_Tempest_(TM) Frequently Asked Questions
Compiled by Mark L. Gottlieb
Document last modified November 25, 2008
_Tempest_ booster packs, tournament packs, and theme decks go on sale at the
_Magic Online_(TM) store at 9 a.m. (PST) on December 8, 2008.
The _Tempest_ set becomes legal for play in Classic, Classic (Vanguard),
Freeform, Tempest Block Constructed, Prismatic, Singleton, and Tribal Wars
(Classic) formats on the day it goes on sale.
_Tempest_ release events begin on December 10, 2008.
The _Tempest_ expansion, originally released in 1997, is a 350-card, black-
bordered set featuring 110 rares, 110 uncommons, 110 commons., and 20 basic
lands The _Tempest_ set is nonredeemable. Online cards from the _Tempest_ set
can't be exchanged for physical _Tempest_ cards.
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
***Info: Rules Changes***
The rules of the _Magic_(TM) game have evolved over the years since the
_Tempest_ set was originally released. Many card wordings, including creature
types, have also significantly changed. Most _Tempest_ cards have been
reworded in the Oracle card reference, which contains up-to-date text for all
tournament-legal cards. Although the rules team has done its best to maintain
cards' functionality, some changes are inevitable.
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***Keyword Ability: Buyback***
Buyback is an ability that lets you pay an additional cost to put the spell
with buyback back into your hand as it resolves.
Capsize
{1}{U}{U}
Instant
Buyback {3} (You may pay an additional {3} as you play this spell. If you do,
put this card into your hand as it resolves.)
Return target permanent to its owner's hand.
The rules for the buyback ability are as follows:
502.16. Buyback
502.16a Buyback appears on some instants and sorceries. It represents two
static abilities that function while the spell is on the stack. "Buyback
[cost]" means "You may pay an additional [cost] as you play this spell" and
"If the buyback cost was paid, put this spell into its owner's hand instead
of into that player's graveyard as it resolves." Paying a spell's buyback
cost follows the rules for paying additional costs in rules 409.1b and 409.1f-
h.
* Buyback is an additional cost. You choose whether to pay the buyback at the
time you play the spell. If you choose to pay the buyback cost, then after
the spell's effect happens, the spell will be returned to your hand instead
of being put into your graveyard.
* Buyback returns the spell to your hand only if the spell resolves. If the
spell is countered (either by another spell or ability like Cancel, or
because all of its targets have become illegal), it goes to the graveyard as
normal.
* If you control a spell you don't own whose buyback cost was paid, that
spell is put into its owner's graveyard as normal as it resolves. The card
wouldn't be put into your graveyard, so buyback's replacement effect has
nothing to replace.
* If you control a copy of a spell whose buyback cost was paid, the copy will
be put into your hand as it resolves, then it will cease to exist.
* Whether the spell is returned to your hand depends on whether the choice to
pay buyback was made, not on the actual payment of buyback (in the unusual
cases where cost-reduction effects mean the buyback cost isn't actually
paid).
* Buyback costs don't count toward a spell's mana cost or converted mana
cost, whether they're paid or not.
-----
***Keyword Ability: Shadow***
Shadow is an evasion ability.
Dauthi Mercenary
{2}{B}
Creature -- Dauthi Knight Mercenary
2/1
Shadow (This creature can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.)
{1}{B}: Dauthi Mercenary gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
The official rules for the shadow ability are as follows:
502.8. Shadow
502.8a Shadow is an evasion ability.
502.8b A creature with shadow can't be blocked by creatures without shadow,
and a creature without shadow can't be blocked by creatures with shadow. (See
rule 309, "Declare Blockers Step.")
502.8c Multiple instances of shadow on the same creature are redundant.
* If a creature gains or loses shadow after blockers have been declared, it
won't cause those blocks to change.
* Two creatures (Heartwood Dryad and Wall of Diffusion) can block creatures
with shadow as though those creatures didn't have shadow. This ability
doesn't actually remove shadow from the attacking creatures; it just allows
Heartwood Dryad and Wall of Diffusion to block them. Heartwood Dryad and Wall
of Diffusion can also block creatures that don't have shadow.
-----
***Theme: Slivers***
The _Tempest_ set features a number of creatures with creature type Sliver.
Most Slivers grant an ability or a characteristic change to all Slivers.
Armor Sliver
{2}{W}
Creature -- Sliver
2/2
All Sliver creatures have "{2}: This creature gets +0/+1 until end of turn."
* Each Sliver in this set except Metallic Sliver has an ability that affects
all Slivers. This includes itself, and this includes Slivers your opponents
control.
* If a Sliver grants an activated ability that refers to "this creature" or
"this permanent" to another Sliver, the second Sliver's ability refers to
itself, not to the Sliver granting the ability.
* You can change creatures of other types into Slivers so they can get the
benefits of being a Sliver.
* Changing the creature type of a Sliver so that it's no longer a Sliver
means that it no longer affects itself with its ability. It will still affect
all other Slivers.
-----
***Cycle: Licids***
The _Tempest_ set features a cycle of creatures with creature type Licid.
Each Licid can be turned into an Aura.
Enraging Licid
{1}{R}
Creature -- Licid
1/1
{R}, {T}: Enraging Licid loses this ability and becomes an Aura enchantment
with enchant creature. Attach it to target creature. You may pay {R} to end
this effect.
Enchanted creature has haste.
* Each Licid has two abilities. The first ability changes the Licid into an
Aura. The second ability affects the creature it's attached to while it's an
Aura.
* As you play the first ability, you target a creature.
* When the first ability resolves, the Licid creature becomes an Aura
enchantment. It's no longer a Licid and no longer a creature. The Aura gains
the ability "enchant creature." Then you attach it to the targeted creature.
* After the first ability resolves, you can pay a certain amount of mana to
end its effect. This is a special action, not an ability of the Aura. Only
the player who controlled the ability that turned the Licid into an Aura can
do this, regardless of who currently controls the Aura. You can do it any
time you have priority. It doesn't use the stack, so no one can respond to it
-- it just happens.
* If you use the special action, the Aura effect ends. In most cases, that
means it will turn back into a Licid creature. (The other cases involve other
effects that have also changed this permanent's card type or creature type.)
After it turns back into a Licid, it will become unattached as a state-based
effect.
* If, by the time the Licid's first ability resolves, the targeted creature
is an illegal target, the ability is countered. The Licid remains unchanged.
* If, by the time the Licid's first ability resolves, the targeted creature
is still a legal target but can't be enchanted by the Aura the Licid becomes
(because it has protection from enchantments, for example), the Licid does
become an Aura, but then remains in play unattached. It will be put into its
owner's graveyard as a state-based effect. This happens before you could pay
mana to end the Aura effect.
* If the creature the Aura is attached to leaves play, the Aura will be put
into its owner's graveyard as a state-based effect. This happens before you
could pay mana to end the Aura effect. The same is true if the creature the
Aura is attached to stops being a creature, gains protection from the Aura's
color, or otherwise becomes illegal for the Aura to enchant. (This means that
if you want to end the Aura effect, you'll need to do so before the creature
becomes illegal to enchant. You'll usually get a chance to do this in
response to the spell, ability, or combat damage that would make that
creature illegal.)
* A Licid's second ability applies only while it's an Aura. While it's a
creature, you can effectively ignore it.
-----
***Theme: Self-Returning Auras***
The _Tempest_ set has a handful of Auras that have activated abilities that
let you return them to your hand.
Shimmering Wings
{U}
Enchantment -- Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has flying.
{U}: Return Shimmering Wings to its owner's hand.
* Only the Aura's controller, not the enchanted creature's controller, can
play the last ability.
* If the creature the Aura is attached to leaves play, the Aura will be put
into its owner's graveyard as a state-based effect. This happens before you
could play the last ability to return it to your hand. The same is true if
the creature the Aura is attached to stops being a creature, gains protection
from the Aura's color, or otherwise becomes illegal for the Aura to enchant.
(This means that if you want to return the Aura to its owner's hand, you'll
need to do so before the creature becomes illegal to enchant. You'll usually
get a chance to do this in response to the spell, ability, or combat damage
that would make that creature illegal.)
-----
***Cycle: Medallions***
The _Tempest_ set contains a cycle of artifacts that reduce the cost to play
spells of a certain color.
Jet Medallion
{2}
Artifact
Black spells you play cost {1} less to play.
* Medallions don't reduce a spell's mana cost or converted mana cost. They
simply let you pay less for a spell of the right color. For example, say you
play Drudge Skeletons, which has mana cost {1}{B}, while you control Jet
Medallion. Drudge Skeletons's mana cost is still {1}{B} and its converted
mana cost is 2 -- but you pay only {B} to play it.
* The effect of a Medallion's ability can't help pay a cost's colored-mana
portion, only its generic portion.
* The effect enables you to pay less for a spell, not just for a spell's mana
cost. That means you factor in additional costs such as buyback costs, as
well as cost-increasing effects such as the one from Chill, before applying a
Medallion's effect.
* Cost-reduction effects are cumulative. For example, if you have three Jet
Medallions in play, you pay up to {3} less for a black spell you play.
* Medallions' effects are mandatory -- you can't choose to pay the unreduced
cost.
* If you sacrifice a Medallion as an additional or alternative cost to play a
spell, its effect still reduces the cost. That's because before you pay a
spell's cost, you "lock in" its total cost first.
* A spell's generic mana cost can't be reduced below {0}. If you control
three Jet Medallions and you play a spell that costs {2}{B}{B}, you'll have
to pay {B}{B} to play it.
* This can reduce the cost you pay for a spell that has an {X} in its cost.
This is true even if the spell requires a specific color to be paid for {X},
since that {X} is still considered to be a generic cost. For example, say you
control three Jet Medallions and you play Consume Spirit (which costs
{X}{1}{B} and says "Spend only black mana on X") with X = 5. You'll have to
spend {1}{B}{B}{B} to play the spell.
-----
***Theme: Graveyard Order Matters***
Some _Tempest_ cards refer to the order of the cards in a player's graveyard.
Phyrexian Grimoire
{3}
Artifact
{4}, {T}: Target opponent chooses one of the top two cards in your graveyard.
Remove that card from the game and put the other one into your hand.
* The "top" card of your graveyard is the card that was put there most
recently.
* Players may not rearrange the cards in their graveyards. This is a little-
known rule because new cards that care about graveyard order haven't been
printed in years.
* If an effect or rule puts two or more cards into the same graveyard at the
same time, the owner of those cards may arrange them in any order.
* The last thing that happens to a resolving instant or sorcery spell is that
it's put into its owner's graveyard.
Example: You play Wrath of God. All creatures in play are destroyed. You
arrange all the cards put into your graveyard this way in any order you
want. The other players in the game do the same to the cards that are
put into their graveyards. Then you put Wrath of God into your
graveyard, on top of the other cards.
* Say you're the owner of both a permanent and an Aura that's attached to it.
If both the permanent and the Aura are destroyed at the same time (by
Akroma's Vengeance, for example), you decide the order they're put into your
graveyard. If just the enchanted permanent is destroyed, it's put into your
graveyard first. Then, after state-based effects are checked, the Aura (which
is no longer attached to anything) is put into your graveyard on top of it.
-----
CARD-SPECIFIC NOTES
Abandon Hope
{X}{1}{B}
Sorcery
As an additional cost to play Abandon Hope, discard X cards.
Look at target opponent's hand and choose X cards from it. That player
discards those cards.
* You can't choose a value for X that's greater than the number of cards in
your hand.
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Altar of Dementia
2
Artifact
Sacrifice a creature: Target player puts a number of cards equal to the
sacrificed creature's power from the top of his or her library into his or
her graveyard.
* The number of cards put into a graveyard this way is equal to the power of
the sacrificed creature as it last existed in play.
-----
Aluren
{2}{G}{G}
Enchantment
Any player may play creature cards with converted mana cost 3 or less without
paying their mana cost and as though they had flash.
* If you play a creature card this way, you're playing it as a spell. It can
be countered.
* Aluren doesn't specify where the creature card must come from. If some
other ability allows you to play a creature card from a zone other than your
hand (such as your graveyard), then you can apply Aluren's effect to playing
that card.
* If you play a creature with X in its cost this way, X must be 0.
* If you play a card "without paying its mana cost," you can't use any
abilities that would require paying alternative costs. For example, you can't
play it face down using the morph ability. However, you can still pay
additional costs, such as conspire costs and kicker costs.
* You can't choose to play a creature card as though it has flash this way
unless you also play it without paying its mana cost. You either play the
creature card normally, or you do both things specified by Aluren.
* Dryad Arbor is a land and creature card from the _Future Sight_(TM) set.
While Aluren is in play, Dryad Arbor can ignore the normal timing rules for
playing a land, but not any other restrictions. You can't play Dryad Arbor
during another player's turn, and you can't play Dryad Arbor if it's your
turn and you've already played a land.
-----
Angelic Protector
{3}{W}
Creature -- Angel
2/2
Flying
Whenever Angelic Protector becomes the target of a spell or ability, Angelic
Protector gets +0/+3 until end of turn.
* If Angelic Protector becomes the target of a spell or ability, its ability
will trigger and go on the stack on top of that spell or ability. The +0/+3
effect will resolve first.
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Apes of Rath
{2}{G}{G}
Creature -- Ape
5/4
Whenever Apes of Rath attacks, it doesn't untap during its controller's next
untap step.
* This ability doesn't care who Apes of Rath's controller is. After it
resolves, if Apes of Rath changes controllers before its first controller's
next untap step has come around, then it won't untap during its new
controller's next untap step.
-----
Avenging Angel
{3}{W}{W}
Creature -- Angel
3/3
Flying
When Avenging Angel is put into a graveyard from play, you may put Avenging
Angel on top of its owner's library.
* If Avenging Angel is removed from the graveyard after its ability triggers
but before it resolves, it won't get put on top of its owner's library.
Similarly, if a replacement effect has the Angel move to a different zone
instead of being put into the graveyard, the ability won't trigger at all.
-----
Bellowing Fiend
{4}{B}
Creature -- Spirit
3/3
Flying
Whenever Bellowing Fiend deals damage to a creature, Bellowing Fiend deals 3
damage to that creature's controller and 3 damage to you.
* If you control both Bellowing Fiend and the creature it deals damage to,
Bellowing Fiend will deal 6 damage to you.
* If Bellowing Fiend deals damage to multiple creatures at the same time (if
more than one creature blocks it, for example), its ability will trigger that
many times.
-----
Booby Trap
{6}
Artifact
As Booby Trap comes into play, name a card other than a basic land card and
choose an opponent.
The chosen player reveals each card he or she draws.
When the chosen player draws the named card, sacrifice Booby Trap. If you do,
Booby Trap deals 10 damage to that player.
* The card isn't named until Booby Trap is coming into play, at which time
Booby Trap is no longer a spell and can't be countered.
* If an effect causes the chosen player to draw multiple cards, each card is
revealed as it's drawn. If Booby Trap's ability triggers, it will go on the
stack once the card-drawing effect has concluded.
* If a single Booby Trap's ability triggers multiple times, only the first
ability to resolve causes Booby Trap to be sacrificed and damage to be dealt.
* If Booby Trap's last ability is countered, Booby Trap remains in play (and
no damage is dealt).
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Bounty Hunter
{2}{B}{B}
Creature -- Human Archer Minion
2/2
{T}: Put a bounty counter on target nonblack creature.
{T}: Destroy target creature with a bounty counter on it.
* Bounty Hunter's second ability just checks that there's a bounty counter on
the targeted creature. It doesn't care how it got there (for example, if it
came from a different Bounty Hunter).
* Even though Bounty Hunter's first ability can't target a black creature,
its second ability can (assuming that that creature somehow got a bounty
counter put on it).
-----
Broken Fall
{2}{G}
Enchantment
Return Broken Fall to its owner's hand: Regenerate target creature.
* Returning Broken Fall to its owner's hand is the cost of its ability.
Paying a cost can't be responded to (with Disenchant, for example).
* You can't return Broken Fall to its owner's hand as a cost unless there's a
legal target for its ability. (In other words, if someone tries to Disenchant
it while there are no creatures in play, it's going to get Disenchanted.)
-----
Carrionette
{1}{B}
Creature -- Skeleton
1/1
{2}{B}{B}: Remove Carrionette and target creature from the game unless that
creature's controller pays {2}. Play this ability only if Carrionette is in
your graveyard.
* Carrionette is removed from the game as part of this ability's effect, not
as part of the cost. Say this ability is played multiple times in response to
itself. The first time one of those abilities resolves and the targeted
creature's controller fails to pay {2}, it will remove Carrionette and the
creature it targeted from the game. The remaining abilities thus won't be
able to remove Carrionette from the game, but they'll still resolve as
normal, each removing their respective targets from the game if their
controller's don't pay {2}.
-----
Circle of Protection: Shadow
{1}{W}
Enchantment
{1}: The next time a creature of your choice with shadow would deal damage to
you this turn, prevent that damage.
* The prevention effect will apply the next time the chosen creature would
deal damage to you this turn, whether it's combat damage or not.
* For the damage to be prevented the creature must have shadow both at the
time you choose it (when the ability resolves) and at the time it would deal
damage.
-----
Cloudchaser Eagle
{3}{W}
Creature -- Bird
2/2
Flying
When Cloudchaser Eagle comes into play, destroy target enchantment.
* This ability is mandatory. When Cloudchaser Eagle comes into play, if
you're the only player that controls an enchantment, you'll have to target
one of your own.
-----
Coffin Queen
{2}{B}
Creature -- Zombie Wizard
1/1
You may choose not to untap Coffin Queen during your untap step.
{2}{B}, {T}: Put target creature card from a graveyard into play under your
control. When Coffin Queen becomes untapped or you lose control of Coffin
Queen, remove that creature from the game.
* "When you lose control of Coffin Queen" includes when Coffin Queen leaves
play, as well as when a different player gains control of it.
* Coffin Queen's activated ability sets up a delayed triggered ability that
will trigger the next time Coffin Queen becomes untapped or you lose control
of it. If Coffin Queen has left play by the time its activated ability
resolves, the delayed triggered ability will never trigger, meaning the
creature you returned to play will remain in play indefinitely. If Coffin
Queen has already untapped or a different player has gained control of it by
the time its activated ability resolves, the delayed triggered ability won't
trigger until Coffin Queen is tapped and then untapped once more, or until
you regain control of Coffin Queen and then lose control of it once more.
-----
Commander Greven il-Vec
{3}{B}{B}{B}
Legendary Creature -- Human Warrior
7/5
Fear
When Commander Greven il-Vec comes into play, sacrifice a creature.
* When the ability resolves, you may sacrifice Commander Greven il-Vec
itself. If you control no other creatures, you'll have to sacrifice Greven.
-----
Corpse Dance
{2}{B}
Instant
Buyback {2} (You may pay an additional {2} as you play this spell. If you do,
put this card into your hand as it resolves.)
Return the top creature card from your graveyard to play. That creature gains
haste until end of turn. Remove the creature from the game at end of turn.
* If Corpse Dance is played during a turn's end step, the creature it returns
to play will have haste only for the rest of that turn. However, that
creature won't be removed from the game that turn because it's too late for
"at end of turn" triggers to trigger. It will be removed from the game at the
end of the next turn.
-----
Crazed Armodon
{2}{G}{G}
Creature -- Elephant
3/3
{G}: Crazed Armodon gets +3/+0 and gains trample until end of turn. Destroy
Crazed Armodon at end of turn. Play this ability only once each turn.
* If Trained Armodon's ability is played during a turn's end step, it will
get +3/+0 and gain trample only for the rest of that turn. However, it won't
be destroyed that turn because it's too late for "at end of turn" triggers to
trigger. It will be destroyed at the end of the next turn.
-----
Cursed Scroll
{1}
Artifact
{3}, {T}: Name a card. Reveal a card at random from your hand. If it's the
named card, Cursed Scroll deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
* You don't name a card until Cursed Scroll's ability resolves.
* If you have no cards in hand as Cursed Scroll's ability resolves, you still
have to name a card. Then you'll fail to reveal one (since there aren't any).
Since the named card wasn't revealed, no damage is dealt.
-----
Dauthi Mindripper
{3}{B}
Creature -- Dauthi Minion
2/1
Shadow (This creature can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.)
Whenever Dauthi Mindripper attacks and isn't blocked, you may sacrifice it.
If you do, defending player discards three cards.
* Dauthi Mindripper's second ability will trigger if it attacks and isn't
blocked, whether it's attacking a player or a planeswalker. If it's attacking
a planeswalker, you can still sacrifice it to have the defending player
discard three cards.
-----
Deadshot
{3}{R}
Sorcery
Tap target creature. It deals damage equal to its power to another target
creature.
* Deadshot's first target can be any creature. It doesn't matter if that
creature is already tapped.
* The first targeted creature deals the damage, not Deadshot.
-----
Dismiss
{2}{U}{U}
Instant
Counter target spell.
Draw a card.
* If the targeted spell can't be countered (it's Scragnoth, for example),
that spell will remain on the stack. Dismiss will continue to resolve. You
still draw a card.
-----
Dracoplasm
{U}{R}
Creature -- Shapeshifter
0/0
Flying
As Dracoplasm comes into play, sacrifice any number of creatures.
Dracoplasm's power becomes the total power of those creatures and its
toughness becomes their total toughness.
{R}: Dracoplasm gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
* Dracoplasm's power becomes the total power of the sacrificed creatures as
they last existed in play, and its toughness is determined the same way.
These values are fixed; they won't change if one of the creatures sacrificed
this way has a variable power that changes no matter what zone it's in (like
Tarmogoyf, for example).
* As Dracoplasm comes into play, you may sacrifice zero creatures. If you do,
Dracoplasm comes into play as a 0/0 and will be put into its owner's
graveyard as a state-based effect (unless a static ability like the one from
Glorious Anthem boosts its toughness).
-----
Dregs of Sorrow
{X}{4}{B}
Sorcery
Destroy X target nonblack creatures. Draw X cards.
* The number of cards you draw is not dependent on the number of creatures
Dregs of Sorrow actually destroys. Assuming that at least one of the targets
is still legal and the spell resolves, you'll draw X cards even if some of
the X creatures that were targeted have become illegal targets, regenerated,
or not been destroyed because they're indestructible.
-----
Earthcraft
{1}{G}
Enchantment
Tap an untapped creature you control: Untap target basic land.
* Since the activated ability doesn't have a tap symbol in its cost, you can
tap a creature that hasn't been under your control since your most recent
turn began to pay the cost.
-----
Echo Chamber
{4}
Artifact
{4}, {T}: An opponent chooses target creature he or she controls. Put a token
into play as a copy of that creature. The token gains haste until end of
turn. Remove the token from the game at end of turn. Play this ability only
any time you could play a sorcery.
* As the token is created, it checks the printed values of the creature it's
copying, as well as any copy effects that have been applied to it. It won't
copy counters on the creature, nor will it copy other effects that have
changed the creature's power, toughness, types, color, and so on. The token
comes into play as the creature it's copying, so any "As [this creature]
comes into play" or "When [this creature] comes into play" abilities will
work as appropriate.
* The copiable values of the token's characteristics are the same as the
copiable values of the characteristics of the creature it's copying, and
that's it. If something becomes a copy of the token, it will not have haste
and it will not have to be removed from the game at the end of the turn.
-----
Eladamri's Vineyard
{G}
Enchantment
At the beginning of each player's precombat main phase, add {G}{G} to that
player's mana pool.
* This ability is mandatory. If the mana is not spent by the time that main
phase ends, it will cause mana burn.
* Only the first main phase each turn is considered to be a "precombat main
phase," even if other combat phases are created with spells such as
Relentless Assault.
-----
Elite Javelineer
{2}{W}
Creature -- Human Soldier
2/2
Whenever Elite Javelineer blocks, it deals 1 damage to target attacking
creature.
* You can target any attacking creature with Elite Javelineer's ability, not
just the one it's blocking.
-----
Endless Scream
{X}{B}
Enchantment -- Aura
Enchant creature
Endless Scream comes into play with X scream counters on it.
Enchanted creature gets +1/+0 for each scream counter on Endless Scream.
* The counters stay on the Aura, not the creature. If the Aura moves or
leaves play, the counters go with it.
-----
Ertai's Meddling
{X}{U}
Instant
X can't be 0.
Target spell's controller removes it from the game with X delay counters on
it.
At the beginning of each of that player's upkeeps, if that card is removed
from the game, remove a delay counter from it. If the card has no delay
counters on it, he or she puts it onto the stack as a copy of the original
spell.
* If a spell is removed from the game with Ertai's Meddling, it leaves the
stack and thus will not resolve. The spell isn't countered; it just no longer
exists.
* During the upkeep when the last delay counter is removed from the removed
card, that card is put back onto the stack as a copy of the original spell.
(Note that it's not played this time; it's just put onto the stack.) It
copies all decisions made for the original spell: It will have the same
mode(s), the same value for X, the same additional costs, the same targets,
and so on. You can't change the targets of the spell even if the original
targets are gone or otherwise illegal. If all its targets are illegal, the
spell will just be countered when it finally resolves.
* If a copy of a spell is affected by Ertai's Meddling, it will be removed
from the game, then cease to exist as a state-based effect. It won't come
back.
* Ertai's Meddling can't be played via an effect (such as that of Memory
Plunder) that would let you play it without paying its mana cost. That's
because playing a spell via an effect like that means that X must be 0 . . .
but Ertai's Meddling says that X can't be 0.
* Ertai's Meddling has an interesting interaction with flashback. A spell
played with flashback is removed from the game instead of being put anywhere
else any time it would leave the stack. Note that this doesn't apply if the
spell is actually being removed from the game -- only if it would go anywhere
else. Since Ertai's Meddling tries to remove the targeted spell from the
game, it succeeds, and X delay counters are put on it. When that card is put
back onto the stack, it's done as a copy of the original spell. That means
that all decisions made for the original spell are copied, including the
alternative flashback cost. The new version of the spell will behave exactly
as though it were played with flashback, including being removed from the
game if it would go anywhere else from the stack.
* Ertai's Meddling has a bizarre interaction with morph. A spell played face
down due to the morph ability is a 2/2 colorless, nameless creature spell
with no subtypes, mana cost, or abilities. If that spell is affected by
Ertai's Meddling, it's removed from the game face up. (Every card that's
removed from the game is removed face up unless the effect that's removing it
specifically says otherwise.) After all the delay counters are removed from
that card, it's put back onto the stack -- still face-up -- as a 2/2
colorless, nameless creature spell with no subtypes, mana cost, or abilities.
If it resolves, it enters play this way. It can't be turned face up because
it already is face up; it's just stuck copying the characteristics it had
when it was face down.
-----
Extinction
{4}{B}
Sorcery
Destroy all creatures of the creature type of your choice.
* You don't choose a creature type until Extinction resolves. After you
choose, it's too late for players to play regeneration abilities or otherwise
respond.
-----
Fireslinger
{1}{R}
Creature -- Human Wizard
1/1
{T}: Fireslinger deals 1 damage to target creature or player and 1 damage to
you.
* If the targeted creature or player becomes an illegal target, the entire
ability is countered. You won't be dealt any damage.
-----
Flowstone Sculpture
{6}
Artifact Creature -- Shapeshifter
4/4
{2}, Discard a card: Put a +1/+1 counter on Flowstone Sculpture or Flowstone
Sculpture gains flying, first strike, or trample.
* The ability's effect has no duration. Flowstone Sculpture will have flying,
first strike, or trample until the game ends, it leaves play, or some other
effect makes it lose those abilities.
-----
Furnace of Rath
{1}{R}{R}{R}
Enchantment
If a source would deal damage to a creature or player, it deals double that
damage to that creature or player instead.
* If a source would deal damage to multiple things, first you divide up that
damage, then you apply this effect.
* If there are two Furnaces in play, the damage is multiplied by four. If
there are three in play, it's multiplied by eight.
* The original source deals all the damage. Furnace of Rath doesn't deal any
damage.
* If multiple effects modify how damage will be dealt, the player who would
be dealt damage or the controller of the creature that would be dealt damage
chooses the order to apply the effects. For example, Mending Hands says
"Prevent the next 4 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player
this turn." Suppose a spell would deal 5 damage to a player who has played
Mending Hands targeting himself or herself. That player can either (a)
prevent 4 damage first and then let Furnace of Rath double the remaining 1
damage, taking 2 damage, or (b) double the damage to 10 and then prevent 4
damage, taking 6 damage.
-----
Fylamarid
{1}{U}{U}
Creature -- Squid Beast
1/3
Flying
Fylamarid can't be blocked by blue creatures.
{U}: Target creature becomes blue until end of turn.
* The second ability essentially means that blue creatures can't be declared
as blockers for Fylamarid. If a creature that's already blocking Fylamarid is
turned blue, it will continue to block Fylamarid.
-----
Grindstone
{1}
Artifact
{3}, {T}: Put the top two cards of target player's library into that player's
graveyard. If both cards share a color, repeat this process.
* You'll continue putting pairs of cards from the top of the targeted
player's library into his or her graveyard until a pair of cards that don't
share a color with one another are put into that graveyard, or until that
player's library runs out of cards, whichever comes first.
* Colorless cards don't share a color with one another.
-----
Hand to Hand
{2}{R}
Enchantment
Instants and activated abilities that aren't mana abilities can't be played
during the combat phase.
* Hand to Hand prevents only instants and activated abilities from being
played during the combat phase. It doesn't stop any other spells. For
example, you can play artifact, creature, or enchantment spells with flash
during the combat phase. You can also play non-instant spells during the
combat phase if an effect like that of Aluren, Rootwater Shaman, or a Quicken
played earlier in the turn says you can.
-----
Helm of Possession
{4}
Artifact
You may choose not to untap Helm of Possession during your untap step.
{2}, {T}, Sacrifice a creature: Gain control of target creature as long as
you control Helm of Possession and Helm of Possession remains tapped.
* Whether you control Helm of Possession is checked continually, starting
when the ability is played. If, before the ability resolves, there's any
point at which you don't control Helm of Possession, the ability has no
effect -- even if you control Helm of Possession again by the time the
ability resolves. The same is true regarding whether Helm of Possession
remains tapped.
* Similarly, the control-change effect ends if at any time Helm of Possession
isn't under your control or isn't tapped, including if it leaves play.
-----
Humility
{2}{W}{W}
Enchantment
All creatures lose all abilities and are 1/1.
* Humility overwrites characteristic-defining abilities that specify a
creature's power or toughness (such as the one Tarmogoyf has).
* Humility overwrites any previous effects that have set a creature's power
or toughness (such as Lignify does) as well as any previous effects from
resolved spells and abilities that changed the enchanted creature's power or
toughness (such as Giant Growth). Any such effects that apply after Humility
came into play will work normally.
* Humility doesn't overwrite changes to a creature's power or toughness that
come from counters or from static abilities from other sources (such as
Glorious Anthem). It will overwrite static abilities that come from the
creature itself (such as the one on Muscle Sliver) because Humility causes
the creature to lose that ability before it gets a chance to apply.
* Humility causes each creature to lose all abilities it had at the time
Humility came into play. Any abilities granted to a creature after Humility
came into play will work normally.
* If a previous effect switched a creature's power and toughness, that effect
still applies after Humility comes into play (though it will apply to the
creature's new power and toughness).
* If a creature has a characteristic-defining ability that specifies its
color (such as "Dryad Arbor is green") or its types (such as changeling),
that ability will still have its effect because it's applied before the
creature loses the ability.
* If Humility leaves play, each creature goes back to being what it was
before. Any effects that applied while the Humility was in play, such as
Giant Growth or Shadow Rift, will continue to apply.
* A face-down creature won't be able to be turned face up for its morph cost
while Humility is in play. If some other effect turns it face up, it will
remain a 1/1 creature with no abilities until the turn ends. Its "When this
creature turns face up" or "As this creature turns face up" abilities won't
work.
* If Humility becomes a creature, its ability applies to itself. First the
"lose all abilities" part of its ability will apply. This will make it lose
its ability, but since it's obviously already started to apply it, this has
no appreciable effect on itself. Then the "are 1/1" part of its ability will
apply, because once part of an ability is applied, the whole thing will be
applied, regardless of whether it vanishes at some point in between. Whether
Humility itself winds up as a 1/1 depends on the timestamp of the effect that
turned it into a creature (as well as any other effects that set or change
its power and toughness). These will apply as described in bullet points 2-5
above, just as they do for any other creature.
-----
Interdict
{1}{U}
Instant
Counter target activated ability from an artifact, creature, enchantment, or
land. That permanent's activated abilities can't be played this turn. (Mana
abilities can't be targeted.)
Draw a card.
* Interdict can target an ability of a source that can't itself be targeted
by a blue instant (because it has shroud or protection from blue, for
example). The ability is Interdict's only target. If Interdict resolves, it
will affect that permanent.
* Interdict must target an ability whose source was a permanent when the
ability was played. It doesn't matter if that permanent is still in play at
the time Interdict is played or at the time Interdict resolves. The target
can't be an ability played from a card that wasn't in play (such as
Carrionette's ability).
* While Interdict is on the stack, more abilities from the targeted ability's
source can be played in response. They'll resolve before Interdict does.
-----
Intuition
{2}{U}
Instant
Search your library for any three cards and reveal them. Target opponent
chooses one. Put that card into your hand and the rest into your graveyard.
Then shuffle your library.
* Because there are no constraints on what cards you can find during your
search, you must find and reveal three cards from your library. (You can't
"fail to find" any of the cards.) If your library has fewer than three cards
in it, you'll find and reveal all the cards left in your library.
-----
Jackal Pup
{R}
Creature -- Hound
2/1
Whenever Jackal Pup is dealt damage, it deals that much damage to you.
* Even if the amount of damage dealt to Jackal Pup is enough to destroy it,
Jackal Pup's ability will trigger and it will deal the full amount of damage
to you.
-----
Jinxed Idol
{2}
Artifact
At the beginning of your upkeep, Jinxed Idol deals 2 damage to you.
Sacrifice a creature: Target opponent gains control of Jinxed Idol.
* The control-change effect has no duration. It will last until the game ends
or Jinxed Idol leaves play. It may be superseded by a later control-change
effect (such as Jinxed Idol's ability being played again).
-----
Kezzerdrix
{2}{B}{B}
Creature -- Rabbit Beast
4/4
First strike
At the beginning of your upkeep, if your opponents control no creatures,
Kezzerdrix deals 4 damage to you.
* Kezzerdrix's triggered ability has an "intervening 'if' clause." That means
(1) the ability won't trigger at all unless your opponents control no
creatures as your upkeep begins, and (2) the ability will do nothing unless
your opponents control no creatures at the time it resolves.
-----
Legacy's Allure
{U}{U}
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a treasure counter on Legacy's
Allure.
Sacrifice Legacy's Allure: Gain control of target creature with power less
than or equal to the number of treasure counters on Legacy's Allure.
* The power of the targeted creature is checked both when the ability is
played and the ability resolves. In each case, the creature's power must be
less than or equal to the number of treasure counters that were on Legacy's
Allure as it last existed in play. If it's not, it's an illegal target. Once
the ability resolves, it doesn't matter what the creature's power becomes.
* The control-change effect has no duration. It will last until the game ends
or the creature leaves play. It may be superseded by a later control-change
effect.
-----
Legerdemain
{2}{U}{U}
Sorcery
Exchange control of target artifact or creature and another target permanent
that shares one of those types with it.
* When you play Legerdemain, you must either target two artifacts or two
creatures. As Legerdemain resolves, it will check that both permanents are
still either both artifacts or both creatures. They don't have to be the same
card type as before; for example, if both permanents are creatures at the
time they're targeted and they're both artifacts at the time Legerdemain
resolves, that's fine.
* If either one of the targets becomes illegal (because it leaves play, no
longer meets the card type restriction, or any other reason) by the time
Legerdemain resolves, the exchange won't happen. If both targets become
illegal, Legerdemain is countered.
* The control-change effect has no duration. For each permanent, it will last
until the game ends or the permanent leaves play. It may be superseded by a
later control-change effect.
-----
Living Death
{3}{B}{B}
Sorcery
Each player removes all creature cards in his or her graveyard from the game,
then sacrifices all creatures he or she controls, then puts into play all
cards he or she removed this way.
* First all players remove the creature cards in their graveyards from the
game at the same time. Then all creatures in play are sacrificed at the same
time. Then all creature cards removed from the game in step one are put into
play at the same time. Then all abilities that have triggered during any part
of this resolution are put onto the stack. (First the active player puts his
or her abilities on the stack, then each other player in turn order does the
same.)
* If there are any choices involved in a given step (such as making any "as
this creature comes into play" choices), first the player whose turn it is
makes his or her choices, then each other player in turn order makes his or
her choices, then the actions (such as actually putting the creatures into
play) are all performed at the same time.
* "All cards he or she removed this way" refers only to the cards removed
from the graveyard in step one of the effect. If a replacement effect (such
as Leyline of the Void) removes any of the sacrificed creatures from the game
instead of putting them into the graveyard, those cards aren't returned to
play.
-----
Lobotomy
{2}{U}{B}
Sorcery
Target player reveals his or her hand, then you choose a card other than a
basic land card from it. Search that player's graveyard, hand, and library
for all cards with the same name as the chosen card and remove them from the
game. Then that player shuffles his or her library.
* The cards you're searching for must be found if they're in the graveyard,
because that's a zone everyone can see. The same is true for cards in the
targeted player's hand, since it's currently revealed. (This includes the
card you originally chose.) Finding the cards in the library is optional,
though.
* Lobotomy has no effect on cards in play that have the same name as the
chosen card.
* If the targeted player has no cards in hand, you still get to look through
that player's library, but you don't get to remove any cards from the game.
-----
Maddening Imp
{2}{B}
Creature -- Imp
1/1
Flying
{T}: Each non-Wall creature the active player controls attacks this turn if
able. At end of turn, destroy each of those creatures that didn't attack this
turn. Play this ability only during an opponent's turn, before attackers are
declared.
* This ability will affect all non-Wall creatures the active player controls
at the time his or her declare attackers step begins, even if some of those
creatures weren't in play at the time Maddening Imp's ability resolved.
(Tapped creatures, creatures affected by spells or abilities that say they
can't attack, creatures affected by summoning sickness, and creatures with
unpaid costs to attack are exempt from effects that would require them to
attack.)
* At the end of the turn, any creature that the active player controlled at
the time his or her declare attackers step began that didn't attack at that
time and wasn't a Wall at that time is destroyed. It doesn't matter why that
creature didn't attack, who controls it now, or whether or not it's a Wall
now.
* Although Maddening Imp's ability makes an exception for Walls, it doesn't
make an exception for non-Wall creatures that have defender. Those creatures
won't be able to attack, so they'll be destroyed.
-----
Magnetic Web
{2}
Artifact
If a creature with a magnet counter on it attacks, all creatures with magnet
counters on them attack this turn if able.
Whenever a creature with a magnet counter on it attacks, all creatures with
magnet counters on them block that creature this turn if able.
{1}, {T}: Put a magnet counter on target creature.
* After the active player declares which set of creatures is attacking, that
set is checked to see if it's legal. If one or more creatures with magnet
counters on them have been declared as attackers, and there's at least one
creature with a magnet counter on it that could have attacked but didn't,
that set of attackers is illegal. The active player must back up and propose
another set of attacking creatures. (Tapped creatures, creatures affected by
spells or abilities that say they can't attack, creatures affected by
summoning sickness, and creatures with unpaid costs to attack are exempt from
effects that would require them to attack.)
* Once the active player has declared which creatures are attacking, putting
a magnet counter on a creature he or she controls won't cause the attack to
change.
* If one or more creatures with a magnet counter on it attacks, Magnetic
Web's triggered ability triggers that many times. Each creature with a magnet
counter on it that the defending player controls must block any one of the
attacking creatures with magnet counters on them that it's able to. If it has
an ability that lets it block multiple creatures, it must block as many
attacking creatures with magnet counters on them that it's able to. (If it
can block other creatures in addition to those, the defending player may
choose to have it do so as well.)
* If a creature with a magnet counter on it that the defending player
controls is unable to block any of the attacking creatures with magnet
counters on them (perhaps due to an ability like flying or shadow), the
defending player can have that creature block any one of the other attacking
creatures, or have it not block at all. If a creature with a magnet counter
on it that the defending player controls is unable to block (because it's
tapped, a spell or ability said that it can't block, or it has an unpaid cost
to block), then it simply doesn't.
* Once the defending player has declared how his or her creatures are
blocking, putting a magnet counter on a creature he or she controls won't
cause those blocks to change.
-----
Maze of Shadows
Land
{T}: Add {1} to your mana pool.
{T}: Untap target attacking creature with shadow. Prevent all combat damage
that would be dealt to and dealt by that creature this turn.
* Maze of Shadows's second ability can target any attacking creature with
shadow, whether or not it's tapped.
* Although Maze of Shadows's second ability untaps an attacking creature and
prevents all combat damage that would be dealt to and dealt by it, it doesn't
actually remove that creature from combat. It continues to be an attacking
creature for the remainder of combat. If this ability is played during the
declare attackers step, the targeted creature can still be blocked during the
declare blockers step.
-----
Meditate
{2}{U}
Instant
Draw four cards. You skip your next turn.
* Effects that tell you to skip an upcoming step, phase, or turn are
cumulative. If you play two Meditates during the same turn, for example,
you'll skip your next two turns.
-----
Minion of the Wastes
{3}{B}{B}{B}
Creature -- Minion
*/*
Trample
As Minion of the Wastes comes into play, pay any amount of life.
Minion of the Wastes's power and toughness are each equal to the life paid as
it came into play.
* While Minion of the Wastes is not in play, its power and toughness are each
0.
-----
Mogg Cannon
{2}
Artifact
{T}: Target creature you control gets +1/+0 and gains flying until end of
turn. Destroy that creature at end of turn.
* If Mogg Cannon's ability is played during a turn's end step, the targeted
creature will get +1/+0 and gain flying only for the rest of that turn.
However, it won't be destroyed that turn because it's too late for "at end of
turn" triggers to trigger. It will be destroyed at the end of the next turn.
-----
Mongrel Pack
{3}{G}
Creature -- Hound
4/1
When Mongrel Pack is put into a graveyard from play during combat, put four
1/1 green Hound creature tokens into play.
* Mongrel Pack's ability triggers if it's put into a graveyard during the
combat phase for any reason, even if it didn't attack or block.
-----
Mounted Archers
{3}{W}
Creature -- Human Soldier Archer
2/3
Reach
{W}: Mounted Archers can block an additional creature this turn.
* The effect of Mounted Archers's activated ability is cumulative. Each time
it resolves, the number of creatures it can block that turn is increased by
one.
-----
Nature's Revolt
{3}{G}{G}
Enchantment
All lands are 2/2 creatures that are still lands.
* Lands that are also creatures due to Nature's Revolt are affected by
summoning sickness. You can't attack with them or use their {T} abilities
unless they began your most recent turn in play under your control.
* If a land was also another card type, such as artifact, it retains those
types in addition to being a land creature.
* If a noncreature land becomes a land creature this way and then another
effect animates it, the new effect overrides Nature's Revolt's effect. For
example, Treetop Village is a 2/2 land creature while Nature's Revolt is in
play. If you play Treetop Village's ability, it will be a 3/3 Ape land
creature with trample for the rest of the turn.
-----
No Quarter
{3}{R}
Enchantment
Whenever a creature becomes blocked by a creature with lesser power, destroy
the blocking creature.
Whenever a creature blocks a creature with lesser power, destroy the
attacking creature.
* After blockers are declared, one of No Quarter's abilities will trigger for
each attacking creature/blocking creature pair in which there's a power
discrepancy. Only in cases where the powers of the two creatures are the same
will they both be safe.
* If either of No Quarter's abilities triggers, the designated creature will
be destroyed when it resolves even if that creature's power has increased,
it's been removed from combat, or the other creature has left play by that
time.
* If a creature would be destroyed by No Quarter but regenerates, it remains
in play but is removed from combat.
-----
Oracle en-Vec
{1}{W}
Creature -- Human Wizard
1/1
{T}: Target opponent chooses any number of creatures he or she controls.
During that player's next turn, the chosen creatures attack if able, and
other creatures can't attack. At the end of that turn, destroy each of the
chosen creatures that didn't attack. Play this ability only during your turn.
* The targeted player can choose zero creatures. In that case, that player
can't attack during his or her next turn, and no creatures are destroyed.
* During the targeted player's next combat phase, each of the chosen
creatures that he or she still controls must attack if able. (Tapped
creatures, creatures affected by spells or abilities that say they can't
attack, and creatures with unpaid costs to attack are exempt from effects
that would require them to attack.) No other creatures can attack.
* At the end of the targeted player's next turn, each of the chosen creatures
that didn't attack during that turn is destroyed. It doesn't matter why that
creature didn't attack or who controls it now.
-----
Orim's Prayer
{1}{W}{W}
Enchantment
Whenever one or more creatures attack you, you gain 1 life for each attacking
creature.
* This ability triggers only if one or more creatures attack you, not a
planeswalker you control. However, when it resolves, you gain 1 life for each
creature that's currently attacking, no matter who or what it's attacking.
-----
Phyrexian Grimoire
{3}
Artifact
{4}, {T}: Target opponent chooses one of the top two cards in your graveyard.
Remove that card from the game and put the other one into your hand.
* If you have only one card in your graveyard when this ability resolves,
that card will have to be chosen by your opponent and removed from the game.
You won't put anything into your hand.
-----
Phyrexian Splicer
{2}
Artifact
{2}, {T}: Choose one -- flying; first strike; shadow; or trample. Target
creature with that ability loses it until end of turn and another target
creature gains it until end of turn.
* You choose flying, first strike, shadow, or trample before you choose a
target for this ability.
* When this ability resolves, if the first target is an illegal target
(because it's left play or because it no longer has the chosen ability,
perhaps) but the second target isn't, the ability will still resolve and
grant the chosen ability to the second target. Similarly, if the second
target is illegal but the first one isn't, the ability will still resolve and
cause the first target to lose the chosen ability. If both targets are
illegal, the ability is countered.
* If Phyrexian Splicer has caused a creature to lose an ability, another
spell or ability can have that creature regain that ability.
-----
Propaganda
{2}{U}
Enchantment
Creatures can't attack you unless their controller pays {2} for each creature
he or she controls that's attacking you.
* Propaganda doesn't affect creatures that are attacking planeswalkers.
* Abilities that impose costs on attacking are cumulative. For example, if
you control two Propagandas, a creature couldn't attack you unless its
controller paid {4}.
-----
Reality Anchor
{1}{G}
Instant
Target creature loses shadow until end of turn.
Draw a card.
* Reality Anchor's target can be any creature. It doesn't matter if that
creature has shadow.
* If Reality Anchor has caused a creature to lose shadow, another spell or
ability can have that creature regain shadow.
-----
Reanimate
{B}
Sorcery
Put target creature card from a graveyard into play under your control. You
lose life equal to its converted mana cost.
* The amount of life you lose is equal to the converted mana cost of the
creature card as it last existed in the graveyard. For example, if you play
Reanimate targeting Clone (a {3}{U} creature that can come into play as a
copy of another creature), you'll lose 4 life regardless of what creature
Clone comes into play as a copy of.
-----
Reap
{1}{G}
Instant
Return up to X target cards from your graveyard to your hand, where X is the
number of black permanents target opponent controls as you play Reap.
* As you play Reap, first you target an opponent, then you target a number of
cards in your graveyard based on the number of black permanents the targeted
opponent controls at this time. There's no time for the targeted opponent to
respond before you choose those targets.
* As you play Reap is the only time the spell checks the number of black
permanents the targeted opponent controls. If that number is raised or
lowered before Reap resolves, it won't affect how many cards you return to
your hand.
-----
Recycle
{4}{G}{G}
Enchantment
Skip your draw step.
Whenever you play a card, draw a card.
Your maximum hand size is two.
* The triggered ability will trigger when you play a land card or play a
nonland card as a spell. It won't trigger when you play a copy of a card,
such as with Isochron Scepter.
* If multiple effects modify your hand size, apply them in timestamp order.
For example, if both Recycle and another permanent with an effect that sets
your hand size are in play, the one that entered play most recently
determines your hand size. If Recycle enters play after a permanent with an
ability that raises or lowers your hand size, Recycle overwrites that effect.
If a permanent that raises or lowers your hand size enters play after
Recycle, that modification is applied to your hand size of two.
* Your maximum hand size is checked only during the cleanup step of your
turn. At any other time, you may have any number of cards in hand.
-----
Reflecting Pool
Land
{T}: Add to your mana pool one mana of any type that a land you control could
produce.
* The types of mana are white, blue, black, red, green, and colorless.
* Reflecting Pool checks the effects of all mana-producing abilities of lands
you control, but it doesn't check their costs. For example, Vivid Crag says
"{T}, Remove a charge counter from Vivid Crag: Add one mana of any color to
your mana pool." If you control Vivid Crag and Reflecting Pool, you can tap
Reflecting Pool for any color of mana. It doesn't matter whether Vivid Crag
has a charge counter on it, and it doesn't matter whether it's untapped.
* Reflecting Pool doesn't care about any restrictions or riders your lands
put on the mana they produce, such as Pillar of the Paruns and Hall of the
Bandit Lord do. It just cares about types of mana.
* Multiple Reflecting Pools won't help each other produce mana. If you
control a Reflecting Pool, and all other lands you control either lack mana
abilities or are other Reflecting Pools, you may still play Reflecting Pool's
ability -- it just won't produce any mana.
-----
Rolling Thunder
{X}{R}{R}
Sorcery
Rolling Thunder deals X damage divided as you choose among any number of
target creatures and/or players.
* If X is greater than 0, the number of targets must be at least 1 and at
most X. If X is 0, the number of targets must also be 0.
* You divide the damage as you play Rolling Thunder, not as it resolves. Each
target must receive at least 1 damage.
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Root Maze
{G}
Enchantment
Artifacts and lands come into play tapped.
* Root Maze affects all artifacts and lands that come into play, including
tokens and cards put into play by effects.
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Rootwater Matriarch
{2}{U}{U}
Creature -- Merfolk
2/3
{T}: Gain control of target creature as long as that creature is enchanted.
* Unlike many similar creatures, Rootwater Matriarch untaps as normal during
your untap step. Whether it's tapped or untapped has no bearing on the
control-change effect.
* Whether the targeted creature is enchanted is checked continually, starting
when the ability is played. If, before the ability resolves, there's any
point at which the creature isn't enchanted, the ability has no effect --
even if the creature is enchanted by the time the ability resolves.
* Similarly, the control-change effect ends if at any time the creature has
no Auras attached to it.
* The ability can target any creature, even one that has no Auras attached to
it. However, as stated above, targeting a creature that's not enchanted will
have no effect.
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Sadistic Glee
{B}
Enchantment -- Aura
Enchant creature
Whenever a creature is put into a graveyard from play, put a +1/+1 counter on
enchanted creature.
* The counters are put on the creature, not the Aura. If the Aura moves or
leaves play, the counters stay where they are.
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Sarcomancy
{B}
Enchantment
When Sarcomancy comes into play, put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token into
play.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if there are no Zombies in play, Sarcomancy
deals 1 damage to you.
* Sarcomancy's second ability checks for any Zombies, not just the Zombie
that its first ability put into play.
* Sarcomancy's second ability has an "intervening 'if' clause." That means
(1) the ability won't trigger at all unless there are no Zombies in play as
your upkeep begins, and (2) the ability will do nothing unless there are no
Zombies in play at the time it resolves.
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Scalding Tongs
{2}
Artifact
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have three or fewer cards in hand,
Scalding Tongs deals 1 damage to target opponent.
* Scalding Tongs's triggered ability has an "intervening 'if' clause." That
means (1) the ability won't trigger at all unless you have three or fewer
cards in your hand as your upkeep begins, and (2) the ability will do nothing
unless you have three or fewer cards in your hand at the time it resolves.
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Scorched Earth
{X}{R}
Sorcery
As an additional cost to play Scorched Earth, discard X land cards.
Destroy X target lands.
* You can't choose a value for X that's greater than the number of land cards
in your hand.
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Scragnoth
{4}{G}
Creature -- Beast
3/4
Scragnoth can't be countered.
Protection from blue
* Any spells or abilities that would counter Scragnoth while it's on the
stack will resolve. They just won't counter Scragnoth. Any other effects they
might have work as normal.
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Scroll Rack
{2}
Artifact
{1}, {T}: Remove any number of cards in your hand from the game face down.
Put that many cards from the top of your library into your hand. Then look at
the removed cards and put them on top of your library in any order.
* Scroll Rack's ability doesn't cause you to draw cards. Rather, it causes
you to put cards from the top of your library into your hand. Abilities that
care about drawing cards, such as the ones from Hoofprints of the Stag or
Thought Reflection, won't do anything. Similarly, if the number of cards you
try to put into your hand with Scroll Rack is greater than the number of
cards in your library, you won't lose as a state-based effect because you
didn't actually try to draw a card with an empty library.
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Segmented Wurm
{3}{R}{G}
Creature -- Wurm
5/5
Whenever Segmented Wurm becomes the target of a spell or ability, put a -1/-1
counter on it.
* If Segmented Wurm becomes the target of a spell or ability, its ability
will trigger and go on the stack on top of that spell or ability. The -1/-1
counter effect will resolve first.
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Shocker
{1}{R}
Creature -- Insect
1/1
Whenever Shocker deals damage to a player, that player discards all the cards
in his or her hand, then draws that many cards.
* The number of cards the player draws is equal to the number of cards he or
she discarded, not the amount of damage dealt by Shocker.
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Soltari Guerrillas
{2}{W}{R}
Creature -- Soltari Soldier
3/2
Shadow (This creature can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.)
{0}: The next time Soltari Guerrillas would deal combat damage to defending
player this turn, it deals that damage to target creature instead.
* If the creature targeted by Soltari Guerrillas's second ability is no
longer in play by the time Soltari Guerrillas would deal combat damage to the
defending player, the damage can't be redirected. It will be dealt to the
defending player.
* If multiple effects modify how damage will be dealt, the player who would
be dealt damage chooses the order to apply the effects. For example, Samite
Healer's ability says "Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to
target creature or player this turn." Suppose Soltari Guerrillas, after its
activated ability has been played targeting Grizzly Bears, would deal its
combat damage to a player who has played Samite Healer's ability targeting
himself or herself. That player can either (a) prevent 1 damage first and
then redirect the remaining 2 damage to the Bears, or (b) redirect the 3
damage to the Bears first, meaning the damage prevention effect never gets
used at all (and thus could be used on damage from another source).
* If you play Soltari Guerrillas's second ability multiple times during the
same turn, and then Soltari Guerrillas would deal combat damage to the
defending player, that player decides which one of the redirection effects to
apply. (In other words, that player, not you, will decide which creature the
damage is dealt to.) If that player chooses an effect that doesn't do
anything (because the creature it would redirect the damage to is no longer
in play), he or she will have to choose another effect because the damage
would still be dealt to him or her. Once a redirection effect that works is
chosen, damage would no longer be dealt to that player, so none of the other
redirection effects will do anything.
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Spike Drone
{G}
Creature -- Spike Drone
0/0
Spike Drone comes into play with a +1/+1 counter on it.
{2}, Remove a +1/+1 counter from Spike Drone: Put a +1/+1 counter on target
creature.
* The +1/+1 counter isn't moved from Spike Drone to the targeted creature.
Rather, one +1/+1 counter is removed from Spike Drone as part of the cost of
its ability, then later, when the ability resolves, a different +1/+1 counter
is put on the targeted creature. Even if a counter can't be put on the target
at the time the ability would resolve, the +1/+1 counter will be long gone
from Spike Drone.
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Spinal Graft
{1}{B}
Enchantment -- Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +3/+3.
When enchanted creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, destroy
that creature. It can't be regenerated.
* If the enchanted creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, Spinal
Graft's ability will trigger and go on the stack on top of that spell or
ability. The destroy effect will resolve first.
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Spirit Mirror
{2}{W}{W}
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, if there are no Reflection tokens in play,
put a 2/2 white Reflection creature token into play.
{0}: Destroy target Reflection.
* Spirit Mirror's triggered ability has an "intervening 'if' clause." That
means (1) the ability won't trigger at all unless there are no Reflection
tokens in play as your upkeep begins, and (2) the ability will do nothing
unless there are no Reflection tokens in play at the time it resolves.
* Spirit Mirror's activated ability can target any Reflection, not just a
token put into play with its first ability. For example, it can target any
creature with changeling.
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Stalking Stones
Land
{T}: Add {1} to your mana pool.
{6}: Stalking Stones becomes a 3/3 Elemental artifact creature that's still a
land.
* Stalking Stones's second ability's effect has no duration. It will remain a
3/3 Elemental that's an artifact, creature, and land until the game ends, it
leaves play, or some other effect changes those characteristics.
* If Stalking Stones becomes a creature, you can't attack with it or use its
{T} ability unless it began your most recent turn in play under your control.
In other words, it's affected by summoning sickness while it's a creature.
* If Stalking Stones is already a creature when you play its second ability,
it'll stay a creature but the ability overwrites its power, toughness, and
creature types. For example, if you turn Stalking Stones into a 3/3 creature
and then an effect gives it -1/-1 until end of turn, playing its second
ability again will make it 3/3 again. Damage that was dealt to the creature
stays on it.
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Starke of Rath
{1}{R}{R}
Legendary Creature -- Human Rogue
2/2
{T}: Destroy target artifact or creature. That permanent's controller gains
control of Starke of Rath.
* If the targeted artifact or creature becomes an illegal target, the entire
ability is countered and Starke of Rath will remain under your control. On
the other hand, if the targeted artifact or creature remains a legal target
but isn't actually destroyed (because it's indestructible or it regenerates),
the rest of the effect will still happen and that permanent's controller will
gain control of Starke.
* The control-change effect has no duration. It will last until the game ends
or Starke leaves play. It may be superseded by a later control-change effect
(such as Starke's ability being played again).
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Static Orb
{3}
Artifact
If Static Orb is untapped, players can't untap more than two permanents
during their untap steps.
* If you control Static Orb, and it's tapped as your untap step begins, then
its effect doesn't do anything. You'll untap all your permanents.
* If multiple Static Orbs are in play, the abilities are redundant. Each
player will still be able to untap no more than two permanents during his or
her untap step.
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Steal Enchantment
{U}{U}
Enchantment -- Aura
Enchant enchantment
You control enchanted enchantment.
* If you enchant an Aura with Steal Enchantment, you'll gain control of that
Aura, but you won't get to move it. It'll keep enchanting whatever it's
enchanting.
* If you enchant a Licid that's been turned into an Aura with Steal
Enchantment, you'll gain control of that permanent. However, the player who
played the ability that turned it into an Aura is still the only one that can
pay mana to turn it back into a Licid creature. If the player does, Steal
Enchantment will be put into your graveyard as a state-based effect for
enchanting an illegal permanent, and the Licid will go back to its
appropriate controller.
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Stun
{1}{R}
Instant
Target creature can't block this turn.
Draw a card.
* If Stun is played after blockers have been declared, it won't cause those
blocks to change.
* Stun can target any creature at any time, whether or not that creature
would be able to block that turn.
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Telethopter
{4}
Artifact Creature -- Thopter
3/1
Tap an untapped creature you control: Telethopter gains flying until end of
turn.
* Since the activated ability doesn't have a tap symbol in its cost, you can
tap a creature (including Telethopter itself) that hasn't been under your
control since your most recent turn began to pay the cost.
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Thalakos Dreamsower
{2}{U}
Creature -- Thalakos Wizard
1/1
Shadow (This creature can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.)
You may choose not to untap Thalakos Dreamsower during your untap step.
Whenever Thalakos Dreamsower deals damage to an opponent, tap target
creature. That creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step as
long as Thalakos Dreamsower remains tapped.
* Thalakos Dreamsower's third ability can target any creature, whether or not
that creature is untapped. The creature doesn't have to be controlled by the
player Thalakos Dreamsower dealt damage to.
* Whether Thalakos Dreamsower is tapped is checked continually, starting when
the ability triggers. If, before the ability resolves, there's any point at
which Thalakos Dreamsower isn't tapped (either because it becomes untapped or
because it leaves play), the ability has no effect -- even if Thalakos
Dreamsower is tapped again by the time the ability resolves.
* Similarly, the "doesn't untap" effect ends if at any time Thalakos
Dreamsower isn't tapped, including if Thalakos Dreamsower leaves play. It
doesn't matter if Thalakos Dreamsower is tapped again by the time the
creature's controller's untap step begins.
* The third ability is mandatory. If you're the only player who controls a
creature, you'll have to target one of your own. If you control no other
creatures, you'll have to target Thalakos Dreamsower itself. If Thalakos
Dreamsower's ability affects one of your other creatures, you'll be able to
untap Thalakos Dreamsower during your next untap step, but not the other
creature. That will end the "doesn't untap" effect, so you'll be able to
untap the other creature in the future. On the other hand, if Thalakos
Dreamsower is affecting itself, you'll never be able to untap it during your
untap step. The only way you could untap it is with some other spell or
ability, such as Twitch.
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Thumbscrews
{2}
Artifact
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have five or more cards in hand,
Thumbscrews deals 1 damage to target opponent.
* Thumbscrews's triggered ability has an "intervening 'if' clause." That
means (1) the ability won't trigger at all unless you have five or more cards
in your hand as your upkeep begins, and (2) the ability will do nothing
unless you have five or more cards in your hand at the time it resolves.
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Tradewind Rider
{3}{U}
Creature -- Spirit
1/4
Flying
{T}, Tap two untapped creatures you control: Return target permanent to its
owner's hand.
* To play Tradewind Rider's activated ability, you'll need Tradewind Rider
plus two other creatures. Tradewind Rider must have been under your control
since your most recent turn began (or have haste), but the other two
creatures don't.
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Trumpeting Armodon
{3}{G}
Creature -- Elephant
3/3
{1}{G}: Target creature blocks Trumpeting Armodon this turn if able.
* If the targeted creature can't block Trumpeting Armodon (for example,
because the targeted creature has shadow, or because it's controlled by the
same player as Trumpeting Armodon), the ability does nothing and the targeted
creature is free to block whichever creature its controller chooses, or block
no creatures at all.
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Unstable Shapeshifter
{3}{U}
Creature -- Shapeshifter
0/1
Whenever a creature comes into play, Unstable Shapeshifter becomes a copy of
that creature and gains this ability.
* The effect is mandatory. When a creature comes into play, Unstable
Shapeshifter must become a copy of it whether you want it to or not.
* The effect has no duration. Unstable Shapeshifter will remain a copy of the
last creature to come into play until Unstable Shapeshifter leaves play or
the triggered ability resolves again. If it becomes a copy of a different
creature, the new copy will overwrite the old copy.
* Unstable Shapeshifter copies the printed values of the creature, modified
by any copy effects that have been applied to that creature, and grants
itself its own ability. It won't copy other effects that have changed the
creature's power, toughness, types, color, or so on. It also won't copy
counters on the creature (it'll just retain the counters it already has).
* If Unstable Shapeshifter becomes a copy of a token, it copies the original
characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that put it into play,
and grants itself its own ability. It does not become a token.
* Unstable Shapeshifter's ability isn't targeted. It can copy a creature with
shroud or protection.
* If multiple creatures come into play at the same time, Unstable
Shapeshifter's ability will trigger once for each of those creatures. You
choose the order that those abilities will resolve. It's possible to have
Unstable Shapeshifter become a copy of something, play an activated ability
of that creature, then have it become a copy of something else, for example.
The last ability to resolve will determine what it ends up as.
* If an Unstable Shapeshifter is in play when another Unstable Shapeshifter
comes into play, the first one will wind up with two copies of the triggered
ability: One from the Unstable Shapeshifter it's copying, and one from
itself. The next time a creature comes into play, both abilities will
trigger. After it becomes a copy of the new creature and grants itself its
triggered ability, it'll be back down to one copy of that ability.
* If Unstable Shapeshifter becomes a copy of a creature with any "As [this
creature] comes into play" or "When [this creature] comes into play"
abilities, those abilities won't do anything because Unstable Shapeshifter is
already in play.
* If Unstable Shapeshifter is copying a creature with an activated ability
that contains the restriction “Play this ability only once each turn,” then
another version of that creature comes into play, Unstable Shapeshifter will
wind up with a different copy of the same ability. This is, in fact, a
different ability. If the first ability had been played that turn, the new
ability can also be played that turn.
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Vhati il-Dal
{2}{B}{G}
Legendary Creature -- Human Warrior
3/3
{T}: Target creature's power or toughness becomes 1 until end of turn.
* You don't choose whether to affect the targeted creature's power or its
toughness until the ability resolves.
* Vhati il-Dal's ability overwrites most other effects that change or set the
targeted creature's power or toughness. But certain other effects can still
apply to it afterward. They are:
-- Effects that happen after Vhati's ability resolves that change its power
or toughness (like Giant Growth) or set its power and toughness to certain
values (like Lignify).
-- Counters that change the targeted creature's power and toughness, such as
+1/+1 or -1/-1 counters, regardless of when they were put on that creature.
-- Static abilities that change the targeted creature's power and toughness
(such as those from Glorious Anthem), regardless of when they first took
effect.
-- Effects that switch the targeted creature's power and toughness,
regardless of when they first took effect.
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Volrath's Curse
{1}{U}
Enchantment -- Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature can't attack or block and its activated abilities can't be
played. That creature's controller may sacrifice a permanent to ignore this
ability until end of turn.
{1}{U}: Return Volrath's Curse to its owner's hand.
* Sacrificing a permanent to ignore the effect of Volrath's Curse is a
special action. The enchanted creature's controller can do it any time he or
she has priority. It doesn't use the stack, so no one can respond to it -- it
just happens.
* You can sacrifice the enchanted creature itself to ignore the effect of
Volrath's Curse. This will cause Volrath's Curse to be put into its owner's
graveyard as a state-based effect.
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Whim of Volrath
{U}
Instant
Buyback {2} (You may pay an additional {2} as you play this spell. If you do,
put this card into your hand as it resolves.)
Change the text of target permanent by replacing all instances of one color
word or basic land type with another until end of turn. (For example, you may
change "nonred creature" to "nongreen creature" or "plainswalk" to
"swampwalk.")
* You choose the two color words or the two basic land types when Whim of
Volrath resolves. You can't change a word to the same word; you must choose a
different word.
* Whim of Volrath affects each instance of the chosen word in the text box
and the type line of the permanent, as long as it's being used as a color
word or basic land type. Whim of Volrath won't change such words when used in
card names, such as Island Fish Jasconius. It also won't change mana symbols.
* Whim of Volrath changes only words actually printed on the permanent (if
it's a card), words that are part of the permanent's original characteristics
as stated by the effect that put it into play (if it's a token), or words
that were granted to the permanent as part of a copy effect. It won't change
words that are granted to the permanent by any other effects. For example, if
an Aura grants a creature protection from blue, you can change that to
protection from red by targeting the Aura, but not by targeting the creature.
* Whim of Volrath can be used to change a land's type from one basic land
type to another. For example, if you play it on a Forest and change "Forest"
to "Island," the permanent's name will still be Forest, but its land type
will be Island. As a result, it will produce {U} rather than {G}.
* Whim of Volrath can target any permanent, whether or not it has any color
words or any basic land words.
-----
Wood Sage
{G}{U}
Creature -- Human Druid
1/1
{T}: Name a creature card. Reveal the top four cards of your library and put
all of them with that name into your hand. Put the rest into your graveyard.
* You don't name a creature card until the ability resolves. You must name a
card before revealing the top four cards of your library.
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Worthy Cause
{W}
Instant
Buyback {2} (You may pay an additional {2} as you play this spell. If you do,
put this card into your hand as it resolves.)
As an additional cost to play Worthy Cause, sacrifice a creature.
You gain life equal to the sacrificed creature's toughness.
* If you choose to play Worthy Cause with buyback, then it has two additional
costs: the buyback cost, and the "sacrifice a creature" cost.
* You gain life equal to the toughness of the sacrificed creature as it last
existed in play.
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