planeshift-faq

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_Planeshift(TM)_ Frequently Asked Questions
Compiled by Paul Barclay and David DeLaney

This FAQ has two sections, each of which serves a different purpose.

The first section ("GENERAL NOTES") explains new mechanics and concepts in the set. The second section "CARD-SPECIFIC NOTES") contains answers to most reasonable questions players might ask about a given card.

Items in the "CARD-SPECIFIC NOTES" section now include full rules text for your reference. Not all cards in the set are listed.

GENERAL NOTES

Kicker
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- You can never pay a kicker cost more than once for a given spell.

- You don't choose targets for the kicker part of a spell unless you intend to pay its kicker cost. You announce your intention to pay a kicker cost at the same time you would announce a spell's mode, which happens *before* you choose targets.

- Once you've announced your intention to pay a kicker cost, you don't actually pay it until you pay the spell's mana cost.

Double-kicker cards (Battlemages)
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- Each of the five Battlemages has two kicker costs. You may pay neither, one, or both of those costs, and you will get the appropriate effects when the card comes into play.

- Remember that the Battlemages have comes-into-play triggered abilities. That means you choose targets for them when the Battlemage comes into play, not when you play the Battlemage spell.

Color-changing effects
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- Effects that change a card's color(s) will overwrite all other colors the card had previously. If such effects last for a limited duration, the affected card will revert to its previous color(s) at the end of that duration.

"Gating" cards
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- Gating cards read "Whenever [this card] comes into play, return a [color A] or [color B] card to your hand." That's a triggered ability, so players can respond to it going on the stack by playing instants or activated abilities.

- Like any comes-into-play triggered ability, the gating ability will trigger regardless of whether the card comes into play from a player's hand, graveyard, or library (or any other zone).

- The gating triggered ability doesn't target anything, so it's perfectly fine to return an untargetable card you control (or a card with the right kind of protection) to its owner's hand.

- When the gating ability resolves, if you control no appropriate cards of the specified colors other than the gating card, you'll have to return the gating card itself to your hand. If the gating card turns out to be an invalid choice (for example, if you change the gating card's color before its comes-into-play ability resolves), then the gating ability does nothing.

"Dragon lairs"
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- A "non-Lair" land is any land that doesn't have the land type "Lair."

- Each of the five Lairs has a comes-into-play triggered ability that requires you to sacrifice the Lair unless you return a non-Lair land to its owner's hand. You can respond to the triggered ability by tapping the Lair itself for mana and then sacrificing it when its triggered ability resolves.

- If you have no lands other than Lairs in play when the triggered ability resolves, you must sacrifice the Lair you just played.

"Dragon charms"
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- The dragon charms all use the phrase "Choose one -- ," which means they're modal. If a player targets a dragon charm with a Deflection-type spell, he or she can change the target of the charm but not its mode (which is true for any modal spell or ability).

"Planeswalker enchantments"
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- Your opponent reveals a card at random when the ability resolves, not when it's announced. That means if you want to respond to the ability, you'll have to do so before seeing the revealed card.

- Land cards have a converted mana cost of 0.

- If a player has no cards in hand to reveal when the ability resolves, the effect does nothing.

- If a player's hand is already revealed, a card is still selected at random.

Familiars
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- These work like the Medallions from the _Tempest(TM)_ set, but they affect two colors instead of just one. They don't reduce a spell's mana cost or converted mana cost. They simply let you pay less for a spell of the right color.

- The effect of a Familiar's ability can't help pay a cost's colored-mana portion, only its generic portion.

- A Familiar can't affect its own cost, even if it's somehow the appropriate color when announced.

- The effect enables you to pay less for a spell, not just for a spell's mana cost. That means you factor in additional costs such as kicker or buyback costs before applying a Familiar's effect.

- You pay only 1 less for a spell that is both colors named in a Familiar's ability, not 2 less.

- Familiars' effects are cumulative. For example, you pay up to 3 less for a spell if you have three of the right kind of Familiar in play.

- Familiars' effects aren't optional--you can't choose to pay the unreduced cost.

CARD-SPECIFIC NOTES

Allied Strategies
4U
Sorcery
Target player draws a card for each basic land type among lands he or she controls.

- You draw a card for each basic land type, not for each basic land. That means a maximum of five.

- You determine how many basic land types you have when the spell resolves, not when you play it.
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Alpha Kavu
2G
Creature -- Kavu
2/2
1G: Target Kavu gets -1/+1 until end of turn.

- This creature is a Kavu, so it can target itself with its ability.
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Amphibious Kavu
2G
Creature -- Kavu
2/2
Whenever Amphibious Kavu blocks or becomes blocked by one or more blue and/or black creatures, Amphibious Kavu gets +3/+3 until end of turn.

- The ability won't trigger more than once per combat, even if the Kavu is blocked by multiple blue and/or black creatures.
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Aura Blast
1W
Instant
Destroy target enchantment.
Draw a card.

- You still draw a card even if the enchantment somehow manages to regenerate.

- You don't draw a card if Aura Blast is countered because its target either left play or became illegal between the time Aura Blast was played and when it resolved.
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Aurora Griffin
3W
Creature — Griffin
2/2
Flying
W: Target permanent becomes white until end of turn.

- White overwrites all the target permanent's previous colors.
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Bog Down
2B
Sorcery
Kicker--Sacrifice two lands.
Target player discards two cards from his or her hand. If you paid the kicker cost, that player discards three cards from his or her hand instead.

- This spell will make a player discard two cards or three, not five.

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Caldera Kavu
2R
Creature — Kavu
2/2
1B: Caldera Kavu gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
G: Caldera Kavu becomes the color of your choice until end of turn.

- You choose the color when the ability resolves, not when it's played.

- The new color overwrites all previous ones until end of turn.
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Cavern Harpy
UB
Creature -- Beast
2/1
Flying
When Cavern Harpy comes into play, return a blue or black creature you control to its owner's hand.
Pay 1 life: Return Cavern Harpy to its owner's hand.

- See "'gating' cards" in the GENERAL NOTES section.

- Paying life isn't the same as being dealt damage. It can't be prevented or replaced by effects.
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Cloud Cover
2WU
Enchantment
Whenever another permanent you control becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, you may return that permanent to its owner's hand.

- This is an optional triggered ability. When it resolves, you choose whether to return the permanent to its owner's hand or not.

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Confound
1U
Instant
Counter target spell that targets one or more creatures.
Draw a card.

- The spell Confound targets must target at least one creature. It can target more than one. It must still be targeting at least one when Confound resolves, or Confound will be countered (and therefore you won't get to draw a card).

- The spell doesn't have to read, "target creature." For example, Confound could target a Shatter played on an artifact creature.
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Crosis's Catacombs
Land
Crosis's Catacombs is a Lair in addition to its land type.
When Crosis's Catacombs comes into play, sacrifice it unless you return a non-Lair land you control to its owner's hand.
T: Add U, B, or R to your mana pool.

- See "dragon lairs" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Crosis's Charm
UBR
Instant
Choose one -- Return target permanent to its owner's hand; or destroy target nonblack creature, and it can't be regenerated; or destroy target artifact.

- See "dragon charms" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Darigaaz's Caldera
Land
Darigaaz's Caldera is a Lair in addition to its land type.
When Darigaaz's Caldera comes into play, sacrifice it unless you return a non-Lair land you control to its owner's hand.
T: Add B, R, or G to your mana pool.

- See "dragon lairs" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Darigaaz's Charm
BRG
Instant
Choose one -- Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand; or Darigaaz's Charm deals 3 damage to target creature or player; or target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn.

- See "dragon charms" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Daring Leap
1WU
Instant
Target creature gets +1/+1 and gains flying and first strike until end of turn.

- If you play this after blockers are declared, no blocks will be undone,
but the creature will deal first-strike combat damage.
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Dark Suspicions
2BB
Enchantment
At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, that player loses 1 life for each card in his or her hand more than you have in your hand.

- Cards in hand are counted only when the ability resolves.

- As an example of how this card works, if you have five cards in hand and your opponent has seven, he or she will lose 2 life. If you had five and he or she had two, he or she would lose no life.
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Death Bomb
3B
Instant
As an additional cost to play Death Bomb, sacrifice a creature.
Destroy target nonblack creature. It can't be regenerated. Its controller loses 2 life.

- If you control no creatures, you can't play this spell at all.
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Destructive Flow
BRG
Enchantment
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player sacrifices a nonbasic land.

- If the player doesn't control any nonbasic lands, the ability does nothing.
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Diabolic Intent
1B
Sorcery
As an additional cost to play Diabolic Intent, sacrifice a creature.
Search your library for a card and put that card into your hand. Then shuffle your library.

- Because this effect causes you to search for any card, you can't "fail to find one."

- If you control no creatures, you can't play this spell.
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Disciple of Kangee
2W
Creature -- Wizard
2/2
U, T: Target creature gains flying and becomes blue until end of turn.

- See "color-changing effects" in the GENERAL NOTES section.

- The Disciple can target itself with its ability, but it will become tapped. You would have to play a spell or ability that untaps it if you wanted to attack or block with it afterward.
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Dominaria's Judgment
2W
Instant
Until end of turn, creatures you control gain protection from white if you control a plains, from blue if you control an island, from black if you control a swamp, from red if you control a mountain, and from green if you control a forest.

- Determination of which lands and creatures you control occurs only when Dominaria's Judgment resolves. Gaining or losing control of creatures and/or lands after it has resolved won't affect what kinds of protection your creatures have.

- If a creature you control gains protection from the color of an enchantment enchanting it, the enchantment will be put into its owner's graveyard.
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Doomsday Specter
2UB
Creature -- Specter
Flying
2/3
When Doomsday Specter comes into play, return a blue or black creature you control to its owner's hand.
Whenever Doomsday Specter deals combat damage to a player, look at that player's hand and choose a card from it. The player discards that card.

- See "'gating' cards" in the GENERAL NOTES section.

- If the Specter's combat damage ends up getting "redirected" to you, you must choose and discard a card.
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Draco
16
Artifact Creature -- Dragon
9/9
Draco costs 2 less to play for each basic land type among lands you
control.
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice Draco unless you pay 10. This cost is reduced by 2 for each basic land type among lands you control.

- Yes, it does cost that much. If you control all five basic land types, however, it costs 6 mana to play and 0 mana at the beginning of each of your upkeeps.

- Controlling basic lands of different types allows you to pay less for it, but its mana cost remains at 16 for the purposes of other spells and abilities. For example, a Spell Blast targeting Draco will always cost 16U.
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Dralnu's Crusade
1BR
Enchantment
All Goblins get +1/+1, are black, and are Zombies in addition to their creature types.

- The Goblins will be Goblins and Zombies, but they will be only black, not black and red.

- It affects only Goblins in play, so you can't play Lord of the Undead's ability to retrieve a Goblin card from your graveyard if Dralnu's Crusade is in play.
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Dralnu's Pet
1UU
Creature -- Shapeshifter
2/2
Kicker--2B, Discard a creature card from your hand.
If you paid the kicker cost, Dralnu's Pet has flying and comes into play with X +1/+1 counters on it, where X is the discarded card's converted mana cost.

- You must both pay 2B and discard a creature card to pay the kicker cost. If you fail to pay either part of the cost, it won't come into play with flying or any +1/+1 counters.

- You can't discard it to pay its own kicker cost.
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Dromar's Cavern
Land
Dromar's Cavern is a Lair in addition to its land type.
When Dromar's Cavern comes into play, sacrifice it unless you return a non-Lair land you control to its owner's hand.
T: Add W, U, or B to your mana pool.

- See "dragon lairs" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Dromar's Charm
WUB
Instant
Choose one -- You gain 5 life; or counter target spell; or target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.

- See "dragon charms" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Ertai, the Corrupted
2WUB
Creature - Wizard Legend
oU, ocT, Sacrifice a creature or enchantment: Counter target spell.

- This card and Ertai, Wizard Adept can be in play at the same time, because they have different names and are therefore separate cards.
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Ertai’s Trickery
U
Instant
Counter target spell if a kicker cost was paid for it.

- This can target any spell, not just one for which a kicker cost was paid. If it targets an "unkickered" spell, it does nothing.
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Exotic Disease
4B
Sorcery
Target player loses X life and you gain X life, where X is the number of basic land types among lands you control.

- You count the number of types you control, not the number of lands. That means X can't be greater than 5.

- You determine how many types you control when Exotic Disease resolves, not when you play it.
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Falling Timber
2G
Instant
Kicker--Sacrifice a land.
Prevent all combat damage target creature would deal this turn.
If you paid the kicker cost, prevent all combat damage another target creature would deal this turn.

- You don't choose a second target unless you pay the kicker cost.

- This doesn't affect damage dealt to the target creatures at all, only damage they would deal.
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Flametongue Kavu
3R
Creature -- Kavu
4/2
When Flametongue Kavu comes into play, it deals 4 damage to target creature.

- If it's the only creature in play at the time it comes into play, it will deal 4 damage to itself.
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Fleetfoot Panther
1GW
Creature -- Cat
3/4
You may play Fleetfoot Panther any time you could play an instant.
When Fleetfoot Panther comes into play, return a green or white creature you control to its owner's hand.

- See "'gating' cards" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Forsaken City
Land
Forsaken City doesn't untap during your untap step.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may remove a card in your hand from the game. If you do, untap Forsaken City.
T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.

- You can't untap it with its triggered ability more than once during each of your upkeeps.

- You can choose to remove a card in your hand from the game at the beginning of each of your upkeeps regardless of whether Forsaken City is tapped.
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Gaea's Herald
1G
Creature -- Elf
1/1
Creature spells can't be countered by spells or abilities.

- This includes creature spells your opponents play.

- Creatures can still be the target of spells and abilities that try to counter them, but the countering will fail.

- The ability doesn't apply until Gaea's Herald is in play, so the Gaea's Herald spell itself can be countered.
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Gaea's Might
G
Instant
Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each basic land type among lands you control.

- The number of basic land types you control is checked only when the spell resolves.

- You count basic land types, not basic lands. That means the spell will give a creature +5/+5 at the most.
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Gainsay
1U
Instant
Counter target blue spell.

- Unlike Pyroblast, this spell's target must be blue both when Gainsay is played and when it resolves. (Pyroblast reads, in part, "Counter target spell if it is blue.")
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Gerrard's Command
GW
Instant
Untap target creature. It gets +3/+3 until end of turn.

- It's fine to play this on a creature that's already untapped.
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Goblin Game
5RR
Sorcery
Each player hides at least one object, then all players reveal them simultaneously. Each player loses life equal to the number of objects he or she revealed. The player who revealed the fewest objects then loses half his or her life, rounded up. If two or more players are tied for fewest, each loses half his or her life, rounded up.

- This card can be confusing if it's taken literally. For convenience, the "objects" hidden should be small enough to hide but large enough to see and count easily. Beads or coins are ideal for this. Furniture, dogs, and small children are not ideal. Sleight-of-hand tricks are not allowed--you must reveal all the objects that you hid. Hide the objects someplace where
you can find them again, please.
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Guard Dogs
3W
Creature -- Hound
2/2
2W, T: Choose a permanent you control. Prevent all combat damage target creature would deal this turn if it shares a color with that permanent.

- You don't "choose a permanent you control" until the ability resolves, but you do target a creature at the time you play the ability.

- If the target creature and the chosen permanent share a color when the ability resolves, a shield will be created that will prevent the creature's combat damage. The shield won't work unless the creature and the chosen permanent still share a color at the time the shield would get used up.
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Heroic Defiance
1W
Enchant Creature
Enchanted creature gets +3/+3 unless it shares a color with the most common color among all permanents or a color tied for most common.

- The enchanted creature gets +3/+3 as long as its color *isn't* the most common in play. If its color *is* the most common, it doesn't get the bonus.
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Hobble
2W
Enchant Creature
When Hobble comes into play, draw a card.
Enchanted creature can't attack.
Enchanted creature can't block if it's black.

- The "can't block" ability checks to see if the enchanted creature is black only as blockers are declared, not before or after then.
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Honorable Scout
W
Creature -- Soldier
1/1
When Honorable Scout comes into play, you gain 2 life for each black and/or red creature target opponent controls.

- You only gain 2 life for a creature that's both black and red.

- You target an opponent when the ability triggers, but you don't count the number of black and/or red creatures that player controls until the ability resolves.
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Horned Kavu
RG
Creature -- Kavu
3/4
When Horned Kavu comes into play, return a red or green creature you control to its owner's hand.

- See "'gating' cards" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Hull Breach
RG
Sorcery
Choose one - Destroy target artifact; or destroy target enchantment; or destroy target artifact and target enchantment.

- If you choose the third mode, one target becoming illegal before Hull Breach resolves won't keep the other from being destroyed.

- If you choose the third mode, and the artifact becomes an enchantment and vice versa before Hull Breach resolves, the spell will be countered, because both its targets will have become illegal.
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Hunting Drake
4U
Creature - Drake
Flying
When Hunting Drake comes into play, put target red or green creature on top of its owner's library.

- Its ability can target a red and green creature. It doesn’t matter whether the creature is red or green when the ability resolves, but it must be one color or the other.
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Insolence
2R
Enchant Creature
Whenever enchanted creature becomes tapped, Insolence deals 2 damage to that creature's controller.

- Playing this on a tapped creature won't cause its ability to immediately trigger. It must be already on the creature when it becomes tapped.
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Keldon Twilight
1BR
Enchantment
At the end of each player's turn, if no creatures attacked that turn, that player sacrifices a creature he or she controlled since the beginning of the turn.

- Walls aren't exempt. If a player controls only Walls he or she has controlled for a while, the player must sacrifice one of them.
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Lashknife Barrier
2W
Enchantment
When Lashknife Barrier comes into play, draw a card.
If a source would deal damage to a creature you control, it deals that much damage minus 1 to that creature instead.

- Lashknife Barrier's replacement effect is cumulative. Each one in play will reduce damage dealt to creatures you control by 1.

- If a source deals damage more than once, such as Pestilence's effect, Lashknife Barrier will reduce each instance of damage by 1.
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Lava Zombie
1BR
Creature -- Zombie
4/3
When Lava Zombie comes into play, return a black or red creature you control to its owner's hand.
2: Lava Zombie gets +1/+0 until end of turn.

- See "'gating' cards" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Lord of the Undead
1BB
Creature -- Lord
2/2
All Zombies get +1/+1.
1B, T: Return target Zombie card from your graveyard to your hand.

- Lord of the Undead is not a Zombie, so it doesn't give itself a bonus.

- The effect of Dralnu's Crusade affects only Goblins in play, so you can't play Lord of the Undead's ability to retrieve a Goblin card from your graveyard if it's in play.
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Magma Burst
3R
Instant
Kicker--Sacrifice two lands.
Magma Burst deals 3 damage to target creature or player. If you paid the kicker cost, Magma Burst deals 3 damage to another target creature or player.

- You target a second creature or player only if you pay the kicker cost.
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Malicious Advice
XUB
Instant
Tap X target artifacts, creatures, and/or lands. You lose X life.

- You lose X life when the spell resolves, so if it's countered, you don't lose life.

- You lose X life regardless of how many targets are left when the spell resolves or how many targets actually become tapped.
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March of Souls
4W
Sorcery
Destroy all creatures. They can’t be regenerated. For each creature destroyed this way, its controller puts a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying into play.

- This spell doesn't target anything or deal damage, so creatures with protection from white will be destroyed.

- Players get tokens only for creatures that are successfully destroyed.
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Marsh Crocodile
2UB
Creature -- Crocodile
4/4
When Marsh Crocodile comes into play, return a blue or black creature you control to its owner's hand.
When Marsh Crocodile comes into play, each player discards a card from his or her hand.

- See "'gating' cards" in the GENERAL NOTES section.

- You control both comes-into-play triggered abilities, so you choose which goes on the stack first. If you put the "return a creature" ability on the stack first, the "each player discards" ability will resolve first. Then, when the "return a creature" ability resolves, you can return the Crocodile itself to your hand.
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Meddling Mage
WU
Creature -- Wizard
2/2
As Meddling Mage comes into play, name a nonland card.
The named card can't be played.

- "Can't be played" means players can't announce the spell. Effects can still put the card into play, though.

- This ability can never counter a spell--it has no effect on spells already on the stack.

- The card is forbidden from being played as the Mage comes into play. That means, for example, if its controller names Shock, no one can play Shock "in response."
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Meteor Crater
Land
ocT: Choose a color of a permanent you control. Add one mana of that color to your mana pool.

- If you control no permanents of a color when you play this ability, it does nothing. The ability can never add one colorless mana to your mana pool.
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Mirrorwood Treefolk
3G
Creature -- Treefolk
2/4
2RW: The next time damage would be dealt to Mirrorwood Treefolk this turn, that damage is dealt to target creature or player instead.

- If you play this ability but the Treefolk is no longer in play the next time it would be dealt damage, then the replacement effect does nothing. The damage simply vanishes.

- If you play the ability but the target creature is no longer in play when the damage would be "redirected," then it remains dealt to the Treefolk.
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Natural Emergence
2RG
Enchantment
When Natural Emergence comes into play, return a red or green enchantment you control to its owner's hand.
Lands you control are 2/2 creatures with first strike. They're still lands.

- See "'gating' cards" in the GENERAL NOTES section.

- Note that this gating card is an enchantment, not a creature, and tells you to return a red or green enchantment.
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Nightscape Battlemage
2B
Creature -- Wizard
2/2
Kicker 2U and/or 2R
When Nightscape Battlemage comes into play, if you paid the 2U kicker cost, return up to two target nonblack creatures to their owners' hands. When Nightscape Battlemage comes into play, if you paid the 2R kicker cost, destroy target land.

- See "double-kicker cards" in the GENERAL NOTES section.

- You may choose zero, one, or two targets for the 2U kicker ability.
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Noxious Vapors
1BB
Sorcery
Each player reveals his or her hand and chooses one card of each color from it, then discards all other nonland cards from it.

- The active player chooses the cards in his or her hand first, then the non-active player.

- If, for example, you have two black and red cards in your hand when this resolves, you could choose one as the black card you'll keep and the other as the red card you'll keep.

- Choosing a multicolored card can satisfy the choice for each color in its mana cost. For example, if you had one card of each color in your hand as well as a Coalition Victory card (which has all five colors in its mana cost), you could choose the Coalition Victory and discard everything else.
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Orim's Chant
W
Instant

Kicker W
Target player can't play spells this turn. If you paid the kicker cost, creatures can't attack this turn.

- If you play this with kicker during your own turn, your creatures won't be able to attack, regardless of which player you targeted.

- This spell does nothing to spells already played or creatures already attacking.
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Phyrexian Bloodstock
4B
Creature -- Zombie
3/3
When Phyrexian Bloodstock leaves play, destroy target white creature. It can't be regenerated.

- Phyrexian Bloodstock's ability will trigger no matter how it leaves play--even if it's returning to its owner's hand.

- The ability isn't optional. You must destroy a white creature if possible.
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Phyrexian Tyranny
UBR
Enchantment
Whenever a player draws a card, that player loses 2 life unless he or she pays 2.

- This ability triggers once for each card drawn, not just once for each time a player draws one or more cards.
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Planar Overlay
2U
Sorcery
Each player chooses a land he or she controls of each basic land type. Return those lands to their owners' hands.

- You don't have to choose five different lands; a land with more than one type can count as each of its types. For example, you could choose only a Taiga (which is a forest and a mountain), a Tundra (which is an island and a plains), and a swamp.
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Planeswalker's Favor
2G
Enchantment
3G: Target opponent reveals a card at random from his or her hand. Target creature gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the revealed card's converted mana cost.

- See "planeswalker enchantments" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Planeswalker's Fury
2R
Enchantment
3R: Target opponent reveals a card at random from his or her hand. Planeswalker's Fury deals damage equal to that card's converted mana cost to that player. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery.

- See "planeswalker enchantments" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Planeswalker's Mirth
2W
Enchantment
3W: Target opponent reveals a card at random from his or her hand. You
gain life equal to that card's converted mana cost.

- See "planeswalker enchantments" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Planeswalker's Mischief
2U
Enchantment
3U: Target opponent reveals a card at random from his or her hand. If it's an instant or sorcery card, remove it from the game. As long as it remains removed from the game, you may play it as though it were in your hand without paying its mana cost. If it has X in its mana cost, X is 0. At end of turn, if you haven't played it, return it to its owner's hand. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery.

- See "planeswalker enchantments" in the GENERAL NOTES section.

- You must play the spell legally. That means you must announce targets, choose modes, pay additional or alternative costs, pay kicker costs if you want, and so on. The ability exempts you only from paying the spell's mana cost.
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Planeswalker's Scorn
2B
Enchantment
3B: Target opponent reveals a card at random from his or her hand. Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the revealed card's converted mana cost. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery.

- See "planeswalker enchantments" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Pollen Remedy
W
Instant
Kicker--Sacrifice a land.
Prevent the next 3 damage that would be dealt this turn to any number of target creatures and/or players, divided as you choose. If you paid the kicker cost, prevent the next 6 damage this way instead.

- Here's the order in which things happen when you play this spell: first you announce whether you're going to pay the kicker cost, then you choose targets, then you announce how the damage-prevention will be divided among the targets, then you pay the spell's costs.

- You must allot at least 1 "point" of damage prevention to each target.
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Primal Growth
2G
Sorcery
Kicker--Sacrifice a creature. #(You may sacrifice a creature in addition to any other costs as you play this spell.)#
Search your library for a basic land card, put that card into play, then shuffle your library. If you paid the kicker cost, instead search your library for two basic land cards, put them into play, then shuffle your library.

- You may choose not to find any basic land cards when you search.

- This spell allows you to get one basic land card or two, never three.
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Quirion Dryad
1G
Creature -- Dryad
1/1
Whenever you play a white, blue, black, or red spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Quirion Dryad.

- This ability can trigger only once per spell. Colorless spells won't trigger it.
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Quirion Explorer
1G
Creature -- Elf
1/1
T: Add to your mana pool one mana of any color that a land an opponent controls could produce.

- This ability won't count Fertile Ground or similar cards that trigger when a land produces mana, but this ability is affected by Contamination and similar cards that change the type of mana a card can produce.

- It can produce only mana of a color. If your opponent controls no lands or only lands that produce colorless mana, the ability does nothing.
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Radiant Kavu
RGW
Creature -- Kavu
3/3
RGW: Prevent all combat damage blue creatures and black creatures would deal this turn.

- This ability affects *all* creatures that are blue or black when it resolves, including the ones you control.
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Razing Snidd
4BR
Creature -- Beast
3/3
When Razing Snidd comes into play, return a black or red creature you control to its owner's hand.
When Razing Snidd comes into play, each player sacrifices a land.

- See "'gating' cards" in the GENERAL NOTES section.

- You control both comes-into-play triggered abilities, so you choose which goes on the stack first. If you put the "return a creature" ability on the stack first, the "each player sacrifices a land" ability will resolve first. Then, when the "return a creature" ability resolves, you can return the Snidd itself to its owner's hand.
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Rith's Charm
RGW
Instant
Choose one -- Destroy target nonbasic land; or put three 1/1 green Saproling creature tokens into play; or prevent all damage a source of your choice would deal this turn.

- See "dragon charms" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Rith's Grove
Land
Rith's Grove is a Lair in addition to its land type.
When Rith's Grove comes into play, sacrifice it unless you return a non-Lair land you control to its owner's hand.
T: Add R, G, or W to your mana pool.

- See "dragon lairs" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Rushing River
2U
Instant
Kicker--Sacrifice a land. #(You may sacrifice a land in addition to any other costs as you play this spell.)#
Return target nonland permanent to its owner’s hand. If you paid the kicker cost, return another target nonland permanent to its owner's hand.

- You can sacrifice a tapped land.

- You target a second nonland permanent only if you pay the kicker cost.
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Samite Elder
2W
Creature -- Cleric
1/2
T: Creatures you control gain protection from the color(s) of target permanent you control until end of turn.

- The color(s) of the permanent are determined only when the ability resolves. If the permanent changes color after the ability resolves, the kind of protection isn't affected.
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Samite Pilgrim
1W
Creature -- Cleric
1/1
T: Prevent the next X damage that would be dealt to target creature this turn, where X is the number of basic land types among lands you control.

- You count the basic land types when the ability resolves, not when it's played, and not later when the shield(s) gets used up.

- If you control no basic lands, this ability still targets the creature and creates a shield, but the shield doesn't do anything.

- As with all "domain" spells and abilities, this ability counts basic land types, not basic lands. That means X will never be greater than 5.
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Sawtooth Loon
2WU
Creature -- Bird
2/2
Flying
When Sawtooth Loon comes into play, return a white or blue creature you control to its owner's hand.
When Sawtooth Loon comes into play, draw two cards, then put two cards from your hand on the bottom of your library.

- See "'gating' cards" in the GENERAL NOTES section.

- You control both comes-into-play triggered abilities, so you choose which goes on the stack first. If you put the "return a creature" ability on the stack first, the "draw cards" ability will resolve first. Then, when the "return a creature" ability resolves, you can return the Loon itself to its owner's hand.
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Sea Snidd
4U
Creature -- Beast
3/3
ocT: Target land's type becomes the basic land type of your choice until end of turn.

- Just as with color-changing abilities, this ability overwrites previous land types. For example, if you play the ability on a forest and choose "island," the land will become an island, not an island and a forest.

- Targeting a legendary land will make the land nonlegendary for as long as the effect lasts.

- The land's name changes to match its new type for as long as the effect lasts.
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Shifting Sky
2U
Enchantment
As Shifting Sky comes into play, choose a color.
All nonland permanents are the chosen color.

- See "color-changing effects" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Shivan Wurm
3RG
Creature -- Wurm
7/7
Trample
When Shivan Wurm comes into play, return a red or green creature you control to its owner's hand.

- See "'gating' cards" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Silver Drake
1WU
3/3
Creature -- Drake
Flying
When Silver Drake comes into play, return a white or blue creature you control to its owner's hand.

- See "'gating' cards" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Sisay's Ingenuity
U
Enchant Creature
When Sisay's Ingenuity comes into play, draw a card.
Enchanted creature has "2U: Target creature becomes the color of your choice until end of turn."

- Only the enchanted creature's controller can play the color-changing ability granted by the enchantment.
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Skyship Weatherlight
4
Legendary Artifact
When Skyship Weatherlight comes into play, search your library for any number of artifact and/or creature cards and remove them from the game. Then shuffle your library.
4, T: Choose a card at random that was removed from the game with Skyship Weatherlight. Put that card into your hand.

- If Skyship Weatherlight leaves play, the cards remain removed from the game. There's no way to bring them back--not even if the same Skyship Weatherlight card returns to play.

- You can choose not to find any cards when you search.
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Skyshroud Blessing
1G
Instant
Lands can't be the targets of spells or abilities this turn.
Draw a card.

- This will cause any spells or abilities that are targeting lands to be countered.

- It affects all players' lands, not just yours.

- Its effect doesn't cause enchant lands to "fall off" the lands they're enchanting.
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Slay
2B
Instant
Destroy target green creature. It can’t be regenerated.
Draw a card.

- The target creature must be green when you play Slay and when it resolves.

- You don't draw a card if Slay is countered because its target either left play or became illegal between the time Slay was played and when it resolved.
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Sleeping Potion
1U
Enchant Creature
When Sleeping Potion comes into play, tap enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature doesn’t untap during its controller’s untap step. When enchanted creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice Sleeping Potion.

- Playing this spell doesn't cause its own third ability to trigger.
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Slingshot Goblin
2R
Creature -- Goblin
2/2
R, ocT: Slingshot Goblin deals 2 damage to target blue creature.

- The target creature must be blue when you play the ability and when it resolves.
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Sparkcaster
2RG
Creature -- Kavu
5/3
When Sparkcaster comes into play, return a red or green creature you control to its owner's hand.
When Sparkcaster comes into play, it deals 1 damage to target player.

- See "'gating' cards" in the GENERAL NOTES section.

- You control both comes-into-play triggered abilities, so you choose which goes on the stack first. If you put the "return a creature" ability on the stack first, the "deal 1 damage" ability will resolve first. Then, when the "return a creature" ability resolves, you can return the Sparkcaster itself to its owner's hand.

- Dealing 1 damage to target player isn't optional. If an effect keeps you from targeting your opponent, you'll have to target yourself.
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Star Compass
2
Artifact
Star Compass comes into play tapped.
T: Add to your mana pool one mana of any color a basic land you control could produce.

Steel Leaf Paladin
4GW
Creature -- Knight
4/4
First strike
When Steel Leaf Paladin comes into play, return a green or white creature you control to its owner's hand.

- See "'gating' cards" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Stormscape Battlemage
2U
Creature -- Wizard
2/2
Kicker W and/or 2B
When Stormscape Battlemage comes into play, if you paid the W kicker cost, you gain 3 life.
When Stormscape Battlemage comes into play, if you paid the 2B kicker cost, destroy target nonblack creature. That creature can't be regenerated.

- See "double-kicker cards" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Strafe
R
Sorcery
Strafe deals 3 damage to target nonred creature.

- The target creature must *not* be red when Strafe is played or when it resolves.
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Stratadon
10
Artifact Creature
5/5
Stratadon costs 1 less to play for each basic land type among lands you control.
Trample

- Yes, it does cost that much. If you control all five basic land types, it costs 5 mana to play.
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Sunken Hope
3UU
Enchantment
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player returns a creature he or she controls to its owner's hand.

- Returning a creature to its owner's hand is mandatory and isn't targeted. Players choose which creature to return when the ability resolves.
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Sunscape Battlemage
2W
Creature -- Wizard
2/2
Kicker 1G and/or 2U
When Sunscape Battlemage comes into play, if you paid the 1G kicker cost, destroy target creature with flying.
When Sunscape Battlemage comes into play, if you paid the 2U kicker cost, draw two cards.

- See "double-kicker cards" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Surprise Deployment
3W
Instant
Play Surprise Deployment only during combat.
Put a nonwhite creature card from your hand into play. At end of turn, return that creature to your hand.

- This spell doesn't give the creature haste, so normally it can't attack. Even if the creature has haste, it can attack only if Surprise Deployment is played during the beginning-of-combat step.

- The creature will return to your hand at end of turn only if it's still in play at that time.
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Tahngarth, Talruum Hero
3RR
Creature -- Minotaur Legend
4/4
Attacking doesn't cause Tahngarth, Talruum Hero to tap.
1R, T: Tahngarth deals damage equal to its power to target creature. That creature deals damage equal to its power to Tahngarth.

- You can attack with Tahngarth and then play its ability during combat.

- Tahngarth's power and the target creature's power are determined on resolution.

- If Tahngarth isn't in play when its activated ability resolves, its last-known power value will be used. If the target creature isn't in play when the ability resolves, the ability will be countered.
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Thornscape Battlemage
2G
Creature -- Wizard
2/2
Kicker R and/or W
When Thornscape Battlemage comes into play, if you paid the R kicker cost, Thornscape Battlemage deals 2 damage to target creature or player. When Thornscape Battlemage comes into play, if you paid the W kicker cost, destroy target artifact.

- See "double-kicker cards" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Thunderscape Battlemage
2R
Creature -- Wizard
2/2
Kicker 1B and/or G
When Thunderscape Battlemage comes into play, if you paid the 1B kicker cost, target player discards two cards from his or her hand. When Thunderscape Battlemage comes into play, if you paid the G kicker
cost, destroy target enchantment.

- See "double-kicker cards" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Treva's Charm
GWU
Instant
Choose one -- Destroy target enchantment; or remove target attacking creature from the game; or draw a card, then discard a card from your hand.

- See "dragon charms" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Treva's Ruins
Land
Treva's Ruins is a Lair in addition to its land type.
When Treva's Ruins comes into play, sacrifice it unless you return a non-Lair land you control to its owner's hand.
T: Add G, W, or U to your mana pool.

- See "dragon lairs" in the GENERAL NOTES section.
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Warped Devotion
2B
Enchantment
Whenever a permanent is returned to a player's hand, that player discards a card from his or her hand.

- Warped Devotion's ability will trigger even if a token is returned to a player's hand (although the token never actually makes it into a player's hand).

- This ability triggers once for each permanent returned, not just once each time one or more permanents are returned.
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Waterspout Elemental
3UU
Creature -- Elemental
3/4
Kicker U
Flying
When Waterspout Elemental comes into play, if you paid the kicker cost, return all other creatures to their owners' hands and you skip your next turn.

- Waterspout Elemental will return your creatures as well as your opponent's creatures.

- If you play two of these with kicker in one turn, you skip your next two turns.

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