"Abyss" (All players/opponents must sacrifice a creature each turn.)

Primary: black

Sometimes black likes killing things slowly.

Animating lands (Target land becomes an N/N creature until end of turn.)

Primary: green

Secondary: red

Tertiary: white, blue, and black

Green, as the color connected most closely to lands and creatures, is the color most likely to turn lands into creatures—usually still keeping them lands. When we do this, we often grant the land haste to avoid having to worry if it was the one you played this turn (which would have summoning sickness). Note that's a special exception for land, as green does not often grant creatures haste. Red uses this ability a little playing into its one-shot damage cards that come through attacking. All the colors have dipped their toe into this area, but it's infrequent and usually only involves animating their own basic land type.

Artifact destruction

Primary: red and green

Secondary: white

Red and Green usually have one artifact destruction card in common, although green's is usually also a spell that destroy both artifacts and enchantments. (See enchantment destruction.) White's artifact destruction is usually at uncommon.

Banisher Priest–like effect (When this card enters the battlefield, exile target creature/permanent until this card leaves play.)

Primary: white

Secondary: blue and green

This is one of white's most efficient answers, especially in Limited. It is usually used on creatures but sometimes hits other permanents. The effect is always on a permanent, usually a creature or enchantment. We've used this effect in blue and green as an enters-the-battlefield trigger with the flavor that it's "eaten" the creature.

Basic land counting (Doing an effect equal to the number of basic lands of a certain type you control.)

Primary: black, red, and green

Secondary: blue

Tertiary: white

All colors have access to this, but we tend to skew toward black, red, and green.

Blocking extra creatures (This creature can block an additional N creatures each combat.)

Primary: white and Green

This ability used to be solely in white, but we added it to green because we felt green needed it for gameplay reasons. It's possible that as we do this more in green, we'll start doing it less in white.

"Bounce" (Return target creature/permanent to its owner's hand.)

Primary: blue

Secondary: white and green

Blue can bounce any type of permanent, although these days doesn't often bounce lands. It also will often bounce a creature via an enters-the-battlefield effect. (R&D refers to these as "Man-o'-Wars," based on the first card that did it.) White can only bounce its own permanents to protect them (and often to do cool combo-ish things). Green bounces creatures as a cost for playing bigger creatures, often as an upkeep cost.

"Bounce" to library (Put a creature/permanent on top of its owner's library or some number of cards down.)

Primary: blue

Secondary: white

Blue does this as a super unsummoning, while white tends to do it flavored as a delaying tactic.

Bring back creatures/permanents that went to the graveyard this turn

Primary: white

White, the color of mercy, is the color that saves things the turn they are destroyed.

Can't be attacked (Creatures can't attack you.)

Primary: white

Secondary: green

We don't do this often, but this effect keeps you from either being attacked for a turn or as long as a specific permanent is on the battlefield.

Can't be blocked

Primary: blue

We tried to keyword this ability only to discover that there are so many variations on it that we couldn't. Instead we changed from "unblockable" to "can't be blocked" to avoid players thinking it was a keyword. (It matters occasionally.) Blue both has creatures with this ability and grants it through spells and Auras.

Can't be countered

Primary: red and green

Secondary: blue

Red tends to have spells that can't be countered while green tends to have creatures that can't be countered. When blue does "can't be countered," which is less often, it's usually a more control-oriented card.

Can't block

Primary: black

Secondary: red

For a long time we separated black from red by making black have the "can't block" drawback on its creatures and red have the "must attack" drawback on its creatures. Time has shown that the "can't block" drawback leads to better gameplay, so we've started letting red get it from time to time.

Can’t lose the game and opponent can’t win

Primary: white

This is a defensive ability, and thus shows up in white.

Can’t win the game and opponent can’t lose

Primary: black

This ability is used as a drawback in black.

Card draw

Primary: blue

Secondary: black and green

Tertiary: white and red

Blue is the best at card drawing. It has the most of it and no restrictions. Black's card drawing must involve paying some other cost, most often life but sometimes sacrificing permanents. Green's card draw is usually tied to creatures but occasionally tied to land. White has a very narrow band of card drawing where it's focused on having to use a specific strategy (like say having a deck full of Equipment). All colors get cantrips (spells that draw you a single card). Red doesn't get any card advantage, with two exceptions—impulsive draw and wheeling. (See impulsive draw and wheeling)

Card filtering (Look at the top N cards of your library and put N in your hand and put the rest on the bottom of the library in any order.)

Primary: blue

Secondary: green

Blue is the color of information, so it loves having the ability to choose what exactly it gets to draw. Sometimes card filtering looks similar to looting, where you draw some number of cards and then discard a close number. When green does this, it can usually only get a subset of permanents into its hand.

Cast spells out of graveyard

Primary: black

Secondary: blue and red

Black is the color most focused on the graveyard. Blue occasionally can cast instants and sorceries out of the graveyard. We've also let red play a little in this area, especially in sets where it can grant flashback to instants and sorceries in the graveyard.

Changing lands (Target land becomes the basic land of your choice.)

Primary: blue

We don't do a lot of land changing these days, but the ability is still in blue in environments where we might need it. It allows blue a way to get access to other colors in multicolor environments.

Color changing (Target/this creature becomes the color(s) of your choice until end of turn.)

Primary: blue

Secondary: green

Tertiary: white and black

Blue can change any creature's color, including its own. Green has this ability on creatures that can change themselves, usually flavored as a chameleon-like effect. White and black have had the ability on rare occasion to make things their own color. As we've lessened the number of effects that care about color, this ability isn't used much these days.

Copying permanents, permanently

Primary: blue

Blue has permanents that will choose a target and then remain that target for the rest of the game (or until the permanent chooses to copy a new target).

Copying permanents, temporarily

Primary: red

Secondary: blue

Red has permanents (or spells that create this effect) that can temporarily become another creature, usually until end of turn. Blue's cards in this category are cards that change but don't let the controller explicitly choose what they become. (For instance, one might copy the last creature played.)

Counterspell

Primary: blue

Tertiary: white

Counterspelling is one of the few abilities that's almost universally used in a single color. White dips its toe into the ability with taxing and delay-style counterspells.

Counter target activated/triggered ability

Primary: blue

Secondary: green

For a while this was a green effect, but we've moved it to be more in blue.

Creature destruction, single creature

Destroy target creature

Primary: black

Black is king of creature destruction and is the one color that can kill regardless of circumstance.

Destroy target attacking or blocking creature

Primary: white

White tends to do its creature destruction in one of four ways: white can kill during combat, it sometimes will just hit attackers or just hit blockers, or white will often exile creatures instead of destroying then.

Destroy target creature that damaged you or a creature you control this turn

Primary: white

White is also willing to destroy something after it has hurt white in some way.

Destroy target tapped creature

Primary: white

Secondary: black

White can also destroyed tapped creatures using a similar flavor to destroying creatures that have harmed it.

Destroy target creature with power 4 or greater

Primary: white

As champion of the little guy, white will also destroy large creatures.

Destroy target creature with flying

Primary: green

Green is allowed to kill only two types of creatures—flying creatures (as it is the anti-flying color) and artifact creatures (see artifact destruction).

Creature destruction, mass creature

Destroy all creatures

Primary: white

Secondary: black

White is the color that most often does mass creature kill, with it showing up on a rare or mythic rare in almost every set. Black mass-creature kill is not quite as frequent. Red has a similar effect where it does large amount of damage to all creatures (see direct damage).

Destroy all creatures controlled by one player

Primary: black

White believes in balance and parity, so only black will kill just one player's creatures.

Destroy all creatures with power 4 or greater

Primary: white

Killing big creatures is a white thing so it can be combined with mass creature kill. The number is most often 4 power, but occasionally can be tweaked slightly up or down.

Creature pumping

+N/+N (on creatures)

Primary: black

Secondary: green

For black this is mostly seen on Shades and usually requires black mana. Green gets unlimited pumping activations but usually only when the activation cost is high enough that multiple activations don't happen until the late game.

+N/+N (on creatures, single use)

Primary: green

This is what we refer to as the Rootwalla ability. It's trying to simulate a built-in Giant Growth. It's almost always exclusive to green.

+N/+N (on spells)

Primary: white and green

Secondary: black

The most common use of this is on Giant Growth–like effects in green, usually +3/+3 but it can vary a little. White's pumping is usually +2/+2 or smaller, but it most often will grant an ability as well. The one exception for white is that it can get larger pumps if restricted to blockers. Black will occasionally get smaller buffs, usually with an ability added. All three colors default in this ability to being on instants.

+N/+N (on Auras)

Primary: white and green

Secondary: blue, black, and red

All colors have access to Auras that grant +N/+N. Blue usually doesn't do much more than +1/+1. White, black, and red tend to top out at +2/+2. Green is the one color that regularly grants +3/+3 and above on Auras.

+N/+0 (on creatures)

Primary: red

Secondary: white and green

This ability, as a repeatable activation, is what we refer to as "firebreathing." It's most often seen on red creatures. White tends to get one-time upgrades of usually +1/+0. Green gets +N/+0 when it's not intended for it to survive the fight.

+N/+0 (on spells)

Primary: black and red

Secondary: white

Black and red are the two colors that tend to pump power as a spell without also pumping toughness. White does it occasionally as a combat trick but usually never more than +1/+0.

+N/+0 (on Auras)

Primary: red

Secondary: white and black

Tertiary: blue and green

Red is the color most often to have just power-pumping Auras (including "firebreathing" Auras). White and black do it occasionally with white tending to go no higher than +2/+0. Blue and green do it on rare occasion with blue, like white, sticking at +2/+0 or lower.

+N/-N (on creatures)

Primary: blue

Secondary: black and red

Blue tends to use this mostly on Elementals and Shapeshifters, flavored as shape-changing. Black and red use this on occasion to play up their reckless side.

+N/-N (on spells)

Primary: black

As this is mostly used as a kill spell, the ability resides mostly in black.

+N/-N (on Auras)

Primary: black

Secondary: red

Tertiary: blue

These tend to be flavored as "push your luck" cards that can double as creature kill. Black will go up to -3 on the toughness, whereas red tends to stop at -2. Blue will do a "make me a shapeshifter" flavored Aura from time to time.

-N/+N (on creatures)

Primary: blue

Tertiary white

This is also used in blue on Elementals and Shapeshifters, often on the same cards with the +N/-N. White, on rare occasion, will have an activation that uses this defensively.

-N/-N (on creatures)

Primary: black

On creatures, this effect is used almost exclusively by creatures on other creatures, and almost exclusively in black.

-N/-N (on spells)

Primary: black

Tertiary: white, blue, red, and green

Black is the only color to do -N/-N abilities on spells. Other colors do put -1/-1 counters on creatures, usually in place of spots where they would do damage in sets with -1/-1 counters.

-N/-N (on Auras)

Primary: black

This is an area only black tends to go, used almost exclusively on the opponent's creatures. This ability will occasionally be paired with a positive ability, making it a card you might play on your own creature.

-N/+N (on spells)

Primary: white

We almost never make this type of spell, but white would be the recipient if we did.

-N/+N (on Auras)

Primary: white

This is another area in which we almost never make cards.

-N/-0 (on creatures)

Primary: blue

There's no reason to do this on your own creature. If we're going to let you lower a creature's power, we will let you raise its toughness accordingly. We do occasionally make a creature that lets you activate to do this targetting an opponent's creature. This ties into the "shrink" flavor seen on the spells.

-N/-0 (on spells)

Primary: blue

Secondary: black

In blue, this is shrinking its target. In black it's usually some form of torture.

-N/-0 (on Auras)

Primary: blue

Secondary: black

We tend to treat the Auras similarly to how we treat the spells.

+0/+N (on creatures)

Primary: white

Secondary: green

White used to do this quite a bit, but we've backed off because it tends to just clog up the board. Green also uses this on occasion.

+0/+N (on spells)

Primary: white

Secondary: green

Once again, white (and to an even lesser extent green) used to do this more often, but these days we'll boost power some if we're going to boost toughness.

+0/+N (on Auras)

Primary: white

Secondary: blue and green

This is also isn't done often, but when it is used, it's used on white, blue, and green.

Creature pumping, your team, one-shot

+N/+N to your team

Primary: white

Secondary: green

White is the color most likely to pump its team, most often with +1/+1, but it will occasionally go up to +2/+2. Green's team pump starts at +3/+3 and often also adds trample.

+N/+0 to your team

Primary: red

Secondary: white

Team pump that only pumps power is most often done in red, usually affecting attacking creatures. White will sometimes pump its team's power without pumping toughness (although it more often pumps both).

+0/+N to your team

Primary: white

We don't do many of these types of spells any more, but they belong in white.

Creature Pumping, their team, one-shot

-N/-N to their team

Primary: black

This is a common way for black to kill creatures. Sometimes this effect will affect all creatures and not just your opponents.

-N/-0 to their team

Primary: blue

Just as blue can "shrink" a single creature, so too can it "shrink" an entire team.

-0/-N to their team

Primary: black

This is not an effect we do often.

Creature pumping, your team, ongoing

+N/+N to your team

Primary: white

Secondary: green

Tertiary: blue, black, and red

This category appears mostly on permanents, most often creatures or enchantments, and it grants a stat boost to your team. This ability is most often seen in white with just a +1/+1 boost. Green boosts are often a bit bigger. All the colors have access to this ability when making tribal lords (creatures that grant a certain creature type or types a +1/+1 bonus). This stat bonus often comes with the granting of another ability.

+N/+0 to your team

Primary: red

Tertiary: black

When red does permanent pumps, it is usually just pumping the power. Often it pumps your creatures just on attack.

+0/+N to your team

Primary: white

We don't do this style of effect often any more because it tends to gum up board states, but it's white when we do it.

Creature pumping, their team, ongoing

-N/-N to their team

Primary: black

Black occasionally lowers the opponent's creatures' power and toughness, usually by just -1/-1.

"Creatureball" (This creature enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters.)

Primary: Green

This is a creature with an X in its cost determining how big it's going to be.

"Curiosity" (Whenever this creature deals combat damage to an opponent, draw a card.)

Primary: blue

Secondary: green

This ability started as a blue-only ability, but we added it in green because it works with green's creature-tied card drawing.

Damage prevention (Prevent the next N damage that would be dealt to target creature/player.)

Primary: white

We don't do a lot of this effect any more, but when we do it's almost always in white.

Damage redirection (Prevent the next N damage that would be dealt to target creature/player this turn. If damage is prevented in this way, this card deals that much damage to target creature/player.)

Primary: white

This is another effect we've cut significantly back on that is also squarely in white.

"Daunt" (This creature can't be blocked by creatures with power 2 or less.)

Primary: green

This is an ability we've been trying out in small doses in green. I don't know if it will ever make it to evergreen status, but it's a possibility.

Deal damage when blocked

Primary: red

Secondary: black

Tertiary: blue

This is an effect that goes on creatures. It is done primarily in red. When black does it, it is usually loss of life. I list blue because the afflict mechanic (from Hour of Devastation) that does this is also in blue (as Bolas's Eternal Zombie army was in Bolas's colors: blue, black, and red).

Deathtouch

Primary: black

Secondary: green

This ability was primary in both black and green for a while, but we found that black both had more need for it and had more flavorful ways to express it creatively.

Defender

Primary: white

Secondary; blue, black, red, and green

Basically everyone can have defender, but it leans toward white philosophically as it's the most defensive color.

"Devil's Deal" permanents (Cards that grant you power but at a cost.)

Primary: black

Black is the color of "power at any cost," so it gets permanents (usually) that start helping you but have the potential to hurt you in the end. These are most often creatures or enchantments, but occasionally show up in other forms.

Direct damage, single target

Deal N damage to creature and/or player

Primary: red

Secondary: black

Red is king of direct damage and has it in many forms, including the most straightforward versions. Black will do direct damage to creatures or players and then gain life. (See drain life) Black will sometimes deal damage to players as a punishment. Black use to mostly do life loss to players, but as we've been trying to give black more answers to planeswalkers, we've been shifting this more into damage.

Deal N damage to a creature that's been damaged this turn

Primary: red

Secondary: black

Black and red are the colors that prey on the weak.

Sacrifice a creature and deal damage to creature/player equal to the sacrificed creature's power/toughness

Primary: red

Secondary: black

In red, this is flavored as throwing the creatures. In black, it's more treated as a sacrifice for a ritual.

Deal N damage to a creature/player where N is the number of cards in your hand/your opponent's hand

Primary: red

We tend to do this in sets when red has a more spell-based theme.

Deal N damage to target attacking or blocking creature

Primary: white

White's direct damage only shows up in combat.

Deal N damage to a creature with flying

Primary: green

Tertiary: red

As the two anti-flying colors, red and green will deal damage to fliers. Green does it significantly more than red, as any of red's direct damage to creatures can hit fliers.

Direct damage, multiple targets

Primary: red

Secondary: white

Red will deal damage to all or a subset of creatures, sometimes dealing a small amount (1 or 2 damage, killing small creatures), sometimes doing larger amounts that kill most creatures. Red's damage in this area most often hits all creatures, including its own. White will occasionally deal damage to multiple creatures or all attackers or blockers.

Discard

Primary: black

This is one of only a handful of major abilities to be contained to just one color. The closest a second color comes is blue, which occasionally gets targeted card filtering that can be used on the opponent.

Double strike

Primary: white and red

White and red are also the primary colors for first strike. Black, which is tertiary in first strike, does not get double strike.

"Drain life" (Deal damage to a creature/player and gain life equal to that damage.)

Primary: black

Tertiary: white

Other colors will deal damage or gain life, but black is the color that does both at the same time. (Okay, technically, red and white together can do this too.) Black also will do triggered or activated effects that repeatedly drain the player, usually for 1. White has dipped its toe into this area in Orzhov sets (aka Ravnica sets).

Enchantment destruction

Primary: white and green

White and green usually have one enchantment destruction card in common, although green's is usually also a spell that destroy both artifacts and enchantments. (See enchantment destruction)

"Enchantress" ability (Whenever you play an enchantment, draw a card.)

Primary: white

Secondary: green

This ability started in Limited Edition (Alpha) on Verduran Enchantress, a green card. It stayed in green for many years, but has drifted toward white as part of us experimenting with white draw in narrow deck themes. The ability has still done a bit in green.

Exiling cards from graveyard

Primary: black

Secondary: white

This effect is used to get rid of cards in a graveyard that might have an effect/usable activation cost. Black does it most often, but white occasionally does it in sets that need it.

Extra attack (Untap all creatures that attacked this turn. After this main phase, there is an additional combat phase followed by an additional main phase.)

Primary: red

Tertiary: white

Attacking twice has always been red's domain. Thematically, it makes sense that white might occasionally do this.