Open main menu

mtgpq wiki β

Abilities

Revision as of 06:51, 12 May 2021 by Volrak (talk | contribs)
EventsStoryPlaneswalkersCardsGuides

Contents

Overview

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
  • 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 tutorial battles can be found at Training (Story).

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 .
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.
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.)
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 Escape , Flashback , or Jump-start . Matching a Graveyard Gem gives 3 mana to the first card in your graveyard with Buried .
Changeling     A card with Changeling  counts as having every creature subtype at all times.
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.
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).
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.
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.
Experience     Some abilities or effects become more powerful if your Planeswalker has more Experience  points.
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.
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.
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 .)
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.
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.
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.
Legendary   all This is a Legendary  card. Some effects only work on Legendary  cards.
Level     Cards with Level  become more powerful when their Level  is higher. Their Level  may be increased or decreased by effects and abilities.
Lifelink   all Your Planeswalker gains life equal to the combat damage dealt by this creature.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
Riot     When this creature enters play, choose one: It gets a +1/+1 buff, or it gains Haste .
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  become more powerful if there are enough 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.
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's removed from the game instead.
Transform        When the specified conditions are met, this card becomes Transformed , flipping to its other side.
Transformed        Shown on the flipped side of a card with Transform .
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.
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.
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 .
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.
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 stop all of their Abilities from working. A second meaning is to Disable cards in your hand, to prevent them from auto-casting when they're full of mana.
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.
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 destroyed by anyone, you gain 3 life. Other creatures or supports in play other than Food Tokens may also have the Food sub-type.
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, Artifact, or Saga being played on your side, or being in play on your side.
Improved Gem
  An Ignited  gem counts as a type 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 .
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.
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.
Partner
  An associated effect is triggered if you control a Vanguard  support.
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.
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.
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.