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# GAME RULE CLARIFICATIONS #
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* 1. Forced tapping *
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Cards like Twiddle and the Ice Manipulator lets you tap any card on either
territory. These cards will simply "shut down" the card tapped, prohibiting use
until untapped. Tapping a card you don't control wont generate an effect at any
time.
Example:
You use Ice Manipulator to tap Elves controlled by opponent during his or her
attack exchange. This does not make the Elves attack (nor generate mana for
either player), but rather shuts them down until its owners next untap cycle.
This means that the Elves can't attack, block, or generate mana until untapped.
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* 2. Enchantments *
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Enchantments can broadly be divided into two subtypes: local enchantments and
global enchantments. Local enchantments can be placed on any card in play that
shares a type with the enchantment. Global enchantments are the cards that
simply read "Enchantment" on the type line, and unlike local enchantments they
can only be placed on your side. If a global enchantment affects only one
player, you have to chose yourself unless it explicitly states otherwise.
Example 1:
Flight is a local enchantment with "Enchant Creature" that turns a creature
into a flying creature. You may place Flight on any summon or artifact creature
in play, regardless of owner. You are still considered to own Flight even if
you place it on an opposing creature.
Example 2:
Crusade is a Global Enchantment giving all white creatures a +1/+1 bonus. As
this doesn't say anything about players, this affects all white creature in
play, regardless of owner. You are still considered to be the sole owner of
Crusade even if it affects creatures on both sides.
Example 3:
Lich is a global Enchantment that turns a player into a zombie that discards
cards in play when suffering damage. If you cast Lich, you have to chose it to
affect yourself, you are not allowed to play it on the opponent's territory to
turn him or her into a zombie. Lich may still be benefitial to caster as zombie
is immune to normal life loss and may generate additional card draws.
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* 3. Upkeep payments *
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Some cards require you to pay an upkeep cost. Upkeep costs containing colored
mana is usually written using capital letters representing the colors of mana.
Any card requiering upkeep maintenance cannot be used in a turn until after
the upkeep cost has been satisfied.
Example:
Demonic Hordes has the ability to tap to destroy one land as a fast effect. The
Demons also require a payment of "BBB" each turn lest they turn on their
summoner. "BBB" means "Three black mana from you mana pool", B being shorthand
for Black. You cannot use the fast effect of the Demons before you have payed
tribute with black mana each turn.
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* 4. Special costs *
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In the card text, a mana symbol preceding an effect should be read as "For each
(mana) spent...". You can spend as many mana as you want in this way, unless
the special cost includes tapping the card. Remeber that mana enhanced power or
thoughness on creatures only last for the remainder of the turn.
Example 1:
You can pay two generic mana to Circle of Protection: Blue to prevent the
damage from two different blue creatures during a single a attack.
Example 2:
Celestial Prism is a mono artifact that reads "2: Provides 1 mana of any color.
This use can be played as an interrupt". You may not pay four generic mana to
provide two mana of any color, as the Prism is a mono artifact and taps as a
part of use.
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* 5. Timing *
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Timing spells is usually pretty easy, but occasionally multiple fast effects
will try to affect a card at once. Most times, you just apply all the effects
at once and then look at the state of card affected. Some times it is however
impossible to for the effects to happen at the same time. If that happens, the
player who created the last effect decides in what order the effects are
applied. If one or more of the effects is played with the speed of an
interrupt, the other effects will be reviewed after all interrups have done
their job. Whenever you play an interrupt, rewind all other spells and fast
effects currently being played, let the interrupt resolve, and the review all
the other effects being played (if they are still applicable).
An interrupt may be responded to with another interrupt. If so, the first
interrupt won't happen until the last interrupt announced has happened.
Example 1:
You cast Giant Growth (+3/+3 this turn) on your Grizzly Bears. Opponent casts
Lightning Bolt on Bears as a fast effect. Bolt and Growth happen at the same
time, so Bears survive as a 5/5 with three damage marked on it until end of
turn.
Example 2:
Opponent cast Terror on your Grizzly Bears to finally kill it. You respond by
casting Unsummon to return it to hand. These things can't both happen at the
same time (these are no Schroedinger Bears; they must be either dead or in hand),
and you get to chose where the Bears end up as you announced Unsummon after
opponent announced Terror.
Example 3:
You announce Grizzly Bears from your hand. Opponent interrupts with
Counterspell. You interrupt their interrupt with a Counterspell of your own.
Now your interrupt happen first and remove their interrupt. When it is time to
evaluate their interrupt, it is already gone, and so we go back to normal
effect resolution. No one has any more interrupts, and Grizzly Bears comes back
to your territory.
Example 4:
Opponent want to deal two damage to that pesky Grizzly Bears using their Orcish
Artillery's tap abilty. You interrupt by casting Blue Elemental Blast on the
Orcs. As the Elemental Blast is an interrupt, the Orcs will die before they get
the chance to shoot the Bears (or the opponent) and the effect will fizzle. The
Bears still live!
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