Comprehensive Rules
Search the official Magic: The Gathering rules, or browse them chapter by chapter.
A player who has a card with plot in their hand may exile that card. This is a special action. A player can take this action any time they have priority during their own turn while the stack is empty. See rule 702.170, “Plot.”
Most abilities describe exactly what they do in the card’s rules text. Some, though, are very common or would require too much space to define on the card. In these cases, the object lists only the name of the ability as a “keyword”; sometimes reminder text summarizes the game rule.
If an effect refers to a “[keyword ability] cost,” it refers only to the variable costs for that keyword.
An effect that grants an object a keyword ability may define a variable in that ability based on characteristics of that object or other information about the game state. For these abilities, the value of that variable is constantly reevaluated.
An effect may state that “the same is true for” a list of keyword abilities or similar. If one of those keyword abilities has variants or variables and the effect grants that keyword or counters of that keyword to one or more objects and/or players, it grants each appropriate variant and variable of that keyword.
An effect may refer to an object “with [keyword ability]” or “that has [keyword ability].” This means the same thing as an object “with a [keyword ability] ability” or an object “that has a [keyword ability] ability.”
Deathtouch
A creature with flying can’t be blocked except by creatures with flying and/or reach. A creature with flying can block a creature with or without flying. (See rule , “Declare Blockers Step,” and rule 702.17, “Reach.”)
Reach
Reach is a static ability.
A creature with flying can’t be blocked except by creatures with flying and/or reach. (See rule , “Declare Blockers Step,” and rule 702.9, “Flying.”)
Multiple instances of reach on the same creature are redundant.
Plot
Plot is a keyword ability that functions while the card with plot is in a player’s hand. “Plot [cost]” means “Any time you have priority during your main phase while the stack is empty, you may exile this card from your hand and pay [cost]. It becomes a plotted card.”
Exiling a card using its plot ability is a special action, which doesn’t use the stack. See rule , “Special Actions.”
In addition to the plot special action, some spells and abilities cause a card in exile to become plotted.
A plotted card’s owner may cast it from exile without paying its mana cost during their main phase while the stack is empty during any turn after the turn in which it became plotted. Casting a spell this way follows the rules for paying alternative costs in rules and –h. A plotted card may be cast this way even if it doesn’t have the plot ability while in exile.
If an effect refers to plotting a card, it means performing the special action associated with a plot ability.
An effect may allow the plot ability of a card to function in a zone other than a player’s hand. In that case, the card is exiled from the zone it is in as the action is taken rather than from its owner’s hand.
Saddle
Saddle is an activated ability. “Saddle N” means “Tap any number of other untapped creatures you control with power N or greater: This permanent becomes saddled until end of turn. Activate only as a sorcery.”
Saddled is a designation that has no rules meaning other than to act as a marker that spells and abilities can identify. Only permanents can be or become saddled. Once a permanent has become saddled, it stays saddled until the end of the turn or it leaves the battlefield. Being saddled is not a part of the permanent’s copiable values.
A creature “saddles” a permanent as it’s tapped to pay the cost to activate a permanent’s saddle ability.
Spree
Spree is a static ability found on some modal spells (see rule ) that applies while the spell on the stack. Spree means “Choose one or more modes. As an additional cost to cast this spell, pay the costs associated with those modes.”
Cards with the spree ability have a plus sign icon in the upper right corner of the card. This symbol is a visual reminder that this card requires an additional cost to be cast. This icon has no rules meaning.
Freerunning
Freerunning is a static ability that functions on the stack. “Freerunning [cost]” means “You may pay [cost] rather than pay this spell’s mana cost if a player was dealt combat damage this turn by a creature that, at the time it dealt that damage, was an Assassin creature or a commander under your control.” Casting a spell for its freerunning cost follows the rules for paying alternative costs in rules and –h.
Gift
Gift is a keyword that represents two abilities. It is written “Gift a [something].” The first ability is a static ability that functions while the card with gift is on the stack, and the second is either a static ability that functions while the card with gift is on the stack or a triggered ability that functions while the card with gift is on the battlefield. The first ability is always “As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may choose an opponent.” Paying a spell’s gift cost follows the rules for paying additional costs in rules and –h. The second ability depends on the [something] listed as well as whether the object with the ability is a permanent or an instant or sorcery spell.
On a permanent, the second ability represented by gift is “When this permanent enters, if its gift cost was paid, [effect].” On an instant or sorcery spell, the second ability represented by gift is “If this spell’s gift cost was paid, [effect].” The specific effect is defined by the [something] listed.
Some effects trigger whenever a player gives a gift. Such an ability triggers whenever an instant or sorcery spell that player controls whose gift cost was paid resolves. It also triggers whenever the gift triggered ability of a permanent that player controls resolves.
“Gift a Food” means the effect is “The chosen player creates a Food token.”
“Gift a card” means the effect is “The chosen player draws a card.”
“Gift a tapped Fish” means the effect is “The chosen player creates a tapped 1/1 blue Fish creature token.”
“Gift an extra turn” means the effect is “The chosen player takes an extra turn after this one.”
“Gift a Treasure” means the effect is “The chosen player creates a Treasure token.”
“Gift an Octopus” means the effect is “The chosen player creates an 8/8 blue Octopus creature token.”
For instant and sorcery spells, the effect of a gift ability always happens before any other spell abilities of the card. If the spell is countered or otherwise leaves the stack before resolving, the gift effect doesn’t happen.
If a spell’s controller declares the intention to pay a spell’s gift cost, that spell’s gift was promised.
If part of a spell’s ability has its effect only if its gift was promised, and that part of the ability includes any targets, the spell’s controller chooses those targets only if the gift was promised.
Offspring
Offspring represents two abilities. “Offspring [cost]” means “You may pay an additional [cost] as you cast this spell” and “When this permanent enters, if its offspring cost was paid, create a token that’s a copy of it, except it’s 1/1.”
If a spell has multiple instances of offspring, each is paid separately and triggers based on the payments made for it, not any other instances of offspring.
Impending
Impending is a keyword that represents four abilities. The first and second are static abilities that function while the spell with impending is on the stack. The third is a static ability that functions on the battlefield. The fourth is a triggered ability that functions on the battlefield. “Impending N—[cost]” means “You may choose to pay [cost] rather than pay this spell’s mana cost,” “If you chose to pay this spell’s impending cost, it enters with N time counters on it,” “As long as this permanent has a time counter on it, if it was cast for its impending cost, it’s not a creature,” and “At the beginning of your end step, if this permanent was cast for its impending cost and there is at least one time counter on it, remove a time counter from it.” Casting a spell for its impending cost follows the rules for paying alternative costs in rules and –h.
Exhaust
An exhaust ability is a special kind of activated ability. “Exhaust — [Cost]: [Effect]” means “[Cost]: [Effect]. Activate only once.”
An effect may allow you to take an action as long as you haven’t activated an exhaust ability this turn. Such an effect allows that action only if you haven’t begun to activate an exhaust ability this turn.
Max Speed
A max speed ability is a special kind of static ability. “Max speed — [Ability]” means “As long as your speed is 4, this object has ‘[Ability].’” See rule 702.179, “Start Your Engines!”
Start Your Engines!
Start your engines! is a static ability. If a player controls a permanent with start your engines! and that player has no speed, their speed becomes 1. This is a state-based action. See rule 704.
Players do not have speed until a rule or effect sets their speed to a specific value.
If a player has no speed and they are instructed to increase their speed by a certain value, their speed becomes that value.
There is an inherent triggered ability associated with a player having 1 or more speed. This ability has no source and is controlled by that player. That ability is “Whenever one or more opponents lose life during your turn, if your speed is less than 4, your speed increases by 1. This ability triggers only once each turn.”
Rules and effects may refer to whether a player has “max speed.” A player has max speed if their speed is 4.
Some effects refer to a player’s speed. If that player has no speed, their speed is 0 for the purpose of an effect that refers to speed.
If a player controls a permanent with start your engines! and that player has no speed, that player’s speed becomes 1. See rule 702.179, “Start Your Engines!”