How planeswalkers work
A planeswalker is a permanent that enters the battlefield with a number of loyalty counters on it and can use one of its loyalty abilities each turn. Opponents remove those counters mainly by attacking it with creatures, and when the last one goes, the planeswalker goes to the graveyard.
Two rules that used to govern planeswalkers have since been removed from the game, and they are the source of most of the confusion around them today. Both are covered below.
The short answer
- A planeswalker enters with loyalty counters equal to the number printed in its lower right corner
- You may activate one loyalty ability per planeswalker per turn, at sorcery speed
- You can activate a loyalty ability the same turn the planeswalker enters — there is no summoning sickness for loyalty
- Opponents attack planeswalkers with creatures; damage removes that many loyalty counters
- At 0 loyalty the planeswalker is put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action
- Noncombat damage is no longer redirected to planeswalkers — that rule was removed
- There is no planeswalker uniqueness rule any more; modern planeswalkers are legendary and use the legend rule
Loyalty: the number in the corner
The number printed in the lower right corner of a planeswalker card is its starting loyalty. When the card is anywhere other than the battlefield, that printed number simply is its loyalty.
On the battlefield the printed number stops mattering: what counts is how many loyalty counters are actually on the permanent. That distinction matters whenever an effect adds or removes counters, or copies the planeswalker.
The loyalty of a planeswalker card not on the battlefield is equal to the number printed in its lower right corner.
A planeswalker has the intrinsic ability “This permanent enters with a number of loyalty counters on it equal to its printed loyalty number.” This ability creates a replacement effect (see rule 614.1c).
The loyalty of a planeswalker on the battlefield is equal to the number of loyalty counters on it.
Activating a loyalty ability
Loyalty abilities are the abilities with a plus, minus or zero symbol in their cost. They are activated abilities, but they follow extra timing restrictions that make them behave like sorceries: your turn, your main phase, an empty stack, and you hold priority.
The once-per-turn limit is per planeswalker, not per player, and it counts activations by any player — so if an opponent takes control of your planeswalker and uses an ability, you cannot use another one that turn.
A cost that removes loyalty counters can only be paid if the counters are actually there. You cannot activate a −7 ability on a planeswalker sitting at 4 loyalty, even if you are willing to lose the permanent.
- Only during your own main phase, with the stack empty, while you have priority
- Only one loyalty ability per planeswalker per turn, counting any player’s activations
- Usable the turn the planeswalker enters — summoning sickness does not apply
- A minus ability needs enough loyalty counters to pay for it
Each planeswalker has a number of loyalty abilities, which are activated abilities with loyalty symbols in their costs. Loyalty abilities follow special rules: A player may activate a loyalty ability of a permanent they control any time they have priority and the stack is empty during a main phase of their turn, but only if none of that permanent’s loyalty abilities have been activated that turn. See rule 606, “Loyalty Abilities.”
A player may activate a loyalty ability of a permanent they control any time they have priority and the stack is empty during a main phase of their turn, but only if no player has previously activated a loyalty ability of that permanent that turn.
A loyalty ability with a negative loyalty cost, taking into account any additional costs, can’t be activated unless the permanent has at least that many loyalty counters on it.
Attacking a planeswalker
Planeswalkers are attacked with creatures, the same way players are. When declaring attackers, the attacking player says which player or planeswalker each creature is going after, and that choice is locked in for the combat.
Everything else about combat works normally. The defending player can block those creatures, combat tricks apply as usual, and a creature attacking a planeswalker still needs haste if it came under its controller’s control this turn — that restriction is about the attacking creature, not about the planeswalker.
Planeswalkers can be attacked. (See rule 508, “Declare Attackers Step.”)
If the defending player controls any planeswalkers, is the protector of any battles, or the game allows the active player to attack multiple other players, the active player announces which player, planeswalker, or battle each of the chosen creatures is attacking.
Damage, and what happens at zero
Damage dealt to a planeswalker does not reduce anyone’s life total. It removes that many loyalty counters, whether it came from combat or from a spell that targets the planeswalker directly.
Once loyalty hits zero the planeswalker is put into its owner’s graveyard immediately, as a state-based action — nobody needs to do anything, and it does not use the stack or wait for priority.
Damage dealt to a planeswalker results in that many loyalty counters being removed from it.
If a planeswalker’s loyalty is 0, it’s put into its owner’s graveyard. (This is a state-based action. See rule 704.)
The damage redirection rule no longer exists
This is the single most common outdated belief about planeswalkers. There used to be a rule letting a player choose to have noncombat damage aimed at an opponent hit one of that opponent’s planeswalkers instead. That rule is gone.
Today, a burn spell pointed at a player damages the player, full stop. To damage a planeswalker with a spell, the spell has to target or affect that planeswalker itself. Older cards that relied on the redirection behaviour were given updated wording so they deal damage directly.
Previously, planeswalkers were subject to a redirection effect that allowed a player to have noncombat damage that would be dealt to an opponent be dealt to a planeswalker under that opponent’s control instead. This rule has been removed and certain cards have received errata in the Oracle card reference to deal damage directly to planeswalkers.
The planeswalker uniqueness rule is now the legend rule
There also used to be a rule preventing a player from controlling two planeswalkers sharing a planeswalker type — two Jaces, say, regardless of their full names. That rule has been removed too.
Planeswalkers are legendary instead, and the ordinary legend rule applies: what matters is the full card name, not the planeswalker type. You can control Jace Beleren and Jace, the Mind Sculptor at the same time, because those are different names. Two copies of the same card is what forces a choice.
Previously, planeswalkers were subject to a “planeswalker uniqueness rule” that stopped a player from controlling two planeswalkers of the same planeswalker type. This rule has been removed and planeswalker cards printed before this change have received errata in the Oracle card reference to have the legendary supertype. Like other legendary permanents, they are subject to the “legend rule” (see rule 704.5j).
Frequently asked questions
Can you activate two loyalty abilities in one turn?
Not on the same planeswalker. Each planeswalker allows one loyalty ability per turn, and that limit counts activations by any player. Two different planeswalkers can each use one ability in the same turn.
Can a planeswalker use a loyalty ability the turn it enters the battlefield?
Yes. Summoning sickness only restricts attacking and abilities with the tap or untap symbol, and loyalty abilities are neither, so a planeswalker can use one immediately.
Can you attack a planeswalker the turn it comes down?
Yes, there is nothing protecting a freshly played planeswalker. The only timing restriction is on the attacking creature, which needs haste if it has not been under its controller’s control since the turn began.
Does damage to a player also hit their planeswalkers?
No. The old redirection rule was removed. Damage aimed at a player damages that player, and a spell has to target or affect the planeswalker itself to remove loyalty counters.
What happens when a planeswalker reaches 0 loyalty?
It is put into its owner’s graveyard immediately as a state-based action, without using the stack and without any player needing to act.
Can you control two planeswalkers with the same character name?
Yes, as long as the full card names differ. The legend rule compares full card names, so Jace Beleren and Jace, the Mind Sculptor coexist. Two copies of the same card mean choosing one and putting the other in the graveyard.
Does a planeswalker block?
No. Planeswalkers are not creatures and never block. They are defended by the creatures their controller blocks with.
Rules referenced on this page
Quotations are from the Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules, published by Wizards of the Coast. Search the full rules for anything not covered here.
Related rules
How the legend rule works
How the legend rule works in Magic: The Gathering — what happens with two legendary permanents of the same name, why it compares names rather than characters, and how it applies in Commander.
How the stack works
How the stack works in Magic: The Gathering — why the last spell cast resolves first, how priority passes, when you can respond, and what does not use the stack at all.