see rule 420). If a player has ten or more poison counters, he or she loses the game the next time a player would receive priority. (this is a state-based effect; see rule 420). If a player would both win and lose simultaneously, he or she loses. In a multiplayer game between teams, a team loses the game if all players on that team have lost. See rule 102, “Winning and Losing.”
Madness is a keyword that represents two abilities. “Madness [cost]” means “If a player would discard this card, that player discards it, but may remove it from the game instead of putting it into his or her graveyard” and “When this card is removed from the game this way, its owner may play it by paying [cost] rather than paying its mana cost. If that player doesn’t, he or she puts this card into his or her graveyard.” See rule 502.24, “Madness.”
Some cards allow players to play a Magic subgame. The “main game” is the game in which the spell or ability that created the subgame was played. See rule 506, “Subgames.”
The term “main phase” comprises the first main and second main phases, also called the “precombat” and “postcombat” main phases. Artifact, creature, enchantment, and sorcery spells may be played only by the active player during his or her main phase, and only when the stack is empty. A player may also play one land each turn during his or her main phase.
Mana is the energy used to play spells and is usually produced by lands. Mana is created by mana abilities (and sometimes by spells), and it can be used to pay costs immediately or can stay in the player’s mana pool. See rule 406, “Mana Abilities.”
Colored mana costs, represented by colored mana symbols, can be paid only with the appropriate color of mana. Generic mana costs can be paid with any color of, or with colorless, mana. See rule 104.3.
The spell or ability that adds mana to a mana pool may restrict how it can be used. An ability might produce mana that can be used only to play creature spells or only to pay activation costs.
The type of mana a permanent “could produce” is the type of mana that any ability of that permanent can generate, taking into account any applicable replacement effects. If the type of mana can’t be defined, there’s no type of mana that that permanent could produce. The “type” of mana is its color, or lack thereof (for colorless mana).
A mana ability is either activated or triggered. A mana ability doesn’t go on the stack-it resolves immediately. See rule 411, “Playing Mana Abilities.”
A player may play an activated mana ability whenever he or she has priority and whenever a rule or effect asks for a mana payment. This is the only type of ability that can be played in the middle of playing or resolving a spell or ability. See rule 406, “Mana Abilities.”
When a phase ends, any unused mana remaining in a player’s mana pool is lost. The player loses 1 life for each mana lost this way. This is called “mana burn.” See rule 300.3.
The mana cost of a card is indicated by the mana symbols printed on its upper right corner. If a card has no mana symbols printed in its upper right corner, it has no mana cost. Land cards and face-down spells and permanents normally have no mana cost. Tokens have no mana cost unless the effect that creates them specifies otherwise. A copy of an object copies that object’s mana cost. See rule 203, “Mana Cost and Color.”
When an effect creates mana, that mana goes into the player’s mana pool. From there, it can be used to pay for spells and abilities. The mana can be used immediately to pay a cost, or stored in the mana pool for use later in the phase. The mana pool is cleared at the end of each phase. See also Mana Burn.
Some older cards were printed with the type “mana source.” All mana source cards are now instant cards. Abilities that used to read “Play this ability as a mana source” are now mana abilities.
The mana symbols are {W}, {U}, {B}, {R}, {G}, {X}, {Y}, and {Z}; the numerals {0}, {1}, {2}, {3}, {4}, and so on; the hybrid symbols {W/U}, {W/B}, {U/B}, {U/R}, {B/R}, {B/G}, {R/G}, {R/W}, {G/W}, and {G/U}; and the snow symbol {S}. See rule 104.3.
Each of the colored mana symbols represents one colored mana: {W} white, {U} blue, {B} black, {R} red, and {G} green. See rule 104.3a.
Numeral symbols (such as {1}) are generic mana costs and represent an amount of mana that can be paid with any color of, or colorless, mana. See rule 104.3b.
The symbols {X}, {Y} and {Z} represent unspecified amounts of mana; when playing a spell or activated ability with {X}, {Y}, or {Z} in its cost, its controller decides the value of that variable. See rule 104.3c.
Numeral symbols and variable symbols can also represent colorless mana if they appear in the effect of a spell or of a mana ability that reads “add [mana symbol] to your mana pool” or something similar. See rule 104.3d.
The symbol {0} represents zero mana and is used as a placeholder when a spell or activated ability costs nothing to play. A spell or ability whose cost is {0} must still be played the same way as one with a cost greater than zero; it won’t play itself automatically. See rule 104.3e.
Each of the hybrid mana symbols represents a cost which can be paid with one of two colors: {W/U} in a cost can be paid with either white or blue mana, {W/B} white or black, {U/B} blue or black, {U/R} blue or red, {B/R} black or red, {B/G} black or green, {R/G} red or green, {R/W} red or white, {G/W} green or white, and {G/U} green or blue. See rule 104.3f.
The symbol {S} represents a cost that can be paid with one mana produced by a snow permanent. See rule 104.3h.
A match is a series of Magic games and is important only for tournament or league play. A two-player match usually consists of the best two of three games, or sometimes the best three of five. A multiplayer match usually consists of only one game. For more information, consult the DCI
