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Subject: 3.00: Advanced Discussion

  This part of the FAQ deals with advanced issues that delve into parts
  of the game that have changed, or which are complex.  For beginners,
  this section gives the answers to some difficult questions; for players
  with more experience, the discussion should provide skills that will
  help solve most Magic problems.  For this part of the FAQ especially,
  it's worth having the Comprehensive Rulebook available while reading.

------------------------------

Subject: 3.01: Templating and identification

  Magic card text uses specific templates to indicate that a particular
  type of effect is intended.  Some of the templates refer to the use
  of particular words, some of the templates are simply idiomatic use
  of English that Magic has adopted.

  The templating has changed over the years, gradually improving to
  eliminate ambiguities and inconsistencies.  The following points
  cover most of the templating found in card texts these days:

  - Activated abilities are written with a cost, a colon and an effect.
  The effect is a one-shot effect, containing instructions to follow.
  The instructions may set up a continuous effect or a delayed triggered
  ability.
  - Triggered abilities are written using the word when, whenever or at.
  They specify either a particular part of a step or phase to trigger at,
  a particular event to trigger on, or a particular state to trigger on.
  When they resolve, they have a one-shot effect containing instructions
  that may set up a continuous effect or a delayed triggered ability.
  - The one-shot instructions on an instant or sorcery spell are spell
  abilities.
  - Anything else is a static ability, including instructions on an instant
  or sorcery that modify how it's cast.  They have a continuous effect
  that is always active in the appropriate zone.

  - An instruction can refer to a permanent by its type, by just using
  the type word alone.  This always refers to a permanent of that type,
  not to any other object with that type.  So "creature" on its own
  always means a creature permanent, and so on.

  - A cost can include the tap-symbol.  This stands for tapping the
  permanent the ability is on, and this cost cannot be paid if the
  permanent is a creature that its controller did not continuously
  control since the beginning of his or her most recent turn.  This is
  different to a cost that involves tapping a particular type of
  permanent; a creature that isn't eligible for paying a tap-symbol
  tap cost may still be used to pay a more general tap-cost.

  - An effect may have one instruction that is conditional on choosing
  a particular option previously in the effect.  This used the phrase
  "if you do".  It refers to the choice to perform the action, in case
   a replacement effect intervened.

  - An effect can place a restriction or compulsion on attacking or
  blocking.  The template for these effects applies only to the act
  of declaring a creature as an attacking creature or a blocking
  creature.  It does not refer to other ways for a creature to become
  an attacking or blocking creature.

  - Effects often instruct a player to make a choice of some kind.  The
  only choices available are those that exist within the game.  So, a
  choice of permanent is limited to the permanents that exist at the
  time, a choice of color to one of the five colors, and a choice of
  creature type to an existing creature type in the set of Magic cards.

  - An instruction can refer to the card that it's on by using the
  card's name as a noun.  The instruction refers only to that particular
  instance of the card.  This can get complicated when instructions move
  between cards with copy, gain or grant effects:

    - When one card copies another, the name references refer to the
    card doing the copying.
    - When one card grants new abilities to another, the name references
    the card doing the granting.
    - When one card gains the existing abilities of another, the name
    references the card doing the gaining.

  In some cases, a card will refer to itself using just the first part
  of its name, rather than the whole name - this follows the same pattern:

  Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni  {4}{B}{B}  Legendary Creature - Rat Ninja  5/4
/ Ninjutsu {3}{B}{B}
/ Whenever Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni deals combat damage to a player,
  you may put target creature card from that player's graveyard onto
  the battlefield under your control.
/ {1}{B}: Regenerate Ink-Eyes.

  Even with all of these guidelines on the templating of Magic cards,
  sometimes the templates are not followed strictly in order to fit
  the text onto the card in all of the languages in which Magic is
  printed.

------------------------------

Subject: 3.02: Spiders and stone

  The rules on the spider ability (the ability to block creatures with
  flying, without actually having flying) have changed over the course
  of the game.  First they were mandatory, then they could have been
  considered optional, then they were mandatory again but people often
  read them as optional, then another wording change was used, and
  finally the whole thing was replaced with a new ability, reach.  So
  now, the situation is as follows:

  The spider ability itself:

  Giant Spider  {3}{G}  Creature - Spider  2/4
/ Reach (This creature can block creatures with flying.)

  Flying-evasion:

  Stone Spirit  {4}{R}  Creature - Elemental Spirit  4/3
/ Stone Spirit can't be blocked by creatures with flying.

  Nonflying-evasion:

  Treetop Scout  {G}  Creature - Elf Scout  1/1
/ Treetop Scout can't be blocked except by creatures with flying.

  The Giant Spider can block a creature with flying, and it can block
  the Stone Spirit, but it can't block the Treetop Scout.

------------------------------

Subject: 3.03: Time Vault

  The wording and behaviour of Time Vault has changed over the course
  of the game, in part to try to clean it up and in part to try to
  control its power level.  The current wording is as follows:

  Time Vault  {2}  Artifact
/ Time Vault enters the battlefield tapped.
/ Time Vault doesn't untap during your untap step.
/ If you would begin your turn while Time Vault is tapped, you may
  skip that turn instead.  If you do, untap Time Vault.
/ {T}: Take an extra turn after this one.

  This uses turn-skipping, which is an extension of phase- and step-
  skipping, to try to limit the number of times the Time Vault could
  be untapped and tapped again in a turn.

------------------------------

Subject: 3.04: Trample vs. protection

  The interaction between trample and protection has changed over the
  course of the game.  Nowadays, it's as follows:

  Combat damage happens in two distinct steps, assignment and dealing.
  In assignment, a record is made of the source, destination and amount
  of each piece of combat damage.  If a creature has trample, then
  it's legal to assign some or all of the damage from that creature
  to the defending player, as long as the assignment also assigns
  lethal damage to all creatures blocking the creature with trample.
  Lethal damage is considered as however much damage is needed to make
  up the difference between damage already marked on the creature from
  before the assignment was made, and the toughness of the creature.
  Effects that would alter the amount of damage that actually gets dealt
  are not taken into account at this stage.

  When the damage is dealt, there may be replacements that alter the
  amount of damage or prevent it entirely.  This is where the protection
  can step in and shield the creature.

------------------------------

Subject: 3.05: Order of triggered abilities

  The way in which triggered abilities have been dealt with has changed
  dramatically throughout the history of the game.

  When any instruction is followed in the game, it may match the trigger
  event of any number of triggered abilities.  Each time this happens,
  the triggered event triggers.  When a player is in the process of
  gaining priority to play spells and abilities, players put any triggered
  abilities that have triggered onto the stack.  First the active player
  adds all the triggered abilities that he or she controls, in the
  order of his or her choice, and then the non-active player does so.
  With multiple non-active players, players go in turn order.

  With this system, triggered abilities never go onto the stack while
  another spell or ability is resolving.  They always wait until a
  player is about to gain priority.

  Some damage prevention effects have "side-effects", extra things that
  are written along with the damage prevention:

  Brace for Impact  {4}{W}  Instant
/ Prevent all damage that would be dealt to target multicolored creature
  this turn. For each 1 damage prevented this way, put a +1/+1 counter
  on that creature.

  These are not usually triggered abilities.  They just happen as part
  of the event that would have dealt the damage.

------------------------------

Subject: 3.06: Flagbearers

  The original Flagbearer text tried to constrain the target selection for
  spells and abilities that could target them, but it was unclear whether
  that constraint also affected spells and abilities that change targets.
  Nowadays, the wording is clearer:

    Standard Bearer  {1}{W}  Creature - Human Flagbearer  1/1
  / Whenever a spell or ability an opponent controls is put onto the
    stack, if that spell or ability could target a Flagbearer on the
    battlefield but doesn't, that opponent changes one of its targets
    to a Flagbearer.

  This triggers once each time a spell or ability is played or copied.

------------------------------

Subject: 3.07: Attack and block restrictions / requirements

  The rules handling multiple interacting attack and block modifications
  have evolved throughout the game's history.  Rules 508 and 509 define
  legal attacks and blocks, here is a quick summary of the current state
  of affairs:

  When you declare an attack, you may pay any costs that are needed to
  allow creatures to attack, then pick a set of untapped creatures as
  the attacking creatures.  Check for any restrictions and requirements
  that are violated - if there are, you have to choose a different
  set of attackers.  To perform this check, first make sure that all
  of the restrictions are being met, then look at the requirements.
  If the maximum possible number of requirements are being followed,
  then the set of attackers is legal.

  Example:

  Player A controls:

  Crazed Goblin  {R}  Creature - Goblin Warrior  1/1
/ Crazed Goblin attacks each turn if able.

  Grizzly Bears  {1}{G}  Creature - Bear  2/2

  Player B controls:

  Silent Arbiter  {4}  Artifact Creature - Construct  1/5
/ No more than one creature can attack each combat.
/ No more than one creature can block each combat.

  This situation has one requirement, the Crazed Goblin must attack.
  It also has one restriction, at most one creature can attack.

  The possible sets of attackers that Player A may declare are:

    Just the Crazed Goblin: legal, as it satisfies the requirement
    without violating the restriction.

    The Crazed Goblin and the Grizzly Bears: illegal, as it does not
    satisfy the restriction.

    Just the Grizzly Bears: illegal, as attacking with just the Crazed
    Goblin is legal and satisfies more requirements.

    No creatures: illegal, as attacking with just the Crazed Goblin is
    legal and satisfies more requirements.

  The situation is analogous with blockers: all of the restrictions
  must be met, and then a maximum number of requirements must also be
  met.  An example:

  Player A controls:

  Razorgrass Screen  {1}  Artifact Creature - Wall  2/1
/ Defender
/ Razorgrass Screen blocks each turn if able.

  Grizzly Bears  {1}{G}  Creature - Bear  2/2

  Player B controls:

  Goblin War Drums  {2}{R}  Enchantment
/ Each creature you control can't be blocked except by two or more
  creatures.

  Player B is attacking with one creature.  Player A's blocking options
  are:

    Both Razorgrass Screen and Grizzly Bears: legal, as the requirement
    for the Razorgrass Screen to block is met, and the restriction for
    at least two creatures to block the attacker is also met.

    Just the Razorgrass Screen: illegal; while the requirement is met,
    the restriction is not, and another legal block is available that
    meets the requirements and also satisfies the restrictions.

    Just the Grizzly Bears: illegal, as the requirement is not met, and
    another legal block is available that does meet the requirement.

    Neither creature: illegal, as there is a restriction that could be
    met and the requirements can be met as well.

------------------------------

Subject: 3.08: Compost

  There has been some debate over the years as to exactly which
  circumstances will trigger a Compost.  The main issue arises because
  it's possible for the card to be black in the graveyard but not when
  it's in the hand, or on the battlefield; it's also possible for the card
  to be black in the hand or on the battlefield but not in the graveyard.
  Under the current regime, the trigger event is now never considered
  to be a leaves-the-battlefield trigger.  Consequently, it's the color
  of the card once it gets to the graveyard that matters when determining
  whether Compost triggers.

    Compost  {1}{G}  Enchantment
  / Whenever a black card is put into an opponent's graveyard from
    anywhere, you may draw a card.

------------------------------

Subject: 3.09: Madness

  Madness was originally a fairly complex series of triggers so that
  the spell could be cast using the system of priority.  Since then,
  other cards have been created that allow a spell to be cast when
  no player has priority.  This created the opportunity to "clean up"
  the madness rules.  So, whereas before it was possible under some
  circumstances to play a land inbetween the discard of the card and
  casting the card for its madness cost, these days it's much simpler:

  - playing or resolving a spell or ability, or dealing with the discard
  to maximum hand size at cleanup, causes you to discard a card.

  - the madness ability on the card allows you to replace the card going
  to the graveyard with removing it from the game.  Doing so triggers
  an ability: "you may cast this card for its madness cost. If you don't,
  put it into your graveyard."  Since the madness ability retains the
  term 'discard' for this new event, it also triggers anything that
  triggers on a discard.

  - when a player would next get priority, the triggered ability goes on
  the stack.  When it resolves, you choose whether to cast the removed
  card or not.  If so, its cost will be the madness cost instead of the
  mana cost.  If not, it's put into your graveyard.