Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules

Enchantment Type

Enchantment subtypes are always a single word and are listed after a long dash: “Enchantment – Shrine.” Enchantment subtypes are also called enchantment types.

The list of enchantment types, updated through the Time Spiral set, is as follows: Aura, Shrine.

End of Combat Step

The end of combat step is the fifth step of the combat phase. A player may play spells and abilities during this step whenever he or she has priority. See rule 311, “End of Combat Step.”

End of Turn Step

This is the first step of the end phase. A player may play spells and abilities during this step whenever he or she has priority. See rule 313, “End of Turn Step.”

End Phase

The end phase is the fifth and final phase of the turn. It has two steps: end of turn and cleanup. See rule 312, “End Phase.”

Ending the Turn

One card (Time Stop) ends the turn when its resolves. When an effect ends the turn, follow these steps in order: Remove every object on the stack from the game. Remove all attacking and blocking creatures, if any, from combat. Check state-based effects. The current step and/or phase ends. The game skips straight to the cleanup step. See rule 509, “Ending the Turn.”

Entwine

Entwine is a static ability that functions while the spell is on the stack. “Entwine [cost]” means “You may choose to use all modes of this spell instead of just one. If you do, you pay an additional [cost].” When the spell resolves, if the entwine cost was paid, follow the text of each of the modes in the order they’re written on the card. See rule 502.32, “Entwine.”

Epic

Epic represents both a static ability and a delayed triggered ability. “Epic” means, “For the rest of the game, you can’t play spells,” and “At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this spell except for its epic ability. If the spell has any targets, you may choose new targets for the copy.” See rule 502.44, “Epic.”

Equip

Equip is an activated ability. “Equip [cost]” means “[Cost]: Attach this Equipment to target creature you control. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery.” See rule 502.33, “Equip,” and rule 212.2, “Artifacts.”

Equipment

Some artifacts have the subtype “Equipment.” These artifacts can be attached to (can “equip”) creatures. They can’t equip objects that aren’t creatures. An Equipment is played and comes into play just like any other artifact. Equipment doesn’t come into play equipping a creature. The equip keyword ability moves the Equipment onto a creature you control. (See rule 502.33, “Equip.”) The creature an Equipment is attached to is called “equipped.” The Equipment is attached to, or “equips,” that creature.

An Equipment that’s also a creature or an Equipment that loses the subtype “Equipment” can’t equip a creature. An Equipment can’t equip itself. An Equipment that equips an illegal or nonexistent permanent becomes unattached from that permanent, but remains in play. (This is a state-based effect. See rule 420.)

Evasion Ability

Evasion abilities restrict what creatures can block an attacking creature. These are static abilities that modify the declare blockers step of the combat phase. See rule 501, “Evasion Abilities.”

Event

Anything that happens in a game is an event. Multiple events may take place during the resolution of a spell or ability. The text of triggered abilities and replacement effects defines the event they’re looking for. One “happening” may be treated as a single event by one ability and as multiple events by another.

Example: If an attacking creature is blocked by two defending creatures, this is one event for a triggered ability that reads “Whenever [name] becomes blocked” but two events for a triggered ability that reads “Whenever [name] becomes blocked by a creature.”

Exchange

A spell or ability may instruct two players to exchange something (for example, life totals or control of two permanents) as part of its resolution. When such a spell or ability resolves, if it can’t exchange the chosen things, it has no effect on them.

Example: If a spell attempts to exchange control of two target creatures but one of those creatures is destroyed before the spell resolves, the spell does nothing to the other creature. Or if a spell attempts to exchange control of two target creatures but both of those creatures are controlled by the same player, the spell does nothing to the two creatures.

When control of two permanents is exchanged, each player simultaneously gains control of the permanent that was controlled by the other player.

When life totals are exchanged, each player gains or loses the amount of life necessary to equal the other player’s previous life total. Replacement effects may modify these gains and losses, and triggered abilities may trigger on them.

Some spells or abilities may instruct a player to exchange cards in one zone with cards in a different zone (for example, cards removed from the game and cards in a player’s hand). These spells and abilities work the same as other “exchange” spells and abilities, except they can exchange the cards only if all the cards are owned by the same player.

If a spell or ability instructs a player to simply exchange two zones, and one of the zones is empty, the cards in the zones are still exchanged.