Archive-name: games/magic-t-g/rules/part3
Posting-Frequency: About every 5 days
URL: http://www.daeghnao.com/magic/faq/

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Subject: 3.00: Advanced Discussion

This part of the FAQ deals with advanced issues that delve into parts
of the game that have changed, or which are complex. For beginners,
this section gives the answers to some difficult questions; for players
with more experience, the discussion should provide skills that will
help solve most Magic problems. For this part of the FAQ especially,
it's worth having the Comprehensive Rulebook available while reading.

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Subject: 3.01: Templating and identification

Magic card text uses specific templates to indicate that a particular
type of effect is intended. Some of the templates refer to the use
of particular words, some of the templates are simply idiomatic use
of English that Magic has adopted.

The templating has changed over the years, gradually improving to
eliminate ambiguities and inconsistencies. The following points
cover most of the templating found in card texts these days:

- Activated abilities are written with a cost, a colon and an effect.
The effect is a one-shot effect, containing instructions to follow.
The instructions may set up a continuous effect or a delayed triggered
ability.
- Triggered abilities are written using the word when, whenever or at.
They specify either a particular part of a step or phase to trigger at,
a particular event to trigger on, or a particulat state to trigger on.
When they resolve, they have a one-shot effect containing instructions
that may set up a continuous effect or a delayed triggered ability.
- Anything else, including the one-shot effect on a resolving spell or
ability, is a static ability. A static ability may have a one-shot
effect that is activated by spell resolution, or it may have a
continuous effect that is always active while it's in play.

- An instruction can refer to a permanent by its type, by just using
the type word alone. This always refers to a permanent of that type,
not to any other object with that type. So "creature" on its own
always means a creature permanent, and so on.

- A cost can include the tap-symbol. This stands for tapping the
permanent the ability is on, and this cost cannot be paid if the
permanent is a creature that its controller did not continuously
control since the beginning of his or her most recent turn. This is
different to a cost that involves tapping a particular type of
permanent; a creature that isn't eligible for paying a tap-symbol
tap cost may still be used to pay a more general tap-cost.

- An effect may have one instruction that is conditional on choosing
a particular option previously in the effect. This used the phrase
"if you do". It refers to the choice to perform the action, in case
a replacement effect intervened.

- An effect can place a restriction or compulsion on attacking or
blocking. The template for these effects applies only to the act
of declaring a creature as an attacking creature or a blocking
creature. It does not refer to other ways for a creature to become
an attacking or blocking creature.

- Effects often instruct a player to make a choice of some kind. The
only choices available are those that exist within the game. So, a
choice of permanent is limited to the permanents that exist at the
time, a choice of color to one of the five colors, and a choice of
creature type to an existing creature type on a card.

- An instruction can refer to the card that it's on by using the
card's name as a noun. The instruction refers only to that particular
instance of the card. This can get complicated when instructions move
between cards with copy, gain or grant effects:

- When one card copies another, the name references refer to the
card doing the copying.
- When one card grants new abilities to another, the name references
the card doing the granting.
- When one card gains the existing abilities of another, the name
references the card doing the gaining.

In some cases, a card will refer to itself using just the first part
of its name, rather than the whole name - this follows the same pattern:

Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni {4}{B}{B} Legendary Creature - Rat Ninja 5/4
/ Ninjutsu {3}{B}{B}
/ Whenever Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni deals combat damage to a player,
you may put target creature card from that player's graveyard into
play under your control.
/ {1}{B}: Regenerate Ink-Eyes.

Even with all of these guidelines on the templating of Magic cards,
sometimes the templates are not followed strictly in order to fit
the text onto the card in all of the languages in which Magic is
printed.

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Subject: 3.02: Spiders and stone

The rules on the spider ability (the ability to block creatures with
flying, without actually having flying) have changed over the course
of the game. First they were mandatory, then they could have been
considered optional, then they were mandatory again but people often
read them as optional, then another wording change was used, and
finally the whole thing was replaced with a new ability, reach. So
now, the situation is as follows:

The spider ability itself:

Giant Spider {3}{G} Creature - Spider 2/4
/ Reach (This creature can block creatures with flying.)

Flying-evasion:

Stone Spirit {4}{R} Creature - Spirit 4/3
/ Stone Spirit can't be blocked by creatures with flying.

Nonflying-evasion:

Treetop Scout {G} Creature - Elf 1/1
/ Treetop Scout can't be blocked except by creatures with flying.

The Giant Spider can block a creature with flying, and it can block
the Stone Spirit, but it can't block the Treetop Scout.

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Subject: 3.03: Time Vault

The wording and behaviour of Time Vault has changed over the course
of the game. Nowadays, it has a relatively simple wording:

Time Vault {2} Artifact
/ Time Vault comes into play tapped.
/ If Time Vault would become untapped, instead choose one - untap Time
Vault and you skip your next turn; or Time Vault remains tapped.
/ {T}: Take an extra turn after this one.

This wording uses a modal replacement (you choose which replacement to
apply when applying the replacement) and forces the controller to use
up a turn to have the untapping of the Time Vault actually succeed.
This removes a few extremely abusable loopholes with the previous
incarnations of the card, but copy effects and bounce effects can
still make for a potent combo.

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Subject: 3.04: Trample vs. protection

The interaction between trample and protection has changed over the
course of the game. Nowadays, it's as follows:

Combat damage happens in two distinct steps, assignment and dealing.
In assignment, an object is put on the stack that records the source,
destination and amount of each piece of combat damage. If a creature
has trample, then it's legal to assign some or all of the damage from
that creature to the defending player, as long as the assignment
also assigns lethal damage to all creatures blocking the creature
with trample. Lethal damage is considered as however much damage is
needed to make up the difference between damage already on the creature
from before the assignment was made, and the toughness of the creature.
Effects that would alter the amount of damage that actually gets dealt
are not taken into account at this stage.

When the damage is dealt, there may be replacements that alter the
amount of damage or prevent it entirely. This is where the protection
can step in and shield the creature.

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Subject: 3.05: Order of triggered abilities

The way in which triggered abilities have been dealt with has changed
dramatically throughout the history of the game.

When any instruction is followed in the game, it may match the trigger
event of any number of triggered abilities. Each time this happens,
the triggered event triggers. When a player is in the process of
gaining priority to play spells and abilities, players put any triggered
abilities that have triggered onto the stack. First the active player
adds all the triggered abilities that he or she controls, in the
order of his or her choice, and then the non-active player does so.
With multiple non-active players, players go in turn order.

With this system, triggered abilities never go onto the stack while
another spell or ability is resolving. They always wait until a
player is about to gain priority.

Some damage prevention effects have "side-effects", extra things that
are written along with the damage prevention:

Brace for Impact {4}{W} Instant
/ Prevent all damage that would be dealt to target multicolored creature
this turn. For each 1 damage prevented this way, put a +1/+1 counter
on that creature.

These are not usually triggered abilities. They just happen as part
of the event that would have dealt the damage.

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Subject: 3.06: Flagbearers

The original Flagbearer text tried to constrain the target selection for
spells and abilities that could target them, but it was unclear whether
that constraint also affected spells and abilities that change targets.
Nowadays, the wording is clearer:

Standard Bearer {1}{W} Creature - Flagbearer 1/1
/ Whenever a spell or ability an opponent controls is put onto the
stack, if that spell or ability could target a Flagbearer in play
but doesn't, that opponent changes one of its targets to a Flagbearer.

This triggers once each time a spell or ability is played or copied.

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Subject: 3.07: Attack and block restrictions / requirements

The rules handling multiple interacting attack and block modifications
have evolved throughout the game's history. Rule 500 defined legal
attacks and blocks, here is a quick summary of the current state of
affairs:

When you declare an attack, you may pay any costs that are needed to
allow creatures to attack, then pick a set of untapped creatures as
the attacking creatures. Check for any restrictions and requirements
that are violated - if there are, you have to choose a different
set of attackers. To perform this check, first make sure that all
of the restrictions are being met, then look at the requirements.
If the maximum possible number of requirements are being followed,
then the set of attackers is legal.

Example:

Player A controls:

Crazed Goblin {R} Creature - Goblin Warrior 1/1
/ Crazed Goblin attacks each turn if able.

Grizzly Bears {1}{G} Creature - Bear 2/2

Player B controls:

Silent Arbiter {4} Artifact Creature 1/5
/ No more than one creature can attack each combat.
/ No more than one creature can block each combat.

This situation has one requirement, the Crazed Goblin must attack.
It also has one restriction, at most one creature can attack.

The possible sets of attackers that Player A may declare are:

Just the Crazed Goblin: legal, as it satisfies the requirement
without violating the restriction.

The Crazed Goblin and the Grizzly Bears: illegal, as it does not
satisfy the restriction.

Just the Grizzly Bears: illegal, as attacking with just the Crazed
Goblin is legal and satisfies more requirements.

No creatures: illegal, as attacking with just the Crazed Goblin is
legal and satisfies more requirements.

The situation is analogous with blockers: all of the restrictions
must be met, and then a maximum number of requirements must also be
met. An example:

Player A controls:

Razorgrass Screen {1} Artifact Creature - Wall 2/1
/ Defender
/ Razorgrass Screen blocks each turn if able.

Grizzly Bears {1}{G} Creature - Bear 2/2

Player B controls:

Goblin War Drums {2}{R} Enchantment
/ Each creature you control can't be blocked except by two or more
creatures.

Player B is attacking with one creature. Player A's blocking options
are:

Both Razorgrass Screen and Grizzly Bears: legal, as the requirement
for the Razorgrass Screen to block is met, and the restriction for
at least two creatures to block the attacker is also met.

Just the Razorgrass Screen: illegal; while the requirement is met,
the restriction is not, and another legal block is available that
meets the requirements and also satisfies the restrictions.

Just the Grizzly Bears: illegal, as the requirement is not met, and
another legal block is available that does meet the requirement.

Neither creature: illegal, as there is a restriction that could be
met and the requirements can be met as well.

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Subject: 3.08: Compost

There has been some debate over the years as to exactly which
circumstances will trigger a Compost. The main issue arises because
it's possible for the card to be black in the graveyard but not when
it's in the hand, or in play; it's also possible for the card to
be black in the hand or in play but not in the graveyard. Under the
current regime, the trigger event is considered to be a weird mix of
a leaves-play trigger and an ordinary trigger, so the following
results apply:

Compost {1}{G} Enchantment
/ Whenever a black card is put into an opponent's graveyard, you may
draw a card.

Black in opponent's hand, nonblack in opponent's graveyard: No trigger.

Black in play, nonblack in opponent's graveyard: Trigger.

Nonblack in opponent's hand, black in opponent's graveyard: Trigger.

Nonblack in play, black in opponent's graveyard: No trigger.

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Subject: 3.09: Madness

Madness was originally a fairly complex series of triggers so that
the spell could be played using the system of priority. Since then,
other cards have been created that allow a spell to be played when
no player has priority. This created the opportunity to "clean up"
the madness rules. So, whereas before it was possible under some
circumstances to play a land inbetween the discard of the card and
playing the card for its madness cost, these days it's much simpler:

- playing or resolving a spell or ability, or dealing with the discard
to maximum hand size at cleanup, causes you to discard a card.

- the madness ability on the card allows you to replace the card going
to the graveyard with removing it from the game. Doing so triggers
an ability: "you may play this card for its mana cost. If you don't,
put it into your graveyard." Since the madness ability retains the
term 'discard' for this new event, it also triggers anything that
triggers on a discard.

- when a player would next get priority, the triggered ability goes on
the stack. When it resolves, you choose whether to play the removed
card or not. If so, its cost will be the madness cost instead of the
mana cost. If not, it's put into your graveyard.