_Ravnica: City of Guilds_(TM) Frequently Asked Questions
Compiled by Mark L. Gottlieb, with contributions from Laurie Cheers, Dave DeLaney, Jeff Jordan, and Lee Sharpe
Document last modified August 30, 2005
Ravnica: City of Guilds Prerelease tournaments: September 24-25, 2005
Ravnica: City of Guilds official release date: October 7, 2005
The Ravnica: City of Guilds set becomes legal for sanctioned Constructed play October 20, 2005.
Set size: 306 cards (110 common, 88 uncommon, 88 rare, 20 basic lands)
This FAQ has two sections, each of which serves a different purpose.
The first section ("General Notes") explains the new mechanics and concepts in the set. The second section ("Card-Specific Notes") contains answers to the most important questions players might ask about a given card.
Items in the "Card-Specific Notes" section include full rules text for your reference. Not all cards in the set are listed.
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GENERAL NOTES
Hybrid Cards and Half-Half Mana Symbols
The _Ravnica_(TM) set introduces four out of a set of ten new mana symbols. "Half-half" mana symbols are half one color and half another color. Cards that have half-half mana symbols in their mana costs are called "hybrid" cards. Hybrid cards are multicolored cards. Unlike other multicolored cards, which appear in a gold frame, hybrid cards appear in a two-tone frame; the left half of the card's frame is one of its colors and the right half is its other color.
Boros Recruit
{R/W}
Creature -- Goblin Soldier
1/1
({R/W} can be paid with either {R} or {W}.)
First strike
The official rules for half-half mana symbols are as follows:
104.3. The mana symbols are {W}, {U}, {B}, {R}, {G}, {X}, {Y}, {Z}, the numerals {0}, {1}, {2}, {3}, {4}, and so on, and the half-half symbols {W/U}, {W/B}, {U/B}, {U/R}, {B/R}, {B/G}, {R/G}, {R/W}, {G/W}, and {G/U}.
104.3f Each of the half-half mana symbols represents a cost which can be paid with one of two colors: {W/U} in a cost can be paid with either white or blue mana, {W/B} white or black, {U/B} blue or black, {U/R} blue or red, {B/R} black or red, {B/G} black or green, {R/G} red or green, {R/W} red or white, {G/W} green or white, and {G/U} green or blue.
Example: {G/W}{G/W} can be paid by spending {G}{G}, {G}{W}, or {W}{W}.
203.2e An object with one or more half-half mana symbols in its mana cost is each of the colors of that mana symbol, in addition to any other colors the object might be. Most cards with half-half mana symbols in their mana costs are printed in a two-tone frame. See rule 104.3.
* A hybrid card is each color that appears in its mana cost, regardless of what color or colors were paid to play it. For example, a card that costs {R/W} is red and white.
* As you play a hybrid card, you choose which color of mana you will spend for each half-half mana symbol at the same time you would choose modes or choose a value for X. If an effect then reduces the cost of that spell by one or more colored mana, it does so if those colors are part of the cost you determined for the spell. The spell is all the card's colors, no matter what mana you pay its cost with.
* Half-half mana symbols are not new colors. You can't add half-half mana to your mana pool.
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Guilds
Each two-color combination in the _Magic_(TM) game is represented in the world of Ravnica by a guild -- an organized association of people with common beliefs. Four of these guilds appear in this set and the remaining six will appear later in the Ravnica block.
You can tell if a card is identified with a guild by the appearance of a guild symbol in the background of its text box. For example, the symbol of the green-white Selesnya guild appears on green-white cards, cards with the convoke mechanic, lands that produce green and white mana, and so on. The guild symbols have no effect on game play.
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Convoke
Convoke is a static ability that lets you tap your creatures to help pay for other spells. Only cards from the Selesnya guild (green, white, or green-white) have convoke.
Conclave Equenaut
{4}{W}{W}
Creature -- Human Soldier
3/3
Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by {1} or by one mana of that creature's color.)
Flying
The official rules for the convoke ability are as follows:
502.46. Convoke
502.46a Convoke is a static ability that functions while the spell is on the stack. "Convoke" means "As an additional cost to play this spell, you may tap any number of untapped creatures you control. Each creature tapped this way reduces the cost to play this spell by {1} or by one mana of any of that creature's colors." Using the convoke ability follows the rules for paying additional costs in rules 409.1b and 4091f-h.
Example: You play Guardian of Vitu-Ghazi, a spell with convoke that costs {3}{G}{W}. You announce that you're going to tap an artifact creature, a red creature, and a green-and-white creature to help pay for it. The artifact creature and the red creature each reduce the spell's cost by {1}. You choose whether the green-white creature reduces the spell's cost by {1}, {G}, or {W}. Then the creatures become tapped as you pay Guardian of Vitu-Ghazi's cost.
502.46b Convoke can't reduce the cost to play a spell to less than 0.
502.46c Multiple instances of convoke on the same spell are redundant.
* You can tap only untapped creatures you control to reduce the cost of a spell with convoke that you play.
* While playing a spell with convoke, if you control a creature that taps to produce mana, you can either tap it for mana or tap it to reduce the cost of the spell, but not both.
* If you tap a multicolored creature to reduce the cost of a spell with convoke, you reduce the cost by {1} or by one mana of your choice of any of that creature's colors.
* Convoke doesn't change a spell's mana cost or converted mana cost.
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Dredge
Dredge is a static ability that lets you return cards from your graveyard to your hand. Only cards from the Golgari guild (black, green, or black-green) have dredge.
Greater Mossdog
{3}{G}
Creature -- Hound
3/3
Dredge 3 (If you would draw a card, instead you may put exactly three cards from the top of your library into your graveyard. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, draw a card.)
The official rules for the dredge ability are as follows:
502.47. Dredge
502.47a Dredge is a static ability that functions only while the card with dredge is in a player's graveyard. "Dredge N" means "As long as you have at least N cards in your library, if you would draw a card, instead you may put N cards from the top of your library into your graveyard and return this card from your graveyard to your hand."
502.47b A player with fewer cards in his or her library than the number required by a dredge ability can't put any of them into his or her graveyard this way.
* Dredge lets you replace any card draw, not just the one during your draw step.
* Once you decide to replace a draw using a card's dredge ability, that card can't be removed from your graveyard "in response." (Replacement effects don't use the stack.)
* You can't use dredge unless you're going to draw a card and the card with dredge is already in your graveyard.
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Transmute
Transmute is an activated ability that lets you turn cards into other cards. Only cards from the Dimir guild (blue, black, or blue-black) have transmute.
Dizzy Spell
{U}
Instant
Target creature gets -3/-0 until end of turn.
Transmute {1}{U}{U} ({1}{U}{U}, Discard this card: Search your library for a card with the same converted mana cost as this card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play only as a sorcery.)
The official rules for the transmute ability are as follows:
502.48. Transmute
502.48a Transmute is an activated ability that functions only while the card with transmute is in a player's hand. "Transmute [cost]" means "[Cost], Discard this card: Search your library for a card with the same converted mana cost as the discarded card, reveal that card, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery."
502.48b Although the transmute ability is playable only if the card is in a player's hand, it continues to exist while the object is in play and in all other zones. Therefore objects with transmute will be affected by effects that depend on objects having one or more activated abilities.
* If you transmute a card with mana cost {U}{U}, for example, you can search for any card in your library with converted mana cost 2. It doesn't matter what type or colors that card is.
* You don't need to have another card with the same converted mana cost in your library to play the transmute ability, and you don't need to find a card even if there is one.
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Radiance
Radiance is an ability word that spreads a spell or ability out to similarly colored creatures (or, in one case, enchantments). Only cards from the Boros guild (red, white, or red-white) have radiance.
Cleansing Beam
{4}{R}
Instant
Radiance -- Cleansing Beam deals 2 damage to target creature and each other creature that shares a color with it.
* All creatures that share a color are affected, even your own.
* A creature "shares a color" with any creature that is at least one of its colors. For example, a green-white creature shares a color with creatures that are green, white, green-white, red-white, black-green, and so on.
* If a radiance spell targets a colorless creature, it doesn't affect any other creatures. A colorless creature shares a color with nothing, not even other colorless creatures.
* You check which creatures share a color with the target when the spell resolves.
* Only one creature is targeted. If that creature leaves play or otherwise becomes an illegal target, the entire spell is countered. No other creatures are affected.
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"Dual Lands"
There are four "dual lands" in the _Ravnica_ set: Overgrown Tomb, Sacred Foundry, Temple Garden, and Watery Grave.
Overgrown Tomb
Land -- Swamp Forest
({T}: Add {B} or {G} to your mana pool.)
As Overgrown Tomb comes into play, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, Overgrown Tomb comes into play tapped instead.
* These dual lands have basic land types, but they aren't basic lands. Things that affect basic lands don't affect them. Things that affect basic land types do. For example, Civic Wayfinder ("search your library for a basic land card") can't find Overgrown Tomb, but you can sacrifice Overgrown Tomb to Dark Heart of the Wood ("Sacrifice a Forest: You gain 3 life").
* If another effect (such as Loxodon Gatekeeper's ability) tells you to put lands into play tapped, Overgrown Tomb comes into play tapped whether you pay 2 life or not.
* If multiple permanents with "as comes into play" effects are coming into play at the same time, process those effects one at a time, then put the permanents into play all at once. For example, if you're at 3 life and an effect puts two Overgrown Tombs into play, you can pay 2 life for only one of them, not both.
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"Enhanced" Spells
Some monocolored spells in the Ravnica set have a bigger effect if mana of a specific color was used to pay their costs.
Dryad's Caress
{4}{G}{G}
Instant
You gain 1 life for each creature in play. If {W} was spent to play Dryad's Caress, untap all creatures you control.
* The spell checks on resolution to see if any mana of the stated color was spent to pay its cost. It doesn't matter how much mana of that color was spent.
* If the spell is copied (such as with Twincast), the copy will never have had mana of the stated color paid for it, no matter what colors were spent on the original spell.
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CARD-SPECIFIC NOTES
Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran
{3}{R}{W}
Legendary Creature -- Human Soldier
3/3
Whenever Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran attacks, attacking red creatures get +2/+0 and attacking white creatures get +0/+2 until end of turn.
* Attacking creatures (including Agrus Kos) that are both red and white get +2/+2 until end of turn.
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Auratouched Mage
{5}{W}
Creature -- Human Wizard
3/3
When Auratouched Mage comes into play, search your library for an Aura card that could enchant it. If Auratouched Mage is still in play, attach that Aura to it. Otherwise, reveal the Aura card and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
* Any Aura card you find must be able to enchant Auratouched Mage as it currently exists, or as it most recently existed in play if it's no longer in play. If an effect has made the Mage an artifact, for example, you could search for an Aura with "enchant artifact."
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Bathe in Light
{1}{W}
Instant
Radiance -- Choose a color. Target creature and each other creature that shares a color with it gain protection from the chosen color until end of turn.
* The color you choose as the spell resolves has nothing to do with the color or colors shared by the affected creatures.
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Bloodletter Quill
{3}
Artifact
{2}, {T}, Put a blood counter on Bloodletter Quill: Draw a card, then lose 1 life for each blood counter on Bloodletter Quill.
{U}{B}: Remove a blood counter from Bloodletter Quill.
* You may play the second ability in response to playing the first one. If you do, you'll remove the blood counter that was just added before you lose the life.
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Boros Fury-Shield