Mechanics & Rules Guide

The shared game area where permanents remain after they resolve.

Zones

The face-down pile a player draws cards from.

Zones

The private zone containing the cards a player can normally play or cast.

Zones

A public discard pile where used, destroyed, and discarded cards usually go.

Zones

A zone used to set objects apart from the rest of the game.

Zones

The zone where spells and most abilities wait to resolve, newest first.

Timing & Casting

The resource players spend to cast spells and pay costs.

Game Basics

A card or token on the battlefield that remains there until something moves it.

Game Basics

A card or copy on the stack after it has been cast and before it resolves.

Timing & Casting

Text or a characteristic that lets an object affect the game.

Timing & Casting

To declare an untapped creature as an attacker during your combat phase.

Combat

To assign an untapped creature to stop an attacking creature during combat.

Combat

A creature with flying can normally be blocked only by flying or reach creatures.

Combat

Excess combat damage from a blocked attacker can be assigned to what it is attacking.

Combat

The permission a player needs to cast most spells, activate abilities, or take certain actions.

Timing & Casting

A person taking part in the game who makes choices and can win or lose.

Game Basics

A number that tracks how much damage a player can usually take before losing.

Game Basics

The ordered sequence of phases and steps in which one player is active.

Game Basics

A major section of a turn, such as a main phase or combat phase.

Game Basics

A smaller ordered part of a phase, such as the draw step or declare blockers step.

Game Basics

A physical Magic card or a card represented in a digital game.

Cards and Card Types

A permanent card type normally played to produce mana rather than cast as a spell.

Cards and Card Types

A permanent card type that can attack, block, and deal combat damage.

Cards and Card Types

A permanent card type often representing magical objects, tools, or machines.

Cards and Card Types

A permanent card type that creates a lasting magical effect.

Cards and Card Types

A spell card type that can normally be cast whenever its controller has priority.

Cards and Card Types

A spell card type normally cast only during your main phase while the stack is empty.

Cards and Card Types

A permanent card type with loyalty abilities that can be attacked.

Cards and Card Types

A permanent card type that enters with defense counters and can be attacked.

Cards and Card Types

A game object created by an effect that behaves like a permanent but is not a card.

Cards and Card Types

Move the top card of your library into your hand.

Keyword Actions

Shuffle an opening hand away, draw a new seven-card hand, then put cards on the bottom.

Game Basics

Move a card to the stack, make its required choices, and pay its costs as a spell.

Timing & Casting

The total amount of mana in a card's mana cost, regardless of color.

Timing & Casting

A chosen object, player, or zone identified by a spell or ability that uses the word target.

Timing & Casting

Carry out the instructions of the top spell or ability on the stack.

Timing & Casting

Move a spell off the stack without applying any of its effects.

Timing & Casting

An ability that begins with when, whenever, or at and triggers automatically.

Abilities and Effects

An ability written as cost, colon, effect that a player deliberately activates.

Abilities and Effects

Automatic game checks performed before a player would receive priority.

Abilities and Effects

Turn a permanent sideways to show that it has been used.

Keyword Actions

Return a tapped permanent to its upright, ready position.

Keyword Actions

Move a card from a player's hand to that player's graveyard.

Keyword Actions

Put a specified number of cards from the top of a library into its owner's graveyard.

Keyword Actions

A permanent's controller moves it from the battlefield to its owner's graveyard.

Keyword Actions

Any amount of damage from a source with deathtouch is lethal to a creature.

Keyword Abilities

This creature deals combat damage before creatures without first strike.

Keyword Abilities

This creature deals combat damage in both the first-strike and normal damage steps.

Keyword Abilities

This creature can attack and use tap abilities without waiting for your next turn.

Keyword Abilities

Attacking does not cause this creature to tap.

Keyword Abilities

This creature can block creatures with flying.

Keyword Abilities

Damage dealt by this source also causes its controller to gain that much life.

Keyword Abilities

Opponents cannot target this permanent or player with their spells or abilities.

Keyword Abilities

An opponent's spell or ability targeting this permanent is countered unless they pay the ward cost.

Keyword Abilities

You may cast this card any time you could cast an instant.

Keyword Abilities

A creature with defender cannot attack.

Keyword Abilities

This permanent cannot be destroyed by effects or lethal damage.

Keyword Abilities

This attacking creature cannot be blocked except by two or more creatures.

Keyword Abilities

Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

Keyword Abilities

Look at cards from the top of your library, then keep them there or put them on the bottom.

Keyword Abilities