among any number of untargeted objects or players, then each of these targets, objects, or players must receive at least one of whatever is being distributed. See rules 409.1e and 310.2.
Divide has its normal English meaning in the Magic game. If a spell or ability requires a player to divide something (such as damage or counters) as he or she chooses among one or more targets, or any number of untargeted objects or players, then each of these targets, objects, or players must receive at least one of whatever is being divided. This doesn’t apply to dividing combat damage. See rules 409.1e and 310.2.
Double strike is a static ability that modifies the rules for the combat damage step. Creatures with double strike deal combat damage in both the first-strike combat damage step and the normal combat damage step. See rule 502.28, “Double Strike.”
Draw has two meanings in the Magic game.
1. A player draws a card by putting the top card of his or her library into his or her hand. This is done as a game action during each player’s draw step. It may also be done as part of a cost or effect of a spell or ability. If an effect moves cards from a player’s library to that player’s hand without using the word “draw,” the player has not drawn those cards. This makes a difference for abilities that trigger on drawing cards or that replace card draws, as well as if the player’s library is empty. See rule 423, “Drawing a Card.”
2. A drawn game is a game where the game ends and there is no winner. See rule 102.4.
The draw step is the third step of the beginning phase. As the draw step begins, the active player draws a card (this game action does not use the stack). Then the active player gets priority and players may play spells and abilities. See rule 304, “Draw Step.”
Dredge is a static ability that functions only while the card with dredge is in a player’s graveyard. “Dredge N” means “As long as you have at least N cards in your library, if you would draw a card, you may instead put N cards from the top of your library into your graveyard and return this card from your graveyard to your hand.” A player with fewer cards in his or her library than the number required by a dredge ability can’t put any of them into his or her graveyard this way. See rule 502.47, “Dredge.”
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Some older cards used the phrase “during [phase], [action].” These abilities were called “phase abilities.” In general, cards that were printed with phase abilities now have abilities that trigger at the beginning of a step or phase. “During” still appears in current card text, but only in its normal English sense and not as game terminology.
Echo is a triggered ability. “Echo [cost]” means “At the beginning of your upkeep, if this permanent came under your control since the beginning of your last upkeep, sacrifice it unless you pay its echo cost.” Urza block cards with the echo ability were printed without an echo cost; these cards have been given errata to have an echo cost equal to their mana cost. See rule 502.19, “Echo.”
“Ability” and “effect” are often confused with one another. When a spell or ability resolves, it may create one or more one-shot or continuous effects. Static abilities may create one or more continuous effects. Some effects are replacement effects or prevention effects. State-based effects are not created by spells or abilities; they are generated by specific states of the game. See rule 416, “Effects.”
Emperor is a multiplayer variant with its own rules. The Emperor variant involves two or more teams of three players each. Each team sits together on one side of the table. Each team has one emperor
The Emperor variant uses the following default options:
Enchant is a static ability, written “Enchant [permanent or player].” The enchant ability restricts what an Aura spell can target and what an Aura can enchant. See rule 212.4, “Enchantment,” and rule 502.45, “Enchant.”
Auras with the “enchant opponent” or “enchant player” ability can target and be attached to players. Such Auras can’t target permanents and can’t be attached to permanents. Rules 212.4d-k apply to an Aura with enchant player or enchant opponent in relation to players as they normally would for permanents. See also Aura, Enchant.
Enchantment is a type. The active player may play enchantments during his or her main phase when the stack is empty. See rule 212.4, “Enchantments.” See also Aura.
