Magic Rules

The complete Comprehensive Rules — searchable and cross-linked. Search by rule number (e.g. 613.1a), keyword (e.g. Deathtouch) or free text.

Rules effective as of Aug 7, 2026

Understand the Rules

Interactive explanations of the concepts most rules questions hinge on — step by step, with links into the Comprehensive Rules.

Turn Structure Every phase and step of a turn — what happens when, and who gets priority. Casting a Spell The steps of 601.2 — from announcement to payment, in the correct order. The Stack How spells and abilities resolve — LIFO, priority and responses, played through interactively. The Layer System The famous iceberg: the order in which continuous effects change a card (613). Formats & Ways to Play From Standard to Commander, from Draft to Two-Headed Giant — how the formats differ and what is legal where.

Stack Trainer Judge practice with real cards: play through scenarios step by step — with a "What happens?" question before the resolution. Ban & Restricted Lists Every banned and restricted card per format — from Standard to Commander, always current from the card data.

Table of Contents

1. Game Concepts

100. General 101. The Magic Golden Rules 102. Players 103. Starting the Game 104. Ending the Game 105. Colors 106. Mana 107. Numbers and Symbols 108. Cards 109. Objects 110. Permanents 111. Tokens 112. Spells 113. Abilities 114. Emblems 115. Targets 116. Special Actions 117. Timing and Priority 118. Costs 119. Life 120. Damage 121. Drawing a Card 122. Counters 123. Stickers

2. Parts of a Card

200. General 201. Name 202. Mana Cost and Color 203. Illustration 204. Color Indicator 205. Type Line 206. Expansion Symbol 207. Text Box 208. Power/Toughness 209. Loyalty 210. Defense 211. Hand Modifier 212. Life Modifier 213. Information Below the Text Box

3. Card Types

300. General 301. Artifacts 302. Creatures 303. Enchantments 304. Instants 305. Lands 306. Planeswalkers 307. Sorceries 308. Kindreds 309. Dungeons 310. Battles 311. Planes 312. Phenomena 313. Vanguards 314. Schemes 315. Conspiracies

4. Zones

400. General 401. Library 402. Hand 403. Battlefield 404. Graveyard 405. Stack 406. Exile 407. Ante 408. Command

5. Turn Structure

500. General 501. Beginning Phase 502. Untap Step 503. Upkeep Step 504. Draw Step 505. Main Phase 506. Combat Phase 507. Beginning of Combat Step 508. Declare Attackers Step 509. Declare Blockers Step 510. Combat Damage Step 511. End of Combat Step 512. Ending Phase 513. End Step 514. Cleanup Step

6. Spells, Abilities, and Effects

600. General 601. Casting Spells 602. Activating Activated Abilities 603. Handling Triggered Abilities 604. Handling Static Abilities 605. Mana Abilities 606. Loyalty Abilities 607. Linked Abilities 608. Resolving Spells and Abilities 609. Effects 610. One-Shot Effects 611. Continuous Effects 612. Text-Changing Effects 613. Interaction of Continuous Effects 614. Replacement Effects 615. Prevention Effects 616. Interaction of Replacement and/or Prevention Effects

7. Additional Rules

700. General 701. Keyword Actions 702. Keyword Abilities 703. Turn-Based Actions 704. State-Based Actions 705. Flipping a Coin 706. Rolling a Die 707. Copying Objects 708. Face-Down Spells and Permanents 709. Split Cards 710. Flip Cards 711. Leveler Cards 712. Double-Faced Cards 713. Substitute Cards 714. Saga Cards 715. Adventurer Cards 716. Class Cards 717. Attraction Cards 718. Prototype Cards 719. Case Cards 720. Omen Cards 721. Station Cards 722. Preparation Cards 723. Controlling Another Player 724. Ending Turns and Phases 725. The Monarch 726. The Initiative 727. Restarting the Game 728. Rad Counters 729. Subgames 730. Merging with Permanents 731. Day and Night 732. Taking Shortcuts 733. Handling Illegal Actions

8. Multiplayer Rules

800. General 801. Limited Range of Influence Option 802. Attack Multiple Players Option 803. Attack Left and Attack Right Options 804. Deploy Creatures Option 805. Shared Team Turns Option 806. Free-for-All Variant 807. Grand Melee Variant 808. Team vs. Team Variant 809. Emperor Variant 810. Two-Headed Giant Variant 811. Alternating Teams Variant

9. Casual Variants

900. General 901. Planechase 902. Vanguard 903. Commander 904. Archenemy 905. Conspiracy Draft

Glossary All terms from the official Comprehensive Rules glossary, with clickable rule references.

Source: Wizards of the Coast, Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules. Unofficial presentation under the Fan Content Policy.