Magic: The Gathering/Gameplay Tropes: Difference between revisions

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* [[All There in the Manual]]: The Gatherer Web site includes all rulings on cards. As the game goes on and rules get refined, the company almost constantly changes the way game abilities are printed on cards:
* [[All There in the Manual]]: The Gatherer Web site includes all rulings on cards. As the game goes on and rules get refined, the company almost constantly changes the way game abilities are printed on cards:
** This was particularly bad early on when the company was still learning what worked well in the game and there was no set standard on how to phrase anything, but every set introduces new rules terms and longstanding parts of the game may have their names or the related rules changed if necessary. The concept of the "exile" zone, for example, has been in the game since the vAery first set, but did not receive its current name until 2009. (Exiling cards is a way of removing them from play that's more final than most methods. It used to be called "removed from the game" but was renamed, partly because so many design ideas wanted to interact with cards that had been exiled or be used while the card itself was exiled, so "removed from the game" seemed more and more inaccurate.)
** This was particularly bad early on when the company was still learning what worked well in the game and there was no set standard on how to phrase anything, but every set introduces new rules terms and longstanding parts of the game may have their names or the related rules changed if necessary. The concept of the "exile" zone, for example, has been in the game since the vAery first set, but did not receive its current name until 2009. (Exiling cards is a way of removing them from play that's more final than most methods. It used to be called "removed from the game" but was renamed, partly because so many design ideas wanted to interact with cards that had been exiled or be used while the card itself was exiled, so "removed from the game" seemed more and more inaccurate.)
** The general rule is to rely on the most recent printed text of a card to determine what it does, even if someone is playing with an older copy on which its abilities are phrased differently. Without that rule, for example, casting [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3842 three versions]{{broken link}} [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=14593 of exactly]{{broken link}} [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=107278 the same card]{{broken link}} would mean ''none of them'' could actually attack.<ref>This is because the first card prevents every creature type but Evil Eyes attacking. The second is a Horror, not an Evil Eye, so it can't attack. It says only cards called Evil Eye of Orms-By-Gore can attack (though it could potentially be read as saying only ''it'' can attack). The first card ''is'' called Evil Eye of Orms-By-Gore, so it can still attack. But wait! The third card says only "Eyes" can attack. The first isn't an Eye, it's an ''Evil'' Eye, and the third isn't an Evil Eye, it's an Eye. Therefore, ''none'' of the three can now attack.</ref>
** The general rule is to rely on the most recent printed text of a card to determine what it does, even if someone is playing with an older copy on which its abilities are phrased differently. Without that rule, for example, casting [https://web.archive.org/web/20121104041537/http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3842 three versions] [https://web.archive.org/web/20121104043659/http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=14593 of exactly] [https://web.archive.org/web/20130630154742/http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=107278 the same card] would mean ''none of them'' could actually attack.<ref>This is because the first card prevents every creature type but Evil Eyes attacking. The second is a Horror, not an Evil Eye, so it can't attack. It says only cards called Evil Eye of Orms-By-Gore can attack (though it could potentially be read as saying only ''it'' can attack). The first card ''is'' called Evil Eye of Orms-By-Gore, so it can still attack. But wait! The third card says only "Eyes" can attack. The first isn't an Eye, it's an ''Evil'' Eye, and the third isn't an Evil Eye, it's an Eye. Therefore, ''none'' of the three can now attack.</ref>
** Subverted by the [[Lethal Joke Character|joke card]] [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=73967 R&D's Secret Lair]{{broken link}}, which explicitly bans using later printed text, errata or the rules to 'update' cards. It's, naturally, illegal in all competitive play, and rapidly makes friendly games very unfriendly.
** Subverted by the [[Lethal Joke Character|joke card]] [https://web.archive.org/web/20140307142610/http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=73967 R&D's Secret Lair], which explicitly bans using later printed text, errata or the rules to 'update' cards. It's, naturally, illegal in all competitive play, and rapidly makes friendly games very unfriendly.
* [[An Axe to Grind]]: As seen [http://magiccards.info/query?q=axe+t%3A%22equip%22&v=card&s=cname here]
* [[An Axe to Grind]]: As seen [http://magiccards.info/query?q=axe+t%3A%22equip%22&v=card&s=cname here]
* [[Animated Armor]]: The effect of [http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220529 March of the Machines].
* [[Animated Armor]]: The effect of [http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220529 March of the Machines].
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** As mentioned above, aggro decks, especially "weenie" decks. Most (in)famous are Goblins (the Little Red Men), White Weenie (soldiers, knights, and birds of prey), and the ''Mirrodin'' block's Ravager Affinity (a rapid-fire Game-Breaker-laden deck which can inflict sudden death very rapidly on a good opening hand).
** As mentioned above, aggro decks, especially "weenie" decks. Most (in)famous are Goblins (the Little Red Men), White Weenie (soldiers, knights, and birds of prey), and the ''Mirrodin'' block's Ravager Affinity (a rapid-fire Game-Breaker-laden deck which can inflict sudden death very rapidly on a good opening hand).
** [http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/deck/636 Kuldotha Red]. Capable of (potentially) producing as many as seven creatures in turn one.
** [http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/deck/636 Kuldotha Red]. Capable of (potentially) producing as many as seven creatures in turn one.
** Single-card examples include [http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=83292 Swarm of Rats]{{broken link}}, among others.
** Single-card examples include [https://web.archive.org/web/20090504031744/http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=83292 Swarm of Rats], among others.
** Saproling decks are based around generating absurd amounts of 1/1 tokens with relative ease; a [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=89116 Doubling Season]{{broken link}}/[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=174975 Mycoloth]{{broken link}} combo and a sacrifice of five cratures will generate 40 1/1 tokens per round, each of which the player will gleefully sacrifice for a variety of benefits.
** Saproling decks are based around generating absurd amounts of 1/1 tokens with relative ease; a [https://web.archive.org/web/20131022161620/http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=89116 Doubling Season]/[https://web.archive.org/web/20130203034953/http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=174975 Mycoloth] combo and a sacrifice of five cratures will generate 40 1/1 tokens per round, each of which the player will gleefully sacrifice for a variety of benefits.
* [[Zombie Gait]]: Evoked with some of the ''Innistrad'' zombies. [http://magiccards.info/isd/en/97.html Diregraf Ghoul] is a good example--it comes into play tapped to represent its slow gait. M11's [http://magiccards.info/m11/en/115.html Rotting Legion] does the same thing.
* [[Zombie Gait]]: Evoked with some of the ''Innistrad'' zombies. [http://magiccards.info/isd/en/97.html Diregraf Ghoul] is a good example--it comes into play tapped to represent its slow gait. M11's [http://magiccards.info/m11/en/115.html Rotting Legion] does the same thing.


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