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.
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.”
See rule 205.3, “Subtypes,” and rule 212, “Type, Supertype, and Subtype.”
Successfully Cast (Obsolete)
Some older cards were printed with the term “successfully cast.” In general, any ability that’s written as triggering when a spell is “successfully cast” should be read as triggering when the spell is played.
Summon (Obsolete)
Older creature cards were printed with the type “Summon [creature type].” All “Summon [creature type]” cards should be read as “Creature – [creature type].”
Summoning Sickness (Informal)
The term “summoning sickness” is an informal term which describes a creature’s inability to attack or to use activated abilities that include the tap symbol when it has come under a player’s control since the beginning of that player’s most recent turn. See rule 212.3d. See also Haste.
Sunburst
Sunburst is a static ability that functions as an object is coming into play from the stack. “Sunburst” means “If this object is coming into play from the stack as a creature, it comes into play with a +1/+1 counter on it for each color of mana used to pay its cost. If this object is coming into play from the stack and isn’t coming into play as a creature, it comes into play with a charge counter on it for each color of mana used to pay its cost.” See rule 502.37, “Sunburst.”
Supertype
A card can 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. See rule 205.4, “Supertypes.”
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. When an object gains or loses a supertype, it retains any other supertypes it had. See rule 212. “Type, Supertype, and Subtype.”
The list of supertypes, updated through the Time Spiral set, is as follows: basic, legendary, snow, and world.
Suspend
Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that functions while the card with suspend is in a player's hand. The second and third are triggered abilities that function in the removed-from-the-game zone. “Suspend N-[cost]” means “If you could play this card from your hand, you may pay [cost] and remove it from the game with N time counters on it. This action doesn’t use the stack,” and “At the beginning of your upkeep, if this card is suspended, remove a time counter from it,” and “When the last time counter is removed from this card, if it’s removed from the game, play it without paying its mana cost if able. If you can’t, it remains removed from the game. If you play a creature spell this way, it gains haste until you lose control of the spell or the permanent it becomes.” Playing a spell as an effect of its suspend ability follows the rules for paying alternative costs in rules 409.1b and 409.1f-h. See rule 502.59, “Suspend.”
Suspended
A card is “suspended” if it’s in the removed-from-the-game zone, has suspend, and has a time counter on it.
Swamp
“Swamp” is one of the five basic land types. Any land with the land type Swamp has the ability “{T}: Add {B} to your mana pool.” See rule 212.6d.
Swampcycling
See Landcycling.
Swampwalk
See Landwalk.
Tap
To tap a permanent is to turn it sideways. The tap symbol ({T} in these rules) 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 of theirs with the tap symbol in the cost. See rule 104.4.
Tapped
A permanent that’s turned sideways is tapped. Tapping permanents shows that they’ve been used. Permanents untap during their controllers’ untap steps. See also Status, Tap, Untap, and Untapped.
Target
Whenever the phrase “target [something],” where [something] is a phrase that describes an object, player, or zone, appears in a spell or ability, the controller of the spell or ability chooses something that matches whatever follows that word. The choice of a spell or ability’s targets is made when the spell or ability is played. See rule 415, “Targeted Spells and Abilities.”
An instant or sorcery is targeted if the text that will be followed when it resolves uses the phrase “target [something],” where the “something” is a phrase that describes an object, player, or zone. (If an activated or triggered ability of an instant or sorcery uses the word target, that ability is targeted, but the spell is not.)
An activated or triggered ability is targeted if it uses the phrase “target [something],” where the “something” is a phrase that describes an object, player, or zone.
Aura spells are targeted, and their target is specified by their “enchant” abilities. They target the permanent or player they will enchant. (See rule 415.3.) An Aura permanent doesn’t target anything.
Neither Equipment spells nor Equipment permanents are targeted. (See rule 415.3.) An Equipment may have abilities which are targeted.
A spell or ability on the stack can’t target itself.
A spell that targets the same object, player, or zone more than once isn’t a “spell with a single target.”
Team
In a multiplayer game between teams, players win or lose as a group rather than as individuals. The Two-Headed Giant, Emperor, and Teams multiplayer variants all use teams.
Teammate
In a multiplayer game between teams, a player’s teammates are the other players on his or her team, and the player’s opponents are all players not on his or her team.
Teams
The Teams multiplayer variant involves two or more teams of equal size. Players are seated so that no one is next to a teammate and each team is equally spaced out. A player can’t attack opponents who aren’t seated next to him or her.
The Teams variant uses the following default options: (a) The recommended range of influence is 2 (see rule 601) and (b) exactly one of the attack left, attack right, and attack multiple players options must be used (see rules 604 and 602). The deploy creatures option isn’t normally used in the Teams variant. See rule 609, “Teams Variant.”
Text Box
The text box is printed below the illustration on a Magic card and contains rules text that defines the card’s abilities, reminder text, and flavor text. See rule 207, “Text Box.”
Text-Changing Effect
An effect that changes the text of an object changes only words that are used in the correct way (for example, a Magic color word being used as a color word, a land type word used as a land type, or a creature type word used as a creature type). The effect can’t change a proper noun, such as a card name, even if that proper noun contains a word or a series of letters that is the same as a Magic color word, basic land type, or creature type. See rule 418.6, “Text-Changing Effects.”
Threshold
Threshold used to be a keyword ability. It is now an ability word and has no rules meaning. All cards printed with the threshold keyword have received errata. Updated wordings are available in the Oracle card reference.
Tie
If an effect could result in a tie, the text of the spell or ability that created the effect will specify what to do in the event of a tie. The Magic game has no default for ties.
Timestamp Order
An object’s timestamp is
the time it entered the zone it’s currently in, with three exceptions: (1) If two or more objects enter a zone simultaneously, the active player determines their timestamp order at the time they enter that zone. (2) Whenever an Aura or Equipment becomes attached to a permanent, the Aura or Equipment receives a new timestamp. (3) Permanents that phase in keep the same timestamps they had when they phased out. See rule 418.5e. See also Depend On.
Continuous effects generated by static abilities have the same timestamp as the object that generated them. Continuous effects generated by the resolution of a spell or ability receive a timestamp at the time they’re created.
Token
A token is a marker used to represent any permanent that isn’t represented by a card. Tokens are created by effects. Tokens can be tapped and untapped just like cards, though an alternative to rotation might be needed to distinguish their status. See rule 216, “Tokens.”
Tombstone Icon
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. See rule 104.5.
Total Casting Cost (Obsolete)
Some older cards were printed with the term “total casting cost” to describe the converted mana cost of a spell. In general, cards that were printed with the term “total casting cost” now use the term “converted mana cost.”
Total Cost
The total cost of a spell or activated ability is the mana cost, activation cost, or alternative cost, plus all cost increases and minus all cost reductions. See rule 409.1f
Toughness
The number after the slash printed on the lower right corner of a creature card is its toughness. See rule 208, “Power/Toughness.”
A creature that’s been dealt damage greater than or equal to its toughness (and greater than 0) has lethal damage and will be destroyed the next time any player would receive priority. This is a state-based effect.
Some creature cards have toughness represented by * instead of a number. The object has a characteristic-setting ability that sets its toughness according to some stated condition. The * is 0 while the object isn’t in play.
A noncreature permanent has no toughness, even if it’s a card with a toughness printed on it (such as a Licid that’s become an Aura).
Tournament
A tournament is an organized event where players compete against other players to win prizes. See the Tournament Locator on the MagicTheGathering.com Tournament Center page (www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/tournamentcenter) to find tournaments in your area.
Trample
Trample is a static ability modifying the combat damage step of the combat phase. It lets an attacking creature “trample over” blocking creatures and assign part of its combat damage to the defending player. See rule 502.9, “Trample.”
Transmute
Transmute is an activated ability that functions only while the card with transmute is in a player’s hand. “Transmute [cost]” means “[Cost], Discard this card: Search your library for a card with the same converted mana cost as the discarded card, reveal that card, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery.” See rule 502.48, “Transmute.”
Trigger, Triggered Ability
A triggered ability begins with the word “when,” “whenever,” or “at.” Whenever the trigger event occurs, the ability goes on top of the stack the next time a player would receive priority. See rule 404, “Triggered Abilities.”
Trigger Condition
A triggered ability begins with the word “when,” “whenever,” or “at.” The phrase containing one of these words is the trigger condition, which defines the trigger event. See rule 404, “Triggered Abilities.”
Turn Marker
The Grand Melee variant allows multiple players to take turns at the same time. Moving turn markers keep track of which players are currently taking turns. Each turn marker represents an active player’s turn. See rule 608, “Grand Melee.”
Two-Headed Giant
The Two-Headed Giant variant has two unique features. Each two-player team has a shared life total, which starts at 40 life, and each team has takes turns rather than each player. Each team’s creatures also attack the other team rather than individual players. The additional rules for the Two-Headed Giant variant explain how the timing of team turns works. See rule 606, “Two-Headed Giant Variant.”
Type
The word “type” has two meanings:
1. A card’s type (and subtype and supertype, if applicable) is printed directly below the illustration on the card, on its type line. Cards, tokens, permanents, and spells all have types. Abilities don’t have types. See rule 205, “Type Line,” and rule 212, “Type, Supertype, and Subtype.”
When an effect changes an object’s type, the new type replaces all previous types. If the effect is adding a type, or allowing an object to retain its types, it will say so. See rule 212.1c.
2. The “type” of mana is its color, or lack thereof (for colorless mana). See also Mana.
Type Line
The type (and subtype and supertype, if applicable) of a card is printed directly below the illustration. See rule 205, “Type Line,” and rule 212, “Type, Supertype, and Subtype.”
Type-Changing Effect
A type-changing effect is an effect that changes the type of an object. It’s generated by a type-changing ability. See rule 418.5a.
Unattach
An Aura or Equipment becomes unattached if it was attached to a permanent and then is not. If an Aura or Equipment leaves play while attached to a permanent, it becomes unattached. If a permanent leaves play (unless it phases out) while an Aura or Equipment is attached to it, the Aura or Equipment becomes unattached.
Unblockable
If an attacking creature “is unblockable,” no creature can legally block it. Spells or abilities may still cause it to become blocked.
Unblocked
A creature is unblocked if it’s attacking and no creature blocked it during the declare blockers step of the current combat phase. It remains an unblocked creature until an effect causes it to become blocked, it’s removed from combat, it stops being a creature, its controller changes, or the combat phase ends. Unblocked creatures don’t exist outside of the combat phase or before the declare blockers step. See rule 309, “Declare Blockers Step.”
Universal Tournament Rules
The DCI Universal Tournament Rules (www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci/doccenter/home) cover tournament play for all DCI-sanctioned games, including the Magic game.
Unless
Some cards use the phrase “[Do something] unless you [do something else].” This means the same thing as “You may [do something else]. If you don’t, [do something].”
Untap
To untap a tapped card, rotate it back to the upright position. See also Tap, Tapped, and Untapped.
Untap Step
The untap step is the first step of the beginning phase. All permanents controlled by the active player normally untap at this time. See rule 302, “Untap Step.”
Untapped
A permanent that’s upright is untapped. Tapping permanents shows that they’ve been used. Permanents untap during their controllers’ untap steps. See also Tap, Tapped, and Untap.
Upkeep Step
The upkeep step is the second step of the beginning phase. Some cards have abilities that trigger at the beginning of the upkeep step; such an ability is informally called an “upkeep cost” or an “upkeep effect.” An upkeep cost is usually written in the form “At the beginning of your upkeep, you may [pay cost]. If you don’t, sacrifice [this card].” These are normal triggered abilities-there are no special rules for them. See rule 303, “Upkeep Step.”
Vanguard and Avatars
The Vanguard™ supplements consist of oversized placar
ds and online avatars that modify the game. A Vanguard placard or avatar is selected before the game begins, adjusting a player’s starting and maximum hand size and starting life total. A Vanguard placard or avatar has no color or type, and it can’t be affected by spells or abilities.
Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules Page 24
