Compiled by Eli Shiffrin, with contributions from Laurie Cheers, Carsten Haese, Nathan Long, and Thijs van Ommen.

Document last modified May 22, 2018.

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The Release Notes include information concerning the release of a new Magic: The Gathering set, as well as a collection of clarifications and rulings involving that set's cards. It's intended to make playing with the new cards more fun by clearing up the common misconceptions and confusion inevitably caused by new mechanics and interactions. As future sets are released, updates to the Magic rules may cause some of this information to become outdated. If you can't find the answer you're looking for here, please contact us at https://magic-support.wizards.com.

The "General Notes" section includes release information and explains the mechanics and concepts in the set.

The "Card-Specific Notes" section contains answers to the most important, most common, and most confusing questions players might ask about cards in the set. Items in the "Card-Specific Notes" section include full card text for your reference. Not all cards in the set are listed.

GENERAL NOTES

Release Information

Core Set 2019 contains 280 cards (20 basic lands, 111 commons, 80 uncommons, 53 rares, and 16 mythic rares) that appear in booster packs, plus 25 cards available in Core Set 2019 Planeswalker Decks and 1 unique promotional card (available as part of the Core Set 2019 in-store Buy-a-Box promotion). In addition, 8 common and uncommon cards from the Ixalan, Rivals of Ixalan, and Dominaria sets have been printed in Welcome Decks with a Core Set 2019 expansion symbol.

Magic Open House: June 30–July 1, 2018

Prerelease Weekend: July 7–8, 2018

Draft Weekend: July 14–15, 2018

Store Championship: September 15–16, 2018

Core Set 2019 becomes legal for sanctioned Constructed play on its official release date: Friday, July 13, 2018. At that time, the following card sets will be permitted in the Standard format: Kaladesh, Aether Revolt, Amonkhet, Hour of Devastation, Ixalan, Rivals of Ixalan, Dominaria, and Core Set 2019. Cards from last year's Welcome Decks (and other ancillary products) with the W17 set identification code are also permitted in the Standard format.

Go to Magic.Wizards.com/Rules for a complete list of formats and their permitted card sets and banned lists.

Go to Locator.Wizards.com to find an event or store near you.

Returning Mechanic: Double-Faced Cards

As far as anyone knows, Nicol Bolas is the oldest Planeswalker in the Multiverse. Ages before recorded history, Bolas established empires across multiple planes, hoarded secrets and treasures beyond number, and vanquished potential rivals ranging from a demon-leviathan to other ancient dragons. One Core Set 2019 card represents Bolas just before his spark ignited—and also represents a portion of his monstrous power thereafter. The double-faced card mechanic returns in this set on a single card: Nicol Bolas, the Ravager.

Turn Over

Nicol Bolas, the Ravager

1UBR

Legendary Creature — Elder Dragon

4/4

Flying

When Nicol Bolas, the Ravager enters the battlefield, each opponent discards a card.

4UBR: Exile Nicol Bolas, the Ravager, then return him to the battlefield transformed under his owner's control. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.

/////

Nicol Bolas, the Arisen

Legendary Planeswalker — Bolas

7

+2: Draw two cards.

−3: Nicol Bolas, the Arisen deals 10 damage to target creature or planeswalker.

−4: Put target creature or planeswalker card from a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control.

−12: Exile all but the bottom card of target player's library.

The rules for double-faced cards remain unchanged since their last appearance in the Ixalan block.

Each face of a double-faced card has its own set of characteristics: name, types, subtypes, abilities, and so on. While a double-faced card is on the battlefield, consider only the characteristics of the face that's currently up. The other set of characteristics is ignored.

While a double-faced card isn't on the battlefield, consider only the characteristics of its front face. For example, Nicol Bolas has the characteristics of its creature face in the graveyard, even if it was a planeswalker on the battlefield before it was put into the graveyard.

The converted mana cost of a double-faced card is the converted mana cost of its front face, even while it's on the battlefield with its back face up. For example, the converted mana cost of Nicol Bolas, the Arisen is 4.

Nicol Bolas, the Arisen has a color indicator on its typeline. This color indicator means that it's a blue, black, and red permanent.

A double-faced card enters the battlefield with its front face up by default, unless a spell or ability instructs you to put it onto the battlefield transformed, in which case it enters with its back face up. The back face of a double-faced card can't be played.

In some rare cases, a spell or ability may cause Nicol Bolas to transform while it's a creature on the battlefield. If this happens, the resulting planeswalker won't have any loyalty counters on it and will subsequently be put into its owner's graveyard.

You can activate one of the planeswalker's loyalty abilities the turn it enters the battlefield.

If another permanent that isn't a double-faced card (such as Mirror Image) becomes a copy of Nicol Bolas, the Ravager, activating the ability to exile it and return it transformed will only exile it. It won't return to the battlefield at all.

Game Supplement: Checklist Card

It's important that the cards in your deck be indistinguishable from one another. To accomplish this with double-faced cards, you can use the "checklist card" found in some booster packs of the corresponding set. A checklist card acts as a substitute for a double-faced card in hidden zones or wherever its identity is concealed (such as in exile if it's exiled face down). Using checklist cards is optional, but in tournaments, players with double-faced cards must use either checklist cards or opaque card sleeves (or both).

The checklist card that appears in Core Set 2019 boosters can only represent one card: Nicol Bolas, the Ravager. This card provides neither a list nor boxes to check, but it is a checklist card for all gameplay and tournament rules.

You must have the actual double-faced card the checklist card is representing with you. The double-faced card should be kept apart from the rest of the deck and your sideboard.

A checklist card can't be included in a deck except when it's being used to represent a double-faced card.

During the game, a checklist card is considered to be the double-faced card it represents.

If a checklist card enters a public zone (the battlefield, the graveyard, the stack, or exile unless it's exiled face down), use the actual double-faced card and set the checklist card aside. If the double-faced card is put into a hidden zone (your hand or library), use the checklist card again.

If a double-faced card is exiled face down or put onto the battlefield face down, keep its identity hidden by using the face-down checklist card or opaque card sleeves (or both).

CARD-SPECIFIC NOTES

Abnormal Endurance

1B

Instant

Until end of turn, target creature gets +2/+0 and gains "When this creature dies, return it to the battlefield tapped under its owner's control."

Abnormal Endurance's effect works only once. If the targeted creature dies and is then returned to the battlefield, it's considered to be a new creature. If that new creature dies, it won't come back.

Act of Treason

2R

Sorcery

Gain control of target creature until end of turn. Untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn. (It can attack and T this turn.)

Act of Treason can target any creature, even one that's untapped or one you already control.

Gaining control of a creature doesn't cause you to gain control of any Auras or Equipment attached to it.

Ajani, Adversary of Tyrants

2WW

Legendary Planeswalker — Ajani

4

+1: Put a +1/+1 counter on each of up to two target creatures.

−2: Return target creature card with converted mana cost 2 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.

−7: You get an emblem with "At the beginning of your end step, create three 1/1 white Cat creature tokens with lifelink."

If a card in your graveyard has X in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.

Ajani, Wise Counselor (Planeswalker Deck only)

3WW

Legendary Planeswalker — Ajani

5

+2: You gain 1 life for each creature you control.

−3: Creatures you control get +2/+2 until end of turn.

−9: Put X +1/+1 counters on target creature, where X is your life total.

Ajani's second ability affects only creatures you control at the time it resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn won't get +2/+2.

The value of X is determined only as Ajani's third ability resolves. If your life total changes later, the creature won't gain or lose +1/+1 counters.

Ajani's Influence (Planeswalker Deck only)

2WW

Sorcery

Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature.

Look at the top five cards of your library. You may reveal a white card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.

You can't cast Ajani's Influence without a target creature. If the target creature is an illegal target when Ajani's Influence tries to resolve, the spell doesn't resolve. You won't look at the top five cards of your library.

Ajani's Last Stand

2WW

Enchantment

Whenever a creature or planeswalker you control dies, you may sacrifice Ajani's Last Stand. If you do, create a 4/4 white Avatar creature token with flying.

When a spell or ability an opponent controls causes you to discard this card, if you control a Plains, create a 4/4 white Avatar creature token with flying.

If multiple creatures and/or planeswalkers you control die at the same time, the first ability of Ajani's Last Stand triggers that many times. However, you can sacrifice it only once, so you'll get only one token.

In a Magic game, cards are discarded only from a player's hand. Effects that put cards from a player's library into that player's graveyard do not cause those cards to be discarded.

If a spell or ability an opponent controls causes you to make a choice and you choose to discard Ajani's Last Stand, its last ability will trigger.

Ajani's Pridemate

1W

Creature — Cat Soldier

2/2

Whenever you gain life, you may put a +1/+1 counter on Ajani's Pridemate.

The ability of Ajani's Pridemate triggers just once for each life-gaining event, whether it's 1 life from Ajani's Welcome or 3 life from Revitalize.

If Ajani's Pridemate is dealt lethal damage at the same time that you gain life, it won't receive a counter from its ability in time to save it.

Each creature with lifelink dealing combat damage causes a separate life-gaining event. For example, if two creatures you control with lifelink deal combat damage at the same time, Ajani's Pridemate's ability will trigger twice. However, if a single creature you control with lifelink deals combat damage to multiple creatures, players, and/or planeswalkers at the same time (perhaps because it has trample or was blocked by more than one creature), the ability will trigger only once.

If you gain an amount of life "for each" of something, that life is gained as one event and the ability of Ajani's Pridemate triggers only once.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, life gained by your teammate won't cause the ability to trigger, even though it caused your team's life total to increase.

Alpine Moon

R

Enchantment

As Alpine Moon enters the battlefield, choose a nonbasic land card name.

Lands your opponents control with the chosen name lose all land types and abilities, and they gain "T: Add one mana of any color."

Alpine Moon's effect doesn't affect supertypes or other card types. It won't remove the artifact card type from an artifact land or remove the legendary supertype from a legendary land.

If an affected land has an ability that triggers "when" it enters the battlefield, it will lose that ability before it triggers.

If an affected land has an ability that causes it to enter the battlefield tapped, it will lose that ability before it applies. The same is also true of any other abilities that modify how a land enters the battlefield or apply "as" a land enters the battlefield.

Angel of the Dawn

4W

Creature — Angel

3/3

Flying

When Angel of the Dawn enters the battlefield, creatures you control get +1/+1 and gain vigilance until end of turn. (Attacking doesn't cause them to tap.)

Angel of the Dawn's triggered ability affects only creatures you control at the time it resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn won't get +1/+1 or gain vigilance.

Apex of Power

7RRR

Sorcery

Exile the top seven cards of your library. Until end of turn, you may cast nonland cards exiled this way.

If this spell was cast from your hand, add ten mana of any one color.

Apex of Power doesn't change when you can cast the exiled cards. For example, if you exile a sorcery card, you can cast it only during your main phase when the stack is empty.

Casting an exiled card causes it to leave exile. You can't cast it multiple times.

Any cards not cast, including land cards, remain in exile.

If an effect copies Apex of Power, the copy wasn't cast at all, so you won't add ten mana.

Arcades, the Strategist

1GWU

Legendary Creature — Elder Dragon

3/5

Flying, vigilance

Whenever a creature with defender enters the battlefield under your control, draw a card.

Each creature you control with defender assigns combat damage equal to its toughness rather than its power and can attack as though it didn't have defender.

Arcades's last ability doesn't actually change any creature's power. It changes only the amount of combat damage it assigns. All other rules and effects that check power or toughness use the real values. For example, Rabid Bite won't cause a creature to deal damage equal to its toughness.

If Arcades leaves the battlefield after a creature with defender has attacked, that creature remains an attacking creature, although it will assign damage equal to its power.

Aven Wind Mage

2U

Creature — Bird Wizard

2/2

Flying

Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, Aven Wind Mage gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

Aven Wind Mage's triggered ability resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered.

Banefire

XR

Sorcery

Banefire deals X damage to any target.

If X is 5 or more, this spell can't be countered and the damage can't be prevented.

To determine whether it can be countered and its damage can be prevented, Banefire checks the number you chose for X, not the amount of mana you actually spent or the amount of damage it will actually deal.

Banefire can be targeted by spells that try to counter it regardless of what the value of X is. If X is 5 or more, those spells will still resolve, but the part of their effect that would counter Banefire won't do anything. Any other effects those spells have will work as normal.

If its target is illegal by the time Banefire tries to resolve, the spell isn't countered, but it doesn't resolve. The target won't be dealt damage.

Blood Divination

3B

Sorcery

As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice a creature.

Draw three cards.

You must sacrifice exactly one creature to cast Blood Divination; you can't cast it without sacrificing a creature, and you can't sacrifice additional creatures.

Players can respond only after Blood Divination has been cast and all its costs have been paid. No one can try to destroy the creature you sacrificed to prevent you from casting this spell.

Bone to Ash

2UU

Instant

Counter target creature spell.

Draw a card.

A creature spell that can't be countered is a legal target for Bone to Ash. The creature spell won't be countered when Bone to Ash resolves, but you'll still draw a card.

Brawl-Bash Ogre

2BR

Creature — Ogre Warrior

3/3

Menace (This creature can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.)

Whenever Brawl-Bash Ogre attacks, you may sacrifice another creature. If you do, Brawl-Bash Ogre gets +2/+2 until end of turn.

While resolving the triggered ability of Brawl-Bash Ogre, you can't sacrifice multiple creatures to give it +2/+2 more than once.

Once Brawl-Bash Ogre's triggered ability begins to resolve, no player may take actions until it's done. Notably, players can't try to deal damage to Brawl-Bash Ogre after you've sacrificed a creature but before it gets +2/+2.

Bristling Boar

3G

Creature — Boar

4/3

Bristling Boar can't be blocked by more than one creature.

If Bristling Boar gains menace, it can't be blocked at all.

Chaos Wand

3

Artifact

4, T: Target opponent exiles cards from the top of their library until they exile an instant or sorcery card. You may cast that card without paying its mana cost. Then put the exiled cards that weren't cast this way on the bottom of that library in a random order.

The opponent stops exiling cards as soon as they exile any instant or sorcery card. You don't choose which card type to look for.

If the opponent exiles their entire library without exiling an instant or sorcery card, that player stops exiling cards, and the exiled cards are put into their library in a random order.

If you don't cast the exiled instant or sorcery card, it's put on the bottom of that library with the other cards.

If you wish to cast the exiled card, you must cast it while Chaos Wand's ability is resolving. You can't cast it later in the turn. A spell cast this way may be cast at a time you normally wouldn't be able to cast a spell of that type, but other restrictions (such as "Cast this spell only during combat") are enforced.

If you cast a card "without paying its mana cost," you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, such as that of Tormenting Voice, those must be paid to cast the card.

If the exiled card has X in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.

Chromium, the Mutable

4WUB

Legendary Creature — Elder Dragon

7/7

Flash

This spell can't be countered.

Flying

Discard a card: Until end of turn, Chromium, the Mutable becomes a Human with base power and toughness 1/1, loses all abilities, and gains hexproof. It can't be blocked this turn.

Chromium stops being an Elder Dragon for the turn once its last ability has resolved. It's still a legendary creature named Chromium, the Mutable.

Chromium's activated ability overwrites all previous effects that set its base power and toughness to specific values. Any power- or toughness-setting effects that start to apply after that ability resolves will overwrite this effect.

Effects that raise or lower a creature's power and/or toughness, such as the effect of Titanic Growth, will apply to the creature no matter when they started to take effect. The same is true for any counters that change its power and/or toughness and effects that switch its power and toughness.

If Chromium gains an ability after its activated ability resolves, it will keep that ability.

Activating Chromium's last ability after it has become blocked won't cause Chromium to become unblocked.

Colossal Majesty

2G

Enchantment

At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control a creature with power 4 or greater, draw a card.

If you don't control a creature with power 4 or greater as your upkeep begins, Colossal Majesty's ability won't trigger. You can't take any actions during your turn before your upkeep begins.

If you don't control a creature with power 4 or greater as Colossal Majesty's ability resolves, you won't draw a card.

The creature with power 4 or greater that you control as Colossal Majesty's ability resolves doesn't have to be the same creature with power 4 or greater that was under your control as the ability triggered.

You draw only one card, no matter how many creatures with power 4 or greater you control.

Court Cleric (Planeswalker Deck only)

W

Creature — Human Cleric

1/1

Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.)

Court Cleric gets +1/+1 as long as you control an Ajani planeswalker.

Because damage remains marked on a creature until it's removed as the turn ends, nonlethal damage dealt to Court Cleric may become lethal if you cease to control an Ajani planeswalker during that turn.

Crash Through

R

Sorcery

Creatures you control gain trample until end of turn. (A creature with trample can deal excess combat damage to the player or planeswalker it's attacking.)

Draw a card.

Crash Through affects only creatures you control at the time it resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn won't gain trample.

You may cast Crash Through even if you control no creatures. If you control no creatures as the spell resolves, you'll just draw a card.

Crucible of Worlds

3

Artifact

You may play land cards from your graveyard.

Crucible of Worlds doesn't change the times when you can play those land cards. You can still play only one land per turn, and only during your main phase when you have priority and the stack is empty.

Crucible of Worlds doesn't allow you to activate abilities (such as cycling) of land cards in your graveyard.

Dark-Dweller Oracle

1R

Creature — Goblin Shaman

2/2

1, Sacrifice a creature: Exile the top card of your library. You may play that card this turn. (You still pay its costs. You can play a land this way only if you have an available land play remaining.)

Dark-Dweller Oracle doesn't change when you can cast the exiled card. For example, if you exile a sorcery card, you can cast it only during your main phase when the stack is empty. If you exile a land card, you can play it only during your main phase and only if you have an available land play remaining.

Casting an exiled card causes it to leave exile. You can't cast it multiple times.

If you don't cast the exiled card, it remains in exile.

You can sacrifice Dark-Dweller Oracle to pay the cost for its own ability.

Death Baron

1BB

Creature — Zombie Wizard

2/2

Skeletons you control and other Zombies you control get +1/+1 and have deathtouch.

A creature that's both a Skeleton and a Zombie will get the bonus only once.

Death Baron doesn't normally affect itself. If you manage to turn it into a Skeleton, however, then it will give itself +1/+1 and deathtouch.

Because damage remains marked on a creature until it's removed as the turn ends, nonlethal damage dealt to a Skeleton or Zombie you control may become lethal if Death Baron leaves the battlefield during that turn.

Declare Dominance

3GG

Sorcery

Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn. All creatures able to block it this turn do so.

If a creature the defending player controls can't block the target creature for any reason (such as being tapped), then it doesn't block that creature. If there's a cost associated with having a creature block the attacking creature, the defending player isn't forced to pay that cost, so it doesn't have to block in that case either.

Demon of Catastrophes

2BB

Creature — Demon

6/6

As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice a creature.

Flying, trample

You must sacrifice exactly one creature to cast Demon of Catastrophes; you can't cast it without sacrificing a creature, and you can't sacrifice additional creatures.

Players can respond only after Demon of Catastrophes has been cast and all its costs have been paid. No one can try to destroy the creature you sacrificed to prevent you from casting this spell.

Departed Deckhand

1U

Creature — Spirit Pirate

2/2

When Departed Deckhand becomes the target of a spell, sacrifice it.

Departed Deckhand can't be blocked except by Spirits.

3U: Another target creature you control can't be blocked this turn except by Spirits.

You'll sacrifice Departed Deckhand even if you counter the spell that targets it.

If the spell that targets Departed Deckhand has no other targets, it won't resolve (because it no longer has a legal target after Departed Deckhand is sacrificed).

Activating Departed Deckhand's last ability after a creature has become blocked by a non-Spirit creature won't cause that creature to become unblocked.

Desecrated Tomb

3

Artifact

Whenever one or more creature cards leave your graveyard, create a 1/1 black Bat creature token with flying.

You create one Bat token each time Desecrated Tomb's ability triggers, no matter how many cards left your graveyard.

Detection Tower

Land

T: Add C.

1, T: Until end of turn, your opponents and creatures your opponents control with hexproof can be the targets of spells and abilities you control as though they didn't have hexproof.

Your opponents and creatures your opponents control don't actually lose hexproof, although you will ignore hexproof for purposes of choosing targets of spells and abilities you control.

Creatures your opponents control with "hexproof from [quality]" abilities can be targeted as though they didn't have those abilities as well.

Because Detection Tower's last ability doesn't change the characteristics of any permanents, the set of creatures affected by it is constantly updated. Creatures that come under your opponents' control later in the turn can be targeted as though they didn't have hexproof.

Djinn of Wishes

3UU

Creature — Djinn

4/4

Flying

Djinn of Wishes enters the battlefield with three wish counters on it.

2UU, Remove a wish counter from Djinn of Wishes: Reveal the top card of your library. You may play that card without paying its mana cost. If you don't, exile it.

If you wish to play the revealed card, you must play it while the last ability of Djinn of Wishes is resolving. You can't play it later in the turn. A spell cast this way may be cast at a time you normally wouldn't be able to cast a spell of that type, but other restrictions (such as "Cast this spell only during combat") are enforced.

If the revealed card is a land, you can play it only if it's your turn and you haven't yet played a land this turn.

If you cast a spell "without paying its mana cost," you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs, such as kicker costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, such as that of Tormenting Voice, those must be paid to cast the card.

If a spell has X in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.

Doublecast

RR

Sorcery

When you cast your next instant or sorcery spell this turn, copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.

If you cast one Doublecast after another, you'll copy the second Doublecast. Each resolves, creating two delayed triggered abilities. The next spell you cast after that will be copied twice. If that spell is also a Doublecast, the following spell will be copied three times, and so on.

Doublecast's ability will copy any instant or sorcery spell, not just one with targets.

A copy is created even if the spell that caused Doublecast's ability to trigger has been countered by the time that ability resolves. The copy resolves before the original spell.

The copy will have the same targets as the spell it's copying unless you choose new ones. You may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. The new targets must be legal.

If the spell that's copied is modal (that is, it says "Choose one —" or the like), the copy will have the same mode or modes. You can't choose different ones.

If the spell that's copied has an X whose value was determined as it was cast, the copy has the same value of X.

You can't choose to pay any additional costs for the copy. However, effects based on any additional costs that were paid for the original spell are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copy too.

The copy that Doublecast's ability creates is created on the stack, so it's not "cast." Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell won't trigger.

Druid of Horns

3G

Creature — Human Druid

2/3

Whenever you cast an Aura spell that targets Druid of Horns, create a 3/3 green Beast creature token.

Druid of Horns's ability resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. The ability resolves even if that spell is countered.

Dryad Greenseeker

1G

Creature — Dryad

1/3

T: Look at the top card of your library. If it's a land card, you may reveal it and put it into your hand.

If the top card of your library isn't a land card, or if you choose not to reveal it, it remains on top of your library.

Dwarven Priest

3W

Creature — Dwarf Cleric

2/4

When Dwarven Priest enters the battlefield, you gain 1 life for each creature you control.

The number of creatures you control is counted only as Dwarven Priest's ability resolves. If Dwarven Priest is still on the battlefield, it will count itself.

Dwindle

2U

Enchantment — Aura

Enchant creature

Enchanted creature gets -6/-0.

When enchanted creature blocks, destroy it. (The attacking creature remains blocked.)

Once the enchanted creature is destroyed, the attacking creature won't assign or deal combat damage unless it has trample or is being blocked by another creature.

Enigma Drake

1UR

Creature — Drake

*/4

Flying

Enigma Drake's power is equal to the number of instant and sorcery cards in your graveyard.

A split card (such as those featured in the Amonkhet block) only counts once for Enigma Drake's ability, even if it's both an instant and a sorcery.

The ability that defines Enigma Drake's power works in all zones.

Epicure of Blood

4B

Creature — Vampire

4/4

Whenever you gain life, each opponent loses 1 life.

The ability of Epicure of Blood triggers just once for each life-gaining event, whether it's 1 life from Ajani's Welcome or 3 life from Revitalize.

Each creature with lifelink dealing combat damage causes a separate life-gaining event. For example, if two creatures you control with lifelink deal combat damage at the same time, Epicure of Blood's ability will trigger twice. However, if a single creature you control with lifelink deals combat damage to multiple creatures, players, and/or planeswalkers at the same time (perhaps because it has trample or was blocked by more than one creature), the ability will trigger only once.

If you gain an amount of life "for each" of something, that life is gained as one event and the ability of Epicure of Blood triggers only once.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, life gained by your teammate won't cause the ability to trigger, even though it caused your team's life total to increase.

Fraying Omnipotence

3BB

Sorcery

Each player loses half their life, then discards half the cards in their hand, then sacrifices half the creatures they control. Round up each time.

The amounts that are lost are rounded up, not the amounts kept. For example, a player with 5 life, five cards in hand, and five creatures would lose 3 life, discard three cards, and sacrifice three creatures.

Because the instructions are followed in order, abilities of the creatures a player will sacrifice may modify or trigger on losing life, discarding cards, and/or sacrificing creatures. Abilities that trigger this way will resolve after Fraying Omnipotence is done resolving.

When Fraying Omnipotence resolves, first each player loses the appropriate amount of life at once. Next, the player whose turn it is chooses an appropriate number of cards in hand without revealing them, then each other player in turn order does the same, and then those cards are all discarded simultaneously. Then, the player whose turn it is chooses an appropriate number of creatures they control. Each other player in turn order does the same, knowing choices made by previous players. Finally, all of the chosen creatures are sacrificed simultaneously.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, Fraying Omnipotence causes each player to lose half of their team's life, rounded up. This means that teams at an even life total will have 0 life, and teams at an odd life total will have -1 life. The game then ends in a draw.

Frilled Sea Serpent

4UU

Creature — Serpent

4/6

5UU: Frilled Sea Serpent can't be blocked this turn.

Once Frilled Sea Serpent has been blocked, activating its ability won't change or undo that block.

Ghirapur Guide

2G

Creature — Elf Scout

3/2

2G: Target creature you control can't be blocked by creatures with power 2 or less this turn.

Once a creature with power 2 or less has blocked a creature, activating Ghirapur Guide's ability won't change or undo that block.

Once a creature with power 3 or greater has blocked the target creature, changing the power of the blocking creature won't change or undo that block.

Goblin Trashmaster

2RR

Creature — Goblin Warrior

3/3

Other Goblins you control get +1/+1.

Sacrifice a Goblin: Destroy target artifact.

Because damage remains marked on a creature until it's removed as the turn ends, nonlethal damage dealt to a Goblin you control may become lethal if Goblin Trashmaster leaves the battlefield during that turn.

You can sacrifice Goblin Trashmaster to pay the cost for its own ability.

Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma

3G

Legendary Creature — Bear

4/3

Creature spells you cast with power 4 or greater cost 2 less to cast.

Whenever Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma attacks, each creature you control with power 4 or greater gets +1/+1 and gains trample until end of turn.

If you cast a creature spell that will enter the battlefield with a number of +1/+1 counters, such as Hungering Hydra, those counters aren't considered when determining whether Goreclaw reduces that spell's cost. Similarly, effects that will raise the creature's power once it has entered the battlefield won't apply.

If another creature has an ability that changes its power when it attacks, such as Brawl-Bash Ogre, you may have that ability resolve before Goreclaw's last ability.

Goreclaw's last ability affects only creatures you control with the appropriate power at the time it resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn won't get either bonus, and a creature you control whose power decreases later in the turn won't lose either bonus.

Gravewaker (Planeswalker Deck only)

4BB

Creature — Bird Spirit

5/5

Flying

5BB: Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.

Gravewaker's ability can be activated only while it's on the battlefield. It can't return itself from your graveyard.

Guttersnipe

2R

Creature — Goblin Shaman

2/2

Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, Guttersnipe deals 2 damage to each opponent.

Guttersnipe's triggered ability resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, Guttersnipe's ability causes the opposing team to lose 4 life.

Heroic Reinforcements

2RW

Sorcery

Create two 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens. Until end of turn, creatures you control get +1/+1 and gain haste. (They can attack and T this turn.)

The second part of Heroic Reinforcements's effect affects only creatures you control at the time it's applied, including the tokens created by the first part of its effect. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn won't get +1/+1 or gain haste.

Hieromancer's Cage

3W

Enchantment

When Hieromancer's Cage enters the battlefield, exile target nonland permanent an opponent controls until Hieromancer's Cage leaves the battlefield.

If Hieromancer's Cage leaves the battlefield before its triggered ability resolves, the target permanent won't be exiled.

Auras attached to the exiled permanent will be put into their owners' graveyards. Any Equipment will become unattached and remain on the battlefield. Any counters on the exiled permanent will cease to exist.

If a token is exiled this way, it will cease to exist and won't return to the battlefield.

Infectious Horror

3B

Creature — Zombie Horror

2/2

Whenever Infectious Horror attacks, each opponent loses 2 life.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, Infectious Horror's ability causes the opposing team to lose 4 life.

Infernal Reckoning

B

Instant

Exile target colorless creature. You gain life equal to its power.

The amount of life gained is equal to the power of the creature as it last existed on the battlefield.

If the creature's power is negative, you don't lose or gain life.

Infernal Scarring

1B

Enchantment — Aura

Enchant creature

Enchanted creature gets +2/+0 and has "When this creature dies, draw a card."

The player who controlled the creature when it died is the one who will draw a card.

If Infernal Scarring and the enchanted creature are destroyed at the same time, the player will draw a card.

Inferno Hellion

3R

Creature — Hellion

7/3

Trample (This creature can deal excess combat damage to the player or planeswalker it's attacking.)

At the beginning of each end step, if Inferno Hellion attacked or blocked this turn, its owner shuffles it into their library.

Inferno Hellion's owner shuffles it into their library only if it's on the battlefield as its last ability resolves.

Invoke the Divine

2W

Instant

Destroy target artifact or enchantment. You gain 4 life.

If the target artifact or enchantment is an illegal target by the time Invoke the Divine tries to resolve, the spell doesn't resolve. You won't gain any life.

Isareth the Awakener

1BB

Legendary Creature — Human Wizard

3/3

Deathtouch

Whenever Isareth the Awakener attacks, you may pay X. When you do, return target creature card with converted mana cost X from your graveyard to the battlefield with a corpse counter on it. If that creature would leave the battlefield, exile it instead of putting it anywhere else.

Isareth's triggered ability goes on the stack without a target. While that ability is resolving, you may pay X. When you do, a second ability triggers and you pick a target creature card to return. This is different from abilities that say "If you do . . ." in that players may cast spells and activate abilities after mana is paid and the target creature card is chosen, but before that card is returned.

Because all attacking creatures are chosen at once, a creature returned this way can't attack during the same combat as it returns, even if it has haste.

If a card in your graveyard has X in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.

If you somehow remove a corpse counter from a creature Isareth has returned to the battlefield, the replacement effect that will exile it continues to apply. The counter is only to help remind you which creatures will be exiled if they would leave the battlefield.

If Isareth leaves the battlefield, the replacement effect continues to apply. If one of the creatures it returned would leave the battlefield, it'll be exiled instead.

Because to die means to be put into a graveyard from the battlefield, a creature that is exiled instead doesn't "die." Abilities that would trigger when it dies won't trigger.

Isolate

W

Instant

Exile target permanent with converted mana cost 1.

If a permanent has X in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.

Knightly Valor

4W

Enchantment — Aura

Enchant creature

When Knightly Valor enters the battlefield, create a 2/2 white Knight creature token with vigilance. (Attacking doesn't cause it to tap.)

Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and has vigilance.

You need a creature for Knightly Valor to target as you cast it. There's no way to have it enter the battlefield attached to the Knight token it'll create.

If the creature this Aura would enchant is an illegal target by the time Knightly Valor tries to resolve, the Aura spell doesn't resolve. It won't enter the battlefield, so its ability won't trigger.

Lena, Selfless Champion

4WW

Legendary Creature — Human Knight

3/3

When Lena, Selfless Champion enters the battlefield, create a 1/1 white Soldier creature token for each nontoken creature you control.

Sacrifice Lena: Creatures you control with power less than Lena's power gain indestructible until end of turn.

The number of nontoken creatures you control is counted only as Lena's first ability resolves. If Lena is still on the battlefield (and not somehow a token), it will count itself.

To determine which creatures gain indestructible while resolving Lena's last ability, use Lena's power as it last existed on the battlefield.

Lena's last ability affects only creatures you control with the appropriate power at the time it resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn won't gain indestructible, and a creature you control whose power increases later in the turn won't lose indestructible.

Leonin Vanguard

W

Creature — Cat Soldier

1/1

At the beginning of combat on your turn, if you control three or more creatures, Leonin Vanguard gets +1/+1 until end of turn and you gain 1 life.

If you don't control three or more creatures as your combat phase begins, Leonin Vanguard's ability won't trigger at all. Causing a permanent to become a creature during the beginning of combat step won't cause Leonin Vanguard's ability to trigger.

If you don't control three or more creatures as Leonin Vanguard's ability resolves, the ability does nothing. However, if you do control three or more creatures as it resolves, the +1/+1 bonus doesn't stop applying if you no longer control three creatures later in the turn.

Leonin Warleader

2WW

Creature — Cat Soldier

4/4

Whenever Leonin Warleader attacks, create two 1/1 white Cat creature tokens with lifelink that are tapped and attacking.

You choose which players or planeswalkers the two tokens are attacking. They don't have to be attacking the same player or planeswalker that Leonin Warleader is attacking, and they can each be attacking different players and/or planeswalkers.

Although the tokens are attacking, they were never declared as attacking creatures (for the purposes of abilities that trigger whenever a creature attacks, for example).

Lich's Caress

3BB

Sorcery

Destroy target creature. You gain 3 life.

If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Lich's Caress tries to resolve, the spell doesn't resolve. You won't gain any life.

Liliana, the Necromancer (Planeswalker Deck only)

3BB

Legendary Planeswalker — Liliana

4

+1: Target player loses 2 life.

−1: Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.

−7: Destroy up to two target creatures. Put up to two creature cards from graveyards onto the battlefield under your control.

For Liliana's last ability, the creatures you'll return to the battlefield are chosen after the target creatures are destroyed. No player may take actions between the time you choose two creature cards to return and the time they're returned. The destroyed cards can be among those returned to the battlefield.

If any abilities trigger on the target creatures being destroyed, those abilities won't be put onto the stack until after you've put creature cards onto the battlefield from graveyards.

You may activate Liliana's last ability without choosing any target creatures. You'll just put up to two creature cards onto the battlefield from graveyards. However, if you choose any targets and all of those targets become illegal before the ability tries to resolve, the ability won't resolve and you won't put any cards onto the battlefield.

In a multiplayer game, if a player leaves the game, all cards that player owns leave as well. If you leave the game, any permanents you control from Liliana's third ability that came from other players' graveyards are exiled.

Liliana, Untouched by Death

2BB

Legendary Planeswalker — Liliana

4

+1: Put the top three cards of your library into your graveyard. If at least one of them is a Zombie card, each opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.

−2: Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the number of Zombies you control.

−3: You may cast Zombie cards from your graveyard this turn.

The value of X is determined only as Liliana's second ability resolves. If the number of Zombies you control changes later, the target creature's power and toughness won't change.

Casting a Zombie card from your graveyard once Liliana's third ability has resolved follows the normal rules for casting that card. You must pay its costs, and you must follow all applicable timing rules.

Once Liliana's third ability has resolved, any Zombie cards in your graveyard may be cast this turn, including Zombie cards that enter your graveyard later in the turn.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, Liliana's first ability causes the opposing team to lose 4 life and you gain 2 life.

Liliana's Contract

3BB

Enchantment

When Liliana's Contract enters the battlefield, you draw four cards and you lose 4 life.

At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control four or more Demons with different names, you win the game.

If you don't control four Demons with different names as your upkeep begins, the second ability of Liliana's Contract won't trigger. You can't take any actions during your turn before your upkeep begins.

If the second ability does trigger, but you no longer control four Demons with different names as the ability resolves, you won't win the game.

Liliana's Spoils (Planeswalker Deck only)

3B

Sorcery

Target opponent discards a card.

Look at the top five cards of your library. You may reveal a black card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.

You may cast Liliana's Spoils targeting any opponent, even one who has no cards in hand. You'll perform the actions of its second ability even if the target opponent can't discard a card.

Macabre Waltz

1B

Sorcery

Return up to two target creature cards from your graveyard to your hand, then discard a card.

If you have no other cards in hand, you'll have to discard one of the creature cards you return to your hand.

You may cast Macabre Waltz targeting one or zero creature cards. You'll still discard a card, even if you target no creature cards.

Magistrate's Scepter

3

Artifact

4, T: Put a charge counter on Magistrate's Scepter.

T, Remove three charge counters from Magistrate's Scepter: Take an extra turn after this one.

If multiple extra turns would be taken after this one, perhaps because more than one player has activated the last ability of their Magistrate's Scepter, the most recently created one is taken first.

Mentor of the Meek

2W

Creature — Human Soldier

2/2

Whenever another creature with power 2 or less enters the battlefield under your control, you may pay 1. If you do, draw a card.

Mentor of the Meek's ability checks the power of the other creature only as it enters the battlefield. If that creature's power is 2 or less, the ability will trigger. Once the ability triggers, raising that creature's power above 2 won't affect that ability. Similarly, reducing the creature's power to 2 or less after it enters the battlefield won't cause the ability to trigger.

Apply power bonuses from counters the creature enters the battlefield with and continuous effects such as that of Valiant Knight before checking to see if Mentor of the Meek's ability will trigger.

While resolving the triggered ability of Mentor of the Meek, you can't pay 1 multiple times to draw more than one card.

Metamorphic Alteration

1U

Enchantment — Aura

Enchant creature

As Metamorphic Alteration enters the battlefield, choose a creature.

Enchanted creature is a copy of the chosen creature.

You can choose only a creature on the battlefield.

Metamorphic Alteration copies exactly what is printed on the chosen creature (unless that creature is copying something else or is a token; see below). It doesn't copy whether that creature is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or any Auras and Equipment attached to it, or any non-copy effects that have changed its power, toughness, types, color, or so on.

The characteristics that will be copied are determined as Metamorphic Alteration's effect first begins to apply. If the copiable values of the chosen creature change later, or if that creature leaves the battlefield, the enchanted creature's characteristics are unaffected.

If the chosen creature is copying something else (for example, if the chosen creature is enchanted by another Metamorphic Alteration), then the enchanted creature becomes a copy of whatever the chosen creature copied.

If the chosen creature is a token, Metamorphic Alteration copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that put the token onto the battlefield. The enchanted creature doesn't become a token in this case.

The enchanted creature will be a copy of the chosen creature as it dies, so any "when this creature dies" abilities it gains from the copy effect will trigger. Any "when this creature dies" abilities it normally has will not trigger.

If Metamorphic Alteration somehow enters the battlefield at the same time as another creature, it can't have the enchanted creature become a copy of that creature. You may choose only a creature that's already on the battlefield.

Mighty Leap

1W

Instant

Target creature gets +2/+2 and gains flying until end of turn.

Giving a creature flying after it's already been blocked won't change or undo that block. If you want to affect what can block the creature, you must cast Mighty Leap during the declare attackers step at the latest.

Mirror Image

2U

Creature — Shapeshifter

0/0

You may have Mirror Image enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature you control.

Mirror Image copies exactly what was printed on the original creature (unless that creature is copying something else or is a token; see below). It doesn't copy whether that creature is tapped or untapped, whether it as any counters on it or any Auras and Equipment attached to it, or any non-copy effects that have changed its power, toughness, types, color, or so on.

If the copied creature has X in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.

If the chosen creature is copying something else (for example, if the chosen creature is another Mirror Image), then Mirror Image enters the battlefield as whatever the chosen creature copied.

If the chosen creature is a token, Mirror Image copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that put the token onto the battlefield. Mirror Image doesn't become a token in this case.

Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger when Mirror Image enters the battlefield. Any "as [this creature] enters the battlefield" or "[this creature] enters the battlefield with" abilities of the chosen creature will also work.

If Mirror Image somehow enters the battlefield at the same time as another creature, it can't become a copy of that creature. You may choose only a creature that's already on the battlefield.

Mistcaller

U

Creature — Merfolk Wizard

1/1

Sacrifice Mistcaller: Until end of turn, if a nontoken creature would enter the battlefield and it wasn't cast, exile it instead.

Mistcaller's ability won't affect any nontoken creatures that were cast, including ones cast from unusual zones such as your graveyard.

Mistcaller's ability doesn't stop creature tokens from entering the battlefield. It also doesn't affect creatures that are already on the battlefield.

If Mistcaller enters the battlefield at the same time as other creatures, its ability can't be activated in time to affect those creatures.

Nexus of Fate (Buy-a-Box Promotional Card)

5UU

Instant

Take an extra turn after this one.

If Nexus of Fate would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, reveal Nexus of Fate and shuffle it into its owner's library instead.

Nexus of Fate's last ability applies if it would be put into a graveyard in any way, including while it's resolving.

Turn Over

Nicol Bolas, the Ravager

1UBR

Legendary Creature — Elder Dragon

4/4

Flying

When Nicol Bolas, the Ravager enters the battlefield, each opponent discards a card.

4UBR: Exile Nicol Bolas, the Ravager, then return him to the battlefield transformed under his owner's control. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.

/////

Nicol Bolas, the Arisen

Legendary Planeswalker — Bolas

7

+2: Draw two cards.

−3: Nicol Bolas, the Arisen deals 10 damage to target creature or planeswalker.

−4: Put target creature or planeswalker card from a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control.

−12: Exile all but the bottom card of target player's library.

When Nicol Bolas's enters-the-battlefield triggered ability resolves, first the next opponent in turn order (or, if it's an opponent's turn, that opponent) chooses a card in their hand without revealing it, then each other opponent in turn order does the same. Then all the chosen cards are discarded at the same time.

If Nicol Bolas leaves the battlefield after his creature face's activated ability has been activated but before it resolves, the card remains in whichever zone it moves to. It won't be exiled or return transformed.

In a multiplayer game, if a player leaves the game, all cards that player owns leave as well. If you leave the game, any permanents you control from Nicol Bolas's third loyalty ability that came from other players' graveyards are exiled.

Nightmare's Thirst

B

Instant

You gain 1 life. Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the amount of life you gained this turn.

Nightmare's Thirst counts how much life you've gained this turn, not how much your life total changed. For example, if you've gained 5 life and lost 8 before Nightmare's Thirst resolves, Nightmare's Thirst has you gain 1 more life, then it gives the target creature -6/-6.

If the target creature is an illegal target when Nightmare's Thirst tries to resolve, the spell doesn't resolve. You won't gain 1 life.

Novice Knight

W

Creature — Human Knight

2/3

Defender (This creature can't attack.)

As long as Novice Knight is enchanted or equipped, it can attack as though it didn't have defender.

Once Novice Knight has attacked, it will remain in combat even if it's no longer enchanted or equipped.

Omniscience

7UUU

Enchantment

You may cast spells from your hand without paying their mana costs.

You must follow the normal timing permissions and restrictions of each spell you cast.

If you cast a spell "without paying its mana cost," you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs, such as kicker costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, such as that of Tormenting Voice, those must be paid to cast the card.

If a spell has X in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.

Once you cast Omniscience, if it's your turn, you'll have priority immediately after it resolves. You can cast another spell before any player can attempt to remove Omniscience with spells or abilities.

One with the Machine

3U

Sorcery

Draw cards equal to the highest converted mana cost among artifacts you control.

If a permanent has X in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.

Open the Graves

3BB

Enchantment

Whenever a nontoken creature you control dies, create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token.

If a nontoken creature you control dies at the same time that Open the Graves leaves the battlefield, you'll get a Zombie token.

Palladia-Mors, the Ruiner

3RGW

Legendary Creature — Elder Dragon

6/6

Flying, vigilance, trample

Palladia-Mors, the Ruiner has hexproof if it hasn't dealt damage yet.

If Palladia-Mors leaves the battlefield and returns, it's considered a new object, even if it's represented by the same card. It has hexproof again until it deals damage.

If a triggered ability triggers at the same time that Palladia-Mors deals damage for the first time, targets are chosen for that ability after Palladia-Mors no longer has hexproof.

Patient Rebuilding

3UU

Enchantment

At the beginning of your upkeep, target opponent puts the top three cards of their library into their graveyard, then you draw a card for each land card put into that graveyard this way.

Each time Patient Rebuilding's triggered ability resolves, it counts only the land cards put into that graveyard during that ability's resolution. For example, if your opponent puts two land cards into their graveyard during one upkeep and three land cards the next, you'll draw two and three cards, respectively, not two and five.

If your opponent moves cards from their library but they aren't put into their graveyard (perhaps because you control Rest in Peace), you won't draw any cards.

Phylactery Lich

BBB

Creature — Zombie

5/5

Indestructible

As Phylactery Lich enters the battlefield, put a phylactery counter on an artifact you control.

When you control no permanents with phylactery counters on them, sacrifice Phylactery Lich.

Phylactery Lich's first ability doesn't target the artifact. No player may take actions between the time you choose an artifact and the time you put a phylactery counter on it.

If you control no artifacts as Phylactery Lich enters the battlefield, its first ability won't do anything. As soon as it enters the battlefield, its last ability will trigger (unless you control some other permanent with a phylactery counter on it) and you'll have to sacrifice it.

If Phylactery Lich and an artifact are entering the battlefield under your control at the same time, you can't put a phylactery counter on that artifact. You must choose an artifact you control that's already on the battlefield.

Phylactery Lich's last ability is a "state trigger." Once a state trigger triggers, it won't trigger again as long as the ability is on the stack. If the ability is countered and the trigger condition is still true, it will immediately trigger again.

Phylactery Lich's last ability checks your permanents for any phylactery counters, not just the specific one that it caused you to put on an artifact. For example, if you control two Phylactery Liches and two different artifacts with phylactery counters, neither Phylactery Lich will be sacrificed if one of those artifacts leaves the battlefield.

Plague Mare

1BB

Creature — Nightmare Horse

2/2

Plague Mare can't be blocked by white creatures.

When Plague Mare enters the battlefield, creatures your opponents control get -1/-1 until end of turn.

Plague Mare's second ability affects only creatures your opponents control at the time it resolves. Creatures they begin to control later in the turn won't get -1/-1.

Poison-Tip Archer

2BG

Creature — Elf Archer

2/3

Reach (This creature can block creatures with flying.)

Deathtouch (Any amount of damage this deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.)

Whenever another creature dies, each opponent loses 1 life.

If another creature dies at the same time as Poison-Tip Archer does, each opponent loses 1 life.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, Poison-tip Archer's last ability causes the opposing team to lose 2 life.

Psychic Corrosion

2U

Enchantment

Whenever you draw a card, each opponent puts the top two cards of their library into their graveyard.

If a spell or ability causes you to put cards into your hand without specifically using the word "draw," Psychic Corrosion's ability won't trigger.

Psychic Symbiont

4UB

Creature — Nightmare Horror

3/3

Flying

When Psychic Symbiont enters the battlefield, target opponent discards a card and you draw a card.

Psychic Symbiont's last ability can target an opponent with no cards in hand. You'll draw a card even if no opponent discards a card.

Rabid Bite

1G

Sorcery

Target creature you control deals damage equal to its power to target creature you don't control.

If either creature is an illegal target as Rabid Bite tries to resolve, the creature you control won't deal damage.

Regal Bloodlord

3WB

Creature — Vampire Soldier

2/4

Flying

At the beginning of each end step, if you gained life this turn, create a 1/1 black Bat creature token with flying.

Regal Bloodlord's last ability checks if you gained life at any point during the turn. It doesn't matter if you also lost life or whether your life total is greater than it was at the beginning of the turn. It also doesn't matter whether Regal Bloodlord was on the battlefield when the life gain happened.

If you didn't gain life during the turn before the end step begins, Regal Bloodlord's last ability won't trigger at all. Gaining life during the end step won't cause the ability to trigger.

You create only one Bat token, no matter how much life you gained.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, life gained by your teammate won't satisfy Regal Bloodlord's last ability, even though it caused your team's life total to increase.

Resplendent Angel

1WW

Creature — Angel

3/3

Flying

At the beginning of each end step, if you gained 5 or more life this turn, create a 4/4 white Angel creature token with flying and vigilance.

3WWW: Until end of turn, Resplendent Angel gets +2/+2 and gains lifelink.

Resplendent Angel's triggered ability checks if you gained 5 or more life during the turn. It doesn't matter if you also lost life or whether your life total is greater than it was at the beginning of the turn. It also doesn't matter whether Resplendent Angel was on the battlefield when any of the life gain happened.

You don't need to have gained 5 life all at once to satisfy Resplendent Angel's triggered ability.

If you didn't gain life during the turn before the end step begins, Resplendent Angel's triggered ability won't trigger at all. Gaining life during the end step won't cause the ability to trigger.

You create only one Angel token, no matter how many times you gained 5 or more life.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, life gained by your teammate won't satisfy Resplendent Angel's triggered ability, even though it caused your team's life total to increase.

Rise from the Grave

4B

Sorcery

Put target creature card from a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control. That creature is a black Zombie in addition to its other colors and types.

Rise from the Grave doesn't overwrite any previous colors or types. Rather, it adds another color and another subtype.

If the creature is normally colorless, it will simply become black. It can't be both black and colorless.

A later effect that changes the affected creature's colors will overwrite that part of Rise from the Grave's effect; the creature will be only the new color. The same is true about an effect that changes the affected creature's types or subtypes.

Runic Armasaur

1GG

Creature — Dinosaur

2/5

Whenever an opponent activates an ability of a creature or land that isn't a mana ability, you may draw a card.

Activated abilities contain a colon. They're generally written "[Cost]: [Effect]." Some keyword abilities are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder text. An activated mana ability is one that produces mana as it resolves, not one that costs mana to activate.

Runic Armasaur's ability doesn't trigger when an opponent activates an ability of a card in hand (such as a cycling ability from the Amonkhet block) or a card in a graveyard (such as that of Bone Dragon), even if that causes a card to be put onto the battlefield.

Runic Armasaur's ability resolves before the ability that caused it to trigger. Players can cast spells and activate abilities after the triggered ability resolves but before the activated ability that caused it to trigger does.

Sai, Master Thopterist

2U

Legendary Creature — Human Artificer

1/4

Whenever you cast an artifact spell, create a 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature token with flying.

1U, Sacrifice two artifacts: Draw a card.

Sai's triggered ability resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered.

Sarkhan, Dragonsoul (Planeswalker Deck only)

4RR

Legendary Planeswalker — Sarkhan

5

+2: Sarkhan, Dragonsoul deals 1 damage to each opponent and each creature your opponents control.

−3: Sarkhan, Dragonsoul deals 4 damage to target player or planeswalker.

−9: Search your library for any number of Dragon creature cards, put them onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, Sarkhan's first ability causes the opposing team to lose 2 life.

Sarkhan, Fireblood

1RR

Legendary Planeswalker — Sarkhan

3

+1: You may discard a card. If you do, draw a card.

+1: Add two mana in any combination of colors. Spend this mana only to cast Dragon spells.

−7: Create four 5/5 red Dragon creature tokens with flying.

Because it's a loyalty ability, Sarkhan's second ability isn't a mana ability. It can be activated only any time you could cast a sorcery. It uses the stack and can be responded to.

A "Dragon spell" refers only to a spell that has the Dragon subtype, regardless of its name. For example, Dragon's Hoard isn't a Dragon spell.

Sarkhan's Dragonfire (Planeswalker Deck only)

3RR

Sorcery

Sarkhan's Dragonfire deals 3 damage to any target.

Look at the top five cards of your library. You may reveal a red card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.

If the chosen target is an illegal target when Sarkhan's Dragonfire tries to resolve, the spell doesn't resolve. You won't look at the top five cards of your library.

Sarkhan's Unsealing

3R

Enchantment

Whenever you cast a creature spell with power 4, 5, or 6, Sarkhan's Unsealing deals 4 damage to any target.

Whenever you cast a creature spell with power 7 or greater, Sarkhan's Unsealing deals 4 damage to each opponent and each creature and planeswalker they control.

If you cast a creature spell that will enter the battlefield with a number of +1/+1 counters, such as Hungering Hydra, those counters aren't considered when determining whether either ability of Sarkhan's Unsealing triggers. Similarly, effects that will raise the creature's power once it has entered the battlefield won't apply.

Each of the triggered abilities of Sarkhan's Unsealing resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered.

If a creature card's power is written as * and an ability defines its power, that ability applies while the creature spell is on the stack. Sarkhan's Unsealing checks its power only as you finish paying costs; it doesn't matter what the spell's power is as you begin to cast it or when the triggered ability resolves.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, the last ability of Sarkhan's Unsealing causes the opposing team to lose 8 life.

Satyr Enchanter

1GW

Creature — Satyr Druid

2/2

Whenever you cast an enchantment spell, draw a card.

Satyr Enchanter's triggered ability resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered.

Scapeshift

2GG

Sorcery

Sacrifice any number of lands. Search your library for up to that many land cards, put them onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library.

You sacrifice the lands as part of the resolution of Scapeshift. It isn't an additional cost. If Scapeshift is countered, you won't sacrifice any lands.

Siegebreaker Giant

3RR

Creature — Giant Warrior

6/3

Trample (This creature can deal excess combat damage to the player or planeswalker it's attacking.)

3R: Target creature can't block this turn.

Activating Siegebreaker Giant's last ability after a creature has blocked won't remove the blocking creature from combat or cause the creature it blocked to become unblocked.

Sigiled Sword of Valeron

3

Artifact — Equipment

Equipped creature gets +2/+0, has vigilance, and is a Knight in addition to its other types.

Whenever equipped creature attacks, create a 2/2 white Knight creature token with vigilance that's attacking.

Equip 3

You choose which player or planeswalker the token is attacking. It doesn't have to be attacking the same player or planeswalker that the equipped creature is attacking.

Although the token is attacking, it was never declared as an attacking creature (for the purposes of abilities that trigger whenever a creature attacks, for example).

Skilled Animator

2U

Creature — Human Artificer

1/3

When Skilled Animator enters the battlefield, target artifact you control becomes an artifact creature with base power and toughness 5/5 for as long as Skilled Animator remains on the battlefield.

Skilled Animator doesn't remove any abilities the target artifact has.

The artifact retains any types, subtypes, or supertypes it has. Notably, if an Equipment becomes an artifact creature, it can't be attached to another creature. If it was attached to a creature, it becomes unattached.

If the artifact was already a creature, its base power and toughness will each become 5. This overwrites any previous effects that set the creature's base power and toughness to specific values. Any power- or toughness-setting effects that start to apply after Skilled Animator's ability resolves will overwrite this effect.

Effects that modify a creature's power and/or toughness, such as the ones created by Titanic Growth or a +1/+1 counter, will apply to the creature no matter when they started to take effect. The same is true for any counters that change its power and/or toughness and effects that switch power and toughness.

The resulting artifact creature will be able to attack on your turn if it's been under your control continuously since the turn began. That is, it doesn't matter how long it's been a creature, just how long it's been on the battlefield.

Skyrider Patrol

2GU

Creature — Elf Scout

2/3

Flying

At the beginning of combat on your turn, you may pay GU. When you do, put a +1/+1 counter on another target creature you control, and that creature gains flying until end of turn.

Skyrider Patrol's triggered ability goes on the stack without a target. While that ability is resolving, you may pay GU. When you do, a second ability triggers and you pick a target creature. This is different from abilities that say "If you do . . ." in that players may cast spells and activate abilities after mana is paid but before the target receives a counter and flying.

While resolving the triggered ability of Skyrider Patrol, you can't pay GU multiple times to give more than one +1/+1 counter.

Sleep

2UU

Sorcery

Tap all creatures target player controls. Those creatures don't untap during that player's next untap step.

The second part of Sleep's ability affects all creatures the targeted player controls as Sleep resolves, not only the ones that Sleep actually caused to become tapped.

Sparktongue Dragon

3RR

Creature — Dragon

3/3

Flying

When Sparktongue Dragon enters the battlefield, you may pay 2R. When you do, it deals 3 damage to any target.

Sparktongue Dragon's triggered ability goes on the stack without a target. While that ability is resolving, you may pay 2R. When you do, a second ability triggers and you pick a target that will be dealt damage. This is different from abilities that say "If you do . . ." in that players may cast spells and activate abilities after mana is paid but before damage is dealt.

While resolving the triggered ability of Sparktongue Dragon, you can't pay 2R multiple times to have it deal more than 3 damage.

Suncleanser

1W

Creature — Human Cleric

1/4

When Suncleanser enters the battlefield, choose one —

• Remove all counters from target creature. It can't have counters put on it for as long as Suncleanser remains on the battlefield.

• Target opponent loses all counters. That player can't get counters for as long as Suncleanser remains on the battlefield.

If the cost of an ability or an additional cost of a spell requires putting counters on a creature or player affected by Suncleanser, that cost can't be paid. If a resolving spell or ability says that a player may give counters to that creature or player, that player can't choose to do so.

If a replacement effect allows a player to modify or replace an event by putting counters on a creature or player affected by Suncleanser, that player may apply that replacement effect, but they won't get counters. If the original event is entirely replaced (such as by applying Soul-Scar Mage's replacement effect), the original event won't happen.

Supreme Phantom

1U

Creature — Spirit

1/3

Flying

Other Spirits you control get +1/+1.

Because damage remains marked on a creature until it's removed as the turn ends, nonlethal damage dealt to a Spirit you control may become lethal if Supreme Phantom leaves the battlefield during that turn.

Suspicious Bookcase

2

Artifact Creature — Wall

0/4

Defender (This creature can't attack.)

3, T: Target creature can't be blocked this turn.

Activating Suspicious Bookcase's ability after a creature has become blocked won't cause that creature to become unblocked.

Switcheroo

4U

Sorcery

Exchange control of two target creatures.

If one of the target creatures is an illegal target when Switcheroo resolves, the exchange won't happen.

You don't have to control either target.

If the same player controls both creatures when Switcheroo resolves, nothing happens.

Gaining control of a creature doesn't cause you to gain control of any Auras or Equipment attached to it.

Tattered Mummy (Planeswalker Deck only)

1B

Creature — Zombie Jackal

1/2

When Tattered Mummy dies, each opponent loses 2 life.

If your life total is brought to 0 or less at the same time that Tattered Mummy is dealt lethal damage, you lose the game before its triggered ability goes on the stack.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, the triggered ability of Tattered Mummy causes the opposing team to lose 4 life.

Tectonic Rift

3R

Sorcery

Destroy target land. Creatures without flying can't block this turn.

If the land is an illegal target when Tectonic Rift tries to resolve, Tectonic Rift won't resolve and none of its effects will happen. Creatures without flying will be able to block as normal.

Because the second part of Tectonic Rift's effect doesn't change the characteristics of any permanents, the set of creatures affected by it is constantly updated. Creatures without flying that enter the battlefield later in the turn can't block, and creatures that gain flying later in the turn can block.

Tezzeret, Artifice Master

3UU

Legendary Planeswalker — Tezzeret

5

+1: Create a 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature token with flying.

0: Draw a card. If you control three or more artifacts, draw two cards instead.

−9: You get an emblem with "At the beginning of your end step, search your library for a permanent card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library."

If you put a permanent onto the battlefield with Tezzeret's emblem's ability, any triggered abilities of that permanent that trigger during your end step won't trigger during that same end step.

Tezzeret, Cruel Machinist (Planeswalker Deck only)

4UU

Legendary Planeswalker — Tezzeret

4

+1: Draw a card.

0: Until your next turn, target artifact you control becomes a 5/5 creature in addition to its other types.

−7: Put any number of cards from your hand onto the battlefield face down. They're 5/5

artifact creatures.

Tezzeret's second ability doesn't remove any abilities the target artifact has.

The artifact stops being a creature immediately before your turn begins. It will be a noncreature artifact during your untap step.

The artifact retains any types, subtypes, or supertypes it has. Notably, if an Equipment becomes an artifact creature, it can't be attached to another creature. If it was attached to a creature, it becomes unattached.

If the artifact was already a creature, its base power and toughness will each become 5. This overwrites any previous effects that set the creature's base power and toughness to specific values. Any power- or toughness-setting effects that start to apply after Tezzeret's ability resolves will overwrite this effect.

Effects that modify a creature's power and/or toughness, such as the ones created by Titanic Growth or a +1/+1 counter, will apply to the creature no matter when they started to take effect. The same is true for any counters that change its power and/or toughness and effects that switch power and toughness.

The resulting artifact creature will be able to attack on your turn if it's been under your control continuously since the turn began. That is, it doesn't matter how long it's been a creature, just how long it's been on the battlefield.

Cards put onto the battlefield using Tezzeret's third ability enter the battlefield as 5/5 artifact creatures. They don't enter the battlefield with their own characteristics and then become 5/5.

If a double-faced card (such as Nicol Bolas, the Ravager) is put onto the battlefield face down, you don't reveal it as you do so. The characteristics of its back face don't apply.

You may look at face-down permanents you control at any time.

If a face-down permanent you control leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it to all players.

If a creature enters the battlefield as a copy of a face-down creature or if a token is created that's a copy of one, that copy has the same characteristics as the face-down creature (in this case, a 5/5 artifact creature with no other characteristics), even though the copy is face up.

The Core Set 2019 set includes no way to turn these cards face up. If an effect from cards outside of this set does turn one face up, the effect causing it to be a 5/5 artifact creature ends. If such an effect tries to turn an instant or sorcery card face up, reveal that card and it stays face down. In that case, it remains a 5/5 artifact creature.

If an effect tries to return a face-down creature to the battlefield after it leaves (such as Oath of Teferi from the Dominaria set or Abnormal Endurance from this set), that effect returns the card face up. If it tries to put an instant or sorcery card onto the battlefield this way, that card remains in its current zone instead.

Tezzeret's Gatebreaker (Planeswalker Deck only)

4

Artifact

When Tezzeret's Gatebreaker enters the battlefield, look at the top five cards of your library. You may reveal a blue or artifact card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.

5U, T, Sacrifice Tezzeret's Gatebreaker: Creatures you control can't be blocked this turn.

Because the last ability of Tezzeret's Gatebreaker doesn't change the characteristics of any permanents, the set of creatures affected by it is constantly updated. Creatures that come under your control later in the turn can't be blocked.

Thorn Lieutenant

1G

Creature — Elf Warrior

2/3

Whenever Thorn Lieutenant becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, create a 1/1 green Elf Warrior creature token.

5G: Thorn Lieutenant gets +4/+4 until end of turn.

Thorn Lieutenant's triggered ability resolves before the spell or ability that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell or ability is countered.

Thud

R

Sorcery

As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice a creature.

Thud deals damage equal to the sacrificed creature's power to any target.

The sacrificed creature's last known existence on the battlefield is checked to determine its power.

You must sacrifice exactly one creature to cast Thud; you can't cast it without sacrificing a creature, and you can't sacrifice additional creatures.

Players can respond only once Thud has been cast and all its costs have been paid. No one can try to destroy the creature you sacrificed to prevent you from casting this spell.

Tormenting Voice

1R

Sorcery

As an additional cost to cast this spell, discard a card.

Draw two cards.

You must discard exactly one card to cast Tormenting Voice; you can't cast it without discarding a card, and you can't discard additional cards.

Transmogrifying Wand

3

Artifact

Transmogrifying Wand enters the battlefield with three charge counters on it.

1, T, Remove a charge counter from Transmogrifying Wand: Destroy target creature. Its controller creates a 2/4 white Ox creature token. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.

If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Transmogrifying Wand's ability tries to resolve, the ability doesn't resolve. No player creates an Ox token.

If the target creature is a legal target but can't be destroyed, most likely because it has indestructible, its controller gets an Ox token and gets to keep that creature.

Vaevictis Asmadi, the Dire

3BRG

Legendary Creature — Elder Dragon

6/6

Flying

Whenever Vaevictis Asmadi, the Dire attacks, for each player, choose target permanent that player controls. Those players sacrifice those permanents. Each player who sacrificed a permanent this way reveals the top card of their library, then puts it onto the battlefield if it's a permanent card.

You must target one of your permanents to sacrifice as well.

Vaevictis's triggered ability resolves during the declare attackers step, before blockers are chosen. A creature targeted by its ability won't be around to block, and creatures put onto the battlefield with its ability may be able to do so.

If any of the target permanents aren't sacrificed (most likely because one of them became an illegal target, such as by gaining hexproof), that permanent's controller won't reveal the top card of their library or put it onto the battlefield.

If any player controls no permanents, Vaevictis's ability won't have sufficient legal targets, so it's removed from the stack without any effect.

Valiant Knight

3W

Creature — Human Knight

3/4

Other Knights you control get +1/+1.

3WW: Knights you control gain double strike until end of turn.

Multiple instances of double strike on the same creature are redundant.

Because damage remains marked on a creature until it's removed as the turn ends, nonlethal damage dealt to a Knight you control may become lethal if Valiant Knight leaves the battlefield during that turn.

Vampire Neonate

B

Creature — Vampire

0/3

2, T: Each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, Vampire Neonate's ability causes the opposing team to lose 2 life and you to gain 1 life.

Vivien of the Arkbow (Planeswalker Deck only)

4GG

Legendary Planeswalker — Vivien

5

+2: Put two +1/+1 counters on up to one target creature.

−3: Target creature you control deals damage equal to its power to target creature you don't control.

−9: Creatures you control get +4/+4 and gain trample until end of turn.

If either creature is an illegal target as Vivien's second ability tries to resolve, the creature you control won't deal damage.

Vivien's last ability affects only creatures you control at the time it resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn won't get +4/+4 or gain trample.

Vivien's Invocation

5GG

Sorcery

Look at the top seven cards of your library. You may put a creature card from among them onto the battlefield. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order. When a creature is put onto the battlefield this way, it deals damage equal to its power to target creature an opponent controls.

You don't choose any targets as you cast Vivien's Invocation. While that spell is resolving, you may put a creature card from among the cards you look at onto the battlefield. When you do, a separate ability triggers and you pick a target creature an opponent controls to be dealt damage.

If the creature you put onto the battlefield leaves the battlefield before damage is dealt, its last known existence on the battlefield is used to determine how much damage it deals to the target creature.

Vivien's Jaguar (Planeswalker Deck only)

2G

Creature — Cat Spirit

3/2

Reach (This creature can block creatures with flying.)

2G: Return Vivien's Jaguar from your graveyard to your hand. Activate this ability only if you control a Vivien planeswalker.

If the only Vivien planeswalker you control and Vivien's Jaguar go to the graveyard at the same time (most likely in combat), you won't be able to activate the last ability of Viven's Jaguar.

Volley Veteran

3R

Creature — Goblin Warrior

4/2

When Volley Veteran enters the battlefield, it deals damage to target creature an opponent controls equal to the number of Goblins you control.

The number of Goblins you control is counted only as Volley Veteran's ability resolves. If Volley Veteran is still on the battlefield, it will count itself.

Windreader Sphinx

5UU

Creature — Sphinx

3/7

Flying

Whenever a creature with flying attacks, you may draw a card.

It doesn't matter who controls the creature with flying or which player or planeswalker that creature is attacking. Windreader Sphinx's controller is the player who may draw a card.

Windreader Sphinx's ability will trigger when it itself attacks.

The creature must have flying immediately after being declared as an attacking creature in order for Windreader Sphinx's ability to trigger. For example, attacking with Kitesail Corsair will cause the ability to trigger. Similarly, attacking with Pegasus Courser and a creature without flying will cause the ability to trigger only once, while attacking with two flying creatures will cause the ability to trigger twice.

Magic: The Gathering, Magic, Ixalan, Rivals of Ixalan, Dominaria, Kaladesh, Aether Revolt, Amonkhet, Hour of Devastation, and Planeswalker Deck are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the USA and other countries. ©2018 Wizards.