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Section II: Expanding Your KnowledgeEvery card in Magic has a color definition which describes it as being one, many, or none of the five colors: white, blue, black, red, and green. A card with more than one color is called multicolored; a card with no colors is called colorless. A card's basic color is defined by the colored mana symbols in its casting cost. Lands, which don't have casting costs, are considered colorless, as are artifacts that don't have colored mana symbols in their casting costs. Any effect that changes a card's color replaces the old color definition with a new one.
More on Creatures
If you haven't had control of a creature since the start of your most recent turn (counting the current one), you can't use any of its abilities with Some effects search for creatures of a given type, just as with lands. A creature's type isn't defined by its name, but by its card type, and sometimes by its card text. On the Hurloon Minotaur, for example, having "Summon Minotaur" as its card type indicates that the creature type is Minotaur. Artifact creature spells don't have a default creature type. Plurality and gender aren't important when checking for a creature type match.
Advanced Creature Abilities An attacking band can contain any number of creatures with banding and up to one creature without it. Once a band's been formed, the creatures within the band attack as a group. Creatures in the band keep their special abilities but don't share them with the others in the band. Once you've finished declaring attackers, you can't choose to form any new bands or break up existing ones. Creatures with banding aren't required to be part of a band when they attack. Any creature assigned to block one member of a band automatically blocks the other members as well. In other words, the defending player has to either block the creatures as a group or let them all through. Creatures don't form bands when blocking; they have to block individually. For example, if a single Scryb Sprites (1/1, flying) attacks you, your Mesa Pegasus doesn't allow your creatures without flying to be assigned to block the Sprites. The second feature of banding applies only during the damage-dealing step. If combat damage is assigned to a group of creatures that includes at least one creature with banding, whoever controls those creatures decides how the damage is assigned. Such a group is typically either an attacking band or a group of creatures that blocked the same attacker and happened to include at least one creature with banding. Protection: A creature with protection is largely immune to spells, abilities, and permanents with a given characteristic (usually a certain color). This ability is written as "protection from [characteristic]," such as "protection from blue." All forms of protection provide an equivalent set of abilities. For example, if a creature has protection from blue:
Rampage: Creatures with rampage get bigger as more creatures are assigned to block them. Rampage always has a certain value, written as "Rampage X." If more than one creature is assigned to block an attacking creature with rampage X, that creature gets +X/+X until the end of the turn for each creature assigned to block it after the first.
More on Enchantments
Ownership
Tokens Tokens are treated like any other permanent, except that they aren't cards. A token's basic color definition is provided by the text of the effect that produced it, not by that effect's color. Since tokens were never spells, their total casting cost is 0. If a token enters play as a creature, its creature type is the same as its name as well as any described in the text of that effect. Each token is owned, and initially controlled, by the controller of the effect that generated it. If a token leaves play, it's permanently removed from the game.
Counters Counters generally serve one of two functions. First, they can be used to mark long-term changes to a permanent, such as giving a creature +1/+1 permanently. In this case, a single counter is placed on the card to remind the players of the change to that permanent. Second, counters are often used to mark how often an ability may be used. For instance, a card might build up counters of a certain type and then spend them on an ability. Counters that have the same name are considered interchangeable. For example, all effects that give a player poison counters say that a player with ten or more poison counters loses the game. Because these counters are called the same thing, their source isn't important when checking whether a player loses. Also, all poison counters are considered the same for purposes of an effect that removes them. Note that counters aren't tokens, and tokens aren't counters. Tokens are permanents, while counters are used as markers or reminders that a permanent does something special.
Sacrifices
Resolving Effects Effects that search for everything with a certain characteristic (such as a color) find everything with that characteristic, even if it has a related characteristic as well (such as a second color). Conversely, effects that ignore everything with a certain characteristic don't care what other related characteristics something might have. Effects that interact with players, the cards in your hand, your graveyard, and so on state so explicitly; otherwise, effects interact only with permanents. If the source of an effect leaves play, any effect that depends on the source being in a certain state, such as tapped or under your control, end. If a permanent leaves play, all effects that applied to it end with respect to that permanent. If an effect lasts only as long as a certain condition is met, and that condition is no longer met when the effect resolves, the effect ends as soon as it begins. If an effect has some additional effect when a certain condition is met, and that condition has been met by the time the effect resolves, the additional effect also occurs. If a card instructs you to do something, you're forced to do it only if you have the resources available (such as mana in your mana pool, untapped creatures, and so on). Each new effect that resolves is applied after any existing effects. Thus, it's possible for one effect to override another. If an effect gives a creature flying and a later effect removes flying from it, for instance, the result is a creature without flying. The result of a continuous effect is not necessarily final when the effect is first applied to a card, permanent, and so on; if one continuous effect ends, later effects are reevaluated. Giving a permanent an ability it already has often accomplishes nothing, as most abilities are redundant. An effect that causes the permanent to lose the duplicated ability will still cause it to lose the ability entirely, not just the most recent instance of the ability. Effects are always applied to permanents, players, and so forth in the order in which those effects resolve. Permanents are therefore considered to have been in play before any other effects resolved. For example, an enchantment that says all creatures lose flying will apply to creatures that enter play after the enchantment.
Paying Costs You must have all the necessary resources available to pay a cost; for example, you tap lands for mana before playing a spell, not while you're playing it. Some abilities require additional mana to be paid to play a spell. This one-time "fee" is immediate and doesn't affect the spell's casting cost. In the same way, abilities that say a spell costs less to cast don't change a spell's casting cost but instead pay for some of that cost.
Many abilities also have costs to use. Typically these abilities are written in a "cost: effect" format, where "cost" is the activation cost of the ability. The activation cost is normally some amount of mana and/or the Nothing can stop a cost from being paid, and you can't play abilities that might do so. For example, a sacrificed creature is put into its owner's graveyard without giving anyone the chance to play abilities such as regeneration.
More on Targeting A target of an effect might have disappeared or become illegal by the time the effect resolves. In this case, the effect fizzles with respect to that target. If the effect has multiple targets, it fizzles or succeeds against each of them separately. If an effect fizzles with respect to all of its targets, any nontargeted parts of the effect are ignored. Once a spell or ability has been played, its targets are not checked again until the effect resolves. If an effect resolves successfully, it does its best to apply itself to the target for the stated duration, even if the target becomes illegal at some point. Making the target illegal does not end the effect prematurely. (See "Enchantments" for the exception to this rule.) Certain permanents target something when the permanent itself is played rather than when its abilities are played. Such targets must be chosen when the permanent is played, just like the target for any other spell. Once the target's selected, it can't be changed at any point.
Timing When both players want to do something, one of the players is given priority to do so. Typically this will be the active player, with some exceptions noted in the rules or the card text. The player with priority continues to play spells or abilities as long as she desires. When she's done, she yields priority to the other player, who then plays as many spells and abilities as he desires. Once that player yields priority, the chance to play spells and abilities has passed; for example, the first player can't reclaim priority just because the other player has yielded it. The same rules apply when both players are required to do something. If a player is both required and allowed to do something at the same time, she can interchange doing something she's required to do and playing spells and abilities she wants to. A player is free to ignore instructions that can't be followed, such as to play a targeted effect when there are no valid targets for it, but she can't otherwise yield priority if she's required to do something.
Series and Batches The second kind of effects are played in batches, which can occur when the game is in a neutral state, in which both players have the chance to play effects of a certain type. Typical examples of a neutral state are when both players have the chance to play instants during a phase or to play interrupts during the casting of a spell or effect. Each neutral state begins with one player having priority in playing spells or abilities; as always, this is the active player unless otherwise noted. That player can either play a spell or ability, and thus begin a batch of effects, or yield priority to his opponent. The opponent can then either begin a batch of effects or also yield priority. If both players yield priority to begin a batch, that chance to play effects passes; if both players decline to begin a batch of interrupts, for example, the spell being cast becomes successfully cast. If either player begins a batch, both players have the chance to respond to the spell or ability that started the batch. If either player does respond, they can both respond to the second spell or ability, and so on. Whoever had priority to begin the batch of effects always has priority to respond in this way. Once both players yield priority in responding, the batch is complete and begins to resolve in last-in, first-out order; neither player can add another spell or ability to the batch at this point. Once the batch has finished resolving, the game is back to the neutral state. A player can't yield priority during a series of effects or decline to begin a batch of effects if there are any spells or abilities he's is required to play. If he can't legally play such a spell or ability, it's ignored. Neutralizing the ability (by destroying the source or tapping an artifact source, for example) also removes the requirement to play it.
Interrupts Any spell or effect other than mana sources can be interrupted. Interrupts can target only the spell or effect that they interrupt. Since all interrupts target a spell or effect, spells and abilities that interrupt another spell or effect can target only that spell or effect. Some interrupts counter the targeted spell or effect. In this event, the spell or effect is canceled and, if a spell, put into its owner's graveyard. None of the costs paid for the spell or effect are recovered. Any remaining interrupts in the countering interrupt's batch fizzle when they resolve, as they're all targeting the spell or effect that's been countered and which is now an illegal target for interrupts, and the casting does not return to the neutral state. If none of the interrupts played while a spell or effect is being cast counter it or if (as is normally the case) no interrupts are played at all, it's considered successfully cast. The spell or effect will then resolve at the appropriate time--when its turn comes up if it was part of a batch, immediately in most other cases. Some spells that list "Interrupt" as their spell type can be used in several ways, some of which don't target spells or effects. As with any spell or ability that can be used in more than one way, the different ways of playing such spells are played at the appropriate times, rather than necessarily as interrupts.
Mana Sources Mana sources are played, successfully cast, and resolved in one timing step; there's no opportunity to interrupt them, for example. Also, abilities that trigger on one of these events aren't played until after the mana source has resolved.
Triggered Abilities Most triggered abilities must be played; others are optional and typically have a cost. If you don't play a triggered ability during the appropriate series, it can't be played at all. Characteristics of a source are locked in when the ability triggers, not when the ability is played. Thus, once an ability triggers you can (and often must) play it regardless of what happens to the source later. If damage is assigned and abilities are triggered during a timing step, triggered abilities are played before damage prevention begins. If the effect of a triggered ability assigns damage or triggers more abilities, those are handled before playing more triggered abilities from the original series.
Specialized Abilities Before each event, a series of specialized abilities is played. These follow the normal rules for series of effects except that if an ability is played to modify an event, the serial process starts again from scratch, with both players able to modify what the event has become. If an event does more than one thing, it's possible to replace just part of it with another effect. Remember that triggered abilities are never played, and damage prevention never occurs, within a timing step. Therefore, if a specialized ability triggers another ability or causes damage, that effect is delayed until after the timing step during which the specialized ability was played.
Phase Structure Fast effects may be played during each phase except untap and cleanup. Every phase goes through the same basic stages, however:
At the beginning and end of each phase, spells and abilities that are played only at the beginning or end of that phase are played as a series. Effects that were delayed until this time are also played as part of the series. Some permanents have a cost paid during a certain phase. These phase costs are written much like phase abilities, typically as "During this phase, pay this or this happens," but occasionally as "During this phase, pay this. If you cannot, this happens." The former are optional, but if they're not paid, they have the listed consequences. The latter must be paid if you have the resources available, but you don't have to provide those resources. Each phase cost is played according to the rules for instants. When you play this "ability," you either pay the phase cost to play an effect that does nothing or pay nothing to play an effect that does whatever's listed as the penalty. You can't, for example, pay just part of the cost. You can't use any activated abilities of permanents with phase costs until the phase cost's effect has finished resolving, regardless of whether you paid the cost when you played the ability. As usual, if the source of a phase cost leaves play, you can't play that phase cost ability. Tapping an artifact, however, doesn't suppress its phase costs. If a permanent has more than one phase cost that's paid at the beginning of, during, or at the end of a given phase, they combine into a single phase cost, which must be paid in full or carry all of the listed consequences. This cost is played at the latest time any of the individual costs would've been paid. If a permanent's current phase costs are paid and new phase costs appear at or before the time they would be paid, the new costs must still be paid as appropriate.
Damage Prevention At the beginning of damage prevention, abilities that automatically prevent damage or that otherwise trigger when damage is assigned are played as a series of triggered abilities. Damage prevention begins in the "neutral state," with only fast effects that prevent or redirect damage being legal. At the end of damage prevention, abilities that automatically redirect damage are played as a series of effects, followed by all other abilities that trigger when damage is dealt. If any damage is generated or redirected at the end of damage prevention, it's all handled during a damage-prevention step following the current one. Deducting damage from players' life totals and destroying creatures with lethal damage happens as a single step just after the current damage-prevention step but before the next one. If all damage assigned from a source to a creature or player is prevented, that source is no longer considered to be damaging that creature or player. For example, effects that trigger when the source deals damage wouldn't trigger on the damage just prevented. Redirecting damage from a creature or player prevents the damage to the old recipient and creates an identical amount and type of damage being dealt to the new one. New damage generated within the context of a damage-prevention step is absorbed into the current damage-prevention step rather than starting a new one, with the exceptions noted above. As usual, the new damage triggers spells and abilities used only when damage is assigned, so it will be prevented automatically by appropriate effects. Only spells and abilities that prevent or redirect damage may be used during damage prevention, and none of those spells or abilities may be used outside of damage prevention. Spells and abilities that coincidentally let a creature avoid or survive damage can't be played. Spells or abilities that can be played to do more than one thing follow the normal rules for such. For example, if such a spell or ability is played during damage prevention, it can be used only in ways legal during damage prevention.
More on the Turn Untap: No fast effects are allowed. As a phase ability, all your permanents untap simultaneously. Any choices you might be required to make about what to untap are made when you play the ability. Upkeep: Most phase abilities and phase costs are played during this phase. Additionally, some permanents may have untap costs paid during or at the end of upkeep. Untap costs paid during upkeep are played as instants and may be played more than once each turn. Those paid at the end of upkeep are played as part of your "end of upkeep" series. As with phase costs, multiple untap costs are combined into a single cost, which is paid when the last of the individual costs would've been paid. Cards that have or provide untap costs also say that the permanent with the untap cost doesn't untap during the untap phase; this distinguishes them from fast effects that happen to untap something. Draw: As a phase ability, draw a card. Each ability instructing you to draw additional cards is its own phase ability. Main: You have three additional options whenever the main phase is in the neutral state. First, you may begin a batch of effects with a nonfast effect such as a sorcery instead of with a fast effect. Second, if you haven't played a land this turn, you may do so; the land comes into play, and the main phase returns to the neutral state. Finally, if you haven't attacked this turn, you may declare your intention to attack. If your opponent starts a batch of effects, the attack is aborted and you may later that turn again declare your intention to attack. If your opponent doesn't start a batch of effects, the attack begins. This is treated much like the end of a phase, so players take mana burn as appropriate, and their life totals are checked, before the attack begins. Once the attack is over, the main phase returns to the neutral state. Discard: As an "end of discard" ability, if you have more than seven cards in your hand. discard down to seven. Cleanup: No fast effects are allowed. As a phase ability, all damage dealt to permanents this turn wears off, as do all effects that last until end of turn. Once this phase effect resolves, "until end of turn" effects wear off as soon as they resolve, and damage that doesn't destroy a creature is ignored. All "at end of turn" abilities, and effects that happen then, are played as abilities that are played as a series at end of cleanup. This means that once the active player is done playing "at end of turn" effects, any new "at end of turn" effects he controls are ignored.
More on Combat Abilities that apply to combat damage apply only to damage assigned during the damage-dealing steps of combat, not to other damage that happens to be assigned during combat.
Step by Step Fast Effects before Blocking: There can be any number of batches of effects here. Note that once the attack begins, this is the first chance to play fast effects during combat. Declare Blockers: The defending player can assign some, all, or none of her untapped creatures to block a single attacker each. If a creature is assigned to block a member of a band, it's considered to block the other member(s) of the band as well, but not to be assigned to block them. Once a creature is blocked, it remains blocked for the rest of the combat, even if all its blockers are removed or a blocking assignment somehow becomes illegal. Tapped creatures can't block. All creatures required to block something must be assigned as blockers, if possible, before or at the same time as any other creatures are assigned to block. If a creature's required to block more creatures than is legally allowed (normally more than one), it blocks as many of those creatures as it can (again, normally one). Evasion abilities, such as flying and landwalk, restrict the sort of creatures that can block an attacker. If a creature has multiple evasion abilities, a would-be blocker has to deal with all of them before it can be assigned to block the attacker. For example, a creature with both flying and islandwalk can't be blocked, even by creatures with flying, if the defending player controls any islands. Evasion abilities apply only during this step; thus, it's not possible to cancel a block by giving the attacker an evasion ability later in combat. Fast Effects after Blocking: There can be any number of batches of effects here. Remember, destroying a blocker or otherwise removing it from combat doesn't cause whatever it blocked to become unblocked. First-Strike Damage Dealing and Normal Damage Dealing: The two damage-dealing steps follow virtually the same rules. The only difference is who deals damage during each step: creatures with first strike during the first step, and creatures without first strike during the second. All damage assigned during each step is dealt simultaneously, but the active player makes all choices of how to distribute damage first. Attacking creatures that aren't blocked deal combat damage to the defending player. Attacking creatures that are blocked assign combat damage to their blockers. If all of a creature's blockers have disappeared, it doesn't deal combat damage at all unless it has trample. Untapped blocking creatures deal combat damage to whatever they're blocking. A blocker that became tapped before its damage-dealing step (to pay for an ability, for example) doesn't deal combat damage. If damage is being assigned to a group of creatures, the player assigning the damage decides how to distribute the damage among the group. The damage may be piled on one creature, distributed among all the creatures, or anything in between. A creature that can't receive damage can't have any damage assigned to it at all. If any damage is assigned during either of these steps, the step is followed by damage prevention. End of Combat: The end of combat is treated like the end of a phase. Spells and abilities played at end of combat, as well as effects delayed until then, are played as a series. Players are checked for mana burn, and then their life totals are checked. Assuming neither player loses the game at this point, the main phase resumes.
This Is Your Life If you're instructed to lose some amount of life, simply deduct that amount from your life total; you can go to a negative life total in this way. It's not possible to prevent or redirect any loss of life that results from effects that flatly reduce your life total, because that's not considered damage. If an effect says to lose some fraction of your life and you're already at negative life, your life total doesn't change.
Mana Burn You can't store mana in your pool indefinitely, however. Whenever a player's life total is checked (at the end of a phase and at the start and end of an attack), she must first check to see if she has any mana left in her mana pool. Any player with mana in her pool at this point loses that mana and an equivalent amount of life. This is known as mana burn. As with other loss-of-life effects, mana burn can't be prevented or redirected.
Other Ways to Lose A player can concede the game at any time, in which case he loses immediately. Nothing can be done in response to this action; the game is simply over.
Drawing and Discarding
New Math The value is also treated as 0 if the card, permanent, or player doesn't have a value for that characteristic. Lands and tokens, for example, don't have casting costs, so they're considered to have a total casting cost of 0.
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in the activation cost, and you can't attack with it. This is called summoning sickness, as it normally applies to a creature you've just summoned, but it applies to all of your creatures.
. Look in the upper right corner of the card to determine a spell's casting cost. (Costs described in the spell's text don't count as part of the casting cost.) Each 
represents a variable amount of mana. While the spell is being cast, X is the amount of mana that was spent on it when the spell was played; at all other times, X is 0. The total casting cost of a spell is the total amount of mana paid, ignoring the color(s) specified in the casting cost.