Abilities

This page describes abilities of cards. Abilities can influence creature combat, the Gem board, cards in hand, or other aspects of the game.

Abilities fall into one of three categories:

• Icon abilities - Abilities denoted by an icon on a card
• Keyword abilities - Abilities denoted by a keyword on a card, which is typically capitalised, bolded, and underlined in the card's text. Bold text in MtGPQ is almost always a link to a pop-up window with explanatory text.
• General abilities and effects - General terms used in card descriptions which may or may not be capitalised, and which have a well-defined effect

Many abilities are explained interactively in-game in tutorial battles. A table showing which abilities are taught in which set's tutorial battles can be found at Training (Story).

Contents

Icon Abilities

Icon abilities are represented by an icon on the card having the ability. The color of the icon has a meaning as follows:

• A white icon represents an active ability which originally appeared on the card.
• A yellow icon represents an active ability which has been granted by an effect during the game.
• A red icon represents an ability which has been Disabled by an effect, or an ability on a Disabled creature.

Combat abilities

These abilities affect how attacking and blocking creatures interact in combat.

See Combat Basics for more information about creature combat.

Ability	Icon	Expansions	Description
Berserker		all	Attacks the first enemy creature it can, instead of the enemy Planeswalker. A creature with both Berserker  and Menace  acts like it does not have Berserker . Berserker creatures ignore Disabled creatures
Deathtouch		all	Whenever this creature deals combat damage to another creature, the other creature is Destroyed.
Defender		all	Blocks your opponent's creatures' attacks, becoming their attack target in place of your Planeswalker. Your first creature with Defender  or Reach  is the creature which tries to block first.
Double Strike		all	Deals First Strike  damage AND regular damage afterwards.
First Strike		all	First Strike  damage is dealt damage before regular damage. A creature without First Strike  which receives First Strike  damage in combat only retaliates if it survives that damage.
Flying		all	Can be blocked by creatures with Defender  or Vigilance , or attacked by creatures with Berserker , only if they also have Flying . (Can be blocked by creatures with Reach .)
Menace		all	This creature is Unblockable  unless two or more creatures your opponent controls could block it. A creature with both Menace  and Berserker  acts like it does not have Berserker .
Reach		all	Blocks your opponent's creatures, becoming their attack target in place of your Planeswalker, including creatures with Flying . Your first creature with Defender  or Reach  is the creature which tries to block first.
Trample		all	Any damage in excess of a blocking creature's toughness is dealt to the Planeswalker instead of the blocking creature.
Unblockable		all	Cannot be blocked.
Vigilance		all	Blocks your opponent's creatures, if able, and if it will survive the combat damage, becoming their attack target instead of your Planeswalker, if you control no creatures with Defender  or Reach .

Other icon abilities

Ability	Icon	Expansions	Description
Adapt			When this creature enters play or is reinforced, Adapt  Gems are created such that the number of Adapt  Gems associated with this creature is equal to the number beside its Adapt  keyword. When you match this creature's Adapt  gem, it gains the Adapt  icon; it's buffed for +1/+1; and its Adapt  ability, if any, is triggered. If the opponent Destroys your Adapt  gem, a new Adapt  gem is created.
Adventure			Adventure  cards are a special type of Split Cards  with a Spell side and a Creature side. If you cast the Spell side, the Creature side returns to your hand.
Afflict			When a creature with Afflict  is blocked, your opponent additionally takes damage equal to this creature's Power.
Alliance			Your creatures with Alliance  have their associated effects triggered whenever you bring a creature into play or your Alliance creature is reinforced.
Assemble			When they match any non-basic gem, an owner of a creature with Assemble may choose an enemy target; all of their creatures with Assemble will attack only that target during combat. If the chosen target is not the enemy Planeswalker, creatures with Assemble lose Trample , First Strike , and Double Strike  until end of turn.
Automate			Creatures with Automate  gain bonuses when matches of Activated gems or Artifact support gems are made: if the matches are made during their owner's turn, the creatures get a +1/+0 bonus, and get +0/+1 if made during the opponent's turn. These bonuses are multiplied by the number of creatures with Automate the owner controls.
Awaken			An Awaken  ability triggers if a secondary mana cost is paid in addition to the card's main cost. (Auto-casts if the Awaken  cost is fully paid.)
Blitz			When creatures with Blitz come into play, the player may choose to remove Blitz. If they keep Blitz, the creature gains Haste  and Imminent Death , and when it dies, the player draws a card, which gains mana equal to the card's Blitz value.
Boast			When a creature with Boast  attacks, you may drain mana from your hand equal to its Boast  cost. If you do, it triggers a special effect.
Bravery			A creature with Bravery  enters play in the first creature slot, regardless of defensive abilities.
Buried			A card with Buried  can be cast from the graveyard when it has mana equal to its Buried  cost (the number in the tombstone icon) in one of several ways, such as Disturb , Escape , Flashback , Jump-start , or Unearth . Matching a Graveyard Gem gives 3 mana to the first card in your graveyard with Buried .
Casualty			Cards with Casualty may be Copied , and the copy receive full mana, if a friendly creature with power equal to or greater than the Casualty value is destroyed. The Casualty ability is removed from the copy.
Changeling			A card with Changeling  counts as having every creature subtype at all times.
Channel			When cards with mana equal to the required Channel value are Exiled from hand, the Channel effect is activated.
Cleave			A card with Cleave  accumulates extra mana up to its Cleave  value. When the card is cast, its Cleave  effect is automatically activated if its full cost has been paid. A card with Cleave  can't have its mana drained or raised.
Compleated			When you match a Phyrexian gem, you lose 2 life and the first card in your hand with Compleated  that can gain mana gains 3 mana. Only activates if you have a card with Compleated  in hand that does not have full mana and you have 5 or more life.
Connive			When a creature with Connive comes into play, the last card in hand is Discarded, a card is drawn, and, if the last card in the graveyard is not a support, the creature gets +1/+1.
Converge			Cards with Converge  have an effect which scales for each different mana color used to pay for the card.
Convoke			Costs one less mana for each creature and reinforcement you control, up to the number in the Convoke  symbol.
Copy		all	A card which is a copy gains the Copy  icon and may be treated differently by some effects.
Corrupt			When you Corrupt , you convert a Gem to a Black Corrupted Gem, and the first card in your graveyard without Buried  gains Buried  X, where X is its base mana cost. A Corrupted Gem is a type of Improved Gem. When a player destroys a Corrupted Gem, the first card with Buried  in their graveyard that can gain mana gains 3 mana. If they can't, they lose 3 life instead.
Coven			The Coven  ability of your creatures with Coven  is active if the attack power of at least two of your creatures in play are different numbers.
Crystalize			The Crystalize  ability destroys enemy supports and creates in its place a Crystalized Gem, which counts as a match when swapped into line with any two gems of the same color. A Crystalized Gem is a type of Improved Gem.
Cycling			When you Cycle a card, draw a card. Cycling  triggers when you Exile a card with Cycling  from your hand, if you can pay at least the specified amount of mana from your cards in hand (including this one).
Daybound			A Daybound  card Transforms  to its Nightbound  side when it becomes Night, or if played at Night. It becomes Night at the end of any player's turn during which no cards were cast.
Dayshift			A Dayshift  A Dayshift ability triggers whenever Day changes to Night or Night changes to Day, and the one Day or Night Support Gem is replaced by the other.
Decayed			Creatures with Decayed  have Can't Attack. In your attack phase, you can choose to remove Can't Attack from your Decayed  creature. If you do, the creature gains Imminent Death .
Denied			The Deny  ability gives the opponent the Denied status. If a Denied player matches a Deny support Gem, that player is Restrained.
Deny			Creates a Deny support Gem and gives the opponent the Denied  status. A Deny Gem is a type of Improved Gem
Devoid			Gains mana from Void Gem matches. Void Gems are created by cards with Ingest.
Devotion			Some abilities become more powerful if you have a higher Devotion  to a color. Your Devotion  to a color is the number of mono-colored, non-copy cards of that color you've cast during the current fight.
Disturb			Some cards with Buried  also have Disturb . When you match colored Gems, the first card of that color with Disturb  in your graveyard gains 3 mana. When a card with Disturb  is cast from the graveyard, it enters play Transformed .
Domain			Domain value equals 1 plus one for every color of support Gem controlled.
Draft			Pick one card from a random pool of cards of a specified theme and fetch that card. Players do not need to own those cards.
Dungeon			A Dungeon  is a support Token  from outside of the game which has a sequence of connected rooms. These rooms can be encountered and their effects performed by Venturing into the Dungeon . When a you complete the last room of a Dungeon , you gain Dungeon Spoils .
Dungeon Spoils			When you complete a Dungeon , you gain Dungeon Spoils  from that Dungeon. Some cards have beneficial effects or abilities which are only active if you have Dungeon Spoils .
Enchanted			Some cards grant or remove an Enchanted  effect, which may be positive or negative, to a creature in play. Enchanted creatures gain the Enchanted  icon.
Enhance			When a card with Enhance  enters your hand from anywhere, the specified number of normal Gems become Enhanced  Gems.
Enhanced			Matching an Enhanced  Gem with a swap adds 1 to the first Enhanced  value of a card in your hand not already at its maximum. Cards which are Enhanced  gain more powerful effects, or lose drawbacks.
Enlist			The Enlist  ability converts a gem to a White Enlist support Gem; players that match this gem gain 2 Life. When an Enlisted gem reaches the bottom of the gem board, all Enlisted gems are destroyed, and friendly creatures with Assemble  gain +1/+1 until end of turn, for each gem destroyed. An Enlist Gem is a type of Improved Gem
Equip			When a creature you control attacks, cards with Equip  in your hand gain the specified amount of mana.
Escape			Some cards with Buried  also have Escape . A card in the graveyard with Escape  can only be cast from the graveyard if it has full mana and you have 3 other cards in your graveyard, which are Exiled when the Escape  card is cast.
Experience			Some abilities or effects become more powerful if your Planeswalker has more Experience  points.
Exploit			When a creature with Exploit  enters the battlefield, if you replaced another creature with this creature, this creature's associated Exploit  effect is performed.
Flash			Before an opponent's creature attacks, if this card is Disabled, you may cast it for its normal mana cost. (Can also be cast during your turn, like normal.)
Flashback			Some cards with Buried  also have Flashback . As well as being able to gain mana from Graveyard Gems like all Buried  cards, the first Flashback  card in your graveyard gains 2 mana when another card with Flashback  enters the graveyard. If a card with Flashback  is cast from the graveyard, it is Exiled.
Foretell			When a card you control with Foretell  is Exiled from anywhere, if you don't already control a Foretold  support Token  of that card, create a Foretold  support Token  of that card on the Gem board with shield equal to the number in the Foretell  symbol.
Foretold			When a Foretold  support Token  is destroyed, the card with Foretell  that was Exiled is cast from the Exile zone and gains Foretold . If you can't, the card with Foretell  that was Exiled enters your hand with full mana. A card with Foretold  can't have its mana drained.
Haste		all	Attacks the turn it enters play.
Herald			When you have a support card in your hand with Herald , if you already have the same card in play, the cost of the card in hand becomes the card's Herald  cost, and when it's cast, its Herald  creature Token  enters play instead of the support card.
Hexproof		all	Cannot be targeted by enemy spells and abilities. (Effects which don't require a target to be selected still affect creatures with Hexproof .)
Hideaway			When a card with Hideaway enters play, choose one of the first four cards of library to Exile; it gains Hidden . Cards with Hideaway have conditions that, once met, move Hidden cards from Exile to hand and give them full mana.
Hidden			Hidden cards are moved from Exile to hand with full mana, once the conditions of Hideaway  cards are met.
Hired			When a card gains mana from a treasure Token  on the gem board, that card gains Hired . Some cards have effects or abilities which are only active if the card is Hired .
Ignite			When you Ignite , you convert a Gem to an Ignited Gem. An Ignited Gem is a type of Improved Gem which, when destroyed on the Gem board, destroys a 3x3 block of gems around it.
Imminent Death			At the end of every turn, each creature with Imminent Death  loses a reinforcement, or if it can't, it's destroyed.
Invoke			When a card with Invoke  enters your hand from anywhere, you may choose to replace it with the card named by the Invoke  ability. If you do, the card with Invoke  is Exiled, and the replacement card gains the Invoked  status.
Invoked			A card gains Invoked  when you swap out an Invoke  card for it. Cards with Invoke  include an effect which only occurs if they do not have the Invoked  status. An Invoked  card may not be Invoked  again.
Jump-start			Some cards with Buried  also have Jump-start . As well as being able to gain mana from Graveyard Gems like all Buried  cards, the first Jump-start  card in your graveyard gains the mana charged in any card Exiled from your hand. If a card with Jump-start  is cast from the graveyard, it is Exiled.
Kicker			When you cast a card or activate an ability with Kicker , you may drain additional mana from cards in your hand to trigger its Kicker  effect.
Landforming			When you cast a card with Landforming , if you made a horizontal match with a swap in the same turn, the card's Landforming  effect is triggered.
Leader			Your Leader  creature Exiles your Token  creatures of the specified subtype and converts each one into a reinforcement of itself. This effect occurs both as the Leader  enters play, and as you play any Token  creatures of the specified subtype.
Learn			When a Learn  effect is triggered, you choose a Lesson  card to add to your hand. Each card with Learn  has its own selection of Lesson  cards, which are listed here: Learn cards.
Legendary		all	This is a Legendary  card. Some effects only work on Legendary  cards.
Lesson			A card with Lesson  means it can appear as a possible choice of a card to receive for the Learn  effect of at least one card.
Level			Cards with Level  become more powerful when their Level  is higher. Their Level  may be increased or decreased by effects and abilities.
Leyline			When their owner matches 3 or more Green gems, creatures with Leyline gain +1/+1 for each Green gem on the Gem board.
Lifelink		all	Your Planeswalker gains life equal to the combat damage dealt by this creature.
Lotus Field			A support with Lotus Field  triggers its ability when any Gem on the Gem board is matched a distance horizontally, vertically, or diagonally from the support. The color matched determines the effect; usually converting gems to that color or increasing that color's mana bonus.
Magecraft			Whenever you cast a spell or Copy  a spell, your cards in play with Magecraft  trigger their Magecraft  abilities. A card can trigger its Magecraft  ability a number of times per turn up to the number in its Magecraft  icon.
Mana Field			A support with Mana Field  triggers its Mana Field  ability when any Gem on the Gem board is matched adjacent or diagonally adjacent to the support.
Meld			When this creature and another specified creature are both in play on your side, they Meld  to form a single Melded  creature.
Melded			This creature is a combination of a specific pair of creatures with Meld . Playing either of those two creatures reinforces this creature.
Mentor			Whenever this creature attacks, your other creatures with power lower than this creature's get a +1/+1 buff.
Mutate			A card with Mutate  may be cast as a Mutation  targeting a non-Token  creature you control which has not already gained a Mutation . If you do, that creature gains the Mutation  ability written on the card with Mutate , and is reinforced.
Mutation			A card gains the Mutation  icon, and cannot gain further Mutations , once it has been the target of a card with Mutate  cast as a Mutation . Each Mutation  ability of a creature, whether an original Mutation ability of the card or one granted by another card with Mutate , triggers each time that creature is reinforced via casting.
Nightbound			A Nightbound  card is the Night side of a Transform  card. It usually has more Power and Toughness than its Daybound  counterpart. It Transforms to its Daybound  side, and it becomes Day, at the end of any player's turn during which two cards were cast.
Ninjutsu			Creatures' Ninjutsu  value starts at zero and adds 1 each time a creature of power 3 or less deals combat damage to the opponent's Planeswalker. Ninjutsu creatures also have a target value; when the Ninjutsu value equals or exceeds the target value, the player may, at the beginning of combat, replace one of their creatures with the activated Ninjutsu creature. The Ninjutsu creature gains Haste  and the other creature is returned to hand.
Oil Counter			Like shields on supports, Oil Counter is a cumulative numerical value that is increases or reduced, and ceases to exist when the value is reduced to zero.
Outcast			A card with Outcast  must be played on the current turn or it will be exiled. When this card is moved to anywhere other than the battlefield, exile it. At the end of this turn, if this card is not exiled, exile it.
Party			Your Party  consists of up to one each of a Cleric, Rogue, Warrior, and Wizard amongst creatures and supports you control. Party  effects on your cards are triggered if the corresponding Party  condition is met. (If a creature or support has more than one party subtype, it only counts as one party member.)
Pilot			Cards of a given Pilot value may receive effects from other cards; this may be dependent on the Pilot value being equal to or greater than the sources' Crew value.
Prevent Damage		all	Damage effects applied to this creature or Planeswalker, including combat damage, are reduced to zero. (Other effects, including Destroy, are not prevented.)
Protection from Black			Gains Hexproof  while the opponent controls a black creature. Damage received from black sources is reduced by half, rounded up.
Protection from Blue			Gains Hexproof  while the opponent controls a blue creature. Damage received from blue sources is reduced by half, rounded up.
Protection from Colorless			Gains Hexproof  while the opponent controls a colorless creature. Damage received from colorless sources is reduced by half, rounded up.
Protection from Green			Gains Hexproof  while the opponent controls a green creature. Damage received from green sources is reduced by half, rounded up.
Protection from Red			Gains Hexproof  while the opponent controls a red creature. Damage received from red sources is reduced by half, rounded up.
Protection from White			Gains Hexproof  while the opponent controls a white creature. Damage received from white sources is reduced by half, rounded up.
Reconfigure			Support cards that buff the first creature with an ability, if all three creature lanes are full, but make a creature with a similar ability, if there are two creatures or less. The creature check and buff occurs at the beginning of turn.
Recruit			Creatures with Recruit may add the power of another creature without Tapped  or Summoning Sickness. In return, the recruited creature gains Can't Attack and Can't Block. All Recruit creatures in DMU also have Bravery  so that they attack before others become Tapped.
Renown			The first time a creature with Renown  deals Combat damage to an opponent, it gains the Renown  icon, and its power and toughness are increased by the number beside the Renown  keyword.
Resilient			After being matched (and losing 1 shield), a support gem in play with Resilient  gains 1 shield, then changes its color.
Restrain			When a Denied  player matches a Deny support Gem, that player is Restrained: their non-Blue mana bonuses are -1 until the end of their next turn.
Riot			When this creature enters play, choose one: It gets a +1/+1 buff, or it gains Haste .
Roll a D20			When a Roll a D20  effect is triggered, the Gem board is Shuffled, then a random D20 roll (in the range 1-20) is made. An effect on the card which caused the roll is performed, its strength depending on the result of the roll.
Seed			Creates a Seed support Gem; a player that matches it gets +1 mana for each creature and reinforcement they control. A Seed Gem is a type of Improved Gem.
Shield Counter			Like shields on supports, Shield Counter increases or reduces its numerical value, and ceases to exist when the value is reduced to zero. Shield Counter prevents damage, destruction or support shield loss; each time it does, its value reduces by one.
Snow			Each Snow  Gem destroyed in a Gem match gives 1 extra mana to the first card in your hand with Snow  which doesn't have full mana. Some cards with Snow  are affected by the number of Snow  Gems on the Gem board.
Split Card			You can select which side of this card you want to play. Tap the flip symbol on the card to change its side. Mana gained charges both sides, up to a maximum of the cost of the currently selected side.
Stored Mana			This card stores extra mana up to a maximum of the number in the Stored Mana  icon, and triggers additional effects when cast. (Auto-casts if the Stored Mana is full.) A Stored Mana card can't have its mana drained or raised.
Stun Counter			A cumulative value: it can be added to. Creatures with Stun Counter are disabled, and the counter value is reduced by 1 at the end of turn, until it reaches zero and is removed.
Tapped			Creatures become Tapped when they attack. While they are Tapped by an ability, they can't attack. They untap (stop being Tapped) at end of turn.
Token		all	Creature or supports created by other cards or abilities enter play as a Token . If a token would enter a graveyard, hand, library, or the Exile zone, it is removed from the game instead.
Toxic			When a creature with Toxic does damage to an opponent, a Phyrexian Toxin support is created under the opponent's control, or that support is reinforced, by the creature's Toxic value. A 20 or greater Toxin shield is a win condition
Training			At the begining of combat on your turn, your creature with Training  gets a +1/+1 buff if you control another creature with power greater than this creature's.
Transform			Daybound  and Disturb  cards have two sides, and the Daybound  may Transform  to and fro; Other cards can only become Transformed  to their flip side. Special conditions for Transformation may be specified on cards.
Transformed			Shown on the flipped side of a card with Transform , e.g. Nightbound  cards, Disturb  cards cast from the Graveyard, or supports from the XLN, RIX and ELD sets.
Unearth			Some cards with Buried  also have Unearth . When a card with Unearth  is cast from the graveyard, it gains Unearthed  and Haste , and is returned to play with all its reinforcements.
Unearthed			At the end of the turn, or when it dies, a creature with Unearthed  is exiled.
Vanguard			A Vanguard is a special support card representing a Planeswalker. Vanguards have activated abilities which increase or decrease the shield amount to perform an effect, and can be used once per turn per Vanguard. Vanguards are considered Legendary , and are also only affected by effects which specifically name Vanguards as targets.
Venture			When you Venture into the Dungeon , if you don't have one already, you choose from several Dungeon  support Tokens  to enter play under your control. Each time you Venture , the Dungeon  advances to the next room according to your chosen path through the Dungeon. Each room triggers an effect when entered.
Ward			Your creature in play with Ward  gains Hexproof  during the opponent's turn unless they pays the creature's Ward  cost. The opponent may choose to do this when they make their first swap on their turn, if they have a spell with full mana in their hand.

Keyword Abilities

Ability	Expansions	Description
Activate	all	The specified number of normal Gems become Activated Gems associated with this card. When you match one of your Activated Gems, its associated ability is triggered. If your opponent Destroys one of your Activated Gems which is caused by an ongoing effect, a new Gem becomes Activated on your turn after next.
Adamant		When you cast a card, its Adamant effect triggers if you matched gems of the specified color during your turn.
Addendum		When you cast a card with Addendum, its Addendum effect triggers if the card had full mana at the start of your turn.
Afterlife		Whenever a creature with Afterlife dies or loses a reinforcement, create the specified number of Orzhov Spirits (1/1 flying Token  creature).
Aftermath		When in the graveyard, Activate for the number beside the Aftermath keyword on the back of the card. Matching one or more Activated Gems of your Aftermath card triggers the effect on the back of the card, and then Exiles the card.
Alignment		An associated effect is triggered the first time you cast a monocolored card each turn.
Amass		Create the specified number of Zombie Army tokens [1/1, with "At 0+ reinforcements, gain +1/+1; at 8+ reinforcements, gain Afflict ; and at 12+ reinforcements, gain +2/+2"].
Anticipation		Whenever you cast a card during your opponent's turn (such as a card with Flash ), the Anticipation effect is triggered on all of your cards in play with Anticipation.
Basic Evergreen		Refers to a set of basic icon abilities: Berserker , Deathtouch , Defender , Double Strike , First Strike , Flying , Hexproof , Lifelink , Menace , Reach , Trample , and Vigilance .
Bloodletting		Your creatures' Bloodletting abilities are active as long as your opponent has lost life this turn.
Can't Attack	all	A creature with Can't Attack can't attack.
Can't Block	all	A creature with Can't Block can't block. Can't Block will not stop creatures with Berserker  from attacking as Disable does.
Casting a Spell		A Casting a Spell effect on a card in play is triggered whenever you cast a Spell card.
City's Blessing		Some abilities become more powerful if you have the City's Blessing. You gain the City's Blessing for the rest of the game when you play a card with Ascend if the sum of your creatures, supports, and reinforcements is greater than or equal to 10.
Companion		If your deck meets the condition in the Companion tooltip, your cards in play with Companion gain the Companion ability described on the card.
Constellation		Whenever you cast an Aura spell or play an Enchantment support or creature, the Constellation effect is triggered on all of your cards in play with Constellation.
Crew		Each card in your hand with Crew gains its specified amount of mana whenever a non-Token  creature enters play on your side.
Cycle		A card with Cycling  may be Cycled in order to draw a card. Cycling  triggers when you Exile this card from your hand, if you can pay at least the specified amount of mana from your hand's cards (including this one). Mana is paid for Cycling  starting from the top card in your hand.
Delirium		An associated effect is triggered if there are 5 or less Gems on the board of the specified color, or the card's color if unspecified.
Destroy	all	Destroying a card moves it to the graveyard. Cards are most often Destroyed from play, but may be Destroyed from other zones like your hand or library. Destroying a Token  removes it from the game. Destroying a gem means to remove the gem from the board by a gem match, or by a card's effect.
Disable	all	Creatures in play which an effect Disables cannot attack or block, and all of their Abilities stop working. A second meaning is to Disable cards in your hand, to prevent them from auto-casting when they are full of mana. Creatures with Berserker  will not attack disabled creatures, as they do creatures that Can't Block
Discard	all	Discarding moves one or more cards from the target player's hand into their graveyard. Unless otherwise specified, cards are Discarded starting from the bottom of their hand.
Embalm		When in the graveyard, Activate for the number beside the Embalm keyword. Matching one or more Activated Gems of your Embalm creature Exiles the creature, and brings a Zombie Token  copy of the creature into play (minus the Embalm ability).
Emerge		When a creature you control is Destroyed, your cards with Emerge gain the specified amount of mana.
Energize		The specified number of normal gems become Energized Gems. Matching Energized gems can trigger Overload effects.
Enrage		Whenever a creature with Enrage receives damage, it triggers a specified effect.
Escalate		Escalate increases the value of both Oil Counter  and Phyrexian Toxin.
Eternalize		When in the graveyard, Activate for the number beside the Eternalize keyword. Matching one or more Activated Gems of your Eternalize creature Exiles the creature, and brings a 4/4 Zombie Token  copy of the creature into play (minus the Eternalize ability).
Exert		A normal gem becomes an Activated Gem with a timer equal to the number beside the Exert keyword. The timer counts down by 1 at the start of your turn. If you match the Gem or the timer reaches zero, the associated effect is triggered, and a new Gem becomes Activated at the start of your next turn.
Exile	all	Exiling a card moves it to the Exiled zone. Cards cannot usually be accessed after being Exiled. Exiled cards are not considered Destroyed and do not go to the graveyard. Exiling a Token  removes it from the game.
Explore		Convert gems equal to twice the number beside the Explore keyword to the colors of the creature targeted by your Explore effect. If a match doesn't happen, also buff the creature's power and toughness by the number beside the Explore keyword.
Fabricate		Bring the specified number of Supporting Servo support Tokens  into play. Each of your Supporting Servo Tokens  gives the first creature you control +1/+1.
Ferocious		While you control a creature with a base power of at least 5, all of your creatures in play with Ferocious have their associated Ferocious effect active.
Fight		When two creatures Fight, each creature deals damage equal to its power to the other creature.
Food		Your effects which create Food bring 1/1 token  supports with 1 shield into play on your side. When one of your Food Tokens is matched or destroyed by you, you gain 3 life. Other creatures or supports in play other than Food Tokens may also have the Food sub-type.
For Mirrodin!		Triggered when certain artifacts come into play, this creates a 2/2 Red Rebel creature Token  with Bravery .
Heroic		Whenever you cast a spell targeting your creature with Heroic, its associated Heroic effect is triggered.
Historic		Your cards with the Historic ability have their associated effect triggered by any Legendary  card (including Vanguards), Artifact, or Saga being played on your side, or being in play on your side.
Improved Gem		Corrupted , Crystalized , Deny , Enlist , Ignited , and Seed  gems are the six types of Improved Gem.
Ingest		The specified number of normal Gems of your opponent's color become Void Gems. Void Gems may be consumed by a Process ability, or matched on the board. Matching Void Gems only gives mana to cards with Devoid .
Indestructible	Support gems in play with Indestructible lose no shields when matched, and cannot be destroyed by card or Planeswalker abilities.
Investigate		A normal gem becomes an Activated Gem with a two-turn timer. The timer counts down by 1 at the start of your turn. If any player matches your Investigate Gem or its timer reaches zero, you draw a card.
Landfall		Your cards with Landfall have their associated effects triggered whenever you match 4 or more gems of the specified color, or any color if no color is specified.
Madness		All of your cards with Madness gain their specified amount of mana whenever a card is Discarded (not Exiled) from your hand. A card with Madness is immune to being Discarded itself.
Mill		Mill effects on your cards are active while the opponent's graveyard contains at least the specified number of cards.
Modified		Creatures that are buffed or have Pilot  are Modified creatures.
Morbid		If any creature dies or loses a reinforcement, the associated effect becomes active until the end of the turn.
Overflow		When you draw a card with Overflow, if you then have 5 or more cards, you may exile that card to trigger the associated effect.
Overload		Each of your Overload abilities of a specified number is triggered any time you Destroy that many or more Energized Gems in a single match.
Pack Tactics		The Pack Tactics effects of your cards in play are triggered at the start of combat on your turn, if you control 2 or more buffed creatures.
Partner		An associated effect is triggered if you control a Vanguard  support.
Phyrexian Toxin		When a creature with Toxic  does damage to an opponent, a Phyrexian Toxin support is created under the opponent's control, or that support is reinforced, by the creature's Toxic value. At the beginning of a player's turn, if they control a Phyrexian Toxin support with 20 or greater shield, they lose all their life.
Populate		Reinforce the first creature token  you control with the greatest base power.
Process		Process only works if the specified number of Void Gems are present. If so, then that many Void Gems become gems of your opponent's color, and the associated effect is triggered. Void Gems are created by cards with Ingest.
Proliferate		Gain 1 loyalty, give your buffed creatures +1/+1, give your Vanguard  supports +1 shield, and read the next chapter of each of your Sagas.
Prowess		Whenever you cast a spell or support, the associated effect is triggered.
Raided		If one of your creatures attacked on your last turn, a Raided effect on one of your cards triggers this turn. Only the first Raided effect on a turn triggers; any further Raided effects do nothing.
Rally		Your creatures with Rally have their associated effects triggered whenever you bring a creature with the Ally subtype into play.
Read Ahead		When you play a Saga, you choose which chapter to read. Any skipped chapters are not read. Subsequent chapters, reinforcement and Destruction after the final chapter are the same as reading from the beginning.
Regenerate	all	At the start of your turn, your creatures with Regenerate regain the specified amount of toughness which had previously been lost by taking damage.
Renewal		If you gained the specified amount of life or more in a turn, the associated effect becomes active until the end of the turn.
Resourceful		The associated effects of your cards in play with Resourceful are triggered whenever you draw a card beyond the first in a turn, up to a maximum number of times per turn equal to the number beside the Resourceful keyword.
Saga		When you play a Saga, the first chapter's effects are triggered. At the start of each of your turns, the next chapter's effects are triggered. A Saga is Destroyed at the end of a turn in which its final chapter was triggered. Reinforcing a Saga triggers the current chapter but does not advance to the next chapter.
Shuffle		When the Gem board is Shuffled, each Gem's position is randomized to make a new stable (non-cascading) board state.
Spectacle		At the end of any turn, if your opponent lost life during that turn, each card in your hand with Spectacle gains its specified amount of mana.
Surveil		Look at the top four cards of your library, and choose any number up to the number beside the Surveil keyword. Those cards are discarded, and the rest return to your library.
Threshold		If you have the specified number of copies of this card in your graveyard, the associated ability is triggered.
Time Bubble		When a player who is not Denied  matches a Deny support Gem, a Time Bubble Gem is created. When it is destroyed on its owner's turn, 3 mana is drained from their opponent. When it is destroyed on their opponent's turn, the opponent Discards the first card with mana in their hand.
Trap	all	The specified number of normal Gems become Trap Gems associated with this card. When your opponent destroys one of your Trap Gems, its associated ability is triggered. If you match one of your Trap Gems which is caused by an ongoing effect, a new Gem becomes Trapped on your next turn.
Treasure		Your effects which find Treasures bring the specified number of Treasure Tokens  into play on your side. Once you have four Treasure tokens, one of your existing Treasure Tokens  is reinforced rather than a new one being created. Matching your Treasure Token  adds 3 mana to a random card in your hand. Matching your opponent's Treasure Token  adds 2 mana to a random card in your hand, and 2 mana to a random card in your opponent's hand.
Undergrowth		An Undergrowth effect on a card occurs when a card with Undergrowth is played. Undergrowth effects are described in terms of a number, X, which is the number of creatures in your graveyard, up to a maximum of the number beside the Undergrowth keyword.
Wizardry		Whenever you cast a spell or a Wizard card, the associated effect is triggered.

General abilities and effects

Ability	Description
buff	Increase a creature's Power and/or Toughness by a specified amount. Does not count as reinforcing.
cast	Play a card from your hand or pay its cost from another zone, such as the graveyard. (Effects which create a Token  or fetches a card into play do not count as casting.)
combat damage	Damage dealt by a creature by its normal attack, equal to its Power.
copy	Copying a card in any zone creates a copy of the card in your hand. In a previous release of the game, copies cannot be cast on the same turn they are copied.
damage	Damage to a Planeswalker causes life loss equal to the amount of damage. Damage to a Creature causes its health to be reduced by the amount of damage.
draw	Move the top card of your library to your hand. Cards in which may have effects which trigger when cards are drawn. A card can only be drawn if the hand contains less than 5 cards.
fetch	Move a card from one specified zone (such as your library) to another (such as your hand). A fetch effect does not count as drawing a card, and does not trigger draw effects.
life loss	Reduce a Planeswalker's health by the amount of life lost. life loss may be caused by damage, or it may be caused directly. Direct life loss does not count as damage.
reinforce	When you play a Creature or Support which is already in play on your side, you reinforce that card in play. reinforcement can also be triggered by the effects of other cards. Reinforcing a Creature increases its Power and Toughness by the Power and Toughness of the base card, and, if the Creature has one or more Mutation  abilities, triggers each of those abilities. Reinforcing a Support increases its Shield count by the Shield count of the base card. Reinforcement does not count as buffing.
summon	Bring a creature into play by any means. This includes casting, creating a Token , or fetching a creature into play from your library or graveyard.
trigger	Some abilities have a condition which must be met for the ability to work. When an ability's condition is met, the ability is triggered, and its effect occurs.

See also

• Terms and abbreviations
• Combat Basics