Date: Thu, 9 May 1996 20:33:57 -0700 From: Beth Moursund Subject: [O] Rules Group 5/8/96 ===== WotC Rules Group Magic rulings, 5/8/96 ===== "DO X TO DO Y" EFFECTS In the past, various effects have been written in the "Do X to do Y" format. In some cases, X was a cost that was paid at the time the spell or ability was played. In others, X was an effect that occurred during resolution, and Y happened only if X happened successfully. As of June 1, 1996, this distinction will be eliminated. In all "Do X to do Y" formats, X is a cost that is required to play the spell or ability. This follows all the normal rules for costs: you must pay it as the ability is played, there is no way to prevent paying the cost, you don't recover the cost if the effect is countered, and so on. Note that this entails various reversals, re-reversals, and so forth. For example, the cards discarded for effects like Recall and Ring of Renewal are now discarded as a cost of playing the spell. If the effect is countered, you don't get the cards back, and if you have Library of Leng in play, you don't get to discard the cards onto your library, as the discard is now considered to be voluntary. Furthermore, special costs are now always written in the "Do X to do Y" format. Any existing cards that don't use this format (Mana Batteries, Conch Horn, and so on) should be assumed to have errata to match this format. The specific rewrites will appear in a future compilation of errata. GENERAL RULINGS The following rulings are meant to clarify the rulebook, and how the game in general works: 1) Certain cards, such as Elkin Bottle and Ice Cauldron, set a card aside and let you "Play it as if it were in your hand." This only means that you follow the normal rules for playing the spell, such as obeying the laws of sorceries, paying mana normally, and so on. The card is not actually in your hand in any way: It doesn't count towards your seven card limit, can't be discarded by Mind Twist, can't be chosen for Recall or Willow Priestess's ability, can't be put on an Ice Cauldron (see the errata below), and so on. 2) Creatures with a power of less than 0 are treated as having 0 power for all purposes except raising its power again. Yes, this means a creature with negative power will deal 2 damage via Farrel's Mantle. The same rule applies to a creature's toughness; for example, it's not possible to take negative damage from Creature Bond. REVERSALS The following rulings reverse previous rulings by the rules team and/or the Netreps: 1) Enchantments such as Mind Whip and Erosion have an upkeep cost of their own, rather than giving the enchanted creature, land, and so on an upkeep cost. For example, if a creature is enchanted with Mind Whip, you can use the creature's abilities without having paid the enchantment's upkeep cost. CARD ERRATA The following rulings involve card errata, or at least reading cards slightly differently: 1) Time Vault is reworded as follows to restore it to its original intent: "Comes into play tapped. Does not untap as normal. If Time Vault is tapped at the beginning of your turn and does not have a turn counter on it, you may skip your turn to untap Time Vault and put a turn counter on it. {tap}: Remove the turn counter from Time Vault to take an additional turn immediately before the next normal turn." 2) Illusionary Terrain should read as changing all lands of a basic land type to the basic land type of your choice. This means it will now convert multilands. 3) Ice Cauldron should say to put a spell card from your hand on the Cauldron. 4) If Voodoo Doll is untapped at the end of a turn, it is destroyed regardless of whether you prevent the damage it deals to you for being untapped. 5) Chaos Lord checks to see whether it switches controllers during each and every upkeep, not just yours. 6) Bartel Runeaxe is an invalid target for all creature enchantments, not just spells of that type. SPECIFIC CARD RULINGS 1) If the upkeep cost imposed by Musician's music counters is not paid, the permanent with the counters is assumed to be destroying itself, just as if it started play with the upkeep cost. 2) If you draw a creature card while you have Enduring Renewal in play, discard it as a triggered effect. This means the draw effect finishes resolving before you discard the creature. For example, if you drew the creature via Brainstorm, you can put the creature card back on top of your library before being forced to discard it (in which case it stays in your library). 3) Eye for an Eye targets the damage being dealt to you and so can be Deflected. 4) If Vexing Arcanix is used on a player whose library is empty, the effect simply does nothing rather than damaging the player. 5) Kobolds are considered to be red cards while in your hand.