Activating an Ability
From Rules
This page is current as of Comprehensive Rules June 2011. Please direct your feedback to: The Staff
- Activated abilities have a cost and an effect. They are written as "[Cost]: [Effect.] [Activation instructions (if any).]" [CR 602.1]
Recognizing an activated ability is easy: if you see the colon (:), it's an activated one.
| Example. Tectonic Edge has two activated abilities.
The first one is written as [Cost]: [Effect.], i.e.:
The second one is written as [Cost]: [Effect.][Activation instructions], i.e.:
|
Tectonic Edge |
- The activation cost is everything before the colon (:). An ability's activation cost must be paid by the player who is activating it. [CR 602.1a]
Example. When we say "everything", we do mean "everything". While there are categories of activation costs that are very common ( , sacrifice, pay an amount of mana), the upper limit is only the imagination of card designers.
Zombie Scavengers regeneration ability has the following cost: "exile the top creature card of your graveyard". |
Zombie Scavengers |
- Some text after the colon of an activated ability states instructions that must be followed while activating that ability. Such text may state which players can activate that ability, may restrict when a player can activate the ability, or may define some aspect of the activation cost. This text is not part of the ability's effect. It functions at all times. If an activated ability has any activation instructions, they appear last, after the ability's effect. [CR 602.1b]
| Example. "Any player may activate this ability" is an example of text that "states which players can activate that ability".
(I have a strong feeling Feral Hydra was designed with 2HG in mind) |
Feral Hydra |
| Example. "Activate this ability only if an opponent controls four or more lands" is an example of text that "restricts when a player can activate the ability". | Tectonic Edge |
| Example. "Spend only red mana this way" is an example of text that "defines some aspect of the activation cost". | Crimson Hellkite |
- An activated ability is the only kind of ability that can be activated. If an object or rule refers to activating an ability without specifying what kind, it must be referring to an activated ability. [CR 602.1c]
| Example. Split Second ability says players can't "activate abilites" when a spell with split second is on the stack.
Even if not told explicitly, this refers to activated abilities: static and triggered abilities continue working. |
Celestial Crusader |
- Previously, the action of using an activated ability was referred to on cards as "playing" that ability. Cards that were printed with that text have received errata in the Oracle card reference so they now refer to "activating" that ability. [CR 602.1d]
| Example. Two printed versions of Basking Rootwalla exist, the only difference being that the oldest one talks about "playing" the pump ability and the newer one talks about "activating" it. Of course, official text is the most recent one. |
Basking Rootwalla
|
- To activate an ability is to put it onto the stack and pay its costs, so that it will eventually resolve and have its effect. Only an object's controller (or its owner, if it doesn't have a controller) can activate its activated ability unless the object specifically says otherwise. Activating an ability follows the steps listed below, in order. If, at any point during the activation of an ability, a player is unable to comply with any of those steps, the activation is illegal; the game returns to the moment before that ability started to be activated (see rule 716, "Handling Illegal Actions"). Announcements and payments can't be altered after they've been made. [CR 602.2]
- The player announces that he or she is activating the ability. If an activated ability is being activated from a hidden zone, the card that has that ability is revealed. That ability is created on the stack as an object that's not a card. It becomes the topmost object on the stack. It has the text of the ability that created it, and no other characteristics. Its controller is the player who activated the ability. The ability remains on the stack until it's countered, it resolves, or an effect moves it elsewhere. [CR 602.2a]
| Example. Forecast is an example of ability that works from a hidden zone (i.e. your hand).
According to the rule above, when you activate forecast you must reveal the card with that ability. |
Sky Hussar |
- The remainder of the process for activating an ability is identical to the process for casting a spell listed in rules 601.2b-h. Those rules apply to activating an ability just as they apply to casting a spell. An activated ability's analog to a spell's mana cost (as referenced in [CR 601.2e]) is its activation cost. [CR 602.2b]
For explanation of how casting a spell works, you may refer to this section
- Some abilities specify that one of their controller's opponents does something the controller would normally do while it's being activated, such as choose a mode or choose targets. In these cases, the opponent does so when the ability's controller normally would do so. [CR 602.3]
| Example. If you activate Echo Chamber ability, your opponent will call for target instead of you - but he will do that
when you would have done. |
Echo Chamber |
- If there is more than one opponent who could make such a choice, the ability's controller decides which of those opponents will make the choice. [CR 602.3a]
| Example. In a 2HG game, you choose the opponent for Echo Chamber ability.
(note that Oracle text tells "an opponent" - not "target opponent") |
Echo Chamber |
- If the ability instructs its controller and another player to do something at the same time as the ability is being activated, the ability's controller goes first, then the other player. This is an exception to [CR 101.4]. [CR 602.3b]
The meaning of this rule is the following: when both players must do something at the same time, active player goes first, then nonactive player. For choices made during activation of an ability, there is an exception: the player controlling the ability goes first, then the other player.
| Example. If you control Mogg Assassin and activate its ability, you are going to choose the target first, then your opponent -
even if you activate the ability during your opponent turn. |
Mogg Assassin |
- Activating an ability that alters costs won't affect spells and abilities that are already on the stack. [CR 602.4]
| Example. You control a Chill. Your opponent casts a Path to Exile. Using Blind Seer ability to turn red the Path does NOT cause an increase of its casting cost - the spell is already on the stack. |
Blind Seer
|
- A player can't begin to activate an ability that's prohibited from being activated. [CR 602.5]
- A creature's activated ability with the tap symbol (
) or the untap symbol (
) in its activation cost can't be activated unless the creature has been under its controller's control since the start of his or her most recent turn. Ignore this rule for creatures with haste (see [CR 702.10]). [CR 602.5a]
| Example. Puppeteer has an activated ability with the the symbol in its activation cost. It's a creature so we can activate the ability only if it was into the battlefield at the beginning of our turn (if when we untapped it was already under our control). This rule is informally called "summoning sickness" .
|
Puppeteer |
| Example. Azami, Lady of Scrolls has an activated ability and its cost requires us to tap an untapped wizard. This is different from Puppeteer, as it doesn't require the tap of itself, but the tap of "some" cards with a specific characteristic (in this case a Wizard of our choice). Because the tap is not indicated with the symbol (which is used only when the TAP refers to the card where it's written) we can tap this creature to pay for its ability even if it just entered the battlefield this turn.
|
Azami, Lady of Scrolls |
- If an activated ability has a restriction on its use (for example, "Activate this ability only once each turn"), the restriction continues to apply to that object even if its controller changes. [CR 602.5b]
| Example. you cast Mind Control on your opponent Wirewood Symbiote. He responds by activating Symbiote ability.
When Mind Control resolves, and you take control of the Insect, you are not allowed to activate the ability again during the same turn. |
Wirewood Symbiote
|
- If an object acquires an activated ability with a restriction on its use from another object, that restriction applies only to that ability as acquired from that object. It doesn't apply to other, identically worded abilities. [CR 602.5c]
- Activated abilities that read "Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery" mean the player must follow the timing rules for casting a sorcery spell, though the ability isn't actually a sorcery. The player doesn't actually need to have a sorcery card that he or she could cast. [CR 602.5d]
| Example. Equip means "Attach this permanent to target creature you control. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery."
You may equip a creature only during your main phase with an empty stack, but you can do that even if you have no sorceries in your hand. |
Bonesplitter |
| Example. Dimir Guildmage has two different activated abilities. Both abilities have requirements that affect the timing those abilities can be activated. It actually means that we can activate them only with an empty stack and on our turn (even if a card should forbid the casting of sorceries). As there are no symbols, we can activate them as soon as the creature comes into the battlefield.
|
Dimir Guildmage |
- Activated abilities that read "Activate this ability only any time you could cast an instant" mean the player must follow the timing rules for casting an instant spell, though the ability isn't actually an instant. The player doesn't actually need to have an instant card that he or she could cast. [CR 602.5e]
| Example. Lion's Eye Diamond Oracle text reads " Does the errata make a difference? Indeed, the difference couldn't be greater! Note that the ability is a mana ability in both cases, with and without the correction. Still, without the errata, you could use the mana ability as such (i.e. even during the process of casting a spell). This means you could:
But since an errata exists, this trick doesn't work anymore. If you want to get mana, you must be in a moment of the game in which you could cast an instant - and you cannot do that while casting a spell. Men, that Black Lotus may not be worth its full market value, but definitely plays in another league. |
Black Lotus
|
- Activating an ability can be done any number of times if not explicitly written otherwise and if all costs can be payed.
Example. Nantuko Shade can have its power/toughness changed with its activated ability by paying  . This can be done any number of times without restrictions as long as we can pay .
|
Nantuko Shade |
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