_Masters Edition II_ Frequently Asked Questions Compiled by Mark L. Gottlieb Document last modified September 9, 2008 _Masters Edition II_ booster packs go on sale at the _Magic Online_(R) store at 9 a.m. (PST) on September 22, 2008. The _Masters Edition II_ set becomes legal for play in the Classic, Classic (Vanguard), Freeform, Prismatic, Singleton, and Tribal Wars (Classic) formats on the day it goes on sale. _Masters Edition II_ release events begin September 26, 2008. Go to http://www.wizards.com/Magic/TCG/ProductArticle.aspx?x=mtg_tcg_mastersed2_productinfo for more information. The _Masters Edition II_ set is a collection of _Magic_(TM) cards that were originally printed before the _Mirage_(TM) set was released. It's a 245-card, black-bordered set featuring 80 rares, 80 uncommons, 80 commons, and 5 basic lands. The _Masters Edition II_ set is nonredeemable: Online cards from the _Masters Edition II_ set can't be exchanged for physical cards. No physical cards will exist with the _Masters Edition II_ expansion symbol. This FAQ has two sections, each of which serves a different purpose. The first section ("General Notes") explains the new mechanics and concepts in the set. The second section ("Card-Specific Notes") contains answers to the most important questions players might ask about a given card. Items in the "Card-Specific Notes" section include full rules text for your reference. Not all cards in the set are listed. ----- GENERAL NOTES ***Rules Changes*** The rules of the _Magic_ game have evolved over the years since the cards reprinted in the _Masters Edition II_ set were originally released. Many card wordings, including creature types, have also significantly changed. Most _Masters Edition II_ cards have been reworded in the Oracle card reference, which contains up-to-date text for all tournament-legal cards. Although the rules team has done its best to maintain cards' functionality, some changes are inevitable. ----- ***Rarity Changes*** Design philosophy regarding the kinds of cards that are appropriate for each commonality, in terms of both power level and complexity, have also evolved over the past decade. In order to create a set that's both balanced and exciting for Limited play, many of the cards in the _Masters Edition II_ set appear at a different rarity than they did in their original sets. ----- ***Keyword Ability: Banding*** Banding is a creature ability that changes the rules of combat. The official rules for the banding ability are as follows: 502.10. Banding 502.10a Banding is a static ability that modifies the rules for declaring attackers and assigning combat damage. 502.10b As a player declares attackers, he or she may declare that any number of those creatures with banding, and up to one of those creatures without banding, are all in a "band." All of those creatures must attack the same player or planeswalker. (Defending players can't declare bands but may use banding in a different way; see rule 502.10h.) 502.10c A player may declare as many attacking bands as he or she wants, but each creature may be a member of only one of them. 502.10d Once an attacking band has been announced, it lasts for the rest of combat, even if something later removes the banding ability from one or more creatures. However, creatures in a band that are removed from combat are also removed from the band. 502.10e If an attacking creature becomes blocked by a creature, each other creature in the same band as the attacking creature becomes blocked by that same blocking creature. Example: A player attacks with a band consisting of a creature with flying and a creature with swampwalk. The defending player, who controls a Swamp, can block the flying creature if able. If he or she does, then the creature with swampwalk will also become blocked by the blocking creature(s). 502.10f Banding doesn't cause attacking creatures to share abilities, nor does it remove any abilities. The attacking creatures in a band are separate permanents. 502.10g If one member of a band would become blocked due to an effect, the entire band becomes blocked. 502.10h A player who controls an attacking creature with banding chooses how combat damage is assigned by creatures blocking that creature. A player who controls a blocking creature with banding chooses how combat damage is assigned by creatures it blocks. If the creature had banding when it attacked or blocked but the ability was removed before the combat damage step, damage is assigned normally. 502.10i Multiple instances of banding on the same creature are redundant. More simply: * If a creature with banding attacks, it can team up with any number of other attacking creatures with banding (and up to one nonbanding creature) and attack as a unit called a "band." The band can be blocked by any creature that could block a single creature in the band. Blocking any creature in a band blocks the entire band. If a creature with banding is blocked, the attacking player chooses how the blockers' damage is dealt. * A maximum of one nonbanding creature can join an attacking band no matter how many creatures with banding are in it. * Creatures in the same band must all attack the same player or planeswalker. * If a creature with banding blocks, the defending player chooses how the blocked creature deals its combat damage. Creatures don't form "bands" on defense. ----- ***Keyword Ability: Cumulative Upkeep*** Cumulative upkeep is a mechanic that makes it increasingly expensive to keep a permanent in play. 502.13. Cumulative Upkeep 502.13a Cumulative upkeep is a triggered ability that imposes an increasing cost on a permanent. "Cumulative upkeep [cost]" means "At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent. Then you may pay [cost] for each age counter on it. If you don't, sacrifice it." If [cost] has choices associated with it, each choice is made separately for each age counter, then either the entire set of costs is paid, or none of them is paid. Partial payments aren't allowed. Example: A creature has "Cumulative upkeep {W} or {U}" and two age counters on it. When its ability next triggers and resolves, the creature's controller puts an age counter on it and then may pay {W}{W}{W}, {W}{W}{U}, {W}{U}{U}, or {U}{U}{U} to keep the creature in play. Example: A creature has "Cumulative upkeep--Sacrifice a creature" and one age counter on it. When its ability next triggers and resolves, its controller can't choose the same creature to sacrifice twice. Either two different creatures must be sacrificed, or the creature with cumulative upkeep must be sacrificed. 502.13b If a permanent has multiple instances of cumulative upkeep, each triggers separately. However, the age counters are not connected to any particular ability; each cumulative upkeep ability will count the total number of age counters on the permanent at the time that ability resolves. Example: A creature has two instances of "Cumulative upkeep--Pay 1 life." The creature currently has no counters but both cumulative upkeep abilities trigger. When the first ability resolves, the controller adds a counter and then chooses to pay 1 life. When the second ability resolves, the controller adds another counter and then chooses to pay an additional 2 life. * Paying cumulative upkeep is always optional. If it's not paid, the permanent with cumulative upkeep is sacrificed. Partial payments of the total cumulative upkeep cost can't be made. For example, if a permanent with "cumulative upkeep {1}" has three age counters on it when its cumulative upkeep ability triggers, it gets another age counter and then its controller chooses to either pay {4} or sacrifice the permanent. ----- ***Theme: Snow Lands*** Snow is a supertype that appears on five basic lands in the _Masters Edition II_ set. Many cards in the set interact with snow lands. Balduvian Conjurer {1}{U} Creature -- Human Wizard 0/2 {T}: Target snow land becomes a 2/2 creature until end of turn. It's still a land. * "Snow" has no particular meaning or rules associated with it. * _Masters Edition II_ lands with the supertype snow, such as Snow-Covered Forest, also have the supertype basic. Since these are basic lands, you may have any number of them in a Constructed deck in any format in which the _Masters Edition II_ set (or the _Coldsnap_ set, in which they also appeared) is legal. * In Limited events, you can't add basic snow lands to your deck from outside your card pool. You may add only lands named Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest, as normal. * Effects that target nonbasic lands can't target basic snow lands. ----- ***Theme: Graveyard Order Matters*** Many _Masters Edition II_ cards refer to the order of the cards in a player's graveyard. Krovikan Horror {3}{B} Creature -- Horror Spirit 2/2 At end of turn, if Krovikan Horror is in your graveyard with a creature card directly above it, you may return Krovikan Horror to your hand. {1}, Sacrifice a creature: Krovikan Horror deals 1 damage to target creature or player. * The "top" card of your graveyard is the card that was put there most recently. * A card is "above" another card in your graveyard if it was put into that graveyard later. A card is "directly above" another card in your graveyard if it was put into that graveyard later and there are no cards in between the two. * Players may not rearrange the cards in their graveyards. This is a little-known rule because new cards that care about graveyard order haven't been printed in years. * If an effect or rule puts two or more cards into the same graveyard at the same time, the owner of those cards may arrange them in any order. * The last thing that happens to a resolving instant or sorcery spell is that it's put into its owner's graveyard. Example: You play Wrath of God. All creatures in play are destroyed. You arrange all the cards put into your graveyard this way in any order you want. The other players in the game do the same to the cards that are put into their graveyards. Then you put Wrath of God into your graveyard, on top of the other cards. * Say you're the owner of both a permanent and an Aura that's attached to it. If both the permanent and the Aura are destroyed at the same time (by Akroma's Vengeance, for example), you decide the order they're put into your graveyard. If just the enchanted permanent is destroyed, it's put into your graveyard first. Then, after state-based effects are checked, the Aura (which is no longer attached to anything) is put into your graveyard on top of it. * When multiple cards are put into your graveyard at the same time, Magic Online will automatically order those cards. ----- ***Cycle: Dual Lands*** Five of the original ten "dual lands" appear in the _Masters Edition II_ set: Badlands, Savannah, Taiga, Tundra, and Underground Sea. Taiga Land -- Mountain Forest * Each dual land has the two mana abilities associated with its basic land types. For example, you can tap Taiga to add {R} or {G} to your mana pool. * These dual lands have basic land types, but they aren't basic lands. Things that affect basic lands don't affect them. Things that affect basic land types do. For example, Rampant Growth ("search your library for a basic land card") can't find Taiga, Wood Elves ("search your library for a Forest card) can. ----- ***Theme: "Slowtrips"*** Cards like Enervate were the predecessors of today's "cantrips." Cantrips are spells that have an additional "draw a card" effect on them. "Slowtrips" are spells that have an additional "draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep" effect on them. These cards set up a delayed triggered ability that triggers at the beginning of the very next turn. It doesn't matter whose turn it is. Enervate {1}{U} Instant Tap target artifact, creature, or land. Draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep. ----- CARD-SPECIFIC NOTES Angel of Fury {4}{W}{W} Creature -- Angel 3/5 Flying When Angel of Fury is put into your graveyard from play, you may shuffle it into your library. * If Angel of Fury is removed from the graveyard after the ability triggers but before it resolves, it won't get shuffled into its owner's library. Similarly, if a replacement effect has the Incarnation move to a different zone instead of being put into the graveyard, the ability won't trigger at all. * Angel of Fury's second ability is a leaves-play ability. Because it works only from in play, it behaves differently than the _Lorwyn_ Incarnations. When Angel of Fury is put into a graveyard from play, it will look back in time (to the point just before it left play) to see if its ability triggers. That means the following: -- If Angel of Fury lost its triggered ability while in play (due to Snakeform, for example) and then was destroyed, the ability would not trigger. Angel of Fury would stay in its owner's graveyard. -- If Angel of Fury had its triggered ability when it left play, but lost it when it was put into the graveyard (due to Yixlid Jailer, for example), the ability would still trigger. Angel of Fury would be shuffled into its owner's library. ----- Aurochs {3}{G} Creature -- Aurochs 2/3 Trample Whenever Aurochs attacks, it gets +1/+0 until end of turn for each other attacking Aurochs. * The second ability cares about creatures that have the creature type Aurochs, not just the name Aurochs. ----- Aysen Crusader {2}{W}{W} Creature -- Human Knight 2+*/2+* Aysen Crusader's power and toughness are each equal to 2 plus the number of Soldiers and Warriors you control. * Aysen Crusader's ability counts the number of permanents you control that are Soldiers and/or Warriors. A permanent with both creature types is counted only once. ----- Balduvian Conjurer {1}{U} Creature -- Human Wizard 0/2 {T}: Target snow land becomes a 2/2 creature until end of turn. It's still a land. * If an affected land later loses the supertype snow, Balduvian Conjurer's effect doesn't end. The land will remain a creature until end of turn. ----- Balduvian Dead {3}{B} Creature -- Zombie 2/3 {2}{R}, Remove a creature card in your graveyard from the game: Put a 3/1 black and red Graveborn creature token with haste into play. Sacrifice it at end of turn. * If the ability is played during a turn's end step (after any "at end of turn" triggers would have triggered that turn), the Graveborn token will remain in play until the following turn's end step. ----- Bounty of the Hunt {3}{G}{G} Instant You may remove a green card in your hand from the game rather than pay Bounty of the Hunt's mana cost. Until end of turn, target creature gets +1/+1, target creature gets +1/+1, and target creature gets +1/+1. * You may target the same creature three times, or you may target the same creature twice and a different creature once, or you may target three different creatures. ----- Broken Visage {4}{B} Instant Destroy target nonartifact attacking creature. It can't be regenerated. Put a black Spirit creature token into play with that creature's power and toughness. Sacrifice the token at end of turn. * The Spirit token comes into play under your control regardless of who controlled the attacking creature. * The Spirit token has the power and toughness of the attacking creature as it last existed in play. ----- Burnout {1}{R} Instant Counter target instant spell if it's blue. Draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep. * You may target any instant spell with Burnout. If it's blue at the time Burnout resolves, that spell will be countered and you'll draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep. If it's not blue at the time Burnout resolves, that spell won't be countered, but you'll still draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep. ----- Carapace {G} Enchantment -- Aura Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +0/+2. Sacrifice Carapace: Regenerate enchanted creature. * Carapace leaves play when you play its activated ability, but the enchanted creature won't be regenerated until the ability resolves. In the intervening time, the creature will no longer have the +0/+2 bonus that Carapace had been giving it. This may cause the creature to be destroyed before the regeneration shield is created. ----- Clockwork Steed {4} Artifact Creature -- Horse 0/3 Clockwork Steed comes into play with four +1/+0 counters on it. Clockwork Steed can't be blocked by artifact creatures. At end of combat, if Clockwork Steed attacked or blocked this combat, remove a +1/+0 counter from it. {X}, {T}: Put up to X +1/+0 counters on Clockwork Steed. This ability can't cause the total number of +1/+0 counters on Clockwork Steed to be greater than four. Play this ability only during your upkeep. * When Clockwork Steed's last ability resolves, you can choose to put fewer than X +1/+0 counters on it. * If Clockwork Steed has four or fewer +1/+0 counters on it when its last ability resolves, it can wind up with a maximum of four such counters on it. If it has four or more +1/+0 counters on it, the ability will have no effect. ----- Dance of the Dead {1}{B} Enchantment -- Aura Enchant creature card in a graveyard When Dance of the Dead comes into play, if it's in play, it loses "enchant creature card in a graveyard" and gains "enchant creature put into play with Dance of the Dead." Return enchanted creature card to play tapped under your control and attach Dance of the Dead to it. When Dance of the Dead leaves play, that creature's controller sacrifices it. Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and doesn't untap during its controller's untap step. At the beginning of the upkeep of enchanted creature's controller, that player may pay {1}{B}. If he or she does, untap that creature. * This is a relatively new wording. Dance of the Dead is now an Aura. You target a creature card in a graveyard when you play it. It comes into play attached to that card. Then it returns that card to play, and attaches itself to that card again (since the card is treated as a new object in play). * Once the creature is returned to play, Dance of the Dead can't be attached to anything other than it (unless Dance of the Dead somehow manages to put a different creature into play). Attempting to move Dance of the Dead to another creature won't work. * If the creature card you target has protection from black, Dance of the Dead will return it to play, but won't be able to become attached to it. Dance of the Dead will be put into your graveyard because it will be an unattached Aura. Then the creature will be sacrificed because Dance of the Dead left play. ----- Demonic Consultation {B} Instant Name a card. Remove the top six cards of your library from the game, then reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal the named card. Put that card into your hand and remove all other cards revealed this way from the game. * You don't name a card until Demonic Consultation resolves. * If you don't reveal the named card (perhaps because it was in the top six cards of your library), you'll end up removing your entire library from the game. ----- Despotic Scepter {1} Artifact {T}: Destroy target permanent you own. It can't be regenerated. * You own a nontoken permanent if it started the game in your deck. If it started the game in no one's deck (for example, it was brought into the game by Living Wish), you own it if you brought it into the game. * You own a token permanent if you controlled the spell or ability that put it into play. If it wasn't put into play by a spell or ability (for example, it was put into play by Words of Wilding's replacement effect), you own it if you put it into play. ----- Dreams of the Dead {3}{U} Enchantment {1}{U}: Return target white or black creature card from your graveyard to play. That creature gains "Cumulative upkeep {2}." If the creature would leave play, remove it from the game instead. * If a creature returned to play with Dreams of the Dead would leave play for any reason, it's removed from the game instead -- unless the spell or ability that's causing the creature to leave play is actually trying to remove it from the game! In that case, it succeeds at removing it from the game. If it later returns the creature card to play (as Oblivion Ring or Flickerwisp might, for example), the creature card will return to play as a new object with no relation to its previous existence. ----- Elkin Bottle {3} Artifact {3}, {T}: Remove the top card of your library from the game. Until the beginning of your next upkeep, you may play that card. * The removed card is played using the normal timing rules for its card type, as well as any other applicable restrictions such as "Play [this card] only during combat." For example, you can't play the card during an opponent's turn unless it's an instant or has flash. Similarly, if the removed card is a land, you can't play it if you've already played a land that turn. If it's a nonland card, you'll have to pay its mana cost. The only thing that's different is you're playing it from the removed-from-the-game zone. * If you don't play the removed card before the beginning of your next upkeep, it remains removed from the game but you can't play it. ----- Elvish Hunter {1}{G} Creature -- Elf Archer 1/1 {1}{G}, {T}: Target creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step. * You may target any creature with this ability. It doesn't have to be tapped. * If the targeted creature is untapped at the time its controller's next untap step begins, this ability has no effect. It won't apply at some later time when the targeted creature is tapped. * Elvish Hunter doesn't track the creature's controller. If the affected creature changes controllers before its old controller's next untap step, Elvish Hunter will prevent it from being untapped during its new controller's next untap step. ----- Elvish Spirit Guide {2}{G} Creature -- Elf Spirit 2/2 Remove Elvish Spirit Guide in your hand from the game: Add {G} to your mana pool. * This ability is a mana ability. ----- Errantry {1}{R} Enchantment -- Aura Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +3/+0 and can only attack alone. * "Can only attack alone" means the enchanted creature can't be declared as an attacker during the declare attackers step unless no other creatures are declared as attackers at that time (either by you or your Two-Headed Giant teammate). * If the enchanted creature attacks alone, then a spell or ability causes another creature to be put into play attacking, that's fine. ----- Essence Filter {1}{G}{G} Sorcery Destroy all enchantments or all nonwhite enchantments. * This spell is not modal. You choose whether to destroy all enchantments or all nonwhite enchantments as Essence Filter resolves. ----- Essence Flare {U} Enchantment -- Aura Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +2/+0. At the beginning of the upkeep of enchanted creature's controller, put a -0/-1 counter on that creature. * The -0/-1 counters stay on the creature even if Essence Flare is removed. ----- Farrel's Mantle {2}{W} Enchantment -- Aura Enchant creature Whenever enchanted creature attacks and isn't blocked, its controller may have it deal damage equal to its power plus 2 to target creature. If that player does, the attacking creature deals no combat damage this turn. * This ability resolves during the declare blockers step. If the damage dealt this way is enough to destroy an attacking or blocking creature, that other creature won't be around to deal its combat damage. * If there are no other creatures in play, the enchanted creature's controller will have to target the enchanted creature with Farrel's Mantle's ability. Of course, that player can choose not to use the ability when it resolves. * If the same creature is enchanted with more than one Farrel's Mantle, they'll each trigger if that creature attacks and isn't blocked. The creature's controller may have it deal damage multiple times. As long as the enchanted creature's controller chooses to use Farrel's Mantle's ability at least once to deal damage, the enchanted creature will deal no combat damage. * If the enchanted creature's controller chooses to have it deal no combat damage, that combat damage is not prevented. It's simply not dealt. A creature whose damage can't be prevented (such as Excruciator) would deal no combat damage this way. ----- Farrel's Zealot {1}{W}{W} Creature -- Human 2/2 Whenever Farrel's Zealot attacks and isn't blocked, you may have it deal 3 damage to target creature. If you do, Farrel's Zealot deals no combat damage this turn. * This ability resolves during the declare blockers step. If the damage dealt this way is enough to destroy an attacking or blocking creature, that other creature won't be around to deal its combat damage. * If there are no other creatures in play, Farrel's Zealot will have to target itself. Of course, you can choose not to use the ability when it resolves. ----- Fire Dragon {6}{R}{R}{R} Creature -- Dragon 6/6 Flying When Fire Dragon comes into play, it deals damage equal to the number of Mountains you control to target creature. * If there are no other creatures in play, Fire Dragon will have to target itself. The ability is mandatory. ----- Forbidden Lore {2}{G} Enchantment -- Aura Enchant land Enchanted land has "{T}: Target creature gets +2/+1 until end of turn." * Forbidden Lore grants an activated ability to the enchanted land. Only that land's controller can play the ability. ----- Forgotten Lore {G} Sorcery Target opponent chooses a card in your graveyard. You may pay {G}. If you do, repeat this process except that opponent can't choose a card already chosen for Forgotten Lore. Then put the last chosen card into your hand. * You target an opponent when you play Forgotten Lore. The opponent chooses a card in your graveyard as Forgotten Lore resolves. After that choice is made, you're given the option to pay {G}. If you do, the targeted opponent must choose a different card, if there is one. (If there isn't one, this part is skipped.) Then you're given the option to pay {G} again. As long as you keep paying {G}, the process continues. As soon as you decline to pay {G}, the last card that was chosen by the opponent is put into your hand. * The spell has no knowledge of cards chosen for other spells named Forgotten Lore. ----- Fumarole {3}{B}{R} Sorcery As an additional cost to play Fumarole, pay 3 life. Destroy target creature and target land. * Fumarole can't be played unless you can target both a creature and a land. If there's a permanent in play that's both a creature and a land, it can be both targets. ----- Giant Trap Door Spider {1}{R}{G} Creature -- Spider 2/3 {1}{R}{G}, {T}: Remove from the game Giant Trap Door Spider and target creature without flying that's attacking you. * If Giant Trap Door Spider leaves play before its ability resolves, the ability will still resolve as normal. The targeted creature will be removed from the game. * If the targeted creature leaves play (or otherwise becomes an illegal target) before the ability resolves, the ability will be countered. Giant Trap Door Spider will remain in play. ----- Glacial Chasm Land Cumulative upkeep--Pay 2 life. When Glacial Chasm comes into play, sacrifice a land. Creatures you control can't attack. Prevent all damage that would be dealt to you. * When Glacial Chasm's comes-into-play ability resolves, if you don't control any other lands, you must sacrifice Glacial Chasm itself. ----- Goblin Ski Patrol {1}{R} Creature -- Goblin 1/1 {1}{R}: Goblin Ski Patrol gets +2/+0 and gains flying. Its controller sacrifices it at end of turn. Play this ability only once and only if you control a snow Mountain. * Goblin Ski Patrol's ability may be played only once in the entire game. If its ability is played and then it changes controllers, its ability may not be played again, and its new controller will still have to sacrifice it at end of turn. ----- Gorilla Shaman {R} Creature -- Ape Shaman 1/1 {X}{X}{1}: Destroy target noncreature artifact with converted mana cost X. * A tip on how this math works: The cost to destroy a noncreature artifact with converted mana cost 0 is {0} + {0} + {1} = {1}. The cost to destroy a noncreature artifact with converted mana cost 1 is {1} + {1} + {1} = {3}. The cost to destroy a noncreature artifact with converted mana cost 2 is {2} + {2} + {1} = {5}. And so on. ----- Gustha's Scepter {0} Artifact {T}: Remove a card in your hand from the game face down. You may look at it as long as it remains removed from the game. {T}: Return a card you own removed from the game with Gustha's Scepter to your hand. When you lose control of Gustha's Scepter, put all cards removed from the game with Gustha's Scepter into their owners' graveyards. * The last ability will trigger when a different player gains control of Gustha's Scepter, as well as when Gustha's Scepter leaves play. ----- Helm of Obedience {4} Artifact {1}{X}, {T}: Target opponent puts cards from the top of his or her library into his or her graveyard until a creature card or X cards are put into that graveyard this way, whichever comes first. If a creature card is put into that graveyard this way, sacrifice Helm of Obedience and put that card into play under your control. X can't be 0. * You put the creature card into play even if you can't sacrifice Helm of Obedience (because it's left play by the time its ability resolves, for example). * If an effect like that of Leyline of the Void prevents cards from being put into your opponent's graveyard, the process described in the first sentence of Helm of Obedience's effect will never stop. Your opponent's entire library will be removed from the game, even if X is 1. ----- Ice Floe Land You may choose not to untap Ice Floe during your untap step. {T}: Tap target creature without flying that's attacking you. It doesn't untap during its controller's untap step as long as Ice Floe remains tapped. * You may target a tapped creature with Ice Floe's activated ability. * The targeted creature is not removed from combat. Its attack will continue as normal. * If the ability resolves, then the creature gains flying later, Ice Floe's effect will not end. (The ability checks whether the creature has flying only at the time you play it and the time it resolves.) * If the affected creature is untapped by some other spell or ability, Ice Floe's effect will not end. If you keep Ice Floe tapped, and that creature becomes tapped again, Ice Floe will continue to prevent it from being untapped during its controller's untap step. * Ice Floe doesn't track the creature's controller. If the affected creature changes controllers, Ice Floe will prevent it from being untapped during its new controller's untap step. * If Ice Floe untaps or leaves play, its effect will end. This has no immediate visible affect on the creature. (It doesn't untap immediately, for example.) The creature will just untap as normal during its controller's next untap step. ----- Icy Prison {U}{U} Enchantment When Icy Prison comes into play, remove target creature from the game. At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice Icy Prison unless any player pays {3}. When Icy Prison leaves play, return the removed creature to play under its owner's control. * If Icy Prison leaves play before its first ability has resolved, its third ability will trigger and do nothing. Then its first ability will resolve and remove the targeted creature from the game forever. ----- Imperial Recruiter {2}{R} Creature -- Human Advisor 1/1 When Imperial Recruiter comes into play, search your library for a creature card with power 2 or less, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. * If a creature card has "*" in its power, the ability that defines its power works in all zones. ----- Incinerate {1}{R} Instant Incinerate deals 3 damage to target creature or player. A creature dealt damage this way can't be regenerated this turn. * Regeneration abilities that would affect that creature can still be played; they just won't do anything. The creature can't be regenerated for any reason, even if an effect other than Incinerate would deal lethal damage to it or otherwise destroy it. ----- Infernal Darkness {2}{B}{B} Enchantment Cumulative upkeep--Pay {B} and 1 life. If a land is tapped for mana, it produces {B} instead of any other type. * This effect changes the type of mana produced, but not the amount. For example, if a land that's tapped for mana would add {W}{W} to its controller's mana pool, it adds {B}{B} to that player's mana pool instead. ----- Inheritance {W} Enchantment Whenever a creature is put into a graveyard from play, you may pay {3}. If you do, draw a card. * If Inheritance and a creature are each put into a graveyard from play at the same time, Inheritance's ability will trigger. ----- Ivory Gargoyle {4}{W} Creature -- Gargoyle 2/2 Flying When Ivory Gargoyle is put into a graveyard from play, return it to play under its owner's control at end of turn and you skip your next draw step. {4}{W}: Remove Ivory Gargoyle from the game. * The player who controlled Ivory Gargoyle when it was put into a graveyard will skip his or her next draw step even if Ivory Gargoyle is returned to play under a different player's control (because it's owned by someone else) or isn't returned to play at all (because it left the graveyard before the end of the turn, for example). * The second ability can be played only if Ivory Gargoyle is in play. ----- Jeweled Amulet {0} Artifact {1}, {T}: Put a charge counter on Jeweled Amulet. Note the type of mana spent to pay this activation cost. Play this ability only if there are no charge counters on Jeweled Amulet. {T}, Remove a charge counter from Jeweled Amulet: Add one mana of Jeweled Amulet's last noted type to your mana pool. * The types of mana are white, blue, black, red, green, and colorless. * Charge counters are indistinguishable from one another. If some other spell or ability (such as Power Conduit's ability) puts a charge counter on Jeweled Amulet, playing Jeweled Amulet's second ability will still check the type of mana last noted by its first ability. If there is no type of mana noted by its first ability (because it hasn't been played by that point), the second ability will produce no mana. ----- Joven's Ferrets {G} Creature -- Ferret 1/1 Whenever Joven's Ferrets attacks, it gets +0/+2 until end of turn. At end of combat, tap all creatures that blocked Joven's Ferrets this turn. They don't untap during their controller's next untap step. * The second ability will trigger only if Joven's Ferrets is still in play at end of combat. If it's been dealt lethal combat damage and destroyed during that combat (or has left play during that combat by any other means), its ability won't trigger and the creatures that blocked it won't be affected. * If a creature affected by the second ability is untapped at the time its controller's next untap step begins, the "doesn't untap" effect doesn't do anything. It won't apply at some later time when that creature is tapped. * The second ability doesn't track the creatures' controllers. If an affected creature changes controllers before its old controller's next untap step, Joven's Ferrets will prevent it from being untapped during its new controller's next untap step. ----- Juniper Order Advocate {2}{W} Creature -- Human Knight 1/2 Green creatures you control get +1/+1 as long as Juniper Order Advocate is untapped. * If Juniper Order Advocate somehow becomes green, its ability will affect itself. ----- Kaysa {3}{G}{G} Legendary Creature -- Elf Druid 2/3 Green creatures you control get +1/+1. * Kaysa's ability affects itself. ----- Kjeldoran Dead {B} Creature -- Skeleton 3/1 When Kjeldoran Dead comes into play, sacrifice a creature. {B}: Regenerate Kjeldoran Dead. * When Kjeldoran Dead's comes-into-play ability resolves, if you don't control any other creatures, you must sacrifice Kjeldoran Dead itself. ----- Kjeldoran Home Guard {3}{W} Creature -- Human Soldier 1/6 At end of combat, if Kjeldoran Home Guard attacked or blocked this combat, put a -0/-1 counter on Kjeldoran Home Guard and put a 0/1 white Deserter creature token into play. * The ability will trigger only if Kjeldoran Home Guard is still in play at end of combat. If it's been dealt lethal combat damage and destroyed during that combat (or has left play during that combat by any other means), its ability won't trigger and you won't get a token. * You put the Deserter token into play even if you can't put a -0/-1 counter on Kjeldoran Home Guard (because it left play after its ability triggered but before it resolved, for example). ----- Krovikan Vampire {3}{B}{B} Creature -- Vampire 3/3 At end of turn, if a creature dealt damage by Krovikan Vampire this turn was put into a graveyard, put that card into play under your control. Sacrifice it when you lose control of Krovikan Vampire. * The ability triggers at end of turn. At that time, the game checks all creatures put into graveyards from play that turn to see if Krovikan Vampire had dealt damage to them during the turn. It doesn't matter whether the damage was combat damage, and it doesn't matter whether the damage was what caused the creatures to be put into the graveyard. * If the Vampire isn't in play by the time the end step begins, its ability won't trigger. No cards will be returned to play, even if the Vampire dealt damage to some creatures put into the graveyard that turn. * Whoever controls the Vampire at the time the ability triggers will return the applicable cards to play under his or her control. It doesn't matter who controlled the Vampire at the time the damage was dealt. * If a creature that the Vampire dealt damage to is put into a graveyard, then leaves the graveyard by some means, the game loses track of it. The Vampire's ability won't be able to return it to play, even if it's put back into the graveyard before the end of the turn. * If a creature that the Vampire dealt damage to that turn is put into a graveyard from play during a turn's end step (after any "at end of turn" triggers would have triggered that turn), that card won't be returned to play. ----- Lat-Nam's Legacy {1}{U} Instant Shuffle a card from your hand into your library. If you do, draw two cards at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep. * Shuffling a card from your hand into your library is mandatory. The effect says "if you do" because performing that action might have been impossible. If you fail to shuffle a card into your library because your hand was empty, you won't draw any cards. ----- Lava Burst {X}{R} Sorcery Lava Burst deals X damage to target creature or player. If Lava Burst would deal damage to a creature, that damage can't be prevented or dealt instead to another creature or player. * Prevention and redirection effects will have no effect on damage dealt by Lava Burst to a creature. However, they will work on damage that Lava Burst would deal to a player. * A creature dealt damage by Lava Burst may be regenerated. ----- Lodestone Bauble {0} Artifact {1}, {T}, Sacrifice Lodestone Bauble: Put up to four target basic land cards from a player's graveyard on top of his or her library in any order. That player draws a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep. * "Up to four" means zero, one, two, three, or four. If you choose zero targets, you still choose a player. That player will draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep. ----- Magus of the Unseen {1}{U} Creature -- Human Wizard 1/1 {1}{U}, {T}: Untap target artifact an opponent controls and gain control of it until end of turn. It gains haste until end of turn. When you lose control of the artifact, tap it. * You may target an untapped artifact with this ability. * The artifact will gain haste whether or not it's a creature. Of course, if it's not a creature, haste will have no particular effect. * You tap the artifact when you lose control of it for any reason -- because Magus of the Unseen's effect ends, or because a spell or ability causes another player to gain control of it. ----- Meteor Shower {X}{X}{R} Sorcery Meteor Shower deals X plus 1 damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures and/or players. * A tip on how this math works: To deal a total of 1 damage, X is 0. The cost is {0} + {0} + {R} = {R}. To deal a total of 2 damage, X is 1. The cost is {1} + {1} + {R} = {2}{R}. To deal a total of 3 damage, X is 2. The cost is {2} + {2} + {R} = {4}{R}. And so on. * The number of targets must be at least 1 and at most X + 1. You divide the damage as you play Meteor Shower, not as it resolves. Each target must be assigned at least 1 damage. ----- Minion of Leshrac {4}{B}{B}{B} Creature -- Demon Minion 5/5 Protection from black At the beginning of your upkeep, Minion of Leshrac deals 5 damage to you unless you sacrifice a creature other than Minion of Leshrac. If Minion of Leshrac deals damage to you this way, tap it. {T}: Destroy target creature or land. * If you don't sacrifice a creature at the beginning of your upkeep (either by choice or because you can't), but you somehow prevent all the damage Minion of Leshrac would deal to you, then you don't tap Minion of Leshrac. * Minion of Leshrac can't target itself with its activated ability because it has protection from black. ----- Mishra's Groundbreaker {4} Artifact {T}, Sacrifice Mishra's Groundbreaker: Target land becomes a 3/3 artifact creature that's still a land. * The ability's effect has no duration. The affected land will remain an artifact, creature, and land until the game ends, it leaves play, or some other effect changes its types. ----- Misinformation {B} Instant Put up to three target cards from an opponent's graveyard on top of his or her library in any order. * You target the cards, but not the opponent. * You don't need to show the opponent what order you put the cards on top of his or her library. ----- Mudslide {2}{R} Enchantment Creatures without flying don't untap during their controllers' untap steps. At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player may choose any number of tapped creatures without flying he or she controls and pay {2} for each creature chosen this way. If the player does, untap those creatures. * First the player chooses all the tapped creatures he or she would like to untap this way. Then the entire payment is made at once, then all of those creatures untap at the same time. If the entire payment can't be paid (because the player chose too many creatures, for example), none of it is paid and none of those creatures untap. ----- Musician {2}{U} Creature Human Wizard 1/3 Cumulative upkeep {1} {T}: Put a music counter on target creature. If it doesn't have "At the beginning of your upkeep, destroy this creature unless you pay {1} for each music counter on it," it gains that ability. * This ability has no duration. An affected creature will retain the triggered ability until the game ends, it leaves play, or some other effect causes it to lose its abilities. It doesn't matter if Musician is still in play or not. * Although a creature can gain the triggered ability only once, it can be targeted by multiple Musicians to increase its number of music counters. * If a music counter is put on a creature by some other means (Fate Transfer, for example), but that creature has never been affected by Musician's ability, that creature won't have the triggered ability and its controller won't have to pay mana. The music counters will stay on that creature but won't do anything. ----- Nature's Blessing {2}{G}{W} Enchantment {G}{W}, Discard a card: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature or that creature gains banding, first strike, or trample. * This ability has no duration. The affected creature will have banding, first strike, or trample until the game ends, it leaves play, or some other effect causes it to lose its abilities. ----- Nature's Wrath {4}{G}{G} Enchantment At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice Nature's Wrath unless you pay {G}. Whenever a player puts a Swamp or black permanent into play, he or she sacrifices a Swamp or black permanent. Whenever a player puts an Island or blue permanent into play, he or she sacrifices an Island or blue permanent. * Nature's Wrath cares about who puts the permanent into play, not under whose control the permanent comes into play under. * A single permanent may cause both the second and third abilities to trigger. For example, Underground Sea is both an Island and a Swamp, and Skeleton Ship is both blue and black. ----- Night Soil {G}{G} Enchantment {1}, Remove two creature cards in a single graveyard from the game: Put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token into play. * The two creature cards are removed from a graveyard as a cost. No one can respond to this. If no graveyard has two creature cards in it, the cost can't be paid. ----- Orcish Captain {R} Creature -- Orc Warrior 1/1 {1}: Flip a coin. If you win the flip, target Orc creature gets +2/+0 until end of turn. If you lose the flip, it gets -0/-2 until end of turn. * You choose the target when you play the ability. You don't flip a coin until the ability resolves. ----- Orcish Farmer {1}{R}{R} Creature -- Orc 2/2 {T}: Target land becomes a Swamp until its controller's next untap step. * This ability changes the targeted land's land types. It doesn't affect its name, its supertypes (such as whether or not it's legendary, snow, or basic), or its other types (if it's also a creature, for example). The ability will cause the land to lose all of its printed abilities and gain the ability "{T}: Add {B} to your mana pool." ----- Orcish Squatters {4}{R} Creature -- Orc 2/3 Whenever Orcish Squatters attacks and isn't blocked, you may gain control of target land defending player controls for as long as you control Orcish Squatters. If you do, Orcish Squatters deals no combat damage this turn. * If you lose control of Orcish Squatters before its ability resolves, you won't gain control of the targeted land at all. ----- Phantasmal Fiend {3}{B} Creature -- Illusion 1/5 {B}: Phantasmal Fiend gets +1/-1 until end of turn. {1}{U}: Switch Phantasmal Fiend's power and toughness until end of turn. * Effects that switch power and toughness are always applied last when determining a creature's power and toughness, even if other power/toughness-changing effects are played later in the turn. For example, if you play Phantasmal Fiend's first ability, it will become 2/4. Then if you play its second ability, it will become 4/2. Then if you play its first ability again, it will become 3/3. ----- Phantasmal Mount {1}{U} Creature -- Illusion Horse 1/1 Flying {T}: Target creature you control with toughness 2 or less gets +1/+1 and gains flying until end of turn. When Phantasmal Mount leaves play this turn, sacrifice that creature. When the creature leaves play this turn, sacrifice Phantasmal Mount. * If the ability resolves, then the targeted creature's toughness becomes greater than 2 later, Phantasmal Mount's effect will not end. (The ability checks whether the creature has toughness 2 or less only at the time you play it and the time it resolves.) ----- Phyrexian Devourer {6} Artifact Creature -- Construct 1/1 When Phyrexian Devourer's power is 7 or greater, sacrifice it. Remove the top card of your library from the game: Put X +1/+1 counters on Phyrexian Devourer, where X is the removed card's converted mana cost. If Phyrexian Devourer's power is 7 or greater, sacrifice it. * Phyrexian Devourer's power is checked as its activated ability resolves. Phyrexian Devourer's first ability also continually checks its power as a state trigger. * Once a state trigger triggers, it won't trigger again as long as the ability is on the stack. If the ability is countered and the trigger condition is still true, it will immediately trigger again. * If Phyrexian Devourer's first ability triggers, you'll have to sacrifice it when it resolves even if its power has been reduced to 6 or less by then. ----- Phyrexian Portal {3} Artifact {3}: Target opponent looks at the top ten cards of your library and separates them into two face-down piles. Remove one of those piles from the game. Search the other pile for a card and put it into your hand, then shuffle your library. Play this ability only if your library has ten or more cards in it. * The two piles don't have to have the same number of cards in them. One of the piles may have zero cards. ----- Pyrokinesis {4}{R}{R} Instant You may remove a red card in your hand from the game rather than pay Pyrokinesis's mana cost. Pyrokinesis deals 4 damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures. * The number of targets must be at least 1 and at most 4. You divide the damage as you play Pyrokinesis, not as it resolves. Each target must be assigned at least 1 damage. ----- Ray of Command {3}{U} Instant Untap target creature an opponent controls and gain control of it until end of turn. That creature gains haste until end of turn. When you lose control of the creature, tap it. * You may target an untapped creature with Ray of Command. * You tap the creature when you lose control of it for any reason -- because Ray of Command's effect ends, or because a spell or ability causes another player to gain control of it. ----- Reinforcements {W} Instant Put up to three target creature cards from your graveyard on top of your library. * You don't need to show any other players what order you put the cards on top of your library. ----- Retribution {2}{R}{R} Sorcery Choose two target creatures an opponent controls. That player chooses and sacrifices one of those creatures. Put a -1/-1 counter on the other. * The player chooses which one to sacrifice as Retribution resolves. If only one of the targets is still legal at that time, then the player must choose to sacrifice that one. ----- Ritual of Subdual {4}{G}{G} Enchantment Cumulative upkeep {2} If a land is tapped for mana, it produces colorless mana instead of any other type. * This effect changes the type of mana produced, but not the amount. For example, if a land that's tapped for mana would add {W}{W} to its controller's mana pool, it adds {2} to that player's mana pool instead. ----- Rogue Skycaptain {2}{R} Creature -- Human Rogue Mercenary 3/4 Flying At the beginning of your upkeep, put a wage counter on Rogue Skycaptain. You may pay {2} for each wage counter on it. If you don't, remove all wage counters from Rogue Skycaptain and an opponent gains control of it. * No choices are made when this ability triggers. After the wage counter is put on Rogue Skycaptain, then you choose whether to pay mana and, if you don?t, which opponent gains control of it. * If you can't pay the entire payment, none of it is paid. ----- Royal Decree {2}{W}{W} Enchantment Cumulative upkeep {W} Whenever a Swamp, Mountain, black permanent, or red permanent becomes tapped, Royal Decree deals 1 damage to that permanent's controller. * Royal Decree's ability will trigger a maximum of once for each permanent that becomes tapped, even if that permanent meets multiple criteria. (For example, Badlands is both a Swamp and a Mountain.) ----- Sea Drake {2}{U} Creature -- Drake 4/3 Flying When Sea Drake comes into play, return two target lands you control to their owner's hand. * When the ability resolves, if one of the lands has become an illegal target (because it's no longer in play, for example), you return the other one to your hand. If both of the lands have become illegal targets, the ability is countered. This has no effect on Sea Drake. ----- Shyft {4}{U} Creature -- Shapeshifter 4/2 At the beginning of your upkeep, you may have Shyft become the color or colors of your choice. * Shyft's ability won't let you make it colorless. Colorless is not a color. * The ability's effect has no duration. Shyft will remain the chosen color or colors until the game ends, it leaves play, or some other effect (such as the next time its ability resolves) changes its colors. ----- Spore Cloud {1}{G}{G} Instant Tap all blocking creatures. Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn. Each attacking creature and each blocking creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step. * If a creature affected by Spore Cloud is untapped at the time its controller's next untap step begins, the "doesn't untap" effect doesn't do anything. It won't apply at some later time when that creature is tapped. * Spore Cloud doesn't track the creatures' controllers. If an affected creature changes controllers before its old controller's next untap step, Spore Cloud will prevent it from being untapped during its new controller's next untap step. ----- Storm Elemental {5}{U} Creature -- Elemental 3/4 Flying {U}, Remove the top card of your library from the game: Tap target creature with flying. {U}, Remove the top card of your library from the game: If the removed card is a snow land, Storm Elemental gets +1/+1 until end of turn. * Even though the two activated abilities have the same cost, they're separate. You choose which one you're playing before you remove the top card of your library from the game (and see what it is). * If you play Storm Elemental's third ability and the removed card is not a snow land, the ability has no effect. ----- Sustaining Spirit {1}{W} Creature -- Angel Spirit 0/3 Cumulative upkeep {1}{W} Damage that would reduce your life total to less than 1 reduces it to 1 instead. * The second ability applies only if your life total is being reduced by damage. Other effects or costs (such as "lose 1 life" or "pay 1 life") can reduce your life total below 1 as normal. * If an effect asks you to pay life, you can't pay more life than you have. * The second ability is not a prevention effect. It stops unpreventable damage from reducing your life total below 1. * The ability doesn't change how much damage is dealt; it just changes how much life that damage makes you lose. An effect such as Spirit Link will see the full amount of damage being dealt. * Sustaining Spirit won't prevent you from losing the game if your life total is 0 or less or some other effect causes you to lose the game. ----- Swords to Plowshares {W} Instant Remove target creature from the game. Its controller gains life equal to its power. * The amount of life that's gained is equal to the power of the targeted creature as it last existed in play. ----- Thought Lash {2}{U}{U} Enchantment Cumulative upkeep--Remove the top card of your library from the game. When Thought Lash's cumulative upkeep isn't paid, remove your library from the game. Remove the top card of your library from the game: Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to you this turn. * If you don't pay Thought Lash's cumulative upkeep, you'll sacrifice Thought Lash as normal, then, when its triggered ability resolves, you'll remove your library from the game. * "Remove your library from the game" means you remove all cards in your library from the game. You'll still have a library zone. * If your library has no cards in it, you can't play the last ability. ----- Whirling Catapult {4} Artifact {2}, Remove the top two cards of your library from the game: Whirling Catapult deals 1 damage to each creature with flying and each player. * If your library has fewer than two cards in it, you can't play the ability. ----- Winter's Night {R}{G}{W} World Enchantment Whenever a player taps a snow land for mana, that player adds one mana to his or her mana pool of any type that land produced. That land doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step. * Winter's Night has the supertype world. This supertype is similar to legendary. The difference is that when a world permanent comes into play, any world permanents that were already in play are put into their owners' graveyards. This is a state-based effect called the "world rule." The new world permanent stays in play. If two world permanents come into play at the same time, they're both put into their owners' graveyards. * If a land affected by Winter's Night is untapped at the time its controller's next untap step begins, the "doesn't untap" effect doesn't do anything. It won't apply at some later time when that land is tapped. * Winter's Night doesn't track the lands' controllers. If an affected land changes controllers before its old controller's next untap step, Winter's Night will prevent it from being untapped during its new controller's next untap step. ----- Withering Wisps {1}{B}{B} Enchantment At end of turn, if no creatures are in play, sacrifice Withering Wisps. {B}: Withering Wisps deals 1 damage to each creature and each player. Play this ability no more times each turn than the number of snow Swamps you control. * Withering Wisps's triggered ability has an "intervening 'if' clause." That means (1) the ability won't trigger at all unless there are no creatures in play when a turn's end step begins, and (2) the ability will do nothing if there are any creatures in play by the time the ability resolves. * If all creatures leave play during a turn's end step (after any "at end of turn" triggers would have triggered that turn), Withering Wisps will remain in play because the trigger condition has already passed. * The number of snow Swamps you control and the number of times Withering Wisps's ability has been played so far that turn are checked each time you attempt to play the ability. ----- Wolf Pack {6}{G}{G} Creature -- Wolf 7/6 You may have Wolf Pack assign its combat damage as though it weren't blocked. * When assigning Wolf Pack's combat damage, you choose whether you want to assign all of it to blocking creatures, or whether you want to assign all of it to the player or planeswalker Wolf Pack is attacking. You can't split the damage assignment between them. * If Wolf Pack is blocked by a creature with banding, the defending player decides whether or not the damage is assigned "as though it weren't blocked". ----- Woolly Mammoths {1}{G}{G} Creature -- Elephant 3/2 Woolly Mammoths has trample as long as you control a snow land. * If Woolly Mammoths is attacking, whether it has trample matters only at the time its combat damage is assigned. If it loses trample after that, its combat damage will still resolve as assigned. ----- All trademarks are property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the U.S.A. and other countries. (c)2008 Wizards.