General Rulings - G4

• G4.1a - Objects can deal "damage" to creatures, planeswalkers, and players. This is generally detrimental to the object or player that receives that damage. [CompRules 2009/10/01]
• Note - See Rule 118, "Damage."

• G4.2a - The order, announced during the declare blockers step, that an attacking creature will assign its combat damage among the multiple creatures blocking it, or that a blocking creature will assign its combat damage among the multiple creatures it's blocking. See Rule 509.2 and Rule 509.3. [CompRules 2009/07/08]

• Note - See Rule G4.1, "Damage."

• G4.4a - A keyword ability that causes damage dealt by an object to be especially effective. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• Note - See Rule 702.2, "Deathtouch."

• G4.5a - The collection of cards a player starts the game with; it becomes that player's library. See Rule 100, "General," and Rule 103, "Starting the Game." [CompRules 2009/07/08]

• G4.6a - To choose a set of creatures that will attack, declare whether each creature is attacking the defending player or a planeswalker that player controls, and pay any costs required to allow those creatures to attack. See Rule 508.1. [CompRules 2009/07/08]

• G4.7a - Part of the turn. This step is the second step of the combat phase. See Rule 508, "Declare Attackers Step." [CompRules 2009/07/08]

• G4.8a - To choose a set of creatures that will block, declare which attacking creature each creature is blocking, and pay any costs required to allow those creatures to block. See Rule 509.1. [CompRules 2009/07/08]

• G4.9a - Part of the turn. This step is the third step of the combat phase. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• Note - See Rule 509, "Declare Blockers Step."

• G4.10a - A keyword ability that prohibits a creature from attacking. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• Note - See Rule 702.3, "Defender."

• G4.11a - The player who can be attacked, and whose planeswalkers can be attacked, during the combat phase. See Rule 506.2. In certain multiplayer games, there may be more than one defending player; see Rule 802, "Attack Multiple Players Option," and Rule 806.7. [CompRules 2009/07/08]

• G4.12a - The team who can be attacked, and whose planeswalkers can be attacked, during the combat phase of a Two-Headed Giant game. See Rule 806.7. [CompRules 2009/07/08]

• G4.13a - An ability created by effects generated when some spells or abilities resolve that does something later on rather than at the time of the resolution. See Rule 603.7. [CompRules 2009/07/08]

• G4.14a - A keyword ability that reduces how much mana you need to spend to cast a spell. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• Note - See Rule 702.63, "Delve."

• G4.15a - A system that may be used to determine in which order continuous effects in the same layer or sublayer are applied. See Rule 613.7. See also Timestamp Order. [CompRules 2009/07/08]

• G4.16a - An option that may be used in certain multiplayer variants to pass control of creatures between teammates. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• Note - See Rule 804, "Deploy Creatures Option."

• G4.17a - To move a permanent from the battlefield to its owner's graveyard. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• Note - See Rule 701.6, "Destroy."

• G4.18a - A keyword ability that can have a creature enter the battlefield with +1/+1 counters on it. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• Note - See Rule 702.79, "Devour."

• G4.19a - To move a card from its owner's hand to that player's graveyard. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• Note - See Rule 701.7, "Discard."

• G4.20a - A keyword ability that lets a creature deal its combat damage twice. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• Note - See Rule 702.4, "Double Strike."

• G4.21a - (1) To put the top card of a player's library into his or her hand as a turn-based action or as the result of an effect that uses the word "draw." See Rule 119, "Drawing a Card." [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• G4.21b - (2) The result of a game in which neither player wins or loses. See Rule 104.4. [CompRules 2009/07/08]

• G4.22a - Part of the turn. This step is the third and final step of the beginning phase. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• Note - See Rule 504, "Draw Step."

• G4.23a - A keyword ability that lets a player return a card from his or her graveyard to his or her hand. [CompRules 2009/07/08]
• Note - See Rule 702.49, "Dredge."

• G4.24a - Some older cards used the phrase "during <-phase->, <-action->." These abilities were called "phase abilities." In general, cards that were printed with phase abilities have received errata in the Oracle card reference so they have abilities that trigger at the beginning of a step or phase. "During" still appears in current card text, but only in its normal English sense and not as game terminology. [CompRules 2009/07/08]