General Rulings Summary Updated 2009/10/23


Rulings are collected from many sources. See credits and disclaimer at theend of the file for details.

This release is under rules used by Magic 2010.

These rulings have been updated monthly with the most recent version available on the web as the following:

http://www.crystalkeep.com/magic/rules

This document contains the complete text of the Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules document published by Wizards of the Coast. These rulesare noted with numbered entries. It also contains additional rulings toclarify or explain some rules. These are marked with the word "Ruling".

A '+' is used to mark changes since the 2009/08/20 release.

Thanx,

Stephen.

Stephen D'Angelo (dangelo@crystalkeep.com) Crystal Keep Editor and Former Wizards of the Coast NetRep


Table of Contents:

1 - Game Concepts 2 - Parts of a Card 3 - Card Types 4 - Zones 5 - Turn Structure 6 - Spells, Abilities, and Effects 7 - Additional Rules 8 - Multiplayer Rules 9 - Casual Variants and Tournaments G - Glossary

1 - Game Concepts

100 - General 101 - The Magic Golden Rules 102 - Players 103 - Starting the Game 104 - Winning and Losing 105 - Colors 106 - Mana 107 - Numbers and Symbols 108 - Cards 109 - Objects 110 - Permanents 111 - Spells 112 - Abilities 113 - Targets 114 - Special Actions 115 - Timing and Priority 116 - Costs 117 - Life 118 - Damage 119 - Drawing a Card 120 - Counters

2 - Parts of a Card

200 - General 201 - Name 202 - Mana Cost and Color 203 - Illustration 204 - Type Line 205 - Expansion Symbol 206 - Text Box 207 - Power/Toughness 208 - Loyalty 209 - Hand Modifier 210 - Life Modifier 211 - Information Below the Text Box

3 - Card Types

300 - General 301 - Artifacts 302 - Creatures 303 - Enchantments 304 - Instants 305 - Lands 306 - Planeswalkers 307 - Sorceries 308 - Tribals 309 - Planes 310 - Vanguards

4 - Zones

400 - General 401 - Library 402 - Hand 403 - Battlefield 404 - Graveyard 405 - Stack 406 - Exile 407 - Ante 408 - Command

5 - Turn Structure

500 - General 501 - Beginning Phase 502 - Untap Step 503 - Upkeep Step 504 - Draw Step 505 - Main Phase 506 - Combat Phase 507 - Beginning of Combat Step 508 - Declare Attackers Step 509 - Declare Blockers Step 510 - Combat Damage Step 511 - End of Combat Step 512 - Ending Phase 513 - End Step 514 - Cleanup Step

6 - Spells, Abilities, and Effects

600 - General 601 - Casting Spells 602 - Activating Activated Abilities 603 - Handling Triggered Abilities 604 - Handling Static Abilities 605 - Mana Abilities 606 - Loyalty Abilities 607 - Linked Abilities 608 - Resolving Spells and Abilities 609 - Effects 610 - One-Shot Effects 611 - Continuous Effects 612 - Text-Changing Effects 613 - Interaction of Continuous Effects 614 - Replacement Effects 615 - Prevention Effects 616 - Interaction of Replacement and/or Prevention Effects

7 - Additional Rules

700 - General 701 - Keyword Actions 701.2 - Activate 701.3 - Attach 701.4 - Cast 701.5 - Counter 701.6 - Destroy 701.7 - Discard 701.8 - Exchange 701.9 - Exile 701.10 - Play 701.11 - Regenerate 701.12 - Reveal 701.13 - Sacrifice 701.14 - Search 701.15 - Tap and Untap 701.16 - Scry 701.17 - Fateseal 701.18 - Clash 701.19 - Planeswalk 702 - Keyword Abilities 702.2 - Deathtouch 702.3 - Defender 702.4 - Double Strike 702.5 - Enchant 702.6 - Equip 702.7 - First Strike 702.8 - Flash 702.9 - Flying 702.10 - Haste 702.11 - Intimidate 702.12 - Landwalk 702.13 - Lifelink 702.14 - Protection 702.15 - Reach 702.16 - Shroud 702.17 - Trample 702.18 - Vigilance 702.19 - Banding 702.20 - Rampage 702.21 - Cumulative Upkeep 702.22 - Flanking 702.23 - Phasing 702.24 - Buyback 702.25 - Shadow 702.26 - Cycling 702.27 - Echo 702.28 - Horsemanship 702.29 - Fading 702.30 - Kicker 702.31 - Flashback 702.32 - Madness 702.33 - Fear 702.34 - Morph 702.35 - Amplify 702.36 - Provoke 702.37 - Storm 702.38 - Affinity 702.39 - Entwine 702.40 - Modular 702.41 - Sunburst 702.42 - Bushido 702.43 - Soulshift 702.44 - Splice 702.45 - Offering 702.46 - Ninjutsu 702.47 - Epic 702.48 - Convoke 702.49 - Dredge 702.50 - Transmute 702.51 - Bloodthirst 702.52 - Haunt 702.53 - Replicate 702.54 - Forecast 702.55 - Graft 702.56 - Recover 702.57 - Ripple 702.58 - Split Second 702.59 - Suspend 702.60 - Vanishing 702.61 - Absorb 702.62 - Aura Swap 702.63 - Delve 702.64 - Fortify 702.65 - Frenzy 702.66 - Gravestorm 702.67 - Poisonous 702.68 - Transfigure 702.69 - Champion 702.70 - Changeling 702.71 - Evoke 702.72 - Hideaway 702.73 - Prowl 702.74 - Reinforce 702.75 - Conspire 702.76 - Persist 702.77 - Wither 702.78 - Retrace 702.79 - Devour 702.80 - Exalted 702.81 - Unearth 702.82 - Cascade 703 - Turn-Based Actions 704 - State-Based Actions 705 - Flipping a Coin 706 - Copying Objects 707 - Face-Down Spells and Permanents 708 - Split Cards 709 - Flip Cards 710 - Controlling Another Player's Turn 711 - Ending the Turn 712 - Subgames 713 - Taking Shortcuts 714 - Handling Illegal Actions 715 - Unglued & Unhinged 716 - Licids 717 - Keyword Abilities

8 - Multiplayer Rules

800 - General 801 - Limited Range of Influence Option 802 - Attack Multiple Players Option 803 - Attack Left and Attack Right Options 804 - Deploy Creatures Option 805 - Free-for-All Variant 806 - Two-Headed Giant Variant 807 - Emperor Variant 808 - Grand Melee Variant 809 - Teams Variant

9 - Casual Variants and Tournament Rules

900 - General 901 - Planar Magic 902 - Vanguard 903 - EDH 910 - Shared Tournament Format Rules 911 - Vintage Tournament Format 912 - Legacy Tournament Format 913 - Extended Tournament Format 914 - Standard (Type 2) Tournament Format 915 - Sealed Deck Formats 916 - Block Constructed Deck Formats 917 - Booster Draft Formats

G - Glossary

G1.1 - Ability G1.2 - Ability Word G1.3 - Absorb G1.4 - Activate G1.5 - Activated Ability G1.6 - Activation Cost G1.7 - Active Player G1.8 - Active Player, Nonactive Player Order G1.9 - Active Team G1.10 - Additional Cost G1.11 - Affinity G1.12 - Alternative Cost G1.13 - Amplify G1.14 - Ante G1.15 - APNAP Order G1.16 - Artifact G1.17 - Artifact Creature G1.18 - Artifact Land G1.19 - Artifact Type G1.20 - As Though G1.21 - Assign Combat Damage G1.22 - At End of Turn (Obsolete) G1.23 - Attach G1.24 - Attack G1.25 - Attack Alone G1.26 - Attack Left Option G1.27 - Attack Multiple Players Option G1.28 - Attack Right Option G1.29 - Attacking Creature G1.30 - Attacks and Isn't Blocked G1.31 - Aura G1.32 - Aura Swap G2.1 - Banding, "Bands with Other" G2.2 - Basic G2.3 - Basic Landcycling G2.4 - Basic Land Type G2.5 - Battlefield G2.6 - Becomes G2.7 - Beginning of Combat Step G2.8 - Beginning Phase G2.9 - Block G2.10 - Block Alone G2.11 - Blocked Creature G2.12 - Blocking Creature G2.13 - Bloodthirst G2.14 - Bury (Obsolete) G2.15 - Bushido G2.16 - Buyback G3.1 - Card G3.2 - Card Type G3.3 - Cascade G3.4 - Cast G3.5 - Caster (Obsolete) G3.6 - Casting Cost (Obsolete) G3.7 - Champion, Championed G3.8 - Change a Target G3.9 - Changeling G3.10 - Chaos Ability G3.11 - Chaos Symbol G3.12 - Characteristics G3.13 - Characteristic-Defining Ability G3.14 - Clash G3.15 - Cleanup Step G3.16 - Collector Number G3.17 - Color G3.18 - Colorless G3.19 - Combat Damage G3.20 - Combat Damage Step G3.21 - Combat Phase G3.22 - Command G3.23 - Concede G3.24 - Conspire G3.25 - Constructed G3.26 - Continuous Effect G3.27 - Continuous Artifact (Obsolete) G3.28 - Control, Controller G3.29 - Control Another Player's Turn G3.30 - Converted Mana Cost G3.31 - Convoke G3.32 - Copiable Values G3.33 - Copy G3.34 - Cost G3.35 - Counter G3.36 - Counts As (Obsolete) G3.37 - Creature G3.38 - Creature Type G3.39 - Cumulative Upkeep G3.40 - Cycling G4.1 - Damage G4.2 - Damage Assignment Order G4.3 - Deal G4.4 - Deathtouch G4.5 - Deck G4.6 - Declare Attackers G4.7 - Declare Attackers Step G4.8 - Declare Blockers G4.9 - Declare Blockers Step G4.10 - Defender G4.11 - Defending Player G4.12 - Defending Team G4.13 - Delayed Triggered Ability G4.14 - Delve G4.15 - Dependency G4.16 - Deploy Creatures Option G4.17 - Destroy G4.18 - Devour G4.19 - Discard G4.20 - Double Strike G4.21 - Draw G4.22 - Draw Step G4.23 - Dredge G4.24 - During (Obsolete) G5.1 - Echo G5.2 - EDH G5.3 - Effect G5.4 - Emperor G5.5 - Emperor Variant G5.6 - Enchant G5.7 - Enchantment G5.8 - Enchantment Type G5.9 - End of Combat Step G5.10 - End Step G5.11 - End the Turn G5.12 - Ending Phase G5.13 - Enters the Battlefield G5.14 - Entwine G5.15 - Epic G5.16 - Equip G5.17 - Equipment G5.18 - Evasion Ability G5.19 - Event G5.20 - Evoke G5.21 - Exalted G5.22 - Exchange G5.23 - Exile G5.24 - Expansion Symbol G5.25 - Extra Turn G6.1 - Face Down G6.2 - Face Up G6.3 - Fading G6.4 - Fateseal G6.5 - Fear G6.6 - First Strike G6.7 - Flanking G6.8 - Flash G6.9 - Flashback G6.10 - Flavor Text G6.11 - Flip Cards G6.12 - Flipped G6.13 - Flipping a Coin G6.14 - Flying G6.15 - Forecast G6.16 - Forest G6.17 - Forestcycling G6.18 - Forestwalk G6.19 - Fortification G6.20 - Fortify G6.21 - Frenzy G6.22 - Free-for-All G7.1 - General G7.2 - Generic Mana G7.3 - Global Enchantment (Obsolete) G7.4 - Graft G7.5 - Grand Melee G7.6 - Gravestorm G7.7 - Graveyard G8.1 - Hand G8.2 - Hand Modifier G8.3 - Haste G8.4 - Haunt G8.5 - Hidden Zone G8.6 - Hideaway G8.7 - Horsemanship G8.8 - Hybrid Card G8.9 - Hybrid Mana Symbols G9.1 - If G9.2 - Illegal Action G9.3 - Illegal Target G9.4 - Illustration G9.5 - Illustration Credit G9.6 - Imprint G9.7 - In Play (Obsolete) G9.10 - In Response To G9.11 - Independent G9.12 - Indestructible G9.13 - Instant G9.14 - Instead G9.15 - Interrupt (Obsolete) G9.16 - Intervening "If" Clause G9.17 - Intimidate G9.18 - Island G9.19 - Islandcycling G9.20 - Islandhome (Obsolete) G9.21 - Islandwalk G11.1 - Keyword Ability G11.2 - Keyword Action G11.3 - Kicker, Kicked G12.1 - Land G12.2 - Land Type G12.3 - Landwalk G12.4 - Last Known Information G12.5 - Layer G12.6 - Leaves the Battlefield G12.7 - Legal Text G12.8 - Legend (Obsolete) G12.9 - Legendary G12.10 - Legend Rule G12.11 - Lethal Damage G12.12 - Library G12.13 - Life, Life Total G12.14 - Lifelink G12.15 - Life Modifier G12.16 - Limited G12.17 - Limited Range of Influence G12.18 - Linked Abilities G12.19 - Local Enchantment (Obsolete) G12.20 - Loop G12.21 - Lose the Game G12.22 - Loyalty G12.23 - Loyalty Ability G13.1 - Madness G13.2 - Main Game G13.3 - Main Phase G13.4 - Mana G13.5 - Mana Ability G13.6 - Mana Burn (Obsolete) G13.7 - Mana Cost G13.8 - Mana Pool G13.9 - Mana Source (Obsolete) G13.10 - Mana Symbol G13.11 - Match G13.12 - Maximum Hand Size G13.13 - Modal, Mode G13.14 - Modular G13.15 - Mono Artifact (Obsolete) G13.16 - Monocolored G13.17 - Monocolored Hybrid Mana Symbols G13.18 - Morph G13.19 - Mountain G13.20 - Mountaincycling G13.21 - Mountainwalk G13.22 - Move G13.23 - Mulligan G13.24 - Multicolored G13.25 - Multiplayer Game G14.1 - Name G14.2 - Ninjutsu G14.3 - Nonbasic Land G14.4 - Nontraditional Magic Card G15.1 - Object G15.2 - Offering G15.3 - One-Shot Effect G15.4 - Opening Hand G15.5 - Opponent G15.6 - Option G15.7 - Oracle G15.8 - Outside the Game G15.9 - Owner G16.1 - Pass G16.2 - Pass in Succession G16.3 - Pay G16.4 - Permanent G16.5 - Permanent Card G16.6 - Permanent Spell G16.7 - Permanently (Obsolete) G16.8 - Persist G16.9 - Phase G16.10 - Phased In, Phased Out G16.11 - Phasing G16.12 - Pile G16.13 - Placed G16.14 - Plains G16.15 - Plainscycling G16.16 - Plainswalk G16.17 - Planar Deck G16.18 - Planar Die G16.19 - Planar Magic G16.20 - Plane G16.21 - Planeswalk G16.22 - Planeswalker G16.23 - Planeswalker Symbol G16.24 - Planeswalker Type G16.25 - Planeswalker Uniqueness Rule G16.26 - Play G16.27 - Player G16.28 - Poison Counter G16.29 - Poisonous G16.30 - Poly Artifact (Obsolete) G16.31 - Postcombat Main Phase G16.32 - Power G16.33 - Precombat Main Phase G16.34 - Prevent G16.35 - Prevention Effect G16.36 - Priority G16.37 - Protection G16.38 - Provoke G16.39 - Prowl G16.40 - Public Zone G18.1 - Rampage G18.2 - Reach G18.3 - Range of Influence G18.4 - Recover G18.5 - Redirect (Obsolete) G18.6 - Redirection Effect G18.7 - Regenerate G18.8 - Reinforce G18.9 - Reminder Text G18.10 - Removed from Combat G18.11 - Remove from the Game, Removed, Removed-from-the-Game Zone (Obsolete) G18.12 - Replacement Effect G18.13 - Replicate G18.14 - Requirement G18.15 - Resolve G18.16 - Respond G18.17 - Restriction G18.18 - Retrace G18.19 - Reveal G18.20 - Ripple G18.21 - Rules Text G19.1 - Sacrifice G19.2 - Scry G19.3 - Search G19.4 - Set Aside (Obsolete) G19.5 - Shadow G19.6 - Shared Life Total G19.7 - Shortcut G19.8 - Shroud G19.9 - Shuffle G19.10 - Sideboard G19.11 - Skip G19.12 - Slivercycling G19.13 - Snow G19.14 - Snow Mana Symbol G19.15 - Snow-Covered (Obsolete) G19.16 - Sorcery G19.17 - Soulshift G19.18 - Source of an Ability G19.19 - Source of Damage G19.20 - Special Action G19.21 - Spell G19.22 - Spell Ability G19.23 - Spell Type G19.24 - Splice G19.25 - Split Cards G19.26 - Split Second G19.27 - Stack G19.28 - State-Based Actions G19.29 - State Trigger G19.30 - Static Ability G19.31 - Status G19.32 - Step G19.33 - Storm G19.34 - Subgame G19.35 - Subtype G19.36 - Successfully Cast (Obsolete) G19.37 - Summon (Obsolete) G19.38 - Summoning Sickness Rule G19.39 - Sunburst G19.40 - Supertype G19.41 - Suspend G19.42 - Swamp G19.43 - Swampcycling G19.44 - Swampwalk G20.1 - Tap G20.2 - Tapped G20.3 - Tap Symbol G20.4 - Target G20.5 - Team G20.6 - Teammate G20.7 - Teams Variant G20.8 - Text Box G20.9 - Text-Changing Effect G20.10 - Threshold G20.11 - Timestamp Order G20.12 - Token G20.13 - Tombstone Icon G20.14 - Total Casting Cost (Obsolete) G20.15 - Total Cost G20.16 - Toughness G20.17 - Tournament G20.18 - Tournament Rules G20.19 - Traditional Magic Card G20.20 - Trample G20.21 - Transfigure G20.22 - Transmute G20.23 - Tribal G20.24 - Trigger G20.25 - Trigger Condition G20.26 - Triggered Ability G20.27 - Trigger Event G20.28 - Turn-Based Actions G20.29 - Turn Markers G20.30 - Two-Headed Giant Variant G20.31 - Type G20.32 - Type Icon G20.33 - Type Line G20.34 - Type-Changing Effect G20.35 - Typecycling G21.1 - Unattach G21.2 - Unblockable G21.3 - Unblocked Creature G21.4 - Unearth G21.5 - Unflipped G21.6 - Unless G21.7 - Untap G21.8 - Untap Step G21.9 - Untap Symbol G21.10 - Untapped G21.11 - Upkeep Step G22.1 - Vanguard G22.2 - Vanishing G22.3 - Variant G22.4 - Vigilance G23.1 - Wall G23.2 - Win the Game G23.3 - Wither G23.4 - Wizardcycling G23.5 - World G23.6 - World Rule G24.1 - X G25.1 - Y G25.2 - You, Your G26.1 - Zone G26.2 - Zone-Change Triggers

Acknowledgements and Disclaimers