Comprehensive Rules
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After resolving a madness triggered ability (see rule 702.35), if the exiled card wasn’t cast and was moved to a public zone, effects referencing the discarded card can find that object.
If a card with morph is manifested, its controller may turn that card face up using either the procedure described in rule 702.37e to turn a face-down permanent with morph face up or the procedure described above to turn a manifested permanent face up.
If a card with morph is cloaked, its controller may turn that card face up using either the procedure described in rule 702.37e to turn a face-down permanent with morph face up or the procedure described above to turn a cloaked permanent face up.
Defender
Defender is a static ability.
A creature with defender can’t attack.
Multiple instances of defender on the same creature are redundant.
For more information about Auras, see rule 303, “Enchantments.”
For more information about Equipment, see rule 301, “Artifacts.”
Damage dealt by a source with lifelink causes that source’s controller, or its owner if it has no controller, to gain that much life (in addition to any other results that damage causes). See rule 120.3.
Echo
Echo is a triggered ability. “Echo [cost]” means “At the beginning of your upkeep, if this permanent came under your control since the beginning of your last upkeep, sacrifice it unless you pay [cost].”
Urza block cards with the echo ability were printed without an echo cost. These cards have been given errata in the Oracle card reference; each one now has an echo cost equal to its mana cost.
Horsemanship
Horsemanship is an evasion ability.
A creature with horsemanship can’t be blocked by creatures without horsemanship. A creature with horsemanship can block a creature with or without horsemanship. (See rule , “Declare Blockers Step.”)
Multiple instances of horsemanship on the same creature are redundant.
Fading
Fading is a keyword that represents two abilities. “Fading N” means “This permanent enters with N fade counters on it” and “At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a fade counter from this permanent. If you can’t, sacrifice the permanent.”
Kicker
Kicker is a static ability that functions while the spell with kicker is on the stack. “Kicker [cost]” means “You may pay an additional [cost] as you cast this spell.” Paying a spell’s kicker cost(s) follows the rules for paying additional costs in rules and –h.
The phrase “Kicker [cost 1] and/or [cost 2]” means the same thing as “Kicker [cost 1], kicker [cost 2].”
Multikicker is a variant of the kicker ability. “Multikicker [cost]” means “You may pay an additional [cost] any number of times as you cast this spell.” A multikicker cost is a kicker cost.
If a spell’s controller declares the intention to pay any of that spell’s kicker costs, that spell has been “kicked.” If a spell has two kicker costs or has multikicker, it may be kicked multiple times. See rule .
Objects with kicker or multikicker have additional abilities that specify what happens if they were kicked. These abilities are linked to the kicker or multikicker abilities printed on that object: they can refer only to those specific kicker or multikicker abilities. See rule , “Linked Abilities.”
Objects with more than one kicker cost may also have abilities that each correspond to a specific kicker cost. Those abilities contain the phrases “if it was kicked with its [A] kicker” and “if it was kicked with its [B] kicker,” where A and B are the first and second kicker costs listed on the card, respectively. Each of those abilities is linked to the appropriate kicker ability.
If part of a spell’s ability has its effect only if that spell was kicked, and that part of the ability includes any targets, the spell’s controller chooses those targets only if that spell was kicked. Otherwise, the spell is cast as if it did not have those targets. See rule .
Sticker kicker is a keyword ability that represents a kicker ability and an ability that imposes an additional cost if the spell is kicked. “Sticker kicker [cost]” means “Kicker [cost]” and “As an additional cost to cast this spell, if it’s kicked, you get a ticket counter and you may put a sticker on this spell.”
Flashback
Flashback appears on some instants and sorceries. It represents two static abilities: one that functions while the card is in a player’s graveyard and another that functions while the card is on the stack. “Flashback [cost]” means “You may cast this card from your graveyard if the resulting spell is an instant or sorcery spell by paying [cost] rather than paying its mana cost” and “If the flashback cost was paid, exile this card instead of putting it anywhere else any time it would leave the stack.” Casting a spell using its flashback ability follows the rules for paying alternative costs in rules and –h.
Madness
Madness is a keyword that represents two abilities. The first is a static ability that functions while the card with madness is in a player’s hand. The second is a triggered ability that functions when the first ability is applied. “Madness [cost]” means “If a player would discard this card, that player discards it, but exiles it instead of putting it into their graveyard” and “When this card is exiled this way, its owner may cast it by paying [cost] rather than paying its mana cost. If that player doesn’t, they put this card into their graveyard.”
Casting a spell using its madness ability follows the rules for paying alternative costs in rules and –h.
After resolving a madness triggered ability, if the exiled card wasn’t cast and was moved to a public zone, effects referencing the discarded card can find that card. See rule .
Fear
Fear is an evasion ability.
A creature with fear can’t be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or black creatures. (See rule , “Declare Blockers Step.”)
Multiple instances of fear on the same creature are redundant.
Morph
Morph is a static ability that functions in any zone from which you could play the card it’s on, and the morph effect works any time the card is face down. “Morph [cost]” means “You may cast this card as a 2/2 face-down creature with no text, no name, no subtypes, and no mana cost by paying {3} rather than paying its mana cost.” (See rule , “Face-Down Spells and Permanents.”)
Megamorph is a variant of the morph ability. “Megamorph [cost]” means “You may cast this card as a 2/2 face-down creature with no text, no name, no subtypes, and no mana cost by paying {3} rather than paying its mana cost” and “As this permanent is turned face up, put a +1/+1 counter on it if its megamorph cost was paid to turn it face up.” A megamorph cost is a morph cost.
To cast a card using its morph ability, turn it face down and announce that you’re using a morph ability. It becomes a 2/2 face-down creature card with no text, no name, no subtypes, and no mana cost. Any effects or prohibitions that would apply to casting a card with these characteristics (and not the face-up card’s characteristics) are applied to casting this card. These values are the copiable values of that object’s characteristics. (See rule , “Interaction of Continuous Effects,” and rule , “Copying Objects.”) Put it onto the stack (as a face-down spell with the same characteristics), and pay {3} rather than pay its mana cost. This follows the rules for paying alternative costs. You can use a morph ability to cast a card from any zone from which you could normally cast it. When the spell resolves, it enters the battlefield with the same characteristics the spell had. The morph effect applies to the face-down object wherever it is, and it ends when the permanent is turned face up.
You can’t normally cast a card face down. A morph ability allows you to do so.
Any time you have priority, you may turn a face-down permanent you control with a morph ability face up. This is a special action; it doesn’t use the stack (see rule ). To do this, show all players what the permanent’s morph cost would be if it were face up, pay that cost, then turn the permanent face up. (If the permanent wouldn’t have a morph cost if it were face up, it can’t be turned face up this way.) The morph effect on it ends, and it regains its normal characteristics. Any abilities relating to the permanent entering the battlefield don’t trigger when it’s turned face up and don’t have any effect, because the permanent has already entered the battlefield.
If a permanent’s morph cost includes X, other abilities of that permanent may also refer to X. The value of X in those abilities is equal to the value of X chosen as the morph special action was taken.
See rule , “Face-Down Spells and Permanents,” for more information about how to cast cards with a morph ability.
Amplify
Amplify is a static ability. “Amplify N” means “As this object enters, reveal any number of cards from your hand that share a creature type with it. This permanent enters with N +1/+1 counters on it for each card revealed this way. You can’t reveal this card or any other cards that are entering the battlefield at the same time as this card.”
If a creature has multiple instances of amplify, each one works separately.
Provoke
Provoke is a triggered ability. “Provoke” means “Whenever this creature attacks, you may choose to have target creature defending player controls block this creature this combat if able. If you do, untap that creature.”
If a creature has multiple instances of provoke, each triggers separately.
For more information about Fortifications, see rule 301, “Artifacts.”
Changeling is a characteristic-defining ability. “Changeling” means “This object is every creature type.” This ability works everywhere, even outside the game. See rule 604.3.
Damage dealt to a player by a source with infect doesn’t cause that player to lose life. Rather, it causes that source’s controller to give the player that many poison counters. See rule 120.3.
Damage dealt to a creature by a source with infect isn’t marked on that creature. Rather, it causes that source’s controller to put that many -1/-1 counters on that creature. See rule 120.3.
Devoid is a characteristic-defining ability. “Devoid” means “This object is colorless.” This ability functions everywhere, even outside the game. See rule 604.3.
Combat damage dealt to a player by a creature with toxic causes that creature’s controller to give the player a number of poison counters equal to that creature’s total toxic value, in addition to the damage’s other results. See rule 120.3.
As a player casts a prototype card, the player chooses whether they cast the card normally or cast it as a prototyped spell using the prototype keyword ability (see rule 702.160, “Prototype”).
Creatures in a band can’t attack different players. See rule 702.22, “Banding.”