100.3. For sealed deck or draft play, only forty cards are required in a deck, and a player may use as many duplicates of a card as he or she has. Each player still needs small items to represent any tokens and counters, and some way to clearly track life totals.
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, including barring all cards from some older sets. See the most current Magic: The Gathering DCI® Floor Rules for more information. They can be found at http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci/utr/intro.
101.1. At the start of a game, each player shuffles his or her own deck so that the cards are in a random order. Each player may then shuffle his or her opponent's deck. The players' decks become their libraries.
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 has been determined, each player sets his or her life total to 20 and draws a hand of seven cards.
101.4. A player who is dissatisfied with his or her initial hand may mulligan. First, the starting player takes any mulligans. To take a mulligan, that player shuffles his or her hand back into the deck and 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 starting player has decided to keep a hand, the other player may take any number of mulligans. A player can't take any mulligans once he or she has decided to keep a hand.
101.5. Once both players are satisfied with their hands, the starting player takes his or her turn. The player who plays first skips the draw step (see rule 304, "Draw Step") of his or her first 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, and 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 a player loses or wins or when the game is a draw.
102.4. If both players lose simultaneously, 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 can concede the game at any time. A player who concedes a game leaves the game immediately. He or she loses the game.
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. 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. The only exception is that a player can concede the game at any time, regardless of what other cards say (see rule 102.7).
103.2. When a rule or effect says something can happen and another effect 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 objects and removing abilities from objects don't fall under this rule. See rule 407, "Adding and Removing Abilities."
103.3. 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.)
103.4. If both players would take an action at the same time, the active player (the player whose turn it is) makes any choices required, then the nonactive player makes any choices required, then the actions happen simultaneously. This rule is often referred to as the "Active Player, Nonactive Player (APNAP) rule."
104.1. The Magic game uses only natural numbers. You may not choose a fractional number, deal fractional damage, and so on. When a spell or ability could generate a fractional number, the spell or ability will tell you whether to round up or down.
104.2. If a creature's power or toughness, a mana cost, a player's life total, or an amount of damage would be less than 0, it's treated as 0 for all purposes except changing that total. If anything needs to use a number that can't be determined, it uses 0 instead.
104.3. The mana symbols are
104.3a Each of the colored mana symbols represents one colored mana:
104.3b Numeral symbols (such as
104.3c The symbols
104.3d Numeral symbols (such as
104.3e The symbol
104.4. The tap symbol is
104.5. A tombstone icon appears to the left of the name of many Odyssey™ block cards with abilities that are relevant in a player's graveyard. The purpose of the icon is to make those cards stand out when they're in a graveyard. This icon has no effect on game play.
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 a card that represents a token isn't considered a card for rules purposes.
200.1a A card's owner is the player who started the game with it in his or her deck or, for cards that didn't start the game in a player's deck, the player who brought the card into the game.
200.2. Use the Oracle™ card reference when determining a card's wording. It can be found at www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci/oracle.
200.3. A player is one of the two people in the game. A player's opponent is the other player. The active player is the player whose turn it is. The other player is the nonactive player.
200.4. A token is a marker used to represent any permanent that isn't represented by a card. (See rule 216, "Tokens.")
200.4a A token's owner is the player who controlled the spell or ability that put it into play. A token's controller is the player who put it into play.
200.5. A spell is a card, or copy of a spell or card, that's on the stack. (See rule 213, "Spells.")
200.5a A spell's owner is the same as the owner of the card that represents it. A spell's controller is the player who played it.
200.6. A permanent is a card or token that's in play. (See rule 214, "Permanents.")
200.6a A nontoken permanent's owner is the same as the owner of the card that represents it. A permanent's controller is the player who put it into play.
200.7. An ability can be one of two things. First, it can be an activated or triggered ability on the stack. Second, it can be text on an object that explains what the object does. (See rule 402, "Abilities," and section 4, "Spells, Abilities, and Effects.")
200.7a The owner of an ability on the stack is the player who controlled its source when it was played or triggered. The controller of an ability on the stack is the player who played the ability, or the player who controlled the ability's source when it triggered.
200.8. An object is an ability on the stack, a card, a copy of a card, a token, a spell, or a permanent. The term "object" is used in these rules when a rule applies to abilities on the stack, cards, tokens, spells, and permanents. Combat damage on the stack is also an object, although many uses of the term "object" in these rules don't apply to it.
200.9. If a spell or ability uses a type, supertype, or subtype without either the word "card," "spell," or "source," it means a permanent of that type in play.
200.9a If a spell or ability uses a type, supertype, or subtype in conjunction with the word "card" and the name of a zone, it means a card with that type in the stated zone.
200.9b If a spell or ability uses a type, supertype, or subtype in conjunction with the word "spell," it means a spell of that type on the stack.
200.9c If a spell or ability uses a type, supertype, or subtype in conjunction with the word "source," it means a source of that type-either a source of an ability or a source of damage. See rule 419.8 "Sources of Damage."
200.10. A counter is a marker placed on an object or player, either modifying its characteristics or interacting with an ability. A counter is not a token, and a token is not a counter. A +X/+Y counter on a permanent, where X and Y are numbers, adds X to that permanent's power and Y to that permanent's toughness. Similarly, -X/-Y counters subtract from power and toughness. Counters with the same name or description are interchangeable.
201.1. The parts of a card are name, mana cost, illustration, type line, expansion symbol, text box, power and toughness, illustration credit, legal text, and collector number. Some cards may have more than one of any or all of these parts.
201.2. An object's characteristics are name, mana cost, color, type, subtype, supertype, expansion symbol, rules text, abilities, power, and toughness. Objects can have some or all of these characteristics. Any other information about an object isn't a characteristic. Characteristics don't include any other information, such as whether a permanent is tapped, a spell's target, an object's owner or 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. Text that refers to the object it's on by name means just that particular object and not any other duplicates of it, regardless of any name changes caused by game effects.
202.2a If an ability of an object uses a phrase such as "this [something]" to identify an object, where [something] is a category or characteristic, it is referring to that particular object, even if it isn't the appropriate category or characteristic at the time.
202.2b If an object grants to another object an ability that includes the first object's name, the name refers only to the object granting the ability, not to any other object 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
203.2. An object is the color or colors of the mana symbols in its mana cost, regardless of the color of its frame.
203.2a Objects with no colored mana symbols in their mana costs are colorless.
203.2b An object with two or more different colored mana symbols in its mana cost is each of the colors of those mana symbols. Multicolored cards are printed with a gold frame, but this is not a requirement for a card to be multicolored.
203.2c The five colors are white, blue, black, red, and green. The white mana symbol is represented by
203.2d If a player is asked to choose a color, he or she must choose one of the five colors. "Multicolored" is not a color.
203.3. The converted mana cost of an object is a number equal to the total amount of mana in its mana cost, regardless of color. Some effects ask a player to pay mana equal to an object's converted mana cost; this is a generic mana cost-it may be paid with any combination of colored and/or colorless mana, regardless of the colors in the object's mana cost.
203.4. Any additional cost listed in an object's rules text or imposed by an effect isn't part of the mana cost. (See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.") Such costs are paid at the same time as the spell's other costs.
204.1. The illustration is printed on the upper half of a card and has no game significance. For example, a creature doesn't have the flying ability unless stated in its rules text, even if it's depicted as flying.
205.1. The type (and subtype and supertype, if applicable) of a card is printed directly below the illustration. (See rule 212, "Type, Supertype, and Subtype.")
205.2a The types are artifact, creature, enchantment, instant, land, and sorcery.
205.2b. Some objects can have more than one type (for example, an artifact creature). Such objects satisfy the criteria for any effect that applies to any of their types.
205.2c If an enchantment has the type line "Enchant [something]," the enchantment doesn't have the "something" characteristic; it's simply an identifier that defines what the enchantment can enchant. See rule 214.4, "Enchantments."
205.3a A card can have one or more subtypes printed on its type line.
205.3b Subtypes are always single words and are listed after a long dash. Each word after the dash is a separate subtype.
205.3c Subtypes of a [type] object are also called [type] types. For example, creature subtypes are also called creature types. Objects may have multiple subtypes.
205.3d Most card types each have their own unique set of possible subtypes. However, instants and sorceries can share subtypes. Collectively, instant and sorcery subtypes are called spell types.
205.3e If an artifact creature card has subtypes printed on its type line, those subtypes are creature types. If an artifact land card has subtypes printed on its type line, those types are land types.
205.4a A card can also have one or more supertypes. These are printed directly before the card's types. If an object's types or subtypes change, any supertypes it has are kept, although they may not be relevant to the new type.
205.4b Any land with the supertype "basic" is a basic land. Any land that doesn't have this supertype is a nonbasic land.
205.4c Any permanent with the supertype "legendary" is subject to the state-based effect for legendary permanents, also called the "legend rule" (see rule 420.5e).
205.4d Any permanent with the supertype "world" is subject to the state-based effect for world permanents, also called the "world rule" (see rule 420.5i).
205.4e Any land with the supertype "snow-covered" is a snow-covered land. Any land that doesn't have this supertype is a non-snow-covered land, regardless of the name of the land.
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 Sixth Edition core set, Magic core 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 core set receives the core 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 core set had no expansion symbol.
207.1. The text box is printed on the lower half of the card. It usually contains rules text defining the card's abilities.
207.2. The text box may also contain italicized reminder text (in parentheses), 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 slash 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 objects have power and/or toughness of *, where * is a value determined by the abilities of the object. As long as the object is in play, the ability sets the value of *. The * is 0 while the object is not in play.
209.1. The illustration credit for a card is printed directly below the text box. The credit has no effect on game play.
210.1. Legal text (the fine print at the bottom of the card) lists the copyright information. It has no effect on game 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. Type, Supertype, and Subtype
212.1a Cards, tokens, permanents, and spells can all have types, supertypes, and subtypes. Abilities don't have types, supertypes, or subtypes. Instead, there are various categories of abilities. (See rule 402, "Abilities.")
212.1b. When an object's type changes, the new type(s) replaces any existing types. Counters, effects, and damage affecting the object remain with it, even if they are meaningless to the new type. Similarly, when the subtypes of one of an object's types change, the new subtype(s) replaces any existing subtypes of that type. If an object's type is removed, the subtypes of its old type don't exist in any way under the new type. Those subtypes disappear completely for the entire time the object's type is removed. Removing an object's subtype doesn't affect its types at all.
212.1c Some effects change an object's type or subtype but specify that the object retains a prior type or subtype. In such cases, all the object's prior types and subtypes are retained. This rule applies to effects that use the phrase "in addition to its types" or that state that something is "still a [type]." Some effects state that an object becomes an "artifact creature"; these effects also allow the object to retain all of its prior types and subtypes.
212.1d An object's supertype is independent of its type and subtype. Changing an object's type or subtype won't change its supertype. Changing an object's supertype won't change its type or subtype.
212.1e If an instruction requires choosing a subtype, you must choose one, and only one, existing subtype, and the subtype you choose must be for the appropriate type. For example, you can't choose a land type if an instruction requires choosing a creature type. (Use the Oracle card reference to determine whether a creature type exists; see rule 200.2. You can also find complete lists of subtypes in the glossary at the end of this document under "Creature Types," "Land Types," etc.)
212.2a A player may play an artifact card from his or her hand during a main phase of his or her turn, when he or she has priority and the stack is empty. Playing an artifact as a spell uses the stack. (See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.")
212.2b When an artifact spell resolves, its controller puts it into play under his or her control.
212.2c Artifact subtypes are always a single word and are listed after a long dash: "Artifact - Equipment." Artifact subtypes are also called artifact types. Artifacts may have multiple subtypes.
212.2d Artifacts have no characteristics specific to their type. Because artifacts have no colored mana in their mana costs, they're colorless. Effects can give artifacts one or more colors, however, and colored objects can become artifacts without losing any colors they had.
212.2e Artifact creatures combine the characteristics of both the creature and artifact types and are subject to spells and abilities that affect either or both types.
212.2f Artifact lands combine the characteristics of both the land and artifact types, and are subject to spells and abilities that affect either or both types. Artifact lands can only be played as lands. They can't be played as spells.
212.2g Some artifacts have the subtype "Equipment." An Equipment can be attached to a creature. It can't legally be attached to an object that isn't a creature.
212.2h An Equipment is played and comes into play just like any other artifact. An Equipment doesn't come into play attached to a creature. The equip keyword ability moves the Equipment onto a creature you control (see rule 502.33, "Equip"). Control of the creature matters only when the equip ability is played and resolved.
212.2i An Equipment that's also a creature can't equip a creature. Equipment that loses the subtype "Equipment" can't equip a creature. An Equipment can't equip itself. An Equipment that equips an illegal or nonexistent permanent stops equipping that permanent, but remains in play. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)
212.2j The creature an Equipment is attached to is called the "equipped creature." The Equipment is attached to, or "equips," that creature.
212.2k An Equipment's controller is separate from the equipped creature's controller; the two need not be the same. Changing control of the creature doesn't change control of the Equipment, and vice versa. Only the Equipment's controller can play its abilities. However, if the Equipment adds an ability to the equipped creature (with "gains" or "has"), the equipped creature's controller is the only one who can play that ability.
212.3a A player may play a creature card from his or her hand during a main phase of his or her turn, when he or she has priority and the stack is empty. Playing a creature as a spell uses the stack. (See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.")
212.3b When a creature spell resolves, its controller puts it into play under his or her control.
212.3c Creature subtypes are always a single word and are listed after a long dash: "Creature - Human Soldier," "Artifact Creature - Golem," etc. Creature subtypes are also called creature types. Creatures may have multiple subtypes.
212.3d 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. This rule is informally called the "summoning sickness" rule. Ignore this rule for creatures with haste (see rule 502.5).
212.4a A player may play an enchantment card from his or her hand during a main phase of his or her turn, when he or she has priority and the stack is empty. Playing an enchantment as a spell uses the stack. (See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.")
212.4b When an enchantment spell resolves, its controller puts it into play under his or her control.
212.4c A global enchantment has the word "enchantment" on its type line. Local enchantments use the word "enchant" on their type line, followed by an identifier that defines the characteristics of the permanent or player that it can enchant. If a local enchantment's type line includes more than one word after "enchant," the enchanted permanent or player must match each of those words.
212.4d A local-enchantment spell requires a target whose properties are indicated by the enchantment's type line. The local-enchantment permanent the spell puts into play can only enchant that type of permanent or player and comes into play attached to the permanent or player the spell targeted. Any additional restrictions on what it can enchant are indicated by phrases like "[This local enchantment] can enchant only a [permanent or player with specified properties]." These restrictions also limit what the local-enchantment spell can target. Similar restrictions can limit what a permanent can be enchanted by.
212.4e If a local enchantment is coming into play by any other means than being played, and the effect putting it into play doesn't specify what it will enchant, the player putting it into play chooses a permanent or player for it to enchant as it comes into play. In this case, the enchantment doesn't target the permanent, but the player who is putting it into play still must choose a permanent or player that the enchantment can enchant. If no legal permanent or player 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 or from one player to another. The permanent or player 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.
212.4f If a local enchantment is enchanting an illegal permanent or player, or the permanent or player it was attached to no longer exists, the enchantment is put into its owner's graveyard. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)
212.4g A local enchantment can't be attached to itself, and a local enchantment that's also a creature can't be attached to another object. If this occurs somehow, the local enchantment is put into its owner's graveyard. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)
212.4h The permanent or player a local enchantment is attached to is called enchanted. The enchantment "enchants" or, in more casual terms, "is attached to" that permanent.
212.4i 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.
212.5a A player may play an instant card from his or her hand any time he or she has priority. Playing an instant as a spell uses the stack. (See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.")
212.5b When an instant spell resolves, the actions stated in its rules text are followed. Then it's put into its owner's graveyard.
212.5c Instant subtypes are always single words and are listed after a long dash: "Instant - Arcane." Each word after the dash is a separate subtype. Instant subtypes are also called instant types. An instant subtype that's also a sorcery subtype is also called a spell type. Instants may have multiple subtypes.
212.5d Instants can't come into play. If an instant would come into play, it remains in its previous zone instead.
212.5e If text states that a player may do something "any time he or she could play an instant," it means only that the player must have priority. The player doesn't need to have an instant he or she could actually play.
212.6a A player may play a land card from his or her hand only during a main phase of his or her turn, and only when he or she has priority and the stack is empty. 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.
212.6b A player may play only one land card during each of his or her own turns. Effects 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. Effects 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.
212.6c Land subtypes are always a single word and are listed after a long dash. Land subtypes are also called land types. Lands may have multiple subtypes.
212.6d The basic land types are Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest. If an object uses the words "basic land type," it's referring to one of these subtypes. A land with a basic land type has an intrinsic ability to produce colored mana. (See rule 406, "Mana Abilities.") The land is treated as if its text box included, "
212.6e If an effect changes a land's type to one or more of the basic land types, the land no longer has its old land type. It loses any rules text it had in its text box, and it gains the rules text for the appropriate mana ability for each of its basic land types. Note that this doesn't remove any abilities that were granted to the land by other effects. Changing a land's type doesn't add or remove any types (such as creature) or supertypes (such as basic, legendary, and snow-covered) the land may have. If a land gains one or more land types in addition to its own, it keeps its land types and rules text, and it gains the new land types and mana abilities.
212.6f Any land with the supertype "basic" is a basic land. Any land that doesn't have this supertype is a nonbasic land.
212.6g If an object is both a land and another type, it can be played only as a land. It can't be played as a spell.
212.7a A player may play a sorcery card from his or her hand during a main phase of his or her turn, when he or she has priority and the stack is empty. Playing a sorcery as a spell uses the stack. (See rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities.")
212.7b When a sorcery spell resolves, the actions stated in its rules text are followed. Then it's put into its owner's graveyard.
212.7c Sorcery subtypes are always single words and are listed after a long dash: "Sorcery - Arcane." Each word after the dash is a separate subtype. Sorcery subtypes are also called sorcery types. A sorcery subtype that's also an instant subtype is also called a spell type. Sorceries may have multiple subtypes.
212.7d Sorceries can't come into play. If a sorcery would come into play, it remains in its previous zone instead.
212.7e If a spell, ability, or effect states that a player can do something only "any time he or she could play an sorcery," it means only that the player must have priority, it must be during the main phase of his or her turn, and the stack must be empty. The player doesn't need to have a sorcery he or she could actually play.
213.1. Every nonland card is a spell while it's being played (see rule 409, "Playing Spells and Activated Abilities") and while it's on the stack. Once it's played, a card remains a spell until it resolves, is countered, or otherwise leaves the stack. For more information, see rule 401, "Spells on the Stack."
213.2. Spell type is the type of a spell on the stack. A spell's type, supertype, and subtype are the same as those of its card.
213.3. The term "spell" is used to refer to a card while it's on the stack. The term "card" isn't used to refer to a card that's on the stack as a spell. It's only used to refer to a card that's not in play or on the stack, such as a creature card in a player's hand.
213.4. Every spell has a controller. By default, a spell's controller is the player who played it.
213.5. If an effect changes any characteristics of a spell that becomes a permanent, the effect continues to apply to the permanent when the spell resolves.
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. Permanent type is the type of a card or token that's in play. A nontoken permanent's types, supertypes, and subtypes are the same as those printed on its card. A token's types, supertypes, and subtypes are set by the spell or ability that created it.
214.3. A card or token becomes a permanent when it comes into play and it stops being a permanent when it leaves play. Permanents come into play untapped. The term "permanent" is used to refer to a card or token while it's in play. The term "card" isn't used to refer to a card that's in play as a permanent. It's only used to refer to a card that's not in play and not on the stack, such as a creature card in a player's hand. For more information, see rule 217, "Zones."
214.4. Every permanent has a controller and is either tapped or untapped. By default, a permanent's controller is the player who put it into play.
215. This section is now empty. See rule 205.4c and rule 420.5e about legendary permanents.
216.1. Some effects put token creatures into play. A token is controlled by whomever put it into play and owned by the controller of the spell or ability that created it. The spell or ability may define any number of characteristics for the token. A token doesn't have any characteristics not defined by the spell or ability that created it. The spell or ability that creates the token sets both its name and creature type at the same time. If the spell or ability doesn't specify the name of the token, its name is the same as its creature type(s). A "Goblin Scout creature token," for example, is named "Goblin Scout" and has the 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 permanents in general or that affects the token's type or subtype. A token isn't a card (even if represented by cards from other games or Unglued™ cards).
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 where objects can be during a game. There are normally six zones: library, hand, graveyard, in play, stack, and removed from the game. Some older cards also use the ante and phased-out zones. Each player has his or her own library, hand, and graveyard. The other zones are shared by all players.
217.1a If an object 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 remains in its previous zone instead.
217.1b The order of objects in a library, in a graveyard, or on the stack can't be changed except when effects or rules allow it. Objects in other zones can be arranged however their owners wish, although who controls those objects, whether they're tapped, and what enchants or equips them must remain clear to both players.
217.1c An object that moves from one zone to another is treated as a new object. Effects connected with its previous location will no longer affect it. There are two exceptions to this rule: Effects that edit the characteristics of an artifact, creature, or enchantment spell on the stack will continue to apply to the permanent that spell creates, and abilities that trigger when an object moves from one zone to another (for example, "When Rancor is put into a graveyard from play") can find the object in the zone it moved to when the ability triggered.
217.1d If an object would move from one zone to another, first determine what event is moving the object. Then apply any appropriate replacement effects to that event. If an effect or rule tries to do two or more contradictory or mutually exclusive things to a particular object, that object's controller-or its owner if it has no controller-chooses what the effect does to the object. Then the event moves the object.
217.1e An object is outside the game if it's in the removed-from-the-game zone, or if it isn't in any of the game's zones. All other objects are inside the game. Outside the game is not a zone.
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 while a spell or ability is being played, the new top card won't be revealed until the spell or ability becomes played (see rule 409.1i).
217.3a The hand is where a player holds cards that have been drawn but not yet played. At the beginning of the game, each player draws a hand of seven cards. (See rule 101, "Starting the Game.")
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.
217.4a A graveyard is a discard pile. Any object 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.
Example: A card reads "Each player sacrifices a creature." First, the active player chooses a creature he or she controls. Then the nonactive player chooses a creature he or she controls. Then both creatures are sacrificed simultaneously.
Example: If a 3/3 creature gets -5/-0, it deals 0 damage in combat. But to raise its power back to 1, you'd have to give it +3/+0 (3 minus 5 plus 3 is 1).
Example: If you control no permanents, the "highest converted mana cost among permanents you control" can't be determined, so 0 is used instead.
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
, Z and the numerals 
, 
, 
, 
, 
, and so on.
is white, blue, black, red, and green.
) are generic mana costs and represent an amount of mana that can be paid with any color of, or colorless, mana.
, , and Z represent unspecified amounts of mana; when playing a spell or activated ability with , , or Z in its cost, its controller decides the value of that variable.
) and variable symbols (such as ) can also represent colorless mana if they appear in the effect of a spell or ability that reads "add [mana symbol] to your mana pool" or something similar.
represents zero mana and is used as a placeholder when a spell or activated ability costs nothing to play. A spell or ability whose cost is must still be played the same way as one with a cost greater than zero; it won't play itself automatically.
. The tap symbol in an activation cost means "Tap this permanent." A permanent that's already tapped can't be tapped again to pay the cost. Creatures that haven't been under a player's control continuously since the beginning of his or her most recent turn can't use any ability with the tap symbol in the cost. See rule 212.3d.
Example: An ability reads "Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Destroy that creature at end of turn." The ability will destroy the object it gave +2/+2 at the end of the turn, even if that object isn't a creature anymore.
Example: Saproling Burst has an ability that reads "Remove a fade counter from Saproling Burst: Put a green Saproling creature token into play. It has 'This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of fade counters on Saproling Burst.'" The ability granted to the token only looks at the Saproling Burst that created the token, not at any other Saproling Burst in play.
unless otherwise specified. Paying an object's mana cost requires matching the color of any colored mana symbols as well as paying the generic mana cost indicated.
, blue by , black by , red by , and green by .
Example: An object with a mana cost of is white, an object with a mana cost of is colorless, and one with a mana cost of is both white and black.
Example: A mana cost of translates to a converted mana cost of 5.
204. Illustration
Example: "Basic Land - Mountain" means the card is a land with the Mountain subtype. "Creature - Goblin Wizard" means the card is a creature with the subtypes Goblin and Wizard. "Artifact - Equipment" means the card is an artifact with the subtype Equipment.
Example: Note that cards printed in sets prior to the Eighth Edition core set didn't use the word "basic" to indicate a basic land. Cards from those sets with the following names are basic lands: Forest, Island, Mountain, Plains, Swamp, Snow-Covered Forest, Snow-Covered Island, Snow-Covered Mountain, Snow-Covered Plains, and Snow-Covered Swamp.
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 "artifact land creatures," not just "creatures," or "land creatures." The effect allows them to retain both the artifact type and the land type.
Example: An ability reads, "All artifacts are 1/1 artifact creatures." If a permanent is both an artifact and an enchantment, it will become an "artifact enchantment creature."
Example: An ability reads, "All lands are 1/1 creatures that are still lands." If any of the affected lands were legendary, they are still legendary.
Example: When choosing a creature type, "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.
Example: "Creature - Goblin Wizard" means the card is a creature with the subtypes Goblin and Wizard.
Example: An enchant artifact can enchant only artifact permanents. An enchant artifact creature can enchant only artifact creature permanents. An enchant player can enchant only a player. An enchant Swamp can enchant only a Swamp permanent.
Example: A permanent might have an ability that reads "[This permanent] can't be enchanted by [local enchantments with specified properties]." These restrictions limit whether local-enchantment spells can target the permanent.
Example: An enchant creature spell requires a target creature; an enchant creature in play must enchant a creature.
Example: "Basic Land - Mountain" means the card is a land with the Mountain subtype.
: 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.
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.