Below is the definitive, comprehensive rules to Magic, which should be able to answer most of your questions. If you're still stumped, try posting in the 9th sphere of the Forum, emailing your question, or go to Stephen D'Angelo's card rulings site.
100.2. In constructed play, each player needs his or her own deck of at least sixty cards, small objects to represent any tokens and counters, and some way to clearly track life totals. A constructed deck can have any number of basic land cards and no more than four of any card with a particular English name other than basic land cards.
100.3. For sealed deck or draft play, only forty cards are required ina deck, and a player may use as many duplicates of a card as he or she has. See the most current Magic: The GatheringDCI Floor Rules for more information.
100.4. There is no maximum deck size.
100.5. Most Magic tournaments have special rules (not included here) and may limit the use of some cards, include barring all cards from some older sets. See the Magic DCI Floor Rules for more information.
101.1. At the start of a game, each player shuffles his or her own deck so that the cards in a random order. Each player may then shuffle his or her opponent's deck.
101.2. After the decks have been shuffled, the players determine who chooses which player goes first using any mutually agreeable method (flipping a coin, rolling dice, etc.). In a match of several games, the loser of the previous game decides who will take the first turn. If the previous game was a draw, the person who determined who would take the first turn in the previous game decides.
101.3. Once the starting player hsa been determined, each player sets his or her life total to 20 and draws a hand of seven cards.
101.5. A player who is dissatisfied with his or her initial hand may mulligan. That player shuffles his or her hand back into the deck, then draws a new hand of six cards. He or she may repeat this process as many times as desired, drawing one fewer card each time, until the hand size reaches zero cards. Once the first player has decided to keep a hand, the second player may mulligan. Once both players are satisfied with their hands, the first player takes his or her turn.
102.1. If a player's life total is 0 or less, he or she loses the game the next time a player would receive priority. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)
102.2. When a player is required to draw more cards than are left in his or her library, he or she draws the remaining cards, then loses the game the next time a player would receive priority. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)
102.3. A game immediately ends when either these rules or a card effect states that a player loses or wins.
102.4. If both players lose simultaneoulsy, the game is a draw.
102.5. If a player would both win and lose simultaneously, he or she loses.
102.6. If the game somehow enters a "loop," repeating a sequence of events with no way to stop, the game is a draw. Loops that contain an optional action don't result in a draw.
102.7. A player may concede a game at any time.
102.8. If a player has ten or more poison counters, he or she loses the game the next time a player would receive priority. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)
103.1. The Magic Golden Rule: Whenever a card's text directly contradicts these rules, the card takes precedence. The card overrides only the rule that applies to that specific situation. If an instruction requires taking an impossible action, it's ignored. (In many cases the card will specify consequences for this; if it doesn't, there's no effect.)
103.2. When one effect says something can happen and another says it can't, the "can't" effect wins. For example, if one effect reads "You may play an additional land this turn" and another reads "You can't play land cards this turn," the effect that keeps you from playing lands wins out. Note that adding abilities to cards and removing abilities from cards don't fall under this rule. See rule 407, "Adding and Removing Abilities."
200.1. When a rule or text on a card refers to a "card," it means a Magic card with a Magic card front and the Magic card back. Tokens aren't considered cards—even an Unglued card that represents a token isn't considered a card for rules purposes.
201.1. The parts of a card are name, mana cost, illustration, type, expansion symbol, text box, power and toughness, credit, legal text, and collector number. Some cards may have more than one of any or all of these parts.
201.2. A card, spell, or permanent's characteristics are name, mana cost, color, type and subtype, expansion symbol, rules text, power, and toughness. Any other information about a card, spell or permanent isn't a characteristic. Characteristics don't include any other information, such as whether a permanent is tapped, a spell's target, a spell or permanent's controller, what a local enchantment enchants, and so on.
202.1. The name of a card is printed on its upper left corner.
202.2. Card text that refers to the card it's on by name means just that particular card and not any other duplicates of it, regardless of any name changes caused by game effects. Also, if a card has an effect on or grants an ability that includes that card's name to another card, the name refers only to the card generating the effect or granting the ability, not to duplicates of cards with the same name.
202.3. Two cards have the same name if the English versions of their names are identical, regardless of anything else printed on the cards.
203.1. The mana cost of a card is indicated by mana symbols printed on its upper right corner. Tokens and lands have a mana cost of 0. Paying a card's mana cost requires matching the color of any colored mana symbols as well as paying the generic mana cost indicated.
203.2. A card is the color or colors of the mana symbols in its mana cost, regardless of the color of its border. For example, a card with a mana cost of is white, and one with a mana cost of is both white and black. Cards with no colored mana symbols in their mana costs are colorless. Cards with more than one of the five colored mana symbols in their mana costs are multicolored. Multicolored cards are printed with a gold frame, but this is not a requirement for a card to be multicolored.
203.3. The converted mana cost of a card is the total amount of mana in the mana cost, regardless of color (For example, a mana cost of translates to a converted mana cost of 5). The converted mana cost is a generic mana cost—it may be paid with any combination of colored and/or colorless mana regardless of the colors in the spell's mana cost.
204.1. The illustration is printed on the upper half of a card and has no game significance. For example, a creature doens't have the flying ability unless stated in its rules text, even if it's depicted as flying.
206.1. The expansion symbol indicates which Magic set a card is from. It's printed below the right edge of the illustration.
206.2. The color of the expansion symbol indicates the rarity of the card within its set. A gold symbol signifies the card is rare; silver, uncommon; and black, common or basic land. (Prior to the Exodus set, all expansion symbols were black, regardless of rarity. Also, prior to the Classic (Sixth Edition) set, Magic base sets didn't have expansion symbols at all.)
206.3. A spell or ability that affects cards from a particular set "looks" only for that set's expansion symbol. A card reprinted in the basic set receives the basic set's expansion symbol; any reprinted version of the card no longer counts as part of its original set unless it was reprinted with that set's expansion symbol. The first five editions of the basic set had no expansion symbol.
207.1. The text box is printed on the lower half of the card. It usually contains rules text stating what the card does and any special requirements for playing it.
207.2. The text box may also contain italicized reminder text (in parantheses), which summarizes a rule that applies to that card, and italicized flavor text, which has no game function, but like the illustration, adds artistic appeal to the game.
208.1. A creature card has two numbers separated by a splash printed on its lower right corner. The first number is the creature's power (the amount of damage it deals in combat); the second is its toughness (the amount of damage needed to destroy it). For example, 2/3 means the creature has power 2 and toughness 3. Power and toughness can be modified or set to particular values by effects.
208.2. Some creature cards have power and/or toughness of *, where * is a value determined by the text in the creature's text box. As long as the creature card is in play, the value of * is treated just as if that number were actually printed on the card. The * is 0 while the card is not in play.
211.1. Some card sets feature collector numbers. This information is printed in the form [card number]/[total cards in the set], immediately following the legal text. These numbers have no effect on game play.
212.1. All cards have one or more card types: artifact, creature, enchantment, instant, land, or sorcery. Only one multiple type—artifact creature—currently exists. The artifact creature type satisfies the criteria for any effect that applies to an artifact card or a creature card. A card's type appears below its illustration.
212.2. Some card types include subtypes, printed on the same line. Creature subtypes (including those of artifact creatures) appear after a dash that follows their card type(s). Enchantment subtypes consist of the word "enchant" and the word(s) that follows it, such as "enchant creature" or "enchant artifact." Land subtypes are not printed on the card type line (see rule 212.2c).
212.2a Creature subtypes are always a single word and are listed after "Creature," separated by a long dash: "Creature — Minotaur," "Artifact Creature — Golem Legend," etc. Creature subtypes are one word each and are also called "creature types." Creature cards may have multiple creature types.
Example: "Creature — Minotaur" means the card is a creature with the Minotaur subtype. "Creature — Goblin Wizard" means the card is a creature with the creature types Goblin and Wizard.
212.2b Enchantment subtypes consist of the word "enchant" and the word(s) that follows it: "enchant creature," "enchant land," etc. ("enchant world isn't a type or subtype, but a special category of enchantment found only in some older sets). A card with the type "enchantment" has no enchantment subtype. An enchantment subtype specifies what the enchantment can be legally attached to. "Local enchantment" and "global enchantment" aren't types or subtypes; they're categories of enchantments. (Also see rule 214.8, "Enchantments.")
212.2c Land subtypes are also called "land types" and are always the same as the name of the land card; they aren't listed on the type line. A card named "Island" has land type "island"; a card named "Karplusan Forest" has land type "Karplusan Forest" (Remember that it isn't a forest or a basic land). Only lands with a basic land type get abilities just for being a given land type. (See rule 214.9e.) "Basic land" and "nonbasic land" aren't types or subtypes; they're categories of lands.
212.2d There are no subtypes for artifact cards, instant cards, or sorcery cards.
214.1. A permanent is a card or token in play. Permanents stay in play unless moved to another zone by an effect or rule. There are four types of permanents: artifacts, creatures, enchantments, and lands. Instant and sorcery cards can't come into play.
214.2. A nontoken permanent's type(s) and subtype(s) are the same as those printed on its card. A token's type(s) and subtype(s) are set by the spell or ability that created it.
214.3. A card becomes a permanent when it comes into play and stops being a permanent when it leaves play. The term "card" is often used to refer to a card that's not in play, such as a creature card in a player's hand. "Spell" is often used to refer to a card while it's on the stack. "Spell card" is used to refer to cards that aren't in play and aren't land cards. For more information, see rule 217, "Zones."
214.4. When a permanent's type or subtype changes, the new type(s) replaces any existing type(s). This changes only the permanent type—the card type doesn't change. Counters, effects, and damage affecting the permanent remain with it, even if they are meaningless to the new type.
214.4a Some effects change a permanent's type or subtype but specify that the permanent retains a prior type or subtype. In such cases, the retained type isn't replaced, but any other types the permanent has are replaced.
Example: "An ability reads, "All lands are 1/1 creatures that are still lands." The affected lands now have two types: creature and land. If there were any lands that also had the artifact type before the ability's effect applied to them, those lands would become "land creatures," not "artifact land creatures." The effect allows them to retain the land type, but wipes out the artifact type.
214.4b If a permanent's type changes, the subtypes of its old permanent type don't exist in any way under the new type. The subtype disappears completely for the entire time the card's permanent type is changed. This does not override the rule that a permanent retains its legendary status when its type changes (see rule 215.2).
214.5. The initial value of a permanent's characteristic is the value printed on the card or specified by the spell or ability that created the token or changed the type of the permanent. A permanent-type-changing ability that changes one or more characteristics changes the initial values of those characteristics stated in the ability's text, not the current values. Continuous effects that don't change a permanent's type affect current values of characteristics and can override characteristics set by type-changing abilities.
Example: A player plays an artifact's ability that reads ": This permanent is a 3/2 artifact creature." Later in the turn, the artifact creature is affected by an ability that reads "Target creature is 0/2." At this point, playing the ability of the artifact again won't do anything; because the type-changing ability changes characteristics at the initial level, it can't override the effect. The artifact creature remains 0/2.
214.6. Artifacts
214.6a Artifacts have no characteristics specific to their type. Because artifact spells have no colored mana in their mana costs, they're colorless, and the permanents they create are also colorless. Effects can give artifact spells or artifacts one or more colors, however.
214.6b Artifact creatures combine the characteristic of both the creature and artifact types and are subject to spells and abilities that affect either or both types.
214.7a If a card instruction requires choosing a creature subtype, you must choose one, and only one, existing creature type.
Example: "Merfolk" or "Wizard" is acceptable, but "Merfolk Wizard" is not. Words like "artifact," "opponent," "swamp," or "truck" can't be chosen because they aren't creature types.
214.7b Plurality and gender are ignored when determining creature types.
Example: Ogre, Ogres, Ogress, and Ogresses all count as the same creature type—Ogre.
214.7c A creature's activated ability with the tap symbol in its activation cost can't be played unless the creature has been under its controller's control since the start of his or her most recent turn. A creature can't attack unless it has been under its controller's control since the start of his or her most recent turn. Ignore this rule for creatures with haste (see 502.5).
214.8a A global enchantment simply has "enchantment" as its type. Local enchantments comprise various subtypes: enchant artifact, enchant creature, enchant enchantment, enchant land, and enchant permanent.
214.8b A global enchantment is put into play on the side of the player who controlled the spell that created it, like any other spell that creates a permanent.
214.8c A local-enchantment spell requires a target whose type is indicated by the enchantment subtype. The local-enchantment permanent the spell puts into play must enchant that type of permanent and comes into play attached to the permanent the spell targeted. Any additional targeting requirements are indicated by phrases like "[This card] can enchant only a [permanent with specified characteristics]." These restrictions apply to playing the spell, and they become restrictions on what the resulting permanent can enchant. Similar restrictions can limit what a permanent can be enchanted by. For example, a permanent might have an ability that reads "[This card] can't be enchanted by [local enchantments with specified characteristics]."
Example: An enchant creature spell requires a target creature; a creature enchantment in play must enchant a creature. (See rules 420.5d and 241.8g.)
214.8d As part of playing a local-enchantment spell, the player announces the spell's target. The local enchantment comes into play attached to that target permanent. If a local enchantment is coming into play by any other means, the player putting it into play chooses a permanent for it to enchant as it comes into play. In this case, the enchantment doesn't target the permanent, but the player still must choose a permanent that the enchantment can enchant. If no legal permanent is available, the enchantment remains in the zone from which it attempted to move instead of coming into play. The same rule applies to moving a local enchantment from one permanent to another. The permanent to which the enchantment is to be moved must be able to be enchanted by it. If it isn't legal, the enchantment doesn't move.
214.8e If a local enchantment is enchanting an illegal permanent or the permanent it was attached to no longer exists, the enchantment card is put into its owner's graveyard. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)
214.8f A local enchantment can't be attached to itself. If this occurs somehow, the local enchantment is put into its owner's graveyard as a state-based effect (see rule 420.5d).
214.8g The permanent a local enchantment is attached to is called "enchanted." The enchantment "enchants" or, in more casual terms, "is attached to" that permanent.
214.8h A local enchantment's abilities don't target the permanent it enchants unless they state they can target it. Only the enchantment spell targets the permanent it will enchant; the resulting enchantment permanent doesn't continue to target the enchanted permanent after the enchantment spell resolves. If a permanent "can't be enchanted" in general or by enchantments with specified characteristics, it also can't be the target of a spell that would enchant it with such an enchantment.
214.8i A local enchantment's controller is separate from the enchanted permanent's controller; the two need not be the same. Changing control of the permanent doesn't change control of the enchantment, and vice versa. Only the enchantment's controller can play its abilities. However, if the enchantment adds an ability to the enchanted permanent (with "gains" or "has"), that enchanted permanent's controller is the only one who can play that ability.
214.8k An enchant world card is a global enchantment.
214.9a A land card isn't a spell card, and at no time is it a spell. When a player plays a land card, it's simply put into play. The land card doesn't go on the stack, so players can't respond to it with instants or activated abilities.
214.9b A player may normally play only one land card during each of his or her own turns, only during a main phase, and only when the stack is empty. Spells and abilities may allow the playing of additional lands; playing an additional land in this way doesn't prevent a player from taking the normal action of playing a land. Players can't begin to play a land that an effect prohibits from being played. As a player plays a land, he or she announces whether he or she is using the once-per-turn action of playing a land. If not, he or she specifies which effect is allowing the additional land play. Spells and abilities may also allow you to "put" lands into play. This isn't the same as "playing a land" and doesn't count as the player's one land played during his or her turn.
214.9c Each land card is in one of two categories: basic or nonbasic. Basic and nonbasic are not types or subtypes.
214.9d The basic land types are plains, island, swamp, mountain, and forest. A land with one of these words as its name is a basic land. Other lands can state that they are lands of one or more basic land types. A land that has one or more basic land types is not necessarily a basic land. Moreover, the name of a land with a single land type that's basic becomes that basic land-type word.
Example:Taiga is a land with the following text in its text box: "Taiga is a mountain and a forest in addition to its type." Even though Taiga has two basic land types, it's not a basic land, because (a) it's name doesn't match a basic land type word, and (b) it doesn't specify that it's basic.
214.9e A land with a basic land type has an intrinsic ability to produce colored mana. (See rule 406.1, "Mana Abilities.") The card is treated as if its text box read, ": Add [mana symbol] to your mana pool," even if the text box doesn't actually contain text. Plains produce white mana; islands, blue; swamps, black; mountains, red; and forests, green.
214.9f If an effect changes a permanent into a basic land, the permanent no longer has its old land type and has only the mana ability of that basic land. It is now a basic land, and its name is that basic land's name. If that land was "Legendary," it is no longer. This rule doesn't apply to effects that cause a land to gain one or more land types in addition to its own.
214.9g Any land that isn't a basic land is a nonbasic land. Basic and nonbasic are not types; they're categories.
214.9h Unlike basic lands and lands that have one or more basic types, nonbasic lands don't necessarily have mana abilities.
215.1. The word Legend or Legendary may appear in a card's type or subtype. The permanent created when that card enters play is subject to the Legend rule (see rule 420, "State-Based Effects") as well as the rules for its type and subtype.
215.2. "Legend" is a creature type; "legendary" is not. If a "legendary" noncreature permanent becomes a creature, it gets the creature type "Legend" for as long as it's a creature. If a creature of type "Legend" becomes a noncreature permanent, it's a "legendary" permanent of the new type. In other words, they mean the same thing, except that one refers to creatures and the other to noncreatures.
215.3. If an effect makes a non-Legend creature into a Legend, and the creature then becomes another creature type, such as an enchantment, that effect may no longer apply (if the permanent is no longer a creature). If it doesn't, the resulting permanent will not be legendary.
216.1. Some spells and abilities put a token creature into play. The token is controlled by whomever put it into play and owned by the controller of the spell or ability that created it. The rules text of the spell or ability may define any number of characteristics for the token. These are the token permanent's initial values. A token doesn't have any characteristics not defined by the spell or ability that created it. A token's creature type is the same as its name. A Goblin creature token, for example, is named Goblin and has the creature subtype Goblin. If a token's name is two words or more, it has the creature subtype for each of those words. For example, a Goblin Scout token is named Goblin Scout and has two creature subtypes: Goblin and Scout. Once a token is in play, changing its name doesn't change its creature type, and vice versa.
216.2. A token is subject to anything that affects a permanent in general or that affects the token's type or subtype. A token isn't considered a card (even if represented by cards from other games or Unglued cards) and isn't subject to any effect that specifically uses the word "card."
216.3. A token in a zone other than the in-play zone ceases to exist. This is a state-based effect. (Note that a token changing zones will set off triggered abilities before the token ceases to exist.) Once a token has left play, it can't be returned to play by any means.
217.1. A zone is a place that Magic cards can be during a game. There are six basic zones: library, hand, graveyard, in play, stack, and removed from the game. Each player has his or her own set of zones, except for the in-play and stack zones, which are shared.
217.1a If a card would go to any library, graveyard, or hand other than its owner's, it goes to the corresponding zone of its owner's instead. If an instant or sorcery card would come into play, it's removed from the game instead.
217.1b The order of cards in a library, a graveyard, or on the stack can't be changed except when effects allow it. Cards in other zones can be arranged however their owners wish, although who controls those cards, whether they're tapped, and what enchants them must remain clear to both players.
217.1c A card that moves from one zone to another is treated as a new card. Effects connected with its previous location will no longer affect it. There are two exceptions to this rule: Effects that edit the characteristics of a spell on the stack will continue to apply to the permanent that spell creates, and abilities that trigger when a card moves from one zone to another (for example, "When Rancor is put into a graveyard from play") can find the card in the zone it moved to when the ability triggered.
217.1d If a card or permanent would move from one zone to another, first determine what event is moving the card. Then apply any appropriate replacement effects to that event. If an effect tries to do two or more contradictory or mutually exclusive things to a particular card or permanent, that card or permanent's controller—or its owner if it has no controller—chooses what the effect does to the card or permanent. Then the event moves the card or permanent.
217.2a When a game begins, each player's deck becomes his or her library.
217.2b Each library must be kept in a single face-down pile. Players can't look at or change the order of cards in a library.
217.2c Any player may count the number of cards remaining in either player's library at any time.
217.2d If an effect puts two or more cards on the top or bottom of a library at the same time, the owner of those cards may arrange them in any order. That library's owner doesn't reveal the order in which the cards go into his or her library.
217.2e Some effects tell a player to play with the top card of his or her library revealed. If the top card of the player's library changes during the announcement of a spell or ability, the new top card won't be revealed until the announcement is complete.
217.3. Hand
217.3a The hand is where a player holds cards that have been drawn but not yet played.
217.3b Each player has a maximum hand size, which is normally seven cards. A player may have any number of cards in his or her hand, but as part of his or her cleanup step, the player must discard excess cards down to the maximum hand size.
217.3c A player may arrange his or her hand in any convenient fashion and look at it as much as he or she wishes. A player can't look at the cards in another player's hand but may count those cards at any time.
217.4. Graveyard
217.4a A graveyard is a discard pile. Any card that's countered, discarded, destroyed, or sacrificed is put on top of its owner's graveyard, as is any instant or sorcery spell that's finished resolving. Each player's graveyard starts out empty.
217.4b Each graveyard is kept in a single face-up pile. A player can examine the cards in any graveyard at any time but can't change their order.
217.4c If an effect puts two or more cards into the same time, the owner of those cards may arrange them in any order.
217.5. In Play
217.5a Most of the area between the players represents the in-play zone. The in-play zone starts out empty. Permanents a player controls (other than local enchantments enchanting the other player's permanents) are kept in front of him or her.
217.5b A spell or ability affects and checks only the in-play zone unless it specifically mentions a player or another zone. Permanents exist only in the in-play zone. Only permanents are legal targets for spells and abilities, unless a spell or ability (a) specifies that it can target a player or a card in another zone, or (b) affects an object that can't exist in the in-play zone, such as a spell.
217.5c Whenever a card enters the in-play zone, it's considered a brand-new permanent and has no relationships to any previous permanent represented by the same card (see rule 217.8, "Phased-Out").
217.5d A card not in the in-play zone isn't "in play" and isn't considered tapped or untapped. Cards that aren't either in play or on the stack aren't controlled by either player.
217.6a When a spell or ability is played, it goes on top of the stack and waits to resolve. The stack keeps track of the order that spells and/or abilities were added to it. (See rule 408, "Timing of Spells and Abilities," and rule 409.1.)
217.6b When a spell is played, it goes on the stack face up. Other spells or abilities played in response go on top of it. Abilities that go on the stack are represented by imaginary cards called pseudospells. Each psuedospell from an activated or triggered ability has the text of the ability that created it. The controller of a pseudospell from an activated ability is the player who played the ability. The controller of a pseudospell from a triggered ability is the player who controlled the ability's source when it triggered.
217.6c When both players pass in succession, the top (last-played) spell or ability resolves. If the stack is empty when both players pass, the current step or phase ends and the next begins.
217.7a Effects can remove cards from the game. Some effects may provide a way for the card to return to play and use the term "set aside." Cards that are set aside this way are still removed from the game, even though that removal may be temporary.
217.7b Cards in the removed-from-the-game zone are kept face up and may be examined by either player at any time. Cards "removed from the game face down" can't be examined by either player except when instructions allow it.
217.7c Cards that might return to play should be kept in separate piles to keep track of their respective ways of returning. Cards with no way of returning may be kept in one pile for each player, regardless of what removed them.
217.8b Cards in the phased-out zone may be examined by either player at any time.
217.8c Phased-out cards do not count as tapped or untapped, nor are they controlled by anyone. However, cards in this zone "remember" their previous state and return to play in the same state as when they left. (See rule 502.15, "Phasing.") This is an exception to rule 217.5c.
217.8d Tokens in the phased-out zone cease to exist. This is a state-based effect (see rule 420, "State-Based Effects"). Any local enchantments that were attached to those token creatures remain phased out for the rest of the game.
217.9a Earlier versions of the Magic rules included an ante rule as a way of playing "for keeps." Playing Magic for ante is now considered an optional variation on the game, and it's allowed only where it's not forbidden by law or by other rules. Playing for ante is strictly forbidden under the DCI Universal Tournament Rules.
217.9b When playing for ante, each player puts one random card from his or her deck into his or her ante zone at the beginning of the game. Cards in the ante zone may be examined by either player at any time. At the end of the game, the winner becomes the owner of the cards in each player's ante zone.
217.9c A few cards have the text "Remove [this card] from your deck before playing if you're not playing for ante." This text isn't an ability. These are the only cards that can add or remove cards from a player's ante zone, or change a card's owner.
300.1. A turn consists of five phrases, in this order: beginning, first main, combat, second main, and end. Each of these phases takes place every turn, even if nothing happens during the phase. The beginning, combat, and end phases are further broken down into steps, which proceed in order.
300.2. A phrase or step ends when the stack is empty and both players pass in succession. No game events can occur between turns, phases, or steps. (Simply having the stack become empty doesn't cause the phase or step to end; both players have to pass with the stack empty. Because of this, each player always gets a chance to add new things to the stack before the current phase or step ends.)
300.3. When a phrase or step ends, any effects scheduled to last "until end of" that phase or step expire. When a phrase or step begins, any effects scheduled to last "until" that phase or step expire. Effects that last "until end of combat" expire at the end of the combat phase, not at the beginning of the end of combat step. Effects that last "until end of turn" are subject to special rules; see rule 314.1b.
300.4. When a phase ends (but not a step), any unused mana left in a player's mana pool is lsot. That player loses 1 life for each one mana lost this way. This is called mana burn. Note that mana burn is loss of life, not damage, so it can't be prevented or altered by effects that affect damage. (See rule 406.1, "Mana Abilities.")
300.5. When a phase or step begins, any abilities that trigger "at the beginning of" that phase or step are added to the stack.
300.6. Some spells and abilities can give a player extra turns. They do this by adding the turns directly after the current turn. If a player gets multiple extra turns or if both players get extra turns during a single turn, the extra turns are added one at a time. The most recently created turn will be taken first.
302.1. First, the active player determines which permanents he or she controls will untap. (Normally they all do, but effects may modify this.) Then he or she untaps them all simultaneously. Effects can keep one or more of a player's permanents from untapping normally.
302.2. No player receives priority during the untap step, so no spells or abilities can be played or resolved. Any ability that triggers during this step will be held until a player would receive priority during the upkeep step. (See rule 303, "Upkeep Step.")
302.3. Before a player untaps his or her permanents, all permanents with phasing that player controls phase out, and all permanents that player controlled when they phased out simultaneously phase in. (See rule 217.8, "Phased-Out," and 502.15. Phasing.")
303.1. As the upkeep step begins, any abilities that trigger at the beginning of that upkeep step or that turn's untap step go on the stack. (Upkeep-triggered abilities use the phrase "At the beginning of your upkeep" or similar wording; see rule 404, "Triggered Abilities.") Once all such abilities have gone onto the stack, the active player gets priority. Then players may play spells and abilities.
304.1. As the draw step begins, any abilities that trigger at the beginning of the draw step go on the stack. (Draw-step-triggered abilities use the phrase "At the beginning of your draw step" or a similar wording; see rule 404, "Triggerd Abilities.") Then the draw step action—the active player drawing a card—goes on the stack. This action is a trigged ability, but it isn't controlled by either player. It simply goes on the stack on top of all abilities players control that trigger at the beginning of the draw step. Then the active player gets priority, and players may play spells and abilities.
305.1. There are two main phases in a turn. In each turn, the first main phase, known as the precombat main phase, and second main phase, known as the postcombat main phase, are separated by the combat phase (see rule 306, "Combat Phase"). The precombat and postcombat main phases are individually and collectively known as the "main phase."
305.2. The main phase has no steps, so a main phase ends when both players pass in succession while the stack is empty.
305.3. As the main phase begins, any abilities that trigger at the beginning of that main phase go on the stack. (Main-phase triggered abilities use the phrase "At the beginning of your main phase" or a similar wording; see rule 404, "Triggered Abilities.") Then the active player gets priority, and players may play spells and abilities. (This is the only phase in which a player can normally play artifact, creature, enchantment, and sorcery spells, and only the active player may play these spells.)
305.4. During either main phase, the active player may play one land from his or her hand if the stack is empty, the player has priority, and he or she hasn't yet taken this special action this turn. (See rule 214.9, "Lands.") This action doesn't use the stack and it isn't a spell or ability of any kind. It can't be countered, and players can't respond to it with instants or activated abilities.
306.1. The combat phase has five steps, which proceed in order: beginning of combat, declare attackers, declare blockers, combat damage, and end of combat. The declare blockers and combat damage steps are skipped if no creatures are declared as attackers (see rule 308.4).
306.2. A creature is removed from combat if it stops being a creature (as a result of leaving play by any means, such as by being destroyed or removed from the game), if it regenerates (see rule 419.6b), or if its controller changes. "Removed from combat" means the creature stops being an attacking, blocking, blocked, and/or unblocked creature. Once a creature has been declared as an attacking or blocking creature, spells or abilities that would have kept that creature from attacking or blocking don't remove the creature from combat. Tapping or untapping a creature that's already been declared as an attacker or blocker doesn't remove it from combat and doesn't prevent its combat damage.
307.1. As this step begins, triggered abilities (if any) are added to the stack, and then the active player gets priority to play spells and abilities.
308.1. The active player declares which, if any, creatures he or she controls will attack. Only creatures can attack, and the following creaturse can't attack: tapped creatures (even those that can attack without tapping), Walls, and creatures the active player didn't control continuously since the beginning of the turn. This declaration is simultaneous, not sequential, and doesn't go on the stack. Any triggered ability generated during this action waits until a player would receive priority.
308.2. The active player determines whether the attack is legal. (See section 5, "Additional Rules.") If it is, he or she taps all creatures that will attack. Tapping a creature when it is declared as an attacker is not a cost; attacking simply causes creatures to become tapped. Then the player pays all required costs. Other costs and/or restrictions may also apply. (See rule 409.1f.) The active player may play mana abilities at this time only if an attack cost includes a mana payment.
308.3. If the proposed attack isn't legal or the active player can't pay all required costs, all actions described in rules 308.1 and 308.2 are canceled. Then the active player redeclares which creatures will attack. (See rule 422, "Handling Illegal Actions.")
308.4. If no creatures are declared as attackers, the game proceeds directly the end of combat step, skipping the remainder of the declare attackers step as well as the entire declare blockers and combat damage steps.
308.5. A creature becomes an attacking creature when it has been declared as part of a legal attack and all attack costs have been paid, but only if it's controlled by the active player. It remains an attacking creature until it's removed from combat or the combat phase ends, whichever comes first. The nonactive player is considered to have been attacked that turn at this time if one or more creatures are attacking.
308.5a A creature is considered attacking alone if it's the sole creature declared as an attacker in a given combat phase.
308.6. After a legal attack has been declared and all required costs have been paid, the active player receives priority to play spells and abilities.
309.1. The defending player declares which, if any, creatures he or she controls are blocking and which attacking creature each one blocks. Tapped creatures and noncreature permanents can't be declared as blockers. Each creature may block only one attacking creature, although any number of creatures may block the same attacking creature. (Note that blocking doesn't cause a creature to tap.) This declaration is simultaneous, not sequential, and doesn't go on the stack. Any triggered ability generated during this action waits until a player would receive priority.
309.2. The defending player whether the block is legal. (See section 5, "Additional Rules.") If it is, he or she pays all required costs. A player may play mana abilities at this time only if a blocking cost that player could pay includes a mana payment.
309.3. If the proposed block isn't legal or the defending player can't pay all required costs, all actions described in rules 309.1 and 309.2 are canceled. Then the defending player redeclares blocking creatures. (See rule 422, "Handling Illegal Actions.")
309.4. A creature becomes a blocking creature when it has been declared as part of a legal block and all block costs have been paid, but only if it's controlled by the defending player. An attacking creature with one or more creatures declared as blockers for it becomes a blocked creature; one with no blockers becomes an unblocked creature. The creature's status remains unchanged until the creature is removed from combat or the combat phase ends, whichever comes first.
309.4a A creature is considered blocking alone if it's the sole creature declared as a blocker in a given combat phase.
309.5. After all legal blocks have been declared and all required costs have been paid, the active player receives priority to play spells and abilities.
310.1. First the active player announces how each attacking creature will assign its combat damage. Then the defending player announces how each blocking creature will assign its combat damage. (See also rule 502.2, "First Strike.") A player may divide a creature's combat damage as he or she chooses among the legal recipients. Dividing combat damage is subject to the following restrictions:
310.1a Each attacking creature and each blocking creature will assign combat damage equal to its power.
310.1b An unblocked creature will assign all its combat damage to the defending player.
310.1c A blocked creature will assign combat damage, divided as its controller chooses, to the creatures blocking it. If no creatures are currently blocking it (if, for example, they were destroyed or removed from combat), it will assign no combat damage.
310.1d A blocking creature will assign combat damage, divided as its controller chooses (no fractions), to the attacking creature it's blocking. If it isn't currently blocking any creatures (if, for example, they were destroyed or removed from combat), it will assign no combat damage.
310.2. All assignments of combat damage go on the stack as though they were a single pseudospell. Then the active player receives priority to play spells and abilities.
310.3. Although combat-damage assignments go on the stack, they aren't spells or abilities, so they can't be countered.
310.4. Combat damage resolves as though it were a pseudospell. When it resolves, it's dealt as originally assigned. This happens even if the creature dealing damage is no long in player, its power has changed, or the creature receiving damage has left combat. (Note that the source of the damage is the creature as it currently exists, or as it most recently existed if it is no longer in play.) If a creature that was supposed to receive damage is no longer in play or is longer a creature, the damage assigned to it isn't dealt. After combat damage finishes resolving, the active player gets priority.
311.1. All "at end of combat" abilities trigger and go on the stack. (See rule 404, "Triggered Abilities.") Then the active player receives priority to play spells and abilities.
313.1. The end of turn steps begins with the cative player having priority. All "at end of turn"-triggered abilities trigger and go on the stack. Then the players may play spells and abilities.
313.2. If "at end of turn"-triggered abilities are created or if cards with "at end of turn"-triggered abilities come into play after preexisting ones have already gone on the stack at the beginning of the end of turn step, those abilities won't go on the stack until the next turn's end phase. In other words, the step doesn't "back up" so new "at end of turn"-triggered abilities can go on the stack.
314.1. The cleanup step proceeds in the following order.
314.1a First, if the active player's hand contains more cards than his or her maximum hand size (normally seven), he or she discards enough cards to reduce the hand size to that number. This action doesn't go on the stack.
314.1b Then, simultaneously, all damage is removed from permanents and all "until end of turn" and "this turn" effects end. This action doesn't go on the stack.
314.1c Then, only if the conditions for any state-based effects exist or if any abilities have triggered, the active player receives priority to play spells and abilities. Once the stack is empty and both players pass, another cleanup step begins. Otherwise, no player receives priority and the step ends.
400.1. An ability is text in a card's text box that generates an effect. Reminder text, flavor text, characteristic-setting text, and spell text are not abilities. Reminder text and flavor text always appear in italics. Characteristic-setting text is any test that states that that card "is" a particular characteristic of a card or permanent. Spell text is any text that's followed as a spell is played or is resolving. Abilities generate effects only from the in-play zone unless they state otherwise. Text itself is never an effect. Spells, activated abilities, and triggered abilities generate effects when they resolve. Static abilities generate continuous effects.
401.1. A card on the stack is a spell. As the first step of being played, the card becomes a spell and goes on the stack from the zone it was played from (usually the player's hand). (See rule 217.6, "Stack.") A copy of a spell is also a spell, even if it has no card associated with it. A spell stops being a spell when it resolves (see rule 413.2), is countered (see rule 414, "Countering Spells and Abilities"), or leaves the stack somehow.
401.2. Each card type other than land has a corresponding spell type. For example, a played creature card is a creature spell until it resolves, is countered, or leaves the stack. An instant or sorcery spell is targeted if it uses the phrase "target [something]" in its spell text, where the "something" is a phrase that describes a permanent, spell, ability, card, or player. Also, local enchantment spells target the permanent they will enchant.
401.3. As the final part of an instant or sorcery spell's resolution, the card is put into its owner's graveyard. As the final part of an artifact, creature, or enchantment spell's resolution, the card becomes a permanent and is put into the in-play zone under the control of the spell's controller. If any spell is countered, the card is put into its owner's graveyard as part of the resolution of the countering spell or ability. (See rule 413, "Resolving Spells and Abilities.")
402.1. An ability is text on a card or permanent that's not reminder text, flavor text, characteristic-setting text, or spell text (see rule 400.1). The result of following such an instruction or of following a spell's text is an effect. (See rule 416, "Effects.") Abilities can affect the cards or permanents they're on; they can also affect other cards, permanents, and/or players. Abilities can grant abilities to other cards or permanents or to the cards or permanents they're on; they do when the word "has," "have," "gains," or "gain" are used.
402.2. Abilities can be beneficial or detrimental. For example, "[This creature] can't block" is an ability.
402.3. Text on a card stating that the card "is" a particular type or color isn't an ability. Such statements apply no matter what zone the card is in and aren't removed by effects that cause a permanent to lose its abilities. This rule applies only to text that states a card's type or color, not to other characteristic-setting text.
402.4. An additional cost or alternative cost to play a card isn't an ability of the card. Such text is spell text.
402.5. An ability isn't a spell and therefore can't be countered by anything that counters only spells. Abilities can be countered by effects that specifically counter abilities, as well as by the rules (for example, an ability with one or more targets is countered if all its targets become illegal).
402.6. Once activated or triggered, an ability exists independently of its source (the card on which it's printed) as a pseudospell on the stack. Destruction or removal of the source after that time won't affect the ability. Note that some abilities cause a source to do something (for example, "Prodigal Sorcerer deals 1 damage to target creature or player") rather than the ability doing anything directly. In these cases, any spell, activated ability, or triggered ability that references information about the source will check that information when the ability resolves, or will use the source's last known information if it's no longer in play.
402.7. A card may have several abilities. Aside from certain defined abilities that may be strung together on a single line (see rule 502, "Keyword Abilities"), each paragraph break in a card's text marks a separate ability. A card may also have multiple instances of the same ability. Each instance functions independently. This may or may not produce more effects than a single instance; refer to the specific ability for more information.
402.8. Abilities function only while the permanent with the ability is in play unless the ability states otherwise or unless the ability can only work, trigger, or be played in a zone other than the in-play zone.
Example: An ability with a cost that includes "discard this card from your hand" can be played only if the card is in your hand.
402.9. Some cards have abilities that can be played when the card is not in play. These are clearly marked (for example, "Play this card only if [this card] is in your graveyard"). These abilities aren't of any particular permanent type—cards not in play aren't permanents. Some cards have abilities that can trigger while the card is in a zone other than the in-play zone. Such abilities specify the zone from which they trigger. They aren't abilities of any particular permanent type because cards not in play aren't permanents.
402.10. There are three general types of abilities: activated, triggered, and static. Mana abilities are an ability subtype. Abilities can generate one-shot effects or continuous effects. Replacement effects and prevention effects are effect subtypes. An activated or triggered ability is targeted if it uses the phrase "target [something]" in its text, where the "something" is a phrase that describes a permanent, spell, ability, card, or player.
403.1. An activated ability can exist in one of two places: on a permanent or on a card outside the in-play zone with the text "Play this ability only if [this card] is in [zone]." An activated ability is written as "cost: effect." The activation cost is everything before the colon (:). The ability's controller must pay its activation cost to play it.
403.2. Only a permanent's controller can play its activated ability unless the card specifically says otherwise.
403.3. If an activated ability has a restriction on its use (for example, "Play this ability only once each turn"), the restriction continues to apply to that permanent even if its controller changes.
404.1. A triggered ability begins with the word "when," "whenever," or "at." The phrase containing one of these words is the trigger condition, which defines the trigger event. A delayed trigger ability will also contain one of these three words, although that word won't usually begin the ability.
404.2. Triggered abilities aren't played. Instead, a triggered ability automatically "triggers" each time its trigger event occurs. Once an ability has triggered, it goes on the stack the next time a player would receive priority.
404.3. A triggered ability may read "When/Whenever/At . . ., if [condition], [effect]." The ability checks for the stated condition to be true when the trigger event occurs. If it is, the ability triggers and goes on the stack. On resolution, the ability rechecks the condition. If the condition isn't true at either of those times, the ability does nothing. This rule is referred to as the "intervening 'if' clause" rule. Note that the word "if" has only its normal English meaning anywhere else in the text of a card; this rule only applies to an "if" that immediately follows a trigger condition.
406.1a A mana ability is either (a) an activated ability that puts mana into a player's mana pool when it resolves or (b) a triggered ability that triggers from an activated mana ability and produces additional mana. A mana ability can generate other effects at the same time it produces mana.
406.1b Spells that put mana into a player's mana pool aren't mana abilities. They're played and resolved exactly like any other spells. Triggered abilities that put mana into a player's mana pool aren't mana abilities if they trigger from events other than activating mana abilities. They go on the stack and resolve like any other triggered abilities.
406.1c A mana ability remains a mana ability even if the game state doesn't allow it to produce mana.
Example: A card has an ability that reads ": Add to your mana pool for each creature you control." This is still a mana ability even if you control no creatures, or if the card is already tapped.
406.1d A mana ability can be activated or triggered. However, the rules for playing and resolving mana abilities differ slightly from those for playing other abilities. See rule 411, "Playing Mana Abilities," for details.
406.1e Mana abilities are played and resolved like other abilities, but they don't go on the stack, so they can't be countered or responded to. (See rule 408.2, "Actions That Don't Use the Stack.") Abilities (other than mana abilities) that trigger on playing mana abilities do go on the stack, however.
406.2b Delayed triggered abilities come from spells or other abilities that create them on resolution. That means a delayed triggered ability won't trigger until it has actually been created, even if its trigger event occurred just beforehand. Other events that happen earlier may make the trigger event impossible.
Example: Part of an effect reads "when the card leaves play," but the card in question leaves play before the spell or ability creating the effect resolves. In this case, the delayed ability never triggers. As another example, if an effect reads "when this card becomes untapped" and the named card becomes untapped before the effect resolves, the ability waits for the next time that card untaps.
406.2c A delayed ability that refers to a particular permanent still affects it even if the permanent changes characteristics.
Example: An ability reading, "At end of turn, destroy that creature" will destroy the permanent even if it's no longer a creature during the end of turn step.
406.2d A delayed ability that refers to a particular permanent will fail if the permanent leaves play (even if it returns again before the specified time). Similarly, delayed triggered abilities that apply to a card in a particular zone will fail if the card leaves that zone.
Example: An ability reading, "At end of turn, remove this creature from the game" won't do anything if the creature leaves play before the end of turn step.
406.2e A delayed triggered ability will trigger only once—the next time its trigger event occurs—unless it has a stated duration, such as "this turn."
407.1. Effects can add or remove abilities of permanents. If two or more effects add and remove the same ability, in general the most recent one prevails. (See rule 418.5, "Interaction of Continuous Effects.")
407.2. A permanent's characteristic set by an effect is different from an ability granted by an effect. When a permanent "gains" or "has" an ability, it can be removed by another effect. If an effect defines a characteristic of the permanent ("[permanent] is [characteristic]"), it's not granting an ability. (See also rule 402.3.)
Example: An effect reads, "Enchanted creature has 'This creature is an artifact. It's still a creature.'" This effect grants an ability to the creature that can be removed by other effects. Another effect reads, "Enchanted creature is an artifact. It's still a creature." This effect simply defines a characteristic of the creature. It doesn't grant an ability, so effects that would cause the creature to lose its abilities wouldn't cause the enchanted creature to stop being an artifact.
407.3. Effects that remove an ability remove all instances of it.
Example: If a creature with flying is enchanted with Flight, it has two instances of the flying ability. A single effect that reads "Target creature loses flying" will remove both.
408.1a Spells and abilities can be played only at certain times and follow a set of rules for doing so.
408.1b Spells and activated abilities are played by players (if they choose) using a system of priority, while other types of abilities and effects are automatically generated by the game rules. Each time a player would get priority, all applicable state-based effects resolve first as a single event (see rule 420, "State-Based Effects"). Then, if any new state-based effects have been generated, they resolve as a single event. This process repeats until no more applicable state-based effects are generated. Then triggered abilities are added to the stack (see rule 410, "Handling Triggered Abilities"). These steps repeat in order until no further state-based effects or triggered abilities are generated. Then the player who would have received priority does so and may play a spell, ability, or land as governed by the rules for that phase. The game also checks for state-based effects and triggered abilities during the cleanup step (see rule 314, "Cleanup Step"). If any state-based effects resolve or abilities trigger, the active player gets priority afterward.
408.1c The active player gets priority at the beginning of most phases and steps, after special actions and abilities that trigger at the beginning of that phase or step go ont he stack. (The exceptions are the untap step and the cleanup step.) The active player also gets priority after combat damage resolves. The player with priority may either play a spell or ability, or pass. If he or she plays a spell or ability, the player again receives priority; otherwise, his or her opponent receives priority. If both players pass in succession, the top spell or ability on the stack resolves, then the active player receives priority. If the stack is empty when both players pass in succession, the phase or step ends and the next one begins.
408.1d A player may play a spell or activated ability only when he or she has priority. Spells other than instants can be played only during a player's main phase, when that player has priortiy, and only when the stack is empty.
408.1e When a spell is played, it goes on top of the stack. When an activated ability is played, a pseudospell representing it goes on the stack.
408.1f Triggered abilities can trigger at any time, including during the playing or resolution of a spell or another ability. However, nothing actually happens at the time the abilities trigger. Each time a player would receive priority, a pseudospell goes on the stack for each ability that has trigger but that hasn't yet been put on the stack. Then the player gets priority and may play spells or abilities. (See rule 410, "Handling Triggered Abilities.")
408.2a Effects don't go on the stack; they're the result of spells and abilities resolving. Effects may create delayed triggered abilities, however, and these may go on the stack when they trigger. (See rule 406.2, "Delayed Triggered Abilities.")
408.2b Static abilities continuosly generate effects and don't go on the stack.
408.2cState-based effects (see rule 420) resolve whenever a player would receive priority as long as the required game condition is true.
408.2d Playing a land is a special action consisting of putting that land into play. (See rule 214.9, "Lands.")
408.2e Mana abilities resolve immediately. If a mana ability produces both mana and another effect, both the mana and the other effect resolve immediately. (See rule 406.1, "Mana Abilities.")
408.2f Characteristic-setting text, such as "[This card] is a forest," is simply read and followed as applicable. (See also rule 402.3.)
408.2g Game actions-untapping during the untap step, declaring attacking or blocking creatures, cleanup, and mana burn—don't use the stack. The two exceptions are combat damage and the draw action of the draw step.
408.2h The controller of a face-down creature or creature spell may turn it face up whenever he or she has priority. (See rule 504, "Face-Down Creatures.")
409.1. If, at any point during the playing of a spell or ability, a player is unable to comply with any of these steps listed below, the spell was played illegally; the game returns to the moment before the spell or ability was played.
409.1a The player announces that he or she is playing the spell or ability. It goes on the stack and remains there until it's countered or resolves. Spell cards are physically placed on the stack. For abilities, a pseudospell with the text of the ability goes on the stack. All other characteristics of the pseudospell depend on the characteristics of the ability's rouce. For example, such a pseudospell's color would be continuously determined by the color of its source, not just the source's color when the pseudospell went on the stack.
409.1b If the spell or ability is modal (uses the phrase "Choose one —" or "[specified player] chooses one —", the player announces the mode choice. If the spell or ability has a variable mana cost (indicated by "X") or some other variable cost, the player announces the value of that variable at this time. If the spell or ability has alternative, additional, or other special costs (such as buyback or kicker costs), the player announces his or her intentions to pay any or all of those costs (see rule 409.1f). Previously made choices (such as choosing to play a spell with flashback from his or her graveyard) may restrict the player's options when making these choices.
409.1c If the spell or ability requires any targets, the player first announces how many targets he or she will choose (if the spell or ability has a variable number of targets), then announces the targets themselves. A spell or ability can't be played unless the required number of legal targets are chosen. The same target can't be chosen multiple times. If the spell or ability targets one or more targets only if an alternative, additional, or special cost (such as a buyback or kicker cost) is paid for it, or if a particular mode is chosen for it, its controller chooses those targets only if he or she announced the intention to pay that cost to chose that mode. Otherwise, the spell or ability is played as though it did not have those targets.
409.1d If the spell or ability affects several targets in different ways, the player announces how it will affect each target.
409.1e If the spell or ability requires the player to divide an effect (such as damage or counters) among a variable number of targets, the player announces the division. Each of these targets must receive at least one of whatever is being divided (for example, damage or counters); this doesn't apply when the player isn't given a choice.
409.1f The player determines the total cost of the spell or ability. Usually this is just the mana cost (for spells) or activation cost (for abilities). Some cards list additional or alternative costs in their text, and some effects may increase or reduce the cost to pay. Costs may include paying mana, tapping cards, sacrificing permanents, discarding cards, and so on. The total cost is the mana or activation cost, plus all cost increases and minus all cost reductions. Once the total cost is determined, it becomes "locked in," and the player then pays all costs in any order. Partial payments are not allowed. If effects would change the total cost after this time, they have no effect. If the cost includes mana, mana abilities can be played at this time. Once the total cost is determined, it becomes "locked in," and the player then has a chance to play mana abilities (see rule 411, "Playing Mana Abilities"). Once the player has enough mana in his or her mana pool, he or she pays all costs in any order.
Example: You play Death Bomb, which costs and has an additional cost of sacrificing a creature. You sacrifice Thunderscape Familiar, whose effect makes your black spells cost less to play. Because a spell's total cost is "locked in" before payments are actually made, Death Bomb costs , not , even though you're sacrificing the Familiar.
409.1g Once the step described in 409.1a, 409.1b, 409.1c, 409.1d, 409.1e, and 409.1f are completed, the spell or ability becomes played. Its controller gains priority.
409.2. Activated abilities that read "Play this ability only any time you could play [spell type]" mean the player must follow the timing rules for that spell type, though the ability isn't actually of that spell type.
409.3. A creature's activated ability with the tap symbol in its activation cost can't be played unless the creature has been under its controller's control since the start of his or her most recent turn. Creatures with haste may ignore this rule (see rule 502.5).
410.1. Because they aren't played, triggered abilities can trigger even when it isn't legal to play spells and abilities, and effects that prevent abilities from being played don't affect them.
410.2. Whenever a game event or game state matches a triggered ability's trigger event, that ability triggers. When a phase or step begins, all abilities that trigger "at the beginning of" that phase or step trigger. The ability doesn't do anything when it triggers but automatically put a pseudospell (see rule 217.6b) on the stack as soon as a player would receive priority. The ability (and the pseudospell) is controlled by the player who controlled its source at the time it triggered. If the ability syas a player "may" do something, that player makes all choices for that instruction. If the ability says this for more than one player, each player specified makes the choices for their instructions. See also rule 410.6.
410.3. If multiple abilities have triggered since the last time a player received priority, pseudospells controlled by the active player go on the stack first, in any order he or she chooses, then those controlled by the opponent go on the stack in any order that opponent chooses. Then players once again check for and resolve state-based effects until none are generated, then abilities that triggered during this process go on the stack. This process repeats until no new state-based effects are generated and no abilities trigger. Then the appropriate player gets priority.
410.4. A player can't begin to play a spell or activated ability that's prohibited from being played by an effect.
410.5. Some triggered abilities' effects are optional (they contain "may," as in "At the beginning of your upkeep, you may draw a card"). These abilities go on the stack when they trigger, regardless of whether their controller intends to exercise the ability's option or not. (The choice is made when the ability resolves.) Likewise, triggered abilities that have an effect "unless" something is true or a player chooses to do something will go on the stack normally; the "unless" part of the ability is dealt with when the ability resolves. Note that this rule is a reversal of rule 410.5 in previous editions of this rulebook.
410.6. An ability triggers only once each time its trigger event occurs. However, it can trigger repeatedly if one event contains multiple occurrences. See also rule 410.9.
Example: A permanent has an ability whose trigger condition reads, "Whenever a land is put into a graveyard from play, . . . ." If someone plays a spell that destroys all lands, the ability will trigger once for each land put into the graveyard during the spell's resolution.
410.7. An ability triggers only if its trigger event actually occurs. An event that's prevented or replaced won't trigger anything.
Example: An ability that triggers on damage being dealt won't trigger if all the damage is prevented.
410.8. Triggered abilities with a condition directly following the trigger event (for example, "When/Whenever/At [trigger], if [condition], [effect]"), check for the condition to be true as part of the trigger event; if it isn't, the ability doesn't trigger. The ability checks the condition again on resolution. If it's not satisfied, the ability does nothing. Note that this mirrors the check for legal targets. Note that this rule doesn't apply to any triggered ability with a condition elsewhere within its text.
410.9. Some abilities trigger when creatures block or are blocked in combat. (See rules 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, and section 5, "Additional Rules.") They may trigger once or repeatedly, depending on the wording of the ability.
410.9a An ability that reads "Whenever [this creature] blocks" or "Whenever [this creature] becomes blocked" triggers only once each combat for that creature, even if it blocks or is blocked by multiple creatures. An effect that causes the creature to become blocked (if the creature wasn't already blocked) will also trigger such abilities.
410.9b An ability that reads "Whenever [this creature] blocks a creature" triggers once for each attacking creature the named creature blocks.
410.9c An ability that reads "Whenever a creature blocks [this creature]" triggers once for each creature that blocks the named creature. It won't trigger if the attacking creature becomes blocked by an effect rather than a blocking creature.
410.9d If an ability triggers when a creature blocks or is blocked by a particular number of creatures, the ability triggers only if the creature blocks or is blocked by that many creatures when the attack or block declaration is made. Effects that add or remove blockers can cause such abilities to trigger, but effects that switch blockers cannot. This also applies to abilities that trigger on a creature blocking or being blocked by at least a certain number of creatures.
410.10. Trigger events that involve cards or permanents changing zones are called "zone-change triggers." Many abilities with zone-change triggers attempt to do something to that card after it changes zones. During resolution, these abilities look for the card in the zone that it moved to. If the card is unable to be found in the zone it went to, the part of the ability attempting to do something to the card will fail to do anything. The ability could be unable to find the card because the card never entered the specified zone, because it left the zone before the ability resolved, or because it is in a zone that is hidden from a player, such as a library or an opponent's hand. (This rule applies even if the card leaves the zone and returns again before the ability resolves.) The most common types of zone-change triggers are comes-into-play triggers and leaves-play triggers.
410.10a Comes-into-play abilities trigger when a permanent enters the in-play zone. These are written, "When [this card] comes into play, . . ." or "Whenever a [type] comes into play, . . ." Each time an event puts one or more permanents into play, all permanents in play (including the newcomers) are checked for any comes-into-play triggers that match the event.
410.10b Continuous effects that modify characteristics of a permanent do so the moment the permanent is in play (and not before then). The permanent is never in play with its unmodified characteristics. Continuous effects don't apply before the permanent is in play, however (see rule 410.10e).
Example: If an effect reads "All lands are creatures" and a land card is played, the effect makes the land card into a creature the moment it enters play, so it would trigger abilities that trigger when a creature comes into play. Conversely, if an effect reads "All creatures lose all abilities" and a creature card with a comes-into-play triggered ability enters play, that effect will cause it to lose its abilities the moment it enters play, so the comes-into-play ability won't trigger.
410.10c Leaves-play abilities when a permanent leaves the in-play zone. These are written as, but aren't limited to, "Whenever [this card] leaves play, . . ." or "Whenever [permanent type] is put into a graveyard from play, . . . ." An ability that attempts to do something to the card that left play checks for its only in the first zone that it went to.
410.10d Abilities that trigger on one or more permanents leaving play, or on a player losing control of a permanent, must be treated specially because the permanent with the ability may no longer be in play after the event. The game has to "look back in time" to determine what triggered. Each time an event removes from play or changes who controls one or more permanents, all the permanents in play just before the event (with continuous effects that existed at one time) are checked for trigger events that match what was just left play or changed control. "Leaves play" triggers are zone-change triggers, even if the trigger condition doesn't care what zone the permanent is going to. If they attempt to do something to the card that left play, they'll look for it only in the first zone that it went to after leaving play.
Example: Two creatures are in play along with an artifact that has the ability "Whenever a creature is put into a graveyard from play, you gain 1 life." Someone plays a spell that destroys all artifacts, creatures, and enchantments. The artifact's ability triggers twice, even though the artifact goes to its owner's graveyard at the same time as the creatures.
410.10e Some permanents have text that reads "[This permanent comes into play with . . .," "As [this permanent] comes into play tapped." Such text is a static ability—not a triggered ability—whose effect occurs as part of the event that puts the permanent into play.
410.11. Some triggered abilities trigger on a game state, such as a player controlling no permanents of a particular type, rather than triggering when an event occurs. These abilities trigger as soon as the game state matches the condition (even if it's not legal to play a spell or ability at that time). These are called state triggers. (Note that state triggers aren't the same as state-based effects.) A state-triggered ability doesn't trigger again until the pseudospell it created has resolved or been countered. Then, if the permanent with the ability is still in play and the game state still matches its trigger condition, the ability will trigger again.
Example: A permanent's ability reads, "When your hand is empty, draw a card." If its controller plays the last card from his or her hand, the ability will trigger once and won't trigger again until it has resolved. If its controller plays a spell that reads "Discard your hand, then draw the same number of cards," the ability will trigger during the spell's resolution because the player's hand was momentarily empty.
411.1. To play a mana ability, the player announces that he or she is playing it and pays the activation cost. It resolves immediately afterward and doesn't go on the stack. (See rule 408.2e.)
411.2. A player may play an activated mana ability whenever he or she has priority. A player may also play one whenever a rule or effect asks for a mana payment, even in the middle of playing or resolving a spell or ability.
411.3. Triggered mana abilities trigger when an activated mana ability is played. These abilities resolve immediately after the mana ability that triggered them, without waiting for priority. If an activated or triggered ability produces both mana and another effect, both the mana and the other effect resolve immediately.
Example: An enchantment reads, "Whenever a player taps a land for mana, that land produces one additional mana of the same color." If a player taps lands for mana while playing a spell, the additional mana is added to the player's mana pool immediately and can be used to pay for the spell.
411.3a If a triggered mana ability adds mana "of the same type" to a player's mana pool, and the mana ability that triggered it produced more than one type of mana, the player to whose mana pool the mana is being added chooses which type of mana the triggered ability adds.
412.1. A static ability may generate a continuous effect or a prevention or replacement effect. These effects last as long as the permanent with the static ability remains in play.
412.2. Many local enchantments have static abilities that modify their enchanted permanent, but those abilities don't target that permanent. If a local enchantment is moved to a different permanent, the ability stops applying to the original permanent and starts modifying the new one.
412.3. Some static abilities apply while a spell is on the stack. These are often abilities that refer to countering the spell. Also, abilities that say "As an additional cost to play . . ." and "You may pay [cost] rather than paying [this card]'s mana cost" work while the card is a spell on the stack.
412.4. Some static abilities apply while a card is in any zone that you could play it from (usually your hand). These are limited to those that read, "you may play [this card] . . ." and "you can't play [this card] . . . ."
412.5. Unlike spells and other kinds of abilities, static abilities can't use a card or permanent's last known information for purposes of determining how their effects are applied.
413.1. Each time, both players pass in succession, the spell, ability, or combat damage on top of the stack resolves. (See rule 416, "Effects.")
413.2. Resolution of a spell or ability may involve several steps but is treated by the game as a single indivisible action. These steps are followed in the order listed below.
413.2a If the spell or ability specifies targets, it checks whether the targets are still legal. A target that's removed from play, or from the zone designated by the spell or ability, is illegal. A target may also become illegal if its characteristics changed since the spell or ability was played or if an effect changed the wording of the spell or ability. If all targets are now illegal, the spell or ability is countered. If the spell or ability is not countered it will resolve normally, affecting only the targets that are still legal. If the spell or ability needs to know information about one or more targets that are now illegal, it will use the illegal targets' current or last known information.
413.2b The controller of the spell or ability follows its instructions in the order within. However, replacement effects may modify these actions. In some cases, later text on the card may modify the meaning of earlier text (for example, "Destroy target creature. It can't be regenerated" or "Counter target spell. Put it on top of its owner's library instead of into its owner's graveyard.") Don't just apply effects step by step without thinking in these cases—read the whole card and apply the rules of English to the text.
413.2c If an effect offers any choices other than choices already made as part of playing the spell or ability, the player announces these while applying the effect. The player can't choose an option that's illegal or impossible. If the effect provides an optional action with a consequence for not doing so, the player can't choose that action unless he or she can meet all requirements.
Example: A spell's instruction reads, "You may sacrifice a creature. If you don't, you lose 4 life." A player who controls no creatures can't choose the sacrifice option.
413.2d If an effect requires both players to make choices or take actions at the same time, the active player makes and announces his or her choices first, and then his or her opponent does (knowing the first player's choices). Then the actions take place simultaneously. This is called the "active player rule." If a player must make more than one choice at a time, he or she makes the choices in the order written, or in the order he or she chooses if the choices aren't ordered. Then, the actions are processed simultaneously. Some spells and abilities have multiple steps or actions, denoted by separate sentences or clauses. In these cases, the active player does the first action, then the nonactive player does that action, then the active player does the second action, then the nonactive plyaer does that action, and so on.
Example:Stronghold Gambit reads, "Each player chooses a card in his or her hand. Then each player reveals his or her chosen card . . . ." First the active player chooses a card, then the nonactive player does so, then the active player reveals his or ehr chosen card, and then the nonactive player does so.
413.2e If an effect gives a player the option to pay mana, he or she may play mana abilities as part of the action. No other spells or abilities can be played during resolution.
413.2f If an effect requires information from the game (such as the number of creatures in play), the answer is determined when the effect is applied. The effect uses the current information of a specific permanent if that permanent is still in play, or of a specific card in the stated zone; otherwise, the effect uses the last known information the card or permanent had before leaving that zone. The exception is that static abilities can't use last known information; see rule 412.5. If the ability text states that a permanent does something, it's the permanent as it exists (or most recently existed) that does it, not the ability.
413.2g An effect that refers to characteristics of a permanent checks only for the value of the specified characteristics, regardless of any related ones the permanent may also have.
Example: An effect that reads "Destroy all black creatures" destroys a white-and-black creature, but one that reads "Destroy all nonblack creatures" doesn't.
413.2h A spell card is put into play under the control of the spell's controller (for permanents) or is put into its owner's graveyard (for instants and sorceries) as the final step of the spell's resolution.
413.2i If an effect could result in a tie, the text of the spell or ability that created the effect will specify what to do in the event of a tie. The Magic game has no default for ties.
414.1. To counter a spell is to move the spell card from the stack to its owner's graveyard. Countering a copy of a spell removes the copy from the stack. Countering an ability removes its pseudospell from the stack. Spells and abilities that are countered don't resolve and none of their effects occur.
414.2. The player who played the countered spell or ability doesn't get a "refund" of any costs that were paid.
415.1. A few effects can "edit" a spell or ability after it goes on the stack, changing its target, rules text, or other characteristics.
415.2. The target of a spell or ability can change only to another legal target. If the new target is illegal when the change resolves, the original target is unchanged.
415.2a Modal spells may have different targeting requirements for each mode. Changing a spell or ability's target can't change its mode.
415.2b The word "you" in a card's text isn't a target. If a spell affects only its controller, its target can't be changed.
415.3. If an effect edits any characteristics of a spell that becomes a permanent, the effect continues to apply to the permanent when the spell resolves.
Example: If an effect changes a black creature spell to white, the creature is white when it comes into play and remains white for the duration of the effect changing its color.
415.4. An effect that changes the text of a spell or permanent only changes words that are of the correct type (for example, a Magic color word being used as a color word, a land type word used as a land type, or a creature type word used as a creature type). The effect can't change a proper noun, such as a card name, even if that proper noun contains a word or a series of letters that is the same as a Magic color word, basic land type, or creature type. Spells and abilities that create creature tokens use creature types to define both the creature types and the names of the tokens. These words can be changed, because they are being used as creature types, even though they're also being used as names. Once a token has been created, it has its creature type and name printed on it. The creature type of a creature token in play can be changed, but its name can't.
416.1. When a spell or ability resolves, it may create one or more effects. There are three main types: one-shot effects, continuous effects, and replacement and prevention effects. Effects of a fourth category, state-based effects, are generated by specific states of the game.
416.2. Effects apply only to permanents unless the instruction's text states otherwise or they clearly can apply only to cards in one or more other zones.
Example: An effect that changes all lands to creatures won't alter land cards in the players' graveyards.
416.3. If an effect attempts to do something impossible, it does only as much as possible.
Example: If a player is holding only one card, an effect that reads "Discard two cards" causes him or her to discard only that card. If an effect moves cards out of the library (as opposed to drawing), it moves as many as possible.
417.1. A one-shot effect does something just once and doesn't have a duration. Examples include damage dealing, destruction of permanents, and moving cards between zones.
417.2. Some one-shot effects instruct a player to do something later in the game (usually at a specific time) rather than when they resolve. This kind of effect actually creates a new ability that waits to be triggered. (See rule 406.2, "Delayed Triggered Abilities.")
418.1. A continuous effect modifies characteristics of cards and/or permanents or modifies the rules of the game for a fixed or indefinite period. A continuous effect may be generated by the resolution of a spell or ability or by a static ability of a permanent.
418.2. Continuous effects that modify characteristics of permanents do so simultaneously with the permanent coming into play. They don't wait until the permanent is in play and then change it. Because such effects apply as the permanent comes into play, apply them before determining whether the permanent will cause an ability to trigger when it comes into play.
418.3. Continuous Effects from Spells or Abilities
418.3a A continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability lasts as long as stated by the spell or ability creating it (such as "until end of turn"). If no duration is stated, it lasts until the end of the game.
418.3b Continuous effects from spells, activated abilities, and triggered abilities that modify the characteristics or change the controller of one or more cards and/or permanents don't affect cards and/or permanents that weren't affected when the continuous effect began. Note that these work differently than continuous effects from static abilities. Continuous effects that don't modify characteristics of cards and/or permanents modify the rules of the games, so they can affect cards and/or permanents that weren't affected when the continuous effect began.
Example: An effect that reads "All white creature get +1/+1 until end of turn" gives the bonus to all permanents that are white creatures when the spell or ability resolves—even if they change color later—and doesn't affect those that come into play or turn white afterward.
Example: An effect that reads "Prevent all damage creatures would deal this turn" doesn't modify any card's or permanent's characteristics, so it's modifying the rules of the game. That means the effect will apply even to creatures that weren't in play when the continuous effect began. It also affects permanents that become creatures later in the turn.
418.3c If the spell or ability creating a continuous effect is variable, the effect is determined only once, on resolution.
Example: A spell that reads "Target creature gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the number of cards in your hand" counts the number of cards in the controller's hand when the spell resolves and grants that bonus for the rest of the turn, even if the hand size changes.
418.3d Some effects from activated or triggered abilites have durations worded "as long as . . ." If the "as long as" duration ends between the end of announcing the activated ability or putting the triggered ability onto the stack and the moment when the effect would first be applied, the effect does nothing. It doesn't start and immediately stop again, and doesn't last forever.
Example:Endoskeleton is an artifact with an activated ability that reads , : Target creature gets +0/+3 as long as Endoskeleton remains tapped." If you play this ability and then Endoskeleton becomes untapped before the ability resolves, it does nothing, because its duration—remaining tapped—was over before the effect began.
418.4. Continuous Effects from Permanents
418.4a A continuous effect generated by a static ability of a permanent isn't "locked in"; it applies at any given moment to whatever its text indicates.
418.4b The effect applies at all times that the permanent generating it is in play.
Example: A permanent with the static ability "All white creatures get +1/+1" generates an effect that continuously gives +1/+1 to each white creature in play. If a creature becomes white, it gets this bonus; a creature that stops being white loses it. A creature spell that would normally create a 1/1 white creature instead creates a 2/2 white creature. The creature doesn't come into play as 1/1 and then change to 2/2.
418.5a Sometimes the results of one effect determine whether annother effect applies or what it does. For example, one effect might read, "All white creatures get +1/+1" and another, "Enchanted creature is white."
418.5b An effect is said to "depend on" another if applying the other would change the text or the existence of the first effect, what it applies to, or what it does to any of the things it applies to. Otherwise, the effect is considered to be independent of the first effect.
418.5c Whenever one effect depends on another, the independent one is applied first. If several dependent effects form a loop, or if none depends on another, they're applied in "timestamp order." A permanent's timestamp is the time it came into play, with two exceptions: (1) If two or more permanents enter play simultaneously, the active player determines their timestamp order at the time they come into play, but a local enchantment must be timestamped after what it enchants; (2) Whenever a local enchantment becomes attached to a permanent, the enchantment receives a new timestamp. Continuous effects generated by static abilities have the same timestamp as the permanent that generated them. Continuous effects generated by the resolution of a spell or ability receives a timestamp when the spell or ability creating them resolves.
418.5d A continuous effect can override another.
Example: Two enchantments are played on the same creature: "Enchanted creature gains flying" and "Enchanted creature loses flying." Neither of these depends on the other, since nothing changes what they affect or what they're doing to it. Applying them in timestamp order means the one that was generated last "wins." It's irrelevant whether an effect is temporary (such as "Target creature loses flying until end of turn") or global (such as "All creatures lose flying").
418.5e The value of a permanent's characteristic is determined by starting with the printed or token value, then applying copy effects (see rule 503, "Copying Spells and Abilities"), then applying continuous effects generated by type-changing abilities, then applying any power or toughness changes due to counters, and then applying all other continuous effects.
419.1. Replacement and prevention effects are continuous effects that watch for a particular event to happen and then completely or partially replace that event. (A prevention effect replaces an event with nothing or with a lessened version of the event.) These effects act like "shields" around whatever they're affecting. All replacement effects use the word "instead" to indicate what events will be replaced with other events, and prevention effects use "prevent" to indicate what events will not occur. Abilities that contain "instead" or "prevent" generate replacement or prevention effects, respectively.
419.2. Replacement and prevention effects apply continuously as events happen—they aren't locked in ahead of time.
419.3. There are no special restrictions on playing a spell or ability that generates a replacement or prevention effect. Such effects last until they're used up or their duration has expired.
419.4. Replacement or prevention effects must exist before the appropriate event occurs—they can't "go back in time" and change something that's already happened. Usually spells and abilities that generate these effects are played in response to whatever would produce the event and thus resolve before that event would occur.
Example: A player can play a regeneration ability in response to a spell that would destroy a creature he or she controls.
419.5. If an event is prevented or replaced, it never happens. A modified event occurs instead, which may in turn trigger abilities. Note that the modified event may contain instructions that can't be carried out, in which case the player simply ignores the impossible instruction. If a source would deal 0 damage, it does not deal damage at all. That means abilities that trigger on damage being dealt won't trigger. It also means that replacement effects that increase damage dealt have no event to replace when 0 damage is dealt, so they have no effect. Some abilities read, "Whenever [X], you may [Y]. If you do, [Z]." The "if you do" clause refers to doing any part of the event Y. If Y is replaced entirely or in part by a different event, the "if you do" clause refers to the event that replaced Y.
419.6. Replacement Effects
419.6a A replacement effect doesn't invoke itself repeatedly and gets only one opportunity for each event.
Example: A player controls two permanents, each with an ability that reads "Instead of dealing their normal damage, creatures you control deal double that damage." A creature that normally deals 1 damage will deal 4 damage—not just 2, and not an infinite amount.
419.6b Regeneration is a destruction-replacement effect. The key word "instead" doesn't appear on the card but is implicit in its definition. "Regenerate [permanent]" means "The next time [permanent] would be destroyed this turn, instead remove all damage from it, tap it, and (if it's in combat) remove it from combat." Note that if destruction is caused by lethal damage, any abilities that trigger from that damage being dealt still trigger even if the permanent regenerates.
419.6c Some effects replace damage dealt to one creature or player with the same damage dealt to another creature or player; such effects are called "redirection" effects. If either creature is no longer in play or is no longer a creature when the damage would be directed, the effect does nothing. Likewise, if either player is no longer in the game, the effect does nothing.
419.6d Some spells and abilities replace part or all of their own effect(s) when they resolve. Such effects are called "self-replacement effects." When applying replacement effects to an event, apply self-replacement effects first, then apply other replacement effects.
419.7a Prevention effects usually apply to damage that would be dealt.
419.7b Some prevention effects refer to a specific amount of damage—for example, "Prevent the next 3 damage to target creature or player this turn." These work like ablative shields. Each 1 damage that would be dealt to the "shielded" creature or player is prevented. Preventing 1 damage reduces the remaining shield by 1. If damage would be dealt to the shielded creature or player by two or more sources at the same time, the player or the controller of the creature can choose which damage the shield prevents first. Once the shield has been reduced to 0, any remaining damage is dealt normally. Such effects count only the amount of damage; the number of events or sources dealing it doesn't matter.
419.7c Some prevention effects apply to damage from a specified source—for example, "The next time a red source of your choice would deal damage to you this turn, prevent that damage." The source is chosen when the spell or ability resolves. If an effect requires a player to choose a source, he or she may choose either permanent or a spell on the stack (including one that creates a permanent) or any card or permanent referred to by a spell or pseudospell on the stack. If the player chooses a permanent or a permanent spell, the prevention will apply to the next damage from that permanent or the permanent resulting from the spell, regardless of whether it's from one of that permanent's abilities or combat damage dealt by it. It's possible for the source to be out of play by the time the spell or ability resolves. Some abilities that generate prevention effects can affect damage only from a source with certain characteristics, such as a creature or a source of a particular color. When the chosen source would deal damage, a prevention "shield" with this type of restriction rechecks the source. If the characteristics no longer match, the damage isn't prevented. If for any reason the shield prevents no damage, the shield isn't used up.
419.8. Interaction of Replacement or Prevention Effects
419.8a If two or more replacement or prevention effects are attempting to modify the way an event affects a permanent or player, the affected permanent's controller or the affected player chooses one to apply to that permanent or player. Then the other applies if it is still in appropriate. If one or more of the applicable replacement effects is a "self-replacement effect" (see rule 419.6d), that effect is applied before any other replacement effects.
Example: Two cards are in play. One is an enchantment that reads "If a card would be put into a graveyard, instead remove it from the game," and the other is a creature that reads "If [this card] would be put into a graveyard, instead shuffle it into its owner's library." The controller of the creature that would be destroyed decides which replacement to apply first; the other does nothing.
419.8b A replacement effect can become applicable to an event as the result of another replacement effect that modifies the event.
Example: One effect reads, "For each 1 life you would gain, instead draw a card," and another reads, "Instead of drawing a card, return target card from your graveyard to your hand." Both effects combine (regardless of the order they came into play): Instead of gaining 1 life, the player puts a card from his or her graveyard into his or her hand.
420.1. State-based effects are a special category that applies only to those conditions listed below. Abilities that watch for a specified game state are triggered abilities. (See rule 410.8.)
420.2. State-based effects are alawys active and are not controlled by either player.
420.3. Whenever a player would get priority to play a spell or ability (see rule 408, "Timing of Spells and Abilities"), the game checks for any of the listed conditions for state-based effects. All applicable effects resolve as a single event, then the check is repeated. Once no more state-based efects have been generated, triggered abilities go on the stack, then the appropriate player gets priority. This check is also made during the cleanup step (see rule 314); if any of the listed conditions apply, the active player receives priority.
420.4. Unlike triggered abilities, state-based effects pay no attention to what happens during the resolution of a spell
is white, and one with a mana cost of 
is both white and black. Cards with no colored mana symbols in their mana costs are 
: Add [mana symbol] to your mana pool," even if the text box doesn't actually contain text. Plains produce white mana; islands, blue; swamps, black; mountains, red; and forests, green.
to your mana pool for each creature you control." This is still a mana ability even if you control no creatures, or if the card is already tapped.
less to play. Because a spell's total cost is "locked in" before payments are actually made, Death Bomb costs