sacrifice a Cleric: Target player loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
* Cabal Archon is a Cleric, so you can sacrifice it to activate its own
ability.
-----
Callous Oppressor
{1}{U}{U}
Creature -- Cephalid
1/2
You may choose not to untap Callous Oppressor during your untap step.
As Callous Oppressor comes into play, an opponent chooses a creature type.
{T}: Gain control of target creature that isn't of the chosen type as long as
Callous Oppressor remains tapped.
* You can't target a creature that is of the chosen type. But, if you take
control of a creature which later becomes the chosen type, you don't lose
control of that creature.
-----
Charging Slateback
{4}{R}
Creature -- Beast
4/3
Charging Slateback can't block.
Morph {4}{R} (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for {3}. Turn it
face up any time for its morph cost.)
* Charging Slateback can block when it's face down. Turning the Slateback
face up after it's been declared as a blocker doesn't remove it from combat,
because restrictions on blocking are only checked at the time you declare
blockers.
-----
Clone
{3}{U}
Creature -- Clone
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 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.
* If Clone copies a face-down creature, it's a 2/2 face-up creature, with no
name, abilities, color, or creature types. The converted mana cost of the
copy is {0}. If the face-down creature is later turned face up, that doesn't
affect the copy.
-----
Contested Cliffs
Land
{T}: Add {1} to your mana pool.
{R}{G}, {T}: Choose target Beast you control and target creature an opponent
controls. Each creature deals damage equal to its power to the other.
* Your creature must be a Beast, but your opponent's creature can be
anything.
* Your Beast deals damage to your opponent's creature at the same time that
creature deals damage to your Beast.
* If one of the targets is illegal when the ability resolves, it will do
nothing. The target that's illegal can't be affected by the ability, so it
can't be made to deal damage and can't have damage dealt to it.
-----
Crude Rampart
{3}{W}
Creature -- Wall
4/5
(Walls can't attack.)
Morph {4}{W} (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for {3}. Turn it
face up any time for its morph cost.)
* While Crude Rampart is face down, it's not a Wall, so it will be able to
attack. Turning the Rampart face up after it's been declared as an attacker
doesn't remove it from combat, because restrictions on attacking are only
checked at the time you declare attackers.
-----
Cruel Revival
{4}{B}
Instant
Destroy target non-Zombie creature. It can't be regenerated. Return up to one
target Zombie card from your graveyard to your hand.
* Cruel Revival can be played even if there isn't a Zombie card in your
graveyard since "up to one" can include zero.
-----
Cryptic Gateway
{5}
Artifact
Tap two untapped creatures you control: You may put a creature card from your
hand into play that shares a creature type with each creature tapped this
way.
* You don't check the types of the creatures until the ability resolves. When
it does, if they share a type with any one creature card in your hand, you
can put that card into play.
* The two creatures you tap don't have to share a type. But if you want to
put a creature card into play, each one of the tapped creatures needs to
share at least one type with it.
* For example, you could tap two Birds, or two Soldiers, or two Bird
Soldiers, or a Bird and a Soldier to put a Bird Soldier creature card into
play.
-----
Custody Battle
{1}{R}
Enchant Creature
Enchanted creature has "At the beginning of your upkeep, target opponent
gains control of this creature unless you sacrifice a land."
* Custody Battle gives the ability to the creature, so "your upkeep" means
the upkeep of the creature's current controller and "you" also refers to that
player.
-----
Daru Lancer
{4}{W}{W}
Creature -- Soldier
3/4
First strike
Morph {2}{W}{W} (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for {3}. Turn
it face up any time for its morph cost.)
* If Daru Lancer is turned face up after first strike damage has gone on the
stack, it will deal its damage during the normal combat damage step.
-----
Daunting Defender
{4}{W}
Creature -- Cleric
3/3
If a source would deal damage to a Cleric you control, prevent 1 of that
damage.
* If you have multiple Daunting Defenders in play, each will prevent 1 damage
each time damage would be dealt to a Cleric you control (including itself).
-----
Death Match
{3}{B}
Enchantment
Whenever a creature comes into play, that creature's controller may have
target creature of his or her choice get -3/-3 until end of turn.
* The creature's controller must target a creature when this ability
triggers, but that player can choose not to give the creature -3/-3 when the
ability resolves.
-----
Discombobulate
{2}{U}{U}
Instant
Counter target spell. Look at the top four cards of your library, then put
them back in any order.
* If Discombobulate doesn't have a legal target when it resolves, it's
countered and you don't get to look at any cards.
-----
Elven Riders
{3}{G}{G}
Creature -- Elf
3/3
Elven Riders can't be blocked except by creatures with flying and/or Walls.
* Elven Riders can be blocked by a creature that "may block as though it had
flying."
* Elven Riders can't be blocked by a creature that "may block only creatures
with flying."
* Elven Riders is unaffected by spells and abilities that affect creatures
with flying.
-----
Elvish Vanguard
{1}{G}
Creature -- Elf
1/1
Whenever another Elf comes into play, put a +1/+1 counter on Elvish Vanguard.
* If an effect puts both Elvish Vanguard and another Elf into play at the
same time, the Vanguard will get a +1/+1 counter.
-----
Enchantress's Presence
{2}{G}
Enchantment
Whenever you play an enchantment spell, draw a card.
* Since the ability of Enchantress's Presence triggers when an enchantment is
*played*, it can't trigger its own ability.
-----
Endemic Plague
{3}{B}
Sorcery
As an additional cost to play Endemic Plague, sacrifice a creature.
Destroy all creatures that share a creature type with the sacrificed
creature. They can't be regenerated.
* Endemic Plague destroys all creatures that have at least one of the types
the sacrificed creature had when it was sacrificed.
-----
Erratic Explosion
{2}{R}
Sorcery
Choose target creature or player. Reveal cards from the top of your library
until you reveal a nonland card. Erratic Explosion deals damage equal to that
card's converted mana cost to that creature or player. Put the revealed cards
on the bottom of your library in any order.
* If you only have land cards left in your library, Erratic Explosion won't
deal any damage, but you'll be able to choose the order of your entire
library.
-----
Fallen Cleric
{4}{B}
Creature -- Zombie Cleric
4/2
Protection from Clerics
Morph {4}{B} (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for {3}. Turn it
face up any time for its morph cost.)
* A creature with protection from Clerics can't be blocked by Clerics, it
can't be the target of abilities from Clerics, and all damage that would be
dealt to it from Clerics is prevented.
-----
Foothill Guide
{W}
Creature -- Cleric
1/1
Protection from Goblins
Morph {W} (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for {3}. Turn it
face up any time for its morph cost.)
* A creature with protection from Goblins can't be blocked by Goblins, it
can't be the target of abilities from Goblins, and all damage that would be
dealt to it from Goblins is prevented.
-----
Future Sight
{2}{U}{U}{U}
Enchantment
Play with the top card of your library revealed.
You may play the top card of your library as though it were in your hand.
* If you draw several cards at once, reveal each one before you draw it.
* If the top card of your library is a land, you can play it if you could
play a land.
* If the top card of your library is a nonland card, you can play it if you
could normally play that spell. You'll still have to pay its mana cost.
* If the top card of your library is a creature with morph, you can play that
creature face down for {3}. However, all players will have seen which card it
is before the spell is played.
* The top card of your library isn't in your hand, so you can't cycle it,
discard it, or play any of its activated abilities.
* As soon as you've played the card on top of your library, reveal the next
card in your library.
-----
Gangrenous Goliath
{3}{B}{B}
Creature -- Zombie Giant
4/4
Tap three untapped Clerics you control: Return Gangrenous Goliath from your
graveyard to your hand.
* You can only play the ability that returns the Gangrenous Goliath to your
hand if it's in your graveyard.
-----
Gigapede
{3}{G}{G}
Creature -- Insect
6/1
Gigapede can't be the target of spells or abilities.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Gigapede is in your graveyard, you may
discard a card from your hand. If you do, return Gigapede to your hand.
* Gigapede's second ability triggers at the beginning of your upkeep. When it
resolves, if Gigapede is still in your graveyard, you choose whether or not
to discard a card and return it to your hand. If Gigapede has left your
graveyard by this point, you can't discard a card and you can't return
Gigapede to your hand.
-----
Glarecaster
{4}{W}{W}
Creature -- Bird Cleric
3/3
Flying
{5}{W}: The next time damage would be dealt to Glarecaster or you this turn,
that damage is dealt to target creature or player instead.
* You don't choose a damage source when you play Glarecaster's ability. The
next time damage would be dealt to Glarecaster or you this turn, that damage
is redirected.
* You can play Glarecaster's ability more than once. If you do, it will set
up multiple shields which will redirect multiple instances of damage.
* If you and Glarecaster would be damaged at the same time, Glarecaster's
ability will redirect all the damage that would have been dealt both to you
and to it to the target creature.
-----
Goblin Machinist
{4}{R}
Creature -- Goblin
0/5
{2}{R}: Reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a nonland
card. Goblin Machinist gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is that card's
converted mana cost. Put the revealed cards on the bottom of your library in
any order.
* If you only have land cards in your library, Goblin Machinist gets +0/+0,
but you'll be able to choose the order of your entire deck.
-----
Goblin Piledriver
{1}{R}
Creature -- Goblin
1/2
Protection from blue
Whenever Goblin Piledriver attacks, it gets +2/+0 until end of turn for each
other attacking Goblin.
* You count the number of attacking Goblins when Goblin Piledriver's ability
resolves.
-----
Goblin Pyromancer
{3}{R}
Creature -- Goblin Wizard
2/2
When Goblin Pyromancer comes into play, all Goblins get +3/+0 until end of
turn.
At end of turn, destroy all Goblins.
* Goblin Pyromancer's end-of-turn ability only triggers if the Pyromancer is
in play at the end of the turn.
-----
Goblin Sharpshooter
{2}{R}
Creature -- Goblin
1/1
Goblin Sharpshooter doesn't untap during your untap step.
Whenever a creature is put into a graveyard from play, untap Goblin
Sharpshooter.
{T}: Goblin Sharpshooter deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
* If several creatures are put into the graveyard at once, Goblin
Sharpshooter's ability will trigger once for each creature. Since you get
priority after each of these effects resolves, the Sharpshooter has the
potential to deal 1 damage for each time it untaps.
-----
Graxiplon
{5}{U}
Creature -- Beast
3/4
Graxiplon is unblockable unless defending player controls three or more
creatures that share a creature type.
* If the defending player controls three or more creatures with the same
creature type, he or she can block Graxiplon with any creatures.
-----
Harsh Mercy
{2}{W}
Sorcery
Each player chooses a creature type. Destroy all creatures that aren't of a
type chosen this way. They can't be regenerated.
* Creatures that don't have any of the chosen types are destroyed when Harsh
Mercy resolves. Creatures that have any of the chosen types are unaffected.
-----
Head Games
{3}{B}{B}
Sorcery
Target opponent puts the cards from his or her hand on top of his or her
library. Search that player's library for that many cards. The player puts
those cards into his or her hand, then shuffles his or her library.
* You don't have to give your opponent "new" cards; you can give your
opponent cards that were in his or her old hand.
-----
Insurrection
{5}{R}{R}{R}
Sorcery
Untap all creatures and gain control of them until end of turn. They gain
haste until end of turn.
* You gain control of all creatures, regardless of whether they were tapped
or untapped.
* All creatures are untapped, even the ones you controlled before you played
Insurrection.
* All creatures gain haste, even the ones you controlled before you played
Insurrection.
-----
Ixidor, Reality Sculptor
{3}{U}{U}
Creature -- Wizard Legend
3/4
Face-down creatures get +1/+1.
{2}{U}: Turn target face-down creature face up.
* When you use Ixidor's ability to turn a creature face up, that creature's
controller doesn't have to pay its morph cost.
-----
Kaboom!
{4}{R}
Sorcery
Choose any number of target players. For each of those players, reveal cards
from the top of your library until you reveal a nonland card. Kaboom! deals
damage equal to that card's converted mana cost to that player, then you put
the revealed cards on the bottom of your library in any order.
* If you only have land cards in your library, Kaboom! won't deal any damage,
but you'll be able to choose the order of your entire deck.
* You can target yourself, if you want to.
* If you target more than one player, go around the table in turn order. You
do the whole thing for each player: Reveal cards for that player, damage that
player, then put those cards on the bottom of your library.
-----
Kamahl, Fist of Krosa
{4}{G}{G}
Creature -- Druid Legend
4/3
{G}: Target land becomes a 1/1 creature until end of turn. It's still a land.
{2}{G}{G}{G}: Creatures you control get +3/+3 and gain trample until end of
turn.
* If you turn a land into a creature, then play Kamahl's second ability, the
land will get +3/+3 and trample. If you play these abilities in the other
order, the land won't get the bonus.
* Kamahl, Pit Fighter and Kamahl, Fist of Krosa can be in play at the same
time. Since they have different names, the Legend rule doesn't apply.
-----
Krosan Tusker
{5}{G}{G}
Creature -- Beast
6/5
Cycling {2}{G} ({2}{G}, Discard this card from your hand: Draw a card.)
When you cycle Krosan Tusker, you may search your library for a basic land
card, reveal that card, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
* When you cycle Krosan Tusker, you search your library for the basic land
before you draw a card for cycling.
-----
Lavamancer's Skill
{1}{R}
Enchant Creature
Enchanted creature has "{T}: This creature deals 1 damage to target
creature."
If enchanted creature is a Wizard, it has "{T}: This creature deals 2 damage
to target creature."
* If Lavamancer's Skill enchants a Wizard, that Wizard will gain both
abilities, and its controller can use either one.
-----
Lightning Rift
{1}{R}
Enchantment
Whenever a player cycles a card, you may pay {1}. If you do, Lightning Rift
deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
* You choose the target when Lightning Rift's ability is put on the stack,
but you don't pay until the ability resolves. So, if your opponent wants to
prevent damage from the ability, he or she must do so before knowing whether
you'll pay.
-----
Mana Echoes
{2}{R}{R}
Enchantment
Whenever a creature comes into play, you may add {1} to your mana pool for
each creature you control that shares a creature type with it.
* The ability of Mana Echoes either gives you no mana or one colorless mana
for each creature you control that shares a type with the creature (including
itself). You can't choose to get any other amount of mana.
* If a creature has no creature types, no creatures can share a type with it.
-----
Menacing Ogre
{3}{R}{R}
Creature -- Ogre
3/3
Trample, haste
When Menacing Ogre comes into play, each player secretly chooses a number.
Then those numbers are revealed. Each player with the highest number loses
that much life. If you are one of those players, put two +1/+1 counters on
Menacing Ogre.
* Players can't choose negative numbers, but they can choose zero.
-----
Nosy Goblin
{2}{R}
Creature -- Goblin
2/1
{T}, Sacrifice Nosy Goblin: Destroy target face-down creature.
* If the target face-down creature is turned face up before Nosy Goblin's
ability resolves, the creature is no longer a legal target and it's not
destroyed.
-----
Oblation
{2}{W}
Instant
The owner of target nonland permanent shuffles it into his or her library,
then draws two cards.
* If the permanent is a token, the token ceases to exist. Its owner shuffles
his or her library, then draws two cards.
-----
Oversold Cemetery
{1}{B}
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have four or more creature cards in
your graveyard, you may return target creature card from your graveyard to
your hand.
* If you don't still have at least four creature cards in your graveyard when
this ability resolves, you don't return the target card to your hand.
-----
Patriarch's Bidding
{3}{B}{B}
Sorcery
Each player chooses a creature type. Each player returns all creature cards
of a type chosen this way from his or her graveyard to play.
* Creature cards that don't have any of the chosen types aren't affected.
* Cards and abilities that change creature types can't normally affect which
creatures are returned by Patriarch's Bidding, because they don't affect
creature cards in graveyards. The one exception is the _Mercadian
Masques_(TM) card Conspiracy.
-----
Read the Runes
{X}{U}
Instant
Draw X cards. For each card drawn this way, discard a card from your hand
unless you sacrifice a permanent.
* You draw the cards, then sacrifice any permanents you want to sacrifice,
then discard cards from your hand until you don't need to discard any more
cards (or you have no cards in your hand).
* "For each card drawn this way" counts only how many cards were actually
drawn, not how much was spent on {X}. For example, the ability of one of the
Words in this set can cause you to draw fewer than X cards, and that would
affect the number of cards you'd need to discard. However, it doesn't matter
*who* drew the cards. The _Torment_(TM) card Plagiarize ("Until end of turn,
if target player would draw a card, instead that player skips that draw and
you draw a card.") could cause another player to draw cards from Read the
Runes instead of you; that would not affect the number of cards you'd need to
discard.
* You never have to sacrifice a permanent to Read the Runes. If you somehow
end up with fewer cards in your hand than the number of cards drawn, you can
choose to discard your hand and not sacrifice any permanents.
* If you control fewer permanents in play than the number of cards you drew,
you'll have to discard at least some of the cards from your hand.
-----
Riptide Biologist
{1}{U}
Creature -- Wizard
1/2
Protection from Beasts
Morph {2}{U} (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for {3}. Turn it
face up any time for its morph cost.)
* A creature with protection from Beasts can't be blocked by Beasts, it can't
be the target of abilities from Beasts, and all damage that would be dealt to
it from Beasts is prevented.
-----
Risky Move
{3}{R}{R}{R}
Enchantment
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player gains control of Risky
Move.
When you gain control of Risky Move from another player, choose a creature
you control and an opponent. Flip a coin. If you lose the flip, that opponent
gains control of that creature.
* Risky Move's abilities don't target creatures or players.
* Risky Move's second ability only triggers when one player gains control of
Risky Move from another player. The ability doesn't trigger when Risky Move
comes into play. The second ability will trigger when Risky Move's first
ability resolves or when any other card causes a player to gain control of
Risky Move.
* If Risky Move causes a player to gain control of a creature, that effect
doesn't end at end of turn (or even when Risky Move leaves play). However,
it's almost certain that Risky Move's controller will change each turn.
-----
Shieldmage Elder
{5}{W}
Creature -- Cleric Wizard
2/3
Tap two untapped Clerics you control: Prevent all damage target creature
would deal this turn.
Tap two untapped Wizards you control: Prevent all damage target spell would
deal this turn.
* Shieldmage Elder's abilities don't include the tap symbol, so it can be
tapped to help pay for one of its own abilities even if it hasn't been under
your control since the beginning of your turn.
* If all damage is prevented from a spell which later becomes an artifact,
creature, or enchantment, any damage the artifact, creature, or enchantment
would deal this turn is also prevented. Normally, this is only relevant for
creatures with haste.
* Preventing damage a spell would deal doesn't prevent damage that copies of
the spell (such as copies of Chain of Plasma or copies created by Radiate)
would deal.
-----
Smother
{1}{B}
Instant
Destroy target creature with converted mana cost 3 or less. It can't be
regenerated.
* Tokens, lands which are also creatures, and face-down creatures all have a
converted mana cost of 0, so Smother can be played targeting any of them.
* If a creature has {X} in its mana cost, X is 0 while it's in play.
-----
Spy Network
{U}
Instant
Look at target player's hand, the top card of that player's library, and any
face-down creatures he or she controls. Look at the top four cards of your
library, then put them back in any order.
* Only you get to look at these cards. You can't show them to your opponents
or teammates.
-----
Stag Beetle
{3}{G}{G}
Creature -- Insect
0/0
Stag Beetle comes into play with X +1/+1 counters on it, where X is the
number of other creatures in play.
* You count only creatures that were already in play when Stag Beetle comes
into play. You don't count Stag Beetle or any creatures that come into play
at the same time as Stag Beetle.
-----
Standardize
{U}{U}
Instant
Choose a creature type other than Legend or Wall. Each creature's type
becomes that type until end of turn.
* Standardize only affects creatures that are in play when it resolves. It
doesn't affect creatures that come into play later, or noncreature permanents
that become creatures later.
-----
Strongarm Tactics
{1}{B}
Sorcery
Each player discards a card from his or her hand. Then each player who didn't
discard a creature card this way loses 4 life.
* If a player's hand is empty, that player can't discard, so he or she will
lose 4 life.
-----
Syphon Mind
{3}{B}
Sorcery
Each other player discards a card from his or her hand. You draw a card for
each card discarded this way.
* If a player has no cards in hand, he or she can't discard, so you don't get
to draw a card for that player.
-----
Tephraderm
{4}{R}
Creature -- Beast
4/5
Whenever a creature deals damage to Tephraderm, Tephraderm deals that much
damage to that creature.
Whenever a spell deals damage to Tephraderm, Tephraderm deals that much
damage to that spell's controller.
* Tephraderm's abilities will trigger even if lethal damage is dealt to
Tephraderm.
* Tephraderm's first ability will trigger on any damage, not just combat
damage.
-----
Trade Secrets
{1}{U}{U}
Sorcery
Target opponent draws two cards, then you draw up to four cards. That
opponent may repeat this process as many times as he or she chooses.
* Your opponent sees the cards he or she draws -- and how many cards you draw
-- before he or she decides whether to repeat the effect.
* Each time the effect is repeated, the same opponent draws two cards, then
you decide how many cards to draw. Then, the opponent chooses whether to
repeat the effect.
-----
Undead Gladiator
{1}{B}{B}
Creature -- Zombie Barbarian
3/1
{1}{B}, Discard a card from your hand: Return Undead Gladiator from your
graveyard to your hand. Play this ability only during your upkeep.
Cycling {1}{B} ({1}{B}, Discard this card from your hand: Draw a card.)
* You can only play the ability that returns the Undead Gladiator to your
hand if it's in your graveyard.
* Since Undead Gladiator's ability is activated, not triggered, it can be
played any time during your upkeep. For example, you could return Undead
Gladiator to your hand, cycle it, and then return it to your hand again that
same upkeep.
-----
Unified Strike
{W}
Instant
Remove target attacking creature from the game if its power is less than or
equal to the number of Soldiers in play.
* You check the number of Soldiers in play only when Unified Strike resolves.
If the target creature's power isn't less than or equal to the number of
Soldiers in play at that point, Unified Strike does nothing.
-----
Wall of Mulch
{1}{G}
Creature -- Wall
0/4
(Walls can't attack.)
{G}, Sacrifice a Wall: Draw a card.
* Wall of Mulch is a Wall, so you can sacrifice it to activate its own
ability.
-----
Wheel and Deal
{3}{U}
Instant
Any number of target opponents each discards his or her hand and draws seven
cards.
Draw a card.
* You can play Wheel and Deal targeting no opponents; you draw a card and the
spell has no other effect.
* You can't target yourself with Wheel and Deal because you're not your own
opponent.
-----
Words of War
{2}{R}
Enchantment
{1}: The next time you would draw a card this turn, Words of War deals 2
damage to target creature or player instead.
* You choose the target when you play the ability. You check again to see if
the target's legal when the ability resolves. Once you've done that, you
don't check whether the target's legal again. Words of War will deal 2 damage
to that creature or player the next time you would draw a card.
* See the "General Notes" section for comments on the Words.
-----
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