General Rulings - 112

• 112.1 - An ability can be one of two things: [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 112.1a - An ability is a characteristic an object has that lets it affect the game. An object's abilities are defined by its rules text or by the effect that created it. Abilities can also be granted to objects by rules or effects. (Effects that do so use the words "has," "have," "gains," or "gain.") Abilities generate effects. (See Rule 609, "Effects.") [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 112.1b - An ability can be an activated or triggered ability on the stack. This kind of ability is an object. (See Section 6, "Spells, Abilities, and Effects.") [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 112.2 - Abilities can affect the objects they're on. They can also affect other objects and/or players. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 112.2a - Abilities can be beneficial or detrimental. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
  Example: "<-This creature-> can't block" is an ability. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 112.2b - An additional cost or alternative cost to cast a card is an ability of the card. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 112.2c - An object may have multiple abilities. If the object is represented by a card, then aside from certain defined abilities that may be strung together on a single line (see Rule 702, "Keyword Abilities"), each paragraph break in a card's text marks a separate ability. If the object is not represented by a card, the effect that created it may have given it multiple abilities. An object may also be granted additional abilities by a spell or ability. If an object has multiple instances of the same ability, each instance functions independently. This may or may not produce more effects than a single instance; refer to the specific ability for more information. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 112.2d - Abilities can generate one-shot effects or continuous effects. Some continuous effects are replacement effects or prevention effects. See Rule 609, "Effects." [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 112.3 - There are four general categories of abilities: [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 112.3a - Spell abilities are abilities that are followed as instructions while an instant or sorcery spell is resolving. Any text on an instant or sorcery spell is a spell ability unless it's an activated ability, a triggered ability, or a static ability that fits the criteria described in Rules 112.5a through Rule 112.5j. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 112.3b - Activated abilities have a cost and an effect. They are written as "<-Cost->: <-Effect.-> <-Activation restriction (if any).->" A player may activate such an ability whenever he or she has priority. Doing so puts it on the stack, where it remains until it's countered, it resolves, or it otherwise leaves the stack. See Rule 602, "Activating Activated Abilities." [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 112.3c - Triggered abilities have a trigger condition and an effect. They are written as "<-Trigger condition->, <-effect->," and begin with the word "when," "whenever," or "at." Whenever the trigger event occurs, the ability is put on the stack the next time a player would receive priority and stays there until it's countered, it resolves, or it otherwise leaves the stack. See Rule 603, "Handling Triggered Abilities." [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 112.3d - Static abilities are written as statements. They're simply true. Static abilities create continuous effects which are active while the permanent with the ability is on the battlefield and has the ability, or while the object with the ability is in the appropriate zone. See Rule 604, "Handling Static Abilities." [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 112.4 - Some activated abilities and some triggered abilities are mana abilities. Mana abilities follow special rules: They don't use the stack, and, under certain circumstances, a player can activate mana abilities even if he or she doesn't have priority. See Rule 605, "Mana Abilities." [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 112.5 - Some activated abilities are loyalty abilities. Loyalty abilities follow special rules: A player may activate a loyalty ability of a permanent he or she controls any time he or she has priority and the stack is empty during a main phase of his or her turn, but only if none of that permanent's loyalty abilities have been activated that turn. See Rule 606, "Loyalty Abilities." [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 112.6 - Abilities of an instant or sorcery spell usually function only while that object is on the stack. Abilities of all other objects usually function only while that object is on the battlefield. The exceptions are as follows: [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 112.6a - Characteristic-defining abilities function everywhere, even outside the game. (See Rule 604.3.) [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 112.6b - An ability that states which zones it functions in functions only from those zones. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 112.6c - An object's ability that modifies what that particular object costs to cast functions on the stack. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 112.6d - An object's ability that restricts or modifies how that particular object can be played or cast functions in any zone from which it could be played or cast. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 112.6e - An object's ability that restricts or modifies what zones that particular object can be played or cast from functions in all zones. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 112.6f - An object's ability that modifies how that particular object enters the battlefield functions as that object is entering the battlefield. See Rule 613.12. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 112.6g - An object's activated ability that has a cost that can't be paid while the object is on the battlefield functions from any zone in which its cost can be paid. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 112.6h - A trigger condition that can't trigger from the battlefield functions in all zones it can trigger from. Other trigger conditions of the same triggered ability may function in different zones. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
  Example: Absolver Thrull has the ability "When Absolver Thrull enters the battlefield or the creature it haunts is put into a graveyard, destroy target enchantment." The first trigger condition triggers from the battlefield and the second trigger condition functions from the exile zone. (See Rule 702.52, "Haunt.") [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 112.6i - An ability whose cost or effect specifies that it moves the object it's on out of a particular zone functions only in that zone, unless that ability's trigger condition, or a previous part of that ability's cost or effect, specifies that the object is put into that zone. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
  Example: Necrosavant says "{3}{B}{B}, Sacrifice a creature: Return Necrosavant from your graveyard to the battlefield. Activate this ability only during your upkeep." A player may activate this ability only if Necrosavant is in his or her graveyard. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• 112.6j - An ability that modifies the rules for deck construction functions before the game begins. Such an ability modifies not just the Comprehensive Rules, but also the Magic: The Gathering Tournament Rules and any other documents that set the deck construction rules for a specific Constructed format. However, such an ability can't affect the format legality of a card, including whether it's banned or restricted. The current Magic: The Gathering Tournament Rules can be found at <-http://www.wizards.com/Magic/TCG/Events.aspx?x=dci/doccenter/home->. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 112.6k - Abilities of plane cards and vanguard cards function in the command zone. See Rule 901, "Planar Magic," and Rule 902, "Vanguard." [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 112.7 - The source of an ability on the stack is the object that generated that ability. For an activated ability, it's the object whose ability was activated. For a triggered ability (other than a delayed triggered ability), it's the object whose ability triggered. For a delayed triggered ability created by another ability, it's the source of that other ability. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 112.7a - Once activated or triggered, an ability exists on the stack independently of its source. Destruction or removal of the source after that time won't affect the ability. Note that some abilities cause a source to do something (for example, "Prodigal Sorcerer deals 1 damage to target creature or player") rather than the ability doing anything directly. In these cases, any activated or triggered ability that references information about the source because the effect needs to be divided checks that information when the ability is put onto the stack. Otherwise, it will check that information when it resolves. In both instances, if the source is no longer in the zone it's expected to be in at that time, its last known information is used. The source can still perform the action even though it no longer exists. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 112.8 - The controller of an activated ability on the stack is the player who activated it. The controller of a triggered ability on the stack (other than a delayed triggered ability) is the player who controlled the ability's source when it triggered, or, if it had no controller, the player who owned the ability's source when it triggered. The controller of a delayed triggered ability on the stack is the player who controlled the spell or ability that created it. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 112.9 - Activated and triggered abilities on the stack aren't spells, and therefore can't be countered by anything that counters only spells. Activated and triggered abilities on the stack can be countered by effects that specifically counter abilities, as well as by the rules (for example, an ability with one or more targets is countered if all its targets become illegal). Static abilities don't use the stack and thus can't be countered at all. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 112.10 - Effects can add or remove abilities of objects. An effect that adds an ability will state that the object "gains" or "has" that ability. An effect that removes an ability will state that the object "loses" that ability. Effects that remove an ability remove all instances of it. If two or more effects add and remove the same ability, in general the most recent one prevails. (See Rule 613, "Interaction of Continuous Effects.") [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• 112.11 - An effect that sets an object's characteristic, or simply states a quality of that object, is different from an ability granted by an effect. When an object "gains" or "has" an ability, that ability can be removed by another effect. If an effect defines a characteristic of the object ("<-permanent-> is <-characteristic value->"), it's not granting an ability. (See Rule 604.3.) [CompRules 2009/10/01]
  Example: Muraganda Petroglyphs reads, "Creatures with no abilities get +2/+2." A Runeclaw Bear (a creature with no abilities) enchanted by an Aura that says "Enchanted creature has flying" would not get +2/+2. A Runeclaw Bear enchanted by an Aura that says "Enchanted creature is red" or "Enchanted creature is indestructible" would get +2/+2. [CompRules 2009/07/08]