Magic Keywords

Lifelink

Detailed rules text...

Ruling 1
Ruling 2

Deathtouch

A creature with deathtouch deals lethal damage with any amount of damage, even 1.

Any nonzero amount of combat damage assigned to a creature by a source with deathtouch is considered lethal damage.
Deathtouch doesn't trigger on non-combat damage unless the source explicitly says so—but the rules actually apply to any damage from a source with deathtouch.
Multiple instances of deathtouch are redundant.

Flying

A creature with flying can't be blocked except by creatures with flying or reach.

Flying is an evasion ability that restricts blocking.
Creatures without flying or reach cannot block a creature with flying.
Multiple instances of flying are redundant.

Reach

A creature with reach can block creatures with flying.

Reach allows a creature to block attackers with flying that it otherwise couldn't.
Reach does not grant flying—the creature still can't be used to satisfy "flying" requirements.
Multiple instances of reach are redundant.

First Strike

A creature with first strike deals combat damage before creatures without first strike.

Combat damage is dealt in two steps: first strikers deal damage, then everyone else does.
If a first striker kills its blocker, the blocker deals no combat damage back.
Granting first strike after the first strike damage step doesn't retroactively deal damage.

Double Strike

A creature with double strike deals combat damage in both the first strike and normal combat damage steps.

The creature effectively hits twice—once during first strike damage and once during regular damage.
Double strike includes first strike; the creature does not get a third hit.
If blocked by a creature that dies in the first strike step, the double striker still deals its second instance of damage to the player (if it has trample).

Indestructible

A permanent with indestructible can't be destroyed.

Effects that say "destroy" don't affect indestructible permanents.
Lethal damage and damage from a source with deathtouch don't destroy indestructible creatures, but the damage stays marked on them.
Sacrificing or exiling an indestructible permanent still works—those aren't destruction.

Hexproof

A permanent with hexproof can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.

Only opponent spells and abilities are affected—you can still target your own hexproof permanents.
Non-targeting effects (like board wipes) still affect hexproof creatures.
Aura spells on the stack don't target, so an aura entering the battlefield attached to a hexproof creature works if it wasn't cast targeting it.

Hexproof from White

This permanent can't be the target of white spells or abilities your opponents control, or of white sources your opponents control.

Protection is color-specific—spells of other colors can still target it.
Prevents all damage from white sources, not just targeting.
White creatures can't block this permanent.

Hexproof from Red

This permanent can't be the target of red spells or abilities your opponents control, or of red sources your opponents control.

Protection is color-specific—spells of other colors can still target it.
Prevents all damage from red sources, not just targeting.
Red creatures can't block this permanent.

Hexproof from Green

This permanent can't be the target of green spells or abilities your opponents control, or of green sources your opponents control.

Protection is color-specific—spells of other colors can still target it.
Prevents all damage from green sources, not just targeting.
Green creatures can't block this permanent.

Hexproof from Blue

This permanent can't be the target of blue spells or abilities your opponents control, or of blue sources your opponents control.

Protection is color-specific—spells of other colors can still target it.
Prevents all damage from blue sources, not just targeting.
Blue creatures can't block this permanent.

Hexproof from Black

This permanent can't be the target of black spells or abilities your opponents control, or of black sources your opponents control.

Protection is color-specific—spells of other colors can still target it.
Prevents all damage from black sources, not just targeting.
Black creatures can't block this permanent.

Poison Counters

A player who has ten or more poison counters loses the game.

Poison counters are given to players, not creatures.
Creatures with toxic/toxic X deal X poison counters in addition to normal combat damage.
Poison counters persist—there's no natural way to remove them outside of specific card effects.
Infect damage gives poison counters equal to the damage dealt instead of regular damage.

Trample

Excess combat damage dealt by a creature with trample to a blocking creature carries over to the player or planeswalker it's attacking.

You must assign at least lethal damage to all blockers before assigning leftover damage to the player/planeswalker.
If no creatures block, all damage goes to the player/planeswalker.
Trample works with deathtouch—any nonzero damage is considered lethal, so the rest tramples over.

Haste

A creature with haste can attack and tap on the turn it enters the battlefield.

Normally, creatures can't attack or use tap abilities the turn they come under your control ("summoning sickness").
Haste only affects the "can't attack/tap" restriction—it doesn't prevent other restrictions.
Losing haste after attacking doesn't remove the creature from combat.

Menace

A creature with menace can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.

One blocker is not enough—at least two creatures must block it.
If one of the two blockers is removed before damage, the block is still legal (the creature remains blocked).
Multiple instances of menace are redundant—still just needs two blockers.

Summoning Sickness

A creature can't attack or use tap abilities the turn it comes under your control, unless it has haste.

Summoning sickness is not a keyword ability—it's a game rule that applies to all creatures.
It only affects attacking and abilities with the tap symbol—untap abilities and non-tap activated abilities work fine.
A creature that has been under your control since the beginning of your most recent turn is no longer "sick."
Gaining control of an opponent's creature gives it summoning sickness (unless it has haste).

Goad

A goaded creature attacks each combat if able, and attacks a player other than the goader if able.

Goaded creatures must attack—they can't choose to stay back.
If the goaded creature can't attack the goading player (e.g., due to a restriction), it attacks another player or a planeswalker.
If goaded by multiple players, the creature avoids all of them if able.
Goad lasts until your next turn.

Defender

A creature with defender can't attack.

Defender doesn't prevent the creature from blocking—it's purely an attack restriction.
Creatures with defender can still use abilities that cost tapping.
If a creature loses defender (via an effect), it can attack normally.

Vigilance

Attacking doesn't cause a creature with vigilance to tap.

The creature still declares an attack as normal—it just doesn't tap when doing so.
This means it can both attack and block on subsequent turns without needing to untap.
Vigilance only applies to attacking, not to other tap-based abilities.

Lore Counters

Sagas are enchantments that gain a lore counter at the beginning of your end step, triggering chapter abilities.

Chapter abilities trigger based on the number of lore counters—Chapter I triggers on the first, Chapter II on the second, etc.
Once the final chapter resolves, the Saga is sacrificed as a state-based action.
Lore counters can be added or removed by other card effects to speed up or reset Sagas.

Copy

Copies replicate an existing permanent or spell exactly—including its characteristics and abilities.

Copies don't copy the original's counters, attachments, or temporary effects unless stated.
If copying a creature, the copy is not a token unless the effect says so—it enters as a duplicate.
Most copies are tokens created by the copy effect itself.
If you copy a permanent that's a copy of something else, you copy the current state of the first copy.

Can't Attack

The creature is unable to declare an attack.

This can be caused by abilities like defender, or by external effects that prohibit attacking.
If the restriction is removed (e.g., defender is stripped), the creature can attack normally.
Effects that force a creature to attack won't override a "can't attack" restriction—restrictions win over requirements.

Can't Block

The creature is unable to declare a block.

This is typically imposed by another creature's ability (e.g., "creatures your opponents control can't block").
If the effect ends before the declare blockers step, the creature can block normally.
Like with attacking, "can't block" restrictions override effects that would force a creature to block.

Shield Counter

If a permanent with a shield counter would be destroyed or deal damage to a player, remove a shield counter instead.

A shield counter prevents damage from being dealt to a player and protects the permanent from being destroyed once.
The shield counter is removed when either of these effects happen.
Multiple shield counters protect the permanent multiple times.
Shield counters are physical counters placed on the permanent—they can be added or removed by various card effects.
This differs from Ward—Ward counters an opponent's spell/ability targeting the permanent, while Shield protects from damage/destruction effects.

Finality

If a permanent with finality would be put into a graveyard from the battlefield, exile it instead.

This is a replacement effect, not a trigger—it modifies where the permanent goes.
Finality prevents reanimation strategies—the card can't be brought back from the graveyard because it never gets there.
If the permanent is token, it ceases to exist instead (tokens can't be exiled as objects, they just vanish).

Foretell

While you have priority, you may pay {2} and exile a card from your hand face down. You may cast it later for its foretell cost.

When you foretell a card, you exile it face down as a separate game object—you retain knowledge of what it is.
On a later turn, you can cast the foretold card from exile by paying its foretell cost instead of its normal mana cost.
The foretell cost is typically lower than the card's normal mana cost, allowing you to play cards ahead of tempo.
If a card has multiple foretell values or conditions, you follow whichever is printed on the card.
You can foretell multiple cards during the same turn, but only one card may be foretold at a time by most cards.
Forgetting about a foretold card (e.g., losing track of which turn it was foretold) doesn't prevent you from casting it later.