210. Defense

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In short

Defense: the battle counterpart of loyalty — battles enter with that many defense counters. Details on the card type: rule 310.

Informal summary — the official English text below is authoritative.

210.1.Each battle card has a defense number printed in its lower right corner. This indicates its defense while it’s not on the battlefield, and it also indicates that the battle enters the battlefield with that many defense counters on it (see rule 310.4b).

Source: Wizards of the Coast, Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules. Unofficial presentation under the Fan Content Policy. Rules effective as of Sep 25, 2026