Kinds of Abilities |
Activated |
Activated abilities are abilities of a card that their controller can use whenever he or she wants (providing that He/She can pay for it and barring special conditions (i.e.: Play this ability only during your turn etc.). |
Triggered |
Triggered Abilities are abilities that activate when certain conditions are met. |
Static |
A Static Ability is one that, once it is employed or put into effect, simply is always in effect until the endgame. |
List of Activated Abilities |
Effect |
Cycling |
A |
Equip |
Equipping is to attach a piece of Artifact Equipment to a creature, buffering it or giving it an extra ability |
List of Triggered Abilities |
Effect |
Cumulative Upkeep |
Imposes an increasing cost to keep a permanent. |
Echo |
Requires the affected permanent's controller to pay its echo cost at the beginning of that player's next upkeep. |
List of Static Abilities |
Effect |
Buyback |
Allows you to return the card to your hand when it resolves. |
Daybound |
If a player cast no spells during their own turn, it becomes night next turn. |
Deathtouch |
Any amount of damage dealt by a source with Deathtouch is enough to kill the creature receiving the damage. |
Defender |
This creature cannot attack. |
Double Strike |
A creature with Double Strike deals damage during the first combat damage step alongside creatures with first strike, then additionally deal damage during the second damage step along with regular creatures. |
Enchant |
Enchant {target} is a static ability found on Auras which defines what they can enchant. The keyword is written with a quality after it (e.g. Enchant creature) which defines what the aura can enchant. |
Extort |
Whenever you cast a spell, you may pay {W/B} If you do, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain that much life. |
First Strike |
Creates an additional combat damage step. A creature with first strike will deal its combat damage before a creature that doesn't. |
Flash |
Allows the affected card to be cast at any time you could cast an instant. |
Flying |
The affected creature cannot be blocked except by other creatures with either flying or creatures with the static ability Reach. Creatures with flying can block other creatures with or without flying. |
Haste |
Allows creatures to ignore the affliction informally known as "Summoning Sickness". This means that they can attack and use activated abilities with the tap symbol on the same turn they enter the battlefield. |
Hexproof |
The affected permanent is unable to be targeted by spells or abilities your opponents control. Permanents with hexproof can still be targeted by spells or abilities you control. |
Indestructible |
Any permanent that has indestructible cannot be destroyed, and cannot die as a result of lethal damage. |
Infect |
This creature deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters. |
Islandwalk |
The affected creature cannot be blocked as long as the defending player controls an Island land. |
Intimidate |
Restricts the types of creatures that can block a creature with intimidate. A creature with intimidate can't be blocked, except by artifact creatures and by creatures that share a color with it. |
Kicker/Multikicker |
Allows the player to pay an optional cost when casting a spell to achieve an additional effect. |
Plainswalk |
The affected creature cannot be blocked as long as the defending player controls a Plains land. |
Menace |
This creature can't be blocked except by two or more creatures. |
Mountainwalk |
The affected creature cannot be blocked as long as the defending player controls a Mountain land. |
Mutate |
If you cast a spell for its mutate cost, put it over or under target non-Human creature you own. They mutate into the creature on top plus all abilities from under it. |
Nightbound |
If a player cast at least two spells during their own turn, it becomes day next turn. |
Forestwalk |
The affected creature cannot be blocked as long as the defending player controls a Forest land. |
Swampwalk |
The affected creature cannot be blocked as long as the defending player controls a Swamp land. |
Lifelink |
a static ability that modifies the result of damage. When a card with lifelink deals damage, the controller of that card also gains an amount of life equal to the amount of damage dealt. |
Protection |
Grants the affected permanent the inability to be dealt damage, enchanted, blocked, or targeted by any card with the stated quality. |
Reach |
The affected creature can block creatures with flying. |
Riot |
This creature enters the battlefield with your choice of a +1/+1 counter or haste. |
Shadow |
The affected creature can only block, or be blocked by other creatures with shadow. |
Shroud |
The affected permanent or player cannot be the target of any spells or abilities, including your own. |
Toxic |
Players dealt combat damage by this creature also get X poison counter(s) |
Trample |
When attacking, the affected creature assigns the remaining damage not taken by creatures blocking it to the defending player. |
Vigilance |
The affected creature does not tap once declared as an attacker. |