_Magic 2011_ Frequently Asked Questions
Compiled by Mark L. Gottlieb, with contributions from Laurie Cheers, Jeff Jordan, Lee Sharpe, Eli Shiffrin, and Thijs van Ommen
Document last modified July 2, 2010
An FAQ is a collection of clarifications and rulings involving the cards in a new _Magic: The Gathering_(R) set. It's intended to make playing with these new cards more fun by clearing up the common misconceptions and confusion inevitably caused by new mechanics and interactions. As future sets are released, updates to the _Magic_(TM) rules may cause some of this information to become outdated. If you can't find the answer you're looking for here, please contact us at <www.wizards.com/customerservice>.
This FAQ has two sections, each of which serves a different purpose.
The first section ("General Notes") explains the mechanics and concepts in the set.
The second section ("Card-Specific Notes") contains answers to the most important, most common, and most confusing questions players might ask about cards in the set. Items in the "Card-Specific Notes" section include full card text for your reference. Not all cards in the set are listed.
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GENERAL NOTES
***Release Information***
The _Magic 2011_ core set contains 249 cards (20 basic land, 101 common, 60 uncommon, 53 rare, 15 mythic rare).
Prerelease events: July 10-11, 2010
Launch Parties: July 16-18, 2010
The _Magic 2011_ core set becomes legal for sanctioned Constructed play on its official release date: July 16, 2010. At that time, the following card sets will be permitted in the Standard format: _Shards of Alara_(R), _Conflux_(R), _Alara Reborn_(R), _Magic 2010_, _Zendikar_(TM), _Worldwake_(TM), _Rise of the Eldrazi_(TM), and _Magic 2011_.
Go to <www.wizards.com/locator> to find an event or store near you.
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***Returning Keyword Action: Scry***
Scry is a keyword action previously seen in the _Fifth Dawn_(TM) and _Future Sight_(R) sets. Keyword actions are verbs, like "sacrifice" or "regenerate," that have a specific meaning in the _Magic_ game rules. When you scry, you get a glimpse into your future . . . and can manipulate what's coming next.
Augury Owl
{1}{U}
Creature -- Bird
1/1
Flying
When Augury Owl enters the battlefield, scry 3. (To scry 3, look at the top three cards of your library, then put any number of them on the bottom of your library and the rest on top in any order.)
The official rules for scry are as follows:
701.17. Scry
701.17a To "scry N" means to look at the top N cards of your library, put any number of them on the bottom of your library in any order, and put the rest on top of your library in any order.
* When you scry, you may put all the cards you look at back on top of your library, you may put all of those cards on the bottom of your library, or you may put some of those cards on top and the rest of them on the bottom.
* You choose how to order those cards no matter where you put them.
* You perform the actions stated on a card in sequence. For some spells and abilities, that means you'll scry last. For others, that means you'll scry, then you'll perform other actions.
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***Revised Keyword Ability: Deathtouch***
Deathtouch is an ability usually seen on creatures. How it works has been changed.
Acidic Slime
{3}{G}{G}
Creature -- Ooze
2/2
Deathtouch (Any amount of damage this deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.)
When Acidic Slime enters the battlefield, destroy target artifact, enchantment, or land.
The new rules for deathtouch are as follows:
702.2. Deathtouch
702.2a Deathtouch is a static ability.
702.2b Any nonzero amount of combat damage assigned to a creature by a source with deathtouch is considered to be lethal damage, regardless of that creature's toughness. See rule 510.1c-d.
702.2c A creature that's been dealt damage by a source with deathtouch since the last time state-based actions were checked is destroyed as a state-based action. See rule 704.
702.2d The deathtouch rules function no matter what zone an object with deathtouch deals damage from.
702.2e If an object changes zones before an effect causes it to deal damage, its last known information is used to determine whether it had deathtouch.
702.2f Multiple instances of deathtouch on the same object are redundant.
* If a creature (whether it has deathtouch or not) blocks or is blocked by multiple creatures, those creatures must be put into damage assignment order during the declare blockers step. The creature then assigns its combat damage to those creatures according to the damage assignment order announced for it. It can't assign combat damage to one of those creatures unless each creature that precedes that creature in its order is assigned lethal damage. If a creature with deathtouch blocks or is blocked by multiple creatures, everything works exactly the same way with one exception: assigning even 1 of that creature's damage to a creature is considered to be lethal damage.
Example: The damage assignment order of an attacking Acidic Slime (a 2/2 creature with deathtouch) is Spined Wurm (a 5/4 creature) then Siege Mastodon (a 3/5 creature) then Runeclaw Bear (a 2/2 creature). Acidic Slime can assign 1 damage to the Wurm and 1 damage to the Mastodon, or 2 damage to the Wurm. It can't assign damage to the Bear. Each creature Acidic Slime deals damage to is destroyed.
* If an attacking creature with deathtouch and trample becomes blocked, the attacking creature first assigns damage to the creature(s) blocking it. Once all those blocking creatures are assigned lethal damage, any remaining damage is assigned as its controller chooses among those blocking creatures and the player or planeswalker the creature is attacking. However, since the creature has deathtouch, assigning even 1 damage to a creature is considered to be lethal damage.
Example: Yavimaya Wurm (a 6/4 creature with trample) is equipped with Gorgon Flail (an Equipment that grants the equipped creature +1/+1 and deathtouch). It attacks a player and is blocked by Siege Mastodon (a 3/5 creature). Yavimaya Wurm must assign at least 1 damage to the Mastodon. Its remaining damage may be assigned as its controller chooses between the Mastodon and the defending player. Notably, the Wurm may assign 1 damage to the Mastodon and 6 damage to the defending player. After that damage is dealt to the Mastodon, the Mastodon will be destroyed.
* If a creature with deathtouch and another creature both block or are blocked by a creature, the other creature may take into account the fact that any combat damage dealt by a creature with deathtouch is considered to be lethal damage.
Example: An attacking Acidic Slime (a 2/2 creature with deathtouch) and an attacking Yavimaya Wurm (a 6/4 creature with trample) are both blocked by a Palace Guard (a 1/4 creature that can block any number of creatures). The Slime must assign its 2 damage to the Guard. Since the Guard is being assigned lethal damage, the Wurm's 6 damage may be assigned as its controller chooses between the Guard and the defending player. Notably, the Wurm may assign all 6 damage to the defending player. It doesn't matter which creature's damage is assigned first, as long as the final damage assignment follows all the applicable parameters.
* The rule that causes creatures dealt damage by a source with deathtouch to be destroyed applies to any damage, not just combat damage.
* A regeneration effect can save a creature that's been dealt damage by a source with deathtouch.
* If multiple state-based actions would destroy a creature at the same time (because it's been dealt lethal damage and been dealt damage by a source with deathtouch), a single regeneration effect will replace all of them and save the creature.
* If a creature is dealt damage by a source with deathtouch, it'll be destroyed as a state-based action. That means there's no time to react between the time the creature is dealt damage and the time it's destroyed. If you want to put a regeneration shield on it, or sacrifice it for some effect, or anything else, you must do so before the damage is actually dealt.
* The rules that care about deathtouch function no matter where the source with deathtouch is. In other words, if a spell or ability causes a card with deathtouch that's not on the battlefield to deal damage to a creature (like Selfless Exorcist's ability does, for example), that creature will be destroyed. This isn't the same as damage dealt by a source that has changed zones; see below.
* If a source of damage hasn't changed zones by the time that damage is dealt, its characteristics are checked to see if it has deathtouch at that time. If the source has changed zones by then, its last existence in the zone it was expected to be in is checked to see if it had deathtouch at that time.
* If an object with deathtouch gains another instance of deathtouch, the extra instance of deathtouch won't have any particular effect. If that object deals damage to a creature, a single regeneration effect will still save it.
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***Card Type: Planeswalker***
A planeswalker is a powerful ally that fights by your side. The rules for the planeswalker card type haven't changed with this release.
Ajani Goldmane
{2}{W}{W}
Planeswalker -- Ajani
4
[+1]: You gain 2 life.
[-1]: Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control. Those creatures gain vigilance until end of turn.
[-6]: Put a white Avatar creature token onto the battlefield. It has "This creature's power and toughness are each equal to your life total."
* Planeswalkers are permanents. You can cast one at the time you could cast a sorcery. When your planeswalker spell resolves, it enters the battlefield under your control.
* Planeswalkers are not creatures. Spells and abilities that affect creatures won't affect them.
* If two or more planeswalkers that share a subtype (such as "Ajani") are on the battlefield, they're all put into their owners' graveyards as a state-based action.
* Planeswalkers have loyalty. A planeswalker enters the battlefield with a number of loyalty counters on it equal to the number printed in its lower right corner. Activating one of its abilities may cause it to gain or lose loyalty counters. Damage dealt to a planeswalker causes that many loyalty counters to be removed from it. If it has no loyalty, it's put into its owner's graveyard as a state-based action.
* Planeswalkers each have a number of activated abilities called "loyalty abilities." You can activate a loyalty ability of a planeswalker you control only at the time you could cast a sorcery and only if you haven't activated one of that planeswalker's loyalty abilities yet that turn.
* The cost to activate a planeswalker's loyalty ability is represented by an arrow with a number inside. Up-arrows contain positive numbers, such as "+1"; this means "Put one loyalty counter on this planeswalker." Down-arrows contain negative numbers, such as "-6"; this means "Remove six loyalty counters from this planeswalker." You can't activate a planeswalker's ability with a negative loyalty cost unless the planeswalker has at least that many loyalty counters on it.
* Planeswalkers can't attack (unless an effect such as the one from Gideon Jura's third ability turns the planeswalker into a creature). However, they can be attacked. Each of your attacking creatures can attack your opponent or a planeswalker that player controls. You say which as you declare attackers.
* If your planeswalkers are being attacked, you can block the attackers as normal.
* If a creature that's attacking a planeswalker isn't blocked, it'll deal its combat damage to that planeswalker. Damage dealt to a planeswalker causes that many loyalty counters to be removed from it.
* If a source you control would deal noncombat damage to an opponent, you may have that source deal that damage to a planeswalker that opponent controls instead. For example, although you can't target a planeswalker with Lightning Bolt, you can target your opponent with Lightning Bolt, and then as Lightning Bolt resolves, choose to have Lightning Bolt deal its 3 damage to one of your opponent's planeswalkers. (You can't split up that damage between different players and/or planeswalkers.) If you have Lightning Bolt deal its damage to a planeswalker, three loyalty counters are removed from it.
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***Cycle: Titans***
The Titans are a cycle of five creatures, each with "Titan" in the name and a versatile triggered ability.
Primeval Titan
{4}{G}{G}
Creature -- Giant
6/6
Trample
Whenever Primeval Titan enters the battlefield or attacks, you may search your library for up to two land cards, put them onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library.
* Whenever a Titan enters the battlefield, its triggered ability triggers.
* Whenever a Titan attacks, its triggered ability triggers.
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***Cycle: Leylines***
The Leylines are a cycle of five enchantments, each with "Leyline" in the name. If you have any Leylines in your opening hand, you may begin the game with any number of them on the battlefield.
Leyline of Punishment
{2}{R}{R}
Enchantment
If Leyline of Punishment is in your opening hand, you may begin the game with it on the battlefield.
Players can't gain life.
Damage can't be prevented.
* Your "opening hand" is the hand of cards you decide to start the game with after taking any mulligans.
* After all players have decided not to take any more mulligans, if the starting player has any Leylines in his or her hand, he or she may put any or all of them onto the battlefield. Then each other player in turn order may do the same.