Gems

This page describes the types of Gems you can encounter on the Gem board during a game of Magic: the Gathering Puzzle Quest

Colored gems

Colored gems are white, blue, black, red, or green.

• Colored gems may become Support gems when a support is played.
• Colored gems may become Activated gems when a card with an activated Ability is played.

Matching colored gems (making 3 in a row of the same color) gives you 1 Mana per gem, extra mana equal to your mana bonus in that color, and 1 Loyalty.

Loyalty gems

Matching loyalty gems gives you 1 Loyalty per gem, but no mana.

Loyalty gems generally can't be converted into other gem colors or types unless explicitly specified.

Support gems

When a support card or support Token  enters play, a colored gem becomes a Support gem.

• If possible, the support is placed on a gem matching a color of the support.
• If that's not possible, the support may be placed on any colored gem.

Support gems enter play with a numerical shield value. The shield value represents the durability of the support.

The side of the gem on which the shield value is shown corresponds to the player who controls the support.

Support gems can't be converted into other gem colors or types.

Support gems which are reinforced gain a circular icon around the shield value.

Support gems with Mana Field  have a large glowing halo during the controlling player's turn.

Creating support gems

Support gems can be created by:

• Playing a support card from hand.
  • Playing the same support card again reinforces the existing support gem, unless otherwise specified.
• Using a card or an ability to create a support tokens. Types of support tokens are described below.

Matching support gems

Matching or hitting a support gem by a match-4 reduces its shield by 1. If the shield goes to 0, the support is destroyed. Some supports are indestructible, i.e. they lose no shield when matched; they can still be destroyed by card and Planeswalker abilities. Others regain shields after losing them to a match. Fractals gain shield when matched.

Type of indestructible support	Effect of matching
Created by a player's card or loyalty ability	No effect (unless otherwise specified)
Part of an event node's special rules	Changes the support gem's color to a random color

Types of support gems

Support cards

Support gems created by an ordinary support card act as described on the card. Ordinary supports reinforce if played when you already control the same support in play, unless otherwise specified on the card. When a support gem which was cast as a support card is destroyed from play, the support card enters the graveyard.

Support tokens

Support tokens are created by effects rather than being cast as a card. When destroyed, support tokens do not enter the graveyard; they just disappear. Support tokens have the same appearance on the gem board as support cards, and unless otherwise specified are affected by the same effects and abilities that affect support gems cast as cards.

Type	Image	Reinforces	Description
Clue token		Doesn't reinforce	While in play: Counts down by 1 each turn and triggers the match effect on zero When matched: The clue's owner draws a card
Supporting Servo token		Doesn't reinforce	While in play: Each of your Supporting Servo Tokens gives your first creature +1/+1 When matched: No effect
Food token		Doesn't reinforce	While in play: No effect Matched by owner: Its owner gains 3 life.
Treasure token		Reinforces only when you have 4+ treasure tokens in play	While in play: No effect Matched by owner: Adds 3 mana to a random card in your hand Matched by opponent: Adds 2 mana to a random card in your hand, and 2 mana to a random card in your opponent's hand.
Others		Reinforces unless otherwise specified	Many other support tokens can enter play from card or planeswalker abilities, many with unique effects.

Vanguards

Vanguards  are a special type of support card representing planeswalkers. They have a different appearance on the gem board to card or token supports.

Vanguard cards enter the gem board as Vanguard support gems when played, and are reinforced if already in play when played again. Vanguards have passive and active abilities which their controller can benefit from.

By default, effects which work on general supports don't work on Vanguards; Vanguards are only affected if it's specifically stated on the card or effect. For example:

• A card which says "Destroy a support." doesn't affect Vanguards.
• But a card which says "Destroy a support. This effect can affect Vanguards." does.

Activated gems

Matching activated gems destroys them and produces an effect which depends on the type of the activated gem. Activated gems can also be destroyed with abilities, whether cast or on the board (such as Ignited gems) or used by Planeswalkers, which often destroy square gem blocks of various sizes (eg 3x3 or 5x5).

Activated gems are created from existing colored gems, and keep their color after becoming activated gems.

Activated gems can't be converted into other gem colors or types.

While most activated gems have no effect if matched by the opponent, the Puzzle Masters set introduced a new type of Activated gem that always does : Improved gems.

Tapping an activated gem will cause a glow to appear on or around any source that created it present on the gem board, or a Planeswalker's portrait if their ability was the source.

Activated gem type	Image	Effect
Activate		Triggers an effect on the card which created the activate gem
Adapt		The creature which created the adapt gem gets +1/+1 and has its Adapt  ability triggered
Aftermath		Matched by owner: Triggers the Aftermath effect on the card which created the aftermath gem Matched by opponent: No effect
Countdown		Counts down by 1 each turn and triggers the match effect on zero Matched by owner: Triggers an effect on the card which created the countdown gem Matched by opponent: No effect
Embalm		Matched by owner: Brings into play a zombie token copy of the creature in the graveyard creating the embalm gem Matched by opponent: No effect
Energize		Can trigger an Overload effect on your cards in play
Enhanced		When matched with a swap, adds 1 to the Enhanced  value of your first card in hand which can be Enhanced
Eternalize		Matched by owner: Brings into play a 4/4 zombie token copy of the creature in the graveyard creating the eternalize gem Matched by opponent: No effect
Graveyard		Adds 3 mana to the first card in your graveyard with Buried
Snow		Can trigger Snow  effects on cards Adds 1 mana to the first card in your hand with Snow ; can trigger additional Snow  effects on cards
Trap		Invisible to the player. However, the AI sees your traps! Triggers an effect of the card creating the trap gem

Improved gems

Improved Gems were introduced with the Puzzle Masters set. They always trigger with an effect for the player that matches them. Only the Blue Deny  and Time Bubble gems are unequivocally detrimental to the enemy that matches them.

Activated gem type	Image	Effect
Corrupted		Adds 3 mana to the first card in your graveyard with Buried  that can gain mana, or lose 3 life if no cards can
Crystalized		Counts as a gem of any color. Crystalizing destroys enemy supports to create the gem.
Deny		On creation of the Deny support, opponent gains Denied. On match by a Denied player, that player is Restrained. Otherwise, matching it creates a Time Bubble token : [Enchantment: Support's owner drains 3 mana from opponent if it is matched on their turn. On opponents' turn, matching it forces them to Discard]
Enlist		Gives 3 Life to the player that matches it
Ignited		Destroy a block of 3x3 gems around the ignited gem
Seed		Gives mana to the player that matches it: 1 for each creature and reinforcement they control

Mana Field

Introduced by PMA, but now widely used, Mana Field  supports trigger their effects when any gem on the Gem board is matched adjacent or diagonally adjacent to the support.

Lotus Field  supports trigger their effects like a Mana Field, but the effects, usually converting gems to that color or increasing that color's mana bonus, are dependent on the color of gem matched.

Blood is a token support created by other cards or Planeswalker abilities. When a gem in its Mana Field is matched, it loses a shield, and then Discards a card and Draws a card.

Void gems

Void gems are empty bubbles created by cards with the Ingest ability.

Cards with the Process ability require void gems on the board to work.

Matching 3 or more void gems gives +1 mana per gem to a card in hand with the Devoid  ability, and +1 Loyalty. If you have no Devoid cards in hand, matching devoid gems gives no mana. Void gems cannot give extra mana from any coloured mana bonus.